The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-19

fractions to induce him to apply for q patent and
permission to settle there. The request being
IL came to be employed as rendezvous for various
lawless characters. Smugglers sought refuge there
buccaneers and pirates made It their hiding place
and headquarters, and English adventurers-n0t
on much higher level moralty-stopped there to
rest and recruit until favorable time arrived for
sweeping down on the western coast to page and
plumber. Their principal means OF sustenance
being the flesh OF wild goats, the viceroy OF Peru
caused large numbers OF dogs to be introduced on
the island the majority OF the goats were hunted
down and killed. and period OF peace seems to
have followed.
In 1851 a Mosquito Indian was left there, lived
solidarity for three years and was then removed.
ALEXANDER sELKIRK
was landed from Spanish galley and remained
there alone until he was succOred in 1709 II is to
his story, told by himself to Def0e that we owe
Robinson Crusoe," perhaps the most widely known
OF all works OF fiction In all ages. 1t does not 1t is
true adhere closely to Selkirks narrative. and in.
deed, the story as written by Defoe, would place
Its hero on an island in the Atlantic not far from
closely than any other to the description given. 1t
was however from Selkirk that DefOe first received
the stimulus to undertake and the groundwork
upon which to base the tale, which has made them
both infinitely more famous then they would have
been II Defoe had simply transcribed and published
Selkirks account. In 174l Lord Arson landed on
Juan Fernandez with the
REMNANT OF THE CREWS OF THREE VESSELS
!, The scurvy was making fightul havoc among
island restored them all to health and they went
away to sing its praises. In 1851 Spanish settle
ment was started there, but was soon destroyed by
the great earthquake, and for q number OF years
subsequently the island was only transiently and
irreguarly Inhabited. In 1919 penal colony was
established there by the Chilean government, but
the prisoners growing too numerous rose on the
troops and OverpOwered them. The expense Of
main taning military force strong enough to quel
such Instructions was found to be great that the
island was again abandoned to solitude.
We had expected to find German settlement
by an ntegens ' cSeno who SPOKE % " Excellent
English, and who Informed that the island Is at
present leased rom the Chilean government by a
gentleman residing. In Valparaiso. There are but
twelve people In all now living there whose occu-
patton is the cultivation OF the soil and the care OF
the live stock, which consists of some fine cattle
and few fowls.
THE WILD GOATS
were said to be as numerous as ever, but the dogs
had been hunted and killed in their turn until
there was but one poor solitary individual left
on the island. Beef vegetables and fresh milk are
sold to vessels stopping for supplies and especially
to American whaeis, who are the chief customers.
During the twenty-fOur hours OF our stay there
everything was done In the way of collecting which
OF U Ssnp nn fe bsv
few birds from the hills, and a variety of mollusca
along the shore. shark OF the family acdnthius
was harpOOned by one OF the officers from the stern
Ofthe vessel and was dissected and preserved The
whole island seemed to us distinctly volcanic the
rocks consisting OF basaltic green stone and trap
and covered with scOriaceOus lava, the decOmpO-
stiOn OF which has produced moderately fertile bat
loose and crumbling soil. The botany was found
to be OF great interest and resembled that of Chile
much more than was thought probable from the
direction OF the prevailing winds and currents.
We subsequently discovered, on more carefully
comparing specimens, that 1t was only reseni-
blance and that there very few cases of iden-
tty species. The dark foliage Of the myrtle pre-
dominates on the hlsides, but fly, peach cherry,
apple and other frut trees grow in abundance, and
palms flourish on the SUBMITS, though they do not
descend into the valleys Wild oats wild radishes,
strawberry plants, mint tree-ferns, hchens and
MOSES were also seen in great abundance, and
parasitic vegetation seems to possess luxuriance
almost tropical High up on one OF the hills
bronze plate was found, fastened in the rocky wall
OF a mountain path, and bearing the following In
ocr