Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-11-26
ROBINSON CKUSOE,S ISLAND.
rom the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
If there is one spot of earth in which all
who speak the English tongue may take
common interest it is the island Of Juan
Fernandez. The favorite tale of nearly
every childhood is by most of US remember
ed through life with grateful affection, and
the scenes of its marvellous incidents shares
in our regard. 1t may be true that the
proper Robinson Crusoe's island was not
off the coast of Chill at all, but in the mouth
of the Frinoco; and it may also be true that
the continent should be called Columbia
and not America but habit has endeared
in both cases the existing usage, so that
imagination takes precedence Of what is or
ought to be fact, and the continent will be
America and Juan Fernandez Robinson
Crusoe's Island until the end Of the chap
ter.
As most readers are aware, this classic
corner of the earth is in latitude 80 deg. Al
min. S, about 400 miles off the coast of Chi
Il. and is about the size of Staten Island.
1t is, however, far more ruggedy pictur-
esque than that beautiful suburb, and boasts
one mountain, Yungue, that towers 1000
feet above the sea. Around it grow in lux
urious abundance various grains, peaches,
figs and other fruits, together with the san
dal wood tree and the cork and among
these disport themselves-or did few years
apo-many wild goats, and not a few wild
horses. Excellent fish are abundant there,
and with the sweetest of water and deli
cious climate, more inviting spot cannot
be imagined. So thought the early buccan-
GERS. who made it resort for many day,
and so thought afterward American and
English whalers who touched there for sup
niles. For some years the Chiian govern
nent disturbed the solitude of the place by
making it penal colony but the convicts
rose in revolt, there was some blood shed, a
village that had been built at Port Cumber
lain, the harbor, was burned, and the au-
thorities, after ferreting out and putting to
death the wretches who, on completing their
work of destruction, had fled to the woods,
abandoned the Island to the goats and hor-
ses. Subsequently two or three wandering
Chilians found shelter there and eked out q
livelihood that the generous soil for the most
part easily supplied, by selling TO passing
ships vegetables ard water. In lS49, when
the memorable rush was made for the gold
fields of California, some of the ships bound
thither around Cape Horn touched at Juan
Fernandez They found there besides some
half score of Chilians, including women
and children, the mate of an American
wLaler who, like Selkirk, had left his vessel
from choice to dwell upon the island, and
who had family by one Of the Ghilian wo-
men. This man looked not unlike the pic
lures of "Robinson Crusoe,' having gar
ments of goat skins, long beard. and that
expression Of profound yet melancholy calm
which people who live in solitude are prone
to have. He seemed, Notwithstanding, to
be contented. and spoke not Of leaving the
place or Of any wish to change his condi.
ton. A grotto near the shore he pointed
out as Robinson Crusoes Cave, and showed
other spots identifying them with localities
spoken of in Defoe's story. He appeared to