A fascinating book about Robinson Crusoe by the famous writer Daniel Defoe has probably been read by each of us. But not many people know who is the prototype of the protagonist. But the real Robinson existed - it was a Scot sailor named Alexander Selkirk. He spent several years on a desert island, and now this piece of land is proudly named "Robinson Crusoe".
There is a small Scottish town called Lower Largo in the vicinity of Edinburgh. There, in 1679, Alexander Selkirk was born - the future Robinson Crusoe against his will. Alexander's father was a shoemaker, and the young man himself dreamed of the sea from an early age. Once a young man ran away from his father's house and got a job as a junior sailor on a passing ship. In a flotilla of a well-known sea robber named William Dampier, he participated in numerous voyages and gradually became an experienced sailor.
No need to quarrel with the captain
The year 1704 became fateful for Selkirk. At that time he served as a boatswain on a large ship called the Five Ports, commanded by Captain Stradling. A leak was discovered in the ship's hull while the ship was off the Chilean coast. Selkirk thought this was a big problem and suggested a quick hull repair on one of the nearby islands. The captain judged otherwise. In his opinion, one should go straight to the port, and carry out the corresponding work in the dock.
The boatswain suggested that the ship might not reach the port, but the captain ridiculed him and called him a cowardly hare. It was a public insult, and a quarrel broke out between the sailors. Calling Stradling "the devil's captain", Selkirk said that it was much safer on a desolate patch of land than under the leadership of such a nonentity.
The commander of the ship, taking advantage of the opportunity, immediately invited him to land on a small island called Mas-a-Tierra. In the heat of the argument, Selkirk agreed and began packing. Fearing that the boatswain would change his mind, the captain hurried him as best he could.
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Alexander was given a blanket, a pillow, a bowler hat, an ax, a flintlock, some bullets and gunpowder. And only on the coast of a deserted island did a sobering up to the beginning Robinson. The boatswain immediately realized what kind of trouble he was in. He shouted after the retreating boat that he had changed his mind. If Selkirk had known that the ship would get caught in a storm and sink, he probably would have behaved differently. It is believed that the entire crew of the ship died, according to other sources, the Spaniards picked it up and brought it to justice for piracy. One thing is clear, the boatswain got the trump card.
Waited for the ship
Selkirk spent more than four years on an island called Mas a Tierra. Not a single person was on the island. But there were edible fruits, a variety of birds, wild cats and goats. Even a fresh water source was found. Thus, death from thirst or hunger did not threaten the newly-born Robinson.
Two tamed kittens protected his food from rats. Wild goats were also under this protection, which gave the islander milk, meat and skins. Thanks to his physical endurance, wit and will, Selkirk was able to wait for salvation.
The ship, under the command of Captain Rogers, docked on the last day of January 1709. The sailors went ashore for exotic fruits and drinking water, and returned back with some shaggy creature dressed in goat skins.
This was, as you understand, Selkirk. He did not immediately return to his homeland with Captain Rogers' ship. The first thing the British went to the shores of South America, where they took up piracy. Selkirk spent another couple of years with them, and then returned to England.
The next year the book by W. Rogers was published. It was called "A Journey Around the World" and it briefly described the extraordinary story of the sailor Alexander Selkirk. After the publication of the book, the former Robinson became a famous person. The journalist R. Steele, popular at that time, interviewed him, which he then published in the newspaper "Englishman".
This story has reached Daniel Defoe. The famous book about Robinson Crusoe, published a couple of years before the death of Alexander Selkirk, was based on it. A preface was written to the first rather large edition of the book. In it, the author drew the attention of readers to the fact that the person whose life served as the basis for the creation of the book is still among his contemporaries.
Pirate treasure and sunken cruiser
Today, in a small village called San Juan Bautista on the island of Robinson Crusoe, 630 people live, who are engaged in fishing for seafood and serving foreign tourists. This settlement is visited by hundreds of travelers every year. There is also a hotel named after the writer Daniel Defoe.
Tourists love to explore the Alexander Selkirk Cave. Visitors to the island also do not disregard the platform from which the islander looked out to sea for the long-awaited ship. Anyone can walk along the Crusoe Bridge, get a tan on the white beach, sit in a cozy cafe with the charming name "Friday" and do sports fishing.
If one of the vacationers wants to experience the life of Robinson, then there are special huts for this. You can live there like a real savage. The island is also very popular among scuba divers. The main goal of the divers is to dive to the German cruiser Dresden, sunk in 1915.
In 1977, Robinson Crusoe Island acquired the status of a national park, and is now known as the World Biosphere Reserve. Among the plants, there is an incredible number of endemics - climbing lianas, Chonta palm and incredible ferns. On the coast of the island, you can find the Huangfernand seal, and in more secluded corners - a hummingbird of a very rare species.
Treasure hunters are also looking closely at the island. There was a time when he was away from trade routes, and this quiet place was ideal for storing treasures. The islanders love to talk about the untold wealth that the legendary pirate Cornelius Webb seems to have hidden here in 1760. It is even known what this treasure consists of - it includes 160 boxes of silver and gold coins, 21 barrels of jewelry and precious stones, 864 bags filled with jewelry and ingots of the purest gold in the amount of 200 pieces.
The pirates carefully hid the above treasures and returned to the ship. Not long delaying, Webb immediately blew it up to get rid of accomplices.
The islanders constantly talk about this treasure, and each time new versions are put forward where it can be found. About 10 years ago, the Guardian newspaper reported that the largest treasure in world history, worth up to $ 10 billion, was found on the island of Robinson Crusoe. It seems that at a depth of over 15 meters, about 600 barrels of gold coins and jewelry of the ancient Incas were discovered, which were buried by the Spanish conquistadors of origin back in the 18th century.