Robinson Crusoe Island: where the very piece of land that sheltered Robinson is located. Interesting geography Where is Robinson Crusoe Island located?
Robinson Crusoe Island Geographic coordinates of the archipelago: 800 west longitude and 33040" south latitude. The archipelago is named after the Spanish navigator who discovered it in 1563. Once upon a time, the two largest of the islands were called Mas a Tierra (Closer to the land) and Mas -a-Fuera (Farther from the earth) The third is named Santa Clara. The length of Mas-a-Tierra is about 5 kilometers. Natural conditions The islands of the Juan Fernandez archipelago are covered with mountains. is Mount Yunke - 1000 meters above sea level.
The soil is fertile. Lots of streams. All three islands of the archipelago are covered with forests and are national parks, due to the presence of many rare plants on the islands - more than 100 species (such as giant prehistoric fern, giant daisy, Chonta palm, Nalka tree) and birds. Fragrant sandalwood trees grow on the mountain tops.
The famous feral goats are still found in some parts of Robinson Crusoe Island. The waters around the islands are rich in sea turtles, sea lions, lobsters, fish and seals. The climate in this area is mild oceanic, with pleasant temperatures, moderate humidity and little difference between the seasons. In August, the coldest month of the year, the average air temperature is +12 degrees, and in February, the warmest, +19oC. About 300 - 400 mm of precipitation falls annually. A little history: from Robinson Crusoe to the present day, the Pacific archipelago of Juan Fernandez was located away from the routes of merchant and warships, so throughout the 17th century it was a haven for pirates. "Robinsons" are quite common here. The very first involuntary hermit on the islands was their discoverer Juan Fernandez.
He had to live here for several years, and he began to raise goats on the island. Over time, the goats he left went wild, multiplied and provided food and clothing for all subsequent unwitting inhabitants of the desert island. For more than three years from 1680, an Indian from the Miskitos tribe from Central America lived on the island, “forgotten” here by pirates. Nine sailors were landed on the same island in 1687 for gambling with dice on a ship. Provided with the necessary supplies, they did not change their habit: the sailors played almost all their time, first for money, and then for various parts of the island. Three years passed like this. And only in 1703, Alexander Selkirk, a 26-year-old Scottish sailor who served as a boatswain on the Senk Port galley, appeared on Mas a Tierra, who quarreled with the captain and went ashore “of his own free will.” This is exactly what is written in the ship's log. Selkirk was landed on an uninhabited island included in the Juan Fernandez archipelago, where he spent more than four years in complete solitude. It was his story that served as a source of inspiration for Daniel Defoe, and he wrote a wonderful book with a long title: “The Life and Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a sailor from York, who lived twenty-eight years all alone on a desert island off the coast of America near the mouth of the Orinoco River, where he was cast out in a shipwreck, during which the entire crew of the ship, except himself, perished, with an account of his unexpected liberation by pirates, written by himself."
The book brought worldwide fame not only to its author Daniel Defoe, the prototype of the main character Alexander Selkirk, but also to the archipelago itself.
HERE ARE USEFUL: Alexander Selkirk's Cave
A site in the wilds from which the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk (the prototype of Robinson Crusoe) looked out for some rescue ship. It is located at an altitude of 550 m above sea level. There is a memorial plaque on it in honor of Robinson. A few months ago, Scottish sailors who visited the island erected a small monument to their fellow countryman in the neighborhood.
Spanish Fort Santa Barbara, which served in 1749 to repel pirate attacks. (By the way, evidence that pirates once liked the secluded archipelago is that treasures and pirate household items are still often found there)
The place where, during the First World War in 1915, the German battleship Dresden was sunk by the English ships Orama, Glasgow and Kent.
Various military relics: Spanish cannons, cannonballs, Chilean naval regalia of the war with Peru in 1879.
the ship crashed and sank, the entire crew died, Robinson Crusoe built his first home from the wreckage of the ship and made some supplies, the next storm scattered the remains of the ship completely, such things... read more carefully!
probably for mushrooms...
He was re-educated there. In a Rousseauian and humanistic spirit.
Taking into account the pamphlets of Swift and all sorts of “Simplicissimus”, the humanists of the 18th century saw the said islands as an earthly and social paradise, in comparison with Europe...
