Charlevoix county herald., 1920-11-12
EXPLORE LITTLE
KNOWN ISLANDS
Expedition to Visit Channel Group
in Pacific Oft Coast of
California.
RICH IN HISTORIC LORE
Islands Are Within 81 Miles Of Call
fornia's Shore, Yet Less Than so
Persons Annually Visit Them
discovered by cabriIIo.

san franciscO.-An- expedition OF
scientific students has been made up
In California and Oregon to explore
thoroughly the channel islands off that
part OF the coast In California known
as Santa Barbara and Ventura coun-
ties during the next six months. The
party, says the Dearborn Independent,
is to be sustained by Stanford univer-
sity largely and to less extent by
several UNCONVENTIONAL colleges in
southern California. ARCHAEOLOGICAL
and archaeological students, who have
spent several weeks each on these is
lands, say they are one of the very
richest fields for work in that depart
ment Of knowledge on the Pacific
coast.
The channel islands constitute Cali
fornla's only archipelago, with the
possible exceptions of the rocky and
scanty FarallOne islands. They have
been objects of romance, legends,
curiosity and mystery for a genera
ton.
The islands are within 80 miles Of
CALIFORNIA; shore, yet are unfrequent-
ed and years roll by with visits to
them Of less than 30 persons annual
ly. Each island has its own particu-
lar strange, uncanny traditions Of the
tribes of red men, and each has the
countless traces Of an occupation by
thousands and thousands of Indians.
Discovery Of Channel Islands.
When Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo,
the Portuguese navigator, sailed up
the coast of California In 1912, he
stopped for a day or two at each of
the channel islands, and his records
bear testimony that on the islands of
Santa Barbara, Catalina, Clemente
and st. Nicholas there were "vigor-
Gus and lusty race of natives, who
thronged the shores of the little bays
and headlands," and gaZed in mute
wonder at the white-saifed ship Of the
navigators.
Today the Islands stand as they did
more than $50 years ago, but the ma
tives are only memory, represented
by immense quantities Of stone inn
plements, barrels of fine wampum and
cart loads of human bones.
st. Nicholas island lies so miles i'm
mediately opposite the little city of
San Buenaventura (recently called by
the more modern and Neasy name of
Ventura) and is the most interesting
Of all the channel islands from many
Of xinx tc 70 hao
memory of any person in Southern
California extends, hundreds of white
skeletons have dotted the valleys and
hillsides. Strange utensils of serpen-
tine sandstone and steatite are found
there among the human bones, and the
island and its erstwhie inhabitants
have history so curious that it is diff
ficult Of comprehension.
In 1885 the Franciscan padres in the
Santa Barbara mission, learning that
there were but 10 of the strange and
almost extinct human race then living
there, determined to rescue them from
the island. They went over in sloop
and succeeded, as they thought, in get
ting all on board.
At the last moment an Indian wom-
the frequent storms of the channel is
lands springing up. the sloOp was driv-
en- away without her. The sloop went
on the rocks off Point Conception and
all were lost.
st. Nicholas.
st. Nicholas Is 10 miles long and
four miles wide at the widest point.
Its topography shows nearly level
plateau, with an elevation of 500 to
1000 feet. Two-thirds Of the surface
Is covered with drifting sand, and the
remainder grows species Of nutri-
tious grass and moss, on which a
thousand sheep find pasture.
AS far as the eye can trace there are
barren levels with innumerable circu-
lar depressions, showing where print
tive dwellings once stood. Not YES
tige remains of the materials used in
the construction of these rancherias.
Hundreds Of shell mounds are scat
tered about and are found to consist Of
astonishing numbers of mollusca, the
bones of every species of fish found in
the channel, skeletons of seals, sea ell
ephants. whales, sea otter, the island
fox and various aquatic birds.
An examination of some mounds dis
closes all sorts of curious utensils
stone cooking pots, ollas, mortars, pes
ties, drills, bone needles and fish
hooks, shell beads, charm stones,
pipes, cups and a few arrowheads,
spear points and swords made Of
bone. The absence Of many weapons
proves the peaceful attributes Of the
islanders. Small limitations of boats
and fish carved from crystallized tale
and serpentine also show a rudimen-
tayy knowledge of the art Of sculp-
ture.