Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-22
A FEMALE CRUSOE.
The Last Native Tenant of San Clemente.

The Last Native Tenant of San Clemente.
From the San Francisco Chronicle
The recent explorations on the Island of San
Clemente, which is due west from Del Mar,
this county, but 60 miles. has aroused interest
in the history of the other islands of the coast.
few months ago aged Indian from San
Diego county, who had moved to the rancheria
in the San Gabriel valley. stated that he recol-
lected the tribe that lived on San Clemente.
They were fair-skinned and had light hair. and
spoke strange language. After the mission
fathers brought them to the mainland they
pinned and died, and none of their descendants
have survived. Their hurried and forced de-
parture, he thinks, accounts for the evidences
Of hasty flight, where household utensils and
belongings were found scattered about in the
valley as recently described. An exchange has
been looking mp the records relating to the
Santa Barbara islands. 1t appears that in the
early part of the present century they were also
inhabited by Indians of comparative white
compilations who spoke peculiar language.
They were supposed to be
DESCENDANTS OF THE AZTEC RACE
of historic fame. There is no record of how
these people came to be upon the islands or
when they first settled there. but it is probable
that the islands were inhabited by them before
the founding of the Californian missions by
the Franciscan friars. Otter. seal, foxes, and
fishes were to be found in abundance on the
islands and in the adjacent waters. and upon
these the natives subsisted. using the flesh for
food, the skins for clothing and tents and the
bones for making hunting implements. Ac-
cording to tradition. Indians from the Alaskan
islands frequently made trips to the Santa
Barbara islands for the purpose of hunting.
During one of these visits the Alaskans fell
mn tha all he a,,I
after hunting for some time they left for the
north, abandoning the women to their fate.
The Mission Fathers. learning of the fate of
the women. determined to have them removed
to the mainland and for this purpose engaged
a schooner. Upon arriving at the island of
San Nicholas the men proceeded to remove the
women and such few personal effects as they
had tc the boat.
LONE WOMAN on THE ISLAND.
When this had been accomplished and all
were ready for embarking, one Of the women
made sign that she had forgotten her child
and started back after it. While she was gone
severe wind sprang up, which soon increased
to gale, and compelled the little schooner to
put to sea for safety. AS the wind kept up for
several days, the captain ran into San Pedro.
intending to return for the woman who had
been left. At San Pedro the Indians were dis
embarked and taken to the mission at Los An
geles and San GABRIEL, where they were cared
for. From San Pedro the schooner sailed to
Santa Barbara, and from there to Monterey,
where she had been ordered. Thus was the
poor woman left upon a bleak island. out in the
broad expanse of the great Pacific with no COM
panions save the wild wolf and tina Indian dog.
with which the island was infested. The news
of the woman having been left behind spread
rapidly. but no further effort was made to res
cue her. The natural supposition was that she
had persisted, and i'll the course of few years
the subject had passed from the minds of the
people. In 1851. just fifteen years later, a
hunter named Nidevar and q couple of COM
panions visited the Island of San Nicholas. and
were astonished to find Indications which led
them to believe
THE WOMAN WIS STILL ALIVE.
Footprints which had been made in the pre-
vious rainy season were to be seen in the now
dry and hard soil, and from the size and gen.
eral appearance the hunters concluded they
had been made by woman. Some small. cir
cular Enclosures made of brush we're also DIS
covered and i'll them some dried seals blub-
Der. Further than this the huts gave no in
dication of having been inhabited for some
time. A strong wind arising the party put
to sea without making any further discoveries.
The next winter 1852, Nidever again visited
the island. and upon arriving Immediately
landed and searched for fresh signs of the
woman. The huts discovered on the first trip
were unchanged. but the seal blubber seemed
wild dogs were found in the vicinity, and the
hunters thought il likely the woman had fallen
a prey to these beasts, as they were quite fero-
clous.
RESCUED.
In 1858 the same party planned another
expedition for the purpose of hunting and
making one more attempt to settle the question
as to whether the woman was still alive. They
searched about the island for some time, and
were despairing of success when one who had
become separated from the rest discovered an
object some distance away. and upon approach
ing 1t he found it to be the long looked-for
woman. He at once signaled the others and
directed them to approach from different di-
rectlons III order to prevent her escape should
she be so disposed. The men succeeded in get
ting quite close to her before they
were discovered. Instead of showing
signs OF alarm as they had ex-
pected, the woman appeared quite pleased
to see them, and received them with a smile
which indicated that she was not i'll the least
afraid The hunters assisted her to remove
such articles of clothing and food to the boat
as she was not disposed to leave behind In
the course of a few days she had become at
home III the boat. and helped in whatever way
she could i'll the work aboard. After months
hunting the party sailed for Santa Barbara
where the woman WIS regarded with wonder
and curiosity. The people treated her with
the greatest kindness and consideration. She
was taken to the families of her rescuers, where
she remained until her death, which occurred
IN few years from oycreating fruit OF which
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