Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-06-19

uncanny island, determined to go and
discover and bring over the lonely
woman of whom he had vaguely heard.
Men accompanied him, and at length
they saw on the surf beaten shore a
woman with long, tawney hair, dressed
in a quee garb of colored bird skins,
and scraping with d bone knife the
blubber from a seal. They surround
ed and approached her stealthily. Al
though suddenly confronted, she did
not appear to be in the least afraid,
but smiled, and then falling On her
knees, prayed to the sun. n of1ored
no objection when, by signs, she was
made to understand that she was 70
20 with them in the boat.
They searched Santa Barbara across
the rough sea, and the first thing the
Indian woman saw was DIR. S. L. Shaw,
who is still ling at the age of so years,
riding a horse. She had never seen a
snectacle like it, and thought the man
and horse were one, and she knelt en-
the shore and offered her devotions to
II. Two weeks afterward the last in
habitant of rock ribbed. tempest beat
en- San Nicolas died from eating tood
10 which she was unaccustomed, and
he curtain fell on her race forever.
The m known as the Lone Won-
an of San Nicholas" has been the sub
iect of a score of romances and poems
ana food for a lot of philosophy OF the
| coast.
San Nicolas is ten miles wide and
forr miles across at the widest point.
Nothing more desolate than the gen.
oral appearance Of the island can be
imagined. AS far as the eye can trace
there are barren levels, with innumer-
able circular depressions, showing
where primitive dwellings oncc stood.
Not a vestige remains Of the materials
used in the construction of these
rancherias. Hundreds of shell mounds
are scattered about, and are found TO
consist of astonishing numbers Of mol
[lusks. the bones of every species Of fish
found in the channel, skeletons of seals.
sea elephants, sea offers, whales, tie
| island fox and various aquatic birds.
without question these animals were
used for food by the tribes that once
thronged the island. There are mum
bers Of canine skeletons, several of
which indicate a species Of bull terrier.
An examination of some of the
mounds discloses all sorts of curious
utensils. stone cooking pots, water OIL
las, mortars, pestles. drills. bone need
,or opd huh hookc shell heads charm
stones, pipes, cups, and a few arrow
heads, spear points, and swords made
Of bone. The absence of many woap-
ons proves the peaceful attributes Of
the islanders. Small limitations of
boats and fishes carved from crystalized
tale and serpentine also show a rudi-
mentary knowledge Of the art Of sculp-
ture. No trace is seen of the brush
pens. in which the lone woman of San
Nicolas for years found her only shell
ter from the cutting wind and sand.
Every foot of this strange island is elo-
quent Of the extinction Of an almost
unheard-of people.
The strangest Of all the sights on this
| island Is to be seen on the broad pla-
teau south Of the Chinese camp at Cor
al harbor. Here acres Of the sand are
Uttered with thousands Of disjointed
/ skeletons. Measurements have been
made by several scientists Of the thigh.
leg and arm bones, and literally hush
| els Of skulls and other parts Of the hui
! man frame have been brought to Los