The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-09-24
AN INDIAN FEMALE CRUSOE.
THE STRANGE STORY OF \ WOMAN WHO
LIVED EIGHTEEN YEARS ALONE on
AN ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC

! An INDIAN XXI SUE.
THE STRANGE STORY OF WOMAN WHO
LIVED EIGHTEEN YEARS ALONE on
AN ISLAND /. THE PACIFIC.
/ Mr. George Nidever, of Santa Barbara
/ California, has given complete account OF
! his discovery of a lone Indian woman OF
/ San Nicholas Island, in the Pacific Ocean
in 1858. He was hunting and saw signs OF
a human inhabitant. He saw a footprint
made during the previous rainy season, sun.
/ ken deeply in the now dry, hard ground, and
from the size, judged it to be that of a wo-
man. Also three small circular enclosures
about 200 yards from the beach, and about a
mile apart. They were about six feet in
diameter, made of brush, the walls five feet
high, with a small opening on one side
Near these openings were sticks of drift
wood stuck in the ground in the form of a
tripod, supporting dried seal bIubber These
enclosures appeared to be simply wind breaks
affordimg no protection from tie rain. The
investigation was pursued no further, as an
approaching storm compelled them to leave
y third voyage by Mr.. y. and six others,
four of whom were Indians from Santa Bar
bara Mission, was made to the island in
July, 1888 and, although otter-hunting was
the main object of the visit, the Indian wo-
man was not forgotten. They landed on
the northeast side Of the island early i'm the
day, and having selected their camping site,
all but the cook started for the head of the
island.
Fresh footprints were observed leading
from the beach to the ridge, or higher eleva-
walton, but were soon lost in moss covered
ground, which ended the search for the day
The following day they were more SUCCESS
ful. One of the party, MI Deitman, dis
covered the object of their search at a dis
tance, and cautiously approaching in an op-
posite direction from the balance of the party,
got quite close to her without being observed.
She was in one of her pens, or wind breaks,
clothed in a garment made Of the skins of
the shag, without sleeves, low -necked, and.
as observed when standing extending al
most to the ankles. She was sitting cross
legged, skinning seal blubber with rude
knife made of piece of hoop-iron driven
into piece of wood There was no cover
ing on her head excepting thick mass of
matted hair of a brown color. due
to its exposure to the sun and air The hair
was short, looking as though the free ends
had rotted off. She would occasionally raise
her hand, shade her eyes, and look toward
the beach, where she evidently saw those
from whom Mr. Deitman had recently separ-
ated. There were two or three of the wild
dogs around the enclosure, which began to
growl as Mr.. Deitman approached, but ran
off at the bidding of their mistress. The
balance of the party were signalled, in order
that she might be captured if she attempted
to escape. To the surprise of all. she made
no attempt to escape, but greeted each, oneas
he approached with bow and a smile and
chartered all the while in a dialect which
none of them understood, although the In
dians accompanying Mr.. Nidever were ac-
quanted with several Indian dialects. She
was talking apparently to herself from the
time Mr.. Deitman approached within hear
ing until she was made aware of his pres.
ence
Within the enclosure fire was shoulder
ing, and large ash-pile outside showed that
to have been her abiding place for some time.
She was very ospitable-preparing meal
from her limited store of roots before named.
and serving the party with a grace and
bearing that surprised them all The ey
preston of her face was pleasing, and her
features were regular Her complexion was
much fairer and her form more symmetrical
than that of the Indian women on the main
and, and she is believed to have belonged to
I different and superior race, which opinion
IS strengthened by the fact that Monsieur
Leon de Cessac, a Frenchman, now engaged
IN collecting archaeological and other spcci-
mems OF bygone years on the Pacific coast
IF North and South America for a Paris
has found many things on the
Island San Nicholas similar to those pre- /
liously collected in Oregon, Washington
Territory, and further north, and unlike /
lnything found either on the mainland or
lie other Islands. Also the skulls and other
zones of the human skeletons found there
ire unlike those found in other sections of
southern California. Near her enclosure /
we're several stakes, between which was /
tretched rope made of the seals sinews.
seal aud elephant blubber Far I
her on were three huts made of whales |
lbs, covered with brush, but giving no evi- 1
lencc of having been lately occupied By 4
igns and other means of communication
he was made aware that they wanted her
o accompany them and without any appar-
mt hesitation she made ready to follow She
He'd basket-such as were common among
be Indians of this coast for packing on
heir fishing tackle, and other articles-and
lkInS 1t on one arm, and a fire brand i'm the
theE hand, she followed the company.
In their course TO where the schooner Iav