The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-01-07

4
They were Immediately rebuilt, and
were in good order and inhabited when
Carteret visited the island in 1867.
Earthquakes are frequent in this archi-
pelago, and several within the memory
of people now living have done consid-
cradle damage. Nothing remains of
the ancient fort but its foundation and
a portion of the ramparts, imbedded in
reddish clay and overgrown with weeds.
The convict colony was established as
soon as Chilli gained her independence
and sometimes more than a thousand
criminals were here. Of course, after
the manner of Chilians, they were sub
jected to the most barbarous treatment
in the gloomy dungeons which are dug
into the brow of the bluff facing the
harbor, and extend several hundred
feet underground in the form of vaults
and passages, somewhat resembling the
catacombs at Rome. The gates by
which the entrances were secured dis
appeared long ago, and the passages
that have not fallen in are pre-empted
by wild dogs, bats, snakes, toads and
| centipedes. We dared not venture in
side, but one who did described them in
these words: frank ferns hung upon the
sides, the walls overhead dripped with
death-like sweat, Shiny drops coursed
down the sides and the air was damp
and cold. Thick darkness reigned with
in the depths, penetrated by no wander
ing CLEAN from the light of day, for
heaven never smiled upon these dreary
abodes of sin and sorrow. A few of
| the inner dungeons for the worst Grim
inals were dug still deeper under
ground, reached by rough stairways of
earth, shut out from the upper vaults
by strong doors. These lower dungeons
were not more than five feet long by
four feet high, and from their size one
may form some idea of the sufferings
endured by the poor wretches, loaded
with irons, crushed down by impene-
trable walls of earth, in utter darkness,
starved and beaten by their cruel
guards, with no living soul to pity and
no hope ofirelease but in death. By the
aid of a torch we saw deep holes
scratched on one of the walls, bearing
the impress of human fingers. Perhaps
some unhappy murderer, goaded to
madness by such tortures of mind and
body as drive men to tear their own
flesh when buried before the vital spark
is extinct, had grasped out the earth in
his desperation and left marks of his
death agonies upon the clay that en-
tombed him." About thirty years after
the founding of this terrible penal col
ony, some three hundred prisoners
broke loose from their chains, murder
ed the guards and escaped. They seiz-
ed the igarrison and for several days
held possession of the island Just
then a Nantucket whale ship hap
pened to put into Cumberland bay
for food and water. The convicts
seized the captain and compelled him
Der as his vessel could possibly carry.
Two hundred of them crowded in and
they threatened the ships officers with
instant death in case of failure to land
them on the coast of Peru, whittier
they determined to 60 to escape the
vengeance of the CHILEAN government.
The captain of the whaler ran over to
the nearest land on the coast of Chill,
and leading the convictS to believe that
it was Peru, put them ashore only
about 80 miles north from Valparaiso
They soon found out their dangerous
situation; but it is said that every one
Of them succeeded in Guiding the Chill
ian authorities, and eventually Joined
the Peruvian army, which was at that
time marching upon Santiago. Most
of the prisoners left on the island
escaped by different vessels, and were
scattered over the globe. But very few
of those engaged in the massacre of the
island garrison were recaptured; and
they were shot in the central square of
Chili's Capital All this occurred less
than half century ago. On that side
of Crosoe's Lookout which faces the
bay, marble tablet has been set, bear
ing the following inscription: "In
memory of Alexander Selkirk, mariner,
a native Of Largo, county of Fife, Scot
land, who lived upon this island in CON-
plete solitude for four years and four
months. He was landed from the
Cirque Ports galley, ninety-six tons,
sixteen guns, A. D. 1904; and was
taken off in the Duke, privateer, on
Feb. II, 1909. He died Lieutenant of H.
B. NJ. S. Weymouth, aged Al years. This
tablet is erected on Selkirk's Lookout
by Commodore Powell and the officers
of the H. B. NJ. S. Topaz, A. d. 1855"
Standing where Crusoe stood when he
was monarch of all he surveyed-and
his right there was none to dispute
one looks off upon lovely valleys and
wooded ravines, fair and solitary as the
Happy Valley of Rasselas, till recently
seldom trodden by human feet, en-
| vi ON oil ci1oc l,v lonrr o,uoI1o - G