Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-05-07
Selected Tale.
A CALIFORNIA CRUS0E.

NARRATIVE OF WOMAN WHO LIVED EIGHTEEN YEARS
.-- ALONE UPON THE ISLAND OF san NICOLAS.
Can't. G. j. w. Russell has contributed
to Hutchings' Magazine an interesting mar
ratiye of 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 $50
Is, north latitude. While stationed in
that quarter, making tidal observations for
the United States Government, Captain
Russell received from one George Nederir,
an old California resident, the following
remarkable history:
Twenty years ago the whole of the In
dian tribes inhabiting the Santa Barbara
group Of Islands were engaged in fierce
and exterminating war with each other,
and to such an extent was this deadly hos
tility waged that already the population
had very much diminished, and would, in
all probability, before many years, becotne
entirely extinct. To prevent this, and, at
the same time to ameinrate tie condition
of the Indians, the Fathers of the Mission
Of Santa Barbara conceived the idea of re-
moving them to the mainland, where they
might be watched over, improved and pre-
served, under their immediate superintend-
ence. For this purpose they visited the
Islands, in company with 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 CO. on promise of
protection from their natural enemies.
Accordingly, small vessel was sent to
the different Islands, and the various tribes
were taken one by one to the Mission Of
Santa Barbara But while the last of the
Indians were enlbaar.king, at the Island O
San Nicolas, and all were supposed 10 be
on board, child was missing, and Its mo
ther, in great distress was seeking every
where, without success. Each portion o.
the vessel was diligently searched; all the
adjacent rocks were examined, but no child
could be found. Almost frantic, the mo-
fher requested the captain to wait while
she went into the interior to search for heI
child, to which he reluctantly consented.
As night closed down in darkness, heavy
masses Of clouds rolled up from the hori
son, and gave threatening evidence of {
coming storm. All were anxious for thG
return Of The woman and her child before
it broke upon them, but still they came
not. The wind began to blow harder ant
stronger; the storm was rapidly increasing
and as the groups of Indians on board
strained their eyes trying to discover in tn
darkness some object that resembled tn
returning woman and her child, vet saw
them not, there were many sad heart
and anxious ..countenances that night, OIL
their account. The, storm at last came OIL
in all its fury, tossing their little vessel u
and down like feather, and compelle
them at last though reluctantly, to put t
sea for safety before any tidings OF the al
sent ones could be received. Although tn
cargo Of living freight reached Santa Ba
bara in safety, before the vessel could r.
turn for the woman it was wrecked an
entirely lost; and, as no other could .
obtained at that time, the poor woman pa