Evening star., 1934-11-18

N on CrlSoe's island In the same manner
Gas far as possible) as he had lived. The
island chosen was Tobago. near Trini-
dad, In the Caribbean Sea. Outraged members
of my audience protested that my ignorance was
appalling and that the misnformation gave
was downright criminal since everybody knew
that Crusoes island was Juan Fernandez. OF
Chile, in the Pacif1c-even the National Geo
graphic Magazine had published story about
Juan Fernandez and called 1t Robinson Cru
soe's Island" must be just plain crazy.
The denunciation poured forth delighted me.
1t indicated that q passionate interest in Cru
soc was still very much alive and that with the
Bible excepted, this novel was still probably the
most widely read book in the world
So I forgave all my denouncers for being
wrong.
Alexander Selkirk Scotch mariner. was ma
rooned alone from 1704 to l709 on Juan Fer
nandez. Robinson Crusoe an entirely fcti-
tious character, whose adventures were pat
termed family on those Of Selkirk, lived fcti-
tious 20 years an island which Author Daniel
Defoe clearly identifies as Tobago To satisfy
my curiosity about each Of these characters,
Lived q month on each of their islands.
Juan Fernandez is 400 miles out in the Pa
cifc, straight west of Valparaiso. 1t is IL miles
long and wide and covered with grim volcanic
crags that rise 5000 feet above the sea.
navigator has difficulty landing, for the shore
line Is buttressed with all-but t-continuous wall
Of cliffs 1000 feet high. against which the Pa
cifc hurls itself with interminable rage. Only
one small bay and stretch Of sand is to be
found, and there the Spanish discoverer, Juan
Fernandez landed in 1910; and there Alexander
Selk1rk went ashore in 1704.
THIS going ashore was Selkirk's own idea.
He had quarreled violently with the cap
tain Of his sailing ship and exclaimed, as they
lay anchored in the bay. that he would rather
uninhabited the island looked-than stay
another minute on such a mismanaged ship.
The captain was more than willing to oblige
him. He was left alone on the beach. The
ship sailed OF and was never seen again, for
shortly after 1t struck q rock on the South
American coast and its entire crew persisted.
Seldrk, 28 years old, and left to his own de-
vices looked about. He found his private king
dom well supplied with food. Goats put ashore
by buccaneers to multiply and supply food for
them had multiplied prodigiously and ran wild
over the crags. A pair Of cats, escaped from
some ship, were now q family of 500. Seals
crawled over the rocky promontories in thou
sands and Holsters at certain seasons carpeted
the beach.
The climate, In contrast to Crusoe's para
disc, was in no sense tropical-no palms, no
parrots. no flowers and certainly no Indians to
provide q Friday. Juan Fernandez is a stern.
cold, rather barren island. In fact, when Winter
came Selkirk had to make use of the goat
skins for warmth. Living in a cave by the sea,
he learned to make fire by rubbing sticks to-
gether. But most of each day was spent hunt
ing for food and watching for a sail-as the
months upon months Of solitude moved slowly
past
Then in 1909 British privateer, the Duke
approached the bay-the first sail Selkirk had
seen in 1880 days. On shore light appeared.
Fearing a Spanish ambush the captain sent
ashore lfebOat with IN we'll a rp, ad co lore 70
investigate. They brought back one wild man
dressed in goatskins and looking wilder than the
original owner of the apparel. The entire crew
stared at him and listened with amazement to
his story. Despite his savage and disheveled
appearance, he seemed to have Jared rather
well. In daily pursuit Of the goats uphill and
around the crags, killing them barehanded or
bringing them back alive to his cave to be
tanned. he had become agile as the animals.
At first the swarm Of rats almost drove him
10 despair. They gnawed his clothes and stole
his food. So he made overtures to the innumer-
able cats by feeding them milk and meat. A
dozen Of them became domesticated and de-
Tended him thenceforth from the rat plague
To relieve his loneliness, he sang and danced
with his cats and kids and shouted English at
them lest in his solitary exile he forget how to
speak his own language. He had no form Of
cutting instrument. Consequently, for four years
and four months he was able neither to clip his
beard nor cut his hair. No wonder his appear
ance was SO astonishing.
IN THE beach where Selkirk went ashore
~ landed from my Valparaiso fishing boat,
The Island today shelters q few poor Chilean
nsh1ng families, who have little or no idea why
their island Is famous.
found Selhrk's cave easi1y-just q shallov
grotto worn in the rocks by the waves But