Robinson's life is filled with new - and pleasant - concerns. Friday, as he called the rescued man, turned out to be a capable student, a faithful and kind comrade. Robinson bases his education on three words: “Mr.” (meaning himself), “yes” and “no.” He eradicates bad savage habits, teaching Friday to eat broth and wear clothes, as well as “to know the true god” (before this, Friday worshiped “an old man named Bunamuki who lives high”). Mastering the English language. Friday says that his fellow tribesmen live on the mainland with seventeen Spaniards who escaped from the lost ship. Robinson decides to build a new pirogue and, together with Friday, rescue the prisoners. The new arrival of savages disrupts their plans. This time the cannibals bring a Spaniard and an old man, who turns out to be Friday's father. Robinson and Friday, who are no worse at handling a gun than their master, free them. The idea of everyone gathering on the island, building a reliable ship and trying their luck at sea appeals to the Spaniard. In the meantime, a new plot is being sown, goats are being caught - a considerable replenishment is expected. Having taken an oath from the Spaniard not to surrender him to the Inquisition, Robinson sends him with Friday's father to the mainland. And on the eighth day new guests arrive on the island. A mutinous crew from an English ship brings the captain, mate and passenger to massacre. Robinson can't miss this chance. Taking advantage of the fact that he knows every path here, he frees the captain and his fellow sufferers, and the five of them deal with the villains. The only condition that Robinson sets is to deliver him and Friday to England. The riot is pacified, two notorious scoundrels hang on the yardarm, three more are left on the island, humanely provided with everything necessary; but more valuable than provisions, tools and weapons is the experience of survival itself, which Robinson shares with the new settlers, there will be five of them in total - two more will escape from the ship, not really trusting the captain’s forgiveness.
Robinson's twenty-eight-year odyssey ended: on June 11, 1686, he returned to England. His parents died long ago, but a good friend, the widow of his first captain, is still alive. In Lisbon, he learns that all these years his Brazilian plantation was managed by an official from the treasury, and since it now turns out that he is alive, all the income for this period is returned to him. A wealthy man, he takes two nephews into his care, and trains the second to become a sailor. Finally, Robinson marries (he is sixty-one years old) “not without profit and quite successfully in all respects.” He has two sons and a daughter.
The largest of the three islands of the Juan Fernandez archipelago. Area 96.4 km².
The islands of the archipelago were discovered on November 22, 1574 by the Spanish navigator Juan Fernandez.
He named the first island, Robinson Crusoe's, Más a Tierra, which translated means “closest to the mainland.”
Robinson Crusoe Island is very mountainous, and its highest point is the El Junque peak, reaching 915 m. There is a sharp contrast between the deserted coastline and the green mountain slopes, covered with barely passable thickets of trees, ferns and shrubs.
More than 100 endemic plant species are found on the islands, and species that were considered extinct in other parts of the planet are also found here and there. Huge tree-high ferns grow on the mountain slopes.
A special subspecies of goats, the so-called Juan Fernandez goats, is also found on the islands. They descended from ordinary domestic goats, which, when the island was discovered, were left on it as a food reserve and which over time formed a separate small subspecies of brown color. Today, the Juan Fernandez Archipelago is protected by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.
In 1935, the archipelago was declared a nature reserve, with a total area of 95.7 km².
The first attempt to populate the islands with 600 Indians, who were given goats and chickens, failed, and the archipelago remained uninhabited until 1750, except for brief exceptions.
For example, in 1580, the English pirate John Watling used it as a temporary stronghold to attack the Chilean city of Arica.
From 1704 to 1709, the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk lived completely alone on the island of Más a Tierra, after he quarreled with the captain of his ship and expressed a desire to go ashore.
Writer Daniel Defoe used this story as the basis for his novel Robinson Crusoe. In this regard, in 1970 the island was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the archipelago began to serve as a place of exile for patriotic fighters for Chilean independence from Spain.
For many years they lived in caves, including future presidents Manuel Blanco Encalada and Agustin Eizaguirre.
Since 1818, the Juan Fernandez Islands have belonged to Chile.
In 1823, they were visited by the English Lord Thomas Cochrane, who served as an admiral of the Chilean fleet.
In 1877 Chile began to populate the archipelago. In particular, the Austro-Hungarian baron Alfred von Rodt settled on the islands, sponsoring their development and settlement. During the First World War, on March 14, 1915, the German cruiser Dresden landed on the island of Más a Tierra, pursued by three English cruisers, and surrendered to the Chilean authorities. However, the British opened fire on him, causing a fire to start on the ship. In the end, the captain of the cruiser ordered it to be blown up, evacuating the entire crew. Nowadays, there is a monument on this site.
In 1998, American businessman Bernard Keyser flew to the island, wanting to find the largest treasure of all time. With ancient nautical charts at his disposal and a budget of several million dollars, he dug many tunnels in the red earth, but all was unsuccessful. Keyser was led by rumors that the Germans who landed on the island were bringing with them the wealth of Germans who had lived in Mexico during the First World War.
