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William Dampier (baptised 5 September 1651; died March 1715) was an English
explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
,
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
,
privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
, navigator, and naturalist who became the first Englishman to explore parts of what is today Australia, and the first person to
circumnavigate Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circumnavigation of the Earth was the Magel ...
the world three times. He has also been described as Australia's first natural historian, as well as one of the most important British explorers of the period between Francis Drake (16th century) and James Cook (18th century), he "bridged those two eras" with a mix of piratical derring-do of the former and scientific inquiry of the later. His expeditions were among the first to identify and name a number of plants, animals, foods, and cooking techniques for a European audience; being among the first English writers to use words such as
avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...
, barbecue, and chopsticks. In describing the preparation of avocados, he was the first European to describe the making of
guacamole Guacamole (; (informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisi ...
, named the breadfruit plant, and made frequent documentation of the taste of numerous foods foreign to the European palate such as flamingo and manatee. After impressing the Admiralty with his book '' A New Voyage Round the World'', Dampier was given command of a
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
ship and made important discoveries in western Australia, before being court-martialled for cruelty. On a later voyage he rescued
Alexander Selkirk Alexander Selkirk (167613 December 1721) was a Scottish privateer and Royal Navy officer who spent four years and four months as a castaway (1704–1709) after being marooned by his captain, initially at his request, on an uninhabited island i ...
, a former crewmate who may have inspired Daniel Defoe's ''
Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
''. Others influenced by Dampier include James Cook, Horatio Nelson,
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
, and Alfred Russel Wallace.


Early life

William Dampier was born at Hymerford House in
East Coker East Coker is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. Its nearest town is Yeovil, to the north. The village has a population of 1,667. The parish includes the hamlets and areas of North Coker, Burton, ...
,
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
, in 1651. He was baptised on 5 September, but his precise date of birth is not recorded. He was educated at
King's School, Bruton King's Bruton is an independent fully co-educational secondary day and boarding school in the English public school tradition located in Bruton, Somerset, England. It was founded in 1519 by Richard FitzJames, and received royal foundation status ...
. Dampier sailed on two merchant voyages to Newfoundland and
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
before joining the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
in 1673. He took part in the two Battles of Schooneveld in June of that year. Dampier's service was cut short by a catastrophic illness, and he returned to England for several months of recuperation. For the next several years he tried his hand at various careers, including plantation management in
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
and logging in Mexico, before he eventually joined another sailing expedition. Returning to England, he married Judith around 1679, only to leave for the sea a few months later.


First circumnavigation

In 1679, Dampier joined the crew of the buccaneer (pirate) Captain
Bartholomew Sharp Bartholomew Sharp (c. 1650 – 29 October 1702) was an English buccaneer and privateer. His career of piracy lasted seven years (1675–1682). In the Caribbean he took several ships, and raided the Gulf of Honduras and Portobelo. He took command ...
on the Spanish Main of Central America, twice visiting the Bay of Campeche, or "Campeachy" as it was then known, on the north coast of Mexico. This led to his first circumnavigation, during which he accompanied a raid across the Isthmus of Darién in Panama and took part in the capture of Spanish ships on the Pacific coast of that isthmus. The pirates then raided Spanish settlements in
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
before returning to the Caribbean. Dampier made his way to
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, where in 1683 he was engaged by the
privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
John Cooke. Cooke entered the Pacific via Cape Horn and spent a year raiding Spanish possessions in Peru, the
Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: , , ) are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are distributed on each side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, and are part of the Republic of Ecuador ...
, and Mexico. This expedition collected buccaneers and ships as it went along, at one time having a fleet of ten vessels. Cooke died in Mexico, and a new leader, Edward Davis, was elected captain by the crew, taking the ship ''Batchelor's Delight'', with future Captain George Raynor in the crew. Dampier transferred to the privateer Charles Swan's ship, ''Cygnet'', and on 31 March 1686 they set out across the Pacific to raid the
East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...
, calling at
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
and
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. Spanish witnesses saw the predominantly English crew as not only pirates and heretics but also cannibals. Leaving Swan and 36 others behind on Mindanao, the rest of the privateers under new Captain John Read sailed on to
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Poulo Condor in modern-day Vietnam, China, the
Spice Islands A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...
, and New Holland (Australia). Contrary to Dampier's later claim that he had not actively participated in actual piratical attacks during this voyage, he was in fact selected in 1687 to command one of the Spanish ships captured by ''Cygnet''s crew off Manila. On 5 January 1688, ''Cygnet'' "anchored two miles from shore in 29 fathoms" on the northwest coast of Australia, near
King Sound King Sound is a large gulf in northern Western Australia. It expands from the mouth of the Fitzroy River, one of Australia's largest watercourses, and opens to the Indian Ocean. It is about long, and averages about in width. The port town ...
. Dampier and his ship remained there until 12 March, and while the ship was being careened Dampier made notes on the fauna and flora and the indigenous peoples he found there. Among his fellows were a significant number of Spanish sailors, most notably Alonso Ramírez, a native of San Juan,
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
; Ramírez would later be released after being imprisoned by another pirate, Duncan Mackintosh. Later that year, by agreement, Dampier and two shipmates were marooned on one of the Nicobar Islands. They obtained a small canoe which they modified after first capsizing and then, after surviving a great storm at sea, called at "Acheen" ( Aceh) in Sumatra. Dampier returned to England in 1691 via the Cape of Good Hope, penniless with his only possessions being his journals and a tattooed slave known as Jeoly. Originally from
Miangas Miangas or Palmas is North Sulawesi's northernmost island, and one of 92 officially listed outlying islands of Indonesia. Etymology ''Miangas'' means "exposed to piracy", because pirates from Mindanao used to visit the island. In the 16th centur ...
, Jeoly and his mother were captured by slave traders and brought to
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. They were bought for sixty
dollars Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...
by one Mister Moody, who later passed on ownership to Dampier. When his mother died, Jeoly was inconsolable and wrapped himself in his dead mother's clothes. Dampier claimed in his diaries that he became close with Jeoly, however, eager to recoup the money he lost while at sea, he sold Jeoly to the Blue Boar Inn on Fleet Street. Jeoly was exhibited as a "prince" to large crowds until he died of
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
three months later. Numerous false stories about the tattooed foreigner were afterwards written, including his title as "Prince Giolo".


''Roebuck'' expedition

The publication of the book, ''A New Voyage Round the World'', in 1697 was a popular sensation, creating interest at the Admiralty. In 1699, Dampier was given command of the 26-gun warship , with a commission from King William III (who had ruled jointly with Queen Mary II until her death in 1694). His mission was to explore the east coast of New Holland, the name given by the Dutch to what is now Australia, and Dampier's intention was to travel there via Cape Horn. The expedition set out on 14 January 1699, too late in the season to attempt the Horn, so it headed to New Holland via the Cape of Good Hope instead. Following the Dutch route to the Indies, Dampier passed between Dirk Hartog Island and the Western Australian mainland into what he called Shark Bay on 6 August 1699. He landed and began producing the first known detailed record of Australian flora and fauna. The botanical drawings that were made are believed to be by his clerk, James Brand. Dampier then followed the coast north-east, reaching the
Dampier Archipelago The Dampier Archipelago is a group of 42 islands near the town of Dampier in the Pilbara, Western Australia. The archipelago is also made up of reefs, shoals, channels and straits and is the traditional home of five Aboriginal language group ...
and
Lagrange Bay Lagrange Bay is located south of Broome, Western Australia in the Kimberley region. It is the site of the Catholic Pallottine The Pallottines officially named the Society of the Catholic Apostolate ( la, Societas Apostolatus Catholici), abbr ...
, just south of what is now called
Roebuck Bay Roebuck Bay is a bay on the coast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Its entrance is bounded in the north by the town of Broome, and in the south by Bush Point and Sandy Point. It is named after , the ship captained by Willia ...
, all the while recording and collecting specimens, including many shells. From there he bore northward for
Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...
. Then he sailed east and on 3 December 1699 rounded New Guinea, which he passed to the north. He traced the south-eastern coasts of New Hanover, New Ireland, and New Britain, charting the Dampier Strait between these islands (now the Bismarck Archipelago) and New Guinea. En route, he paused to collect specimens such as giant clams. By this time, ''Roebuck'' was in such bad condition that Dampier was forced to abandon his plan to examine the east coast of New Holland while less than a hundred miles from it. In danger of sinking, he attempted to make the return voyage to England, but the ship foundered at Ascension Island on 21 February 1701. While anchored offshore the ship began to take on more water and the carpenter could do nothing with the
worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always). Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wo ...
-eaten planking. As a result, the vessel had to be run aground. Dampier's crew was marooned there for five weeks before being picked up on 3 April by an East Indiaman and returned home in August 1701. Although many papers were lost with ''Roebuck'', Dampier was able to save some new charts of coastlines, and his record of
trade wind The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...
s and
currents Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (stre ...
in the seas around Australia and New Guinea. He also preserved a few of his specimens. Many plant specimens were donated to the Fielding-Druce Herbarium (part of the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
), and in September 1999, they were then loaned to Western Australia for the 300 year celebration. In 2001, the ''Roebuck'' wreck was located in
Clarence Bay Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of ...
, Ascension Island, by a team from the Western Australian Maritime Museum. Because of his widespread influence, and also because so little exists that can now be linked to him, it has been argued that the remains of his ship and the objects still at the site on Ascension Island – while the property of Britain and subject to the island government's management – are actually the shared maritime heritage of those parts of the world first visited or described by him. His account of the expedition was published as ''A Voyage to New Holland'' in 1703.


Court martial

On his return from the ''Roebuck'' expedition, Dampier was court-martialled for
cruelty Cruelty is the pleasure in inflicting suffering or inaction towards another's suffering when a clear remedy is readily available. Sadism can also be related to this form of action or concept. Cruel ways of inflicting suffering may involve ...
. On the outward voyage, Dampier had his
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
, George Fisher, removed from the ship and jailed in Brazil. Fisher returned to England and complained about his treatment to the Admiralty. Dampier aggressively defended his conduct, but he was found guilty. His pay for the voyage was reduced, and he was dismissed from the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
. According to records held at the UK's National Archives, the Royal Navy court martial held on 8 June 1702 involved the following three charges: #William Dampier, Captain, HMS ''Roebuck''. #:Crime: Death of John Norwood, boatswain. #:Verdict: Acquitted. #William Dampier, Captain, HMS ''Roebuck''. #:Crime: Hard and cruel usage of the lieutenant. #:Verdict: Guilty. #:Sentence: Forfeit all pay due and deemed unfit to command any of His Majesty's ships. #George Fisher, Lieutenant, HMS ''Roebuck'' #:Crime: Dispute between the captain and the lieutenant. #:Verdict: Acquitted.


Second circumnavigation

The
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
had broken out in 1701, and English privateers were being readied to act against French and Spanish interests. Dampier was appointed commander of the 26-gun ship ''St George'', with a crew of 120 men. They were joined by the 16-gun '' Cinque Ports'' with 63 men, and sailed on 11 September 1703 from
Kinsale Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...
, Ireland. The two ships made a storm-tossed passage round Cape Horn, arriving at the
Juan Fernández Islands The Juan Fernández Islands ( es, Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic i ...
off the coast of Chile in February 1704. While watering and provisioning there, they sighted a heavily armed French merchantman, which they engaged in a seven-hour battle but were driven off. Dampier succeeded in capturing a number of small Spanish ships along the coast of Peru, but released them after removing only a fraction of their cargoes because he believed they "would be a hindrance to his greater designs." The greater design he had in mind was a raid on Santa María, a town on the
Gulf of Panama The Gulf of Panama ( es, Golfo de Panamá) is a gulf of the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Panama, where most of eastern Panama's southern shores adjoin it. The Gulf has a maximum width of , a maximum depth of and the size of . The Pana ...
rumoured to hold stockpiles of gold from nearby mines. When the force of seamen he led against the town met with unexpectedly strong resistance, however, he withdrew. In May 1704, ''Cinque Ports'' separated from the ''St George'' and, after putting
Alexander Selkirk Alexander Selkirk (167613 December 1721) was a Scottish privateer and Royal Navy officer who spent four years and four months as a castaway (1704–1709) after being marooned by his captain, initially at his request, on an uninhabited island i ...
ashore alone on an island for complaining about the vessel's seaworthiness, sank off the coast of what is today Colombia. Some of its crew survived being shipwrecked but were made prisoners of the Spanish. It was now left to the ''St George'' to make an attempt on the
Manila galleon fil, Galyon ng Maynila , english_name = Manila Galleon , duration = From 1565 to 1815 (250 years) , venue = Between Manila and Acapulco , location = New Spain (Spanish Empire ...
, the main object of the expedition. The ship was sighted on 6 December 1704, probably ''Nuestra Señora del Rosario''. It was caught unprepared and had not run out its guns. But while Dampier and his officers argued over the best way to mount an attack, the galleon got its guns loaded and the battle was joined. The ''St George'' soon found itself out-sized by the galleon's 18- and 24-pounders, and, suffering serious damage, they were forced to break off the attack. The failure to capture the Spanish galleon completed the break-up of the expedition. Dampier, with about thirty men, stayed in the ''St George'', while the rest of the crew took a captured
barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts having the fore- and mainmasts rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore and aft. Sometimes, the mizzen is only partly fore-and-aft rigged, b ...
across the Pacific to Amboyna in the Dutch settlements. The undermanned and worm-damaged ''St George'' had to be abandoned on the coast of Peru. He and his remaining men embarked in a Spanish
prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.
for the East Indies, where they were thrown into prison as pirates by their supposed allies the Dutch but later released. Now without a ship, Dampier made his way back to England at the end of 1707.


Third circumnavigation and death

In 1708, Dampier was engaged to serve on the privateer ''Duke'', not as captain but as pilot. ''Duke'' beat its way into the South Pacific Ocean round Cape Horn in consort with a second ship, ''Duchess''. Commanded by
Woodes Rogers Woodes Rogers ( 1679 – 15 July 1732) was an English sea captain, privateer, slave trader and, from 1718, the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is known as the captain of the vessel that rescued marooned Alexander Selkirk, whose ...
, this voyage was more successful: Selkirk was rescued on 2 February 1709, and the expedition amassed £147,975 (equivalent to £ today) worth of plundered goods. Most of that came from the capture of a Spanish galleon, '' Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación y Desengaño'', along the coast of Mexico in December 1709. In January 1710, Dampier crossed the Pacific in ''Duke'', accompanied by ''Duchess'' and two prizes. They stopped at Guam before arriving in Batavia. Following a refit at Horn Island (near Batavia) and the sale of one of their prize ships, they sailed for the Cape of Good Hope where they remained for more than three months awaiting a
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
. They left the Cape in company with 25 Dutch and English ships, with Dampier now serving as sailing master of ''Encarnación''. After a further delay at the
Texel Texel (; Texels dialect: ) is a municipality and an island with a population of 13,643 in North Holland, Netherlands. It is the largest and most populated island of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea. The island is situated north of Den ...
, they dropped anchor at the
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
in London on 14 October 1711. Dampier may not have lived to receive all of his share of the expedition's gains. He died in the Parish of St Stephen Coleman Street, London. The exact date and circumstances of his death, and his final resting place, are all unknown. His will was proven on 23 March 1715, and it is generally assumed he died earlier that month, but this is not known with any certainty. His estate was almost £2,000 in debt.


Legacy

Dampier influenced several figures better known than he: * He made important contributions to
navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...
, collecting for the first time data on currents, winds and tides across all the world's oceans that was used by James Cook and Joseph Banks."William Dampier, Pirate and Travel Writer"
Western Australian Museum. Retrieved 29 September 2013
*
Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dubl ...
mentions Dampier in his '' Gulliver's Travels'' as a mariner comparable to
Lemuel Gulliver Lemuel Gulliver () is the fictional protagonist and narrator of ''Gulliver's Travels'', a novel written by Jonathan Swift, first published in 1726. In ''Gulliver's Travels'' According to Swift's novel, Gulliver was born in Nottinghamshire c. ...
,"The Pirate Who Collected Plants: Famous People Dampier Influenced"
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
and the novel itself occasionally parodies Dampier's travel books as well as other tales of exploration. * His notes on the fauna and flora of north-western Australia were studied by naturalist and scientist Joseph Banks, who made further studies during the first voyage with James Cook. This helped lead to the naming of and colonisation of Botany Bay and the founding of modern Australia. * His observations and analysis of natural history helped Alexander von Humboldt and
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
develop their scientific theories. * His observations (and those of William Funnell) during his expeditions are mentioned several times by Alfred Russel Wallace in his book ''The Malay Archipelago'', and compared to his own observations made on his 19th-century voyages. * He is cited over 80 times in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', notably on words such as " barbecue", "
avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...
", " chopsticks", and "subspecies". That is not to say he coined the words, but his use of them in his writings is the first known example in English. * He recorded the first English language recipes for
guacamole Guacamole (; (informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisi ...
and mango chutney.


Opinion of Aboriginal Australians

On page 464 of his journal ''A New Voyage Around The World'', Dampier wrote that Aboriginal Australians were the "miserabilist" people he had ever seen, "differing little from brutes".


Honours

The following geographical places/features are named after William Dampier: * wetherspoons, The William Dampier, A Wetherspoons pub in Yeovil, Somerset, a 10-minute drive from Dampier's birthplace; * Dampier, Western Australia, Dampier, a town and major industrial port in the Pilbara region in the northwest of Western Australia; *
Dampier Archipelago The Dampier Archipelago is a group of 42 islands near the town of Dampier in the Pilbara, Western Australia. The archipelago is also made up of reefs, shoals, channels and straits and is the traditional home of five Aboriginal language group ...
, Western Australia; * Dampier County, a Cadastre, cadastral division of New South Wales; * Dampier Island, an island of the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia, renamed Burrup Peninsula in the 1960s when it was connected to the mainland by a causeway; * Dampier Land District, a cadastral division of Western Australia; * Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia; * Dampier Ridge, part of the submerged continent of Zealandia; * Mount Dampier, the third highest peak in New Zealand; * Dampier Seamount, off the island of Saint Helena; * Dampier Strait (Indonesia); * Dampier Strait (Papua New Guinea); * the Division of Dampier, an electorate of the Australian House of Representatives from 1913 to 1922; * Dampier Road, Bristol, England; * the minor planet 14876 Dampier; * a British frigate/survey ship, , in service with the Royal Navy between 1948 and 1968; and * postage stamps bearing his portrait issued by Australia Post in 1966 and 1985.Australia SG 974 33 cent, Bicentenary of Australian Settlement, Navigators, "William Dampier" (1988)
Australian Stamp and Coin. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
* the Australian flowering plant genus ''Dampiera''


Books

Below is a list of books written by William Dampier: * ''A New Voyage Round the World'' (1697) * ''Voyages and Descriptions'' (1699) * ''A Voyage to New Holland'' (1703) * ''A Supplement of the Voyage Round the World'' (1705) * ''The Campeachy Voyages'' (1705) * ''A Discourse of Winds'' (1705) * ''A Continuation of a Voyage to New Holland'' (1709)


Further reading

* * * * *


References


External links

* * *
''Wreck of the Roebuck, 1701–2001''
exhibition at the Western Australian Maritime Museum (2001)
"A Singular Man: William Dampier—Adventurer, Author, Survivor"
by Edward E. Leslie (1988) in ''Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls: True Stories of Castaways and Other Survivors'' (pp. 47–60) * Works by William Dampier a
Canadiana.ca
(originals held by the Library and Archives Canada, National Library of Canada). **
A New Voyage Round the World
' **
Voyages and Descriptions
' **
A Voyage to New Holland
' **
A Continuation of a Voyage to New Holland
'
Dampier Bibliography
from th
Human and Cartographic History of the Galápagos Islands
**
A New Voyage Round the World
' (HTML version) {{DEFAULTSORT:Dampier, William 1651 births 1715 deaths 17th-century Royal Navy personnel 18th-century Royal Navy personnel 17th-century pirates 18th-century pirates 17th-century explorers 18th-century explorers 17th-century English writers 17th-century English male writers 18th-century English non-fiction writers 18th-century English male writers Botanical collectors active in Australia Circumnavigators of the globe Dampier Archipelago English explorers English hydrographers English privateers English sailors English travel writers Explorers of Australia European exploration of Australia English explorers of the Pacific Explorers of Western Australia Maritime exploration of Australia Maritime writers People from South Somerset (district) Shark Bay People educated at King's School, Bruton Royal Navy officers who were court-martialled British military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Sea captains Piracy in the Pacific Ocean