Dampier was certainly a pirate, though he preferred the term 'profiteer'. Yet
his voyages were heralded by natural historians for the superb collectibles of
specimens and documentation they yielded, fuelling the seventeenth-century
European imagination eager for news of 'other worlds'.
Explorer, adventurer, travel writer, botanist, hydrographer, natural
historian - Dampier was all of these. Over 80 years before James Cook arrived on
the east coast of Australia, Dampier landed on West Australian shores - the
first English explorer to set foot on Australian soil. In 1688, and again in
1699, his voyages resulted in an extraordinary collection of specimens, drawings
and journal accounts of plants, marine and land animals, shells and insects,
taken back to England for extensive scientific scrutiny.
Well researched and beautifully illustrated, 'William Dampier in New Holland'
documents Dampier's two voyages of discovery to Australia, featuring photographs
of his original specimens - some of which have survived to this day - as well as
providing an accurate botanical and historical record commemorating Dampier's
contribution to Australia's natural history.
Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Note on the Text
Chronology
William Dampier - natural historian, author, adventurer, privateer
Dampier's Australian plants
Dampier's Australian animals
Commemorating Dampier
Appendix: Matters of fact and opinion
Bibliography
Index
