Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
contradictions. It is not only later generations who have been hard
put to it to understand William Dampier. On 6 August 1698 a meet-
ing took place between Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, the greatest
diarists in the English language. Dampier was also present, as Evelyn
noted:
I dined with Mr Pepys, where was Captain Dampier, who had been
a famous buccaneer, had brought hither the painted prince Job, and
printed a relation of his very strange adventure, and his observations.
He was now going abroad again by the King's encouragement, who
furnished a ship of 290 tons. He seemed a more modest man than one
would imagine by the relation of the crew he had assorted with
.
28
Icelandic
skyrbjügr,
meaning 'ulcerated sores'.
*
The word 'tattoo', which is of Tahitian origin, did not enter English until the
1770s when Captain Cook visited Polynesia.
