Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-20
A DES0LATE PLACE
Island of San Nicolas, Off the Coast
of California.
IN THE GRASP OF FURIOUS WINDS
The Interesting Legend Of Maria
Better Than Nothing.
EFFORTS TO FIND HER HOME
From the Scientific American.

From the Scientific American.
About seventy miles off the coast of
southern California lies the Island of San
NiColas-a Veritabe desert. wind-swept to
such a degree that one might we'll imagine
that the furies are guarding the island.
San Nicolas, which is twelve miles long
and four or five wide, has no harbors, the
anchorage being merely lee under the
low hills. the fact that the wind blows
directly offshOre making 1t possible for YES
sells to anchor here at certain seasons.
On this island, which has been the CEN
trail point of a romance and tragedy of
much interest, deserted and alone, Maria
Better Than Nothing. the wild woman of
San Nicolas, lived twenty years-long
enough to forget her people and even her
language. The story is as follows:
For centuries the island was inhabited
by race Of hardy mariners, who have left
their monuments in large shell heaps and
mounds that cover many acres. Less than
one hundred years ago the Franciscan
fathers determined to take the natives away
from the inhospitable island and pro-
vide them with homes around the various
missions, where they could also be COM
fortably converted. With this object in
view, a vessel was sent to the island and
after much difficulty the Indians, now re-
duCed to about one hundred We're collected,
impiem MS which their ancestors had used
for centuries. When the vessel was about
to sail on" Of the women discovered that
her child had been left b hind. But it was
blowing a gale and the vessel could not
hold. 50 the captain sailed away, where
upon the frantic mother dashed into the
sea and swan back to the shore, making
her way successfully through the surf
The captain Of the vessel promised to re-
turn for the woman, but soon after his
vessel was wrecked and no attempt was
made to rescue the poor Indian woman
until twenty years after when a priest de-
termincd to make an fort to learn whether
she was alive He enlisted the services Of
an otter hunter and several Indians, who
in a small schooner, known as Better
Than Nothing" set sail for San Nicolas.
Search for Wild Woman.
They landed on the island, and very soon
found evidence that some one was living
there. but avoiding them. To make the
search perfect, the men formed line
across the island at certain distances apart.
which resulted in the discovery of the
wild woman. She was sitting by a brush
hut in a canon, about which was a wind
break of whalebOnes and various material
She smiled and spoke to the Indians in a
language they did not understand, but they
fell on their faces before her as though to
worship her. She offered them food and
readily consented to go with them, and
was taken aboard the schooner with q
tame otter. She was dressed in the skins
of birds, over which was a garment Of
sealskin. She was named Better Than
Nothing. after the vessel and by signs
succeeded in telling some Indians on the
mainland something of her history At
first she had mOurned the loss of her
friends; then the dogs killed her baby.
and shr wished to die and was sick for d
long time.
She was taken to Santa Barbara, where
Indians from all about We're brought to her
to see if they could understand her Ian
guage, but without avail. She lived with
different families at Santa Barbara, but
civilization proved disastrous to her, and
In less than three months she died. Her
remarkable dress of feathers was sent to
Rome as a curiosity. and the remains Of
the unfortunate woman found a resting
place in the sanctifed ground of the mis-
sion