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it is a warm, Sunny Day in 1708 on a small island off the coast of Chile. Alexander Selkirk lies in wait behind a bush high up on the island's rocky crags. He listens to the clicking footsteps of his prey approaching. He bides his time, staying absolutely still, and then he explodes out from his hiding place, leaping towards his target With a startled bleat. The goat takes off, bounding across the terrain. It was born on these hills and it is swift and sure footed as it races away with no ammunition left for his musket. This is now Selkirk's only way of catching goats. He's not worried. He is fitter and faster than he has ever been in his life, and like the goat, he knows every rock, every foothold in this area. Selkirk runs hard against accelerating his pace. The distance between them begins to narrow and the goat springs to the left and then the right in an effort to frustrate its pursuer. But Selkirk is wise to its ways and just as nimble tonight. He is confident he will eat well. He closes the gap and the creature is almost within touching distance. One final effort, one last surge forwards, and then the goat stops dead in its tracks. It is the last thing Selkirk expects. Losing both coordination and balance, he careens straight into the creature and steels himself through a heavy landing on the hill. And then there is no hill. He is gone, over the edge of a precipice. His legs scissor and his hands claw at emptiness, somersaulting through the air. The fall seems to go on forever. When he lands, it's as if his whole body separates into a thousand fragments with the impact, he cannot see or hear. His senses are overwhelmed by pain so intense that when he feels himself lose consciousness, he doesn't even fight. When he reawakens, he has no idea how much time has passed. He stares up at the heavens, but he's unsure whether or not to give thanks. But he still lives. Lifting his head, he stares down at his body. It appears to be in one piece. He tries moving an arm and then a leg. Pain shoots up and down his whole frame. The worst of all is his back. What if he has broken his spine? He'll probably have to spend his last hours on earth lying here, unable to fend off the wild creatures that will come to feast on him. Fending off despair, he lifts an arm again and slips a hand beneath his hip. He winces and finds wetness. As he withdraws his hand, he brings it into view. Warm blood trickles down his fingers and over his palm. And then he cries out. A long primeval roar. But it is not a call for help. Alexander Selkirk has explored every inch of this island. And there is one thing he knows for certain. He is alone in this place. Has been for years. No other human being will hear his cry. When Daniel Defoe's book about Robinson Crusoe was published in 1719, it was a runaway success and has remained in the public consciousness ever since. One of the most widely published books in history, it is said to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. The story of a man's quest for inner peace while coping with being stranded alone on an island has been imitated and adapted countless times. But what is the truth behind this work of fiction? Who was the inspiration for Crusoe, one of the most well known protagonists in literature? And what events led to this real life sailor spending years of his life cut off from all human contact? I'm John Hopkins and this is a short history of the real Robinson Crusoe. On an unknown date in 1676. Alexander Selkirk is born in the small and ancient fishing village of Lower Largo, Scotland, across the Firth of Forth estuary from Edinburgh. His father is a shoemaker and tanner, and also a strict disciplinarian, keen to see his son follow him in the family trade. Young Alexander, though, has other ideas. Desperate to see the wider world, he develops a passion for sailing and navigation with the encouragement of his mother. Alexander is their seventh son, regarded as a particularly good omen, and she wants him to make the most of that privilege in seeking his fortune. The divergence of views is a source of much friction between the parents, so much so that Selkirk's father even threatens to disinherit him. The warning is enough to keep him at home for the time being, but his resentment grows and he becomes a rebellious youth. At the time of Selkirk's childhood, relations between Protestants and Catholics are strained. The Catholic King James is removed from power in the so called Glorious Revolution. And in the ensuing backlash, many ministers are physically ejected from their churches. In Lower Lago, Selkirk is a member of a mob that confronts the local priest. The gang is led by Selkirk's brother and Selkirk himself comes armed with a cudgel. In the end, there is no violence and the priest goes quietly. But it is an early indication of Selkirk's wayward temperament. In a tight knit and fervently religious community such as this, the church plays a key role in enforcing order and discipline. So it is perhaps no surprise that Selkirk soon comes to its attention again. In August 1693, when he is 17, he is summoned to appear at a kirk session, a low level court comprising the minister and a number of elders elected from within the parish. The only details on record about the allegations against Selkirk are that he is charged with indecent conduct in church. Selkirk, however, fails to attend. He's chosen this moment to act on his ambition of going to sea. It is not known where Selkirk sails or for how long, but eight years later, in 1701, he is in Lago once more. Yet again, he gets into trouble with the church, this time for fighting with his brothers. But elsewhere, a serious global conflict is gaining momentum and soon it will dramatically alter the course of Selkirk's life. Dr. Rebecca Simon is a historian and the author of why We Love Pirates.
