Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-08-06
WRAPPEDINROM
ROBINSON cRUsoE's ISLAND,
FAMED IN FICTION.
Little Dot in the Pacific That In Better
Known Than Many Of the Larger
and Much More Important Islands
Scene of a Boys' Classic.

Win all or It's solitude, writes DOUG
las White In the Overland Monthly. In
regard to Robinson Crusoe's island,
there is not speck of land upon the
surface of the Pacific or any other
ocean which is better known or more
widely discussed than this same island
of Juan Fernandez. Strangely enough,
it Is not the islands history which has
made its name so well known through
out the Engllsh-speaking world, for to
most people there is little of its history
known; but the fame of Juan Fernan-
dez has all arisen from work OF fic-
ton which has been since its first pub
lication more widely read than any
similar work in the English language.
From the passing of Fernandez and
his Spanish colonists the island was
seldom visited save by some ship which
was pressed for water and fresh food,
in which case it furnished both in am
pie quantities, the goats supplying
fresh meat, the fruit trees set by Fer
nandez giving of their products. while
several kinds of wild vegetables grew
| Ill dDuuuduCc UA ulAClCAt pal 70 VA eAAS
island. History. however. records but
| few of these visits up to the beginning
of the eighteenth century. From a
rough survey of the island, it was set
down as being about twelve miles long
by four miles in its widest portion,
curving in northwest and southwest
direction, with its highest peak at the
bend of the curve. This peak
was named by Fernandez "El Yunque"
| (The AnviD, from its close resemblance
to that mechanical implement.
For considerably over 100 years Ell
Yunque's solitude was broken only by
the coming and going of these few Wis
itors, until in 100 the ship entered
Cumberland Bay which was to give to
Juan Fernandez its possibility Of be-
coming one Of the best known islands
upon the worlds charts. This was the
Cinque Ports galley, under the COM
mand of one Capt. Straddling. Now,
this British skipper does not seem to
have been extremely popular with his
men, for upon this first visit to Fer.
nandez more than 40 of his "Jackies'
deserted to the island, preferring the
life on its solitary shores to existence
aboard the galley. Before the shiI
sailed, however, all but five of these
deserters changed their opinions and re
turned to the galley's decks. Foul
years slipped by and again Straddling's
ship dropped her anchor in Cumber
| 1or Pc Tow fhn f1yn 1aff iv
HOO but two remained, the others hav
ing been carried away by French
ship which called In the meantime.
. But this second visit of the CinQut
Ports was to be productive of the grea
event in Fernandez's history, for while
ley had an argument with his sailing
master, one Alexander Selkirk, wht
demanded that he be given an allow
ance of stores and landed on the isl
and. His request was complied with
and the galley sailed without him. Fo
four years and four months did Selkirl
maintain his lonely vigil at the top O
|. the islands mountain range, scannin,
the sea for the sail which might com
to end his dreary life. In 1904 he wa
taken off by the Duke, an English priv
ateer, on board of which he returned t
+ England, bringing with him an exten
siye note book covering his experience
, during these years of solicitude. Thi
f note book was presented by him to tn
novelist Defoe, and on it the write
founded what at once became one o
the most popular f1ctional works o
q that and each succeeding generation
p OF course, Defoe used an authors lat
tude in its construction, but there e2
n lists to-day upon Juan Fernandez ever
one Of the principal landmarks descrit
ed in the chapters of Robinson Crusot