Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
. . . the South Sea must be of a greater breadth by 25 degrees than
it's commonly reckoned by hydrographers, who make it only about
100, more or less. For, since we found . . . the distance from Guam to
the eastern parts of Asia, to be much the same with the common reck-
oning, it follows by way of necessary consequence from hence that the
25 degrees of longitude, or thereabouts, which are under-reckoned in
the distance between America and the East Indies westward are over-
reckoned in the breadth of Asia and Africa, the Atlantic Sea, or the
America continent, or all together . . .
13
Dampier was absolutely right in his general thesis but wrong
in his calculations. The distance from Cape Corrientes (the
Cygnet's
point of departure from Mexico) to Guam was underestimated on all
existing charts. It is not 100° of longitude. But neither is it 125°, as
Dampier suggested. It is, in fact, 110°18′. Yet such an over-adjust-
ment should not obscure the achievement of this self-taught nav-
igator. Few contemporaries mastered the techniques of astronom-
ical observation and course-plotting more thoroughly. Transoceanic
navigation was still in its infancy. A further ninety years were to pass
before the width of the Pacific was accurately calculated and then it
would take a trained astronomer to arrive at the correct figures.
Guam had a small garrison which was maintained by the Span-
iards for the benefit of their ships passing between Mexico and the
Philippines. How was Swan to persuade them to give him supplies?
His men counselled force but that did not at all suit the captain's
book. If he was to escape the clutches of the pirates he might, at
some point, need the goodwill of the Spaniards. As it happened,
fortune favoured him once again. His ships arrived at dusk at the
principal anchorage on the south-west side of the island. Soon after
dark a boat came alongside with a friar aboard demanding that the
newcomers identify themselves. One of the pirates, who knew some
Spanish, called out in that language that they were of the same na-