Today, about 600 people live on the archipelago, whose main source of income is tourism and lobster fishing.
The older generation probably read D. Defoe’s entertaining adventure novel “Robinson Crusoe” in childhood. Well, or watched the movie... The younger generation has problems with this, but most have probably also heard about the famous novel.
All readers have probably wondered whether such a story is real, whether such an island actually exists... So who became the prototype of Robinson Crusoe, and does this island really exist?
Story.
Look at the map. About 650 km west of the coast of Chile, you will find a group of small islands called Juan Fernandez, which are named after the Spanish explorer who discovered them in 1563. The San Fernandez group of islands includes such volcanic islands as Mas a Tierra, ( Spanish “closer to the shore”), Mas a Fuera Island (Spanish “further from the shore”), and Santa Clara Island. All three islands belong to Chile. The first of them, Mas a Tierra, is the very island of Robinson Crusoe. In the 70s of the twentieth century, the island was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island.
This is a mountainous island, its highest point is Mount Yunke with an altitude of 1000m.
The climate of the island is mild, oceanic. In the coldest month of the year, August, the average air temperature reaches +12, and in the warmest month, February – +19.
Alexander Selkirk.
It was on the island of Mas a Tierra that on February 2, 1709, two English warships, the Duke and the Duchess, landed. Several sailors and officers on a boat went to the shore and soon returned to the ship, accompanied by a man dressed in goat skins, overgrown with long hair and a thick beard. The man told the story of his unusual adventures. His name was Alexander Selkirk. He was born in 1676 in the small Scottish town of Largo. At the age of 19 he left home. Left to his own devices, he served as a sailor on ships belonging to the English navy. As a result, he was hired on a pirate ship in the crew of Captain Pickering.
In September 1703, the pirate ships set off. The squadron captured Spanish ships filled with gold off the coast of Peru, heading to Europe. Selkirk by that time was already the second mate. In May 1704, the ship was caught in a strong storm, and the crew had to anchor near the island of Mas a Tierra. The ship needed repairs, which the captain did not want to do, and because of this, a conflict arose between him and his assistant. As a result, Selkirk was marooned on a desert island. They left him with the bare necessities - a gun with a supply of gunpowder and bullets, a knife, an axe, a telescope, some tobacco and a blanket.
Selkirk had a hard time at first. He spent some time in despair. But, realizing that despair is the path to death, he forced himself to get to work. “If anything saved me,” he said later, “it was work.” First of all, Selkirk built a hut.
Wandering around the island, he found many tasty and nutritious cereals and fruits that Juan Fernandez had once planted here. Over time, Selkirk managed to tame wild goats and learn to hunt sea turtles and fish.
In 1712, Selkirk finally returned to his homeland. The story he told became the basis for the later famous book by D. Defoe. The title of the book was very long: “The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a sailor from York, who lived twenty-eight years on a deserted island.”
Alexander Selkirk died on December 17, 1723, while first mate of the ship Weymouth. Selkirk's feat was immortalized - on the 100th anniversary of his death, a monument was erected to him in Largo, and in 1868, a memorial plaque was installed on the rock of the island of Mas a Tierra, on which there was an observation post from which Selkirk looked out ships.
Tourists.
Currently, any tourist who visits Robinson Crusoe Island can try to live almost the same life as the Scot Alexander Selkirk. Those who like unobtrusive educational tourism can explore local attractions. The Juan Fernandez Islands are not for mass tourism, as planes only fly to the neighboring island. After a flight from Santiago, which lasts 3 - 3.5 hours, you will have a two-hour journey by sea along the coastline by boat to the only village of the island of San Juan Bautista
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Reading Daniel Defoe's wonderful novel "Robinson Crusoe", you probably
wondered whether Robinson really existed, and
if so, where is his island located? Robinson is not fiction. The basis
The works of Daniel Defoe are based on a real fact. Changed in the book
an and placed it somewhere near the mouth of the Orinoco River in the Caribbean Sea.
Depicting the conditions in which Robinson allegedly lived, Defoe described the nature
do islands 2Trinidad and Tabago.
But where is the real island of Robinson Crusoe? Look at the map. Near
80 gr. w.d. and 33 deg. 40` S. you will see a group of small islands Hu-
en Fernandez, named after the Spanish navigator who discovered
dug them in 1563. This group includes the volcanic islands of Mas-a-Tier-
ra (translated from Spanish as “closer to the shore”), Mas a Fuera (“further from
coast") and the small island of Santa Clara. They all belong to Chile. So
here, the first of them is the famous island of Robinson Crusoe.
