The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-01-07
ON CRUSOf'S TRAIL.
his LONELY ISLAND AS 1T LOOKS TO.
DAY,

Especial Correspondence OF The Journal
VALPARAISO, Chill, November 23rd
ao3. You may consult dozen author
Ities and not find two that agree in the
measurement of Juan Fernandez, nor
hardly one which tells you the truth,
that here is not merely an island,
hut group of them, which are collec-
lively known as "Juan Fernandez"
because discovered by Spaniard OF
khat name. Some books state that ''the
sland,' as if,there.were but one, is fifty
miles long but thirty broad, and others
reduce it to less than half that size. In
Reality there are two islands of nearly
edual dimensions, and several smaller
bnes. The iargest-that lying nearest
he main land and the one commonly
h lsitpd- is no doubt the one which De
Foes hero inhabited, and is twelve
fles long by six or seven wide.
b Tough known to the world at large as
uau Fernandez" it is here about
tlltU MCSdtlolld W ulo ulllS ulSll IL
iYon the next island i'll size, which
Is ninety miles distant and named Mas
/ lero. Both have similar physical
features, being composed of lofty noun
ms with rock bound coasts and small,
sisate hdrbors. Their northern ends,
tug toward the Equator, are well
wooded. but the southern extremity of
kMsdterra is known as Goat Island,
rrom the great number of those ami
mas that are on it. Even the goats
have a history. The first attempt to
locate a colony here was made by the
j -,overer, in the year 1868. He en-
dDyored to obtain a patent for his
ind from the government at Lima;
bu, failing to receive encouragement
i lJgh places, he resolved to form his
own settlement, and took several fami-
res 10 MaSatierra, who remained there
some time and with them he resided
lht few goats which they transported
Tram Lima soon stocked the island,
rome having existed there before. A
great many years later, but more than
antury ago-the goats having multi
tlei and replenished the earth as only
g.ats can, and pirates innumerable
peIe resorting there to victual their
,.jps with the tleSh-the Viceroy of
1 III and the President of Peru laid
-ueIr two wise heads together to con-
.urt some scheme for keeping these OBJ
prtonable folk away from their dis
twt possession. They could hit upon
0tllng better than to remove the in
ueement, and to that end they sent
''her a lot of bloodhounds, expecting
em to exterminate the goats. But
-.r llan did not prove eminently sue
.-stul. for the dogs could not pursue
goats among the mountain fastness-
Z, where they leaped from crag to crag
Hs- astonishing agility; and now
/ are are vast numbers of wild dogs as
VrH as goats and the former are not
llrasant to encounter. The first thing
t9uut does on going ashore at Juan
7 -luaude2 Is to start for the famous
ukout, from til top OF Which-says
.e l'lsorlan-poOrC ruSoeuSed to watch
4 n sail, land yet no sail fromday to
s." But he is likely to be long on the
n g. though it is less than mile from
landing place, because there are sew
points of interest to be viewed on
route. First there are the people
Judred hands to be shaken and a
"1-Jhd eager questions answered;
/ The arrival of ship is by no means
+ matter of every day, and when one
IS appear in the harbor every lone
ne Islander, old and young, troops
FoYn to meet her. Though voluntary
+ les in this beautiful place, where
are has been lavish in providing
\ 'eTYthlng necessary to sustain life
N1tAout labor, TIE colonists pine for
pl-Ns from the distant world, whose
! hoes come to them like angels visits,
Jew and far between" Though no
longer a convict colony, as in days long
past, the island is virtually a prison,
whose bolts and bars are ocean pillows,
band many modern Crusoe voices his
predecessors sentiment:
oh, Solitude Where are the charms
hat Sages have seen in thy face?
letter dwell in the midst Of alarms
han reign in this horrible place"
There are about 100 residents today
b Juan Fernandez, mostly Germans
s'hd CHILEAN ranchmen and their fami-
eS, for some years ago the island..was
TeaSed to rich cattle company, who
pave now as many as 10000 head of
llorned cattle and twice as many sheep
grazing in the narrow valleys and on
The green hillsides. The cottages of the
coionlsts are mostly within sight of the
landing, set in the midst or orchards,
"n a hillside sloping down to the sea,
i'nd the oppressive silence of Selklrk's
Plme has given place to the bleating
fnd lowing of tlocks and herds. the
merry shouts of children and sounds of
human activity. The houses are ex-
remedy picturesque, being made out of
he bright yellow straw of the wild oat,
woven i'll and out through bamboo
NattieS and matched with the same.