The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-21

ing scheme 1t may support quite a
large number of people. The hills are
covered now with wild oats, and there
is good grass In every open spot. The
fruit trees planted more than a hum
dred years ago by Selkirk and others
nave reproduced themselves, and there
are many wild fruits, while the grapes
which you find in the woods are as de-
ltcfous as those which Robinson Cru
soc dried for raisiins. There are peach
es, pears and ounces growing wild,
and also wild vegetables A peculiar
plant lis the panga, which has leaves
forming a cup as big as an umbrella
This fills with water when 1t rains
and stays full as long ais 1t is cloudy
When the sum comes out it begins to
Wilt and the water flows out
ROBINSON CRUSOE'S CAVE.
There are a number Of caves on Juan
Fernandez and several are pointed out
In which 1t Is said that Alexander Sell
kirk lived. One of these, which lies in
a ridge Of volcanic rock, Is as large as
the average parlor with a roof from
ten to fifteen feet above the floor. The
door to this cave Is about fifteen feet
high and ITS extent to the rear at
least thirty feet. It shows signs of
having been lived in. There are little
holes or pockets scooped out of the
walls, such as are mentioned In Robin
son Crusoe's description of his cave
home, and here and there on the walls
you see rusty nails which were once
used by those who have lived here in
the past. 1t is said that the cave was
the resort of the buccaneers who once
re nd c1i
part of the world. The nails may have
been driven into the walls by them,
and from the same source probably
GENES stone oven which has been
QUILT In the rear of the cave Other
caves are covered with ferns and the
vegetation is so luXuriant that lit is
easy to imagine that Selkirk like Rob
lnson Crusoe, might have set out he'd
ges about his caves, which would soon
have become walls Of trees and have
hidden them from view
A CHILEAN PENAL SETTI sFMENr
At one time Chile had a penal settle
nent ON Juan Fernandez. More than
a Thousand criminals were kept here
under the charge of a governor and
guards. You can still see the ruins of
the Notifications of that time. One
OF the sights of the island are the
| damp and fern-covered dungeons
which were dug out of the bluff facing
the harbor. These dungeons were
among the most horrible ever con-
structed by Spanish cruelty for the
torture Of men. They were entered by
vaufted passages which led from one
damp chamber to another. They were
without ventilation and were as dark
as Egypt at the time Of the plague.
| Some Of the cells were far underground
and were so small that their occupants
| could not stand upright within them.
| The prisoners at one time murdered
the guards and 800 Of them escaped and
landed on the shores of Chile Here
they were captured and were taken to
Valparaiso and shot. The other pris-
oners who had been left upon the ISL
and escaped, and by different ships
found their way to other countries
ALEXANDER SELKIRK'S MONU-
| MENT
There Is a monument to Selkirk on
the island of Juan Fernandez 1T is
| a. marble tablet set in the rocks at
Robinson Crusce's Lookout 1T was
! placed there by some English naval