However, this is evidenced by the corresponding inscription on many
maps: after all, in the 70s of our century, the island of Mas a Tierra was pe-
renamed Robinson Crusoe Island. The largest among the islands of the archipelago
Laga Juan Fernandez Robinson Crusoe Island reaches only 23 km in
length and about 8 km wide with an area of 144 sq. km. Like everyone else
islands, it is mountainous. Highest point - Mount Yunke - 1000 m above level
ocean. The climate in this area is mild and oceanic. In August itself
coldest month of the year (the island is located in the Southern Hemisphere, and times
years here, as you know, are opposite to ours), the average temperature
air is +12 degrees C, and in February, the warmest month, +19
The low-lying areas of the island are a typical savannah with
spiky palm groves and thickets of tree ferns. Gor-
a large part of it is covered with forests, which, however, have thinned out significantly in
as a result of human economic activity, despite the fact that
back in 1935 the island was declared a national park. Especially damaged
nature was trying to uproot land for military installations on the basis of an agreement
thief between Chile and the United States.
Over 100 species of plants on the island are unique. Among them are finger-
ma Chonta, Nalka tree, various ferns and flowers that are not
nowhere else on our planet. Once upon a time, dense forests grew here
valuable fragrant sandalwood. But now you can meet them
only on the hard-to-reach peaks of individual mountains. The land here is very flat
portly, crystal clear streams flow everywhere.
The waters of the island are full of active life, here you can find turtles, sea
lions, lobsters, a lot of fish, seals. They claim that the last ones were
once so many that it was necessary to push them away with oars in order to
pour to the shore.
There are also famous goats on the island - descendants of those that Juan Fer-
Nandez left here back in 1563.
Liy warships "Duke" and "Duchess". After a long swim
The team needed a rest. A boat with seven sailors and officers
headed for the shore. Soon the sailors returned to the ship. With them
a man with a thick beard and long hair came onto the deck of the Duke
Human. His clothes were made from goat skins. The arrival tortured in vain -
to explain something to the captain. He could only utter some non-verbal words.
but separate sounds that vaguely resembled the English language.
Many days passed before the unknown man came to his senses and was able to explain
talk about your unusual adventures. It was Alexander Selkirk. He
born in 1676 in the small Scottish town of Largo into a poor family
th shoemaker John Selkreg. Nineteen-year-old boys, due to constant
quarrels with his father and brother, he defiantly changed his last name to
Selkirk, left home. Served as a sailor on various English ships
military fleet. One day he learned that the famous royal pirate Dame
the pir is recruiting sailors for his crew, and is recruited. However, Sel-
the pick ended up not with Dampier, but with the captain of another frigate, Pickering.
In September 1703, the ships set off. It was typical
at times a predatory pirate voyage. The squadron captured near the coast
gov Peru, Spanish ships loaded with gold and valuable goods, which
who sailed to Europe. Soon Pickering died, and his successor Stradling,
Having quarreled with Dampir, he separated from him. Able Selkirk theme
Over time he became the second assistant to Captain Stradling. In May 1704 they
the ship, damaged by the storm, anchored near the island of Mas-a-Tier-
ra. It was necessary to make major repairs, which the captain did not want, and
therefore a quarrel arose between him and his assistant. As a result, according to
Stradling Selkirk's kazoo was landed on this deserted island. To the sailor
they left a gun with a small supply of gunpowder and bullets, an axe, a knife, a spectacle
a pipe, a blanket and some tobacco. At first it was very difficult for Selkirk
But. He was overcome by despair and complete indifference to everything. But it's good
Realizing that despair is a step towards death, he overpowered himself and began
labor. “If anything saved me,” he said over time, “it was this
labor." First of all, Selkirk built himself a comfortable hut.
hide? The sailor, wandering around the island, found many nutritious roots
dovs, cereals and even fruits (all of them were planted here by Juan Fer-
Nandez). Selkirk tamed wild goats, hunted sea turtles,
was fishing.
There were many cats and rats on the island. Selkirk feeds so generously
poured goat meat on the cats, that over time they got used to it and became
come here in hundreds, protecting his home from harmful rodents. Fire
Selkirk mined by friction, sewed clothes from goat skins, using instead
needles and nails. He made himself a calendar and many useful things at home.
his everyday life.
Somehow Spanish sailors landed on the island, but England in those days
waged continuous wars with Spain, so Selkirk decided not to hit
let himself be seen by them and hid in the hollow of a large tree. So alone
and he lived on the island for about five years, until they accidentally sailed here
English ships.
“You have suffered a lot on this island,” Captain Rod told Selkirk.