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The War of Spanish Succession lasted from 1701 to 1714. So the issue behind this war is that the Habsburg King of Spain, Charles ii, died childless. In his will, he named Philip, Duke of Anjou, the grandson of King Louis XIV of France, as his heir. And then Louis pretty much immediately proclaimed Philip to be King of Spain and then declared that France and Spain would unite. Now, this caused a lot of backlash in Europe because other major European powers did not want France to suddenly become the most powerful country in Europe. It had been hard enough for Spain holding that title for so long. So England, Holland, Prussia and Austria began band together because they didn't want to upset the balance of power in Europe. So they created what was called the grand alliance and they fought against France and Spain. A lot of it was fought at sea. So there were many, many privateers who were hired by the English government and other European governments to fight against their enemies at sea.
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The war affords Selkirk his first real opportunity to become wealthy in his preferred career as a seaman. At this time, ship owners can enter into contracts with the British Crown, which authorized them to attack and loot enemy ships and keep a substantial share of the bounty. The rewards for these privateers can be immense, but so are the risks to life and limb.
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Life as a privateer was definitely really intriguing for people. There were a lot of privateers who were ex pirates that chose the life because they could basically continue raiding ships and robbing ships, but this time under a government contract. So a privateer, they had a lot of their own freedom. They had a letter of marque, which is the contract telling them when, where and who they can attack. And they're allowed to keep up to 80% of the loot they can steal. Now, during the War of Spanish Succession, where the English are fighting against the Spanish, the wealthiest power in Europe, if you're a privateer and you're successful, you're going to get very, very wealthy very quickly by raiding Spanish merchant ships and other naval ships because of all the goods they're going to have. Privateers also enjoyed this line of work because they were pretty autonomous. Yes, they could only attack certain people, but they still had a lot more independence of being able to sail and fight than they would if they worked for, let's say, the navy or as a merchant. This is one of the reasons why a lot of times after a war ended, privateers who were out of work would become pirates. But being a privateer was more ideal because it meant you were at least operating under the law, so you wouldn't necessarily risk getting arrested for your actions, unless, of course, you're captured by the enemy.
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In 1703, Selkirk signs up for an expedition headed by a man called William Dampier, one of the most renowned sailors of the age. As an explorer and natural historian, he is the first to identify and name many plants and animals and to introduce new foods and cooking techniques into Europe. He also becomes the first person to circumnavigate the globe three times. Dampier's book, A New Voyage around the World, was published in 1697 to great acclaim. It even attracted the interest of the British Admiralty, which appointed him to command the HMS Roebuck and explore Australia. But there is a darker side to Dampier, too. He has a reputation as a vicious and incompetent drunkard returning from the Roebuck Expedition, he is court martialed for cruelty and dismissed from the Royal Navy. Unable to continue in more respectable employment, he now turns to privateering. And it is during his search for crewmen to accompany him on the next voyage that he first encounters the eager young Alexander Selkirk. The planned expedition consists of just two ships. The 26 gun St. George, captained by Dampier, and the 16 gun Cinque Ports, captained by Charles Pickering. They set out from Kinsale on the south coast of Ireland on September 11, 1703, with Selkirk acting as sailing master on the Cinque Ports.
