Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-06

kkSlS<lsSI kirk. the real Robinson Cru
go soc. was cast away. They
were large. tender and juicy. and doubt
II better can be found in the world. Rob
inson Crusoe's island Is becoming great
fishing grounds, II has fine cod In its
waters. and Il is noted for its Holsters
and other shelfish. IL has also a large
Chilean fishing colony. and the Japanese,
who are organizing a fishing industry i'm
northern Chile. are considering the ex-
ploitstion of that territory.
Robinson Crusoe's island is known on
the maps as Juan Fernandez. II belongs
to Chic. and It lies about 400 miles west
Of this port of Valparaiso and 2,6Oo miltA
south OF the Panama canal 1t is reached
by government steamers, which go there
90 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
well
They describe it as a paradise. 1t has
plenty Of rain and is covered with
iuxuriant vegetation It is affected by the
antarctic current. which keeps it perpetu-
ally cool. and the northern half on which
the rains fall is covered with green.
island Not Very Large
Tho island is only twelve miles long
by seven miles wide. II consists OF a
great mass OF rocks rising out OF the
ocean to a height of moro than four
thousand feet. 1t is made mp IF hills
and. mountains. with many ravines and
short valleys. The most Of the shores
are inaccessible. but at Cumberland Bay
there is an excellent landing place. Be
hind this is a settlement of cottages and
huts made of cane waited with straw.
Tho houses have gardens about them and
at one time there was an attempt to start
a stock-raislng industry One settler Is
said to have had as many as $1,000 cattle
and an equal number of sheep. In time,
however his business fell off and the
,attle ran wild. The island now has wild
sheep. wild goats and Wild mules, ana the
animals thrive without human care. Inc
grass is excellent and covers every open
spot on the northern side of the island
There are wild oats on some OF the hilis
and also wild vegetables. There are wild
fruits which have reproduced themselves
from tho trees planted by Alexander Sell
kirk. and from the same source there are
wild grapes as delicious as those which
Robinson Crusoe dried for raisins.
original Robinson CrusOe.
Alexander Selkirk was the hero OF
Defoe's story and the real Robinson
Crusoe. He was cast away on this island
more than 200 years ago. and there Is
monument to him, consisting of marble
tablet set in the rocks on one OF the
higher parts of the island. The place
is known as Robinson Crusoe's Lookout,
and II is where he is supposed to have
kept watchfires burning to attract
the attention Of any ship that might pass
The monument was erected In 1858 py
some English naval officers. have a
photograph of 1t. The inscription reads
as follows:
IN MEMORY OF
ALEXANDER SELKIRK, MARINER.
A native of Largo, in the County OF
Fyfe Scotland, who lived on this island,
in complete solitude, four years and four
months.
He was landed from the "Cinque Ports"
galley, 90 tons, IS guns. A. D. 17o4, and
was taken off in the Duke" priyateer
3 18TH OF February 1903.
" Hc died Lieutenant Of H. M. s. "Wey-
mouth A. d. 1928. aged q years
This tablet is erected near selkirk's Look
out by Commodore Powell and the
officers of H. NJ s. Topaz"
A. d. 1868.
Alexander Selkirk was rescued in 1909,
Just little more than 200 years ago.
lie went to London and there met Defoe.
who had many talks with him and there
from got the idea and background of his
story. The work Robinson Crusoe' was
published ten years later It ran through
four editions in as many months and
was the big seller of its time. 1t is one
Of the biggest sellers Of today, and It
ranks with the Bible and John Bunyan's
Pilgrims Progress as the greatest
sellers of history. Robinson Crusoe''
has been translated into nearly every
known language. Il has been printed in
Spanish, German, Russian. italian, Greek
and Arabic. 1t is one of the boys books
OF japan. and a Chinese edition has been
recently issued which is having an
enormous sale.
Excursions to Place.
Now that the Panama canal is com
pleted there will probably be some specia
steamship excursions to Robinson Cru
soe's Island. The round trip from Val
paraiso can be made in three or foul
days. and it might include look at tn,
cave in which Alexander Selkirk lived
! at the Lookout, where for four long year.
he scanned the sea for ships, and,
doubt not, at vestiges OF Crusoe's mar
Friday, and perhaps a petrified footprint
of that which the savage made upon tn,
sand.
SellSlrk was found by ship that hat
seen the fire on the Lookout. Accord
Ing to the narrative or the captain VIII,
took him to England. he was clad II
goatskins and was running about a
though crazy. When, he reached Lon
don his talk was the wonder OF the coffe
=. houses and his adventures were diAcusse,
by everyone Sir Richard Steele told o
them in one OF his papers, and Selkirl
published a little pamphlet OF twelv
pages describing his wanderings.
The Robinson Crusoe cave. where Sell
kirk lived, lies in a ridge OF volcanic
rock. It is easily identified. 1t Is about
thirty feet deep. and it's roof is from ter
10 fifteen feet from the floor. The en-
trance is about fifteen feet high, and /.
almost hidden in ferns. The cave shows
signs OF having been lived In. and It Il
like the description OF that In robin.
son Crusoe." There are holes and pockets
scooped out OF the walls and here an,