William Dampier

Lore & Background

William Dampier was born at Hymerford House in East Coker, Somerset, in 1651, and was baptised on 5 September, though his precise date of birth is not recorded. He was educated at King's School, Bruton, and sailed on two merchant voyages to Newfoundland and Java before joining the Royal Navy in 1673, taking part in the two Battles of Schooneveld. His service was cut short by a catastrophic illness, and after recuperation he tried plantation management in Jamaica and logging in Mexico before joining another sailing expedition. He married Judith around 1679, only to leave for the sea a few months later.

In 1679, Dampier joined the crew of buccaneer Captain Bartholomew Sharp on the Spanish Main, leading to his first circumnavigation. He accompanied a raid across the Isthmus of Darién in Panama and took part in capturing Spanish ships on the Pacific coast. After a failed raid on Arica, he left the group in April 1681 and re-crossed the Isthmus. He later engaged with privateer John Cooke, raiding Spanish possessions in Peru, the Galápagos Islands, and Mexico. Dampier transferred to Charles Swan's ship Cygnet, and on 31 March 1686 they set out across the Pacific to raid the East Indies. On 5 January 1688, Cygnet anchored on the northwest coast of Australia near King Sound, where Dampier made notes on fauna, flora, and indigenous peoples, describing Aboriginal Australians as the 'miserablest' people he had ever seen. Later, he and two shipmates were marooned on the Nicobar Islands, eventually reaching Aceh in Sumatra. He returned to England in 1691 with only his journals and a tattooed slave named Jeoly, whom he later sold.

After the publication of A New Voyage Round the World in 1697, Dampier was given command of HMS Roebuck in 1699 with a commission from King William III to explore the east coast of New Holland. The expedition set out on 14 January 1699, but due to the season, it went via the Cape of Good Hope instead of Cape Horn. Dampier landed at Shark Bay on 6 August 1699, producing the first known detailed record of Australian flora and fauna. He followed the coast north-east, reaching the Dampier Archipelago and Lagrange Bay, then sailed to Timor and rounded New Guinea, charting the Dampier Strait. The Roebuck foundered at Ascension Island on 21 February 1701, and Dampier's crew was marooned for five weeks before being rescued. He saved some charts and specimens, many of which were later donated to the Fielding-Druce Herbarium.

Reader's Guide

William Dampier's significance lies in his role as a transitional figure in British exploration, combining the piratical exploits of the 16th century with the scientific inquiry of the 18th century. His expeditions were among the first to identify and name plants, animals, foods, and cooking techniques for a European audience, introducing words such as avocado, barbecue, and chopsticks, and describing the making of guacamole. He named the breadfruit plant and documented the taste of foods like flamingo and manatee. His book A New Voyage Round the World impressed the Admiralty and led to his command of a Royal Navy ship, during which he made important discoveries in western Australia. On a later voyage, he rescued Alexander Selkirk, a former crewmate who may have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Dampier influenced later figures including George Anson, James Cook, Horatio Nelson, Charles Darwin, and Alfred Russel Wallace. Despite being court-martialed for cruelty, his detailed records of trade winds, currents, and natural specimens contributed to subsequent exploration and natural history.

Did You Know?

• Dampier was the first person to circumnavigate the world three times.
• He was among the first English writers to use the words avocado, barbecue, and chopsticks.
• He rescued Alexander Selkirk, a former crewmate who may have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
• Dampier's ship Roebuck foundered at Ascension Island in 1701, and the wreck was located in 2001.