Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-27

Juan Fcrnandex Not Crusoe's Island.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
The Star Of the ed instant contains q
very readable article from the San Fran
cisco Bulletin entitled Island of Crusoe:
The Scene Of Daniel Defoe's Immortal
Romance" ETC., In which the writer raises
and discusses the question whether It was
on the island Of Juan Fernando or an is
land Of Mocho that Alexander Selkirk
spent his four years OF solitude. But the
chief interest Of the article lies in the
gross error of the writer in making one
or the other of these islands the scene Of
Robinson Crusoe's adventures He mem
items an italian explorer. Pastene, as hav-
ing visited these islands ia 1874 and again
In 1850, and states that he found on tho
former "a much higher order Of tntelli-
gence than that spoken OF In Crusoe's
to the beach of Juan Fernando are sup
posed to have been related by Defoe In
Robinson Crusoe' simply to lend interest
to his story" and again. the writer states
and there found semi-fertile . and
anything but O tropical paradise such as
Defoe portrayed In his remarkable record
of human imagination"
If the writer before committing himself
to statement SO wide Of the facts had
refreshed his memory by re-readfng Of
"Crusoe." as presumably he pored over 1t IN
his schoolboy days. he would have g.
of the latter's adventures on Juan Fer
nardcz. a dozen degrees south Of the
tropics and Off the coast Of Chile, but
would have left 1t where Defoe fixed II
upon one of the numerous islands that dot
the Caribbean sea, off the mouth Of the
Orinoco river and the coast Of Venezuela,
and only a dozen degrees north Of the
equator. and hence under a tropical sun.
that 'the truth Of the matter Is that De-
foe had but little to learn from Alexander
Seikirk or of the island Of Juan Fernan-
DEE that might have aided him In the
foundation Of the character of Crusoe"
That is possibly true, for It would seem
that the simple fact Of Selkirk's four
years of isolation from mankind on that
lonely island of the Pacific, Juan Fernan-
dez, did but little more than suggest to
the fertile imagination Of Defoe the far
more elaborate yet fictitious story of q
man Of larger views and observation than
Selkirk. such as We have presented in the
character and adventures Of Robinson
Crusoe," who is made to spend not four
years only. but score OF them. on an is-
land not "semi-fertile," but crowned with
tropical luxuriance such SIS might be sup
posed to characterize the islands Of the
Caribbean sea. And to impart additional
zest to the story, its hero. after some
years of solitude, is favored with q man
Friday" for companionship. and later on
is placed at the head Of colony Of res
cued natives Of neighboring islands and
Of his own shipwrecked countrymen.
Defoe, who gave to the public 1.-The Life
and Surprising Adventures Of Robinson
Crusoe'' in the year 1719, just ten years
from the time Selkirk landed In London
from the long voyage whose chief incl
dent has rendered his name ami island
famous, must have greedily drunk In the
story of his adventures as he received 1t
probably from his own lips, as he Oefoe)
was a native and resident in London, and
If not from him, at least from the pub
lished account of them as taken tn an
interview soon after his arrival by that
famous writer of the times, Sir Richard
Steele. This account of Steele's. giving as
1t does detailed statement of every mat
ter of interest relating to the life of Sell
kirk, his connection with the island that
is associated with his name and of the
Island ITSELF may be found In ono OF the
volumes of Chambers Miscellany"
JOHN H. BENTON.