The morning call., 1893-09-08
SHE is CAPTAIN.
Countess Festetics to Be
a Navigator.
MASTER, NOW, OF THE ToLNA
A Rowing License Issued to Her to
Cruise Among the South Sea
Islands.

II. Ella 81. Festetics de Tolna, master of
the yacht called the Tolna of San Fran
cisco, burden rs tons net, do swear that l
am citizen of the United States, having
been born in the State of California, so
help me God.
ELLA ii. FESTETICs DE TOLNA."
1t was a medium-sized brunette lady.
dressed in street costume of becoming
material. who went up to Deputy Collector
Farley's desk in the Custom house yester-
day afternoon accompanied by her broker,
c. d. Bunker, and took the foregoing oath.
Doubtless nearly everybody knows this
lady. for. as the wife of Count Festetics,
she has social distinction not enjoyed by
all of her sex.
She may be called Countess" by soci.
ETY.. but, as can be seen from her oath, she
lays no claim to that title politically. pre-
ferring to be known by the Government
as citizen of the United States.
And wherefore this oath? Simply be-
cause the Count and his wife are about to
take pleasure cruise among the South
Sea Islands, and either one must make
such represen tation at the Custom-house
before Secretary Carlisle will grant row.
ing commission. The count tried to do so
a short time ago, but he could not, because
he is not a citizen of the United States,
and to be full citizen is absolutely neces-
sary, whereas the Count could only state
that he had declared his intention tn be-
come one. He had taken some lessons in
navigation. but that did not Count There
fore Mrs. Festetirs de TOlna found it ad-
Visable to become master of the yacht
Tolna herself. even if woman.
Now her application will go to the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury, and in as short a
time as 1t takes to go to Washington, pass
through the machinery of the department
and return to this city. the Government
will grant her yachting commission, as
master of the TOlna and membe of the
San Francisco Yacht Club. to go wherever
she pleases, without having to comply
with the reQuireM ents of entering and
clearing at any foreign port-requirements
that common trading vessels must heed or
suffer the consequences. That commits
sion will put the TOlna on about the same
footing as an American man-Of-war, and
is a privilege worth having. Her husband
may then consider himself first mate of
the craft.
A license from this port was issued by
Deputy Collector Farley and handed TO
her broker. 1t will be in force ore year,
and authorizes the yacht to proceed from
port to port of the United States and by
sea to foreign ports, without entering or
clearing at custom-hOuSe," but she is mot
allowed to transport merchandise or carry
passengers for pay"
1t is license 1, because it is the first
of its kind. for many years at least, that is,
! to woman. DR.. Samuel Merritt of Oak
| land did go on similar cruise with a
party of friends few years ago with the
| green yacht CaScO, but there is only one
other instance of a woman being thus rec
| OgniZed as master at this port, and she had
| command of sailing vessel. That it is a
very unusual thing was patent in the
great difficulty Registry Clerk Coey lad
in finding the necessary blanks, which
were discovered at last tucked away in all
unused corner of the stationery-room.
! The Countess does not thus launch out
upon the broad swelling bosom of the Pa
| clfic without any knowledge of navigation
| by any means, for whether she has utilized
her husband as a nautical encyclopedia OF
| obtained her information from other
sources she could talk quite iutelligently
| about head winds and fair ones reefng
and steering and many other like things
| which are confusing to a landlubber.
| Perhaps she has gained a practical ac-
| Quaintance with the helmsman's art by
doing considerable yachting on the bay
! lately.
| The Tolua is a schooner-rigged yacht,
hull painted white, length S9 feet. beam
24l. feet, depth 10 feet 50 tons gross bur-
| den, and was built this year by Matthew
Turner at Benicia. She has been lying
over at SausalitO.
Honolulu will probably be the first port
visited, and then the navigators will pro-
ceed to Tahiti. the Gilbert Islands aud
other places of interest.