Lögberg - 25.04.1929, Blaðsíða 5

LÖGBERG FíMTUDAGINN 25. APRÍL 1929
Bla. 5.
Original Correspondence of which Translation
Appears on Page 1 of This Issue
1101 McArthur Building,
Winnipeg, Man., Canada
14th March, 1927.
Premier Bracken,
Parliament Buildings,
Winnipeg, Man.
Dear Sir:
Some two years ago the Govern-
ment of Iceland started a prepara-
tion for a celebration o<f the 1,000
Years Duration of Parliament on
the Island. A strong Committee
was elected by Parliament to take
charge of the preparation, which
will be celebrated in June, 1930.
This Committee is in contact with
the Governments of the Scandina-
vian Countries who will undoubt-
edly participate in the celebration
to a large extent. The Committee
is also in communication with the
Icelandic League of North Ameri-
ca desiring the Icelanders, those
of Icelandic extraction, and other
friends of Iceland to participate
in this memoriable celebration.
The Icelandic League at its last
Annual session held in Winnipeg,
when all the larger Icelandic set-
tlements were represented, elected
a Committee of five,—i.e. J. J.
Bildfell, Rev. R. Petursson, Arni
Eggertson, A. IP. Johannsson, and
Jakob Kristjansson, which Com-
mittee was elected to organize an
excursion amongst the Icelandic
people of North America to par-
ticipate in the celebration, and
which Committee had the plea-
sure o'f waiting upon you this
morning. As we made it plain to
you in our conversation, there is
a considerable amount of organ-
ization work to be undertaken in
connection with this affair, con-
sisting primarily of grouping
or zoning all the Icelandic settle-
ments in North America and in-
augurating a local organ'ization
in each zone, which organization
is to elect one representative on
the Central Committee in Winni-
peg. When that work is completed
the Central Committee will start
and keep going a certain amount
of proproganda in the press and by
separate pamphlets from now un-
til the year 1930. All this organ-
ization will be supervised by the
Central Committee situated in the
City of Winnipeg.
In order to carry out the organ-
ization work a certain amount of
funds are necessary, and it is for
that purpose and that purpose
alone, that we made a request for
financial aid to you this morning,
and we now ask you and your
Government for a grant of
$1,000.00 per year until the year
1930, or $3,000.00 in all.
Our idea is that a sufficient
number of people will participate
in this excursion to warrant us to
charter a vessel for the trip, that
all the people gather in the City
of Winnipeg, leave here en body,
and return from Iceland the same
way to their homes in the West.
This occasion is of great import-
ance; not only to the Icelandic
Nation and the people of Icelandic
extraction in America and else-
where, but to all the students o'f
Constitutional Government the
World over.
We beg, therefore, to submit
that your Government is fully
justified in granting this request,
as the excursion, if successfully
earried out, is going to be of real
value and THE GREATEST POS-
SIBLE ADVERTISING THE PRO-
VINCE COULD GET.
Thanking you sincerely for the
kind reception extended to us this
morning, and hoping to receive a
favourable reply at an early date.
Yours most respectfully,
• J. J. Bildfell
chairman
142 Lyle Street, St. James, Man.
Enclosed Kree Press article
(Clipping from Free Press Even-
ing Bulletin, Winnipeg, Tuesday,
March 8th, 1927, enclosed.)
Winnipeg, Man.,
26th March, 1927.
Mr. J. J. Bild'fell,
1101 McArthur Bldg.,
City.
Dear Mr. Bildfell:
Replying to your communica-
tion of the 14th instant, with re-
gard to preparations for the cele-
bration in Iceland of the 1,000
years duration of Parliament on
the Island, I beg to advise that
the Government is very sympa-
thetic to your request. We do not
feel, however, that we can make
a grant to a Patriotic League, as
such, but the proposal has some
very great possibilities from a
publicity point of view, and as
such we might be in a position to
assist you.
I would appreciate it, therefore,
if you or your associates would
call on me some time after the
close of the Session, When we'
might discuss the matter further.
