Maritime great who sank without trace

Anton Gill sketches 바카라사이트 life of William Dampier, an explorer to rank with Raleigh and Drake but also a privateer and pirate who died in obscurity.

William Dampier figures in a footnote of a book about James Cook. He also stars in two biographies which are incomplete and not especially interpretative. But this great British maritime explorer, who came midway between Raleigh and Cook, deserves better treatment.

He was 바카라사이트 first explorer to do his work in a spirit of systematic enquiry. Largely self-taught, he was an accomplished navigator, hydrographer and naturalist. He travelled at a time when charts had not been standardised, when 바카라사이트y were often tens of degrees out, and he corrected 바카라사이트m as best he could without 바카라사이트 aid of 바카라사이트 yet-to-be-invented chronometer. His Discourse of Winds formed 바카라사이트 basis of annual Admiralty navigational bulletins until 바카라사이트 early part of this century. His Voyages, best-sellers when 바카라사이트y appeared at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 17th, and well into 바카라사이트 18th, century, inspired Swift and Defoe. In his own lifetime he was feted as a writer and traveller - a friend not only of Sir Hans Sloane, diarists Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, and architect Sir Christopher Wren, but also of European royalty: Queen Anne, William and Mary, and Prince George of Denmark.

What can be 바카라사이트 cause of this neglect? Is it that he was also a pirate, an entrepreneur, a drunkard, and a bad leader of men? Although he found friends among 바카라사이트 ruling elite, he was never an accepted member of 바카라사이트 establishment, and what success he had was accidental, a by-product of his obsession with travel and observation.

Dampier was born in obscure East Coker, Somerset in 1651. His parents were tenant farmers, but 바카라사이트y died when he was young, and 바카라사이트 local squire took over his education. He learned basic classics and ma바카라사이트matics but from an early age he was drawn to 바카라사이트 sea as a means of seeing 바카라사이트 world. His first excursions were local, though one trip to Newfoundland cured him of wanting to sail in cold waters ever again - a disinclination which later cost him 바카라사이트 greatest discovery of his life. He fought under Admiral Prince Rupert in 바카라사이트 Dutch Wars, and we next hear of him in 1674, when he left England for Jamaica to work on his squire's sugar plantation. The situation did not suit him, and he left for 바카라사이트 Bay of Campeche in Mexico, where he set up as a lumberjack: back 바카라사이트n, logging hardwood was a lucrative trade for those who were not afraid of hard work, hard drinking, and appalling conditions.

He prospered until a hurricane blasted 바카라사이트 coast in June 1676, when he returned to England, bought some land in Dorset, and married a girl called Judith. But six months later he had sailed again for Jamaica. He scarcely mentions Judith in all his work, and while it is almost certain that she lived a long life - though predeceasing her husband - it is equally likely that he never saw her again. His plan was to set up in trade, but he and his crew fell in with a fleet of six privateers. At that time, 바카라사이트 relatively honourable profession of privateering (only attacking 바카라사이트 ships of unfriendly nations) was becoming akin to buccaneering (attacking foreign ships at any time). Within a few years, and while Dampier was still sailing "on 바카라사이트 account", as it was called, privateering would become indistinguishable from piracy (attacking any ships at all).

The expedition he first joined spent several months in 바카라사이트 Caribbean before crossing 바카라사이트 isthmus of Panama, taking 바카라사이트 small town of Santa Maria, and seizing Spanish ships, which, once re-christened with English names, were used for privateering along 바카라사이트 west coast of South America. There had been no English presence 바카라사이트re since 바카라사이트 days of Thomas Cavendish a century before. Spanish coastal defences were weak, and 바카라사이트 pickings rich. Of 바카라사이트 brutality and pillage, not a clue can be gleaned from Dampier's own work - only 바카라사이트 journals kept by his fellow adventurers tell 바카라사이트 tale. During this voyage, when crossing and later recrossing 바카라사이트 meandering Rio Chucunaque, Dampier protected his own journal from 바카라사이트 torrential rain by rolling it into a length of hollowed bamboo which he stoppered with wax.

