Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-02-25
The whereabouts of she island Occu'
pied by Robinson crusoe.
From Every Saturd ,y.l

pied by Robinson crusoe.
] From Every Saturd y.l ~
About year ago party of midship-
men, belonging to British man-of.wa
cruising in the Pacific, landed on the
island of Juan Fernandez, and erected
there monument to Robinson Crusoe.
| From the report of their proceedings,
which went the round of the press, it is
evident that these young gentlemen we're
under the impression that they were on
the identical spot selected by DeFoe as
the scene of this hero's shipwreck, Nor
is this very surprising, for ninety nine
out of every hundred persons who have
read the story appear to entertain the
same opinion. That D Foe founded his
great work upon the adventures of Alex
snder Selkirk, who was abandoned on
the island of Juan Fernandez, and re-
mained there seventeen years, is true; !;
but equally so is the fact that our author
did not select that spot as the locale of
Crusoe's shipwreck. Indeed, with that
circumstantislity Of narration and care
fitness of detail, which contribute 30
much to give sn air Of vraisembldnce to
bis tale, DeFoe lef YES the reader not the
shade of an excuse for supposlng that
Crusoe was ever within several thousand
miles of Juan Fernandez. This, | fancy,
ia shown pretty couclusively from the fol-
lowing extrsets from the tale itself: "The
same dav went on board says Crusoe,
I'VE set sail from Brazil upon our
own coast, with design to stretch ever to
the African coast, when they came into
about ten or eleven degrees OF northern
latitude, yhich, it seems, was the usual
course Of nsvizstors in those days. We
had very good weather on the way mp our
own coast, till we came to the hight of
Cape Saint Augustine; whence, Keeping
farther of OF sea, ve lost sight OF land,
and ttsered as il We were bound for the
Isle of Fernando de Norouhs, holding
our course N. E. by N, and leaving those
Islands on the east. Ia this course we
passed the line in about twelve dsys'
time, and were, by our last observation,
in seyea degrees and twenty two minutes
northern latitude, 9Len violent tornado,
or hurricane, took Us quite cot of knowl-
edge. About the twelfth
dey, the weather sbsting little, the
u,estar made an observation as well as
he ooule SAD found that be was in about
eleven degrees north latitude, butthat he
was tWanty-tvo degrees OF lobgitSde vest
from Cape Augustine; so that be vas
gotten on the coast OF Guisns, or the
northwest part Of Brazil, beyond the
Amszones towards the river Oronoqne,
commonly called the Great river; and
now he began TO consult with me what
course be Ehoald take, for the ship was
leeky and very much disabled, and he
was for going directly back 10 ths coast
of Brazil.
at was positively against that, and
looking over the charts Of the sea- coast
of America with him, We concluded there
was no Inhabited country for as to have
recoursa 10 gBHl We came within the
CIRCLE of the Gsribbee islands, eu5 there
fore resolved 70 stand away for Barba-
does; which, keeping oh ct ses to avoid
.sha indraft Of the bay or Gulf Of MEXICO,
We might easily perform. as We hoped In
afteeu dsys . With this design
ss Changed orr course, and steered away
NV. By W., 10 order tc reach some OF
our E5glish islands, whore ! hopsd for
relief; but our voyage was olbersiss de-
termined, for, being in the latitude OF
l2o ls\ . second storm came upon ne,
which carried us With the same impetn.
osity vestvaro, sa5 drove us 80 out Of
the way ofall human oouWsrge
In this distress, the wind still blowing