The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-02-12
A Visit to Crusoe's Island.

4 IA K1SIC TO OTuSOG 5 1SIdllQ.
Sailing along the coast of Chill, We
fell in with another whaler, com.
manded by a friend of our Captain
We determined 10 sail for some little
time in company, and to put in at the
Island of Juan Fernandez, to supply
our larder with a good stock of fish
for which its shores are celebrated
We steered westward, the weather
was fine, and after pleasant voyage
of several days, we heard one night.
the wished-for cry, "Land ahead. =
Before us on the horizon, hung dark
mass, looking like q cloud bank in the
uncertain light, but every hour stand
ing out higher and clearer. There
the Scotchman, Alexander Selkirk, had
lived, the hero of the popular story.
He was q sailor on board the ship
Cinque Ports, and in consequence OF
a quarrel, was landed by his Captain,
StradIing, on this island, in Septem-
Der, 1704, where, he lived in solitude
till February, 1903, in which year,
Captain Wood Rogers discovered him
and took him back to England. The
recital of Alexander Selkirk's adyen-
lures formed the groundw work of De-
foes celebrated romance of Robinson
Crusoe.
Juan Fernandez, also called by the
Ghilians Masaiierra; lies in the Pacific
ocean, some three hundred miles from
the mainland 1t is about four miles
broad and twelve long. The island is
named after its discoVerer, Spaniard
who first landed here in 1868. He
found il nninhabited, but attracted by
it's beauty, he settled on it. He it was
who introduced the goats which are
now so numerous on the island.
William Dampier, an EnglishmaD,
and the boldest navigator OF the sew
enteenth century, who lived a long
time among the buccaneers, relates
that a man of his ship, a Mosquito
Indian, was left in 1868, on Juan Fer
nandez, and remained there till 1854,
in which year Dnmpier himself fetch
ed him away. This Indian was thus
the first Robinson Crusoe that lived
on the island, and who, like Selkirk,
sustained his life by the wild goats.
AS these had increased very much,
and furnished meat to the buccaneers
every time they landed, the Spaniards
thought they would best injure their
bold and formidable enemies by de-
stroying all these goats. For this
purpose they sent over some immense
bloOdbounds, which they set loose on
the island. But the plan failed, for
when another celebrated navigator,
Lord George Anson, the British Adj
miral, landed in the year 174l. he
found several dogs, but also a great
many goats. During his voyage around
Cape Horn, his feet had been scat
tered in violent storm, and Anson
found himself afterWard with only
three ships in very bad condition.
the crew was suffering from scnrvy
and other diseases, and the admiral
was compelled to remain with them
some time on the beautiful island,
where they quickly recovered. Nat
urally, in their letters to England, the
sailors described the island in glow
ing coIors. The Spaniards whe heard
of this, and fearing the English would
take possession of Juan Fernandez,
FASTENED to form a settlement shere
in 175l. 1t was soon after visited by
an earthquake, which led them to
abandon it. The island remained un-
Inhabited till 1919. when Chill esiab-
lished penal colony there, which ex-
listed till 1885, when the island was
again deserted.
Two years after a Chilian from Val
paraiso settled there several men and
women soon followed him, and these
and their posterity were living on the
island at the time of our visit in 1866.
The little colony numbered about fif-
teen persons, several of the younger
men being absent on the whale fishery
Juan Fernandez consists of single
mountain ridge, which in the center,
rises to a lofty peak three thousand
feet high; to the west other noun
tains surround it, all of which from
the base to the summit are covered
with vegetation; between them are
dark raviDes, which form little shady
valleys open out to the sea.
TO the east of the central peak
sthe anvil" as it is called from its
peculiar shap-extends a wide plain,
which slopes down toward the cliffs
against which the sea beats. 1t is COW
cred with grass and shrubs. On it,
with the help of our telescope, we dis
covered the wild goats, which moved
about on it as thick as ants. This
plain is their favorite resort. They
climbed up and down the green hills
or darted across the slopes in herds
while some solitary ones stood at the
extreme edge of the precipiee and
| loaked over. We now sailed past the
huge cliffs, aud gazed up to them with
astonishment. Below them the waves
of the ocean foamed and roared, then
broke with a sound like thunder.
Sailing round the rocky coast, we
came in sight of Cumberland Bay
The change from the grand and sol
emn 10 the pleasing and cheerful was
surprising. Before us lay a little
rounded cove with fiat shore, while
a lovely valley, branching out into
side valleys, opened up inland. This
is the largest in the island, and
here, not far from the sea, is the little
settlement.
While our ship cruised about near
the shore, and several of our boats
were sent out fishing, we sailed into
the bay. The flat shore allowed our
boat to be drawn up on the dry land,
at which work we were assisted by
some of the Islanders who had has
tened up. Their appearance showed
that they seldom came in contact Will
the blessings of civilization. Women
aud children had very unwashed ap.
i pearance. Great ives their admiration
of the beautiful lady, our captains
wife, who had accompanied us, and
\ w h0. with her rnev faCa ou1 shit