William+Dampier

WILLIAM DAMPIER William Dampier Information on william Dampier: Early in January 1688, with Dampier as crew, the English pirate ship Cygnet was beached on the northwest Australian coast, somewhere in the vicinity of King Sound in Western Australia. Whilst the ship was being repaired Dampier took notes about the voyage and things he had seen and published them when he returned to England. At this time the English were interested in exploring for the unknown "southern land" they believed existed and so asked Dampier to carry out a plan of exploration. Sailing in the "Roebuck" Dampier and his crew rounded Africa and crossed the Indian Ocean and headed for the west coast of what we know as Australia. In July 1699 he landed on Hartog Island in Shark Bay, which he named for the large number of sharks he saw there. Finding no water in the Shark Bay area he headed north mapping and taking notes of what he saw until, after five weeks, he decided to head for Timor as his men were tired and sick. After resting in Timor Dampier and his crew sailed north along the New Guinea coast before heading for Batavia and then home. Unfortunately the ship sunk on the way home and although Dampier and all his crew were rescued many of his papers were lost.