640 WOODES ROGERS’S NARRATIVE.

II.

NARRATIVE OF SELKIRK’S RESIDENCE ON THE
ISLAND OF JUAN FERNANDEZ.

FROM A “‘ CRUISING VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. BY CAPTAIN WOODES
ROGERS. - LONDON, 1712.” *

On February 1, 1709, we came before the island of Juan Fernandez,
having had a good observation the day before, and found our latitude to
be 34° 10’ south. In the afternoon we hoisted out our pinnace; and
Captain Dover, with the boat’s crew, went in her to go ashore, though
we could not be less than four leagues off. As soon as the pinnace was gone,
I went on board the Duchess, who admired our boat attempting going ashore
at that distance from land. It was against my inclination; but, to oblige
Captain Dover, I let her go. As soon as it was dark we saw a light ashore.
Our boat was then about a league off the island, and bore away for the
ships as soon as she saw the lights. We put our lights aboard for the boat,
though some were of opinion the lights we saw were our boat’s lights; but,
as night came on, it appeared too large for that. We fired our quarter-deck
gun and several muskets, showing lights in our mizzen and fore-shrouds,
that our boat might find us whilst we were in the lee of the island. About
two in the morning our boat came on board, having been two hours on board
the Duchess, that took them up astern of us. We were glad they got well off,
because it began to blow. We were all convinced the light was on the
shore, and designed to mako our ships ready to engage, believing them to be
French ships at anchor, and we must either fight them or want water. All
this stir and apprehension arose, as we afterwards found, from one poor,
naked man, who passed in our imagination, at present, for a Spanish garri-
son, a body of Frenchmen, or a crew of pirates. While we were under these
apprehensions we stood on the back side of the island, in order to fall in
with the southerly wind, till we were past the island; and then we came
back to it again, and ran close aboard the land that begins to make the
north-east side.

We still continued to reason upon this matter; and it is in a manner in-
credible what strange notions many of our people entertained from the sight.
of the fire upon the island. It served, however, to show people’s tempers
and spirits; and we were able to give a tolerable guess how our men would
behave, in case there were really any enemies upon the island. The flaws
came heavy off the shore, and we were forced to reef our topsails when we
opened the middle bay, where we expected to have found our enemy ; but
saw all clear, and no ships, nor in the other bay next the north-east end.
These two bays are all that ships ride in which recruit on this island; but