We would be glad to make a
grant to your Patriotic League,
but to do so would establish a pre-
cedent that we would not be able
to follow. The publicity features
of the proposal appeal to us, how-
ever, and I am hopeful that we
may be able to give some assist-
ance to your organization and at
the same time secure valuable
publicity for the Province.
Yours very truly,
John Bracken
Winnipeg, Man.
April 25th 1927
Hon. John Bracken.
Premier of Manitoba.
Dear Sir:—
Your letter of the 29th ultimo
received. I appreciate indeed
your kind attitude toward the
project of participation in the
“Thousand Years” celebration by
the Icelandic people of Manitoba,
and Canada, to be held in Iceland
in the year 1930.
In this connection I wish to
point out that this undertaking is
entirely of a public nature. The
motive is sole'ly, as far as the
Icelanders of Western Canada are
concerned, to pay respect and
homage to this historical and mo-
mentous epoch in the life of their
parent land, and while so doing to
testify directly and indirectly to
the prosperity and happiness
which they have enjoyed in their
new home in the West.
It is on that basis, namely the
advertising value of hundreds,
and even thousands, of people
who came to Canada without
means nor practical knowledge
thirty to fifty years ago, retum-
ing in a body for such an occasion.
Manitoba is the province in
which they are most numerous,
and for that reason we base our
request for financial assistance
from your Government.
As we pointed out to you at our
last interview, there is a certain
amount of money required for
organization purposes. The
amount of $1,000.00 per year
for three years, which the com-
mitee in charge asked you and
your Government to grant for
this purpose, is going to be used
entirely for organization work,
principally in the Province of
Manitoba.
The organization work will all
be done from Winnipeg, as well as
all advertising in connection with
the undertaking. The people will
all gather in Winnipeg 'for the
trip, and return to Winnipeg at
the completion of the celebration.
So far as there can be any finan-
cial advantages derived, other
than Railroad and Steamship fares,
it will be enjoyed by the city of
Winnipeg and the Province of
Manitoba.
Hoping to receive decided and
favorable reply Ifrom you at an
early date.
I remain,
Yours very 'truly,
J. J. Bildfell
Winnipeg, Man.,
29th April, 1927.
Mr. J. J. Bildfell,
President,
Canadian-Icelandic Excursion,
Winnipeg.
Dear Sir:
In reply to your communication
of the 25th instant I beg to ad-
vise that, while the Govemment
does not see its way clear to make
any contribution to any patriotic
association, that we are interest-
ed in advertising the Province of
Manitoba as widely as possible,
particularly in United States,
Great Britain and northern coun-
tries o'f Europe and ICELAND. I
gather from your letter and from
your representations that the pro-
ject will offer very great oppor-
tunity for valuable publicity for
the Province of Manitoba.
After consultation with my Col-
leagues we have decided that if
you will arrange to have your ex-
cursion start from Winnipeg and
return to Winnipeg, and also to
see that the money contributed bv
the Provincial Government is used
for publicity purposes that we
would be prepared to make a
grant of $1000.00 per year for
tbree years. It is to be definitely
understood in agreeing to this
arrangement that this is not in a
nature of an annual grant to your
association, but rather as A
GRANT FOR THE SPECIFIC
PURPOSE OF ADVERTISING
MANITOBA IN ICELAND and
United States and indirectly in
other parts of the world, when the
story of the visit of your Cana-
dian and American associates to
the OLd Country will be published.
The Government would expect
that the grant made by us would
be used for purely publicity pur-
poses and not for the payment of
salaries of people who may be
employed by you.
If you are prepared to accept
these conditions I think there
will be no difficulty in carrying
out the proposal.
Yours very truly,
John Bracken
Winnipeg, Man.
May 3rd 1927
Hon. John Bracken.
Premier of Manitoba.
Dear iSir:—
Yours of the 29th ultimo re-
ceived. I wish to state in reply
that we entirely agree to the con-
ditions and stipulations set forth
in your letter. We thank you and
your colleagues most sincerely for
your kind consideration in this
matter. We can assure you that
your stipulations will be faithful-
ly carried out, and it is the un-
wavering desire of the Committee
to carry this matter out in such a
manner that it will be a real bene-
fit to the Province of Manitoba,
as well as to the people that par-
ticipate in it.
