The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-05-31

pnceS TO the Island OF Juan
Fernandez In the south Pacific
ocean, $50 miles off the coast
OF South America. Juan Fernandez
lies under about the thirtyseventh
parallel of south latitude and is lit
tie south of west from Valparaiso,
Chile, from which 1t Is distant about
600 miles. Close upon the Island of
Juan Fernandez is the much smaller
island of Santa Clara and something
| more than 100 miles farther out to sea,
west by trifie SOUTH is lone island
! Of the name Of Masafuera. There are
no islands between Juan Fernandez
and the mainland. And it lies in
particularly lonesome part of the vast
ocenn. The eightieth parallel of long
| itude passes nearly hundred miles
west of Juan Fernandez. and that par
allel passes between two small islands,
st. Felix and ST. Ambrose, nearly 1000
miles north of Juan Fernandez, Santa
Clara and Masafuera.
Not only have there been recent ref
erences to Juan Fernandez island, but
frequent references to 1t may be read
In the public prints, and nearly always
Is 1t referred to as Robinson Crusoe's
island. Yet the reference is ineXact
and many thousands of miles out of
! the way. However, II Is probable that
the geographical or literary error has
been given too much Roadway ever to
be overtaken and corrected, and no
doubt it will be perpetuated.
Not Crusoe's island
There are few places I'm the world
which have given so much interest
and entertainment to boys as the lone
ly island on which Robinson Crusoe
and his man Friday had their adven-
lures. There is no telling just where
Defoe thought Robinson Crusoe's
island was. but it most certainly was
not In that part of the world where
the Island of Juan Fernandez lies. If
| anywhere, it was on the Atlantic side
of the great continent OF South Amer
lea, off the eastern coast OF Venezuela
| or the north coast of British Guiana,
| somewhere about the mouth of the
| Orinoco river. But then there are sew
| eral mouths to that vast river and,
| though there are islands there, no evil
dence of occupancy by Robinson CRU
soc has been found and none of the
| footprints Of Friday have been discov-
| cred.
| The only clue to the Island is found
| in Defoe's magnificent story itself,
| where Robinson Crusoe speaks as fol-
| lows:
Il asked him how far 1t was from
| our lands to the shore and whether
| the canoes were not often lost; he
| told me there was no danger, no ca
noes were ever lost, but that after
| little way out to sea there was a cur
rent and wind, always one way In the
morning. the other way in the after
noon. This | understood to be no more
than the sets of the tide as going out
and coming in; but I afterwards I'M
derstood that 1t was occasioned by the
great draft and reflux of the mighty
River Oroonooko, In the mouth or gulf
of which river. as | found afterward,
our Island lay, and this land which
perceived to the west and northwest
was the great island of Trinidad on
the north point of the mouth OF the
river"
Where SeIkirk Was Marooned.
The Island of Juan Fernandez be-
came associated with the story of Rob-
lnson Crusoe from the fact that on
that island Alexander Selkirk was put
ashore at his own request after a quar-
rel with the captain of the ship Clnque
Ports. of which he was sailing master.
Selkirk lived on the island for four
years, and in 1712 there appeared
book entitled Cruising Voyage Round
the World" which was written by
Capt Wordes Rogers, who had res
cued Selkirk from the island. Part
Of the adventures of SelSirk were told
in tha' s'""v md II IL supposed that
II " s'irr~d nefne's