Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-06-27

THE HASSLER EXPEDITIOy.
A VISIT TO JUAN FERNANDEZ.

VISIT TO JUAN FERNANDEZ.
We sighted the island of Juan Fernan-
dez at early dawn on the 29fh Of April.
We left Professor and Mrs. Agassiz to 20
by land with Dr. Stein Hachner, to Santi-
ago, intending to pick them up ON eur
way to Valparaiso. The 29th and SOth
we spent still sounding and dredging ip
the neighborhood of the island. The VIA.
ter was wonderfully clear and blue. and
its transparency being tested, it was found
to be very much moro transparent than
that in the West Indies. The island Of
Juan Fernandez Is more celebrated from
Defoe's fiction than from Selkirk's history.
Fernandez discovered the island in 1868.
and introduced goats here. In 1851 an
Indian was left here, and subsisted on the
goats three years before he was taken of.
In October l704, Scotch sailor, Alexan.
der Selkirk, was left here, and taken of
in February, 1909, having lived there four
months in absolute solitude, living, like
his Indian predecessor, mostly on goats
flesh. He told it to Defoe, and out Of it
grew Robinson Crusee." The wild goats
are still numerous here, and hocks Of hum
dreds of them may be seen upon the
mountains. The island is about ten or
twelve miles long, by four in breadth;
the shores mostly precipitous, and the
mountain ridge 5000 feet in height. The
water around the island Is deep, and the
whole appearance is as if here had once
been an extensive island with splendid
rugged mountain chain upon it; that sud-
denly the bottom had been knocked from
under all except this patch of ten miles
by four. and all but this patch had sunk
into the sea. Valleys and mountain spurs
and gentle slopes are all cut off by this
precipitous edge, and there are but few
places on the island where you can effect
a landing. There are to-day twelve per
the island. They have good poultry and
vegetables. splendid beef and milk, and
can get goats by climbing after them.
Other things they purchase with the pro-
ceeds of their beef, milk and poultry, for
which they find q market in passing Ships,
especially in American whalers.
We spent May day in rambling on the
island and about its shores, cunning, fish
ing, herborizing, and collecting generally.
Sharks. lampreys, cod, sculpins. and other
fish; Holsters. crabs, crayfsh, shrimps,
mollusks of various sorts, starfish ana sea
urchins of divers kinds, a few insects.
some humming birds, etc., were among
the fruits of our labor. The plants of the
island bore great general resemblance to
those of the continent 400 miles to the cast
ward, which surprised me, as both the pre-
vailing winds and ocean current are oppos-
ed to any transmigration from the southern
part of the continent Myrtle bushes.
winters bark. Pernetta hear-berries, and
various other plants. seemed at first sight
identical with those of Chilli and southern
Patagonia. But a closer scrutiny showed
that part of this resemblance is deceptive :
that the difference is AS real as is the like
ness. The great gunnera used in Chill for
tanning, for example, seemed at first sight
to be flourishing here; but this is a decid-
edly different plant. The botanists called
the Chlian plant scabra the one on the
island paltata. 1t is magnificent coarse
thing, throwing out great leafstalks as
stout as shillela, and leaves rough star
form of three to five feet in diameter
The soil is all, as far as our observation
went, volcanic; most of the laya-like
rocks crumble on exposure to the weather,
and in climbing steep hill-sides we found
it very unsafe to depend on projecting
lodges or knobs. thought, while 1000
feet up in one of these steepest inclines.
that if an earthquake should come 1t would
have me TO a great disadvantage. But
the Jolly Chilene who now farms the
island (and who speaks excellent English)
told me afterwards that need not have
felt alarmed, he had lived there five years
without feeling any shakes. although
once, about three years since, great
wave came along, probably from some
continental quake. and did HIM some
damage. The vegetation increased in
beauty as we climbed higher, and came
into what was more nearly ''forest prime
val" Three species OF tree ferns, two
beautiful climbing ferns, and some little
palm trees-peculiar, l think, to this
island-attested the semi-tropical charac-
ter of the the fora, and TWO species of fine
humming birds. added their testimony
The trail-net brought from the sea va
rety of sea weeds different from those be-
fore obtained. On the I'd of May we
started on sounding and dredging
voyage to Valparaiso. We had few
showers on our way, but, on the whole.
delightful weather, and reached Valparai-
so on Sunday morning, May 9TH, soon af-
ter sunrise.
| a RAILROAD JOURNEY IN CHILL
| went, with two companions, May !.
to Santiago, partly to see the country
partly to see the city. partly on business.
We took the express train at 8 o'clock for
Santiago, and were landed punctually at
the promised moment, IL O'Clock, at the
foot of the Alameda in that city. The
railroad seemed to be well located, well
built, well equipped, English cars, Bir-
mingham), and we'll managed. The fare
was reasonable, tirst-class cars $5 (Chil.
lianD distance, 1888 kilometers. i g., ll5
miles. For the first half hour we were
among barren hills with scattered cactus
and bromelia-looking plants set here and
there in the bare. arid earth. Then, as the
hills grew higher, we found valleys spread
into plains, and these by irrigation rem
dered exceedingly fertile. The plain
Quillota seemed like a gardon Of Eden,
full of vineyards and orchards Of all i'm
agnable fruits. At various stopping
, points. grapes, pears, pomegranates. cher
imoyo, and snndry other fruits with Span
ish names were offered for sale by impor-
tunate boys and girls. at low prices. Il is
a