William Dampier (1651–1715)

This is the sort of book that makes reading exploration fun! This book is jam-packed with first person accounts of seeing and wondering about unknown and/or unthought things such as durian and jackfruit, zebras, boomerangs, the concept of the international date line, the width of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the differences in various cultures met around the world, etc. To top it off, Dampier was a willing buccaneer who migrated towards being an unwilling one near book’s end. Truly fascinating reading. All, that is, except for the period along the Central and South American coasts which became somewhat tedious at times. Wonderful book though! Finished 10.06.2020 at the NR.… (mais)

Dampier (1651-1715) had " a long and unbelievably chaotic career, managing more by accident than design to sail around the world three times."
Thus the reader needs to abandon questioning how this abbreviated little work finds the author in the FIRST half on a fairly mundane trading trip to Jamaica, then branching off to S America (much adventure in Honduras region...Indians, nasty Spaniards...) and then suddenly on the opposite side of the world taking in Mindanao, Australia (Arnhem land?) where the Aborigines are "the miserablest People in the World. The Hodmadods of Monomatapa, though a nasty people, yet for wealth are Gentlenen to these."...and Sumatra, returning home with a captured 'Painted Prince' whom he later sold to be exhibited in England...
In between are natural history accounts of turtles, manatees etc.
Would have liked a clearer understanding of motivation for all the journeys but quite an adventure.… (mais)

Explorer and sometime pirate William Dampier went round the world three times and wrote the first English language travel book. This book is part of the Penguin Great Journeys series and features Dampier's exploits in Sumatra, the Philippines and Australia. He writes of the appearance and ways of the local Indian tribes and Aborigines. He also closely observes the various insects, sea life, especially the various turtles, and bats. Written about 1686, this is the world when it was wild and dangerous. Dampier loses several of his crew over the course of the journal.… (mais)