Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-16
fdwei,fnc. 1ftar looking at them with an

fdweifing. After looking at them with an
anxiety impossible to be depicted, she
crouched in terror, but immediately started
up as il to run. The men on the fiat had not
seen her, and Brown, putting his hat on the
rAmrOd of his gun alternately lifted and low
cred it to attract their attention, then by
signs he intimated that the waman was
| found, and they should spread out SD as to
! catch her if she tried to escape. Before the
men reached tine knoll, Brown stepped
| around in sight and spoke. She gave fright
ened look into his face, ran few steps, but,
instantly controlling herself, stood still, and
| addressed him in an unknown tongue. She
| seemed to be between forty and fifty years OF
age, in fine physical condition, erect, with
| well formed neck and arms and unwrinkled
| face. She was dressed in a tunic-shaped
garment made of birds plumage; low in the
neck, sleeveless, and reaching TO the ankle.
| The dress was similar to the one found IN
! the tree. As the men came up, she greeted
! them each in the way she had met Brown,
| and with simple dignity, not without its ef-
| feet on both Indians and white men, made
| them welcome and set about preparing food
for them from her scanty store. The meal
! consisted of roasted roots, called by CalifOr-
mans cdrcOmites; but when was there known
more touching hospitality?
| Among the Indian crew there were sew
eral dialects spoken, but none of the party
were able to converse with their hostess, or
| understand word she uttered, and they
were forced to try and make her know by
| signs that she was expected to go with them.
| Brown went through the motion of packing
her things in baskets, shouldering them, and
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 forward 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 a petticoat of ticking; and with q
mans cotton shirt and gay neckerchief, her
semi-civiliZed dress was complete. While
Brown was sewing she watched him closely,
| and laughed at his manner of using needle.
She showed him that her way was to punct-
| ure the cloth with her bone needle, or awl,
| and then put the thread through the per-
foratiOns. She signfied that she wished to
| try threaded needle, and Brown good
| naturedly gave her sewing materials, but
she could not thread the needle. Brown
| prepared it, and gave her an old cloak of
| Nidiver's 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 off. She watched
as long as she could see them, and, after
| they were out of sight, she threw herself on
the ground and cred, 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
| placing her arm in position of holding an in
| FAINT at the breast; she waved her hand over
| calling back lndndnd (tO-morrow), then
she could not find her child, and wept until
| she was very ill, and lay PROSTATE for days,
| in bed of plants resembling cabbage, and
| called by Californians Sofa Santa" She
| had nothing to eat but the leaves. When
she revived somewhat, she crawled to a
spring, and after time, as her strength re-
turned, she made fire by rapidly rubbing a
pointed stick along the groove of fiat stick
until spark was struck. 1t was difficult
task, and she was careful not to let her fire
go out; she took brands with her on trips,
and covered the home fire with ashes to pre-
serve it.
She lived during her captivity on fish,
seals blubber, roots and shell-fish: and the
birds, whose skins she secured for clothing.
were sea-birds, which she caught at night
off their rOosts in the seams of the crags. The
bush Enclosures she made for screen from
the winds, and as protection while asleep
| from wild animals. She made frequent eX-
| cursions over the island from her main dwell
| ling, which was a large cave on the north
side 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 q supreme
| power was evidenced 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 beaming cOuntenance and
motioned that her prayer 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 Bar
bara, an x-team passed along the beach.
| The stranger was completely bewildered.
Capt. Nidiver's son, who had been on the
| lookout for his fathers sail, rode down to
| the landing on a handsome little bronco.
| was wild with delight. She touched the
| horse and examined the lad, talking rapidly,
| and il 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
| Spanish wife. The news spreading, Father
Gonzales, 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
offered Nidiver the half Of what he would
make if be would allow her to be exhibited
| in San Francisco. This offer was refused,
and also another from a Captain Trussil.
Mrs. Nidiver would not hear of the friend
| less creature being made show for the Curl
GUS.
| The bereft mother evinced the greatest
| fondness for Mrs. Nidiver's children, caress-
| ing and playing with them by the hour, and
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, again and again, her grief at its
loss; her frantic search for it, even after it