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Piracy, Turtles and Flying Foxes
Dampier's (1651-1715) adventures and writing inspired both Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver's Travels, but in his own right he was a remarkable, observant and enjoyable writer - whether on a woefully mishandled pirate raid in Spanish America or on a desperate journey to Sumatra in an open boat or on the habits of manatees or bats. He also left the first description in English of the Aborigines of Australia - thus initiating a painful, now three centuries' long encounter between peoples on opposite sides of the world. "Great Journeys" allows readers to travel both around the planet and back through the centuries - but also back into ideas and worlds frightening, ruthless and cruel in different ways from our own. Few reading experiences can begin to match that of engaging with writers who saw astounding Great civilisations, walls of ice, violent and implacable jungles, deserts and mountains, multitudes of birds and flowers new to science. Reading these books is to see the world afresh, to rediscover a time when many cultures were quite strange to each other, where legends and stories were treated as facts and in which so much was still to be discovered.
106 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2009
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About the author
William Dampier
152 books9 followersWilliam Dampier (1651 - 1715) was an English pirate, explorer and navigator who became the first Englishman to explore parts of what is today Australia, and the first person to circumnavigate the world three times. He has also been described as Australia's first natural historian, as well as one of the most important British explorers of the period between Sir Walter Raleigh and James Cook.
Dampier was the son of a Somerset farmer. He sailed to Newfoundland and the East Indies while still a boy and took part in the Third Dutch War. After a brief sojourn in Jamaica as undermanager of a plantation, he joined the buccaneers of the Caribbean in Capt. Morgan's heyday. In 1686 Capt. Swan of the Cygnet, in which Dampier was sailing, decided to seek prizes in the Pacific before returning to England. After spending 6 months in the Philippines, Swan's crew seized the ship and cruised in Far Eastern waters between China and Australia. Dampier accordingly spent the summer of 1688 at King Sound in Western Australia. After being marooned on one of the Nicobar Islands, he traveled by native canoe to Sumatra and served as a gunner at Bencoelen before returning to England.
Dampier recorded details of his amazing adventures along with navigational data in a diary on which he based A New Voyage round the World and Voyages and Descriptions. Impressed with his work, the English Admiralty commissioned him with the rank of captain to command an expedition to explore the Australian coastline. He reached Shark Bay, Western Australia, in August 1699, and using Tasman's charts, he sailed up the coast for a month seeking an estuary. After revictualing at Timor, he proceeded along the north coast of New Guinea and discovered New Britain but abandoned plans to explore the east coast of Australia because his ship, the H. M. S. Roebuck, was in poor condition. On the way home, the Roebuck was lost off Ascension Island, and the crew were rescued by returning East India men.
A court-martial in 1702 found Dampier unfit to command a naval vessel. During the next 4 years he led an unsuccessful privateering expedition in the South Seas. Between 1708 and 1711 he again sailed around the world as pilot for Capt. Woodes Rogers, a privateer sponsored by Bristol merchants. Dampier died in London in March 1715 before receiving his share of the expedition's spoils.
Further Reading
An account of Dampier which notes both his achievements and defects is Christopher Lloyd, William Dampier (1966). See also Clennell Wilkinson, Dampier: Explorer and Buccaneer (1929).
Excerpted from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Wil... (Encyclopedia of World Biography 2004)
*There seems to be some doubt as to whether it was 1651 or 1652 - various generally reliable sources contradict each other.
Dampier was the son of a Somerset farmer. He sailed to Newfoundland and the East Indies while still a boy and took part in the Third Dutch War. After a brief sojourn in Jamaica as undermanager of a plantation, he joined the buccaneers of the Caribbean in Capt. Morgan's heyday. In 1686 Capt. Swan of the Cygnet, in which Dampier was sailing, decided to seek prizes in the Pacific before returning to England. After spending 6 months in the Philippines, Swan's crew seized the ship and cruised in Far Eastern waters between China and Australia. Dampier accordingly spent the summer of 1688 at King Sound in Western Australia. After being marooned on one of the Nicobar Islands, he traveled by native canoe to Sumatra and served as a gunner at Bencoelen before returning to England.
