Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's Note:

Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

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

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. 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 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

The Doubter back again 133

Swallowing an Island 140

Dreams and Realities 145

Peak of Yonka 146

Scenery of Juan Fernandez 148

Killing Savages 149

The Author a la Robinson Crusoe 150

Chilian and Chilienne 157

A DANGEROUS JOURNEY

Mirage in the Salinas Valley 168

Pass of San Juan 173

Antelopes in the Mirage 175

Vulture in the Mirage 176

Soledad 178

A Duel a 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

Dollars with Spider legs (a Dream) 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

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.