Crusoe's island. By J. Ross Browne CRUSOE's ISLAND: A Ramble in the footsteps of Alexander Selkirk. WITH SKETCHES OF ADVENTURE IN CALIFORNIA AND WASHOE. BY J. ROSS BROWNE, AUTHOR OF “ETCHINGS OF A WHALING CRUISE,” “YUSEF,” &c. NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE. 1864. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, by Crusoe's island. By J. Ross Browne http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.191 HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York. CONTENTS. CRUSOE's ISLAND. CHAPTER PAGE I. THE BOAT ADVENTURE 9 II. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE ISLAND 22 III. GOING ASHORE 25 IV. CONDITION OF THE ISLAND IN 1849 28 V. ROBINSON CRUSOE's CAVE 37 VI. THE VALLEY ON FIRE 48 VII. THE CAVE OF THE BUCCANEERS 54 VIII. LODGINGS UNDER GROUND 55 IX. COOKING FISH 62 X. RAMBLE INTO THE INTERIOR 71 XI. THE VALLEY OF ENCHANTMENT 75 XII. A STRANGE DISCOVERY 77 XIII. THE STORM AND ESCAPE 86 XIV. THE AMERICAN CRUSOE 91 XV. CASTLE OF THE AMERICAN CRUSOE 96 XVI. DIFFICULTY BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND THE DOUBTER 99 XVII. THE MURDER 106 XVIII. THE SKULL 112 XIX. THE GOVERNOR's VISION 117 XX. THE DOUBTER's DYSPEPTIC STORY 120 XXI. BAD DREAM CONCERNING THE DOUBTER 123 XXII. THE UNPLEASANT AFFAIR OF HONOR 127 XXIII. DR. STILLMAN's JOURNAL 142 XXIV. CONFIDENTIAL CHAT WITH THE READER 147 XXV. EARLY VOYAGES TO JUAN FERNANDEZ 151 XXVI. ALEXANDER SELKIRK AND ROBINSON CRUSOE 161 A DANGEROUS JOURNEY. I. THE CANNIBAL 167 II. THE MIRAGE 172 III. A DEATH STRUGGLE 180 iv IV. THE OUTLAW's CAMP 189 V. THE ESCAPE 201 VI. A LONELY RIDE 209 VII. THE ATTACK 214 VIII. SAN MIGUEL 222 IX. A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE 228 X. A TRAGEDY 235 OBSERVATIONS IN OFFICE. I. MY OFFICIAL EXPERIENCES 249 II. THE GREAT PORT TOWNSEND CONTROVERSY, SHOWING HOW WHISKY BUILT A CITY 270 III. THE INDIANS OF CALIFORNIA 284 A PEEP AT WASHOE. I. INTRODUCTORY 309 II. START FOR WASHOE 322 III. ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS 350 IV. AN INFERNAL CITY 365 V. SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA CITY 385 VI. ESCAPE FROM Crusoe's island. By J. Ross Browne http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.191 VIRGINIA CITY 394 VII. MY WASHOE AGENCY 404 VIII. START FOR HOME 416 IX. ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO 430 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. CRUSOE's ISLAND. Map of Juan Fernandez Page 9 Leaving the Ship 13 Boat in a Storm 16 Struck by a Flaw 18 Shipwrecked Sailor 19 Juan Fernandez 23 Crusoe's Castle 26 Crusoe at Home 27 Plan of the Convict Cells 28 Convict Cells 30 Chilian Huts 31 Walrus, or Sea Lion 36 Crusoe's Cave 39 A Relic of Crusoe 40 Crusoe's Devotions 41 The Valley with the Cave and Cliff 42 Dream-land Crusoe 44 Fairy Cove 45 Rescue of Friday 46 Crusoe asleep 48 The Californians in Juan Fernandez 51 Fishing 53 Crusoe and his Comrades 57 Cooking in Juan Fernandez 62 The Cliff 64 Abraham on the Peak 69 The Trogon 74 The Valley 76 The Skull 85 The American Crusoe 92 Tragic Fate of the Scotchman 107 The Lovers 109 Grave of the murdered Man 111 The Doubter 121 The Footprint in the Sand 124 The Savage Orgies 125 vi The Doubter back again Page 133 Swallowing an Island 140 Dreams and Realities 145 Peak of Yonka 146 Scenery of Juan Fernandez 148 Killing Savages 149 The Author à la Robinson Crusoe 150 Chilian and Chilienne 157 A DANGEROUR JOURNEY. Mirage in the Salinas Valley 168 Pass of San Juan 173 Antelopes in the Mirage 175 Vulture in the Mirage 176 A Duel à la Mort 186 The Camp 192 Jack 193 A lonely Ride 210 The Attack 217 San Miguel 224 A Spanish Caballero 226 Valley of Santa Marguerita 230 Lassoing a Grizzly 233 The Belle of the Fandango 239 OBSERVATIONS IN OFFICE. The Duke of York, Queen Victoria, and Jenny Lind 274 The Diggers at Home 285 Out in the Mountains 301 Protecting the Settlers 305 A PEEP AT WASHOE. The Bummer 311 Going to Kern River 312 Returning from Kern River 313 Ho! for Frazer River 315 Returned from Frazer River 318 Hurrah for Washoe 321 The Agency 323 “I say, Cap!” 326 vii Dollars with Spider legs (a Dream) Page 327 “Go it, Washoe!” 329 The Pocket Pistol 331 California Stage-driver 333 Whisky below 334 “Carambo! Caraja—Sacramento!—Santa Maria!—Diavolo!” 