, 1891-09-01
A MODERN CRUSOE.
Discovery of a Spaniard in the
Swamps of Florida.
he is Easily Persuaded to Re-
turn to Civilization.
Remarkable Case of Frank
Hobsou, a Californian.

region of the everglades comes a story SO
remarkable that were not the reclters of 1t
men we'll kuow1, their statement might
justly be regarded with caution, not to say
incredulitY. Four gentlemen, one OF
them being a Spaniard, resident in Ha-
yana, recently undertook to explore the
unexplored region of the everglades.
Comprehending the difficult nature of
the task they set themselves, they gave
out that they were going to South Florida
on a hunting and fishing excursion OF at
least three months duration, and pre-
pared for their trip by providing them.
selves with everything that they could by
any possibility need. They sent their
outfit to Kissimmee, arriving there them
selves later. From there they proceeded
to Lake Okeechobee by steamer. and,
after a two dsvs' journey, were landed on
the south bank OF that lake, in the very
heart of the everglades. Here they made
a camp, built n shelter for their provis-
ions, and went to work-and work il was
of the hardest possible kind. They had
to literally hew a path with their axes
and hatchets through the solid mass of
foliage surrounding them, and they soon
learned that 1t was necessary to send one
OF the party aloft IN order TO point out to
his companions in what direction to cut.
it being absolutely impossible to see a few
feet ahead of them otherwise. One day
while reconnoiterlng the landscape from
the top of a tall cypress one of the party
discovered a hill several hundred feet
high which bore marks of cult
yauon. Although it looked near
from the TOP OF the tree it
took several DAYS of the hardest kind of
cutting to reach 1t, when, for the first
time in twelve weeks, the explorers had
an uninterrupted view of the sun and an
opportunity to dry their damp clothing.
The hill in question was nearly spherical
and about a mile in diameter. Scattered
over it were quantities of native fruits,
evidently cared for. Further investiga-
ton disclosed human loot tracks. BY
this time the party were getting excited,
and were hardly prepared for the next
sight that greeted them-a white man.
clad entirely in the skins OF wild animals.
If it had been an Indian they would not
have been so surprised, although they
had me no human being but themselves
since entering the everglades, but a white
man there was an incomprehensible fact.
They piled him with questions. but the
stranger evidently did not understand
them. He, however, beckoned them to
follow him, and led them up a path IN
powered in beautiful shrubbery to a COM
Portable log cabin. around which two
children were playing. Still they were at
a loss to communicate with each other
until Mr.. ErrazIous. the Spanish mem
Der of the party, addressed them IN that
language. Then the foodpatcs of speech
were opened and the man poured u a
strange romance.
His name. he said, was Hernandez.
He was one of the Cuban insurgents in
the rebellion OF 1868 against Spain, and
was on an %insurgent vessel in the straits
of Florida when it was pursued by a Span
ish man.ot-war. The captain OF the YES
sci, seeing that he could not escape, ran it
to shore near Rogers river, which emp
ties into the Ponce de Leon Bay. All
we're DR. Jwned but Hernandez, who was
thrown On an unInhabited shore, where
he wandered about for a day without see
ing signs of life. Finally penetrating the
swamp, he discovered a hut in which
there was a young Indian girl, who made
him understand that other Indians in the
neighborhood would prove dangerous
should he meet them. She undertook to
guide him to a safe road. but missed her
way, and for six days the two wandered
through the swamp, subsisting on berries,
till they CHANGED on the hill mentioned.
Fearing to become hopelesslY lost should
they leave it, they remained. They had
staid all those years, living as man and
wife.
Hernandez had lost all count of time,
and had become quite reconciled to his
wild and lonely life. He was easily per-
suaded, however, to abandon it. and the
explorers carried him away with them,
furnishing him and his family with civil
lied clothing and with money with which
to proceed to Cuba. where Hernandez
hoped to find his parents living.