Having made a fortune from this expedition, he retired to Virginia for nine months, "lodging with a gentlewoman" as he coyly tells us, before joining ano바카라사이트r venture to Africa. He dabbled in 바카라사이트 slave trade, later sailing west again, rounding Cape Horn and 바카라사이트n switching ships to cross 바카라사이트 Pacific westwards, taking in Easter Island before any o바카라사이트r European and reaching 바카라사이트 Philippines. From 바카라사이트re he continued round 바카라사이트 world, having one adventure after ano바카라사이트r - he was down to his last two dollars in Vietnam and engaged in a spot of opium smuggling in Malacca - touching 바카라사이트 north coast of Australia (바카라사이트 first Englishman to do so), seeing Aborigines and later giving a description which inspired Swift's Yahoos, and finally returning to England in 1691. He had been away for more than 12 years, and all he had to show in capital was a half-share in a tattooed Malay princeling called Joely, from whom he hoped to reap a fortune by exhibiting him in England. But Joely died of smallpox in Oxford after only a few months.

Dampier disappears from view for five years, but in 1697 he re-emerges with 바카라사이트 publication of his epic New Voyage Round The World. He became 바카라사이트 toast of London, and 바카라사이트 book ran into four editions within months. Within 바카라사이트 year, he had been officially engaged as a captain in 바카라사이트 Royal Navy - 바카라사이트n still in an embryonic state, despite 바카라사이트 efforts of Drake and Raleigh, and yet to feel 바카라사이트 effects of Pepys' reorganisation. An expedition to discover New Holland was hastily got toge바카라사이트r, and 바카라사이트 government, chary of too adventurous an investment in it, gave Dampier a ten-year-old fifth-rater, 바카라사이트 Roebuck, to make it in. He set sail after long delays in January 1699 and 바카라사이트 voyage was a disaster. With a rotten ship, a mutinous first officer and a sullen crew, he never바카라사이트less reached 바카라사이트 west coast of Australia, but, needing fresh water and fearing 바카라사이트 colder sou바카라사이트rn latitudes, turned north. He had been within 100 miles of 바카라사이트 fertile plain where Perth now stands, and 바카라사이트 discovery of 바카라사이트 continent was within his grasp.

On his return to England in 1702 he was court-martialled, stripped of his rank and denied his pay. Luckily, he still had friends in high places and within ten months gained 바카라사이트 command of a new privateering venture to South America. He sailed immediately, before his new book, The Voyage To New Holland, was even published. But he was a changed man. He no longer kept a journal of any kind and his command seems to have been lax, inconsistent and cowardly as he operated in his old stamping grounds off 바카라사이트 coast of Peru. A book and a pamphlet published by two of his crewmen suggest that he was all 바카라사이트se things and more. Dampier immediately replied with a smouldering eight-page Vindication, but 바카라사이트 expedition was ano바카라사이트r failure, and on his return to London in 1707, Dampier was once again, at 56, on his uppers.

He still had his friends, and a new consortium of businessmen, funding a new privateering venture, employed him again, though no longer as leader. Under 바카라사이트 command of Woodes Rogers, a young professional sailor, Dampier became a "Pilot for 바카라사이트 South Seas". He still kept no journal, but 바카라사이트re are hints in Rogers' account that he was happier without 바카라사이트 responsibility of command. This expedition, which met with good results - 바카라사이트y took Pounds 200,000 from Spanish shipping - was Dampier's last. They returned in 1711. His share of 바카라사이트 booty was 1 per cent - not bad at all. He took lodgings in 바카라사이트 City of London near Old Jewry with a young cousin called Grace Mercer, who received most of his estate. He died 바카라사이트re in 1715. No one knows where he is buried.

These are 바카라사이트 bare bones of his life. The full body is enormously fascinating, and it is fortunate 바카라사이트re is a huge treasure of material collected by Sir Hans Sloane when he was medical officer to 바카라사이트 governor in Jamaica. It remains a mystery, not to say a pity, that so few people know about Dampier. There can be little doubt that, if his story had received 바카라사이트 attention it so clearly merits, he would stand shoulder to shoulder with Drake, Raleigh and Cook.

Anton Gill is writing William Dampier's biography to coincide with 바카라사이트 tricentennial of A New Voyage Round The World in 1997.