William Dampier

William Dampier (1651-1715) was an English explorer, sea captain, and scientific observer. He was the first Englishman to explore or map parts of New Holland (Australia) and New Guinea.

He captained a voyage of discovery on HMS Roebuck.

He is known as a buccaneer captain, though some dispute this.

Dampier Archipelago off Western Australia is named after him.

He was a crewmember of the pirate ship, the Cygnet, which was beached on the northwest coast of Australia (somewhere near King Sound in Western Australia).

He had an unusual degree of influence on figures better known than he is :

• His observations and analysis of natural history helped Darwin's and Alexander von Humboldt's development of their theories,
• He made innovations in navigational technology that were studied by Capt. Cook and Adm. Nelson.
• Daniel Defoe read his accounts of castaways.
• His reports on breadfruit led to Capt. Bligh's ill-fated voyage.
• He is cited over a thousand times in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Further Reading

• Diana and Michael Preston, A Pirate of Exquisite Mind
• Anton Gill, Devil's Mariner

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