We would Jcindly ask you to is-
sue a cheque to the order of “The
Canadian-Icelandic Excursion
Committee” at your earliest con-
venience.
Yours very truly,
J. J. Bildfell
Lead penciil notation in file:
“July 13
“Mr. Petursson called asking for
advance of $500.00.”
The United Conference of Ice-
landic Churches Unitarian and
Liberal Christian
Field Secretary
45 Home Street.
Winnipeg, Oct. 20 1927
Canada
Hon. John Bracken,
Premier, Province of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Man.
Dear Mr. Bracken:
Regarding the annual grant of
$1000.00 to the executive com-
mittee of the “Canadian Icelandic
Excursion of 1930,” so generously
accorded by your Government to
defray publicity, travel and organ-
ization expenses of the committee,
I respectfully beg to advise as
treasurer of the said committee
that a payment, either in part or
in full now, especially if it could
be made soon, would be gratefully
received and appreciated, as the
committee proposes to take ad-
vantage of these autumn months
to further the organization work
already entered upon this sum-
mer.
May we hope to be favored with
your kind attention to this mat-
ter, and with an early reply en-
closing a check covering this
year’s appropriation if circum-
stances permit, and it does not
inconvenience the Department?
Sincerely Yours,
Rögnv. Petursson
Winnipeg, Man.,
22nd October, 1927.
Rev. Rögnv Petursson,
45 Home Street,
City.
Dear Sir:
Replying to your favor of the
20th instant, regarding the pro-
posed grant for publicity in con-
nection with the Canadian Ice-
landic Excursion in 1930, I beg to
advise that the appropriation for
this purpose has not yet been
voted by the Legislature and
ordinarily WQuld not be available
until after the Legislature meets.
There is a phase of this matter
which has recently been brought
to my attention and which did not
receive very much consideration
at the time o'f our discussion. If
it is convenient for you to drop
in at the office some time in the
near future, I should be very glad
to go into the matter with you
further.
Yours very truly,
John Bracken
Winnipeg, Man.,
5th March, 1928.
Mr. J. J. Bildfell,
142 Lyle Street,
St. James, Man.
Dear Mr. Bildfell:
Following our conversation of a
few days ago, at which time you
assured me that there would be
no controversy on the part of your
own people with regard to the
propriety of the publicity fea-
tures of the proposed excursion,
I took the matter up again with
Council and they approve of as-
sisting you financially.
It was the unanimous decision
of the Government that the party
should leave from a Manitoba
port, namely, Fort Churchill. It
was thought that from the point of
view of publicity for the Province
as well as for the excursi'on it-
self this was very much to be de-
sired. If you can do this an ap-
propriation of $1000. could be
made available very shortly. If
for any reason you feel you can-
not go from Fort Churchill the
Government would like the op-
portunity of further considering
the matter o'f the amount of the
total grant.
I am returning herewith the
file you left with me.
Yours very truly,
John Bracken
P.iS.—I have been informed that
the Saskatchewan Government is
contemplating making a total
jgrant of $2000., paying $1000.
in each of the next two years.
Would you kindly advise whether
this is correct.
J. B.
Winnipeg, Man., Canada
Mar. 8, 1928.
Hon. John Bracken,
Premier of Manitoba,
Parliament Buildings,
City.
Dear Mr. Bracken—
Yours of the 5th inst. received
for which I thank you.
In regards to sailing from Fort
Churchill by the proposed excur-
sion in 1930, I can assure you that
the Celebration Committee is one
hundred percent behind that pro-
position, and will certainly use its
influence towards that end. Pro-
vided of course, that there is no
unsurmountable obstacle in| the
way, and things otherwise being
equal to sailing conditions from
other Canadian Ports.
In reference to a grant from
Saskatchewan, I might state as I
did personally to you, that we
have made the same request to
Premier Gardiner as to you, and
as yet have only a verbal promise
from Premier Gardiner to grant-
ing of same. I have no intimation
as yet that there is to be any de-
duction from the total amount re-
quested.
I would appreciate it very much
if you could make some advance
at an early date as we need some
money to defray organization ex-
pense.
