Part Four: The Celebrity

I just finished this section and wanted to write down a few thoughts before going out of town for the holidays. I was interested in how his papers caused his celebrity due to the books he wrote. He certainly met some influential people. His journals provided a great deal of detail so that his books would be appealing both to the general public for armchair traveling and to the scientists studying plants and and mariners studying navigation. The result of the celebrity was his first chance to lead and it was a legitmate chance. He seemed to renounce the buccaneer life. However, in the end, that buccaneer life came back to haunt him due to the resentment of Fisher who did not want to serve under a non-Navy man.

One thing that I wish there had been more info on was his reunion with his wife. Can you imagine him showing up after 12 years? Hi, honey, I'm home! And I was disappointed with the fact that he sold Joely, his painted prince, because I did think they had a better relationship than that. And sad that Joely died of small pox.

This book has been fascinating! I can't believe that I have never heard of Dampier before.
--BJ

I enjoyed this section more than the other sections, due to the fact that there was more drama on a personal level in this section. The purely scientific and the travelling and the repeated acts of piracy was not as interesting to me as much as the return to England, the publishing of his books, the Court Martial, the problems he had with captaining his ship and trying to keep it afloat – all fascinating stuff.

I see his repentance was short lived – “hey ho, a pirate’s life for me” seems to have been his motto!

- TT

TT

You have to admit, he did try to become a regular captain in the Royal Navy in order to explore and to earn a living wage. When this didn't work out for him at least this time he did his piracy the "legal" way with a letter of marque!

I still think that for Dampier being a pirate was the only means to two ends--to satisfy his great curiosity about the world and what it contained and to get money. Especially in this section he always tried not to harm the natives of the places he visited and was remorseful when, in his judgment, he was unable to avoid it.

billiejean

I also would have liked to know more about Dampier's reunion with his wife. It sounds like he married her for her dowry and then took off with it, leaving her dependent on others for support. And after 12 years they were practically strangers. Maybe she was better off without him and was disappointed when he returned!

Even though Dampier gave up the pirating life, my overall opinion of him has not changed. I think he was arrogant, conceited, and self serving. But the book is a marvelous read anyway!

I still don't know what to think about Dampier. I like his natural and scientific thinking and enjoyed his navigation skills. But I don't know if the piracy only was because of having no other choice.

This section I liked better than the ones before, I've had enough piracy and hungry and thirsty sailing to another continent.

I also would have like to know more about the reunion with his wife. We almost know nothing about her.

Reading this section kind of brought home to me what a key time in history this was. Not only was Dampier out making all of his discoveries, but at the same time Isaac Newton, John Locke, and Edmund Halley were alive and thinking, and sometimes rubbing elbows!