"Carte de l'Isthme de Darien et du Golfe de Panama", Wafer, Lionel

William Dampier (baptized 1651-1715) was a buccaneer (pirate) and sea captain. He was the first Englishman to explore parts of New Holland and New Guinea, and was the first man to circumnavigate the world three times.
In the 1670s he crewed with buccaneers on the Spanish Main of Central America, which eventually led to his first circumnavigation. On the ship Cygnet, following Pacific-spanning raids that included the East Indies, Manila, and the Spice Islands, Dampier's ship was beached on the northwest coast of Australia in 1688. Waiting for repairs, his scientific interest surfaced as he made notes and drawings on the local fauna and flora. Following three years of further adventures he returned to England. In 1697 he published his experiences in A New Voyage. Described as one of the greatest tales of adventure and exploration ever written, the book was published in several languages. It is reported that Captain Cook used Dampier's nautical observations on his voyages, and Charles Darwin found his books so useful that he took them aboard the Beagle.

This is a French edition of Herman Moll's uncommon chart showing the activities of William Dampier and his fellow buccaneers in Central America. It depicts the route of their raid across the inhospitable Isthmus of Darien to the Gulf of Panama where they captured Spanish ships and raided Spanish settlements. Locates Panama [City], Portobello, and several villages. At the top of the chart are two insets: Cote Septentr. De l'Isthme de l'Amerique a l'Ouest de Panama; and Cote Merid de l'Isthme de l'Amerique a l'Ouest de Panama.

References: Kapp (MCC-73) #39.

Condition: B+

Issued folding, now flattened with faint foxing and a binding trim at right that has been professionally replaced with period-correct paper.