Yours very truly,
J. J. Bildfell
Winnipeg, Man.,
June 9th, 1928.
Hon. John Bracken,
Premier of Manitoba,
Parliament Buildings,
Winnipeg, Man.
Dear Sir:—
I understand that a grant has
been promised towards the excur-
sion being contemplated by the
Icelanders in this country to Ice-
land in the year 1930. I under-
stand that promises of this grant
were obtained on the assurance
that the Icelanders were prac-
tically a unit in wishing such a
grant to be made.
Now I beg to assure you that
so far as being a unit, there is a
great difference of opinion as to
the desirability of this grant from
the Manitoba Government or any
other government. I am safe in
saying that a big majority of the
Icelanders in this country look up-
on the grant as entirely unneces-
sary and not only unnecessary
but that the acceptance of such a
grant would be humiliating and
might be misunderstood in the
old country.
As I understand it, this money
was supposed to be granted from
the funds o'f the Province used
for advertising purposes and as a
consequence could only be grant-
ed with the idea that the money
would be used, at least indirectly,
in such a way1 as to advertise
Manitoba and thus promote im-
migration from Iceland to Canada.
It is a well known fact that any-
thing thaf savours of immigration
propaganda is very unpopular in
Iceland and if this excursion was
looked upon as being subsidised
by Canadian immigration money,
it would undoubtedly create H1
feeling in Iceland, which would
be very undesirable under the
circumstances.
On the first of May last a large
meeting of Icelancfic citizens of
Winnipeg was held in the old St.
Stephens church. This meeting
was attended by about 1,290 peo-
ple. At that meeting a resolution
condemning this grant was in-
^troduced but owing to a desire
not to hurt the feelings of the
men on the committee that ob-
tained the promise of this grant
the motion was never put to a
vote. At the same time the com-
mittee gave us to understand that
if the motion was not put to a vote
the matter would be reconsidered
and we thought it altogether like-
ly that the money already obtained
would be returned and all requests
for further grants would be with-
drawn.
It was, therefore, a great disap-
pointment to a large number of
the Icelanders in this country
that aftef due deliberátion the
committee decided not to with-
draw its request for grants and
to hold on to the money already
obtained from the Saskatchewan
Government.
As a consequence the opposition
to the acceptance of this money
is now stronger than ever before
and I am sure that it is no ex-
aggeration to say that between
eighty and ninety per cent. of the
Icelandic citizens in Western Can-
ada are very strongly opposed to
this grant being given.
I might say that the late Hon.
Thos. H. Johnson, K.C., was a
member of the committee in ques-
tion for only a few weeks before
his death. He attended only one
meeting of the committee where
this matter was first brought up.
What his attitude may have been
at that meeting I am not in posi-
tion to say, but I knew 'from per-
sonal conversation with him that
before his death he had come to
the conclusion that no request for
grants should be made from any
government in connection with
this proposed excursion. He went
so far as to say that if the com-
mittee persisted in requesting
these grants he would be forced
to withdraw from the committee
and openly oppose it.
If you should desire any*’further
information in this matter I would
refer you to Mr. A. C. Johnson,
the Danish Consul in Winnipeg,
the different Icelandic members
of the Frovincial Legislature, Mr.
H. A. Bergman, K.C., and the Rev.
Dr. B. B. Jonsson of this City.
I thought it nothing but right
that you should be made familiar
with the exact condition of áffairs
because I understood that the
grant was promised on the under-
standing that the Icelandic people
in Manitoba were practically a
unit in this ma'tter. I would,
therefore, urge upon you not to
grant any money in this connec-
tion without further considera-
tion.
I have the honor to be,
Yours sincerely,
B. J. Brandson
Winnipeg, Man.,
12th June, 1928.
Dr. B. J. Brandson,
Medical Arts Building,
Winnipeg.
Dear Dr. Brandson:
I beg to acknowledge receipt of
your letter of the 9th instant with
regard to the grant requested by
the Committee of Icelanders a
year or more ago.
