A Female Mariner.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 15

A Female Mariner.

The residents at Moeraki are busy just now chaffing a couple of unfortunate youths who embarked upon a voyage of great hardship and some,peril with a woman as skipper, and who but for their skipper might not be alive now to endure the badinage. Tho woman is a Miss Esther Evans, who has until recently been housekeeper to the late Captain Little, harbourmaster at Moeraki. The captain on his death left little property, but among his belongings was a small craft of some 5 tons burden which had been used for fishing purposes. The young men in question (lads some 18 or 19 years of age) waited upon Miss Evans after Captain Little's death and proposed to rent the boat from her as a fishing smack, paying a small sum — 5s a week or so — for her use. The lady was agreeable, but entertained doubts as to the nautical acquirements of the applicants. She therefore proposed to accompany them upon a trial trip in person, and see how they " shaoed " in the management of the boat. From the sequel it is evident that Miss Evans herself must have smelt salt water often enough before in the self-same craft. The skipper and her crew were to start by arrangement early in the morning, but the crew commenced badly and did not beat to quarters until 9 a.m. However, the skipper decided to put out, after casting her weather eye over the horizon and shivering her timbers. There was a great deal more shivering done, by the way, before the cruise ended. It was bitterly cold, the wind was keen and high, and before long the voyagers had the accompaniments of sleet, snow, and frost upon their expedition. The fishing ground was some 15 miles from Moeraki, and it was nearly dark when they arrived there. With the breeze then blowing, it was plainly impracticable to make home again that night, and the skipper accordingly decided instead of trying to head back for Moeraki to push on to Oamaru, some eight miles further. Her crew were by this time, not mutinous — their spirits wore too low for that — but in a state of entire depression and disgust. They lay passively insubordinate at the bottom of the boat, numbed with cold, and perhaps a trifle qualmish. But in order to make Oamaru a troublesome point had to be weathered, and in the state of the wind and tide some pulling had to be done. The crew showed no disposition to pull. Both almost preferred to become "damp, unpleasant bodies," and have done with it. Physical exertion, despite the skipper's cheering representation that it would warm them, was an unspeakable thing. The lady coaxed, commanded, coerced, and at length, womanlike, got her way. The youths went to the oars, the point was rounded, and Oamaru was sighted somewhere about midnight. But the two were in a sad plight. They had been scantily provisioned with a few morsels of bread and some jam (palatable fare, but not particularly nutritious), their six individual feet were all fast asleep with the cold, their clothes supported goodly pyramids of snow. In this condition they reached Oamaru soon after midnight ; Miss Evans moored the boat with difficulty, and effected a landing. To a policeman she addressed herself to discover where at that hour they could obtain, not a fire, hot grog and f ootwarmers, but the modest creature comfort of which they stood mostly in need — bread. This was eventually obtained, and with her precious loaves Miss Evans reboarded her vessel, and feasted her crew. They had fishes in plenty besides the loaves — having caught several dozen red cod — but no cooking appliances were available. The night was passed in the open boat alongside the jetty — a night to be remembered. In the morning the two lads were sent to sell the fish, and presently a start was made on the home journey, in spite of the very threatening aspect of the weather. Some eight miles were covered, and they had almost reached the fishing grounds, when Miss Evans observed what to her nautical perception was a distinct warning to look out for squalls. Whether she directed her steersman to put his helm hard up or hard down does not appear, but she gave some order that indicated .her intention to go about and head back for Oamaru again. Then arose a real mutiny in miniature. The crew openly rebelled, and the elder lad (the ringleader, with a following of one) declared that this thing should not be done. Jim, or Jack, or Charley, or whatever was the name of the other half of the crew, should keep the tiller as it was. In fact, 1 the young mariners having got so far, and being heartily tired of the perils of the deep, wore anxious to get home, put their feet in musfcard-and-water, and apply a hot brick to the chilliest portions of their anatomy. The skipper walked affc, or extended her arms aft ; with her own fair hands wrested the tiller from the mutineer and put the craft' about. There was grumbling, but no f urthe,r active resistance ; and some time near

the chilly dawn Oamaru was in sight once more. Meanwhile the anticipated storm had come, caught the boat, and nearly capsized it. Bailing had been necessary more than once, and it was made abundantly manifest that had the skipper held her course the small craft could not have lived, and consequently neither could its captain and its crew. They got to their moorings again with more difficulty than before, and the next day (being Sunday) Miss Evans spent with some friends ashore. It took her that day to get warm and dry. But by next morning the crew bad deserted. They preferred, a 1200 ton mail steamer to do their voyaging in. They had poultry at home which wanted feeding ; and, in short, resolved to make their way home by train. Miss Evans would no doubt have liked well enough to do the same, but she was not going to abandon her craft, and resolved to navigate her back single-handed. Ifc was with the utmost difficulty that she managed while the b6at was alongside the jetty to hoist the sail ; and the one man who stood calmly watching her exertions stirred no hand to help her. However, she managed the task and put out, still in very ugly weather. Before nearing the Moeraki bluff she met several fishing boats, • and received advice from each that she could | never round the point by the course she was ' holding. They even followed her for a couple ' of miles, and renewed their warnings; but she was determined. She put the boat on the other tack, and finding that the chances looked better resolved to go on. She was successful in weathering the point, but before getting into Moeraki she encountered another voyager— a Mr ifthnonson— who conveyed to her the cheering intelligence that her moorings had been carried away, and that she would consequently have considerable difficulty in effecting a landing. However, he goodnaturedly volunteered to assist her, and with his help this plucky woman landed safely at Moeralri at five o'clock in the morning, more dead than alive, from the effects of cold and exposure, having shown endurance and determination not equalled by many men.