335 Board and Lodging 337 Grindstones 339 A Speculator 341 Dinner at Strawberry 345 The Lay-out 348 The Stocking-thief 349 The Trail from Strawberry 351 “We are waiting for you” 354 A short Cut 355 Diogenes 358 Carson City 362 The Stage 369 The Devil's Gate 371 Virginia City 373 A Question of Title 375 “My Claim, Sir!” 377 Gold Hill 379 San Francisco Speculators 380 Assay Office 381 A Fall 384 Crusoe's island. By J. Ross Browne http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.191 The Comstock Lead 386 The Claims 389 “Silver, certain, Sir” 391 “Indications, sure!” 393 An old Friend 399 Carson Valley 403 Holding on to it 405 Mount Ophir 407 Croppings 408 The Flowery Diggings 409 Honest Miner 410 “A gloomy Prospect” 411 Return from Washoe 417 Outgoing and Incoming 419 The Jew's Boots 421 Snow Slide 424 The Grade 427 Return to San Francisco 433 Reading extra Bulletin 436 CRUSOE's ISLAND. CHAPTER I. THE BOAT ADVENTURE. MAP OF JUAN FERNANDEZ. MY narrative dates as far back as the early part of the year 1849. Then the ship Anteus was a noted vessel. Many were the strange stories told of strife and discord between the captain and the passengers; pamphlets were published giving different versions of the facts, and some very curious questions of law were involved in the charges made by both parties. It appeared from the statement of the passengers, who were for the most part intelligent and respectable Americans, that, on the voyage of the Anteus to California, their treatment by the captain was cruel and oppressive in the extreme; that, before they were three weeks from port, he had reduced them almost to a state of absolute starvation; and, in consequence of the violence of his conduct, which, as they alleged, was without cause or provocation on their part, they considered their lives endangered, and resolved upon making 10 an appeal for his removal at the port of Rio. On the arrival of the vessel at Rio the captain was arraigned before the American consul, and pronounced to be insane by the evidence of six physicians and by the testimony of a large majority of the passengers. It was charged, on the other hand, that the passengers were disorderly, mutinous, and ungovernable; that they had entered into a conspiracy against the captain, and in testifying to his insanity were guilty of perjury. The examination of the case occupied several weeks before the American consul; voluminous testimony was taken on both sides; the question was submitted to the American minister, to the British Crusoe's island. By J. Ross Browne http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.191 consul, and to the principal merchants of Rio, all of whom concurred in the opinion that, under the circumstances, there was but one proper course to pursue, which was, to remove the captain from the command of the vessel. He was accordingly deposed by the American consul, and a new captain placed in the command. This was regarded by the principal merchants of New York as an arbitrary exercise of authority, unwarranted by law or precedent, and a memorial was addressed by them to the President of the United States for the removal of the consul. A new administration had just come into power; and the consul was removed, ostensibly on the ground of the complaints made against him; but, inasmuch as some few other officers of the government were removed at the same time without such ground, it may be inferred that a difference in political opinion had some weight with the administration. It is not my intention now to go into any argument in regard to the merits of this case; the time may come when justice will be done to the injured, and it remains for higher authority than myself to mete it out. I have simply to acknowledge, with a share of the odium resting upon me, that I was one of the rebellious passengers in the Anteus. My companions in trouble so far honored me with their confidence as to give me charge of the case. I was unlearned in law, yet possessed some 11 experience in sea-life; and believing that the lives of all on board depended upon getting rid of a desperate and insane captain, aided to the best of my ability in having a new officer placed in the command. To the change thus made, unforeseen in its results, I owe my eventful visit to the island of Juan Fernandez. It was the intention of our first captain to touch at Valparaiso for a supply of fresh provisions. In the ship's papers this was the only port designated on the Pacific side except San Francisco. Our new commander, Captain Brooks, assumed the responsibility of leaving the choice between Valparaiso and another port to the passengers. It was put to the vote, and decided that we should proceed to Callao, so that we might pass in sight of Juan Fernandez, and have an opportunity of visiting Lima, “the City of the Kings.” Early on the morning of the 19th of May, 1849, we made the highest peak of Massa Tierra, bearing N.N.W., distant seventy miles.