The sun., 1909-02-28
REGG iRS or TOB 700.
Poverty Of Natives on One OF the So-caiied
Robinson s'rusOes Islands.


What island and what man did De!o
have in mind when he wrote Robinson
Crusoe, AK the question in Trinidad -
or anywhere else in the West Indies and
they will confidently tell YOU that the island
was robago and the man Pedro Serrano:
ask in Valparaiso and with no less assurance
Won will he told Juan Fernandez and Alex
andpr Selkirk II you show dissent in
either instance, you are promptly told to
90 and see for yourself. This will prove a
perfectly useless proceeding as far az shed
ding light on the moot question is concerned,
for on each island YOU will find tablet
erected to its hero, and Robinson Cr1isoe' .
caves, Robinson Crusoe's lookout and Robin
son Crusoes everything else to innnity.
Tobago is a small island of about seven
miles bv twenty-six. lying ten miles to the
northeast Of Trinidad This fact is con-
sidered a strong point in favor of the Crusoe
theory, a. local advocates claim that in
early editions of the great novel the hero
s spoken Of as seeing from his lookout an
island by that name TO the southwest.
Tobago was discovered by Columbus in
1898. and after being tossed about for some
centuries between Spain. France and Hol-
land was acknowledged TO be a British
colony in 1874. II Is now attach ed to the
Government OF Trinidad. with its local
affairs looked after by a Resident.
During the last century Tobago. like all
the other British islands OF the West Indies.
devoted its energies tn sugar raising. and
when that industry began to collapse be-
fore the competition of German beet sugar
in the home markets il was one OF the
hardest hit Sugar land was suffered to
return to original bush for a period. but
during the last decade the cultivation OF
cacao has brought much OF II back under
cultivation. Cscao. however. though a
most remunerative crop, employs scarcely
one person in its cultivation where gar
requires ten, so that the change has wrought
considerable hardship among the islands
Is, 900 or 10000 OF negro population. The
poverty of all the blacks Is extreme. a con-
diton which has made OF them the most
nveterate LOT OF beggars in all the West
u ndies. In this connection recall with
amusement my experience while sndeavor-
ing to walk around the island.
The distance is about thirty-hve miles
well niacadamized road all the way-and
was trying to make the circuit between
daylight and dark. This would not have
been very serious undertaking under
ordinary conditions. but in Tobago am fully
convinced II Is a physical impossibility to
accomplish the distance on foot within a
week man out for days tramp is
never a promising looking objective for a
boggar, and the frayed suit OF faded khaki
which | wore on this occasion was OF es-
pecially torbdding appearance, ln spite
OF appearances. however. I headed a
triumphal procession from the time |
ambled out of Scarborough at daylight
until Ave miles out OF town / gave up the
unequal fight at noon.
1t cost Inc between five and six shillings-
all in pennies-to fight my way through
the half dozen small villages which I en-
CoUutered up to that point, and when
finally reached a hamlet where. no pennies
were to be had ! felt myself in a serious
| predicam ent. ] could hardly AFFORD to
throw .sixpences. and shillings to the. insist;
/ ent blacks, and there was no getting rid
OF them with promises. Finally Ibethought
myself OF an old canvas GOAT was carrying
against the chance OF the ever imminent
! rain,
The prospect of a tropical shower seem ed
as nothing to the noisome black oataclysm
| which was already. overwhelming me- so
| ! throw the good old coat o the crowd and
Eit,shllke, boltcd over the hill, leaving my
I ular'i" to nay followers, NJ the next
/ village ] hired a horse. changed all tho
money had lett into pennies, and thus
| equipped managed TO nght nv way back
10 Scarborough by nightfsll.