An Account of the Indiana of the Santa Barbara Islands in California. 5 



the other bred] in the high north and only visited the coasts during 

 the winter season. When white poeple first visited the islands they 

 found the coast the home of the precious sea-otter, but at my visit 

 I saw only two or three. Of birds especially the seabirds were nu- 

 merous and rookeries were common on every low sandy promontory. 

 The California Valley quail was common everywhere on Catalina and 

 Santa Cruz, but has since become scarcer on account of the increase 

 of a small wild fox. This fox is found on ail the islands and must 

 hâve in ancient times furnished a large part of the fur used by the 

 Indians for dress. 



The above remarks on the nature, climate and fauna of the 

 islands suffice to show that they must hâve been ideal places for 

 a native population. Nowhere on the whole coast is there any local- 

 ity so suitable to maintain a primitive population as on these islands. 

 Elsewhere on tbe mainland the Indians could only maintain themseîves 

 in a certain locality for a few months at a time. At certain seasons 

 they were obliged to follow the game to the plains, while at others 

 they had to ascend the foothills and the mountains in quest of acorns 

 etc. But on the islands the Indians could remain ail through the year 

 and still not suffer from want, as fruit, seeds, acorns, roots, fish, 

 clams, crayfish, birds, eggs, fürs and game were always plentiful at 

 some time of the year. This abundance of food must hâve contributed 

 to a greater physical development, while again the isolation of the 

 islands would tend to make the iuhabitants less warlike, and more 

 geatle. 



Considered from a purely scientific Standpoint these islands 

 are of the very greatest interest. It has been shown lately that each 

 one of the islands contains a number of indigenous species of plants 

 and also of insects. But the plants hâve been much more collected 

 and I am told that the species of each island show some slight va- 

 riations from those on the other islands, while many are entirely 

 distinct. Some of the most beautiful plants and trees found in Cali- 

 fornia are indigenous to these islands and found nowhere eise. I will 

 hère only mention that the truly magnificent Lyonothamnus, one of 

 the most beautiful trees in existence, is not rare on Catalina island. 



Earliest Aocounts of the Indians. 



We dérive our knowledge of the Indians from the following 

 main sources: Early navigators, Mission Padres, early settlers, and 