If the feeling is as you point
out among your people I am very
glad that you have advised me,
for the reason that we do not wish
to embarrass Icelandic citizens in
any \Vay. In accordance with
your suggestion, we shall not pro-
ceed with the matter further in
the meantime, and shall hope that
something like unanimity among
those interested máy be reached
regarding the matter. '
Thanking you for bringing the
situation as you see it to our at-
tention, I am,
Yours very truly,
John Bracken
CUNARD LINE
1840—1929
Elzta eimskipafélagið, sem siglir frá Canada.
Cunard línan veitir ágætar sam-
göngur milli Canada og Noregs,
Svíþjóðar og Danmerkur, bæði til
og frá Montreal og Quebec.
Eitt, sem mælir með því að ferð-
ast með þessari línu, er það, hve
þægilegt er að koma við í Lon-
don, stærstu borg heimsins.
Cunard línan hefir sérstaka inn-
flutningaskrifstofu í Winnipeg,
fyrir Norðurlönd. Skrifstofu-
stjórinn er Mr. Carl Jacobsen,
sem útvegar bændum íslenzkt
vinnufólk vinnumenn og vinnu-
konur, eða heilar fjölskyldur, —
Það fer vel um frændur yðar og
vini, ef þeir koma til Canada með
Cunard línunni.
Skrifið á yðar eigin máli, eftir
upplýsingum og sendið bréfin á
þann stað, sem gefinn er hér að
neðan.
öllum fyrirspurnum svarað fljótt
og yður að kostnaðarlausu.
10053 Jasper Avo.
EDMONTON
100 Plnder Block
SASKATOON
401 liUiicuslfr lílilc.,
CALGARY
270 Maln St.
WINNIPEG, Man.
Cor. Bay & Welllnftton St«.
TORONTO, Ont.
230 Hoapltal St.
MONTREAL, Que.
(favzl

Eyja Robinsons
Eftir Emil Nielsen.
úr skugga um það, að við vorum
friðsamir menn, en ekki sjóræn-
ingjar, reru þeir að landi aftur og
sóttu þýzka landstjórann og svo
höfðu þeir þá meðferðis tvo kiðl-
inga, grís, andir og hænsn og egg,
og var nú byrjað að verzla með
þetta. Vildu þeir ólmir fá alt
það, sem við gátum mist af föt-
Mér þótti gaman að lesa grein-
ina í Lesbók Morgunblaðsins um
Juán Fernandes eða Mas-a-Thi-
erra, sem einnig er nefnd eyja
Rbinsons Crusoe. Hefi eg átt því
láni að fagna, að koma tvisvar til
þessarar eyjar, árið 1889 og enn
1890. Vorum við þá á leið frá
Hamborg til borgar, sem heitir
Guaymas og er í Californíuflóa í
Mexico, á barkskipinu “Alida”.
— Sú ferð stóð yfir í 136 daga.
í fyrra skiftið, sem eg kom til
Juan Fernandes, fórum við þang-
að til þess að fá okkur vatn. Höfð-
um við þá verið 106 daga í hafi.
Aftur kom eg þangað 1890, og
fórum við þá þangað til þess að
fá okkur vatn og timbur til þess
að gera við skjólborð skipsins
miðskipa, sem hafði alt brotnað í
ofsastormi, sem við fengum við
Cape Horn, suðurodda Ameríku.
Það eru um 285 mílur frá Val-
pariso, höfuðbo'ig Chile, til Juan
Fernandes. Mas-a-Thierra, hið
litla þorp á Juan Fernandes,
stendur við lítinn fjörð, sem nefn-
ist Cumberland Bay. Er fjörður-
inn um eina og hálfa sjómílu á
lengd og djúpur. Innar af hon-
um er frjósamur dalur, þakinn
kirsuberjatrjám og þar sprettur
líka óhemja af vatnsmelónum. —
Sjálf er eyjan há og sæbrött. Hin-
ar tvær eyjarnar heita Mas-a-
Thierra og St. Clara, og eru þær
nokkru minni. — Við sigldum inn
í Cumberland Bay. Eru háir
hamrar beggja megin innsigling-
ar, líkt og hlið, en þegar inn er
komið, lokast fjarðarmynnið og
er þar ágæt skipalega á 7 til 8
faðma dýpi. Um þetta leyti áttu
14 fjölskyldur heima á eynni.
