Year: 1879

Isaac j. Sparks for an Otterhunting eX-
pedtiOn from Santa Barbara to the
coast of Lower California. The schoo-
ner sailed in May, but the trip not
proving so successful as was anticipat-
ed, she returned as far north as San Pc
dro, where she remained at anchor du-
ring a portion of the month of August
OF the same year. IL being known that
the small / land of San Nicholas, situat-
ed about seventy miles southwest of
San Pedro and little further southeast
from Santa Barbara, was inhabited by
a number of Indians, the PeOr es NADIA
was dispatched to remove them to The
main land. Nineteen men, women and
children were taken on board the
schooner, which was preparing to de-
part when one of the Indian mothers
discovered that two of her offspring had
been forgotten and left on the island.
With true maternal devotion she sprang
into the water and swan to the shore
in search Of the missing children, one
Of which was years of age and the
other an infant unable to walk. Her
hurried search was unayailing, and,
abandoning all hope of finding the
babes, she returned to the beach just
in time to see the schooner sailing
away with all her friends on board.
She called frantically for some one to
take her to the vessel, but received no
reply but the one sad word, mdnyand
| tomorrow, which never ceased to
ring in her ear and was repeated Oh


her dying bed. The schooner never
went back to the island, which was
not again visited until 1851, when
George Nideyer, an otter hunter,
stopped there for few days. lie was
not previously aware that the place
was inhabited, but on his occasion he
became convinced that such was the
case. lie noticed three small circular
! in closures about two hundred yards
from the beach about a mile apart.
They were about six feet in diameter
made of brush the walls five feet high,
with small opening on one side. Near
these openings were sticks of driftwood
stuck in the gronnd in the form of
tripod, supporting tried blubber. These
Enclosures appeared to be simply wind
breaks, affOrding no protection from
rain. lie also saw mysterious foot
print, and judged TO be that of wo-
man from its small size and arched CEN
tire. An approaching storm obliged
Nidever's vessel to leave the island
without allowing him to persue his in
vestigations any further. Mr.. Nedever,
having seen many otter on his visit to
the island made a second during the
winter Of 1852, and being requested by
the Mission Fathers of Santa Barbara,
he and party determined to make a
careful hunt for the supposed lone in
habitant of the island. Within half Il
mile of the head of the island they dis
covered basket in the croth of a bush
OF small tree, covered with a sealskin
and containing dress made of shage-
skin-a seafowl common in that section
carefully folded up, and several piec-
es of skin similar to those of which the
dress was made; also rope of seal
sinews, shell fish-hooks, bone
needles, etc. AS it was late and time
for them to return to their boat for the
night, Mr.. Nidever scattered the con-
tents of the basket on the ground, so
that upon his return he could judge of
the presence or absence of the owner
by finding them gathered up or remain
ing as he left them. The following
four or more days were spent in otter
hunting, and before the search for the
Indian woman was renewed southeast
gale compelled them to seek more
hOspitable harbor at the island of San
Miguel. A third expedition made to
the island in 1853 by Nidever, Charles
Brown and four Indians from the San
! ia Barbara mission were more success
ful, On the day after landing Mr.


Brown discovered the object of their
search at distance, and cautious ap-
preaching in an opposite direction from
the remainder of the party came
close to her without being observed.
She was sitting cross-legged, skinning
seal blubber with rude knife made of
a piece of hoop-iron driven into piece
of wood. There was no covering on
her head excepting thick mass of mat
ted hair of a yellowish-brown color,
due to the exposure to the sun and air.
The hair was short, as though the fine
ends had rotted off. She would occa-
sionally raise her hand and shake her
eyes and look toward the other men on
sandy plain near the beach, whom
she evidently saw. The balance of the


party were now signaled in order that
she might be captured If the attempted


to escape. 10 the surprise of all she
made no attempt to get away, but
greeted each one as they approached
with bow and smile, and chartered
all the time in dialect that none of
them understood, although the Indians
accompanying Mr., Nidever were ac-
quainted with several Indian dialects,
She was talking apparently to herself,
from the time Mr.. Brown approached
within hearing distance until she was
made aware of his presence. The ex-
preston of her face was pleasing, her
features were regular, and her compile
xion much fairer and her form more
symmetrical than that of the Indian
women on the main land, and she is be-
| 1in..nI Lr Lana hnln,n nod a n Ill innrnnt