An Account of the Indiana of the Santa Baruara Islands in California, 13 



had landed some 30 Indians from Kodiak on San Nicolas and it is 

 said that they killed ail the native men, and appropriated the women. 

 However this may be, certain it is that in 1835 the natives on the 

 island had dwindled down to 18, and it was decided by the inission- 

 aries on the mainlaud to remove these Indians to the missions of 

 the mainlaud. Accordingly a vessel was sent to the island of San 

 Nicolas and the Indians gathered in. This was in 1836. But when 

 the Indians were ail embarked, one of the women missed her babě. 

 It had been left behind in some way. The mother started to hunt 

 for it, but remaining away very long, and on account of a sudden and 

 very heavy wind, the small vessel had to leave and lie before the 

 wind out to sea. In course of time the Indians were landed at Santa 

 Barbara and probably merged in other indián tribes. The vessel which 

 was again to visit the island in order to bring back the remaining 

 woman, was unfortunately shipwrecked on the coast, and as there 

 was no other vessel of sufficient size to brave the rough waters around 

 the island, it came to pass that for 18 long years the indián woman 

 was left to her fate on the islandy It was only in 1853 that a hunter 

 with the name of Nidever from Santa Barbara visited the island and 

 brought the woman away. He had seen some things of her already 

 tvvo years previously, but was then unable to find her. During this 

 visit Nidever had seen several small windbreaks made of branches 

 and canes. They were in the form of a half circle and bound to- 

 gether with grass ropes. He had also found regulär, small, pyramidal 

 houses or Indián huts made of branches etc., but the grass growing 

 in them, and their dilapidated condition generally indicated that they 

 had not been ušed for years. When he fouud the woman at last she 

 was living in such a wiudbreak. We may now follow Nidevers tale: 

 „She was sitting in an enclosure, so that her head and Shoulders 

 were barely visible above it. As the white man approached, two or 

 three wild dogs began to howl, but she gave a yell at the dogs who 

 then disappeared. She was sitting crosslegged on some grass that 

 covered the ground within the inclosure and which seemed to serve 

 as bed. Her only dress consisted of a kind of gown, leaving her neck 

 and Shoulders bare, but it was long enough when she stood úp to 

 reach to her ankles. It was made of bird (shag) skin eut in squares 

 and sewed together, the feathers pointing downwards. Her head had 

 no covering save a thick mass of matted hair of a yellowish brown 

 color, and which looked as if it had rotted off. (See the account of 

 Cabrillo and Viscaino of the fair color of the Indians). She was 



