New-York tribune., 1906-08-04

N
from remote obscure and forgotten chroni-
cles. from family traditions or fron, nsasant
1ales mas the author OF this beguiling volume
drawn the materials Of these sketches Of real
life His heroes made history after their own
fashion. but not in such fashion as to blazon
their names TO mankind. Only the magic of
this EngIishmans pen preserves them from oh
llvion. magic which takes the reader unresist-
ing into worlds OF romance. far off and strange
Far on and strange. indeed is the tale of the
earliest exile Of st. Helena 1t sends us back
to the island OF the sixteenth century. when.
untenanted save by birds and beasts. it gave
only 70 Nature the tribute Of its wild beauty.
Thither in 1916 came Fernao I4oDez a poor
wretch says our author, who is in some sort, to
De regarded as the forerunner Of the worlds
greatest exiles He had experienced in person all
that Alexander Selkirk endured a full century
ana naif before that famous mariner was ma
rooned on the Island Of Juan Fernandez; the cock
which he saved from drowning and which became
his closest friend, may have suggested to Defoe
the parrot whose speech startled Robinson Crusoe
IN his solitude" and most moving to the imagi-
nation is the picture Of the lonely outcast tread
ing out the paths wherein. three hundred years
later. was TO walk. in misery as intense as mans
might be. the great captain whose hopes were
crushed on the field of Waterloo Lopez was a
Portuguese who had dared fate at Goa by turn
ing renegade and joining the Muhammadan de-
tenders of the fortress Of Benastarim That
stout, Portuguese Viceroy. Dalboqueroue had
laid hands upon him with other defenders Of
his stripe and dealt with him in such wise that
death would have been easier to bear The
reneSaces threw themselves in vain a. the Vice
roy's feet. He ordered that their right hands
I and the thumbs of their left hands and their
ears and noses should be cut off in memory and
as terrible example of the punishment meted
out 10 them for the treason and wickedness
which they had committed against God and their
King"
For three years after this mutilation Lopez
remained in India loathed and Stunned by
whites and natives alike Then Dalboaueroue
died, and Lopez seized chance 10 stow himself
away upon a vessel homeward bound 1t is
possible, as the author says. that he meant 70
return to his family in Lisbon: however this
/ may be- his courage must have failed him for
| when the ship touched at st. Helena for water
| he escaped into the woods and could not be
! found His companions left some provisions
/ and a fire on the shore and a letter. that in
case OF any ship putting in there he was to
make signs TO show whether he were alive or
dead, and show himself IN order that they might
supply him with whatever he required" For
many year the manned and hideous outcast
was seen no more of men; and upon his staned
| soul descended such peace as Nature alone could
/ give 10 such wrecked being
5,F First So With & the the four fingers that remained to
ann arm sd ad G1fh n f2af sorry stump in which his right
SOY pank OF earth until with infinite toll he had
home Into this he moved the provisions which
oggediy With the dteuIti m us sdsd de9dntenqng M m always
members to his solitary labor, and tending his
precious fire with constant care. both by day and
| py night, lest through accident Il should become
suddenly without rs-was for the moment his ony
e care, ms only 2n1iety SO simple had life become
tive things from 9gt the turmoil of human e5-
to find stones which he heat one aesns+ 5 b 20 T0rK
| and be saw that they struck fire. and he kept
upon this task the one stone hed bi beWeea int9as bs
Dare 6eels Its fegw in the only fingers that re-
the stump of his right arm, and warmed with the
ures. the fire at last took hold.
| Like Robinson crusoe he made many expert
nents in acquiring comforts and life again be-
| came sweet 10 him in the midst Of his lahors
| The ships Of his countrymen touched at the
island, and gifts 81 food were left on the shore;
! but he hid himself until the pitying sailors had
departed. fearing that he might be returned to
| the unspeakabe inferno OF the East" From
one Of these ships. as she sailed away something
| fell iuttering into the water. 1t was a cock
, which. as it f1oated kelplessly toward the shore
/ Lopez rescued:
Resisting the temptation make meal of his
prisoner Lopez carried it 10 his cave. dried it at
his and fed it with
the stores that the ship had left him and since
sense Of favors Conferred upon its obiect te 5' man
| and the cock soon became the dearest OF friends.
! terms with him that it followed him wherever he
roasted with him in the hole And thus IoVe of a
love of and for a creature which owed him every
thing TO which he the outeast. played the part OF
| an omnipotent and benehcent Providence.
After years of loneliness Lopez became less
! shy of his kind. and his countrymen, in their
turn felt the appeal which his solitary life made
! TO their inagnations. How at last he per-
suaded TO board ship for Portugal. how he was
taken there TO converse with the King and
/ Queen. and how he made a pilgrimage to Rome
/ to win pardon for his sins from the Pope him
! self-an this is most picturesquely told in these
pages To the Pope he showed his heart" and
told Of his single wish-to return 10 his island.
! Accordingly the Ponti1 gave him letters to the
King that he would send him back again to the
island. This likewise the King performed" and
on his beloved island alone. but for the tame ami
mails and poultry which had been bestowed upon
him, Lopez with conscience at rest lived hap
| PLY many years longer.
! In The Romance of a Scots Family Mr. Cliff
! ford tells an extraordinary story OF resolution,
| industry and shrewdness. The founder OF the
from the Orkney Isles. who. by a strange chance
/ and his own force OF character. found himself
transformed from common sailor to a com
Tnander OF g frigate in the service Of John Com
pany. Curious and stirring the adventures
which ended IN his coOnizing Of an island of the
Cocos-KeeIing group, an island wherein his
| grandson. a strong also. still regns su-
preme4 This Scots family the author says. has
I t.