Alexander Selkirk, whose story formed the basis of the novel, was marooned after he decided his chances were better on a desert island than on the leaky old tub that he was traveling on. His suspicions turned out to be correct, as the Cinque Ports would later sink, and the survivors, including Capt. Stradling, fell prisoners to the Spanish near modern-day Colombia?
So. . . Did they die all spend out their days in prison, or did they get released at some point?