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As a sailing master, Alexander Selkirk was in charge of all navigation duties. Above everything else, he was in charge of the maps. He was in charge of calculating the latitude and the longitude. He was in charge of knowing where they were supposed to go and what their next destination would be. This is a very, very high ranking position because pretty much the survival of any expedition depends on the sailing master.
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Dampier's initial intention is to raid Spanish galleons returning from Buenos Aires. But when nothing comes of it, his men become frustrated and quarrelsome.
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On journeys like this, you're going to have a very diverse crew. Some might be convicts, some might not be. Some will be high ranking and they're going into unfamiliar weather. They'll probably be hitting some doldrums here or there, storms, food shortages. So it is going to be an extremely high stress environment.
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Dampier decides to take the ships down the east coast of South America. But things become so heated among his crew that on at least two occasions he leaves men stranded on islands.
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Abandoning people on an island is known as marooning and this wasn't too uncommon as a punishment. It wasn't used very much, but people knew about it and this was sort of a way to get somebody off your ship. You're going to give them a very minimal amount of supplies so they could survive for maybe a couple of weeks. But the idea is you get them off their ship without killing them. That way you're not going to be guilty of murder or you won't get in trouble.
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While the ships are off the coast of Brazil, there is a severe outbreak of scurvy on board the Cinque Ports. Among those who succumb is Captain Pickering. He is replaced by Thomas Stradling, who is only 21 years old. The expedition finally achieves some of its objectives after it passes the southern tip of South America in February 1704. But even then, some of the men find Dampier's decisions questionable.
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They managed to capture a ship a merchant ship called the Asuncion. And this finally gave Selkirk and his men sort of the lift that they needed because they finally had some success. And it was so successful that Selkirk was actually put in charge of the Asuncion. In the meantime, Dhampir took off a lot of things like wine, brandy, sugar off the ship so he could replenish his. But then what's interesting is that after he takes off the goods that he wants, he suddenly declares the Asuncion. We actually don't need it. We can set it free. It's not worth it. So Selkirk does not get to command the ship and suddenly they don't have the rest of the ship's goods.
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May 19, 1704, Captain Stradling decides to part ways with Dampier and the Cinque Ports, sets off alone. In September, the ship stops for supplies at one of the islands of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, known to the Spanish as Mas a Tierra, or closer to land in English. The island is 760km due west of the Chilean capital of Santiago, some 48km2 in area. It is an imposing site dominated by sheer volcanic mountains and steep valleys rather than sandy beaches. The uninhabited island offers fresh water, wood for repairs, and food in the form of fruit, vegetables, fish and wild animals. On this occasion, however, making repairs seems the least of the young Stradling's concerns. This leads to an argument with Selkirk, who declares that he would rather remain on the island than risk further travel in a leaky vessel. Unfortunately for Selkirk, Stradling calls his bluff and leaves him there. Selkirk immediately regrets his impetuous statement and wades into the sea after the departing rowing boat. But Stradling refuses to accept him on board. He accuses him of mutiny and claims he needs to set an example to others who might dare defy him. As it turns out, Selkirk's suspicions about the state of the Cinque Ports prove well founded. Soon after he is abandoned, she founders off the coast of what is now Colombia. Only Stradling and a small number of his crew survive, but they are captured by the Spanish and suffer horrendous imprisonment in Lima, Peru. But Selkirk has no way of knowing that alone on the island, his few possessions are a musket and some ammunition, a hatchet, a knife, a cooking pot, some bedding and clothes, and his Bible. At first he remains close to the island's shoreline, convinced that his shipmates will return for him after teaching him such a harsh lesson. But days turn into weeks without a sign of rescue. He learns to catch spiny lobsters and other shellfish, then turns to slaughtering seals. He craves bread and salt, his food seeming bland without