Show EXPLORE C LITTLE KNOWN ISLANDS expedition to visit channel group in pacific off coast of Calif california orpia IN HISTORIC LORE islands are within 82 miles of call cali fornias shore yet less than 50 persons annually visit them discovered by cabrillo san Francl francisco an expedition of scientific students has been made up in california and oregon to explore thorough thoroughly bly the channel islands off that pait of the coast in california known B at santa kaibara and ventura counties during the next nest six fix months the party says saya the dearborn independent Is to be sustained by stanford baity largely and to a less extent by several denominational colleges in gou southern thern california anthropological and archaeological students nho ft ho have spent several weeks each on these lq in lands say they are one of the very richest fields for work in that department ot of knowledge on the pacific toast coast the ck channel iannel islands constitute call cali forn fornias las only archipelago aith ith the possible exceptions of the rocky and scanty Far allone islands island they have leen been objects of romance legends curiosity and mystery for a generation the ilie islands are within 82 miles of Cali fornias shore yet are unfrequented and years roll by with visits to them of less than BO 50 persons annually each island has its own particular 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 cabrillo the ahe portuguese ti navigator salted sailed up the coast of california in 1542 he stopped slopped for a day or two at each of the channel islands and his records bear testimony that on the islands of santa barbara catalina Cata llna clemente and st nicholas there were a vigorous und and lusty race of natives who thronged thron ged the shores of the little bays and headlands and gazed in mute wonder at the white sailed ship odthe of the navigators today the islands stand as they did more than years ago but the natives are only a memory represented hy by immense quantities of stone implements clements ts barrels of fine wampum and cart loads of human bones st kt nicholas island lies 80 talley milea li medin mediately tely opposite the little city of son san buenaventura recently called by the more modern and easy name of ventura rind nna Is the most interesting of all the channel islands from ninny many points of view As far back us as the memory of any person in southern california extends hundreds of white skeletons have dotted the valley vallea and hillsides hill sides strange utensils of tine alne sandstone and steatite are roun found d there among the tinman human bone ald aid the island and its erstwhile inhabitants Inhabitant 1 have a history so BO curious that it Is difficult of comprehension in 1833 the Francl franciscan scan padres in the tha santa barbara mission learning that there were but 16 of the strange and almost extinct human race then living there determined to rescue them from the island they went over in a sloop and succeeded as they thoughts thought in getting nil all on board at me ane moment an indian woman donian returned for her child and one of tile the frequent storms of the channel islands springing up the sloop wa was driven away without her the sloop went on the rocks off point conception aud all were lost st nicholas st nicholas la Is 10 miles long lone and four miles wide at the widest point its topography shows a nearly level plateau with on an elevation of SOO to 1000 feet two thirds of the surface is covered with drifting sand nod find the remainder grows a species of nutritious grass and moss on alich a thousand sheep find pasture As far as the eye can trace there are barren levels with innumerable circular depressions showing where primitive dwellings once stood not a vestige remains of the materials used in the construction 0 oi these ranch erias Ilund hundreds reds of shell mounds are scattered about and are found to consist of astonishing numbers of mol lusen tile the bones of every species of fish found in the channel skeletons of seals sea ca elephants ep hants whales sea otter the island fox and various aquatic birds an examination of sonie some mounds discloses all sorts forts of curious utensils lla stone cooking pots ollas mortars pestles drills bone needles and farb hooks shell beads charm abarm stones pipes cups and a few arron beas spear points and swords maje made of bone the absence of many weapons proves the peaceful attributes of the islanders small imitations of boats and fish carved from crystallized tale and serpentine also show a rudimentary knowledge of the art of sculpture |