Short summary on Alexander's adventure on the island
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Alexander Selkirk was a Scottish sailor born in 1676. As a young man, Selkirk (then called Selcraig) never fit in well with society. He often found himself in trouble with the law for drinking and fighting.
At the age of nineteen, he joined the crew of a ship to avoid charges of indecent behavior in a church. During this time, he learned navigation. After a few years, he was back in Scotland. Another brawl (this time with his brothers and father) found him yet again in trouble with the law.
By 1703, Selkirk decided he'd had enough of the civilized life, and so he signed on with the Cinque Ports. The Cinque Ports was a privateer ship. Privateers were essentially pirates who worked for the government. They sailed around the world attacking and stealing ships belonging to their government's enemies. At that time, England was at war with Spain, so the Cinque Ports sailed to the coast of South America to plunder Spanish vessels.
The voyage was long and difficult, and Selkirk did not care for his commanding officer, Thomas Stradling. After a year at sea, many of the crew members had died of illness. Selkirk grew concerned that the rotting, worm-infested hull would rupture.
By September 1704, the Cinque Ports had pulled into an island called Mas a Tierra, four hundred miles off the coast of Chile. Selkirk argued with Stradling that the ship wasn't seaworthy and they should make repairs before departing. Tempers flared, and Selkirk said he'd rather stay on the island himself than risk being on a sinking ship. Stadling had him left on the island with a few supplies, including a musket, gunpowder, and a few other tools.
Selkirk initially stood fast, hoping the crew would side with him. When no one else did, he begged to be let back on the ship, but to no avail. He watched despondently as the ship sailed away.