f Lobinsot Crusoe at St.Helena © A Remarkable Record Brought Forth by the Suggestion That thé Kaiser Be Exiled. Fas ety? ar Qe PL RAEI. . ¥ dul Tham al Ba i Astonishing Story of One-Armed Fernao Lopez, the Strangest Hermit of All, Who May Have Been the Original of De Foe's Immortal 'Romance---How He Chose Exile," Against the Entreaties of His King and the Pope, and Lived Alone for Thirty Years. By F. A. COLLINS NY mention of St. Helena recalls the exile of Napoleon or the desirability of the island perhaps as a permanent home for the recent German Emperor. The story of the first exile who lived and died upon this island, and his curious romance are almost unknown. Long before Napoleon's time a Portuguese nobleman . voluntarily made the island his home and continued to live there glone for nearly thirty years. The story is without parallel in history or fiction. : It is believed that the first exile on St. Helena, Férnao Lopez, was the original of Robinson Crusoe, or at least shared that" honor with Selkirk. It is probable that De Foe on sitting down to write his immortal romance was familiar with both stories, and borrowed freely from them. Selkirk; it will be remembered, lived alone on his island for less-than five years, and was extremely anxious to escape to civilization. Lopez lived at St. Helena for almost thirty years, and took so much pleasure in his lonely life that he refused to change it. The length of Robinson Crusoe's island life in De Foe's story is much nearer that of Lopes than that of Selkirk. The attitude of Lopez toward his exile and his general psychology much more closely resembles Crusoe's than Selkirk's.. When Lopez went ashore he took with him a goat and a rooster intended for food, but which were care- fully preserved as companions. It is believed that the rooster was the original of the fam¢ parrot which shared Crusoe's exile, that the slave suggested Friday to De Foe, and even the goats were not forgotten. ' Two Centuries Before Selkirk {| Fernao Lopez began his solitary life on the Island of St. Helena in 1516, or nearly two cen- turies before Selkirk landed upon Juan Fer nandez. At the time Portugal was conducting a campaign in the far east and Lopez had gone out to seek his fortune on the Island of Malay. Dur- ing the conflict between the Portuguese forces and the natives, Lopez deserted to the enemy. It appears thet he later frankly confessed his sin and repented it. There seems to be no doubt of his guilt and certainly the Poituguese Viceroy felt very strongly in the matter, Lopes was later made prisoner by some native general and handed over to the representative of Portuguese power, Alfonso Albuquerque. : ' . The Punishment for Desertion "| The punishment for deserting at the time was 'pevere to say the least. Lopes's life was spared to be sure, but one forearm was cut off with-ane finger from the other hand, and his hair was Napoleon's House at St. Helena. antiaghd? we . tain to put him ashore. One of Napoleon's Walks on the Island of St. Helena. pulled out by the roots. The ancient records also explain that he was treated with "other indigni- ties." Three years later the Viceroy died, and Lopez set sail for home, where he had left a wife and child. As he nedred home his courage failed him, for his story was of course known and it seemed possible that still further punishment awaited him. The ship on which he sailed chanced to pass within sight of St. Melena, then an uninhabited island, and Lopez asked the eap- His request was granted and the ship continutd on her course. q Lopez was not left helpless but started his lonely life with a slave and a liberal amount of supplies. It is probable that he had a consider- able store of food, some goats and the roriter, and tools and weapons. He was handicapped of course in having but four instead of ten fingers, but his mutilated arm had not been cut off short, and was of considerable assistance. There was of course no trace of human oeciipation, no shelter of any kind, and Lopez started to dig in a cave. It was probably a ertide affair paved with the famous stockade of Robinson asoe, but it proved sufficient shelter in the mild climate of the island. Every exile in fiction has buift a cave for himself or discovered one, but Lopes's cave has the distinction of being the first of them. Europe Hears the Story The ship which had put Lopez ashore sailed on to Portugal, and the story of the lonely exile was told and repeated throughout Europe. It soon became known in many seaports and whenever a ship passed near St. Helena it would put in to visit its sole inhabitant. The story p a great novelty to a generation which had never read Robinson Cirusoe, the Swiss Family Robinson, or Treasure island. Distances were much great. From'a Sketch Made at the Time of the Exile. 111 - a letter to Lopez inviting him One of the most curious features of the case of the hermit Lopez is that in his voluntary exile he had the use of but one arm. . er four centuries ago than today, and ships fewer, and the lonely island seemed extremely remote. The name of Lopez became famous in many coun- tries. It would naturally be supposed that the exile would welcome these chance visitors, who intruded only every year or so, but Lopez resented such calls. When a ship approached the island he * would hide himself in the woods, and come out only when the ships had set sail. The position of his eave was known, and the visitors were in the habit of leaving presents of food and supplies, which must have simplified Lopes's housekeeping probleme. Almost 200 years later many ships _ealled here attracted by curiosity to catch a glimpse of Napoleon, whose name was talked of throughout Europe, but often witli no better suc- cess. Ten years passed and Lopez continued his vol- untary exile. He had many opportunities to re- turn to civilization but preferred his lowly life. His story meanwhile aroused the sympathy of the King of Portugal, who wrote and dispatched return home and promising his protection. The offer meant for- giveness for past sins, and a probable fortune, but was not to be tempted, He may have doubted the King's sincerity, but at any event he refused to leave his island kingdom. The sailors who had presented the royal letter thereupon ar. rested him and took him to Portugal as a pris- onet. Cities Made Him Unhappy The King's invitation was doubtiess well meant and Lopez was received with every evi. dence of friendliness. He proved to be a great curiosity and ple traveled from far and near to see him. He was provided with money and a home, but the life of cities proved irksome to him. He had been s0 long accustomed to solitude that an a Hh me Aud Hit som men ta hm, King very 5 ly tried to find a congenial err hugintul he was sent to a remote monastery to live among the friars. Even the quiet of a monastic life ; 3 F Hi ; Fh i git i ih i TRE