Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-09-05
CRuSOE IN PETTlcoATs.
a woman Who was Eighteen Years
on a Deserf Island.

the group that cluster around the Bay
OF santa Barbara, says q San Francisco
correspondent 1t is celebrated for hav-
ing been the residence for eighteen years
OF Tine Lost Woman of san Nicolas :
As her name is famous and as her story
has been told in romance, I will give the
Rare facts about her as | found her
to be, without any added ornament, and
leave ehe fiction to the pen of the nov
elist.
The Island OF san Nicolas was once
densely populated This is attested by
by the skulls and bones and other evi-
dences Of human abode that are found
there. The Alaska Indians frequently
visited tlee:sland to hunt for furs of the
sea otter. They took their women with
them on their hunts and on returning
after the hunt was over they left
them on the island to their fate. BY
order of the government in 1885, the
Indians were removed from the island
Just before they were to embark, and
carry away every human inhabitant as
it was supposed, a white Indian woman
begged for the privilege of going ashore
for her child. which she had accidentally
left. She was gone a long time in
fruitlcss search for her offspring The
wind blew gale, the water was shallow,
there was no one who was seeking the
lost one they set sail, intending to re-
turn for the lost woman of San Nicolas,
but the boat becoming unseaworthy she
was left to her fate
1t was generally known that there was
woman abandoned on the island, but
no ATTEMPT was made for her delivcrance.
As the world soon forgets so the woman
of San Nicolas was forgotten, and the
years passed away. After a lapse of six
teen years a man who landed on the
sland found that it was inhabited by
some one. The footprints Of human
being sunk deep in the ground were seen
The hardness of the ground was an in
dication that they had been made long
time. From their size they evidently
belonged to a woman. Circular in
closures made of brush, six or seven feet
through, were seen, where some one had
in the ground and dried blubber hanging
on them, thus prepared for food.
In 1852 San Nicolas was visited again
and another hunt was made for the lon--
lost woman. The huts were seen that
had bee. seen before, but the old blub-
Der had been taken away and new food
of the kind hung in its place. Wild dogs
were found which ran away at the APP
proach Of civilized man. In a basket
covered with seal skins that they found
in bush head was a dress made of shag
skins, cut in square pieces, rope made
such as fish hooks and bone needles.
/ The discoverers of these proofs that there
lived on that island human being scat
tered them on the ground, and on thel'
return they found them again together
and placed in the basket again.
The Catholic fathers Of the "Old Mis-
sion" the foremost in All good word and
work. offered a reward to any one who
would find the lost woman, and third
effort was made in 1903 to discover tho
prodical about whom there was such {
mystery, and in whom the world of thu
coast was beginning to take an interest
Fresh tracks Of the woman were found
They belonged to very small feet, ant
were like those that were seen in the frs
attemnt TO find the woman. Huss made
! of whale ribs and covered with bushe
were discovered.
At length an object WAS seen in tn
distance that appeared 10 be moving
Going toward it, they saw the womal
that for eighteen years had relgnee
Queen Of San Nicolas, her subjects bein.
the wild animals. her dress robe Of blre
skins she had made. and her throne tn
hut she had built She was seated in a
Enclosure. 50 that only her head an'
shoulders could be seen. Two or thre
dogs were abo2lt her that disappeared a
the command of. their sovereign, She wa
seated on some grass that covered tn
ground and served her as a led
Her dress was neatly made OF blr'
skins, extending 70 her ankles. IA
eatherspomt.ng downward Her hea
was coveral with thick ma. of yellow
ish brown .halr and her shoulders wer
bare. She was occupied n s.rippin
blGbheF from = piece Of ssiskin x hio
she held. across her knee, and using r
that purpose q knife made Of an TO
hoop.
II her hut was fire, beside which 81
sat talking 70 herself. and. occasional
shading her eyes with her hand, locke