REMINISCENCE OF ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND.

North Otago Times, 22 May 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

REMINISCENCE OF ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND.

11l the course of an article in praise of the exploring spirit,, which he contributes to the first number of "Travel tmel Exploration," a new illustrated monthly magazine, Sir Clements Markham relates an episode in his iarly career as a naval oiliecr which is not generally known, H occurred while lie was a midshipman serving on the Pacific Station, In the course of fl lengthy cruise the ship to which he belonged arrived at Juan Fernandez. "All," says Sir Clements Jlarkluun, "were full of their reminiscences of Robinson Crusoe, and of their more recent acquaintance with Alexander Selkirk in the pages'of Durney. The island is mountainous and thickly wooded. There was a feecovered ridge with precipitous sides descending to a profound gorge on one side, wilh apparently an easier approach from the other. It was said that neither Selkirk nor anyone else ever crossed that ridge. Two boys determined to make the attempt. Jt would be a discovery. We will call them 0— and M—. "They set out, and after some hours of diflicult ascent through dense underwood and leaves of immense size they reached the summit •v the ridge. <J — was pressing on through those immense leaves, which quite blinded the view, when his companion suddenly heard a crash ami a cry. It was the edge of a precipice at least a thousand feet high. "There was a feeble cry from far below, fi— had proverbially been stopped by a narrow ledge after, a fall of nearly fifty feet. It was just wide enough for his body, Below there, were hundreds of feet of sheer precipice. His ankle' Was sprained. His companion was to hurry'back to the ship for help. "M— almost flow, losing his way in the dense vegetation twice, and coining on board torn, scratched, and excited.

"Two parlies were oriranised, one to work from above and lower the rope to the lost one, the other to go to the foot of the precipice and attend to the rope from below, But nothing could be done without an answering cry from (.! — to fix the spot. Night camo'on rapidly.

"M— went with the party up the gorge, but there was no answering cry from his lost friend, only the mournful cries of some screech owls, lie passed the night on the tenterhooks of anxiety, and sulTcring from thirst, for though the party had plenty of sherry, there was no water. "In the morning there was no reply to their despairing cries. G—had managed to creep along the ledge with great difficulty! and in peril of his life at each step, until ha finally succeeded in getting out on a slope near the sea. The first person ne met-was the good old Admiral himself, who. helped him to limp down to the beach, "He was saved to become one of tho greatest ornaments ol the Navy, and io die n hero's death in the (ull» fjCS$ of IJIIH),"