Visitors are not permitted on Devil’s Island and can only explore Royal Island, where a few cells and the administration buildings were kept. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS (Matthew 25:41).
In the last 20 years, four islands in the Sundarbans have permanently gone underwater. Hell Was Prepared for the Devil and His Angels. The rise in sea level threatens to drown the entire Gangetic delta in a few decades. Read another story from us: Giant Concrete “Sound Mirrors” were Used to Detect Enemy Aircraft Before Radarĭevil’s Island prison no longer houses criminals, having closed down in 1953, and the group of islands has become a tourist attraction. The sea has literally broken through the strong barrier of a concrete embankment and drawn level with the land, as seen here in Baliara. A blog post on Barnes & Noble also debunks many of the claims made in Charriere’s book. Georges Ménager’s Les Quatre Vérités de Papillon ( The Four Truths of Papillon), in 1970, and Gérard de Villiers’ Papillon épinglé ( Butterfly Pinned), also 1970, claim that Charriere made up many of the events in his book and stole the experiences of others.
The success of the book was instrumental in allowing Charriere back into France in 1970. The book was an instant best-seller and was later made into a movie, starring Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen, in 1973. Map of the Salvation Islands (Îles du Salut), off the coast of French Guiana.