Dampier recorded details of his amazing adventures along with navigational data in a diary on which he based A New Voyage round the World and Voyages and Descriptions. Impressed with his work, the English Admiralty commissioned him with the rank of captain to command an expedition to explore the Australian coastline. He reached Shark Bay, Western Australia, in August 1699, and using Tasman's charts, he sailed up the coast for a month seeking an estuary. After revictualing at Timor, he proceeded along the north coast of New Guinea and discovered New Britain but abandoned plans to explore the east coast of Australia because his ship, the H. M. S. Roebuck, was in poor condition. On the way home, the Roebuck was lost off Ascension Island, and the crew were rescued by returning East India men.
A court-martial in 1702 found Dampier unfit to command a naval vessel. During the next 4 years he led an unsuccessful privateering expedition in the South Seas. Between 1708 and 1711 he again sailed around the world as pilot for Capt. Woodes Rogers, a privateer sponsored by Bristol merchants. Dampier died in London in March 1715 before receiving his share of the expedition's spoils.
Further Reading
An account of Dampier which notes both his achievements and defects is Christopher Lloyd, William Dampier (1966). See also Clennell Wilkinson, Dampier: Explorer and Buccaneer (1929).
Excerpted from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Wil... (Encyclopedia of World Biography 2004)
*There seems to be some doubt as to whether it was 1651 or 1652 - various generally reliable sources contradict each other.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 17, 2017
In the late seventeenth century, William Dampier—explorer, privateer and amateur scientist extraordinaire—became the first person to circumnavigate the globe three times. He also penned a series of popular travelogues, which would come to influence Captain Cook and Lord Nelson, as well as a young Charles Darwin. Piracy, Turtles and Flying Foxes presents a highlight reel of Dampier's writings, including some of his more interesting biological and anthropological observations.
Since I have a fondness for both piracy and Early Modern literature, I found this little book to be an enjoyable enough read. But it won't appeal to everyone. Like many seventeenth century authors, Dampier tends to avoid detailed description and imagery, preferring instead to sketch out a cursory view of the events at hand. Another issue lies in his depiction of native populations, which (unsurprisingly) veers towards the racist.
Yet leaving aside the depth of his descriptions and the legitimacy of his anthropological claims, it remains quite thrilling to read about these excursions into the scientific and geographical unknown. Indeed, for those of us living in the global age, with the dark patches on the map long since filled in, Dampier offers a glimpse into a world that is still strange and mysterious.
Since I have a fondness for both piracy and Early Modern literature, I found this little book to be an enjoyable enough read. But it won't appeal to everyone. Like many seventeenth century authors, Dampier tends to avoid detailed description and imagery, preferring instead to sketch out a cursory view of the events at hand. Another issue lies in his depiction of native populations, which (unsurprisingly) veers towards the racist.
Yet leaving aside the depth of his descriptions and the legitimacy of his anthropological claims, it remains quite thrilling to read about these excursions into the scientific and geographical unknown. Indeed, for those of us living in the global age, with the dark patches on the map long since filled in, Dampier offers a glimpse into a world that is still strange and mysterious.
December 18, 2016
I picked up the book at a sale of un-sold stock, where it belonged.
October 12, 2012
Is he a hero? A pirate? Superman in 17th century dress? A scientist? William Dampier is a bit of all of these. Why anyone would leave the comforts of home and willingly submit to the trials he endured is way beyond me, but I did enjoy reading his accounts of traveling through Central America, the Philippines and the Spice Islands. In an age when a boat full of cloves could make you the equivalent of a dot com millionaire, I suppose his motivation was financial, but then he disarms you with wonderful descriptions of flora and fauna. My favorite detail: he kept his journals dry by rolling them into a bamboo tube and sealing the ends with beeswax. A clever contrivance for someone who regularly fords rivers and hangs out in rain forests during the wet season.
April 27, 2020
Meh.
Dry and soulless.
It is no use telling me of things that are true if you do not strive to make them beautiful also.
Dry and soulless.
It is no use telling me of things that are true if you do not strive to make them beautiful also.
July 23, 2022
I picked up a couple of this series, 'Penguin Great Journeys', for a quid each and I should be pleased to find the rest of the collection at some point.
