Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-09-10

walking toward the beach. She compre-
hended instantly, and made preparations to
depart. Her effects were neatly placed in
pack baskets, one of which she swung over
| her back, and, taking burning stick from
the fire, she started with firm tread after
| the Indians to the shore. Beside the load the
! female Crusoe carried, Nidiver and Brown
had their arms full. Upon reaching the boat
she entered without hesitation, going for
ward to the bow, kneeling and holding to
either side. When the schooner was reached,
she went aboard without any trouble sat
down near the stove in the cabin, and quietly
watched the men in their work on board. To
replace her feather dress, which he wished TO
preserve, Brown made her petticoat of tick
ing and with mans cotton shirt and gay
neckerchief, her semi-cvilized dress was
complete While Brown was sewing she
watched him closely, and laughed at his man
ner of using needle. She showed him that
her way was to puncture the cloth with her
bone needle, or awl, and then put the thread
through the perforations She signifed that
she wished to try threaded needle, and
Brown good-naturedly gave her sewing ma
terials but she could not thread the needle.
Brown prepared it, and gave her an old cloak
of Nidivers to mend, and while she took her
first lesson in sewing, she told her teacher on
shipboard, by signs, portions of her life on
the island.
She had from time TO time seen ships pass,
but none came to take her of. She watched
as long as she could see them, and, after
they were out of sight she threw her
self on the ground and cried but after time
she walked over the island until she forgot
about it and could smile again. She had also
seen people on the beach several times. She
was afraid and hid until they were gone and
then wept because she had not made herself
known. She said that he had taken her by
surprise and she could not run, and she was
glad because he would take her to her peo-
pie her people had gone away with white
men in a ship. Brown understood by her
signs that at the time of the desertion of the
island she had a nursing baby, which she
represented by sucking her finger, and plac-
ing her arm in position of holding an infant
at the breast she waved her hand over the
sea, to indicate that the ship sailed away,
calling back "MdHdHd" (to-morrow) then /
she could not find her child, and wept until .
she was very ill, and lay PROSTATE for days,
in q bed of plants resembling cabbage, and |
called by Californians "lS0ld Santa" She |
had nothing to eat but leaves. When she re- |
yived somewhat, she crawled to a spring, and /
after time, as her strength returned she /
made fire by rapidly rubbing pointed stick |
along the groove of flat stick until spark |
was struck. 1t was difficult task, and she .
was careful not TO let her fire 60 out; she |
took brands with her on her trips, and cover
ed the home fire with ashes to preserve it.
She lived during her captivity on the seals
bubber, roots and shell-fish; and the birds
whose skins she secured for clothing were
sea-birds which she caught at ight off their
roosts in the seams of the crags. The bush
Enclosures she made for a screen from the
winds, and as a protection when asleep from
wild animals. She made frequent excursions
over the island from the main dwelling,
which was a large cave on the north end of
San Nicolas. She kept dried meat at each
camping station the food in the crevices by
the springs was for the time when, from
sickness or old age, she would only be able
to crawl to the water and live on what she
had there stored out of reach of the dogs.
That the woman had faith in supreme
power was evinced soon after the schooner
set sail from the fishing grounds A gale
overlook them, and the passenger made signs
that she would stop the wind. With her face
turned in the direction from which the storm
came, she muttered words of prayer until the
wind had abated, then turned with a beaming
countenance and motioned that her petition
had been answered They anchored under
the lee Of Santa Cruz, where the woman was
highly interested in seeing another island
than her own. When they approached the
shores of Santa Barbara an ox.team passed
along the beach. The stranger was COM
pletely bewildered. Captain Nidiver's son,
who had been on the look out for his fathers
sail, rode down to the landing on a hand
some little bronco. The islander who had
just stepped ashore, was wild with delight.
She touched the horse and examined the lad,
talking rapidly, and, if the sailors turned
away, calling to them to come back and look
Then she tried to represent the novel sight
by putting two fingers of her right hand over
the thumb of her left moving them to initiate
the horse walking
Captain Nidiver conducted the woman to
his home and put her in charge of his Span
ish wife. The news spreading, Father Con
zales, of Santa Barbara Mission, came to
see her; many persons gathered from the
ranches round about, and the house was
crowded constantly. The brig Fremont
came into port soon after, and the captain Of
fered Nidiver the half of what he could make
if he would allow her to be exhibited in San
Francisco. This offer was refused, and also
another from Captain Trussil. Mrs. Midi
Yer would not hear of the friendlcss creature
being made q show for the curious.
The bereft mother evinced the greatest
fondness for Mrs. Nidiver's children, caress-
ing and playing with them by the hour, aud
telling the lady, by signs, that when she
swan back to the shore her baby was gone,
and she believed the dogs had eaten it, She
went over and over again her grief at its loss ;
her frantic search for it, even after it had
been gone long time her dread of being
alone her hope, for years, of rescue, and at
last the despair that in time became resigna-
ton.
The visitors sometimes gave her presents,
which she put aside until the donors had de-
parted seeming to know by intuition that
they would be offended if she refused to ac-
cept them but as soon as the guests were
gone she called the little children, and dis
tributed her gifts among them, laughing il
they were pleased, and happy in their Joy
A few days after her arrival, Father Anto-
MO Jimeflo sent for Indians from the missions
of San Fernando and Santa Yuez, in hope of
finding some one who could converse with
the islander. At that time there were Indi-
ans living in Los Angeles county belonging
to the Pepimaros, who, it was said, had in
former years communication with the San
Nicolas Indians. But neither these, nor
those from San Buena Ventura, or Santa
Barbara, could understand her, or make
themselves understood In less than two
decades after the little band had left San Mic
olas, their whereabouts could not be dscov-
cred, They were mere drop in the stream
of serfs known by the general name of Mis-
sion Indians, Beyond a few words nothing
called tO-cO (tO-kay) man, HdeAe (nah-
chey) the sky, te-gua (tay-gwah) the body,
piacle (pin-oo-chey). She learned few
Spanish words pan (bread), l'apas (pota-
toes, cdbdiLO (horse). Sometimes she called
Captain Nidiver in Spanish, tdta (father),
ometimes mana (mother).
The genteness, modesty and tact of the
wild woman of the Pacific were 50
foreign to ideas of the savage nature, that
some parties believed that she was not an In
dian. but person of distinction cast away by
shpwreck, and adopted by the islanders be-
fore their removal from their home. Others
were certain from her evident refinement,
that she had not been long alone, but had
drifted TO San Nicolas after the Indian woman
perished in the surf. and had by mistake
been taken for the original savage. The old
sailorg who rescued her affirm that she WAS nm |