Gers, after listening to his story - but thank God: Mas a Tierra saved
your life, since Stradling's ship was hit shortly after your landing
in a severe storm and sank with almost the entire crew, and the surviving captain
Stradling and some of the sailors fell into the hands of the Spaniards near the coast of Kos-
Rogers took Selkirk as his assistant, and he again set to work
bitelsky trade of royal pirates.
In 1712 Selkirk returned to his homeland. In the same year the book appeared
Woods Rogers' "Fishing Voyage Around the World", where briefly
told about the unusual adventures of an English sailor. Soon after
this led to the publication of a small book with an intriguing title: “Intervening”
the work of providence or an extraordinary description of the adventures of Alexander
Selkirk", written in his own hand. However, the writer from Selkirk
the pickaxe turned out to be much worse than the sailor, so his book did not cause
a great deal of interest among contemporaries. The real glory and immortality of Sel-
The pick was brought by Daniel Defoe's novel, published in 1719. Its title was
even longer: "The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,
a sailor from York who lived twenty-eight years on a deserted island
row." And even though the novel told about the adventures of some Robin-
zone, and his stay on the island turned out to be many times longer
handsome, everyone immediately recognized him as Alexander Selkirk. Moreover, in
In the preface to the first edition of his book, the author directly stated: “Even before
There is still a person among us whose life served as a canvas for
this book."
he was the captain's first mate. To the 100th anniversary of the death of the sailor
a monument was erected to him in Largo, and in 1868 on one of the sharp rocks
va Mas-a-Tierra, where, according to legend, there was an observation post Sel-
pickaxe and installed a memorial plaque.
Not only the adventures of Selkirk-Robinson are interesting, but also the story itself
his islands. It turns out that it was not Selkirk who was the first Robinson on
Mas a Tierra, and its discoverer himself is Juan Fernandez. He lived
here for several years, after which he returned to the mainland. Left by him
over time, the goats multiplied, became wild and provided plenty of meat,
milk and clothes for all subsequent Robinsons. And even now they are hunted
The local population is dying.
In the 20s of the XVII century. Dutch mos lived on the island for a long time
Ryaki. After them, from January 1680, for three years, I found here
refuge of a black sailor who alone escaped from a shipwreck near the island
merchant ship.
In the period from 1680 to 1683. on Robinson Island the Indian William from
Central America, for unknown reasons, left here by the English
Liya pirates. Perhaps this predecessor of Selkirk was pro-
Pirates' ship.
The fifth Robinsonade was more fun. In 1687 Captain Davis landed
Nine sailors were brought to the island for gambling with dice. Provided with everything
necessary, true to themselves, they spent almost all their time playing.
And since there was no need for money on a desert island, the partners
divided the island into separate sections and... lost them to one another.
Sometimes their game was interrupted by the Spaniards, who during their attacks
tried in vain to catch the gamblers. Three years later, all nine
The Robinsons left the island. And 14 years later Alec appeared on it
Sandra Selkirk.
The Robinson leapfrog did not end even after Selkirk. Long time
the island was a favorite haven for pirates. In 1715 the Spaniards formed
They built a small colony here, which was soon destroyed by an earthquake.
In 1719, deserters from the English stayed on the island for several months.
whom the frigate, and in 1720 - the crew of the sunken English ship "Spy-
duel." Some of the sailors eventually sailed from here on the ship they built.
boat, and the rest soon died defending the colony from the Spaniards.
In 1750, the Spaniards built a fortress here, which then served
prison for Chilean independence fighters. Later, when the fortress
was destroyed by an earthquake, the island was again deserted for a long time.
In 1855, a settlement of colonists from the neighboring
Chile. They were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and fishing,
They even built a small canning factory. At the end of the last century,
The Libyan government surrendered the island of Mas-a-Ti for a long time.
erra for rent to the Swiss businessman and exotic lover Baron de
Rodtu, who organized lobster fishing here, which has since become
the main occupation of the local population.
The world wars that engulfed our planet in the turbulent twentieth century did not bypass
this piece of land lost in the ocean. So, during the First World War
howl of the war in 1915, was sunk off its shores by the British fleet
German cruiser Dresden, and during the second - in the waters of the island
Mas a Tierra sometimes hid German and Japanese submarines and
light cruisers.
In pursuit of profits, an American company, using the glory of this land
like Robinson Islands, built a large hotel here for tourists
and annually produces many postcards with views of the island. Special attention
numerous tourists are attracted by the cave in which, according to legend, he lived
Robinson-Selkirk, located on the mountainside, and the hill from which
Robinson examined the oceanic distances through a telescope.
