Topographic Map of Island - Enlarged

Notice "X" on bottom left, situated on the N.W slope of a hill.

This would be a plausible location for the Fortification, overlooking the sea, with a steeper slope directly behind the shelter. 

Topographic Map of Island

About St. Lucia

Saint Lucia is a sovereign island country located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, which borders on the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, Saint Lucia is located northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique.

Saint Lucia

Brief History 

·       The first settlers in St. Lucia were the Arawak Indians who arrived around 200 A.D. through 800 A.D. They were peaceful, farming settlers, whose culture was superseded by the warrior-like Caribs. Traveling from the South American mainland, the Caribs came north up the Orinoco River and stopped at several islands in the area, killing the peaceful Arawaks, and replacing them as they sojourned throughout the territory that eventually took their name.

·       Europeans first landed on the island in either 1492 or 1502 during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean. In 1643 a French expedition under the direction of Jacques du Parquet, the Governor of Martinique, established the first permanent European settlement on the island. The Governor De Rousselan signed a treaty with the local Carib people in 1660. Like the English and Dutch on other islands, the French began to develop the land for the cultivation of sugar cane as a commodity crop on large plantations.

  

     Geography

·       The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 metres (3,120 ft) above sea level. Two other mountains, known as  the Pitons, form the island's most famous landmark. They are located between Soufri and Choiseulère on the western side of the island. Saint Lucia is also one of the few islands in the world that boasts a drive-in volcano.

·       Saint Lucia lies at latitude of 13 54’ N and a longitude of 60 50’W. One of the Windward Islands, it is located in the middle of the Eastern Caribbean chain of islands and is approximately 21 miles south of Martinique and 90 miles northwest of Barbados.

·       The local climate is tropical, tropical with heavy rain fall and a mean temperature of 80° F (27° C). The climate is moderated by northeast trade winds, with a dry season from December 1 to May 31, and a wet season from June 1 to November 30.

·       It is the second largest of the Windward Island group of the West Indies. The island covers an area of 238 square miles (616 square kilometers).

·       Roughly oval in shape, the island is volcanic in origin. The volcano Qualibou in the southwest emits steam and gases and is a major tourist site.

·       Excavation similar to that of Turkish Cave excavation, (in that it is volcanic/metamorphic in nature), which might apply to the manner in which Crusoe may have developed his shelter and the cave.

Life on the Island

This portion of the novel is dedicated to Crusoe's time alone on the island. He builds three main structures: his initial shelter, his country home on the opposite side of the island, and his guns and ammo fort in the woods. He spends his time planting corn, barley, and rice. He learns to make bread. He builds furniture, weaves baskets, and makes pots. Crusoe also raises goats and tends to his little animal family of cats, dogs, and a parrot. Most importantly, though, Crusoe becomes stronger in his religious faith, eventually submitting to the authority of God. He devotes himself to much religious reflection and prayer.

Identifying Robinson Crusoe Island

Prior to being shipwrecked, Robinson Crusoe was initially headed for Africa from Brazil. The initial course was to head 10° to 12° North latitude before turning towards Africa.

“Design to stretch over for the African coast, when they came about 10 or 12 degrees of northern latitude, which it seems, was the manner of their course in those days.”

His journey started from the lower coast of Brazil towards the Cape of St. Augustine. From this point his ship sailed away from land, heading towards the Isle of Fernando Naroha while keeping the isles to the East. The ship travelled past the equator when at 7° twenty-two minutes latitude, the ship was hit by a Hurricane. After twelve days at sea of carrying through the storm, their ship came to about 11° North and 22° west of Cape. St. Augustine, which is approximately by the coast of French Guiana.

“About the twelfth day, the weather abating a little, the master made an observation as well as he could, and found that he was in about 11 degrees north latitude, but that he was 22 degrees of longitude difference.”

With a torn ship and refusing to return to Brazil, the crew and Robinson Crusoe headed indirectly towards the English colonized islands by first heading for Barbados so as to keep the current coming from the Gulf of Mexico away. At 12° eighteen minutes his ship was hit by another storm which carried him westward and shipwrecked him on land which is approximately where Saint Lucia is located.

“A second storm came upon us, which carried us away with the same impetuosity westward.”

Other Island Requirements

Saint Lucia was also chosen because it fulfilled other qualities of the island that was later brought up in the book. During his stay, Robinson Crusoe manages to survey the entire island, which is possible given that Saint Lucia is only 620km² in area. In addition, during his surveying, Robinson Crusoe had identified another island to the Southwest with high elevations, which may very likely be island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, an island with a volcano at 1200m above-sea-level.