Selkirk was sailing under the guidance of Captain Stradling in a vessel called Cinque Ports. Stradling decided to make a pit stop in the uninhabited archipelago of Juan Fernández 670 km (420 miles) off the coast of Chile to pick up water and supplies.

Selkirk was worried about the ship’s state of disrepair and challenged Stradling about it. He said he would rather stay on the uninhabited island than sail off in that leaky bucket. Stradling called his bluff and dropped him off on the deserted island. Selkirk recanted but Stradling had obviously had enough of him and left him and his belongings there to rot.

Selkirk had been right though, the ship soon sank killing many of the crew. The rest of his shipmates were then captured by the Spanish and had to endure a harsh imprisonment. So although Selkirk had made the right choice, it probably didn’t feel like it sat all alone on the shores of a strange land.

☛ More: Tribes #1: The Mysterious And Violent Warrior Tribe Of North Sentinel Island