| William Dampier was born in 1658. After completing his schooling he went to sea and made voyages to France New-foundland and Java. |
After that he took part in the second Dutch War, and on being invalided home received an offer of employment on a plantation in Jamaica.
Plantation life did not suit him and he made several voyages around the West Indies.
Then he went cutting and loading logwood in the Bay of Campeachy but making little profit there he joined some privateers who operated around the gulf of mexico.
In 1678 he was back in London and married soon after his arrival. Then he set out for a voyage which was to have been to Campeachy but became a voyage around the world.
The first stage was to Jamaica where, instead of pursuing his original plan, he joined some buccaneers whose intention was to sieze Spanish ships and to pillage Spanish towns.
The first exploit in which Dampier took part was the sack of Porto Bello. The venture was successful and profitable, and a large party, of which Dampier was one, crossed the Isthmus of Panama to raid the city of Santa Maria.
The place was taken although the booty was small, but soon afterwards they possessed themselves of Spanish ships and set out to raid some of the Pacific coastal towns. Very little booty resulted from much travel and fighting, and eventually Dampier was able to re-cross the Isthmus.
After a further voyage in the Carribean Sea Dampier went to Virginia.
In 1683 Dampier set out on another buccaneering cruise. The plan was to go round Cape Horn and intercept the treasure fleet passing up the coast to Panama.
The attack on the treasure fleet failed, and after some further adventures Dampier joined the Cygnet commanded by Captain Swan to cross the Pacific.
At Mindanao there was a mutiny and Captain Swan was deposed and left ashore. The Cygnet now set out on the cruise which took Dampier by way of Manila, Pulo Condore, Formosa, and Celebes to the North-West coast of New Holland.
On January 5, 1688, buccaneer pirate William Dampier, arrived on the north-west coast of Australia as a crew member aboard the stolen ship Cygnet.
Although commanded by a Captain Read, the ship was beached and Dampier was the only one to make detailed observations of his findings.
He kept a diary of the time they spent around the King Sound area of Western Australia.
He notes;
New Holland is a very large tract of land. It is not yet determined whether it is an island or a continent, but I am certain that it joins neither to Asia, Africa, nor America.
After leaving Australia, Dampier had an argument with Capt. Read and deserted the Cygnet.
Reaching England in 1891 he published a book A New Voyage Around The World which not only brought him increased fame and fortune but also gave rise to the perception that it was actually he, who led the expedition.
His first voyaging accounts had impressed the English Admiralty so much so that it wasn't long before he was actually commisioned by the King to further explore New Holland for the crown.
Dampier's Voyage In The Cygnet
|