seasoning. But more importantly, he craves companionship. Accustomed to living and working at close quarters with others, he detests being alone in such a remote and desolate place. The noises from his surroundings, the plaintive cries of the seals, the crashing of falling trees are unfamiliar to him and frightening. Between the loneliness, the fear, and the isolation, he becomes so desperate that he contemplates suicide. Religion, the bedrock of his upbringing, becomes his savior. He reads and rereads his Bible constantly in an effort to absorb its lessons and maintain a positive outlook. But when sea lions invade the shore in huge numbers for the mating season, life for Selkirk becomes unbearable. The animals are enormous, aggressive and noisy, and their bellowing keeps them awake at night. Realizing that he needs to retreat inland, he decides to use the forced relocation to make a completely fresh start. Once he is away from the baked, infertile sand, he is able to forage for fruit and wild vegetables. He shoots feral goats for meat. Accepting that he could be on this island for some time, and with winter approaching, he decides to build some accommodation. From the metal hoops of barrels washed up on the beach, he fashions new knives and other tools. With these, he cuts down pimento trees, which prove to be a godsend. Although classified as an evergreen shrub, they can reach 18 meters in height. He uses them to build two huts, one for sleeping and to act as his chapel, the other for cooking and eating. He thatches them both with a species of grass that grows taller than a man. When his new home is ready, Selkirk establishes a daily routine to keep himself occupied and preserve his mental health. This includes singing psalms, reading from the Bible, and saying his prayers. He even maintains a calendar, not only to keep track of the length of his stay on the island, but also so that he knows when the Sabbath falls. Each week, he builds fires with the pimento wood by rubbing two pieces together until it catches, and even uses it to create candles that give off a pleasant fragrance. For cooking, he fashions a spit from pimento wood and makes use of the tree's berries, also known as allspice or Jamaica pepper. His diet becomes extensive when the ammunition for his musket begins to run low. He turns to catching the feral goats rather than shooting them, and builds a pen to house them. Now he has a steady supply of milk and and meat, and a safety net if he's unable to hunt because of illness or accident. He enjoys eating crayfish, some of which weigh up to 4kg, again seasoned with pimento pepper. Accompanying vegetables include cabbage palm radishes, watercress, and turnips. The skills he learned as a tanner when working with his father now stand him in good stead. When his own clothes wear out, he makes new ones from goatskin, sewing them together with an iron nail. He fashions a cap, a jacket, and short britches. Eventually he does away with shoes altogether, his feet having become toughened enough to manage without them. But still, he yearns for human contact, and he makes frequent trips to the shoreline to watch out for ships. And one day, it looks like his prayers are answered. Alexander Selkirk is on one of his beach patrols, looking out to sea for signs of visitors. He follows the tideline, shallow waves lapping at his bare feet. The cry of a seabird above him makes him look up, squinting up into the bright blue sky. Then he sees something else. At first, they are just a few shapes on the horizon, shimmering and indistinct through haze, but enough for him to be sure. Ships. And they're getting closer. For a few moments, Selkirk watches with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He could light a fire to attract their attention, but what if they're not the friendly faces he has been praying to see? And so he waits, hand shielding his eyes against the sun, as he tries to identify the incoming vessels. If they are French, he will surrender himself to them. Better to become their prisoner than remain on this forgotten dot in the ocean for the rest of his life. But his heart sinks when the ships get close enough for him to make out their flags. The Spanish, his sworn enemy. If he falls into their hands, his fate will be much worse than dying here alone. Selkirk turns and sprints away from the beach, his calloused feet churning up the coarse sand. He splashes through a pool and then clambers over the sharp rocks before plunging into the dense vegetation. Only when he is certain he is hidden does he stop. Panting, he peers through the plants at the new arrivals, who are now wading through the shallows and dragging a small boat ashore. He observes the advance landing party, men much like his own crew, though speaking another language. Soon dozens line the shore. Afraid to move, his muscles cramping, he watches them as they make forays to other parts of the island, returning with food and fresh water. He soaks up the sounds of their talk and laughter