The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-21
1t Has Rich Seal and Cod Fisheries,
and Is Filled with Wild Goats-How
the Island Looks at Present.
SPOTS THAT SUGGEST CRUSoE
GUANO ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC AND
HOW THEY ARE WORKED.
Peru Has Dug a Billion Dollars from
for Hundreds OF Millions.
tc.opyrIght. 1sgs. bv FRANK G. carpenterl

Copyright 1898, by Frank G. Carpenter)
VALPARAISO, Chile, July 20.-Robinson
Crusoe's island is to be colonized. The gov
eminent of Chile has just adopted resou-
tons to that effect and by the time this
letter shall have been published an inspec-
tor will have been appointed and in all
probability a number of new inhabitants
will have been carried to the Island of Juan
Fernandez. Within the past few weeks
the President of Chile has visited this island
on tour of inspection, and both himself
and his officials report that it can be made
of great value to the country 1t has been
decided to give each settler house and a
certain amount of land, and the idea is to
make large fishing colony there The
Goldfish which are caught off the shores of
Juan Fernandez are especially fine. They
swarm about its shores, and. in connection
with Holsters and other shell fish, might
form the basis of a great industry. There
are also many seals, walruses and other
marine animals in the waters near by, and
the mainland has in it's woods many wild
goats, wild sheep and wild mules. There
are parts of the island which are very fer
tile and it is thought that they can really
be made a valuable property.
THE REAL ROBINSON CRUSOE.
about four hundred miles west of VAL
paraiso. in the South Pacific ocean, 1t can
only be reached by special steamers, which
make excursions there once or twice year,
and it will not be possible for me to visit it
at this time. l have, however, met men,
bers of the Presidents party who have just
returned and have also had the assistance
of Mr.. Spencer, of Santiago, an American
photographer, who accompanied the ex-
petition. Before I describe the ISL
and as it is in this year of our Lord 1898,
let me tell you something of it's history and
how it came to be the inspiration of that
wonderful tale of Robinson Crusoe. The
story dates back to 1704, almost two hundred
years. AT that time an English ship of
ninety tons, known as the Cirque Ports,
was sailin through the South Pacific
ocean. Upon her was the first real Robin
SON Crusos He was Scotchman, named
Alexander Selkirk. He was the sailing mas
ter of tie ship, but for some reason or other
fell out with the captain, and one story is
that he headed mutiny and was given the
choice of being hanged at the yardarm or
of being placed on this desert island of Juan
Fernandez. He accepted the latter alterna-
tive, and, with a small supply of provisions,
he was landed in what is now called Cum
berland bay. This was in September, 1704
He lived there for four years and four
months, when the English privateer Duke
was attracted by his watch fire and came to
anchor at the island and carried him home
to England.
During his stay Selkirk had many of tie
adventures described in De Foes book, OIL
though De Foe, having a. better knowledge
of the islands north of Brazil in the Carib-
bean sea, has made much of his story cor
respond to these in it's descriptions of
scenery, products and climates. The skele-
ton or plan of De Foe was Undoubtedly
suggested by Selkirk's adventures, and you
can almost trace poor Robinson Crusoes
wanderings in the story of Selkirk and
Juan Fernandez. In the first place, the
terrors which assaulted Selkirk when he
found himself all alone on this wild spot
were the same as those of Crusoe He
wished for time that he had chosen to
be hanged rather than have come ashore
| don't know about the finding of the foot
prints in the sand, but shortly after Sell
kirk came an Indian was lost in the woods
having landed with a party which Selkirk
Gid not see. This Indian he adopted and
His story concerning him was the founda-
ton of Robinson Crusoe's man Friday. You
remember the nursery rhyme as to how
Robinson Crusoe was dressed:
Poor old Robinson Crusoe Poor old Rob-
inSon CruSoe.
He made him coat of an old nanny goat
wonder how he could do So"
Well, when Selkirk was found, according
to the narrative Of Captain Rodgers, who
took him TO England "he was clad in goat
skins and was running about as though
crazy" He had built fire upon what is
now known on the island as Robinson Cru
soe's Lookout, and had in this way attract
ed the ships attention. This lookout is an
immense hill. which rises almost straight
up from the shore and the top of which
can be seen fer miles around.
HOW DE FOE WROTE THE BOOK.
When Selkirk arrived in London his story
became the talk of the town. 1t was told
In all of the clubs and coffee houses, and
Sir Richard Steele made q paper describ-
ing Selkirks adventures in one of the
papers. He tells how Selkirk at first land
ing in England, seemed to have lost the
character of the average man by his soli-
tude, but how later on this strangeness
wore off. Selkirk published little PAM
phlet of twelve pages describing his wander
ings. The bulk of the story of Robinson
Crusoe. however, was from the brain of
Daniel De Foe and 1t was his genius that
world has ever known. 1t was written in
London and was first published 179 years
ago. A copy of the first unabridged and
original edition is to be seen in a glass case
In the British Museum Library Later edi-
tons have been considerably changed. and
1t is said there are few books which have
been SO mutilated by the printers. Robin
son Crusoe is now to be found in almost
every known language. 1t has been printed
in Spanish, German. italian, Russian, Greek
and Arabic and when ] was in China a
few years ago, was told that q Chinese
edition of the story was exciting the youth
full minds among the celestials.
Had Robinson Crusoe been really cast
upon Juan Fernandez he would probably
have suffered more than he does in the
story. The island is bIeaker and colder than
De Foes picture of 1t. 1t is only twelve
miles long by about seven miles wide hut
parts Of it are the picture OF desoIation. n
Is a great mass OF rocks. which rise IN
ward from the waters for more than a
thousand feet. 1t is made up OF hills ana
mountains. Of little ravines and valleys.
The northen half Of the island is covered
with dense vegetation, as Mr.. Spencer's