Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-08-13
SAYS CRUSOE'S
CAVE HABITABLE
AND UNCHANGED
Scientist Brings Back Interest
ing Facts From HerO's
Island.
COVERED $4,000 MILES

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 12.-Little
boys who yearn to follow in the foot
steps of Robinson Crusoe viii be happy
to learn that the cave in which Defoe's
hero lived for four years is still habi-
table and unchanged since the day when
Crusoe and his man Friday reigned SUI
preme.
This cheering news for the younger
generation was brought back to civih-
zation by DR. William Alanson Bryan,
professor of zoology and geology of the
University of Hawaii, after n years
travel in Latin America and south Pa
cifc waters in search of evidence to prove
or disprove the theory of continental
submergence in the Pacific as the expla-
nation of the existence of the various
Island groups of Polynesia.
The search for evidence carried Prof.
Bryan over $4,000 miles Of lane and
sea travel filed with hardships and per-
lis, the recounting of which outdoes the
experience of Robinson Crusoe.S
However, iuasmuch as he gathered
data of highest value in the scientific
world, he considers the trip worth ali
the hardships it cost him.
He traced the origin of plants and
animals native to their isolated islands
and secured much evidence to support
the theory of continental submergence.
CRUSOE STORY OF
MOST INTEREST.
81 bring back with me, = he said, facts
that tend to show that some time
probably within the eretaceous period of
geologic time-there existed 4 land con-
nection extending from the San Juan
Fernandes islands, 400 miles off VAL
paraisc, to- the Hawaiian group, a dis
lance of 5000 miles
Despite the scientific value Of the in
vestigations of Prof. Bryan to young
America his visit to the island Of Rob-
inson Crusoe assumes paramount inter
est.
Prof Bryan remained alone for two
days and two nights on Masatierra, of
the Juan Fernandez group-the island
Z where Alexander SeIkirk, between 1901
/ and 1709, lived the experiences that fur
nished the basis for the classic adyen-
ture Of Robinson Crusoe."
he adhered as strictly as possible to
the primitive mode of living adopted Of
necessity by the famous shipwrecked
mariner.
He cooked his simple meals. furnished
by the sparse plant and animal life of
Masatierra. in the shelf-like oven chs
eled by Selkirk out Of the solid rock Of
the cave.
The lonely habitaton lies in an iso-
lated valley, surrounded by great tow
ering mountains, and is reached from the
colonized part Of the island only after
many hours on a stormy sea.
Prof Bryan also made extensive in
vestigations in Easter Island, the most
highly isolated land in the world in
habited by primitive people.
ALSO VISITS
EASTER ISLAND.
This island" he explained, sis 2,10O
miles off the coast of Chile.
In order to reach 1t. I travelled by a
small tramp sailing vessel, the trip oc-
eupying two months Of time and re-
quiring more than 1000 miles of sail
ing.
THE primitive inhabitants of these
islands were Polynesians, and were cele-
brated for their wonderful stone mono
Hths, of which between 500 and 600 re-
main on the island in an area thirteen
miles long by seven miles wide.
"a great scientific problem has always
been just how these monuments were
made and transported from one part of
the island to the other, and set up in
native burial temples by these primitive
people
Many OF the monuments weigh as
much as fifty tons, and there are as