Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-10-28
ROBINSON cRusoE's ISL AND.


Fernandez The favorite tale OF
nearly every childhood is by most
IF us remembered through life with
grateful affection. and the scene Ot
its marvellous incidents shares in
our regard. 1t may be true that
the proper Robinson Crusoe g
Island was not off the coast Of Chi
at all, but in the mouth # the Ori
noco; and it may also he true that
the continent should he called Col
umbia and not America; but habit
has endeared in both cases the ex
isting usage so that imagination
takes precedence of what is or ought
to be fact, and the continent will be
America and Juan Fernandez Rob
inson Crusoe's Island until the end
of the chapter.
AS most readers are aware, this
classic corner of the earth is in lat
itude 33 deg. 40 min. south. about
400 miles off the coast of Chill, aud
is about the size of Staten Island
1t is, however, far more ruggedly
picturesque than than beautiful su-
burb, and boasts one mountain,
Yungue, that towers s, 600 feet above
the sea. Around it grow in luxuri
ant abundance various grains,
peaches, figs and other fruits, to-
gether with the sandal wood tree
anil the cork; and among these
disport thcmselves--or did a few
years ago-many wild goats. and
not few wild horses. Excellent
fish are abundant there, and. with
the sweetest of water and a dilicious
climate, a more inviting spot can
hardly be imagined So thought
The early buccaneers who made it a
resort for M any day, and so
thought afterward American and
English whalers who toched there
for supplies. For some years the
Gillian Government disturbed the
solitude of the place by making it a
penal colony but the convicts rose
in revolt. there was some bIood-shed,
a village that had been built at Port
Cumberland, the harhor. was burned,
anal the authorities. after ferretine
out and putting to death the wretch
rs who. on completing their work
of destruction. had fed to the woods
abandoned the Island to the goats
and horses. Subsequently, two OF
three wandering Chilians found
shelter there. and eked out Il liveli-
hood that the generous soil for the
most part easily supplied by selling
to passing ships vegetables and
water In 1S49. when the memo
rable rush was made for the gold
fields of California. some of the
ships bound thitIler round Cape
Horn, touched at Juan Fernandez
They found there, besides some
half score Of Chilians, including
women and children, the mate Of al
American whaler, who, like Sclkirk
had left his vessel from choice to
dwell upon the island. and who had
a family 10y one of the Chilian wo-
men. This man looked not unlike
the pictures Of Robinson Crusoe,
having garments of goat skins, a
long beard. and that expression OF
profound yet melancholy calm which
people who live in solitude ara
prone to have. He seemed, not
withstanding, to he contented, and
spoke not of leaving the place, ol
Of any wish to change his condition
A grotto near the shore he pointed
out as Robinson Crusoe's cave, anc
showed other spots identifying them
with localities spoken of in Defoe s
story. He appeared to regard him
self as Selkirk's representative, and
to take pride in being so accepted
Twenty years seemed to have
passed. after this without any Other
Or more definite use being made OF
Juan Fernandez; but last winter il
was ce,le,i by the Chilian Govern
ment to II company of Germans
wha are led by one Robert Wehrhan,
a Saxon engineer. He and his soci
ETY. have now taken possession OF
the island and propose making il
their home. They number some
sixty or seventy individuals, and
have taken with them cows and
other cattle, swine fowls, all kind
of agricultural implements, with
boats and fishing apparatus, and
tools for the various mechanical
trades. 1t is said that Wehrhan
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 that he has now carried