Now on Robinson Crusoe Island in the only village of San Juan Ba-
Tista is home to about 500 people. I wonder what many of them wear
the names of Daniel, Robinson and Friday.
Robinson Island, lost in the ocean, has telephone and telegraph
connection with the mainland. Every home has a TV, not to mention the
dio. And at the same time he remains isolated. Only come here once a year
a ship arrives with the necessary goods, although air traffic is
well done.
However, during the winter months, Robinson Island is completely isolated
year from the whole world: neither planes nor ships come here. Yes and in
other times of the year there are few tourists here, and the residents themselves rarely visit
travel from their island: passenger connections are too expensive.
Many have read the novel "The Life and Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe", about a sailor from York forced to spend 28 years on a desert island after a shipwreck. During his life on the island, he faced many difficulties and dangers. Generations of children have admired the achievements of Robinson Crusoe, but few know about the real person who inspired the classic to write the novel. Surprisingly, few people know that this novel is based on a true story and this amazing island really exists and you can visit it. Robinson Crusoe Island is one of the Juan Fernandez Islands group, has an area of 9.3 km2 and is located 670 km from the central coast of Chile. With a population of over 600 inhabitants, it has rich flora and fauna and a beautiful natural landscape, leading the United Nations to declare it a World Biosphere Reserve in 1977.
Alexander Selkirk and Robinson Crusoe's Island
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Alexander Selkirk and Robinson Crusoe's Island
Seeing smoke from a fire on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean, the captain of a pirate ship, Rogers Woods, sent an armed detachment to the island to clarify the situation. When the team returned, they brought with them a very shaggy man. The person who boarded the ship on February 2, 1709, was undoubtedly a human being, but wild as an animal, barefoot, covered with the skins of wild goats. This man was very worried, he could only say a few barely understandable words, but this was quite enough to immortalize himself in history forever.
In his novel, first published in 1719, Daniel Defoe called the islander "Robinson Crusoe". The real Robinson's name was Alexander Selkirk, a Scot by nationality, the seventh son of a shoemaker from the village of Lower Largo, located near Edinburgh. Selkirk spent 4 years and 4 months on Mas a Tierra, a windswept island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago, 667 km off the coast of Chile. He turned out to be the only human being on the island.
Unlike the literary work, Selkirk was not a shipwrecked person. In 1704, his ship approached an uninhabited island in the South Pacific Ocean to replenish its supply of drinking water. Selkirk rebelled against his captain, accusing him of dooming the sailors to death in their haste to continue sailing again: the ship was in poor condition and needed urgent and serious repairs. Selkirk declared that he would rather remain on the island than go aboard again.
When the 28-year-old rebel realized it, it was already too late: the ship had sailed. Which, by the way, saved his life. He was right: the ship was caught in a storm off the coast of Peru and sank with almost the entire crew. Selkirk probably didn’t believe it himself when the sails of his ship disappeared over the horizon. Among the things left to him were some articles of clothing, a knife, an axe, a gun, navigational instruments, a bowler hat, tobacco and a Bible.
In the 300 years since his return to human society, scientists can paint a complete picture of Selkirk's existence on the island. They believe that from now on they know exactly how and where he lived, partly thanks to his personal belongings found on Robinson Crusoe Island, partly thanks to the testimony he left. Thanks to this, a portrait of a real resident of Robinson Island was established, which is not always pleasant - nevertheless, it is characteristic of many rogues who became sea robbers in those days.
Selkirk was a pirate, a drunkard, and an unstable scoundrel. He was born into a dysfunctional family and ran away to sea when he was barely 17 years old. Working on a pirate ship in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, he robbed the Spanish and French. Being a naturally intelligent person, he rose to the rank of navigator, but had a very unbalanced character. Selkirk always did not get along well with people, perhaps that is why he endured his loneliness on a desert island so well.
Selkirk's home was located in a well-protected location on the slope of a volcanic mountain at an altitude of almost 300 meters above sea level, surrounded by blackberry thickets. Selkirk deliberately refused to live on the beach because it was very dangerous. He did not need to fear cannibals, as in Robinson Crusoe's island novel - the Spaniards were the main threat. If found on the island, he would be killed on the spot, or turned into a slave.
A team of researchers discovered the remains of Spanish ammunition boxes. The Spanish took control of the island in 1750 to prevent enemies from using it as a safe haven.
From his secluded abode, Selkirk climbed 300 meters up to his mountaintop vantage point, where he may have spent several hours each day. When he noticed a sail on the horizon, he found out whether it belonged to friend or foe. Should he light a signal fire and then remain undetected? He noticed two ships, both Spanish. Their team even went down to the island, but he managed to remain unnoticed.
