Alexander Selkirk

__NOTOC__ Alexander Selkirk, born Alexander Selcraig, (1676–13 December 1721) was a Scottish sailor who spent four years as a castaway on an uninhabited island; it is probable that his travails provided the inspiration for Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.

Biography

Early life

The son of a shoemaker and tanner in Lower Largo, Fife, Scotland, he was born in 1676. In his youth he displayed a quarrelsome and unruly disposition, and having been summoned on 27 August 1695 before the kirk-session for his "undecent carriage" (indecent behaviour) in church, "did not compear ^*, having gone away to þe sea: this bussiness is continued till his return" (quotation in original spelling).

At an early period he was engaged in buccaneer expeditions to the South Seas, and in 1703 joined famed privateer and explorer William Dampier on the galleon Cinque Ports as sailing master. The following year, in October, the Cinque Ports was stopped over at the uninhabited archipelago of Juan Fernández for a mid-expedition restock of supplies and fresh water. At this point, Selkirk had grave concerns about the seaworthiness of his vessel (the Cinque Ports, later sank, losing most hands) and opted to stay ashore, banking on an impending visit by another ship. His decision spawned almost immediate regret. He chased and called after his boat to no avail; Selkirk spent a solitary residence of four years and four months on Juan Fernández. He took with him a musket, gunpowder, carpenter's tools, a knife, a Bible, and his clothing.

Cast away life

Selkirk initially stayed on the beach, fearing strange inland sounds he assumed to be dangerous beasts. During this period, he camped in a small cave, consumed shellfish for nutrition, surveyed the ocean each day for a possible rescue, and suffered from deep loneliness, depression, and regret. Eventual hordes of sea lions, collecting on the beach for their mating and weaning season, drove him to the island's interior.

There, life became significantly better. A bevy of new food sources became available: wild goats, introduced by earlier sailors, provided meat and milk; uncultivated turnips, cabbage, and pepper berries offered diversity and spice. Rats, also not native, were an initial problem -- they made a habit of gnawing on Selkirk during the night. However, by domesticating and living near equally feral cats, he was able to sleep soundly.

Selkirk made extraordinary use of the equipment he took from the ship and, later, that which he made from island materials. He carpentered two huts out of native Pimento trees and employed his musket and knife to hunt and clean goats. However, when his gunpowder dwindled, he had to resort to chasing his prey on foot. This resulted in a major injury wherein he tumbled off a cliff and was rendered unconscious for about twenty four hours (his prey had unwittingly intervened, sparing him a broken back).Rodgers, Woodes, Providence display’d, or a very surprising account of one, p. 6. He also read from the Bible frequently, finding it beneficial to his emotional state and grasp of English. When Selkirk's clothing wore out, he fashioned new garments from goatskin using a nail to sew. His father was a tanner, and the lessons he had learned as a child helped him greatly on the island. When his shoes were no longer usable, Selkirk's feet had become so toughened and calloused that he found them unnecessary. He forged a new knife out of iron barrel rings left on the beach.

Two vessels arrived and departed before his escape; both were Spanish. As a Scotsman and privateer, he faced a fate worse than death if captured. Selkirk hid from both crews.

The long awaited rescue occurred on 2 February 1709 by way of privateer Duke, a ship piloted by the same William Dampier mentioned earlier. Selkirk was discovered on the island by the Duke's Captain, Woodes Rogers, who called him the Governor of the island. Upon being found, the four year castaway was completely incoherent with joy. The agile Selkirk caught two or three goats a day, helping restore the health of Rogers's men. Rogers eventually made Selkirk his mate and gave him the independent command of one of his prizes. Rogers's A cruising voyage round the world: first to the South-Sea, thence to the East-Indies, and homewards by the Cape of Good Hope was published in 1712, with an account of Selkirk's ordeal.

In 1717 Selkirk had returned to Lower Largo, but only stayed a few months. There he met Sophia Bruce, a sixteen year old dairymaid, and they eloped to London. Within a year he had again gone to sea. On a visit to Plymouth, he married a widowed innkeeper. According to the ship's log, he died at 8 p.m. on December 13, 1721 while lieutenant on board the Royal ship Weymouth, probably succumbing to the yellow fever which had devastated the voyage. He was buried at sea off the west coast of Africa.

The Island

One of the islands in Juan Fernández Islands has been named Alejandro Selkirk.

Notes

References

Selcraig, B. (July 2005). "The Real Robinson Crusoe". Smithsonian, p.82-90.

References To in Other Books

In Allan Cole and Chris Bunch's Sten science fiction series, Book Two, "The Wolf Worlds", The scottish character Alex bemoans their predicament after crash landing; 'A slackit way f'r a mon, Alex mourned to himself. Ah dinnae ken Ah'd ever be Alex Selkirk.'
Selkirk is mentioned in Sailing Alone Around The World by Joshua Slocum. During his stay on the Juan Fernández Islands, Slocum runs across a marker commemorating Selkirk's stay.

External links

Account of a trip to Selkirk's Island
Site of Selkirk's camp indentified, from The Times (London), 17 September 2005.

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