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

OF sand had been alive with racing horsemel
and lazy pedestrians, exchanging in Spanisl
words of praise concerning their visitor.
After a successful cruise, the Pe0r es Nddc
came, three months later, into the more south
erly harbor of San Pedro, unloaded her pets
and Immediately, under direction of Captain
Williams, collector of the port, set sail foi
San Nicolas to bring the islanders to the main
land, in accordance with the will of the church
fathers. Before they reached their destina
tion sudden gale came up. rising almost tC
the severity Of atempest. The winds-whch
by the Santa luez mountains are detected
from the valleys of the southern coast-struck
with full force upon the upper end of San
Nicolas lashing the shoal waters into fury,
and shooting the spray in volleys through the
picturesque carvings of the low cliffs. The
landing was effected with difficulty. The
wind increaNd in violence The weather be-
came so boisterous as to ondangor the safety
of the vessel. No time was wasted. The
islanders, some twenty in number were hur-
red into the boats and all speed was made to
reach the schooner
In the excitement and confusion of the final
abandonment of their home, it was not known
until they were on the ship that child had
been left behind. The mother supposed it
to have been carried aboard in the arms Of al
old snilor She frantically implored the men
to return. The captain replied that they
must get to place of safety after the storm,
tomorrow, perhaps they would come back
for the baby. Finding that they were going
out to sea, the young mother became despe-
rate, aud, despite all efforts to detain her,
jumped overheard and struck out through the
kelpy waters for the shore She was a widow,
between twenty and thirty years of age, of
medium height aud fine form; her complexion
was light, and her hair of n dark rich brown
No attempt was made to rescue her and in n
moment she was lost in the seething waves
The ship, already under headway, staggered
through the storm the afTrighted islanders
huddled together on deck, and fear shut every
other emotion for the time from their hearts.
After IN adventurous voyage, the PeOr Is
Nddd eventually reached San Pedro, where
the exlles were landed. Some of them were
sent to Los Angeles, fifteen miles back from
the coast some were put to work in the
neighboring mission of San Gabriel two of
the women were soon married to wealthy men
of Los Angeles
1t was the intention of Captain Hubbard to
return to San Nicholas Immediately, to see if
the woman or child were living But the
schooner had orders to come direct to Santa
Barbara, to take George Nidver and a party
of otter-hunters to Santa Rosa Island after
ward carry from Monterey cargo of timber
to San Francisco The boat was in urgent
demand along the coast and these two trips
were imperative before q second visit could be
made to San Nicolas. Delaying their errand
of humanity and justice a few weeks, they
lost it forever for on that very trip the Pe0y
Is Nnio capsized at the entrance TO the Gold
en- Gate. The men were washed ashore in au
almost exhausted condition, and the schoon-
er drifted out to sea. II was reported long
after, though without confirmation, to have
been picked up by Russian ship
After the loss of the Monterey schooner.
there was no craft of any kind larger than the
canoes and fishing. boats on the lower coast.
No one cared to attempt passage of seventy
miles to San Nicolas in an open boat and after
time the excitement and interest faded out
Those who at first had been most solicitous
that assistance should be sent, settled into the
belief that the couple had persisted during
the days of waiting; the remainder of the
community, never having believed that the
woman had reached shore through the storm,
were indifferent, supposng that the child had
died soon after the tragic death OF the mother
Their uncertain fate lay heavy on the more
tender hearted Mission fathers but it YVES
not until 1850 tina; Father Gonzales found an
cmissary to search for the lost Thomas JEFF
fries had come into possession of a small
schooner, and was offered 500 should he find
and bring the woman or child to Santa Bar
bara alive. Fifteen years having passed since
the abandonment of the island, and 10 one
having visited the spot during that time. the
Prooabiiity OF the death of the parties was
universally accepted, although no actual proof
of death had been sought or found.
But when Thomas JefTrioss boat was seen.
at the close of balmy day in midwinter,
coming up the bay without the signal he was
to have displayed provided his search had
been successful the matter was settled.
Groups OF persons congrc gated on the sands
Some watched from shore the small craft fold
her wings and settle TO rest on the mirror. like
water, others put of in canoes to meet the
boatmen, and gossip concerning the trip.
Jchries had found no trace of living beings
on the island and whether the woman had
been beaten todeath in the surf. or died nftor
gaining the land, would probably never be
known. The schooner was left idly rocking
close to shore sailors aud landsmen strollcd
slowly up to the town. Night mantled the
moaning waters, and the great deep was left
in possession Of another secret
The return of JetIries brought up nfresh
the incident which by some had been almost
forgotten. For few hours little was talked
of save the heroic young mother and her child
in the sea girt isle.
Time passed swiftly on, and in the dreamy,
full contentment of the land the dead woman
of San Nicolas slipped from mind and
thought, aud speech.
III.
Tom JefIriess visit to San Nicolas was the
theme of more than one days gossip. The
island he described as seven or eight miles
long, by three or four in width the body of
the land near six hundred feet above the
beach, the plateau falling in steep gulches to
the sea. There were quantities OF small lark
inland, but no other fowl save soa-gulls, pei
leans and shags Numbers of red foxes were
seen in the hills, and droves of curious wild
dogs, tall aud slender, with coarse, long hair
and human eyes. On a fiat, near the upper
end of the island, and half hidden by sand
dunes, he found the remains of curious hut,
made of whales ribs planted in q circle. and
so adjusted as to form the proper curve of u
shaped shelter. This he Judged TO
have been formerly either the residence of the
chief, or place of worship where sacrifices
were offered. He had picked up several ollas,
or vessels of stone, and one particularly hand
some cup of clOuded green serpentne But
of all the wonders of the island the features
on which Jeffries liked best to dwell were the
fine beds of otter and seal in the vicinity of
San Nicolas. So fabulous were his yarns that
the interest of the other hunters was aroused,
and carly in the following year boat was fit
ted out, and George Nldlyer, accompanied by
Thomas Jeffries and crew of Indians, start
ed on an otter hunt to the wonderful otter
beds seventy miles away.
landing was effected near the southern
end of the island, and, climbing the cliffs to
sec where the otter lay, they had magnf-
cent view of the islands to the north and east
On the southwest the Pacific rolled out its
azure BREADTH unspecked by Shore or raft,
or spot of any kind. The island on which
they stood seemed a quiet, calm, deserted
spot, in the sunshine that then embodied it,
Butterflies hovered over the wild sage upon
the knolls; soft breezes rocked lazily the
scant grass about their feet thickets of chap
arral dotted the hills cactus held out waxen
trays where, on FURNISHED mats of thorns,
reposed frnged yellow satin flowers trail
ing sand-plant, with thick, doughy leaves,
waited from its pink clusters a most delicious
odor-an odor that had in it the haunting
g,F a