Alexander Selkirk was born at Largo, Scotland, in 1676, and bred to the
sea. Having engaged in the half piratical, half exploring voyages in the
American seas, into which the spirit of adventure had led so many
Englishmen, he quarrelled with his captain, one Straddling, by whom he
was left ashore, September, 1704, on the uninhabited island of Juan
Fernandez, with a few books, his nautical instruments, a knife, boiler,
axe, gun, powder and ball. These constituted his whole equipment.
The island of Juan Fernandez lies in the Pacific Ocean, and is about
three hundred and thirty miles west of Chili. It is twelve miles long
and six wide. It is beautifully diversified with hills and valleys, and
has been long resorted to for water, fruits, and game, by vessels
navigating the Pacific Ocean. Upon this island, Selkirk now found
himself alone. He saw the vessel depart with sadness and sickness at
heart. His emotions of terror and loneliness overwhelmed him for a time,
and he remained in a state of stupor and inactivity.
But these feelings gradually faded away, and though his situation was
appalling, he concluded to make the best of it. He now set about
erecting himself two huts, one of which served him for a kitchen, the
other for a dining-room and bed-chamber. The pimento wood supplied him
with fire and candles, burning very clearly, and yielding a most
fragrant smell. The roofs of his huts were covered with long grass.
The island was stocked with wild goats. He supplied himself with meat by
shooting these, so long as his ammunition lasted. When this was
exhausted, he caught them by running; and so practised was he at last in
this exercise, that the swiftest goat on the island was scarcely a match
for him. When his clothes were worn out, he made himself a covering of
goat-skins. After a short space, he had no shoes, and was obliged to go
barefoot; his feet, however, became so callous, that he did not seem to
need them.
Soon after he had become settled in his hut, he was annoyed by rats,
which became so bold as to gnaw his clothes and nibble at his feet while
he slept. However, the same ships which had supplied the island with
rats, had left some cats ashore. Some of these, Selkirk domesticated,
and the rats were taught to keep themselves at a distance. He caught
also some young goats, which he reared, and amused himself by teaching
them to dance and perform many other tricks. During his stay upon the
island, Selkirk caught and killed nearly five hundred goats. A few he
set at liberty, having cropped their ears. Thirty years after, Lord
Anson's crew shot a goat upon the island, and found its ears marked in
the manner described.
Selkirk generally enjoyed good health, but in one case he nearly lost
his life by accident. In the eager pursuit of a goat among the
mountains, he fell over a precipice, and lay there for some time in a
state of insensibility. On recovering his senses, he found the animal
which had caused his fall, lying dead beneath him.
Selkirk often saw vessels pass by the island, and made frequent, but
vain attempts to hail them. At length, after he had lived here in
perfect solitude for four years and four months, he was taken off by an
English vessel, commanded by Captain Rogers. This occurred in February,
1709. Although he felt great joy at his deliverance, he still manifested
much difficulty in recovering his speech, and in returning to such food
as he found on board the ship. It was a long time before he could again
accustom himself to shoes.
Captain Rogers made him a mate of his ship, and he returned to England
in 1711. It has been supposed that he gave his papers to De Foe, who
wove, out of his adventures, the admirable story of Robinson Crusoe. It
appears, however, that he made little use of Selkirk's narrative, beyond
the mere idea of a man living alone for several years upon an
uninhabited island.
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