ON ROBINSON CRUSOE'S LAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1778, 19 December 1885, Page 26

ON ROBINSON CRUSOE'S LAND.

Opposite the harbour of Valparaiso stands the island of Juan Fernandez, sacred to the memory of Robinson Crusoe " and his man Friday, who kept things tidy and listened to the tales his master told." There isn't a boy where the English tongue is spoken who, hasn't read a description of this island better told than I -am able to give it, and it is only necessary to say that Daniel Defoe, or whoever wrote the book, must have studied the place with great attention, or had the island created to suit the picture he gave of it. The little harbour is there, with its rocks and coves, just as it was when Robinson went ashore ; the cave is in good order still, and the cliffs up which he and Friday used to chase the mountain goats. The goats are there, and the armadillos, the birds of wonderful plumage, aud the crawfish among the rocks. Every boy in the United States who has read the story recently could go all over the place without a guide and find everything except Robinson himself and the faithful Friday. V

The island belongs to Chile, and is leased to a cattle company which has 20,000 to 30,000 head of cattle and as many more sheep grazing over the hills. There are aboub fifty or sixty inhabitants, ranchmen with their families, under the charge of a Frenchman named Orawe, and besides the stock they raise a quantity of poultry, and ship chickens and eggs, with some vegetables, to the Valparaiso market. The timber on the island is said to be of an excellent quality, but is not much used. No one ever goes there without bringing away a cave or two as a memento, and the brush from which these canes are made is of very beautiful fibre, and polishes well. Excursions go over frequently from Valparaiso, aud the interest in Robinson Crusoe's experience is much stimulated by those who com? this way. — Corr. Chicago Inter-Ocean.