Captain William Dampier
(Jun 1652 - Mar 1715)

English navigator who experienced what he called a 'tufoon' whirlwind storm off the coast of China on 4 Jul 1687. His published description of this typhoon is one of the earliest known from a European.

Quotes by Captain William Dampier (2)

It is not easy to name another sailor who has supplied such valuable information to the world; he had a passion for reporting exactly as he saw it, with a delicate and perfect style; he felt an unending curiosity that made his accounts have a unique delicate touch.
— Captain William Dampier
describing William Dampier in Burney's Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea (1803)

Typhoons are a sort of violent whirlwinds. Before these whirlwinds come on... there appears a heavy cloud to the northeast which is very black near the horizon, but toward the upper part is a dull reddish color. The tempest came with great violence, but after a while, the winds ceased all at once and a calm succeeded. This lasted... an hour, more or less, then the gales were turned around, blowing with great fury from the southwest.
— Captain William Dampier
from A New Voyage Round the World (1697)


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