I fear that this one, and maybe a few others, will have dated somewhat, but are still worth the read...stated as a great influence on Swift and Defoe, it's not hard to see why, with all its tale of strange fruit and animals and 'painted princes'...but for the modern reader, the first thing that leaped out was 'Ew, they ate monkeys...' Some parts were quite repetitive, without the required detail for a reader to grab on to, but it's easy to see what adventurous, and dangerous, time this was for seafaring men.
An enjoyable read and not too strenuous on my Covid addled mind, as I wait for this modern day pest to leave my body....
I fear that this one, and maybe a few others, will have dated somewhat, but are still worth the read...stated as a great influence on Swift and Defoe, it's not hard to see why, with all its tale of strange fruit and animals and 'painted princes'...but for the modern reader, the first thing that leaped out was 'Ew, they ate monkeys...' Some parts were quite repetitive, without the required detail for a reader to grab on to, but it's easy to see what adventurous, and dangerous, time this was for seafaring men.
An enjoyable read and not too strenuous on my Covid addled mind, as I wait for this modern day pest to leave my body....
June 7, 2023
pretty good
April 12, 2015
This is a fragment of what the foreword describes as 'the first great travel book in English'. Dampier provides an insight into the sort of men who set off on the high seas in the 17th century and accidentally discovered the world.
He offers up a tale of apparently aimless zig-zagging in the company of ruthless men who led the lives of what, to all intents and purposes, were those of pirates. In the Caribbean and across central and south American they dragged themselves along coasts and through swamps, stumbling on Spanish settlements, which were invariably taken without much thought or apparent sense of consequence. The restraints on their behaviour were starvation and sickness, not to mention frequently losing their way on storm-tossed seas.
After the Americas he turns up in the Philippines. He discovers that 'Mindora' (Mindanao) is already a place of 'great trade'. Chinese, Portuguese and Dutch traders. Pages describe the flora and fauna of the region, particularly the 'Libby-trees', which the natives cut down, pulped and made into the equivalent of bread. Turtles, 'sucker fish', manatees and flying foxes get a look in and provide something of the sense of strangeness that must have been felt in those days of seeing things that you had never know existed and describing them, possibly for the first time, to the folks back home.
The real dangers of voyaging come across in tales of efforts to cross the from the Nicobar Islands to Sumatra in what appears to be not much more than a large canoe. Their destination failed to appear at the point where they expected to see it and fierce gales were soon blowing them into greater dangers. The actual business of exploring the world became one involving terrible danger with survival being the merest stroke of luck.
Dampier's voyages took him around the world three times in total and he finished a career which had involved poverty and hardship as a rich man through his share of an act of piracy against a Spanish treasure ship. By such means was the modern world gradually stitched together.
He offers up a tale of apparently aimless zig-zagging in the company of ruthless men who led the lives of what, to all intents and purposes, were those of pirates. In the Caribbean and across central and south American they dragged themselves along coasts and through swamps, stumbling on Spanish settlements, which were invariably taken without much thought or apparent sense of consequence. The restraints on their behaviour were starvation and sickness, not to mention frequently losing their way on storm-tossed seas.
After the Americas he turns up in the Philippines. He discovers that 'Mindora' (Mindanao) is already a place of 'great trade'. Chinese, Portuguese and Dutch traders. Pages describe the flora and fauna of the region, particularly the 'Libby-trees', which the natives cut down, pulped and made into the equivalent of bread. Turtles, 'sucker fish', manatees and flying foxes get a look in and provide something of the sense of strangeness that must have been felt in those days of seeing things that you had never know existed and describing them, possibly for the first time, to the folks back home.
The real dangers of voyaging come across in tales of efforts to cross the from the Nicobar Islands to Sumatra in what appears to be not much more than a large canoe. Their destination failed to appear at the point where they expected to see it and fierce gales were soon blowing them into greater dangers. The actual business of exploring the world became one involving terrible danger with survival being the merest stroke of luck.
Dampier's voyages took him around the world three times in total and he finished a career which had involved poverty and hardship as a rich man through his share of an act of piracy against a Spanish treasure ship. By such means was the modern world gradually stitched together.