The first 8 months on Robinson Crusoe's island were the most difficult for Selkirk: the pirate, who had longed for gold and adventure all his life, fell into depression. But over time, he began to make housing for himself. Of all the islands in the Fernandez archipelago, his was the best suited for survival. Soon his life improved so much that he could make ends meet without any problems. He became a prisoner on the island, but was freer than ever before.
The climate is mild throughout almost the whole year, and usually dry, there are no poisonous or dangerous animals, and there are freshwater streams. Fat seals frequented the beach on Robinson Crusoe Island, numerous species of fish lived in the lagoon, and the land was rich in edible plants, including wild berries, field mustard, various types of black pepper, and plants that tasted like cabbage. The only thing missing was salt, as he later told his rescuers.
Selkirk was not the first to live there. In 1575, Spanish sailors brought goats to the island, and subsequent ships brought cats and rats, as well as radishes and parsnips. Selkirk tamed several wild cats to protect him from the rats that gnawed at his legs at night. But the greatest value for him was a herd of wild goats.
Goat hunting became something of a sporting activity for Robinson. He learned to catch them and knock them to the ground while running, after which he simply let go of many of them. He told his rescuers that he had killed 500 goats, which became his source of meat and leather. He even took notes on every animal he killed.
For almost three years, Selkirk sailed around the world with his pirate saviors, who freed him from a desert island. They fought, plundered and killed their enemies, all with the blessing of the British crown, because their victims were the enemies of their country. At the end of 1711 Selkirk returned to England as a fairly rich man. He became an instant celebrity, telling his stories over food and drink in pubs. Archaeologist Caldwell suggests that somewhere in these same pubs the writer Defoe met Selkirk.
However, the hero of Robinson Crusoe's island was unhappy in the civilized world. And he longed for his island: “Now I have 800 pounds, but never again will I be as happy as I was when I didn’t have a penny.” He began drinking and disorderly again, and eventually decided to become a sailor again, this time as a lieutenant in the Navy. He died on December 12, 1721 of yellow fever off the coast of West Africa. At that time, the novel about Robinson Crusoe's island was a wild success.
Robinson Crusoe Island: general information
Robinson Crusoe Island was formed as a result of a series of volcanic eruptions, as a result of which a group of Juan Furnandez Islands appeared at a distance of 670 kilometers from the coast of Chile. At first, Robinson Crusoe Island was named Juan Fernandez in honor of the captain of the Spanish ship who first landed here in 1574. The Pacific archipelago of Juan Fernandez was located away from trade routes, so for many centuries it served as a refuge for pirates.
Juan Fernandez named the first island Más a Tierra, the second - Más Afuera, the third small piece of land with an area of only two square kilometers - Santa Clara. In 1968, the Chilean government renamed the islands to promote tourism, and Más a Tierra is now Robinson Crusoe Island and Más Afuera is Alexander Selkirk Island. As a result of volcanic activity, the island has a mountainous topography. The highest point of Robinson Crusoe Island is Mount El Yunque with an altitude of 916 meters above sea level.
Historically, there were no human settlements on this piece of land among the endless ocean. The first signs of human presence date back to the discovery of the archipelago by Juan Fernandez. After this, the island, along with the neighboring island of Santa Clara to the west, was periodically visited by corsair ships, for whom the island served as an ideal place to replenish water and vegetables, relax and hunt wild goats, which at that time had already bred on the island. A permanent population appeared on the island of Más a Tierra (modern Robinson Crusoe Island) in the early nineteenth century, when the Spanish began sending Chilean independence fighters there. The caves of the coast gave shelter to many revolutionaries, including the future president Manuel Blanc Encalada. Only in 1877 did Chile begin to actively settle the island, although the main funds for the development of these lands were provided by the baron of Austro-Hungarian origin Alfred von Rodt.
Swiss baron Alfred von Rodt leased the island from Chile in 1877 and founded a settlement at Cumberland Bay, the only permanent settlement that exists to this day. Rodt's entrepreneurial efforts contributed to the resettlement of about a hundred Chileans, as well as some representatives of the Italian, German, French, Swiss and English nations. The first settlers made their living by fishing and seal hunting; the killing of seals was later banned by the Chilean government. Today the number of seals on Robinson Crusoe Island is about 1000.
Since the animals are no longer hunted, they are quite trusting of people. The settlement of San Juan Bautista has about 600 inhabitants who are engaged in fishing, mainly lobster, which is highly valued for its taste.
