Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-05-05
MtsCellaMeamS.
MRS. CAPTAIN.

We were well into the Gulf of Bengal,
bound for Madras, when one morning,
just as night was fading into dawn, |
thought | heard voice hailing us from
the surface Of the sea.
There was no need to hail the mate
on, watch, for he heard the cry as we'll.
We were jogging along under easy sail,
and he seized tho glass and ran up the
forerigging. There was sort of steam
rising from the water, but the mate had
not climbed thirty feet when down he
came again and in one breath ordered
the ship into the wind, the captain
aroused and boat lowered We Of the
watch had no doubt that the ship had
been hailed by castaways, but the boat
was down before any of us made out
lone woman in sort Of canoe craft
about two cables lengths away on our
port bow She had neither paddle nor
oar, and her craft was driving with the
wind and sea, while she sat covering in
the stern. Our boat was soon alongside
of her craft, and woman and canoe we're
soon aboard the Admiral Nelson. The
watch below had been turned up, and
everybody was on deck to see what was
going on. The woman was white, and,
as we soon ascertained, American. say
white, but bronze would be the better
term, for it was evident that she had
long been exposed to tropical weather.
She was of medium size, regular fea-
lures and about forty years of age, and
had Mt one time been good looking.
"Who and where is the captain Of
this ship?" she suddenly snapped as she
reached the deck.
"Here, a'am," CALAMITY replied our
old man as he stepped briskly forward
81 want to talk to you in your cabin, ="
ahe continued, her fingers working ner-
vously and her eyes a6re.
They had not been gone a quarter of
an hour when both reappearod on deck.
was at the wheel and therefore heard
all that was said. It appeared that tho
woman, whose name was Mrs. Thomas,
owned and sailed trading schooner,
which had been left her at her husbands
death. It was strange vocation for a
woman, but it seemed she liked it, aud
also had good business head on her.
She had crew of six, her mate being
an Englishman and the others Lascars,
and she had been sailing between nearly
all the towns Of the gulf Three days
before we picked her up her schooner
had left Sumatra, bound for tho Indian
coast. The crew seemed TO be perfectly
quiet and content, but at 10 o'clock Of
the previous night, headed by the mate,
had suddenly laid violent hands on her
and sent her adrift without water, food
or paddle. The intention was 10 run
away with the schooner and cargo and
sell them, and this plan might have been
carried out but for her rescue.
She was the spunkiest little woman |
ever saw She was 80 mad she couldn't
stand still for three seconds at time.
What she wanted was for our ship 10 go
10 pursuit. Her schooner was armed
with two brass 6-pounders, while We
had four twelves, and she expressed her
entire willingness to see her craft sent
TO the bottom before the mutinous crew
should benefit by their acts. Captain
Wheeler was pretty well along 10 years,
very careful on the question Of insur-
ance, and his mind was not made up
until after breakfast. Then he decided
to luf up toward the Andaman islands
in search Of the schooner, and he almost
promised to give her taste Of our metal
II she would not surrender.
The little woman managed 10 eat .
dozen mouthfuls Of breakfast and thet
returned to the deck to almost assume
control She ordered a man aloft, bosset
the job Of casting loose the guns anC
getting up powder and shot, and every
10 minutes she was haiing the lookou
TO know If anything was in sight. LUCK
was 10 her favor. While we had beer
jogging along all night, the schooner
being farther TO the east, had been al
most becalmed. We raised her almos
dead ahead about noon, and, as lucl
would have ii, again we had plenty o
wind, while she bad none until the YES
sells we're not over two miles apart Tb
schooner could have no suspicion tina
the woman was aboard Of us, and W
few a signal that we wanted to speaI
her She at once lay to, and as VIC raj
down to her saw Mrs. Thomas grit he
teeth, clinch her hands and show othc
evidences Of her feelings She had Dor
rowed the mates 6.shooier. donncd
hat and coat to disguise herself, aud a
we lay TO about q cables length ava