Description
An excellent example of this large world map on Mercator’s Projection, by Jean-Francois de Galaup La Perouse (1741 – 1788).
Historically important chart incorporating all of Captain Cook’s discoveries made on his three voyages of discovery. La Perouse’s voyage and mission to promote France’s place on the international stage which had been dominated by the Dutch and then British. La Perouse explored the Pacific regions of North and South America, Asia and Australasia.
Significantly, La Perouse was seen by Governor Phillip on 20th January 1788 while the First Fleet was at anchor in Botany Bay. This was the last sighting of this important figure in Pacific exploration. In 1791 France sent Rear Admiral Joseph Antoine Bruni d’Entrecasteaux to search for La Perouse in two ships, Recherche and Esperance. D’Entrecateaux failed to find any trace of La Perouse. The later voyage of Dumont D’Urville was to resolve the mystery of his La Perouse’s disappearance from evidence provided by a Irish captain, Peter Dillon who had bought swords that had come from the La Perouse’s ships. D’Urville found anchors and part of the wreck on the island of Vanikoro (Solomons). The French built a monument in honour of the ill fated ships.
From; Atlas du voyage de La Perouse. Paris
