128 



ALEXANDER SELKIRK. 



[1824 



guarded by one hundred regular troops, sent from Valparaiso for that 

 purpose. It was then considered dangerous for a merchant-ship to lie 

 in the bay at night without keeping a good look-out towards the village, 

 with all the crew under arms, as the convicts had already made at- 

 tempts to cut out vessels lying at anchor, for the purpose of making 

 their escape. They have lately effected their design, seven years 

 since the date of this journal, by seizing the American brig Anawan, 

 Captain Palmer, and compelling him to land them at Copiapo, a small 

 port on the coast of Chili. 



There is a small island lying off the southern side of Juan Fer- 

 nandez, called Monkey Key ; and another at the south-west side, called 

 Goat Island, about a mile distant, with fifteen fathoms of water between 

 them. It is merely an uninhabited rock, however, not even visited by 

 seals at the present time. 



Every schoolboy knows that the island of Juan Fernandez was, 

 for four or five years, the solitary residence of a Scotch sailor, named 

 Alexander Selkirk ; he having been left there by his captain, on ac- 

 count of a quarrel between them. It was from his journal that De Foe 

 filched the materials for his interesting romance of Robinson Crusoe — 

 a book that has never been equalled in popularity since the art of print- 

 ing was discovered — a book that has had, and still has, more influence 

 on the minds of youth than ever had the legends of chivalry in Spain, 

 or the dramas of Schiller in Germany. 



Many persons, however, are under the impression that Selkirk was 

 wantonly and arbitrarily sent on shore here against his will. Such 

 was not the fact- It was his own proposition to remain on this island, 

 m preference to continuing on board the Cinque-ports galley, under a 

 captain who he thought had ill-treated him, though he held the office 

 of sailing-master on board the ship. Captain Stradling consented, and 

 furnished him with the means of procuring the necessaries of life. But 

 when the ship was ready to sail, Selkirk's resolution was shaken, and 

 he eagerly made overtures of reconciliation. Stradling now thought 

 that it was his turn to be obstinate, and refused to receive the recluse 

 on board, but left him alone on this solitary island, far beyond the 

 reach of the sympathies or assistance of his fellow-men. As the last 

 boat left the island for the ship, then under way, his heart sank within 

 him, and every hope expired. Well might he exclaim, in the language 

 which Thompson has put into the mouth of another in similar circum- 

 stances— 



" I never heard . 



A sound so dismal as their parting oars." 



But Selkirk was not left here to perish by famine ; the means of 

 subsistence were furnished him. There were left with him clothes 

 and bedding, a gun and ammunition, a few books, with certain nautical 

 and mathematical instruments, and some other trifling implements. 

 The island abounded with fruits, vegetables, animals, and all the 

 necessaries of life, in the greatest abundance ; and he was sole monarch 

 of the little kingdom. But though he might have thought, as it is beauti- 

 fully expressed in Cowper's poem on the subject — 



