Volume 2

The world: or, the present state of the universe. Being a general and complete collection of modern voyages and travels. Selected, arranged, and digested, from the narratives of the latest and most authentic travellers and navigators / Cavendish Pelham.

  • Pelham, Cavendish
Date:
1806-08 [i.e. 1810?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The world: or, the present state of the universe. Being a general and complete collection of modern voyages and travels. Selected, arranged, and digested, from the narratives of the latest and most authentic travellers and navigators / Cavendish Pelham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    89/968 (page 69)
    A VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF hid PEROUSE, UNDERTAKEN BY ORDER OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF FRANCE, AND PERFORMED In the Years 1791, 1792, and 1793, IN THE RECHERCHE and ESPERANCE, Ships of War; UNDER THE COMMAND OF REidR^JDMIRidh MKUJVI ]BEJVTREC*d&TE*dUXs FROM THE FRENCH OF M. LABILLARDIERE, Correspondent of the ci-divant Academy of Sciences, and One of the Naturalists engaged in the Expedition. THREE years having elapsed, and no tidings having been received of the Boussole and Astrolabe, the two ships under the command of La Perouse, the Society of Natural History of Paris, early in the year 1791, awakened the attention of the Constituent Assembly respecting the fate of that navigator, and his companions in misfortune. The hope of finding, at least, some wreck of an expedition, undertaken for the advancement of the sciences, induced the assembly to send two other ships in the track which the naviga- tors were to have followed, after their departure from Botany Bay. Some of them might possibly have escaped shipwreck, and be sequestered in a desert island, or thrown on coasts inhabited by savages; perhaps they were yet living in those distant climes, and continually directing their eyes towards the sea, hoping their country would, at some future period, send them that assistance w hich they had reason to expect. A decree to the following effect passed the National Assembly on the 9th of February, 1791. That the king be requested to give orders that all ambassadors, consuls, &c. of the courts of the different powers, that they do, in the name of humanity, and of the arts and sciences, engage the respective sovereigns at whose courts they reside, to charge all navigators and agents whatsoever, who are subject to their control, in whatsoever part of the globe they may be, to make every enquiry in their power, after the French frigates the Boussole and Astrolabe, under the command of M. de La Perouse, as well as after their crews; and endeavour to obtain every information that may ascertain their existence or their shipwreck; to the end that, in case M. de la Perouse should be found or heard of, all possible assistance may be rendered them; the National Assembly engaging to indemnify and reward whoever shall afford assistance to these navigators. That the king be requested to direct that one or more ships, on board of which may be embarked some men of science, natu- ralists, and draughtsmen; and that the com- manders employed in the expedition, be charged with the double mission of searching after M. de la Perouse, agreeable to the documents, in- structions, and orders that may be given them, and, at the same time, independently of the search after M. de la Perouse, or even after having met with him, or procured intelligence of him, to render this expedition useful to navi- gation, to commerce, and to the arts and sciences. (Signed) Duport, President. Loire, 1 c . t» } Secretaries.. Boussion. ) Admiral