September 6, 2015
Short excerpt chapters from William Dampier's A New Voyage Around the World, published 1697. Quite a well selected series of excerpts, covering a lot of ground - a bit of piracy, a lot on natural history (turtles, manatee, flying foxes, sucking-fishes (that's a noun)), some adventurous sea travel, and of course some geography.
Very readable, and it moves from subject to subject quickly for those of limited attention span, like my review.
Very readable, and it moves from subject to subject quickly for those of limited attention span, like my review.
November 1, 2007
Dampier was an unsuccessful pirate. He sailed around the world 3 times. First author to write a great travel adventure book in English. Good on ya Mate!
I liked this book. It was full of peril and uncertainty. Dampier also has some nice descriptons of the natural and wildlife of the regions that he traveled.
I liked this book. It was full of peril and uncertainty. Dampier also has some nice descriptons of the natural and wildlife of the regions that he traveled.
May 8, 2014
This is a booklet containing the excerpts of true adventures of William Dampier in the Carribean, the South-East Asia and New Holland (Australia). A fascinating read, much better than any of the pirate films I have ever seen!!!
May 17, 2021
I usually like non-fiction but this was just boring. There are better ways to retell real life events and using complex sentences that make the reader confused and lost is not one of them
December 8, 2017
This book has a whole chapter just about manatees! Apparently sailors from seventeenth century Europe didn't REALLY know what manatees were like, but oh do they learn! They even learn enough to tell them apart from sea lions, and subsequently feel very proud of themselves. Well done, Dampier. You might make a naturalist of yourself yet!
December 31, 2022
An interesting historical account on the natural world and indigenous people.
August 27, 2023
Very hard to follow, and seems to focus on the most random things with unending descriptions.
November 13, 2020
Each book a small but concise collection of abridged excerpts (ideal for those who may otherwise have found the longer accounts daunting), each man and indeed women a pioneer in his or her own right.
Despite synopsis that by and large read like something you'd find in an edition of Boy's Own, not one of the seven books in the series that I have read so far was in fact like that.
No matter the content, that much of it was actually interesting, the writing is invariably dull, some of the language used ... Hmm! Lets just say that some of the depictions whilst very much of their time will doubtlessly be construed as unacceptable nowadays.
That said, individuals I know relatively little of, my appetite whetted, I'm keen to learn more about them.
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
Despite synopsis that by and large read like something you'd find in an edition of Boy's Own, not one of the seven books in the series that I have read so far was in fact like that.
No matter the content, that much of it was actually interesting, the writing is invariably dull, some of the language used ... Hmm! Lets just say that some of the depictions whilst very much of their time will doubtlessly be construed as unacceptable nowadays.
That said, individuals I know relatively little of, my appetite whetted, I'm keen to learn more about them.
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
March 20, 2016
This was all right, although it dotted about a bit. The thing with these little books is that they're supposedly excerpts about a choosen region, and there's a map to show you were they went. So this is south-east asia (Phillippines, Indonesia etc). Which do feature, but there's also a lot of the Carribean and central America - none of this is the fault of Dampier, but rather the people who compiled this book!
This is about an English guy kind of bumbling about the world (late 1600s) - maybe the original backpacker! - picking up work as he goes along, with no obvious travel plans in mind, and he changes ship now and then, fanciying a bit of a change. There's a bit about different creatures you can get out of the sea to eat, or the handy things you can make from their body parts.
This is about an English guy kind of bumbling about the world (late 1600s) - maybe the original backpacker! - picking up work as he goes along, with no obvious travel plans in mind, and he changes ship now and then, fanciying a bit of a change. There's a bit about different creatures you can get out of the sea to eat, or the handy things you can make from their body parts.
May 18, 2015
It was quite a challenge to finish this book. Each chapter itself managed to catch my interest but after I finished one I had to take a break from that book. I especially loved the part after The Sucking-fish and when Dampier described the wildlife and all the edible fruits and how to catch a manatee. I also was impressed by the inhospitality of Australia at that time.
April 29, 2011
An interesting read for those inclined. I found his description of the aboriginals of Australia quite funny!
September 1, 2016
Startling to read about attitudes to native tribespeople who are either enemies or slaves and the animal kingdom which only serves as food or entertainment
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews