Will (Indian)
Encyclopedia
Will was an Indian of the Misquito tribe from what is now Honduras
or Nicaragua
. In history, he is known for having stayed as a castaway
on uninhabited Robinson Crusoe Island
, the largest of the archipelago of the Juan Fernández Islands
, for more than three years. It is possible that he was the model for Friday, the famous fictitious (cannibal) character created by Daniel Defoe
in his novel Robinson Crusoe
.
. The English gave names to the Indians, and he ended up with the name Will.
In the end of 1680 the English decided to refresh their supplies on the largest of the uninhabited Juan Fernández Islands. On 1 January 1681, while Will was hunting for goats in the island's interior, his comrades suddenly departed without him after having seen enemy (Spanish) ships upon the horizon.
's book A New Voyage round the World) "his Gun and a Knife, with a small Horn of Powder, and a few Shot; which being spent, he contrived a way by notching his Knife, to saw the Barrel of his Gun into small Pieces, wherewith he made Harpoons, Lances, Hooks and a long Knife; heating the pieces first in the fire, which he struck with his Gunflint, and a piece of the Barrel of his Gun, which he hardned; having learnt to do that among the English." In the beginning Will killed and ate seals
but later he only killed seals "but to make [fishing] Lines, cutting their Skins into Thongs"
According to the account of William Dampier, the only first-hand source of information on Will, Will was seen by Spanish landing parties a number of times, but was never captured. Will was rescued by an English party under the command of Dampier on 22 March 1684, and he is recorded to have, upon being reached by the rescuers, immediately killed three goats and served them up in the English style, with cabbage.
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
or Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. In history, he is known for having stayed as a castaway
Castaway
A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade their captors or the world in general. Alternatively, a person or item can be cast away, meaning rejected or discarded...
on uninhabited Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island , formerly known as Más a Tierra , or Aguas Buenas, is the largest island of the Chilean Juan Fernández archipelago, situated 674 kilometres west of South America in the South Pacific Ocean...
, the largest of the archipelago of the Juan Fernández Islands
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first...
, for more than three years. It is possible that he was the model for Friday, the famous fictitious (cannibal) character created by Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
in his novel Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
.
In English service
As with other Miskitos, Will fought against the Spaniards and was therefore friendly towards English pirates or "privateers". In 1680 he and several other Misquitos went on board an English vessel under the command of John WatlingJohn Watling
John, or George, Watling was a 17th century English buccaneer. It was said that he would never plunder on the Sabbath and refused even to allow his crew to play cards on this holy day....
. The English gave names to the Indians, and he ended up with the name Will.
In the end of 1680 the English decided to refresh their supplies on the largest of the uninhabited Juan Fernández Islands. On 1 January 1681, while Will was hunting for goats in the island's interior, his comrades suddenly departed without him after having seen enemy (Spanish) ships upon the horizon.
Castaway life
Will started with (according to William DampierWilliam Dampier
William Dampier was an English buccaneer, sea captain, author and scientific observer...
's book A New Voyage round the World) "his Gun and a Knife, with a small Horn of Powder, and a few Shot; which being spent, he contrived a way by notching his Knife, to saw the Barrel of his Gun into small Pieces, wherewith he made Harpoons, Lances, Hooks and a long Knife; heating the pieces first in the fire, which he struck with his Gunflint, and a piece of the Barrel of his Gun, which he hardned; having learnt to do that among the English." In the beginning Will killed and ate seals
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
but later he only killed seals "but to make [fishing] Lines, cutting their Skins into Thongs"
According to the account of William Dampier, the only first-hand source of information on Will, Will was seen by Spanish landing parties a number of times, but was never captured. Will was rescued by an English party under the command of Dampier on 22 March 1684, and he is recorded to have, upon being reached by the rescuers, immediately killed three goats and served them up in the English style, with cabbage.