Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-08-21
CRUSOE'S HOME.
Sailor Selkirk's Hut to be Torn
Down.
SETTLERS MAY NOW LIVE THERE.
The History of the Island Made Famous
by Daniel Defoe is Still In Doubt.--To
Be Sold.

There has been received during tho
past thirty days news from Chile which
will not be regarded as joyful intelli-
gence by the friends of Daniel Defoe
Poor old Robinson Crusoe's hut on
Juan Fernandez Island is to be torn
down and in its place will be erected
a prison station to be used as an aux
iliary to the Chilean penitentiary at
Santiago. Juan Fernandez is to be
thrown open to settlers and rumor is
extant that Mocho Island will also be
advertised as "a splendid place for
poor man to make fortune. Mioeho
Island is mentioned in connection with
the story of Juan Fernandez. because,
according to South American histor-
ians. the spot was probably the landing
place of Sailor Alexander Selkirk.
whose adventures Defoe elaborated
into chapters of marvellous narrative,
instead of the lonely rock several hun
dred miles in southwesterly direction
from the port of Valparaiso. Doubt
still exists in the minds of a number of
Chilean writers as to the identity of
the island ON which Selkirk spent four
years of lonely existence.
The Chilean department of Colonial
tion has never been inclined, in time
past, to invite settlers to the islands
lying off the coast of Chile and owned
and controlled by that republic. Rob-
inson Crusoe's domain has been zeal
ously guarded by representatives of the
Chilean Government, and all attempts
to settle upon it or to learn the secrets
of its queerly shaped canyons. ranges
and peaks have been discountenanced
by stolid officials of the progressive
little southern nation.
The opposition of the Chilean Gov
ernment to the occupation of Crusoes s
old home dates back to the overthrow
of the Spanish powers on the western
slope of the Andes and the securing of
Chilean independence. Shortly after
this important change in the political
complexion of New Spain, England
dispatched ambassadors to ascertain
the extent of the resources of the terri
tory claimed by the new republic.
The embassy was not received with
open arms by the South Americans.
The Chilean President suspected that
England wanted to acquire one of the
islands off the South American coast
for naval station, and when the en-
bassy desired to inspect Selkirk's sea-
bound retreat it met with polite but
very positive refusal of passport privi-
leges.
This anti-colonization feeling in
fluenced futu re Chilean Presidents,
and not until the rise of Balmaceda
to power did the government consider
the feasibility of colouizIng both Mocho
and Juan Fernandez islands. The pres
ent ruler of Chile favors the movement.
and before the year is over the author
tiles will have divided the islands into
small tracts and placed the property
ON the market.
Juan Bautista Pastene, the italian
explorer, is alleged to have visited
Crusoe's isle before he did the isle of
Mocho. The records do not bear out
this statement, although in the govern
ment library, at Santiago. there is a
volume of correspondence which refers
to Pastene as one of the early visitors
to Juan Fernandez. Pastene did visit
Mocho in 1874 and again in 1850. He
is alleged to have reported that he be-
lieved that Defoe's hero was really
marooned on Mocho instead of Juan Fer
nandez. However, ON Mocho Pastene
found superior race of savages who
were of much higher order of intelli
gence than those spoken of in Crusoes
diary. On the other hand there really
were signs of cannibalistic feasts of
days gone by in the high sands of the
more remote island.
Selkirk' s hut faces the southern ocean
and is diminutive wooden affair
which the keepers of Juan Fernandez
did not think worth disturbing. 1t is
to be removed shortly. for the new
branch prison will be built ON the spot
where it stands. Directly under the
little house is broad beach partly
protected from the winds by high
bluff which commands from its crest
a splendid view Of the island and the
surrounding Pacl1c.
Selkirk. it is said, used the top of
this bluff as a signal station, and for
four years he patiently watched for
passing ships. At the base of the
cliff long reef runs seaward, marked
here and there by sharp. pointed rocks
over which the surf dashes necessarily.
One word about Selkirk himself
English ecord-keepers and historians
aver that the man was seaman who
was marooned for mutiny, but South
Americans claim that the fellow de-
serted from an English trader inbound
to Valparaiso, and after stealing a boat
he sailed for what he thought was tht
main land. He landed on Juan Fer
nandez and there found semi-fertil'
island, visited frequently by heavy rail-
showers, the home of waterfowl ant