The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-11-11
MoM The RsW YoYk Times
Robinson Cruso's Island.

Robinson Cruso's Island.
! If there is one spot on earth in whic;
all who sp,ak the English tongue may b.
sid to take common interest it Is th,
island Of Juan Fsrnandes. The faYorit,
i bale Of nsarly every childhood is by mes
Of US remembered through life with CRATE
lul affection, and the scene of its navel
Gus incidents shares in our regard. /
uiay be rrue that the proper Robinson
Cruso's Island was no. off the coast %
Chill al oil, but in the mouth of til,
Oroneco; and it may also. be true that til,
continent should be called Columbia, auG
not America; but habit has endeared il
rbothcasss abe existing usage 81 that ina
ayi nation takes precedence of what is al
ought to be fact, and the continent will
bs A@eylcs and Juan FernAndes Room
son Crusos Island to the end of the chap
ser. t.ef - -tt.
As most readers are aware, this clasit
corner Of she earth is in latitude 33 dogs
40 MINIS South, and about 400 miles of
the coast of Chilli, and is about the size Of
Staten Island. It-is, however, far nor,
ruagedly picturesque than that beautiful
saburb, and bbsts one mountain, Yunguc
thai towers 1000 feet above the sea. Ar
ound it grow in luxnriant abundance va
rous grains, peaches figs add other fruits,
together with the sandal wood tree and
.he cork and among these disport them
ssives-or did few years ago-maliy
wild goats, and not q fe" wild horses.
Excellent fish are abundant there, aid
with the sweetest II water and a deli
.cious climate, a more inviting spot can
hardly be imagined. SO thought the early
buccansers, who made it q resort for
many day, and SO thought afterward
American and English whalers who
touched there for supplies. For some
years the ChIlian Government disturbed
the solitudeot the place by making it y
penal colony; but the covnicts rose in re-
volt, there was some blood shed, village
which had been built at Port Curnbcr-
land, the only harbor, was burned and the
authorities, after terreting out and put
ting to death the wretches who, on com
pletlng their work of destruction, had
fed to the woods, abandoned the island
10 the goats and horses subsequently,
two or three wandering Chilians found,
shelter there, and eked out LIVELIHOOD
that the generous soil for the most part
easily supplied, by selling to passing
ships vegetables and water. In 1849.
when the memorable rush was made for
the gold-felds OF California, some Of the
ships bound thither round Cape Horn
touched ut Juan Fernandes. They found
there Besides some score of ChiIians, in
Guiding women aud children, the mat. of
al American whaler, who, like Selkigk,
had left his vessel from choice to dwell
upon the island, and who had family By
one Of the CHILEAN women. This man
looked not unlike the picture OF Robin
son Cruso,' having garments of goat skins,
. long beard, and that expression of pro-
found yet melancholy calm which people
who have lived in solitude are prone to
have Heseemed, notwithstanding, to be
contented, and spoke not Of leaving the
place or of amy wish to change his condi-
ton. A Grotto near the shore, he pointed
out "a Robinson Cruso's Cave.and showed
other spots, identifying them with locall-
ties sp ken of in Defoe's story. lie APP
peared to regard himself as Selkirks rep
resentative, and took pride in being SO
accepted. -.
Twenty years scenes to have passed af-
ter this without any other or more detin-
lie use being made of Juan Fernandes
bus last winter it was coded by the Chll-
Liam governments 20 . company of Germans
who are led by one Robert Wehrhan, q
Saxon engineer. He and his society have
now taken possession of the island, and
now propose to make 1t there home
They number q me sixty or seventy midi
viduals, and have with them cows and
otier cattle, swine, fowls, all kinds OF
agricultural implments. with boats and
fishing apparatus, and tools for the vari
GUS mechanical trades 1t is said Wehr-
han left Germany eleven years ago, and
after passing some time in England, was
engaged on railways in South America
While there he conceived the idea which
he has now carried into effect. This is a
Irepet ton, on q larger scale, the expert
ment OF Pilcain's Island, without, OF
course, the criminal preface hat staine5
the history of the crew OF the Bounty
The NOR d will watch the career ot
this little colony VITA deeply intes
e3ted eyes; for, apart from the curiosty
and sympathy naturally attracted by tbs
experiments itself, no more engaging spot
could have been chosen in winch t. max,
it than that which is cherished IN 81
many hearts as Il ,Dlnson Cru>u's Island
A Mother TO her Daughter on
Marriage