Dating the last major eruption of Long Island, Papua New Guinea: the evidence from Dampier's 1700 voyage on the Roebuck

William Dampier, one of England’s greatest navigators, named, described, and drew a profile of Long Island, Papua New Guinea in 1700. As this island produced a very large volcanic eruption with a disputed seventeenth- or eighteenth-century date, his observations assist in determining whether the eruption occurred before or after his visit. This contribution uses Dampier’s recorded observations to elucidate where the Roebuck was when the Long Island profile was drawn so that an appropriate comparison can be made with a modern profile of the island. This comparison confirms that the most recent major eruption of Long Island occurred before Dampier’s observations were made.