Catoctin clarion., 1918-05-30

Ttl III liiN S'"'' ''N'''-
ocean, $50 miles off the coast
of South America. Juan Fernandez
lies under about the thirty seventh
parallel of south latitude and is lit
tie south Of west from Valparaiso,
Chile. from which il Is distant about
GOO 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 trifle south, Is lone island
of the name of Masafuera. There are
no islands between Juan Fernandez
and the mainland. And It lies in Il
particularly lonesome part of the vast
ocean. The eighticth parallel of long
itude passes nearly Il hundred miles
west of Juan Fernandez, and that par
alel passes between two small islands,
st. Felix and St Ambrose, nearly l,OUo
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 ii may be read
in the public prints, and nearly always
Is II referred to as Robinson CruSoc'S
island. Yet the reference is ineXact
and many thousands of miles out OF
the way. However, it Is probable that
the geographical or literary error has
been given too much hcadway ever to
be overtaken and corrected, and no
N-In M nnrnnt nptp1
Not Crusoe's Island.
There are few places in the world
which have given 50 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
pefoe thought Robinson Crusoe's
island was, but 1t most certainly was
not in that part of the world where
the Island of Juan Fernandez lies. II
anywhere, 1t was on the Atlantic side
of the great continent Of South Amer
lea, off the eastern coast OF NeneZueia
or the north conSt of British Guiana,
somewhere about the mouth of the
Ornoco river But then there are sew
eral mouths to that vast river ana,
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:
81 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 un-
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 Selklrk Was Marooned.
The Island of Juan Fernandez be-
came associated with the story of Rob-
inson Crusoe from the fact that on
that island Alexander Selkirk was put
ashore at his own request after quar-
rel with the captain of the ship Clinque
Ports, Of which he was sailing master.
Selkirk lived on the island for four
years, and In 1912 there appeared II
book entitled "Cruising Voyage Round
the World" which Was written by
Capt Wordes Rogers, who had res
cued Selkirk from TIM island. Part
of the adventures of Selkrk were told
In that story, and 1t is supposed that
1t was this hint which stirred Def0e's