Voru það menn, er þangað höfðu
fluzt frá Chile og þýzkur kaup-
maður, sem nefndi sig landstjóra
og kvaðst hafa leyfi stjórnarinn-
ar í Chile til þess.
Þegar við höfðum varpað akk-
erum, kom smábátur frá landi, en
hann staðnæmdist miðja vegu
milli lands og skips. f bátnum
voru 7 menn. Þarna lá nú bátur-
inn grafkyr hér um bil heila
klukkustund og störðu mennirnir
óaflátanlega á skipið. Að þess-
um tima liðnum færði báturinn
sig nokkuð nær og við sáum, að
mennirnir héldu ráðstefnu og
voru hikandi um það, hvað þeir
ættu að gera. En svo veifuðu
þeir til okkar með kirsuberja-
greinum, sem á voru klasar af
þroskuðum berjum. Við veifuð-
um til þeirra í móti og var þá
bátnum róið að skipinu.
Þegar bátverjar höfðu gengið
Juan Fernandes er frjósöm eyja
og þar er fjölskrúðugt dýralíf.
Allan ársins hring er þar milt
veðurlag, líkast því sem er á
Norður-Þýzkalandi á sumrin. —
Kirsiber uxu þar vilt bæði vetur
og sumar og eins vatnsmelónur,
sem þar var óhemja af. En vegna
þess að eyjan er sunnar en pálm-
ar vaxa, þá eru þar hvorki kokos-
pálmar né páfagaukar, þó svo sé
sagt í sögunni af Robinson Cru-
soe. Eyjan er á 34. gr. suðlægr-
ar breiddar, eða á sömu breiddar-
gráðu að sunnan og Madeira er
að norðan, en það er miklu kald-
ara á sömu breiddargráðu að
sunnan heldur en að norðan.
Það var ótrúlegur grúi af vilt-
um geitum á eynni, og svo var
margt um þær, að þá er*við sigld-
um til hellis Robinsons, þá skut-
um við margar geitur, sem stóðu
svo tæpt á hömrunum, að þær
duttu niður í sjóinn, og drógum
við þær síðan upp í báta okkar.
Hellir Robinsns er þrjá kílóm.
frá Cumberland Bay. Er ekki
hægt að komast’til hellisins nema
með því að fara sjóleiðina. Rétt
fyrir neðan hellirinn er góður
lendingarstaður í skjóli við sker.
Gengur þar djúpur dalur inn í
landið og eru klettabelti báðum
megin dalsins, sem enginn kemst
yfir nema fuglinn fljúgandi. f
dalnum spratt mikið af viltum
kirsuberjum, vatnsmelónum og
öðrum ávöxtum, og þar úði og
grúði af villigeitum á beit, en
kolibri-fuglar, sem minstir eru
allra fugla, flögruðu grein af
grein.
Hellir Robinsons er um 5 metra
langur og 5 metra breiður. Er
hellismunninn þröngur og veit
fram að sjónum. f hellinum voru
tvö flet, eða svefnbálkar, nokkru
hærri en hellisgólfið. Voru þeir
gerðir úr trjástofnum og þakið
yfir með kvistum og laufi. Þar
voru líka nokkrir ryðgaðir pottar
og á hellisvegginn var málað
“Robinson Crusoe.” Þegar eg stóð
nú þarna í helli Robinsons, rendi
eg huganum til Alexanders Sel-
kirks, sem hafði dvalið hér einn
frá 1704 til 1709. Engin manna-
bygð var þá á þessari eyju né
þeirri næstu, og enginn “Frjádag-
ur” gat komið þangað. Alt var
hér mjög breytt frá því, sem eg
hafði gert mér í hugarlund, er eg
las “Robinson Crusoe” í æsku.
Þýzki landstjórinn sagði okkur
frá því, að þá fyrir nokkrum ár-
um hefðu tveir þýzkir sjómenn
strokið af skipi, sem kom til eyj-
arinnar, og sezt að í helli Robin-
sons. Þar héldu þeir til í eitt og
hálft ár og lifðu á sama hátt og
Robinson, en þá var þrá þeirra
eftir því, að sjá og umgangast
aðra menn orðin svo rík, að þeir
gerðu sér timburfleka, er þeir
bundu saman með fljettijurtum,
og á þeim fleka fóru þeir til Cum-
berland Bay, klæddir 1 geitar-
skinnsföt.
