Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1857-04-24
A CALIFORNIA CRUsoF.

SLa19SG
NARRATIVE OF A OMA WHO LIVED EIGHTEEN
YEARS ALONE UPON HI ISLAND OF SAN NJ
Captain c. ]. W. Russell has contributed TO
Hutchings' Magazine an interesting narrative
Of a woman who lived eighteen years alone
upon the island of San Nicolas, one of the
Santa Barbara group, of the lower coast Of
California and situated about 80 deg. Is min.
north latitude. While Stationed in that quar-
ter, making tidal observations for the United
States Government, Captain Russell received
from one George Nedevir, an old California
resident, the following remarkable history:
Twenty years ago, the whole of the Indian
tribes inhabiting the Santa Barbara group Of
islands were engaged in a fierce and extermi-
mating WEI with each other, and to such an
extent was this deadly hostility waged that
already the population had very much dimin-
ished, and would, IN all probability, before
many years, become entirely extinct. To pre-
vent this, and at the sam time to ameliorate
the condition Of the Indians, the Fathers Of
the Mission Of Santa Barbara conceived the
idea Of removing them to the main land, where
they might be watched over, improved, and
preserved under their immediate superintend-
enee. For this purpose they visited the island,
in company with a few partially civilized In
dians, and explained to .hem the advantages Of
removing to the Mission. They listened atten-
lively to the proposal, and finally consented to
go, on promises of protection from their natu-
raj enemies.
Accordingly, a small vessel was sent to the
different islands, and the various tribes were
taken one by one to the Mission Of Santa Bar
bara. But while the last Of the Indians were
embarking, at the island Of San Nicolas, and all
were supposed to be on board, a child was mis-
sing, and its mother, in great distress, was
seeking it everywhere, without success. Each
portion of the vessel was diligently searched
all the adjacent rocks were examined, but no
child could be found. Almost frantic, the
mother requested the captain to wait while she
went into the interior to 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 then
but still they came not. The wind began 10
blow harder and stronger the storm was rapid
ly increasing (; and as the groups of Indians on
board strained their eyes trying to discover in
the darkness some object that resembled the re-
turning woman and her child, yet saw them not,
there were many sad hearts and anxious coun-
t~enances that night, on their account. The
storm at last came on in all its fury, tossing
their little vessel up and dow like a feather,
and compelled them at last, though reluctantly,
to put to sea for safety before any tidings of I'd
absent ones could be received. Althoughro
cargo of living freight Ieached Santa &Tbara
In salsS-Vrfce AZ vessel could return FOR the
woman it was wrecked and entirely lost and
as no other could be obtained at that time, the
poor woman had to remain upon the island,
where she lived, GlORs, for eighteen years no
doubt forgotten, or given up as long since dead.
After the discovery of gold in California, it
was TumOred that San Nicolas was inhabited,
that several had seen the prints Of human foot
steps, and they eBdeavOred to discover the
whereabouts of the individual, but could not.
As all the foots cps were alike, they concluded
that there could be only one person living upon
it. Many attempts were mtde to find out who,
and where this strange being was, but without
avail, until one Of CalifoTnia's oldest pioneers,
Mr.. Nedevir-the gentleman who related the
story-went over to look for her. He having
spent many years as a hunter and trapper in
the Rocky Mountains, was expert as an Indian
in following a trail, and consequently found
but little difficulty in discovering the track,
which he followed until be saw a singular OBJ
ject among the rocks upon the sea shore, near
the mouth of a %ravine, upon its knees, skinning
a seal. Upon approaching, be found it to be a
woman, clad in a singular dress Of feathers
When hssaw him she jumped up and with ex-
cessive Joy ran toward him, and seemed almost
beside herself with wild delight at the sight,
once more, Of a human being. In her hand she
held a rude knife-blade, that she had made
from a piece Of Old iron, probably obtained from
the fragment of some wreck, and she evidently
valued beyond anything else in her possession.
She was unable to make herself understood,
except By signs in making which she showed
a great amount Of intelligence, and signihed
her willingness to him to Santa
Barbara. Here Father Gonzales Of the Mis-
sion, took the greatest pains to discover some
of the Indians who had been taken from those
islands eighteen years before, but no one Of
them could be found, and what became Of
them is a mystery unto this day. Not one Of
the Indians within a circumference Uf many
miles could be found who could understand her:
she could only communicate by signs.
Ii appears from her narrative, that after
leaving the vessel in search Of her child, she
wandered about for several hours, and when
she found ii, the wild dogs which infest the
island, even to the present day, had killed and
nearly devoured it. We can better imagine the
feelings Of a mother at such a time, than de-
scribe them. When she returned to the spot
where che had left the vessel, to tell her sOr-
rows for the loss Of her child. that too was gone,
and was bearing away her kindred and friends
from her sight. Could she have realized, then,
that for eighteen long years she must live alone
in the world, without one kind word Of comfort,
one cheering look from a friendly eye, or one
smile Of recognition, it would have been too
much for even her wild but womanly nature to
bear, and with her, as with US, il is well that
we know not the future. From day to day she
lived in hope, beguiling the weary hours in pro-
viding for her wants. With snares made of her
hair she caught birds, and with skins, properly
prepared, she made her clothing. Her needles
were neatly made of bone and cactus thorns /;
her thread was OF sinews from the seal. Ia
these and many other articles found in her pos
session, she exhibited much of the native inge-
nuity she possessed.
Whether she still remembered her own Ian
guage or not will forever remain a mystery.
She was very gentle and kind, especially to
children, and nothing seemed to please her more
than to be near them; and the poor woman
would often shed tears while attempting to de-
scribe, by signs, her own little one which had
been killed and eaten by the wild dogs. The
sympathy felt for her welfare caused the peo-
pie to supply her beautifully with everything
she chose, and the result was, that in about six
months after her escape from her lonely exile,
she sickened and died, having undoubtedly been
killed with kindness