Robinson Crusoe is a fictional character in a book by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1719. In this famous work, Robinson is shipwrecked and stranded on an island, surviving alone until he meets Friday, another lonely resident of the island.
Alexander Selkirk: biography
Defoe's story, however, is based on the real life experience of a Scottish sailor. The prototype of Robinson Crusoe Alexander Selkirk (a photo of his statue is presented below) was born in 1676 in the small fishing village of Lower Largo, in the Fife region, Scotland, near the mouth of the Firth of Forth.
He was hired as boatswain on the Sank Pore, bound for privateering in 1702. The ship's owners received a letter of marque from the Lord Admiral, which not only allowed merchant ships to be armed in self-defense against foreign ships, but also authorized attacks on them, especially those flying the flags of Britain's enemies. In fact, privateering was no different from piracy - robbery was another way to earn money when normal maritime trade was stopped for the duration of the war.
The fate of "Sankpor" was inextricablyassociated with another privateering enterprise led by the captain of the St. George, William Dampier.
License to Robbery
In April 1703, Dampier left London at the head of an expedition consisting of two ships, the second of which was called the Fame and was under the command of Captain Pulling. However, before the ships left the Downs, the captains quarreled, and the Fame sailed, leaving the St. George alone. Dampier sailed for Kinsale, Ireland, where he met up with the Sankpor under Pickering's command. Both ships decided to join forces and a new agreement was made between the two captains.
Dhampier was hired by Thomas Escort to send an expedition to the South Sea (Pacific Ocean) to search for and plunder Spanish ships carrying treasure. The two captains agreed to sail along the coast of South America and capture a Spanish ship in Buenos Aires. If the booty was £60,000 or more, the expedition would have to return to England immediately. In case of failure, the partners planned to go around Cape Horn to attack Spanish ships carrying gold from the mines in Lima. Failing that, it was agreed to sail north and try to capture the Acapulco, a Manila ship that almost always carried treasure.
The ill-fated expedition
The expedition of privateers left Ireland in May 1703, and as things progressed things did not go well. Captains and crew membersquarreled, and then Pickering fell ill and died. He was replaced by Thomas Stradling. The controversy, however, did not stop. The dissatisfaction was caused by the crew's suspicions that Captain Dampier was not decisive enough in making decisions to rob passing ships and, as a result, much booty was lost. He was also suspected that, after the mission was completed, he and his friend Edward Morgan would not want to share the booty with the crew.
In February 1704, during a stopover on the island of Juan Fernandez, the crew of the Sankpore rebelled and refused to return to the ship. The crew returned to the ship after the intervention of Captain Dampier. To make matters worse, the sails and rigging were left on the island after the crew made a hasty retreat after spotting the French ship. As the voyage continued, the funds for cleaning and repairing the ships needed to prevent worm damage to the ship were lost, and the ships soon began to leak. By that time, relations between the two teams had reached a point, and then they agreed, upon reaching the Bay of Panama, to divide the booty and disperse.
Riot on the ship
In September 1704, the St. George set sail and the Sank Pore returned to Juan Fernandez in an attempt to recover her sails and rigging, only to find that a French ship had taken them. It was here that boatswain Alexander Selkirk rebelled, refusing to sail further. He realized that the condition of the ship was so bad, and his relationship with Captain Stradling so tense, that he preferred to try his luck and land onMas a Tierra, one of the uninhabited islands of the Juan Fernandez group. He was left with a pistol, a knife, an axe, oats and tobacco, as well as a bible, religious literature and several navigational instruments. At the last moment, Alexander Selkirk asked to be taken on board, but Stradling refused.
As it turned out, despite his will, he saved his life. After sailing from Juan Fernandez, the Senk Pora leak became so strong that the crew was forced to leave the ship and transfer to rafts. Only 18 sailors survived, who managed to reach the coast of South America, where they were captured. They were mistreated by the Spaniards and the local population and then the crew was imprisoned.
Alexander Selkirk: island life
Near the shore, he found a cave where he could live, but in the first months he was so frightened by his isolation and loneliness that he rarely left the shore, eating only shellfish. Alexander Selkirk, the prototype of Robinson Crusoe, sat on the beach for days, peering at the horizon, hoping to see a ship that would save him. More than once, he even considered suicide.
Strange sounds coming from the depths of the island terrified him, and seemed like the cries of wild bloodthirsty animals. In fact, they were emitted by trees that fell from a strong wind. Selkirk came to his senses only when its beach was invaded by hundreds of sea lions. There were so many of them, and they were so huge and terrible, that he did not dare to go to the shore, where was the only source of hisfood.
Fortunately, the valley nearby was teeming with lush vegetation, particularly cabbage palms, which became one of his main food sources. In addition, Selkirk discovered that the island was inhabited by many wild goats, probably left here by pirates. At first he hunted them with a gun, and then, when the gunpowder ran out, he learned to catch them with his hands. Eventually, Alex domesticated a few and fed on their meat and milk.
The island's trouble was the big ferocious rats that had a habit of gnawing at his arms and legs while he slept. Fortunately, wild cats lived on the island. Selkirk tamed a few, and at night they surrounded his bed, protecting him from rodents.
Ghost Hope
Alexander Selkirk dreamed of salvation and daily looked out for sails, lit fires, but several years passed before the ships visited Cumberland Bay. However, the first visit was not quite what he expected.
Cheerful, Alex rushed to the shore to signal two ships anchored off the coast. Suddenly he realized they were Spanish! Since England and Spain were at war, Selkirk realized that a fate worse than death awaited him in captivity, the fate of a slave in a s alt mine. The search party landed on the shore and, noticing the "Robinson", began to shoot at him while he was running and hiding. In the end, the Spaniards stopped searching and soon left the island. After escaping capture, Alex returned to his much friendlier cats and goats.
Happy Rescue
Robinson remained alone on the island for four years and four months. He was rescued by another privateer, led by Captain Woodes Rogers. In his ship's log, which he kept during this famous voyage, Rogers described the moment of the rescue of Selkirk in February 1709.
We arrived at Juan Fernandez Island on January 31st. Replenishing supplies, we remained there until February 13th. On the island we found one Alexander Selkirk, a Scot, who was left there by Captain Stradling, who accompanied Captain Dampier on his last voyage, and who survived for four years and four months without a single living soul with whom he could communicate, and no companion but wild goats.”
In fact, Selkirk, despite his forced loneliness, had a chance to beg to come on board, as he learned that among his rescuers was the commander of the ill-fated voyage "Sankpor" and now a pilot on Woods's ship, Roger Dampier. Eventually, he was persuaded to leave the island, and was assigned as mate on Rogers' ship the Duke. The following year, after the capture of the Spanish ship Nuestra Senora de la Incarnacion Disenganio, which was carrying gold, sailor Alexander Selkirk was promoted to boatswain of the new expedition ship, renamed the Bachelor.
Return
Woods Rogers' voyage ended in 1711 with his arrival in the Thames. Prototype of Robinson Crusoe by Alexander Selkirkreturn became widely known. He was, however, asked to testify in a court case brought against William Dampier by Elizabeth Creswell, daughter of the owner of the first expedition, for losses suffered in 1703.
After that, the Robinson sailed on a merchant ship to Bristol, where she was charged with assault. The accusation was probably brought by Dampier's supporters, but nevertheless he was imprisoned for 2 years.
Alexander Selkirk, sailor, privateer and Robinson, died at sea in 1721.