Rétt utan við víkina er hamar
nokkur og eru þar stallar og
gjótur, líkt og í íslenzkum fugla-
björgum. Þarna verptu stórar,
bláar dúfur. Á hverjum morgni
um sólarupprás flugu þær þús-
undum saman út úr bjarginu, og
komu ekki aftur fyr en um sólar-
lag. Við lágum á bátum okkar
undir bjarginu, og gátum þá skot-
ið eins margar dúfur og okkur
lysti.
í hafinu umhverfis eyna, var
svo mikil fiskimergð, að um leið
og við rendum færi, beit á öngul-
inn. Var það sama, hvenær rent
var, alt af var handóður fiskur.
Eyjarskeggjar handsömuðu kið-
linga og tömdu þá, og átti því hver
fjölskylda stóra geitahjörð. Enn
fremur áttu þeir svín, hæns og
endur. Hús sín höfðu þeir bygt
úr timbri. En fatnað fengu þeir
frá Valpariso í skiftum fyrir af-
urðir eyjarinnar, en peningar
voru ekki til á eynni. “Kutter”
nokkur var því vanur að sigla frá
Valpariso til eyjarinnar á hverju
ári, en þegar við komum þangað
1890, hafði hann ekki komið þang-
að í þrjá ársfjórðunga, og héldu
eyjarskeggjar að hann mundi þá
hafa siglt eitthvað annað, þar
sem meiri væri gróðavon. Voru
eyjarskeggjar því byrjaðir á því
að smíða sér nokkurs konar skip
eða pramma, en vegna þess að
þeir áttu enga járnnagla, urðu
þeir að negla borðviðinn við bönd
og kjöl með nöglum úr járnviði.
Stærstu trén, sem vaxa á eynni,
heita “Greanhard” (öðru nafni
kallað járnviður). Er sá viður
harður og mjög þungur í sér. Svo
eru þar kirsiberjatré, en þau verða
ekki stór. Við létum eyjarskeggja
hafa það sem við máttum án vera
af seglum og stálkaðli í skip sitt.
Ætluðu þeir, þá er þeir hefðu
lokið smíðinu á prammanum, að
fara á honum til Valpariso og
sækja þangað fatnað og aðrar
nauðsynjar. —
Eg tel, að eyja Robinsons Cru-
soe, “Juan Ferandes”, þar sem
Alexander Selkirk lifði aleinn í
fimm ár, sé ginhver hinn guð-
dómlegasti staður á jörðu hér.
íbúarnir lifðu þar frjálsu og á-
hyggjulausu lífi. Eyjan gaf alt
af sér, sem þeir þurftu til lífsvið-
urværis. Þar var óhemja af vilt-
um geitum, svínum og dúfum og
fiskimiðum, sem engan eiga sinn
líka. Loftslagið hlýtt og þægi-
legt allan ársins hring.
í fyrra skiftið, sem eg kom til
eyjarinnar, dvaldi eg þar þrjá
daga, en í seinna skiftið var eg þar
viku. Oft hefir mig síðan langað
til þess að koma til eyjarinnar, en
hún er svo afskekt, að það er ekki
nema örsjaldan, að tækifæri gefst
til þess að koma þar við. —Lesb.
Mgbl.
IVONDERLAND.
Leikkonan alkunna, Laura La
Plante. leikur aðal hlutverkið í
íeikpum “Finders Keeipers”, sem
sýndur verður á Wonderland þrjá
siðustu dagana af þessari viku.
Sagt er, a<5 henni hafi aldrei betur
tekist, en einmitt í þessum leik, og
er þá mikið sagt. Jafnframt sýn-
ir leikhúsið gamanmynd, þar sem
Charlie Chaplin sýnir list sína.
Corinne Griffith leikur í kvik-
myndinni “Outcast”, sem leikhúsið
sýnir fyrstu þrjá dagana af næstu
viku. Mjög skemtileg mvnd.