Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1885-05-28
A FEMININE CRUSOE.
Eighteen Years OH a Desert Is
land.

residence for eighteen years OF
'The Lost Woman of San Nicolas. ."
AS her name is famous and as her
story has been told in romance !
will give the bare facts about her
as | found them to be. without any
added ornament, and leave the
fiction to the pen of the novelist.
The Island of San Nicolas was
once densely populated. This is
attested by the skulls and bones
and other evidences of human
abode that are found there. The
Alaska Indians frequently visited
the island to hunt for the furs OF
the sea otter. They took their
women with them on these 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 Indi>
ans were removed from the island.
Just before they were to embark,
and carry away every human in
habitant, as it was supposed, a
white Indian woman begged for
the privilege of going ashore for
her child, which she had accidenS
tally left. She was gone a long
time in a fruitless search for he.
offspring. The wind blew a gale,
the water was shallow, there was
no one who was seeking the lost
one. They set sail, intending to
return for the lost woman of San
Nicolas, but the boat becoming un-
seaworthy 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 deliverance. AS the world
soon forgets, so the woman of San
Nicolas was forgotten and the year
passed away. After a lapse OF
sixteen years a man who landed
on the island found that it was ins
habited by some one. The foot.
prints of a human being sunk deep
in the ground were seen. The
hardness of the ground was an in
dicatiOn that they had been made
a long time. From their size they
evidently belonged to a woman
Circular enclosures made of brush
six or seven feet through, were
seen, where some one had lived.
Near the huts we're sticks driven
in the ground and dried blubbel
hanging on them, thus prepared
for food.
In 1852 San Nicolas was visited
again and another hunt was made
for the long-lost woman. The
huts Were seen that had been seen
before, but the old blubber had
been taken away and new food Of
the kind hung in its place. Wild
dogs were found which ran away
at the approach of civilized man
In a basket covered with seal
skins that they found in bush,
heap was a dress made of shag
skins, cut in square pieces, a rope
made of sinew and several smaller
articles, such as fish hooks and
bone needles. The discOveIers oil
these proofs that there lived on
that island a human being scatter.
ed them on the ground, and on
their return they found them
gathered together and placed in
the basket again.
The Catholic fathers Of the "Old
Mission," the foremost in every
good word and work, offered res
ward to anyone who would find
the lost woman, and third effort
Was made in 1853 to discover the
prodigal about whom there was
such a mystery and in whom the
world Of this coast was beginning
to take an Interest. Fresh tracks
of the woman were found. They
belonged to very small feet, and
we're like those that were seen in
the first attempt to find the wo.
man. Huts made of whale ribs
and covered with brush were dis
covered. At length an object was
seen in the distance that appeared
to be moving. Going towards il
they saw the woman that for eigh.
teen years had reigued Queen o
San Nicolas, her subjects being
the wild ,animals, her robe dress
of bird skins she had made an(
her throne the hut she had built
She was seated in an enclosure
SO that only her head and Shouts
ders could be seen. Two or thre,
dogs were about her that dlsap
peared at the command of thei
sovereign. She was seated OF
some grass that covered the grount
and served her as q bed. He
dress was neatly made of bir'
skins, extending to her ankles, tn
feathers of which pointed down
ward. Her head was coveIe,
with a thick mat of yellowisl
brown hair and her shoulders wer
bare. She was occupied in strip
ping blubber from a piece of seal
skin which she held across he
knee and using for that purpose
knife made of an iron hoop. i
her hut was q fire, beside whic
she sat talking to herself and, oc
casionally shading her eyes wit
her hand, looked at the men tha
we're in search of her. She receiy
ed them with much courtesy, bow
ing and smiling and showing tina
this lost child OF nature had muc
of the politeness of true woman
She took some roots in the bal
/ roasted them in the fire and CAV
them TO the men to eat. Sh