HOME OF ALEXANDER SELKIRK. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



THE VOYAGE OF WOODES ROGERS DESERTION CHECKED BY A NOVEL CIRCUM- 

 STANCE A LIGHT SEEN UPON THE ISLAND OF JUAN FERNANDEZ A BOAT 



SENT TO RECONNOITRE ALEXANDER SELKIRK DISCOVERED HIS HISTORY AND 



ADVENTURES HIS DRESS, FOOD, AND OCCUPATIONS HE SHIPS WITH ROGERS 



AS SECOND MATE TURTLES AND TORTOISES — FIGHT WITH A SPANISH TREA- 

 SURE-SHIP PROFITS OF THE VOYAGE THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE ITS INFLA- 

 TION AND COLLAPSE MEASURES OF RELIEF. 



A company of merchants of Bristol fitted out two ships in 

 1708 — the Duke and Duchess — to cruise against the Spaniards 

 in the South Sea. The Duke was commanded by Woodes Rogers, 

 the Duchess by Stephen Courtney. William Dampier, whose 

 name had long been a terror to the Spaniards, was pilot to the 

 larger ship. They left Bristol on the 14th of July, with fifty- 

 six guns and three hundred and thirty-three men, and with 



397 



