Everything about Will Indian totally explained
Will (probably born in the 1650s or 1660s) was an Indian of the
Misquito tribe from what is now
Honduras or
Nicaragua. In history, he's known for having stayed as a
castaway on uninhabited
Robinson Crusoe Island, the largest of the archipelago of the
Juan Fernandez 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
Robinson Crusoe.
In English service
As with other Misquitos, 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 Watling. 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 Fernandez 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 Dampier'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's recorded to have, upon being reached by the rescuers, immediately killed three goats and served them up in the English style, with cabbage.
Further Information
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