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1797 - Mappemonde ou Carte Reduite des Parties Connves du Globe pour fervir au Voyage de la Perouse fait dans les Annees 1785, 86, 87, 88.
| Map maker | Size | Map ID | Condition |
| La Perouse | 925 x 590 mm | D1 / M169 / I88 | Good condition. Restored. |
 | Ask about this item | | SOLD |
Map of the world showing the route of La Perouse's voyage. Cook's 1770 first voyage discoveries on Australia's East Coast are charted.
Following the immense success of Captain Cook's three voyages, Gallic pride was launched into full action, spearheaded by the monarch himself Louis XVI. After reading of the death of Cook, the French were determined to make a significant effort to equal the English exploits. Previous voyages organised by the French had been dismal failures, resulting in significant loss of life and failing at the same time to secure any reasonable territory. However following the Treaty of Versailles in 1783 and the recognition of American Independence, France was returned some of the lands it had lost as a result of the Treaty of Paris some twenty years earlier. This, coupled with the heavy losses Britain had endured during the war, meant that France was now able to rival her enemy Britain. To this end, the King ordered the Director General of Ports and Arsenals, Claret de Fleurieu, to organise a significant expedition. Fleurieu recommended Jean-Francois Galaup de la Perouse to command the voyage, following the latter's strong successes fighting the English in Hudson Bay. On 1 August 1785, La Perouse set sail from Brest in the two 500 ton store-ships La Boussole and L'Astrolabe. He was never again to return to France.
The First Fleet first saw La Perouse sailing off Cape Solander and Cape Banks at Botany Bay on 24 January 1788. However, inclement weather prevented the expedition from entering the bay until 26 January, just days after the First Fleet arrived and just as Governor Phillip was transferring the settlement from Botany Bay to Port Jackson. La Perouse would stay in Botany Bay for several weeks, before continuing his voyage on 10 March 1788. He was never seen again. Wreckage from the ships was found on the reefs at Vanikoro, part of the Santa Cruz group. Later reports revealed that the local inhabitants had murdered any of the hapless crew that survived the shipwreck. La Perouse had released information regarding the voyage at various stopovers and on the basis of that information, his journal and atlas detailing the voyage were published in 1797. This world chart details the voyage of La Perouse in La Boussole and L'Astrolabe, recording their tracks until their last port of call at Sydney. Of interest is that despite the fact that it was published prior to the discovery of Bass Strait by Bass and Flinders (between 7 October 1798 and 12 January 1799), it shows Tasmania as being unattached to the mainland.
This information is adapted from the Printed World catalogue series, one of the most enjoyable and informative Australian Antique map catalogues available, created and compiled by Simon Dewez.
View map online on http://www.antiquemapart.com/map/169