108 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
The inhabitants of Syujtun remained unmolested until 
the establishment of the Santa Barbara Mission in 1786. 
After this the native villagers were gradually removed to 
the adobe cuarteles of the mission, 2 miles distant, and the 
desolated beach was known as “el puerto de Santa Barbara”’ 
or as ‘el rancho de la playa.”’ After the confiscation of the 
mission lands the ownership of the beach ranch passed into 
private hands. During the forties the owner was none 
other than Capt. George C. Nidever, known in California 
history as the rescuer of the last surviving Indian woman 
from San Nicolas Island. Captain Nidever sold the property 
in 1851 to Augustus F. Hinchman, whose daughter, Miss 
Stella F. Hinchman, has furnished valuable data about the 
history and traditions of the mound. In 1860 Mr. Hinch- 
man sold the tract in turn to Lewis T. Burton, who made it 
his home for 19 years and after whom the mound has been ’ 
called in more recent times. None of the early owners had 
allowed excavation on the property and -with erection of 
the Potter Hotel on top of the mound in 1901 all hope of 
archeological investigation was lost. This hotel burned to 
the ground on April 19, 1921, and the old village site was 
thereby again released for archeological investigation. 
The results of this excavation of the Indian town of 
Santa Barbara proved rich and interesting beyond expec- 
tation. The graves that were opened were crowded with 
human bodies, trinkets, and a great variety of utensils. 
Among the rarest specimens are the largest soapstone canoe 
ever discovered in California, a wooden awl such as is 
described by the early historians, and a number of objects 
of problematical use. There are soapstone pipes, fishhooks 
of abalone and bone, sinker stones, arrowheads of great 
variety, spearheads, about 140 fine mortars, pestles, in- 
cluding some very long ones, beads of many kinds, pendants, 
daggers, bowls and kettles of soapstone, including some of 
the largest ever found, native paints, etc. About 300 
skeletons were taken out, among them some very ancient 
skeletons from the coquina or reef-rock layer. These are 
