The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-04-03

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| rope made uf seal sineWs, supporting
seal and sea elephant blubber. And
! further on were three huts made of
whales ribs, covered with brush, but
giving no evidence Of having been
lately occupied. by signs and other
means Of communication she was
made aware that they wanted her to
accompany them, and, without any ap-
parent hesitation, she made ready to
follow. She filled a basket-Such as
were common among the Indians Of
this coast for packing on their backs
with provisions, fishing tackle, and
other articles, and, taking it on one
arm and firebrand in the other hand,
she followed the company.
In the course Ia where the schooner
lay at anchor they found 4 beautiful
spring of water issuing from the bank
above the beach, under q shelving rock.
The cracks or assures in this rock were
stuck full Of bones, and there were
other evidences OF an encampment of
the island. These homes were used for
nOuFishment, obtained by sucking;
they were dried and resucksd many
times, showing that occasionally she
was put upon short ratiOns, but at the
time of her discovery appeared to have
an abundance, such as it was. She re-
tanned all her teeth, but they We're
worn low, supposed to be due to her
chewing tough and solid articles of
food. Her age appeared to be about 90
years.
Further un was another spring near
the beach, under the hank. Here she
indicated a desire to hathe, and was
permitted to do 30 by the balance of
the party retiring out of sight. After
her bath she joined the others and
went direct to the shore boat, and
thence to the schooner. She was pre-
vailed upon to abandon her iirebrand
and seal blubber before leaving the
beach. Going aboard the schooner,
she went directly TO to the stove and
warmed herself, indicating that she
knew what the StQYe was for Slie ate
heartily Of the food of the crew, ap-
peared TO enjoy it, and it agreed with
her. Mr.. Brown made her a skirt of
ticking, with which, and a sailors cot
ton shirt and black nepktie, her dress
was complete, She assisted in making
her dress, but could not see to thread
her necktie. Her sewing was quite
rude. She appeared much pleased
with her new dress.
The following day she went ashore
with the men, who made . separate
shelter for he's, which She occupied
about month, the time spent on the
island otter hunting. She was quite
industrious, carrying wood and water
without being asked. She appeared
cOntented and happy, frequently sing
ing aud ohattering TO herself. The
men could not understand what she
said, inOr she they, but Mr.. Sidever
said il was truly wonderful how she
could converse with them by signs.
She occupied portion of her time in
making water vessels of grass and as
phaltum, a substance plentiful both on
the island and shore OF the main land
The grass was plated into a shape re-
sembling a demijOhn, but wider ut the
top, and lined with aSphaltum. She
would put in several small pieces of
the aforementioned substance, and then
drop Oil them small stones or pebbles
about the size of hulled Walnuts, heat
ed sufficiently to melt the asphaltum,
and, grasping the neck with both
hands, the lower end on the ground,
gave it rapid rotary motion for sew
eral minutes, and then empty the
stones on the ground. The vessels had
a continuous coating Oil the inside, and
are reported to have been water-tight.
the lining even resisting the hsat of
the sun when covered with water; She
had both stone and earthen vessels in
which to boil water and cook if de-
sired, To procure seal hluhbeT she
could kill the seals with club when
on land summing themselves, or snare
them with her sineWy ropes. She OBJ
tanned fire by rubbing two dry sticks
together. One of them, partly flat, had
groove along its eatire length, the
other was pointed, and lifted into the
groove, in which it was rubbed rapidly
backward and forward until il burned.
As usual q stOlm compelled the
party 20 leave the island, and, embark
ing with their island queen, soon found
themselves at sea in a storm. She
made signs that she could stop
the storm, and, obtaining permis-
sion, she knelt on the deck facing the
quarter from whence the wind came
and commenced nuttering something
supposed to be PRAYER. She soon got
UP, hat continued the prayer at inter
walls during the day, apparently with
out fear, and when the wind began to
abate she turned to her fellow Yoyag-
ers and, with smile, made signs that
her prayers had been answered.
When they came III sight of Santa
Cruz Island, off this coast, she told
them by signs that it was an island.
and indicated frhM there how she had
seen from her island ships pass up and
down, but never land. Also that she
had seen the Nideyer party the day
previous to her discovery us they
passed 10 the head of the island. She
was afraid to make herself known
until she knew there was no danger TO
her person. There were many places
of cencealment on the island, and un-
less taken unawarcS she would have
been hard to find.
As she WAS to land at Santa Barba-
IA an OK team passed which So delight
ed her that she talked, laughed, danced
and gesticulated, and before that ex-
citement ended 4 man on horseback
approached that gave her even more
pleasure than the appearance of the OK
team. At first it was supposed that she
thought the man and horse constituted
one animal, but, if 50, the mistake was
soon corrected, for on landing she went
up to the horse and carefully examined
IL. The examination gave her ad-
ditiOnal pleasure; she would turn to
her late COmpaniaI!s and, laughing, re-
Quest them TO look at the horse. She
straddled the thumb of the left hand
by the two fOrelingers of the right, and
moved them TO represent the horse and
rider as he passed along the beach.
Size was taken to the house of Mr..
Nideyer, where she became the center
of attraction. The Mission fathers
took a great interest in her, sending to
Los Angeles and other places, hoping
TO find some one who could converse.
with her, but failed. Even the Pepi-
marOS Indians on the island, could not
understand her.
The family Of Mr.. Nidever became
very very much attached to her.
and, although the CautGin Of the brio
Fremont offered largely for the priyis
lege of taking her 10 san Francisco and
placing henOn exhibition. il was refus-
ed; also, an offer Of 81, I,OJDfrom another
party for a ike purpose was refused.
Many people called on her. and she
received them kindly, but the after
noon was her fayOTite time for recciy-
ing calls, when she would put On her
shag-skin dress and entertain her yisi-
tors with a song-dance. She cared
nothing for money, giving it TO the
children when given to her. She did
not wish to sleep in bed, did not desire
bed covering, but was careful not to
exDose her person. Hermanners were
NJ rI1aa and in many fhinrs chn r,-nS