On March 8, 1915, the German military cruiser Dresden entered the Cumberland Bay of Robinson Crusoe Island, which was neutral territory during the First World War. Lacking sufficient coal, ammunition and worn-out engines, the ship could not carry out military operations. Six days later, on March 14, 1915, he was discovered by the British cruisers Glasgow, Kent and Orama. After several shots, Dresden raised the white flag and Lieutenant Wilhelm Canaris went to negotiate with the British. In reality, it was just a ploy to gain time. To prevent the German cruiser from falling into the hands of the British, the Dresden crew scuttled the ship and hastily abandoned it. The crew, about 300 people, were interned in Chile. Canaris subsequently fled to Argentina, and from there, with the help of German sympathizers, returned to Germany at the end of the First World War. He rose to prominence during World War II as the head of German military intelligence, and as a member of the German Resistance. Today, underwater excursions to the cruiser lying at the bottom of the sea are one of the main tourist attractions of Robinson Crusoe Island.
Centuries have passed since the discovery of Robinson Crusoe's island, but nature has remained the same as it was in the time of Alexander Selkirk. More than 70% of the plant species found in the Robinson Crusoe Island forest ecosystem are endemic, meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world. Giant palmillos ferns, the endemic chonta palm, and a number of climbing vines are among the island's most notable plants. The island's fauna is not so rich, including the Juan Fernand Hummingbird and a rich marine ecosystem with schooling fish and a restored population of the Juan Fernand fur seal, which was on the verge of extinction due to hunting in the late 19th century. In 1977, the island was declared a national park and a World Biosphere Reserve. Plants and animals introduced from the mainland, which have long threatened the integrity of the island's ecosystem, are being eradicated from the island thanks to an ambitious project partially funded by the Dutch government. The marine ecosystem of Robinson Crusoe Island is as unique as the land ecosystem, attracting scientists to study this little-known sea corner.
The legendary history has turned Robinson Crusoe's island into a mysterious, exciting place, and its natural beauty into a real paradise. The picturesque island with tropical nature and a tranquil blue lagoon is characterized by a wealth of coral life, large sandy beaches, tall palm trees, huts with reed roofs, fresh tropical fruits, seafood and friendly local people. Tourists are offered sport fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, local cultural entertainment programs, and, of course, the opportunity to soak up the sun on the island's white beaches. Robinson Crusoe Island is considered one of the best places for scuba diving.
Climbing the mountains is not only the best way to get acquainted with the nature of Robinson Crusoe Island - it is the only possible way. The established route connects the settlement of San Juan Bautista with such tourist attractions as the Mirador de Selkirk, a mountain where sailors climbed every day to monitor the possible appearance of ships on the horizon, and Cerro El Yunque, the highest mountain at 915 m.
The tourist season begins in October and ends in April. During this period, the weather conditions are best for relaxation. The island welcomes a special type of tourists: naturalists, divers, admirers of ecotourism, for whom the availability of comfort and household amenities is clearly not in the first place. Instead of the benefits of civilization, you can enjoy wild, untouched nature, impressive to all visitors.
There are two dirt roads on the island and at most two dozen cars; there are no restaurants or bars. Cruise ships periodically stop near Robinson Crusoe Island on their way from the Galapagos Islands to Tierra del Fuego. When walking the streets of San Juan Bautista, foreigners must observe the tradition of greeting every person they meet. It is part of the islanders' identity to say "hello" to any passerby they meet, even if they see him for the second or third time during the day. The islanders are famous for their friendliness.
Due to the remoteness of the island from the main centers of civilization, few tourists come here. Flights to the island are carried out by aircraft that can carry no more than 10 passengers. From January to February, daily scheduled flights operate from Los Cerrillos Airport (Santiago) and last approximately 3 hours, weather permitting. At other times of the year, flights operate once a week. On Robinson Crusoe Island there is no airport as such, and planes land on a strip laid in solidified lava between mountain peaks. Once every 45 days it is possible to get here by ship; the sea voyage lasts 30 hours.
Locals talk about huge treasures hidden by a crew of pirates. In 1760, English sailor Cornelius Webb hid a treasure consisting of 864 bags of gold, 200 gold bars, 21 barrels of precious stones and jewelry, 160 boxes of gold and silver coins. Having hidden the treasure, Webb's men returned to the ship. Cornelius blew up the ship along with the crew, so only he knew the secret of the hidden treasures. Since then, the island has been filled with rumors about the possible hiding place of the treasure. Chicago entrepreneur Bernard Kaiser, having spent about $1 million searching for it, claimed that he was too close to solving the possible discovery of the treasure. One day he was asked: “So where is the treasure?” “Robinson Crusoe Island is the treasure,” he answered.
Robinson Crusoe Island video: part one
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