The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

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William Dampier (bap. 5 Sep 1651 - Mar 1715)

Explorer, pirate, privateer, and naturalist. After establishing himself in a life of piracy around the Caribbean and the coasts of North and South America, he joined captain Charles Swan on The Cygnet to explore the Pacific from 1683 to 1688, including parts of what is now known as Australia before heading north to southeast Asia, returning home in 1691. His A New Voyage Round the World (1697) is an autobiographical record of these journeys. Dampier made a return visit to Australia as captain of the HMS Roebuck from 1699 to 1701, this time via the Cape of Good Hope, bringing back many specimens, including plants which were donated to the University of Oxford herbarium. This is very likely the Mr. Dampier identified as a source of specimens that eventually found their way into the Ashmolean Museum in 1760. Relevant locations: Birth place in Somerset, England
Visited Australia
 References in Documents:
Consolidated catalogue of 1695: The Book of the Junior Proctor (MacGregor, ed.) 1760 April 3. Mr. G. Hen. Parker B.D. of Trin Coll gave. The Mountain Cat & Weezel + of the Cape sent from thence by Mr. Dampier. + Calld. The Mun Goest.