The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-01-21

70 the north. The only thing of conse-
quence she had forgotten was a chart of
the Java Sea, which she could have put
her hand on at a Minutes notice, and it
was the want of this which made Cru
soc of her for several years. AS the
yawl went to sea after its own fashion,
Mrs. Williams lost the points of the
compass at once. Indeed, had she kept
them in mind, it would have been of no
benefit Just then, as she mad not studied
the chart and could not have told which
way to steer to reach another group or
the main land. She heard nothing
whatever from the natives, but several
years later it was ascertained that they
did not board the schooner until mid
night. The men, all of whom were still
drunk and asleep, were stripped and
tvssed overheard to drown, and then the
absence of the woman and her money
was discovered. Five or six native
crafts were at ouce sent in pursuit, while
the people who remained looted the
schooner OF everything of value to
them, and then towed her out to deep
water and scuttlcd her to hide the evil
dences of their crime.
After drifting three or four miles out
to sea the yawl got light breeze, aud
after few trials the woman learned
how to manage the sail and lay course.
She had no idea which way she was
heading, but rap off before the breeze,
and kept going all night and until mid
afternoon next day. Sne must have passed
the island of Upnong IN the early morn
ing, but so far to the westward that she
could not see it. The wind hauling at
midforenoon altered her course by sew
eral points, and the northernmost island
of the group named Polio was thus
brought in line. The island is seven
miles long by three in width at its
widest part, and we'll wooded and
wstered. Tne woman landed on the
east side, at the mouth of creek which
forms snug little harbor. She was
convinced that this was one Of the is
lands OF the Kinderoon group, but she
did not know that it was the most north
erly one. By consulting the compass
she got the cardinal points, but not hav-
ing studied the chart she could not say
in what direction any other land lay.
She had seen the sails of two traders that
morning, but as they were native crafts
she had every wish to avoid them. The
boats which were sent in pursuit of her
must have taken another cousrc, as she
saw nothing of them.
When Mrs. Williams landed on the
island she had no idea of stopping there
for more than a day or two, or until she
could decide on some plan. She had
scarcely gone ashore when a gale came
up which lasted about thirty hours, dur
ing which the yawl was so damaged that
she must undergo repairs. She unloaded
her goods on the shore, covered them
from the weather, and then set out to ex-
plore the island, pretty we'll satisfied
that it was inhabited, and hoping, if it
was, that her money might secure as
sistance. Before night she was
satisfied that she was all alone, and sac
made a shelter out of the blankets, and
slept the night away as peacefully as If
in her cabin on the schooner. Next day
she exchanged her apparel for mans
suit and began the erection of a hut. In
a grove about 200 feet from the beach
she erected q shelter, 10x2O feet, which
withstood tho storms of almost four
years. While the sides consisted of can
vas and poles, the roof was thatched
with long grass which she found on the
island in abundance.
1t took the women about week to
construct her hut aud move her stores
into it, and this bad scarcely been done
when her boat, owing to cale[essness on
her part was carrie carried of by the sea, and
she now realized that she was prisoner
until such time rs the crew of some
trading vessel might land and discover
her. After her house was completed
she made more thorough exploration of
her island home. There were parrots
and other birds, snakes of harmless
variety, Borneo rats, and a drove OF
about 800 Java pigs, which are about the
size of the American peccary, but ore
wild instead of fierce.
The woman had clothing to last her
five or six years, but the provisions she
had brought from the schooner would
not supply her needs more than few
months. While hoping aud expecting
to be taken off almost any day, she wise
ly prepared for long stay. She had
fish.hooks and lines in her outfit, and
with fish from the sea, meat from the
woods, and bananas and wild fruits from
the groves, she had variety and plen-
ty. Six months after she landed ma
tive craft put in about mile from her
hut, but creeping through the woods she
saw that all were Malays, and so savage
in appearance that she did not dare make
herself known. Seven months later a
second craft sent men ashore to fill two
water casks, but she was also afraid of
these. She lived very quietly from that
time until nearly two years after her
landing, having remarkably good health
all the time, but naturally lonely and cast
down at times.
One afternoon. as she was in the forest
about half mile from home, having her
shotgun with her, Bornco sailor sud-
denly confronted her. He was entirely
alone, and whether he had been ma
rooned or cast away she never learned.
As she was dressed in mans suit he
naturally took her for man, but his first
movement was hottie one. He advanced
upon the woman with q club in his hand
and uttering shouts of menace, and to