The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-07
THE OTHER ARTISTS.
ROBINSON CRdSOE'S ISLAND.
IT Was Tobago, Near Trinidad. and ~
Juan Fernandez.

| Juan EernandeZ.
! late despatch in the newspapers
! throughout tie country refers 10 re-
! ported sinking Of Juan Fernandez and to
| this island IS the tabled home of Robin
! son crusoe. A later dispatch says that
! the Government of Chilli has decided here
| after To call Juan Fernandez Crusoe's
| Island.
II takes but q moment 20 show that
! Juan Fernandez IS not Crusoe's Island.
/ Inc story DeiOe first published in l1l9
| tells just where CrusOes island lies. The
I hero was on his way from Brazil TO
Guiana when the hurricane wrecked him
and cast him Oh lonely coast. IL was
near the mouth Of the Orlnoco.
THE master made an observation as
well as lac could said Crusoe. and
found that he was in about II degrees
north latitude, but that he was 20 degrees
OF longitude further west from Cape ST.
Augustine; 50 that he found he was upon
the coast Of Guiana. on tho north part OF
| Brazil, beyond the river Amazon. toward
that Of the river OrnOco, commonly call
ed the Great River. and began 20 consult
with me what course he should take
for the ship was leaky and very much
disabled. and he was going directly back
10 the coast OF Brazil L was positively
against that. and looking over the charts
Of tho seacoast OF America with him we
oncluded there was no inhabited country
for US 10 have recourse to It'll We came
within the circle Of tho Caribbee Islands.
and we therefore resolved TO stand away
for Barbados"
Again. says Defoe towards the end OF
the tale In reference TO the tide about
his island:
II afterward understood II was occa-
stoned by the great draught and relut
Of the mighty river Orinoco. in the mouth
OF which river. "a 1 found afterwards.
our Island lay, and that this island. which
/ perceived 20 be west and northwest was
the great island Trinidad on the north
point OF tho mouth OF the river l asked
Friday a thousand questions about tho
country. the inhabitants the sea. the
coast. and what nations were near. lie
told me all he knew with the greatest
openness imaginable 7 asked him the
names Of the several nations 0f his sort
OF people. but could get no other name
than Caribs. I easily understood hat
these We're the Cari1bees. which our
maps place on the part OF America which
reaches from the mouth OF tho Orinoco
to Guiana, and onward 10 81. MARTHA
This disposes OF the fiction that Juan
Fernandez on the other side OF ioT-h
America, IS Robinson CrusOes Islan ].
b.
more southerly OF the Windward Soup
Of British West Indian Islands. 10 IS
twenty miles northeast from Triril1l.
and IS twenty-sx miles long and sex en
and one-half at IFS greatest breadth. To-
day # has n capital. scarborough. with
nearly 1000 inhabitants.
Tobago IS not vomiting IN legend Of a
castaway, an original OF Robinson C,usoe
for I'm the History of Tobago, by Chief
Justice Woodcock. we find an account OF
a solitary Frenchman who said he had
lived there alone twenty-one years.
Two men have at different times lived
fer years quite alone on the islanc Of
Juan Fernandez off the coast of Chill.
One was an Indian who was left there
in 1851, and rescued I'm 1854, whose adven-
lures the buccaneer Capt. Dampier, de-
scribes in his New Voyage Round the
World" The other was the celebrated
Alexander Selkirk. who was found by
Capt Woodes Rogers. and by him taken
from the island I'm 1909 after a solitary
life OF four years and four months Afte~
Selkirk's arrival IN London he was much
written about and talked OF. His eX.
periences Inspired COwper when he wrote
his beautiful verses beginning. Il am
monarch Of all / survey" DefOe's Robin
son Crusoe enjoyed adventures that bear
a striking resemblance to both the In
dams and Scotchman's experiences as
detailed by their rescuers. With Selkirk
Crusoe has been especially identified. and
a late writer OF the life OF Defoe even re-
lates the legend OF a visit Of the true
born Englshman TO Selklrk at Bath
New York Sun.