A GREAT NAVIGATOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 204, 22 May 1908, Page 7

A GREAT NAVIGATOR.

. • ' Q - • . ' l A MEMORIAL TO WILLIAM DAMPIER. BY. TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT. London, May 20. I. A memorial ■■to . William Dampier, the. navigator,; has been ■ Greeted at 'his birthplace,: East Coker, Somerset. A PICTURESQUE PERSONALITY. ' William Dampier,"' born at East Coker, Somerset England, in' June, 1652, died at London in March, 1715. He was.; an English freebooter, explorer, arid :'author, andliisearly visit to-Aus-tralian shores makes him a specially interesting personality to dwellers in Southern Seas. His seafaring' life began in 1668, atirt until 1691 he led'a :life'of the. wildest'adventure, generally as a sailor on' various.piratical .cruises on the western coast of America and elsewhere. During this time lie circumnavigated the globe. In ; :169? 'he published, his ['Voyage: Round the World," and this was supplenioiited by a second volume of : travels in 1699.' In 1699 ho was given command pi a . ship in wliieli he again went..round..the world, exploring the coasts "of .Australia and ' New. Guinea. .'Ho started ' again bn a', privateering 1 cruise with ftwo. ships- in,: 1703, r but; accomplished ,littlo, and his.company 'Avas. broken' up;' ho reached England, after a' third, circumnavigation, in' " ; i707. Subsequently lie was pilot on' ; the privateer Duke, and again -went round ; the world. Besides his travols, lie published , a well-known "Discourse on the Winds". One. of' tho-most > successful coups with which ; he. was. connected ;in.' the . privateering .line . was the capture of :the Spanish plate ship Cacafuego, off the West coast of South America 1 , with a splendid haul of treasure. .-. ~v,... . ~ .