The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-06
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
THE EXACT LOCATION OF THIS He
RIOS ISLAND HOME.
On the Original Title Page, as Prepared
by DE Foe, It Was stated That Crusoe
Was Wrecked ON sn Island In the Delta


If the question were asked, "Where
the island of Robinson CrusoeY" the I'M
, jority of people would answer, "Juan Fe
Z nandcZ.n Some would go so far as to 81
: that Robinson Crusoe and Alexander Sc
l kirk were one and the same person.
= If the original title of DE Foes robin
son Crusoe'' had been kept in the late
editions the island of Juan Fernando
, would never have been associated with th
, name of Robinson Crusoe. On the origlna
title page of this great English romance it i
distinctly stated that Crusoe was wrecked
and aftcrward lived for many years on al
island situated in the delta of the Orinoco
Juan Fernandez is small island in tn,
Pacific i'm "a degrees south latitude, ant
situated 400 miles west of Valparaiso, on
the Chilean coast. The climate is not trop
ical and the soil, which is light, supports
a scrubby underground.
"In 1900" says Sir Wyville Thompson
In his account of this island, "Dampier
called at Juan Fernandez, and while there
Captain Straddling of the Cirque Port gal
ley quarreled with his men, AZ of whom
deserted, but were afterward taken ON
board by Dampier. Five seamen, however
remained on shore. In October, 1904, the
| Cirque Port returned and found two of
these men, the others apparently having
been captured by the French. On this oc.
| casion Captain Straddling had disagree
ment with his master, Alexander Selkirk,
who insisted on being put ashore rather
than serve longer with Straddling Sell
kinks desire was complied with, and he
was sent on shore with a few ordinary
necessaries. Before the ship left he begged
to be readmitted, but this was refused
with the curious result that with little
merit of his own, he became a hero of all
time as Robinson CrusOe the cynosure of
all boys eyes.
''It Is extremely improbable that Alex.
ander Selkirk ever placed his journal in
the hands Of DE Foe, but his story ex-
cited some public interest, and in cater.
ing for the public amusement that prince
OF raconteurs was most likely to have
adopted Selkirk's tale for combination
with other material in one of his wonder
full realistic novels. Many of the incidents
in the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe'
are evidently inconsistent with the nara
tive of Selkirk and are undoubtedly taken
from other sources. For example, the foot.
print on the sand and the decidedly trop.
ical description of Robinson Crusoe's is.
land would agree better with one of the
outlying islands of the West Indies. Alex
ander Selkirk was relieved from what an.
pears to have been by no means unbear.
able exile in 1909 by the ship Duke, Cap.
tain Wood Rogers, Z" having been on the is.
land in complete solitude for years and 4
months. He died lieutenant of the Wey.
mouth in 1928, at the age of AZ.
When we look into De Foes account, we
find that after Crusoe had spent some
time in the Brazils, he and his friends fit.
ted out "a vessel for Africa for cargo of
slaves. On the LIST of September 1859 1--WE
set sail. J." / quote from De Foes book.
Standing away to the northward upon
our own coast. After passing the equator
they met with a hurricane and were for
many days unable to get an observation.
When at last one was obtained, they found
the ship to be Gin about II degrees north
latitude so that he 1.-THE captain)
found he was on the coast of Guiana. or !
the north part of Brazil, beyond the river
Amazon, toward that part of the river |
Oroonoque commonly called the Great riy. |
er. p" The shipwas found TO be so much |
damaged by the storm that 1--WE concluded |
there was no inhabited country for us To |
have recourse to till we came within the
circle of the Caribbee islands, and there.
fore resolved to stand away for Barbados.
and by keeping off ut sea, avoid the indraft /
OF the bay or gulf of Mexico.
with this design we changed our course
and steercd northwest by west, in order ia
reach some of the English islands. where I
hoped for relief, but our voyage was 9th.
erwise determined, for, being i'm the lati.
tude of 12 degrees and 1S minutes. sec.
ond storm came upon us, which carried us
away with the same impetuosity west.
ward and drove us so out of the way of all
human commerce that, had our lives been
spared to the sea, we were rather i'm dan
ger OF being devoured by savages than ever
returning to our own country"
After the arrival of the man Friday and
Crusoe's conversation with him he saws.
IN speaking of the currents, which are
very strong and numerous about Tobapo:
This 1 understood to bo no more than
he set of the tide, rs going out or coming
n, but l afterward understood il was oc-
'asioned by the great draft and reflux of
ne mighty river Oroonoko, In the mouth
u gulph of which river, as found after
ward, our island lay, and that this land
which perceived to the w. and S. w. was
ne great island of Trinidad, on the north
'oint OF the mouth Of the river. **I
lsked him friday the names of the sew
raj OF his sort of people, but could not get
10 other name than Caribs, from whence
easily understood that these were the
Jarlbbees, which our maps place on the
'art of America which reaches from the
mouth OF the river Oroonoko to Guiana
ND onward to st. Martha (probably St
Martin 81"
Trinidad Is at all times plainly visible
rom Tobago, being only 10 miles distant.
ne only other island from which Trinidad
nay be seen is Grenada, which lies rs
niles due north, but Trinidad can only be
made out on very clear days Moreover.
irenada was inhabited i'm Crusoe's time
~ Caribs.
L have given this rather lengthy argu-
nent in what might at first sight seem {,
'e trivial subject, but Robinson Cru.
oe, although fictitious character. is so
vel known and so often the subject of CIV.
ryday allusion l hope will be excused
q taking up so much time in proving
where he was really supposed to reside and
correcting an error which is SO widely
Unused. Public Ledger.
Postofice Red Tape.
"Langhorne and Bristol, =" saws the Phil.
delphia Record Uare only 0,-o IL.