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As soon as Dampier set foot in Australia, he began making observations and collecting specimens of plants, which he carefully pressed between the pages of books to be studied by the “ingenious” and “curious” upon his return to England. As Dampier conducted his investigations, his artist made detailed sketches like these.
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Australian Plants

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As Dampier studied the plants he encountered in Australia, he wrote that they were “for the most part unlike any I had seen elsewhere.” In fact, nearly all the plants Dampier observed were entirely unknown to botanists at that time.
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More Australian Plants

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This portrait of William Dampier hangs in London’s National Gallery in recognition of his contribution to natural history.
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William Dampier - The Pirate Who Collected Plants

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a group of women in period dresses from 1912 stand outside a factory with smoking stacks
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The Columbia Canning Plant

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Three hundred year old pen and ink drawing of a "strange and large" bat.
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New Guinea Bat

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Illustrations of fish and crab from New Guinea
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New Guinea Fish and Crab

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This portrait of William Dampier hangs in London’s National Gallery in recognition of his contribution to natural history.
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William Dampier (1651-1715)

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Dampier explored this area of Western Australia and named it Shark Bay because of the "abundance" of sharks in the waters. It is now a World Heritage site.
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Around the World Again...and Again

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This map shows the route of Dampier’s first voyage around the world.
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Dampier’s First World Voyage

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Pirates capture the imagination of dreamers of all ages.
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Pirate reflection in mirror

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This is the cover of the book Dampier wrote about his first trip around the world.
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Book Cover for Dampier's Account of his First Trip Around the World

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Blackbeard’s flag showed a skeleton piercing a heart and toasting the devil.
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Blackbeard’s Pirate Flag

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