Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-08-05

fathOms OF water, and craWHsh auo ioEo'eio
of great size are. taken in abundance
When her Majesty's ship Collingwood
came here in 1916, single Chilian fam
ily constituted the whole of the resident
population. CABBAGE, palms, cherry trees
and peaches were found in great quantities.
These, with wild oats, radishes, nastur-
tions, rhubarb, and strawberries, grew in
wild and useless fruitfulness, there being
no settlement to gather the abundent har-
vest. Horses, asses, dogs, and cats ran
wild goats fed upon every hight, and a
/ few ferocious animals were said to infest
the interior. The climate of Juan Fer
nandez is mild, and considered healthy,
although the weather is very changeaole.
The mornings are generally cloudy, with
light showers. Toward noon the weather
clears up, and the afternoons are clear and
pleasant; but about midnight clouds begin
to gather in the headlands, and squalls
sweep down the valleys until day advances,
and the sun breaks out in smiling after
noon.
WALKS ABOUT JUAN HERNANDEZ.
At fonr o'clock on the afternoon Of the
7th of May we entered Cumberland Bay,
which curves ia from the headlands about
a mile, and affords good anchoring, ex-
cept during northers, when ships are com
PEELED to put to sea. A boat came off to
us rowed by half dozen dark skinned half
Indians, one of whom spoke little English,
and piloted us to good anchorage within
a cables length of the rocks There is
a low piece of ground here of about ffty
acres, with row offve or six tottering
huts, in which live the sole inhabitants of
the island, numbering nineteen persons,.
most of whom are children. Four filthy
looking women swarming with vermin and
piekaninnies, six men and innumerable
dogs greeted us on our arrival, and COM
menced a freight traffic in fish, Holsters,
sealskins, sandal wood, and Juan Ferman-
dez curiosities. A few horses, cattle, and
tame goats grazed around the houses, and
hocks Of wild pigeons constantly lowered
over the valley with recklessness very
tantalizlng to our eager sportsmen, who
had commenced at the frst glimpse of the
island to get shooting gear and fishing
tackle in order. The evening was spent
in fishing and preparing for shooting, and
early next morning your correspondent
set ont with Lieut.. Cassel and Surgeon
Hueling, and boats crew to pull around
the island for game and fish. After ex-
ploring beautiful valley and vainly en-
deavoring to get within range of some wild
goats feeding on the cliffs, we entored
English bay, where Alexander Selkirk
lived. Here | sprung ashore through a
heavy serf that threatened to swamp the
boat, and started off into the interior alone,
while the Lieutenant and Surgeon hoisted
sail and went round the island to the cod
fishing grounds. First [ went to Crusoe's
| Cave, grotto in the rock twenty-five
yards from the beech. The cave is about
twelve feet high, fifteen feet deep and
twenty feet wide at the entrance, the in :
terror resembling in shape the inside of
an old fashioned brick oven. High walls
stood around the mouth of the cave,
but inside it was dry and smooth Spi-
ders were weaving over the inscriptions
cut by previous visitors, and mouse
boldly eyed me from corner, apparently
little alarmed at my intrusion into his
palatial abode. A few moments suficed
to crafty curiosity respecting this spot,
and slipping couple of Ely's wire car
tridges into my fowling piece, set out
for the mountain side. A stream of clear
cold water ran noisily down through the
little valley, fringed with fern and wild
mint, and skirted BY dry grass, breast high
/ and very thick. A match kindled tire.
mendou, fire, which the wind swept with
great rapidity up toward the cliffs, soon
leaving smooth, blackened plain, and
opening a capital approach to the huating
grounds. Up and up climbed, pressing
through tangled under growth, and creep
ing beneath low myrtle trees, closely in
terlocked, but finding nothing to shoot ex-
cept couple of falcons that sailed slowly
overhead as emerged into little open
space in the thicket. About three clock
weary and discouraged, | returned to the
beach. The boat had not returned, and
sitting down at the mouth of the cave I
gave loose rein to imagination, Before
me swelled the open sea, its surf beating
! with hollow, mournful sound on the
rocky shore, and behind me rose the in
) accessible cliffs, dark and silent, without
even the song of a sparrow to relieve the
monotony of the lonely valley. The ribs
| of some wrecked ship lay high and dry,
bleaching in the sun, and with few frag-
ments [ kindled a fire in the cave, hoisted
, my handkerchief outside as signal, and
tried to fancy SeIkirk,s foel;uvs hut ia