The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-31
AN INDIAN MOTHER.
Pathetic story of "a Lone woman ON
"a Deserted Island.

From the Youths Companion
or the coast of Southern California lie
the Santa Barbara Islands; they look very
near the mainland on the map. as if It
would only be pleasant afternoons work
10 explore them in rowboat. but in fact
they are far enough away from the homes
and haunts Of men to have been the scene
of a history stranger, lone.ier and more
puImI than the one Defoe made up"
about Robinson Crusoe.
These islands have been long uninhabi-
ted. visited only BY grazers who keep
sheep on some, and by trappers after otter
and seal. the sea Hons in the Cincinnati
Geological Gardens and in the New York
Aquarium We're lassocd here. But Indians
used TO make their home on the larger
islands aud II was when the last of the
tribe were being removed TO The mainland
that an accident occurred which caused
woman to spend.on san Nicholas eighteen
years utterly alone.
In 1875 Spanish missionaries were busy
In Southern California civilizing, teaching
and converting the Indians-not such de-
graded beings as are now to be seen on
the western coast. but a skillful people
who learned well how to build and farm.
The fathers had done much with the coast
Indians and now turned their eyes 70 the
little tribes on the rocky islands out at
sea. They made arrangements to bring
them. one after another, to the mainland.
The Indians seem to have come willingly,
but in one case the embarkation was ef-
fected with much difficulty, on account OF
a storm.
A schooner under the command OF Capt.
Williams had gone to San Nicholas-San
Nicholas lies seventy miles out at sea-to
bring away the Indians, about twenty OF
them, who lived there a tempest fell
upon the island as the schooner drew near.
lsf4l. af1r. n
hurry and confusion, the vessel was in
danger and the Indians were making a
hitting for life. So 1t was not remarka-
Bile that as they were putting out to sea.
one young mother should find her child
had been left behind. She thought Ii had
been brought aboard in a sailors arms
When she discovered the truth she was
frantic. She prayed the captain to turn
back, bur he aid the storm was too dam
gerous; they might all be shipwrecked
and drowned. The poor girl grew desper-
ate, and she did what many mother
would be driven to do In like cases; she
jumped overheard.
She could swim, and the last that was
seen of her she was striking out bravely,
making her way back to her deserted
home and her baby But only a moment
was She visible.
No attempt was made to rescue her. The
schooner landed it's exiles at San Pedro.
AZ that time vessels were very few on the
coast and the schooner was engaged for
two trips which 1t was considered, must
be made before she could return to look up
the lost woman. On the last of these trips
she was wrecked. and there was nothing
bigger than canoes and fishing boats left
on all the lower coast Seventy miles in an
open boat no man cared to undertake..
Some said both woman and child must by
this time be dead: some that the mother
never could have reached shore. Father
Lac
was not satisfied. but fifteen years passed
before he could get anything done.
The details of the searches made can
not be given here, but Thomas Jeffries.
man who, for 500. made the first effort,
did not find her But he found so many
seals and offers that other schooners made
several trips there in the next few years.
carrying hunters and bringing home spoils.
At last, on one of these expeditions. a Capt.
Nidiver found the print of a slender, nak-
ed human foot in the sand.
There" he said, has passed the lost
woman" and he vowed he would not leave
tin he found her. He and his men now
ra6ed the island as with a comb.
Soon they came on an unfinished dress
Of birds breasts. beautiful thing of Won
derful workmanship II was In basket Of
rushes hanging in a tree. Near a spring
dried fish and blubber were hidden in the
rocks. At last Nidiver himself saw the wo-
man. wearing "A dress, low-necked and
sleeveless, like the one In the basket. When
she saw him she first started to run, then
stopped and met him with friendliness.
No one could talk to her, but with the
most touching hospitality she set about
getting meal for him and his men. She
had various little neat pens and shelters In
different places.
The saddest thing Is yet to be told. When
thes- took her to the mainland many In
dams were brought to her, and she scann-
ed each face eagerly shut no one who
could even talk to her was ever found. Her
little tribe was scattered and absorbed
among other mission Indians" as rain
drops are lost In the sea.
She was treated with all tenderness by
Capt Nidlver's Spanish wife, who kept
her and would not allow her to be made
a show of; but when no human soul could
be round who knew even her tongue, she
began to droop.
She loved Mrs. Nldiver's children devot-
edly and would tell over and over by signs
how she had looked and looked for her
baby and never found 1t. She thought the
dogs ON the island had devoured it.
The lady came to love her much, ana
when she grew weak she sent for seals
meat to try and tempt her appetite with
the food she was used to. The sick wo-
man patted her hands for thank youH
but she would not eat it. Soon she died.
Her beautiful feather gowns were sent to
the pope; the Nidiver family still keep
some of her water-tight baskets; several of
her bone needles are treasured by lady in
San Francisco. and the grave of this. pa
thetic wonderful heroine is still pointed
out by the priests in Santa Barbara
-s-e-s---
Monkeys as Gold Finders.
1