The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-08-12
The Lost Race Of San Nicolas

About so miles due northwest OF San
Pedro, In California. lies a desert Island
that has all the combined romance OF
the ages in it's history. 1t is rarely
visited and has but a single inhabitant.
yet it has a peculiar fascination to many
people. The very elements seem to con-
spire to make the place forbidding. as 1t
almost Invariably blows q gale of wind
in the vicinity, and when one reaches
the inhospitable island there Is no bay
or harbor for a craft much larger than
rowboat.
The island is about seven miles long
by two or three In width and rises to
height OF 500 to 1000 feet in the center.
Windswept, forbidding, haunted by the
spirits of storms, 1t does not invite in
specton and appears to have been
cursed by the elements. yet despite this
the island was at one time the home OF
a numerous people. a race that has been
lost sight Of The writer made several
attempts to reach the island In a cotton
Yacht and was literally blown Off. finally
making it one day about noon, coming
to anchor near long spectre-iike tongue
of land that extends out into the ocean
and where the tide ran like millrace
and heavy groundswel swept around
the point from the windward side. NO
more forbidding outlook can be mag
ined The Island of San Nicolas APP
pears like a sand dune. The LANDING
was wave-swept beach that rece.'eu
a high swell from three points, ana IL
was evident that skill on landing alone
would make it possible.
The boat lay off waiting for n low sea.
and finally went sailing In upon one OF
lesser size and the crew jumped over
board and held on to the boat that the
undertow and back rush attempted to
hn
landed and an investigation of the island
was begun. The one inhabitant,
Basque came down to the beach be
had not heard the news or the world
for a year, and did not display any
ambition to learn it. But he was not
happy. Too many dead people, too many
bones that make wind spirits blow, he
said. and when he heard that the party
was after the remains of these dead
people he showed an inclination to leave
In all probability there Is not ID any
land more remarkable mound that
can be seen. About 10 feet in height
and nearly a mile In length, 1t was at
This time yeritabe Golgotha, col
lection of bones and implements OF the
lost people ever changing, ever shl1tlhs'
today exposing numbers OF sAeie s -,
| morrow covering them up In sheets Oh
sand. One could easily imagine that
battle had been fought here ana the
! dead had been buried by the drifting
sand, but this was not the case.
! The mound was a town site upon
which hundreds of people had lived for
untold ages. They had brought in their
| shells and fshbones, piled them up at
| the doors of their huts. slowly ouiIoing
| themselves up higher and higher. until
! In time they came to HVe on tne Wy
Of vast she'll mound. Here they buried
their dad. concealed their household
| goods. and when a man or woman died
! his or her possessions were buried with
| them. and so the big mounds were mace
nm OF Shells stone implements. hsh anu
| human boues-a monument 10 ILLS ''@'
! race.
who're the original islanders came
from, who they were or why they lived
| on such a wind-swept, nearly "atetIess
! island. is one of the mysteries, but IL Is
! known that the mission fathers visited
! San Nicolas years ago ana took on SI-.s sns
| few survivors found there and DIVIDED
! rhem ND among the various mainland
| tribes When this human loot was be-
: ing carried Into execution storm came
mn and In the hurry Of departure 1t was
! found that woman had lett her baDy
| on the beach.
/ II was impossible to land, the cap
| tain sailed away, but not with the mother.
! She had plunged into the waves and swan
! n long distance TO the shore, and, with
| her CHILD was deserted, the captain In
| tending 10 return later for her. San Mic
! aIos however, was not visited for many
! wears. The vessel was wrecked. but the
| legend lived and many years after priest
| decided 70 visit the Island and learn If
| the wornan had survived An expedition
| was got up in 1850. the party making
! safe landing. They formed a line across
| the island in order not to miss any signs
| Of human inhabita ton aud began slow
search from the south point north They
! soon found evidence Of ancient occupa-
ton, and in a deep canon discovered a hut