ISLAND OF MYSTERY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3085, 23 April 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

ISLAND OF MYSTERY.

To those who are not wholly distorted by man's inhumanity and y protracted residence in polluted cities, sia island is inexpressibly poetic, inspired presumably, by its natural iuaooes<ibiHty, its hazardous aurroundings, its undeveloped resources, and the weird glamour thut haugs above a detached bit of earth, alone, isolated in the midst ot a \vid,p, waterj waste. In the midst of mo-t dwrlier.-i among brick and mortar ami stone, mi island—particularly those of tho South Seas and in the region of our semi-tropical shore—is linked with luxurious vegetation, luminous scenes, cooling .springs, dense shade, gauzy mists, and

There is not a discovered spit on the face of this fair land where these and their accompanying concomitants are furnished with greater prodisralil.y than at Santa Catalina, California,says a correspondent of the Philadelphia Times. It was named by a pious padre in honour of St Catherine, in tnose peaceful early days when pidres were the chief inhabitants of this enchanting isle. If in the course of divine events this honoured saint is permitted to view the spot consecrated to her by tho Holy Catholic Church, who shall say th a t a sense or something akin to what we call appreciation does not roach her in those suprume heights of clearer certainty where she dwells ?—for high above the greed of spectators, tho tricka of tradesmen, the snares of mean-

ness of meaniala, there still linsror the

mists upon the mountain tops, the sunbeams unions: the leaves, the flew upon tha flowers the wiiiroinc winds, the iroutle rains, tho smiling- stars appropriate imd imperishable mausoleums to any saint or soiou in the celestinl company. Santa Catalina Island was discovered by

'Cambriilo int.be year 1512, and named b;

him after one of his fleet. An iuterestin account of Carnbrillo's voyqgo, written h

one of bis pilots, hud recently been found among , old papers iu Spaiu,which describe

Catalina as beim; thickly populated. That they were idolaters 13 a suspicion based upon frequent allusions "to a " Toiuplo of the Sun," said to conUin images and idols. That they were industrious is proved from recent excavations,

which disclosed pestles, mortars, bowls

and pottery in numerous and distinct variatieu. That they were fond of display is evident from the discoveries of Prnfosnor Schumacher, a renresciitiitivo of an

Ea'itorn scientific museum, who, in nom> pauy with a native islander, besratf a systematic series of excavations whiob resulted in tho collection of a fine lot of implements formerly used by the unknown inhabitants. Among those are beads in groat imm-

bars uniqacly cut from abalono shells, hi:

libundaut and beautiful product of tho island ; pendants formed iu graceful curves, finger rings, brooches, combs, and bracelets evidently tho adornment of sonic dusky belle, whose mortal remains have long- siiuie turned into dust. Fish-hooks are found iu quantities symmetrically out from shells, aud without the aid of tools. There are also curious shaped carvings

that seem to have no definite moaning- or use. Thefiah-hooks resemble a modern hook with tho exception that in these ancient specimens the barb is od the outside. That the ancient Catalinians were musical there is little doubt, as remains of flutes and other instruments of mehdy are found. These are mado of bone and connected by aspualtutn. That thej' were peaceful is presumable from the fact that few weapons of war have been found. A sword made from the bone of a whalo, an

iron axe, a few rusty arrows, flint spear heads, and knives that could never have been used in warfare, complete the catalogue. An inspection of their places of interment shows that the bodies," wore put away in layers—four or six in one grave, the lowest being the eldest. Many household goods were deposited in these receptacles for the dead, which loadw to the belief that their religious rites whatever they might have been, admitted of material considerations. Where now are tho strange creatures of those unwritten annals and their defendants is a problem mutating the minds of antiquarians. An Indian, claiming to bo 100 years old who ekes out a precarious existence by

the siihi of fish, shells, and curios, states that the natives were encouraged to leave the island by padres, who gave them homes at the missions and taught them a bottor religion than tho worship of wood and stone.

However that may be, tho fascination of mystery st'll hangs over those children of a previous period, whose only •' footprints on the sand of time" consist of carved crockery, fish-hooks, trinkets and decaying bones. The projected develop - ments of Catalina are said to bo in keepin With the roputed resources of the Eng-g. lish syndicate which rmsoutly purohasid the island which include-* piers,pnrVs, pro menades, wharves, hotels, museums, bath houses and other inventions of advanced civilisation, strikingly coutrastablo to the ambiguous era.