Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-25
WHERE CRUSOE LIVED
A Walk Over the Little Island of
Juan Fernandez
MANY POINTS OF INTEREST.
Some Stories About the Early Convict COL
ony-The Productiveness OF the Ground and
the Hospitality OF the Present Inhabitants-
Legend Of the Big Black Crosa

from 1ne Ssars Travelling Commissioners.
SANTIAGO DE CHILE, June, 1891.
VNHE FIRST THING A TOURIST DOES ON
Il going ashore at Juan Fernandez is to
start for the famous lookout, from the top of
which-so says the historian-poor Crusoe used
to watch for sail, ''and yet no sail from day
to day." But he is likely to be long on the way,
though it is less than mile from the landing
place, because there are several points Of inter-
est to be viewed en- route. First there are the
peoples hundred hands to be shaken and .
thousand eager questions answered; for
the arrival Of ship 10 by no
means matter Of every day, and
when one does appear in the harbor every lone
some islander old or young. troops down to
meet her. Though voluntary exiles in this
beautiful place, where nature has been lavish
in supplying everything necessary to sustain
life without labor, the colonists pine for news
from the distant world, whose echoes come to
them, like angels visits. few and far between"
though no longer convict colony, as in days
long past, the island is virtually prison, whose
bolts and bars are ocean billows2 and many .
modern Crusoe voices his predecessors senti-
ments:
'.oh. solitude! Where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy facet
Than reign in this horrible place"
nandez, mostly German and Gillian ranchmen
and their families, for some years ago the island
was leased to a rich cattle company, who have
now as many as &c. 900 head of horned cattle
and twice as many sheep grazing on the narrow
valleys and on the green hillsides. The cot
tages of the colonists are mostly within sight Of
the landing set in the midst of orchards on
the side Of a hill sloping down to the sea, and
the oppressive silence of Selkirk's time has
given place to the bleating and lowing
of ND hArl t1z H.
OF children and sounds human activity.
The houses are extremely picturesque,
being made Of the bright yellow straw of wild
oats, woven in and out through bamboo wat
ties and matched with the same. Their high
peaked roofs project all around far beyond the
walls. and the doorways are sh AIDED by straw
matched porches, reminding one of French
Canadian cottages along the lower St. Law
renee or chalets in the valley of the Seine.
Each little home is inclosed within q wall of
stones and brushwood, its rustic gateway over
run with luxuriant vines; and within the in
closure are granaries store houses and other
outbulldlngs, all set up on poles to keep them
out OF the water during the heavy rains of June,
July and August There is no winter in this
latitude, but the wet season, though short, il
more trying than northern ice and snow.
ENTHUSIASTICALLY WELCOMED.
Whoever goes to Juan Fernandez finds him
self enthusiastically welcomed by every soul on
the island, and receives as many pressing in
vitations to lunch, to dine and to stop over
until some other boat comes along as there are
homes on the island; and if he has been SO
thoughtful as to bring a few old books or news
papers he has earned the lasting gratitude Of
the people. Besides caring for their fiocks the
settlers raise fruits and vegetables to sell to
passing vessels. The soil is wonderfully pro-
ductive, especially in the northern. valleys
where decayed vegetable matter and rich de-
posts Of burned earth have washed down from
the mountains. Grass and oats spring up
spontaneously in the open spaces and vege-
tables of all kinds grow abu ndantly wherever
the seeds are scattered. Wild grape vines and
fig trees bearing excellent fruit flourish on the
slopes, and there are many natural orchards
grown from seeds planted a century ago by
Selkirk and other mariners. Besides peaches,
apricots, pears, ounces and other fruits COM
mon to temperate climates. the chuta is every
where-a species Of palm which produces q de-
licious berry-and among an endless variety Of
indigenous trees are pimento (pepper), sandal,
cork wood and myrtle.
1t appears that Lord Arson, an Englishman
has done more for the settlement and cultiva-
ton OF this island than the government thas
owns it. He stopped here first by chance, in
the year 174l. for the purpose of recruiting his
passage around Cape Horn. The loss and
danger he had experienced led him to establisha
sort OF a rect uiting station on Juan Fernandez
for his own and other disabled ships. He de-
voted months for the production here of such
fruits and vegetables as sailors crave
and caused Quantities of seeds to be scat
tered all over the island, 80 that future
voyagers might find variety Of refresh
ment. He also left ashore q good many do
mestic animals that they might become numer-
GUS, for the benefit Of vessels in distress for
provisions, castaways and shipwrecked mar
liners. He who plants an olive plants for his
children's children" Lord Arson could not
expect to derive much personal advantage
from these benevolent acts, but how many
lives have been saved by his philanthropy
there is no human record to show. After his
death the papers fell into the hands Of Mr..
Richard Walter, chaplain of Centurian, who
compiled from them the most reliable de-
scription and accurate Typographical survey of
Juan Fernandez that has ever been made.
PRoDUCTIvENEss OF THE ISLAND.
Though the tillable area ia small, because
there is so little level ground, it is asserted thar
several thousand people might subsist comfort
ably on the main island alone, without any sup
plies from other countries beyond exchanging
their surplus productions with passing vessels
for clothing and groceries. The not very en-
terprising inhabitants of today live chiefly on
fish and goats flesh, of which there is an ex-
haustless supply. Boat loads of finest cod, rock
fish, outlet, Holsters, lamprey eels &C., may be
caught fast as they can be hauled in
anywhere around the Shores and pleas
bIlts, plk0Ous anu OtQer DlrQ6 are as
abundant as the wild goats and rabbits
Attended by numerous volunteer guides from
among the hospitable settlers, we again set out
for the lookout, but turned aside midway be-
tween the cliff and the landing to explore some
remarkable looking caves in q hillside,
topped by ruined Notifications. These are ali
that remain of the settlement founded here by
Spain in 1850, and of the Gillian penal colony
established on the same spot in 1919 The
Spaniards built great fort and town, both of
which were destroyed the following year by
violent earthquake. They were Immediately
rebuilt and were in good order and inhabited
when Carteret visited the island in 1857.
Earthquakes are frequent in the archipelago,
and several within the memory of people now
living have done considerable damage. Moth
ing remains Of the ancient fort but its
foundation and portion Of the ramparts,
imbedded in reddish clay and overgrown
with weeds. The convict colony was established
as soon as Chill gained her independence, aud
sometimes more than . thousand criminals were
here. OF course, after the manner of the Chi
liaus. they were subjected to the most barbarous
treatment in these gloomy dungeons, which are
dug into the brow Of the bluff facing the har-
Dor, and extend several hundred feet under
ground in the form Of vaults and passages,
somewhat resembling the Catacombs at Rome
The gates by which the entrances were secured
disappeared long ago, and the Passages that
have not fallen in are pre-empted by wild dogs,
bats, toads and centipedes. We dared not ven-
ture inside, but one who did describes them in
these words: