SPANISH AMERICAN ISLANDS. 541 



Beyond Cape Horn and the straits of Magellan, proceeding north- 

 wards in the Great South Sea, or Pacific Ocean, the first Spanish 

 island of any importance is CHILOE, on the coast of Chili, which 

 has a governor, and some harbours well fortified. It is situate be- 

 tween 42 and 44 degrees of south latitude, and 75 and 76 west longi- 

 tude, and is about 150 miles long, and 21 broad. 



JUAN FERNANDES....Lying in 83 degrees west longitude, and 

 33 souih latitude, 300 miles west of Chili. This island is uninhabited ; 

 but having some good harbours, it is found extremely convenient for 

 the English cruisers to touch at and water. This island is famous 

 for having given rise to the celebrated romance of Robinson Crusoe. 

 It seems that one Alexander Selkirk, a Scotchman, was left ashore in 

 this solitary place by his captain, where he lived some years, until 

 he was discovered by captain Woodes Rogers in 1709. When taken 

 up, he had forgotten his native language, and could scarcely be un- 

 derstood, seeming to speak his words by halves. He was dressed in 

 goats' skins, would drink nothing but water, and it was some time 

 before he could relish the ship's victuals. During his abode in this 

 island he had killed 500 goats, which he caught by running them 

 down, and he marked as many more on the ear, which he let go. 

 Some of these were caught thirty years after by lord Anson's people; 

 their venerable aspect, and majestic beards, discovered strong symp- 

 toms of antiquity. Selkirk, upon his return to England, was advised 

 to publish an account of his life and adventures in his little kingdom. 

 He is said to have put his papers into the hands of Daniel Defoe, to 

 prepare them for publication ; but that writer, by the help of these 

 papers and a lively fancy, transformed Alexander Selkirk into Robin- 

 son Crusoe, and returned Selkirk his papers again ; so that the latter 

 derived no advantage from them. They were probably too indigested 

 for publication, and Defoe might derive little from them but those 

 hints which gave rise to his own celebrated performance. 



The other islands that are worth mentioning are the Gallipago 

 Isles, situated four hundred miles west of Peru, under the equator; 

 and those in the bay of Panama, called the King's or Pearl Islands, 



Vol. II. 3 Z 



