Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-06
Likely That They Will Be Opened
Up to Travel as Result OF
Panama Canal. -
sTHE GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO
1t May BE Used as Coaling Station by
United States--Its Wild Cattle and
~ Mules and Enormous Turtles.
Robinson Crnsoe's Island.
BY FRANK &. CARPENTER.

ffne cod I'm its waters, and 1t is noted
.for its Holsters and other shellfsh. 1t
has also q large Chilean fishlng colony.
sRpd the Japanese, who are organ iztng
fishing industry In Northern Chile.
sare considering the exploitation Of
THAT territory.
Robinson Crusoe's Island is known
ION the maps as Juan Fernandez. II
belongs 10 Chile, and It lies about 400
miles west of this port nf Valparaiso
and $500 miles south of the Panama
r Canal 1t is reached by government
s Steamers. which go there to supply the
colony at certain times Of the year
and il is ruled by officers OF the Chilean
government. During my stay here
have met men who know the island
we'll.
They describe ii as paradise. 1t
aahas plenty of rain andlis covered with
~, luXuTiart vegetation. 1t is affected
by the Antarctic current, which keeps
it perpetually cool. and the northern
Eshalf, on which the trains fall is COW
@ered with green.
* The island is only twelve miles long
by seven miles wide. 1t consists of q
great mass OF rocks rising out of the
Z, ocean to height of more than 1000
feet. 1t is made UP of hilisfand noun
'tains. with many ravines and short
valleys. The most of the shores are
r.inaccessible. but ut Cumberland Bay
there is an excellent landing place.
Behind this is a settlement of cottages
and huts made of cane waited with
straw. The houses have gardens about
fhem, and at one time there was an
attempt to start q stocll-raisinE indus
try. One settler is said to have had as
many as 10000 cattle and an equal
number OF sheep In time. however,
his business fell OFF and the cattle ran
wild. The island now has wild sheep,
wild goats and wild mules. and the
, animals thrive without human care.
The grass ia excellent, and covers
every open spot on the northern side
OF the island. There arc wild oats
on some of the hills. and also wild
Vegetables. There are wild fruits
which have reproduced themselves
from the trees planted by Alexander
Selkirk, and from the same source
there are wild grapes as delicious as
those which Robinson Crusoe dried for
raisins.
yfAlaxander SelISirk was the hero of
Defoe's story and the real Robinson
Crusoe. He was cast away on this is
land more than 200 years ago, and
there is monument to him, consist
ing of q. marble tablet set In the rocks
on one OF the higher parts of the is
land. The place is known az Robin
.on Crusoe's Lookout, and It is where
he is supposed to have kept watch
fires burning to attract the attention
OF any ship that might pass The mon
ument was erected In 1868 by some
tograph of 1t. The inscription reads
as follows:
IN MEMORY OF
ALEXANDER SELKIRk. MARINER.
A native OF Largo, In the County of
Fife, Scotland. who lived on this Is
land, In complete solitude, four years
and four months.
fHe was landed from the "Cinque
Ports galley. ninety-six tons. eigh-
teen guns. a. D. 1904. and was taken
off in the Duke" privateer 18th OF
February 1903.
He died lieutenant of H. NJ S. .Wey-
mouth" A. d. 1723, aged forty-seven
years.
This tablet is erected near Selkirk's
Lookout by Commodore Powell and
the. officers OF II. NJ. S. Topaz"
A. D. 1865
Alexander Selkirk was rescued in
1902, just little NOR" than 200 yenrs
ago He went 70 London. and there
met Defoe. who had many talks with
him and therefrom got the idea and
background of his story The work
Robinson Crusoe" was published ten
years later. 1t ran through four edi-
lions In as many months, and was the
big seller of its time. 1t Is one of the
biggest sellers OF to-day. and 1t ranks
with the Bible and John Bnnyan's
"PIlgrim's Progress" as the greatest
sellers OF history. Robinson Crusoe"
known language. IL has been printed
In Spanish. German, Russian. italian.
Greek and Arabic II is one of tho
boys books of Japan. and a Chinese
edition has been recently issued. which
is having enormous sale.
Now that the Panama Canal is COM,
pleted, there will probably be some
special steamship excursions to Robin
son Crusoes Island The round trip
u from Valparaiso can be made In three
s or four days, and it might include a
I, look at the cave in which Alexander
Se1kirk lived. at the Lookout, where
for four long years he scanned tho
sea for ships, and. doubt not. at yes
tiges of Crusoe's man. Friday. and per-
haps petrified footprint of that which
the savage made upon the sand.
Selkirk was found by ship that had
seen the fire on the Lookout Accord
ting to the narrative OF the captain who
took him 10 England, he was clad I'm
Eoatskfns and was running about as
though crazy. When he reached Lon
don his talk was the wonder OF the cof-
fee-houses, and his adventures were
Steele told of them in one of his
papers. and Selkirk published a little
pamphlet OF twelve pages describing
his wanderngs.
The Robinson Crusoe cave where
Selkirk lived lies In n ridge OF vol
canic rock 1t is easily identified II
is about thirty feet deep. and it's roof
Is from ten 10 fifteen feet from the
moor The entrance Ia about fifteen
feet high. and is almost hidden in ferns
The cave shows signs OF having been
lived In, and II liz like the description
of that in Robinson Crusoe" There
are holes and pockets scooped out OF
the walls. and here and there .is a
rusty nail that had been driven in be-
tween the stoneA. The cave IS said to
have been the resort of the buccaneers
who once rsvaged the west coast of
South America. There are other caves
upon the Island. and there are also
cave dungeons which were occupied
when the ialand was used for criminals.
Some Of the cells were far under
ground, and the prisoners could not
stand upright within them. History
rec0cds that The can1,icia aEea- 80.