Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-02-08

Is covered with dense yegetat ion but
the southern half is as bleak aud bare rs
the western slopes OF the Andes in the
rear OF the Peruvian desert. The most of
the shores are Inaccessible.
The best landing place is at Cumber-
land bay, at which point there is now
fishing settlement, which includes about
all the people OF the island. There are,
1t is said, only fifteen people now living
there. Back of he settlement on the
bay there are cottages, or straw buts,
which once formed the homes OF quite a
number Of settlers " no lived here. These
hnis are made of cane wattled with
straw. There are gardens about some OF
them, and at one time there WAS an agri-
cultural colony here.
One man attempted to start a stock
raising plantation, and he had, it is said,
as many as 20 900 head OF cattle and an
equal number OF sheep grazing in the
valleys on the north of the island. OF
late, however, this business has almost
entirely disappeared, the cattle are al
lowed to 60 wild and there are now Oh
the island wild sheep, wild goats and
wild mules.
There is no doubt but that Juan Fer
nandez is rich island, as far as the soil
OF the northern part OF it is toueeroeu,
and with this Lew coionizing scheme it
may support quite large number of peo-
pie. The hills are covered now with wild
oats and there is good grass i'll every open
spot. The fruit trees planted more than
hundred Years ago by SeIkirk and others
have reproduced themselves, and there
are many wild fruits, while the grapes
which you find in the woods are as de-
lieious as those which Robinson Crusoe
dried for ralsins. There are peaches,
pears, and ounces growing wild and also
wild vegetables. A peculiar plant is the
panga, which has leaves forming a cup as
big as an umbrella. This fills with water
when it rains aud stays full as long as it
is cloudy. When the sun comes out 1t
begins to wilt and the water flows out.
There are number of caves on Juan
Fernando, and several are pointed out
in which it Is said that Alexander Sell
kirk lived. One of these, whieh lies in q
IluSG Vi NOlGHHIc TOCk, Is rs large rs Tue
average parlor, with a roof from ten to
fifteen feet above the floor. The door to
this cave is about fifteen feet high and it
extends to the rear at least thirty feet.
1t shows signs of having been lived in.
There are lIttle holes or pockets scooped
out OF he wits, such as are mentioned
i'll Robinson Crusoe's description of his
cave home, and here and there on the
walls you see rusty nails which were once
used by tho.e who nave lived here in ne
past
II Is said tbat the cave Was the resort of
the bueeas zefs who once ravaged ihe
coasts and shIps of this pitft Ut he world.
The nails may have been driven into thr
walls by tpem, and from the 7Iu. source
probably e5tues a stone oven Hhfch hu7
b=eu buut Iii the rear of tt { cave. Other
caves are covered with ferHs and the
ve4ettt-un Is SO lubricant hat it is easy
to inn giue that Selkirk, like Robinson
Crus9r, might have set out hedles about
his caves, " Inch would soon have become
WA4-s Of Trees and have hidden them from
vieN.
\ PENAL SETTLEMENT.
Al one time Chile had penal settle
menl on Juan Fernandez. More thsn H
thousand criminals were kept here under
toe charge OF a governor and guards
You can sill STE the RUNS OF the forth
tieat ions of that time. One OF the sights
of the island are the damp and fern
covered dungeons which were dug Out of
the duff facing the harnur.
These dungeons were among the most
horrible ever constructed by Spanish
cruelty for tue tortue OF men. They were
entered by vaulted passages which led
from one damp chamber to another.
They were without ventilation and were
rs dark As Egypt at the time of the
plague. Some OF the cells were far un-
derground and we're so small that their
within them. The prisoners at one line
murdered the guards, and 800 OF them
escaped and landed on the shores of Chile
Here they were captured ana were taken
to Valparaiso and shot. The other
prisoners who had been LETT upon the
island escaped, and by different ships
found their way to other countries.
There Is Il monument 10 otlkirk ON the
island of Juan Fernand, IL is a mar BILE
tablet set in ,he rocks at Robinson
Crusoe's "taokoHt'. II was placed there
thirty years ago. The Inscription reads
as follows:
In Memory o.
ALEXANDER SEIkIRk,