Evening journal., 1906-08-15

and a woman, the mother who had been
deserted years before. She was living in @
the hut, which was made OF whale RIBS
and sea lion hair, her sole companions
being several wild dogs that savugely
charged the strangers.
Thewoman could not make herself under
stood and, singularly enough, no one In
all the Indian tribes In South California
could be found who understood her. She
told her discoverers by signs that the wild
dogs had killed her child long ago, that
she killed sea lions and sea birds with
stones and lived on them.
at first she appeared to be afraid Of the
men, but, finding that they treated her
kindly, she consented to go with them.
She took all the rude articles she had
used during the years Of solitude. her
skin dresses. made mostly from the skins
OF the lion, ana 30 interesting were the
costumes that they were sent TO Rome
TO the Pope by the priest who instigated
the rescue.
The woman was taken to Santa Bar
bara and named Maris. after the little yes
sci which accomplished her rescue. She
was placed IN care Of a family who did
everything possible for her She was
bright and vivacious In disposition,
learned some Spanish, danced and sang
for her friends and was visited by IN
dians from various parts OF California Ia
an effort TO find someone who could under
stand her. But civilization proved too
much for her and she died In three
mouths one Of the most remarkable Cru
soes known, as her story is based on
actual fact and in its details Is much
stranger than fiction.
The interesting mound which the
writer examined on San Nicolas was
formed during past centuries by the an
cestors Of this woman and possesses an In
tense interest on this account The island
near the landing was 20 or 30 feet higher
than the shore aud reached through singu-
lar wind-worn passes, wind being the
sculptor here. Once on the heights a
broad mesa was seen as level as a door
and marked with lines which resembled
ancient plowing or something OF the
/ kind. The mesa was covered with nne
ninty stones about the size Of peas. which
the berder says was picked up by the
wind and blown bodily through the air
at times. They were arraigned like chan
on a beach. The writer followed this
mesa for several miles, and that the
/ island had a large and vigorous population
Gt some distant time was evident. Every
short distance some object was found,
/ now pipe made from the vertebrae OF
FISH a needle Of hshbone. q dish made
| phaltum. Here would be stone club or
mortar OF stealite. spearhead or sink
/ er and shell hooks that some fisherman
centuries ago, perhaps, had dropped aud
forgotten.
Everywhere piles Of big peariy shells
Of a size unknown here was found, telling
Of the lives and work OF these people.
One mound was found covered by the
ribs of whales and beneath them a fiat
rock bearing marks Of various kinds and
I then the owner a skeleton In perfect
/ preservation and all about II I'm the sand
vessels OF stone, flutes Of bird bones anl
/ the various objects which went TO make
up the home Of this unknown. In one
| SPOT six layers of skeletons were found.
the lowest apparently very old. The ques-
riou Of age is always very interesting,
but no one In contemplating these great
shell deposits can form an adequate idea
/ OF their age.
The Island evidently has been Inhabited
since the earliest times. II was doubtless
fertile then. but the elements have con-
spired against it and II Is doomed TO be
swept aud covered with sand. The island
is now frequented by professional collec-
tors, who 20 over from the mainland and
| live here for weeks and months, camping
out on the sand dunes, weighting their
tents. down with rocks to prevent being
blown into the sea. Every morning they
! go out with thelr HOOKS ana poles' huht-
ing for the spoils which have been un-
covered By the wind In the night. In this
way tons Of material have been collected
here and sent all over the world. Nearly
all the great museums have c1 ,ections
from san Nicolns. The most conspicu-
ous objects are the stone mortnrs. stone
vessels weighing from 100 TO 200 pounds
IN walking over the large mounds num-
bers would be found broken In pieces by
some vnndal or some enemy In the long
ago. That these ancient people were fond
] OF ornaments Is shown by the quantity OF
beads found