A remarkable story in the grand tradition of nineteenth-century romantic seafaring adventures, A Woman of Courage records the extraordinary journey of 22-year-old Rose de Freycinet, through her spellbinding letters to friends and family from 1817 to 1820. Refusing to face a painful separation from her husband, a naval officer appointed by the French government to command a round-the-world scientific expedition, Rose dressed in an officera s uniform and stowed away on board the Uranie. Shipwrecks, disease, pirates, storms, near-starvation and picnics of penguin meat, strange customs, encounters with island royalty and travels to remote locationsa all were the ingredients of a great adventure, and all were endured for love. A memorable story of an adventurous and spirited woman, this book includes beautiful colour plates reproduced from the original limited edition French publication.