Il'mena facts for kids
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|} The Lydia was a US merchant ship that sailed the seas in the early 1800s. It was mainly used for trading valuable furs. In December 1813, the ship was sold to the Russian–American Company. It was then given a new name: Il'mena. This name is also spelled Ilmena or Il'men''.
Both as Lydia and Il'mena, the ship was part of important historical events. It is most famous for its role in a terrible event in 1814. This was a massacre of the Nicoleño people on San Nicolas Island. This event led to one Nicoleño woman, known as Juana Maria, living alone on the island for many years. These stories inspired Scott O'Dell's 1960 children's book Island of the Blue Dolphins. A movie based on the book was made in 1964.
The ship was a brig, a type of sailing ship with two masts. It was built in the East Indies using strong teak wood. In April 1809, the Lydia left Boston for the Pacific Northwest Coast. Its captain was Thomas Brown.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States |
|
| Name | Lydia |
| Fate | Sold to Russian–American Company, December 1813 |
 Russia (Russian–American Company) |
|
| Name | Il'mena or Ilmena or Il'men' |
| Acquired | December 1813 |
| Fate | Wrecked on the coast of California in 1820. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Brig |
| Tons burthen | 50 tons (bm), or 200 tons (bm) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Brig |
The Ship's Early Adventures
In 1810, Captain Brown rescued Russian sailors. They were survivors from the ship Sv. Nikolai ("St. Nicholas"). Their ship had crashed on the Olympic Peninsula in November 1808. The survivors were taken aboard Lydia and brought to Sitka. Sitka was the main city of Russian America at that time.
In October 1811, Captain Thomas Brown traded commands with James Bennett. Bennett took over the Lydia. In late 1813, Bennett sailed Lydia to Sitka. There, the ship was sold to the Russian–American Company (RAC). It was then renamed Il'mena.
Il'mena and the California Coast
As an RAC ship, Il'mena had a new captain, William Wadsworth. In 1814, it carried Aleut hunters and their kayaks to California. They went there to hunt sea otters along the coast. During this time, a fight broke out with the Nicoleño people on San Nicolas Island. This fight sadly led to a massacre of many Nicoleño.
Spanish authorities in California also captured some RAC employees. They saw the hunting as illegal poaching. One Aleut hunter, Chukagnak, was killed. He reportedly refused to give up his Orthodox Christian faith and become Catholic. Because of this, he later became known as Saint Peter the Aleut.
From September 1815 to April 1816, Il'mena stayed at Bodega Bay for repairs.
The San Nicolas Island Massacre
In 1814, the Il'mena brought about 50 Aleut hunters to California. They were led by Russian overseers. Their goal was to hunt sea otters, which was against Spanish rules. The hunters worked in different places, especially around the Channel Islands.
During the summer of 1814, a terrible event happened. Aleut hunters, led by Iakov Babin, attacked the Nicoleño people on San Nicolas Island. This was supposedly to get revenge for the Nicoleño killing one of Babin's hunters. Many Nicoleño people died in this attack.
Iakov Babin was blamed for the massacre. In April 1815, he was removed from his job. He was sent to Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. There, he was supposed to face a trial for the massacre.
The Story of Peter the Aleut
Some Aleut hunters were captured by Spanish authorities. One of them, Ivan Kyglaia, later told a shocking story. He said that a Spanish priest ordered the killing of another Aleut hunter, Chukagnak. The priest wanted the Aleuts to leave the Russian Orthodox Church and become Catholic. Some Aleuts agreed, but Chukagnak and Kyglaia refused. Chukagnak was then killed.
Kyglaia thought he would be next. But he was moved to Santa Barbara instead. Kyglaia and another Aleut, Filip Atash'sha, managed to escape. They paddled their small boat to San Nicolas Island. They found no Russian-American Company people there. Only the Nicoleño who had survived the 1814 massacre were left.
The Nicoleño helped Kyglaia and Atash'sha live on the island. They stayed there from about 1817 to 1819. They hoped a friendly ship would return. Atash'sha died before a ship came. In the spring of 1819, Il'mena visited the island again. It rescued Kyglaia. He was taken to Fort Ross. There, he told his story about Chukagnak.
Kyglaia's story reached Emperor Alexander I himself. The Emperor ordered an investigation. The Church believed Kyglaia's story was true. This led to Chukagnak becoming a saint, known as Saint Peter the Aleut. Spanish records also confirm many parts of Kyglaia's story.
Years later, in 1835, a Mexican ship took the remaining Nicoleño from San Nicolas Island. They were brought to Santa Barbara. But one woman was left behind. She became known as Juana Maria. In 1853, she was found and brought to Santa Barbara. She died within a year. Her story, made into a novel, became famous. This was the book Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Il'mena in the Hawaiian Islands
While events unfolded in California, Il'mena also spent time in the Hawaiian Islands. In November 1815, Il'mena tried to sail to Sitka. But it was damaged and had to return for more repairs. It stayed at Bodega Bay until April 1816.
After leaving Bodega Bay, a leak was found. Captain Wadsworth decided to sail to the Hawaiian Islands for repairs. They arrived in May 1816 and stayed in Honolulu for several months. This was during a time known as the Schäffer affair. A Russian-American Company employee, Georg Anton Schäffer, tried to take control of the Hawaiian Islands for Russia. He even built forts there. But his plans failed.
In August 1816, Il'mena sailed to Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Then it went to Fort Elizabeth at Waimea. There, Schäffer tried to make deals with the local Hawaiian chiefs. He wanted land and power for Russia.
Later, in September 1816, there was trouble in Honolulu. The crews of Il'mena and another Russian ship built a small fort. They put up cannons and raised the Russian flag. This worried the Native Hawaiians. King Kamehameha I sent a large force. So, Il'mena and the other ship had to leave for Kauai.
In January 1817, Governor Baranov ordered Il'mena to return to Sitka. This ended Schäffer's plans in Hawaii. Most of the Russian-American Company employees left Hawaii aboard Il'mena. The ship left Hawaii in June and arrived back in Sitka by the end of the month.
The Ship's Final Voyage
In the spring of 1819, Il'mena sailed from Sitka to California again. It was bringing more sea otter hunting parties. The ship stopped at San Nicolas Island. This was where Kyglaia, the Aleut hunter, had been stranded for over three years. He was finally able to leave the island and return to the Russian-American Company.
Kyglaia said that the Nicoleño people had treated him and Atash'sha well. He even said they were "happy of their arrival and their stay on the island."
In 1820, Il'mena sailed south from Sitka to California one last time. On June 19, 1820, the ship crashed at Point Arena on the California coast. This happened because the navigator was careless. Luckily, everyone on board and all the cargo were saved. They were taken to the nearby Fort Ross.
Images for kids
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Flag of the Russian-American Company
