The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-08-06
A California Crusoe.
NARRATIVE OF A WOMAN WHO LIVED EIGHTEEN YEARS
ALONE UPON THE ISLAND OF SAN NICOLAS.

NARRATIVE OF A WOMAN WHO LIVED EIGHTEEN YEARS
ALONE UPON THE ISLAND OF SAN NICOLAS.
Captain G.. j. W. Russell has contributed to
Hutchings' Magazine an interesting narrative ola
woman who lived eighteen years alone upon the
island of San Nicolas, one of the Santa Barbara
group, off the lower coast of California, and
situated about 33 deg. Is min. north latitude.
While stationed in that quarter, making tidal
observations for the United States Government,
Captain Russell received from one Geo. Nedevir,
an old California resident, the following remarka-
BILE history:
Twenty years ago, the whole of the Indian
tribes inhabiting the Santa Barbara group of is
lands were engaged in a fierce, and discriminating
war with each other, and to such an extent was
this deadly hostility waged that already the
population had very much diminished, and would,
in all probability, before many years, become
entirely extinct. To prevent this, and at the
same time to ameliorate the condition of the In
dams, the Father of the Mission of Santa Barbara
conceived the idea of removing them to the
mainland, where they might be watched over,
improved, and preserved, under his immediate
snperinterdence. For this purpose they visited
the islands, in company with u few partially
civilized Indians, and explained to them the
advantages of removing to the Mission. They
listened attentively to the proposal, and finally
consented to go on promises of protection from
their natural enemies. Accordingly, a small
vessel was sent to the different islands, and the
saIioIe TloS were taken one by one TO the
Mission of Santa Barbara. But while the last of
tine Indians were ,rnbarking, at the island of San
Nicolas, and all were supposed to be on board, a
child was missing, and it's mother, in great dis
tress, was seeking it everywhere, without success.
Zach portion of the vessel was diligently searched;
all the adjacent rocks were examined, but no
child could be found. Almost frantic, the
rlother requested the captain to wait while she
went into the interior 10 search for her child. to
which he reluctantly consented.
As night closed down in darkness. heavy masses
OF clouds rolled up from the horizon, and gave
threatening evidence of a coming storm. All
were anxious for the return of the woman and
her child before it broke upon them, but still
they came not. The wind began to blow harder
and stronger; the storm was rapidly increasing;
anoeas the groups of Indians on board strained
their eyes trying to discover in the darkness some
object that resembled the returning woman and
her child, yet saw them not, there were many
sac hearts and anxious countenances that night,
on their account. The storm az last came on in
all its fury, tossing their little vessel up and down
like a feather, and compelled them at last, though
reluctantly, to put to sea for safety before any
tidings of the absent ones could be received.
Although the cargo of living freight reached
Santa Barbara in safety, before the vessel could
return tor the woman it was wrecked and entirely
lost; and ms no other could be obtained at that
time, the poor woman had 70 remain upon the
island, where she lived, for eighteen years; no
doubt forgotten, OF given up as long since dead.
After the discovery of gold in California, it
was rumored that San Nicolas was inhabited,
that several hunters had seen the pr int of human
footsteps, and they endeavored to discover til