The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-13
JUAN FERNANDEZ.
Description Of the Home Of Robinson CrusOe-
Life ON observation-disclosures Expedi.
tons the Island.


Description of the Home of Robinson Crfusoe-
Life ON u observation-disclosures Expedi.
ti0ns on the Island.
ISLAND OF JUAN FERNANDEz,(
South Pacific, May 0, 1868. !,
Is not this a queer place for a HERALD corre-'
sDondentP No telegraph and mails decidedly irregu
lar A thriving community of wild goats scarcely
less civilized than the handful of wreches who exc
miserable existence from the kids and fishes, and
few birds are the only indications OF animated
life, with the exception Of half dozen fishermen
huddled In the howell on the beach in Cumberland
bay. Every visitor to places possessing in
terest from remote associations is mere or
less disappointed and while this trip was
to me like the realization Of life
long hope, was not an exception to the general
rule. / came 10 the West coast a year ago. wearied
with the campaigns Of an army correspondent and
looking to delightful rambles along the Andes and
VOYAGES up and down the Pacific. The HERALD's
readers have been told OF the curious things around
about Lima; the wild, bleak headlands of Bolivia;
the coal and silver and copper mines, the boiling
springs, the volcanoes the cordilleras and beautiful
pampas OF Chile, and the wonderful gates that open
between the oceans at Magellan. Some time ago the
opportunity presented by the cruise Of some Of
the allied squadron to visit this romantic spot, but
| the important negotiations respecting our
mediation In the Spanish-American war
detained On the oath Of April the United States
steamer DacOtah, Commander Thompson, started
| from Valparaiso o cruise to- Juan Fernandez, Co
quimbo and Caldera and your correspondent was so
fortunate to be invited to make the voyage; but
encountering adverse winds and heavy SEAS which
| the foremost sustained damage, were compelled
| to return Our disappointment was not without mit
| cation, however, as we found the Chile government
Just concluding its consideration OF our mediatory
offer, and after posting ourselves all the latest
| news prepared to cut away from humanity again
| for the wilderness OF this lonely island.
LIFE ON A MAN-OF-wAR.
At noon on the I'd OF May we stood out to sea
through the thick smoke from the great guns Of the
batteries and allied squadron saluting the anniver
sary of Calao and whose thunder brought wildly to
my mind the roar that shook the Wilderness at Chan
celOrsville on that same bright May morning four
| years ago. The was smooth, but the wind came
up cold from the South, driving every one not on
duty to the lower deck When fairly at sea the fires
| were allowed to go out, ..sails were spread
and the .clank Of the engines exchanged
| for q delightful silence broken only by the
sound of the water rushing along our side.
In my voyaging on board mep-of-war have gener-
ally found rather monotonous after the first day
two but in the DacOtah never In the trst place
there is most accomplished caterer whose achieve
meUts put to rout the imps of sea-scEness lat the
start. Then there was music IN the wardroom every
|
guitar Accompaniment, good literary food OF varied
style, from Marryatt 10 Dickens, ana the uniaiing
recreation OF loung ng on the sunny side OF the deck
and watching for The white sails that now and then
neck the far horizon and fade away like some phan
tom OF the sea. Slumber Is broken at midnight by
the rasping sound OF scrnbbng decks, after which
comes the choice between the glorious sunrise
and exllaratlng breeze and the luxurious nap
| sweet IN the early morning Nine ociock, .all
hands at quarters after which the hours glide by
swiftly as the ship through the swell until dinner
| and the usual evening recrcatons. We caught an
l. alDutfOS3. fourteen feet nom UP 70 tap put him
through IL lively exercise on deck and, tang . long
| black ribbon rouud his neck set him adigt again to
tell his adventures TO his mates the cape pigeons
| aud the pclres that SKINNED along in our wake,
| We met "a ship crowded with canvas plough.
| ing deeply through tue waves, and wagered
on her nationality, but the challenge OF our
coors run up to the gan received no an
| and the bets were decided drawn The Wind
suited, with occasional fierce squalls, compelling US
| To beat about with veXatous delay, unlIl On the
sixth day, we sighted the LOFTY peaksoi
= JUAN FERNANDEZ.
picturesque. The ellis rise in many places perpen-
dicuarly to the height of three thousand feet, pre-
against the base of which the sea beats and foams
necessarily: Three short valleys run up
ss%ty Ae the su sana me nSToW n s
| cpitous ravines which lose themselves IN the
dense foliage of the myrtle trees that enyeIop the
mountains, AZ we approached nearer the ridges
gradually became more distinct, revealing sharp
peaks OF barren rocks the principal one called ''Ihe
Anvin towering high above the rest and visible fifty
miles at AT four O'Clock on the afternoon OF the
| 5th we entered Cumberland bay, WHICH curves IN
from the headlands about nile, and affords good
anchorage except during northers wnen ships
compelled to put TO sea. boat came OF TO rowed
by half dozen dark skinned half Indians, one
OF whom speke little English and plotted us
TO good anchorage within cables length OF the
rocks There rs low piece OF ground here oil about
hty acres, with OF five tottering hus in
which live the sole Inhabitants OF the island number
Ing nineteen persons, most OF whom are children.
-Four nfhy looking women, swarinng with yerun
and pckaninnies,. six men and nnumerable dogs
greeted us on our arrival and commenced q lively
ffIp EaI alaLt
Juan Fernandez. curioslties "A few horses, cattle
and tame goats grazed around the houses,
cred over the valley with recSlessness very
tantahhng 10 our eager sportsmcn, who
had commenced at the first glimpse OF the island 20
get shooting gear anu fishing tackle in order. The
evening was spent III fishing and preparing for shoot
Ing, ana early next morning your correspondent set
out with Lieutenant Casse and Surgeon Iluehling
and good boats crewdo pull round the island for
game and fish, After exploring beautiful valley
una vainy .endeavOring TO get. within range OF
some wild goats feeding the ellis. we entered
English bay, where Alexander selkrk liyel.
Here sprung ashore through q heavy SURF
that threatened to swamp the boat, ana
started OIL into the Interior alone, while the
lieutenant ana surgeon hosied sail aud went round
the isandIo the coduslng grounds. First went
TO CfusOes Cave, grUtto IA the rock twenty-five
yards from the beach. The cave Is about twelve
feet high, blteen feet deep and twenty feet wide ut
the entrance the interior resembling IN shape the
inside OF an old-iashoned brick oven. High walls
stood around the mouth OF the cave, but inside IL
was dry and smooth. spiders were weaving over
the Inscriptions cut by previous visitors, aud
nousc hViisA tytu Iic liOiu CpIucIt apparently
little alarmed At my Intrusion into hs paatal abode.
few moments suilcod TO graafy curiosity respect
ing this spot, and slipping couple of bly's wire
cartrdges into my towing piece. 1 set out for the
mountain side. stream OF ccar, cold water ran
Mostly down through the little valley ringed with
fern and wild mint and skir9d by dry grass breast
high and very thick. match kinded tremendous
fire, which the wind swept with great rapidity up
towards the ellis, soon leaving smooth backened
plain anu opening capital approach to the hunting
grounds Up and up ,cIimbed pressing through
myrtle trees closely inerocRed, but finding
nothing TO shoot except a couple Of falcons
that sailed slowly overhead as | emerged
INTO little open space in the tucket. About three
O'Clock, weary and discouraged, I returned to the
beach, The boat had not returned, and sitting down
at the mouth OF the cave gave O loose rein to
Imagination. Before me swelled the open sea, its
surf beating with hollow, mourniul sound on the
rocky shore, and behind me rose the inaccessible