as they light a fire. But then, from close by, there is a cry of alarm. He has been spotted. One of the Spaniards is pointing directly at his hiding place. Without wasting a second, he turns and runs. He's followed by first one man, then more, shouting to each other. A shot rings out, and a musket ball strikes a tree in front of him, severing one of its limbs. His heart pounding, Selkirk picks out a little used root. Though he knows every root, branch and obstacle, his Only advantage is that those pursuing him do not. But there are several of them and only one of him. Pausing to catch a breath beside a tree, he realizes he is cornered. The voices are all around him. As they get louder, he knows there's only one way to go now, and that is upwards. He quickly shins up the tree, climbing until he can go no higher, and then he peers down through the veil of leaves. Two Spaniards are coming his way. They converge at the base of the tree, Looking around them, exchanging angry words. Selkirk can barely watch as they unsling their guns. He closes his eyes and utters a soundless prayer. He hears the sound of gushing fluid. Now he understands why the men have stopped here. It is only when the Spaniards have emptied their bladders and trudged off again that Selkirk dares to issue a sigh of relief. Many hours later, Selkirk comes out of hiding to investigate. He finds that the sailors have left the island, but that before doing so, they discovered his home. Most of his goats have been slaughtered. The Spanish are not the only unwelcome visitors that Selkirk receives. Sick of the rats that persistently invade his home and nibble at his toes at night, he hits upon the solution of befriending the native cats. With great patience. He entices them into his home with food and eventually tames them. Over time, they come to live with him in great numbers, keeping down the rat population but also providing companionship. However, they do bring with them another worry, that if Selkirk dies here, they will probably devour him when he is dead. Gradually, as Selkirk tames the island and its inhabitants, the island changes him in return. Eighteen months after being marooned, he is fully accustomed to his new life. In fact, he finds great joy in it. Far from the image of an abandoned sailor, malnourished and driven insane by loneliness, Selkirk is the fittest he has ever been, both physically and spiritually. Food is abundant, and the constant exercise has meant that he can outrun goats and traverse the rocky landscape with ease and, above all, for the nourishment of his soul. He still has his Bible and the power of prayer. He teaches the cats to do tricks and dances with both these and the goats. With the hair still on his goatskin garments and with his uncut beard, now a great length, he presents quite the picture of a wild primitive as he cavorts with his animals. Having explored every inch of the island, he is now totally familiar with its geography. He is the master of this place now, but pride sometimes goes before a fall on One occasion when chasing down a goat, he plummets from a high precipice and believes at first that he has broken his back. In fact, he lands on the goat, which cushions his fall. Nonetheless, he is badly injured, though he manages to drag himself back to his hut. He has to lie there in great pain for 10 days. But then, on the last day of January in 1709, Selkirk spots two ships out to sea. At first he thinks they must be a figment of his imagination, but even when he is certainly an entemrage, he remains cautious in case they are Spanish. When he finally makes out the English flags flying from the masts, he is overjoyed. As the daylight fades, he lights a fire to signal his presence and slaughters some goats for a welcoming feast. It's not until the following morning that a rowing boat is sent to shore, its occupants brandishing guns. Selkirk races towards them with a makeshift white flag formed from a piece of linen tied to a stick. While the onlookers stare at the feral looking madman in astonishment, Selkirk is too full of emotion to find words. Laughing and crying, he embraces each of his visitors. The sailors tell Selkirk that they are crew members of an expedition consisting of two ships, the Duke and the Duchess. Their leader is a man called Woodes Rogers, but there's also a more familiar name among them, William Dampier, the very man who initially led Selkirk's fateful expedition.
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Woods Rogers was a privateer, and he himself had a lot of experience sailing into the South Seas. And it was going on one of these voyages when he met William Dampier. Dampier, at the time, he had just basically been court martialed after his disastrous expedition down to Australia and the East Indies. And he was trying to find work elsewhere with other privateers and Woodes. Rogers is the person who decided to take him on. They're both very skilled sailors and Rogers thought that Dampier could have some good uses for him.
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Selkirk invites one of the captains to his hut where he begins to relate what has happened to him on the island. To return the hospitality, the captain invites Selkirk to join him on board. At first, Selkirk is hesitant and only agrees to the visit when the captain assures him that Dampier no longer has command. And in fact, when Selkirk does board the ship, Dampier has great things to say about his former crewman. Selkirk proves to be the best host the visitors could possibly have. He aids the sick and provides food for the hungry. On a quest to catch more goats, Selkirk is given the assistance of two of the expedition's fastest runners, plus a bulldog. He easily outruns them all and returns from the pursuit before the others, carrying two large goats on his back. Rogers is so impressed with Selkirk that he makes him the second mate on the Duke. When the ships finally set sail on 12 February, Selkirk stares back at the receding island with tears in his eyes. It has been his home for four years and four months. Adjusting to life back at sea proves difficult for Selkirk. He's a very different man now. Where once he was unruly and uncouth, now he is quiet and somewhat withdrawn. He finds the ship's highly salted food hard to stomach. Because of his religious adherence. He refuses alcohol and unlike his shipmates, doesn't curse. Yet despite not fitting in with his comrades, he once again proves his worth as a privateer.
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After his rescue, Alexander Selkirk immediately went back into privateering. And the major expedition he participated in was a raid at Guayaquil in modern day Ecuador. In this raid, he led a boat crew up a river called the Gaias River. And this is where they knew that There was a lot of wealthy Spanish people who had hidden a lot of goods. In particular, there was a number of Spanish women who had fled there and they had a whole bunch of gold and jewels hidden in their clothing. So they stole the gold and jewels from these particular women. Then after this, he participates in a lot of raids against Spanish galleons, particularly off the coast of Mexico. There he helped capture the Spanish ship, the Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion y Desengano. And he renames it the Bachelor. And this is the ship he's going to be captain of until he returns to England in 1711.
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Following an around the World Voyage, 35 year old Selkirk now arrives on the coast of Kent, England. He has been away for over eight years. During his most recent expedition, Selkirk kept the crew entertained with tales of his exploits back on the island. Now on his return to Britain, word quickly spreads. Woodes Rogers writes about him, as does Edward Cook, the second captain on the Duchess. Selkirk is introduced to the writer and politician Sir Richard Steele, co founder of the Spectator magazine. When Selkirk is the focus of an article by Steele published in December 1713, he officially becomes a celebrity. In addition to his newfound fame, Selkirk's claimed share from the Expedition amounts to £800, equivalent to about £130,000 today. And yet he still casts a wistful eye back to his days on the island. He's quoted in Steele's article as saying, I am now worth 800 pounds, but shall never be so happy as when I was not worth a farthing. His melancholy hardly diminishes even when he goes back to the family home in Lower Largo. When he first turns up at the house, there is nobody at home. It's a Sabbath day, so he goes to the church. As he enters, all eyes turn to him, but nobody recognizes the bearded man dressed so lavishly in fine clothing. He takes a pew at the back, and though at first it seemed even his own family don't recognize him, his mother keeps turning in his direction. Then, in the middle of the service, and much to the consternation of the other churchgoers, she suddenly leaps from her seat and rushes into his arms. Soon, though, she will learn that the man who has returned is not the same son who left her all those years ago. One morning, while his family are noisily enjoying breakfast downstairs, Alexander Selkirk sits alone in his room, brooding. He finds it difficult to spend much time with groups of other people now, even when they are his closest family. He enjoys playing with his brother's cats and teaching them the same tricks he taught the local animals back on the island. But though they respond well, sensing his affinity with them, he can't help missing the feline friends left behind. Now he heads downstairs and picks up the bag of food that his mother has put together for him. He opens the door to the modest cottage, steps outside and takes a deep lungful of sea air. His walk is long and meandering. He takes his time enjoying the sunshine and the cries of the seagulls, finishing with a climb up a steep hill. Bounding from rock to rock as he did on his island, he comes to where he has hollowed out a small cave. Then he folds himself into this private place of sanctuary and sits cross legged to eat his food. Maybe later he'll go out in his boat to catch some of the lobsters that remind him of the island's crayfish. Eventually, he leaves his primitive dwelling and descends the hill. It is only when he reaches the edge of a field that he hears the singing. It is the most beautiful voice he has ever heard. He makes his way along the edge of the field, following the angelic sound. Crouching low behind a rocky outcrop, he locates the singer, a young woman picking wildflowers while tending a single cow. Though mesmerized by her song, the courage to approach her fails him. He leaves, but resolves to find her again. One day, he promises himself, he will talk to her. The dairymaid's name is Sophia Bruce. Selkirk eventually plucks up the nerve to introduce himself to her, and love quickly blossoms. He becomes determined to marry her and persuades her to elope to London with him. Selkirk abandons his largo home for good, leaving his sea chest and most of his clothes behind, praying for his return. The family take good care of his possessions, but he never claims them again. Selkirk's experience as a castaway is not unique at this time, but his story is among the most well documented and well publicized. It seems beyond doubt that it comes to the attention of Londoner Daniel Defoe. Born in 1660, Defoe is a prolific writer who will go on to produce more than 300 works in his lifetime. It is not known whether Defoe ever comes into personal contact with Selkirk, but he certainly meets Woodes Rogers in his novel Robinson Crusoe, destined to become his most successful. The influence of Selkirk's story is hard to dismiss. In the book, the fictional Crusoe is marooned not on the Juan Fernandez Islands, but 4,300 kilometers away in the Caribbean. He spends 28 years there, much longer than Selkirk's four and a half. However, the illustration on the front page of the book depicts Crusoe attired in the hairy goatskin cap, jacket and britches that Selkirk wore. There are also many similarities between the two stories. Like Selkirk, Crusoe has cats as pets, catches and keeps goats, and fashions his own tools. But probably of most significance is Crusoe's spiritual story arc, in which his enforced isolation provokes him to turn to God and the Bible for solace and guidance. Defoe writes the book in only six months. It is published on 25 April 1719, when Defoe is in his late 50s and Selkirk is 43. Its full, less than catchy title is the Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, Mariner, who lived 8 and 20 years all alone in an uninhabited island on the coast of America near the mouth of the great river of Oronoc, having been cast on shore by shipwreck, wherein all the men perished but himself. The with an account how he was at last as strangely delivered by pirates, written by himself. Those last three words of the title, along with the first person narrative convince many that the book is a true account. It sells like wildfire, going through four editions before the end of the year. Such is its immediate success that Defoe is soon compelled to write a sequel called the Father Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. It is intended to end the story, but in 1720 Defoe writes a third book in the series. During all this, Selkirk himself goes back to sea, this time to serve as a member of the Royal Navy. It is not clear whether he ever marries Sophia Bruce, but the relationship comes to an end and on a visit to Plymouth in 1720, Selkirk marries a widowed innkeeper called Frances Candice. He has no children with either of the women. Ironically, for Selkirk, given his previous existence as a privateer, his job with the Royal Navy is to enforce anti piracy measures off the west coast of Africa. But the turnabout is rendered somewhat less noble by the fact that the ships he is protecting are carrying people who have been enslaved.
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C
As an anti piracy officer in the Royal Navy, Alexander Selkirk would be working a lot with the High Court of Admiralty. The High Court of Admiralty was the British maritime legal body. They were in charge of all things maritime, especially going after pirates in the 18th century. So Alexander Selkirk is stationed off the west coast of Africa. There is a lot of pirate activity happening here. These pirates in this region are often attacking slave ships, which are very, very wealthy ships. So Selkirk's job is to work with the Admiralty in order to hunt, capture and arrest the pirates, put them into the custody of the High Court of Admiralty, where they're going to get shipped back to England, go on trial and if found guilty, guarantee to hang publicly.
- [43:28]
B
It is while serving as a lieutenant on HMS Weymouth that Selkirk contracts yellow fever. The ship's log records that many dozens have died from the disease, often three or four per day.
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C
Yellow fever was a particular danger to sailors. It wasn't quite as common as malaria, but it was just as well known. If you're going to get yellow fever, the symptoms are going to be a fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and then it also attacks the liver and can cause a massive infection, which will make you jaundiced, hence why it's called yellow fever. There's no cure for it and the majority of people who would get yellow fever would die. Sometimes you might survive, but it was considered to be a very large danger for any sailor because any sort of medical care on a ship is going to be of lower quality.
- [44:18]
B
On December 13, 1721, a new entry is made in the ship's log took three Englishmen out of a Dutch ship and at 8pm, Alexander Selkirk died. Receiving no special treatment, Selkirk's body is dumped overboard into the sea, thousands of miles from his Scottish home. He was 45 years old. By the end of the 19th century, Robinson Crusoe had been published in more editions and translations than any other book in the history of Western literature. Since then, it has firmly established itself as the paradigm for stories of men stranded alone. Even those who haven't read the book are likely to be familiar with the basics of its tale. Many will have fond memories of a 13 part television series, the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a French production broadcast repeatedly on British TV in the 1960s and 70s. The film Castaway, starring Tom Hanks, owes much to the novel. The influence of Defoe's book is also apparent in William Golding's Lord of the Flies and Andy Weir's the Martian. The book and film of the Swiss family Robinson and the science fiction TV series Lost in Space feature shipwrecked families, both of which pay homage to Defoe's protagonist by sharing his surname. But though this fictional name is by far the more famous, that of Alexander Selkirk has not been forgotten. The 18th century poet William Cowper wrote a poem called the Solitude of Alexander Selkirk, which immortalized the phrase I am monarch of all I survey, a line referenced later by Dickens in the Pickwick Papers. Selkirk is also memorialized at his Scottish home of Lower Largo, where a statue of him has stood since 1885. It portrays him clad in goatskin and holding a musket while he scans the horizon for signs of rescue. But maybe Selkirk would be even happier to know that he has not been forgotten by the island that changed his life forever. In 1869, a bronze plaque dedicated to him was placed on on Mas a Tierra. And although the island was renamed by the Chilean president in 1966 to become Robinson Crusoe island, the largest of its neighbors in that archipelago was also renamed. Inhabited by feral goats and countless birds, not to mention a small community of permanent settlers, the place he once called home is now known as Alejandro Selkirk Island. Next week on Short History off, we'll bring you a short history of the Bayeux Tapestry. What's interesting, of course, is the fact that the tapestry seems to show that Harold is being shot with an arrow
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C
in the eye, where if you look
- [47:13]
B
at earlier versions of the Bayer tapestry, that's not so evident.
- [47:17]
C
And the reason for that is that
- [47:18]
B
the Bayer tapestry has been heavily restored in the 19th century. Probably my view is that what's happened here is there's a tradition that he
- [47:26]
C
did get killed with an arrow in the eye and the Bear Tapestry has
- [47:29]
B
been restored to show that happening. That's next time on Short History Off.
- [47:41]
C
Chronic migraine is 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more. Botox Onobotulinum toxin A prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine before they start. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It prevents on average eight to nine headache days a month versus six to seven for placebo.
- [47:59]
D
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- [48:36]
C
Why wait. Ask your doctor. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-844botox to learn more.
- [48:43]
B
Some Follow the noise Bloomberg follows the money because behind every headline is a bottom line.
- [48:51]
C
Whether it's the funds fueling AI or
- [48:54]
B
crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now@bloomberg.com.