On September 28th, 1791, in the two sloops, La Recherche and
L’Esperance, of sixteen guns, and one hundred and ten men each, they
weighed from the harbor of Brest, completely equipped for a voyage of
circumnavigating the globe. The conduct of the expedition was assigned
to Captain D’Entrecasteaux. The leading object of the voyage was to
endeavor to procure intelligence relative to Captain La Perouse, who
had long been missing in the South Seas, and to make a complete tour
of New Holland; an island, by far the largest in the world;
comprehending an immense circuit of at least three thousand (French)
leagues. The accomplishment of this last point was essential to the
history of geography, and what had not been effected by either Cook or
La Perouse.
The first port they made was Santa Cruz in Teneriffe; they arrived
there on the 17th of October, and having taken in wines and
provisions, proceeded on their route to the Cape of Good Hope; and
while they continued there, the expedition sustained a considerable
misfortune in the death of the astronomer Bertrand. February 16th,
1792, they left the Cape, and bore away for the island of New Guinea,
some parts of which they explored; they reached the islands Arsacides
on July the 9th, and New Ireland the 17th ditto. They afterwards made
for Amboyna, one of the Molucca islands, and arrived Sept. 6th.
October 11th, they left Amboyna, and sailed immediately for the west
part of New Holland. December 3d, 1792, they arrived at the Cape,
which is at the south-west extremity of New Holland, and sailed along
the southern shore, till January 3d, having by this means traced and
ascertained about two-thirds of the whole extent of the southern
coast. On the 11th of March, they passed very near the North cape of
New Zealand, and making for shore, several canoes came along side. On
the 16th, they discovered two little islands at a little distance from
each other. The most eastern one lies in 30 deg. 17 min. south
latitude, and in 179 deg. 41 min. east longitude. On the 17th,
discovered an island about five leagues in circumference, conspicuous
by its elevated situation. It lies in 29 deg. 3 min. south latitude,
and in 179 deg. 54 min. east longitude. On the 2d of March they saw
Ebona, the most south-westerly of the Friendly Islands. The next day
anchored at Tongataboo, the largest of the Friendly Islands. Among the
islanders they frequently met with men six feet high, their limbs
shaped in the most comely proportion. The fertility of the soil, which
exempted them from the necessity of extreme labor, may conduce not a
little to the unusual perfection of their forms. Their features have a
strong resemblance to those of Europeans. A burning sky has impressed
a slight discolor on their skins. Those, among the women, who are but
little exposed to the rays of the sun, are sufficiently fair. Some of
them are distinguished by a beautiful carnation, which gives a
vivacity to their whole figure. A thousand nameless graces are visible
in their gestures, when engaged in the slightest employments. In the
dance their movements are enchanting.
The language of this people bears an analogy with the gentleness of
their manners; it is well adapted to music, for which they have a
peculiar taste. Their concerts wherein every one performs his part,
demonstrate the just ideas which they entertain of harmony. The women,
as well as the men, have their shoulders and breasts naked. A cotton
cloth, or rather a piece of stuff, manufactured from the bark of
mulberry-tree into paper, serves them for apparel. It forms a
beautiful drapery, reaching from a little above the waist down to the
feet. These islands produce a species of nutmegs, which differs very
little in form from those of the Moluccas. It is not, however,
aromatic, and is almost twice as large. They also procured the
bread-fruit tree, for the purpose of transporting it into the West
India Islands. We must not confound these excellent species of
bread-fruit tree with the wild species of it found in the Moluccas,
and observed for a long time past in the Isle of France. In this
second sort the grains do not miscarry, while in the good fruit-tree
they are replaced by a food truly delicious, when baked under ashes or
in the oven. In other respects it is a most wholesome viand, affording
a pleasant repast during the whole time of their continuance on this
island, and for which they willingly relinquished the ship’s stock of
baker’s bread. The Molucca sort produces thirty or forty small fruits;
while every tree of the Friendly Islands produces three or four
hundred extremely large, of an oval form, the greatest diameter being
from nine to ten inches, and the smallest from seven to eight. A tree
would be oppressed with such an enormous load, if the fruit were to
ripen all at once; but sagacious nature has so ordered it, that the
fruit succeed each other, during eight months of the year, thus
providing the natives with a food equally salubrious and plentiful.
Every tree occupies a circular space of about thirty feet in diameter.
A single acre occupied by this vegetable would supply the wants of a
number of families. Nothing in nature exhibits a similar fecundity. As
it has no seeds, it has a wonderful faculty of throwing out suckers;
and its roots frequently force their way up to the surface of the
earth, and there give birth to fresh plants. It thrives exceedingly in
a tropical climate, in a soil somewhat elevated above the level of the
sea; and suits very well with a marly soil, in which a mixture of
argillaceous clay preponderates.
They quitted the Friendly Islands on the 10th of April, 1793. April
15th saw Enouan, the most eastern of the islands of the Archipelago of
the Holy Ghost, and afterwards that of Anaton. The eruptions of the
volcano of Tana presented in the night a spectacle truly sublime.
April 27th, steering for New Caledonia; in a night darker than usual,
they ran among some islands surrounded with breakers, not noticed till
then by navigators; they were only apprised of danger by an uncommon
circumstance; the flight of a flock of sea-fowl over their heads about
three in the morning. This indication of the proximity of land induced
the officer upon watch to slacken sail, and lie-to, at a critical
juncture, when an hour’s more sailing must have dashed them to pieces
against the rocks. These new discovered islands lie about thirty
leagues north-east of New Caledonia, where they anchored April 26th.
After the description that Cook and Foster had given of the
inhabitants of New Zealand, they expected to find realized the
advantageous portrait given of them by these celebrated voyagers. They
had reason, however, partly to suspend their belief of those accounts,
when they afterwards observed a number of human bones, broiled, which
the savages were devouring, eagerly fastening on the smallest
tendinous parts which adhere to them. This fact at least suffices to
prove that the New Zealanders are cannibals. They often attacked the
boat; but the good countenance exhibited prevented their assailing or
massacreing any of their company. Notwithstanding these hostilities,
the ship was every day visited by numerous bodies of the islanders.
The soil being every where barren, they perceived but few vestiges of
any taste for agriculture; still, however, they observed in some
gardens the Colocasia, the Caribbe cabbage, the banana-tree, and the
sugar-cane. The barbarous customs of the natives did not prevent their
reiterated excursions into the interior parts of the country. On these
occasions they kept together to the number of twenty, always well
armed. As evening came on, they commonly took their station on some
elevated post in the mountains, where they passed the night in a
situation which protected them from hostile assaults. To guard against
surprise, they kept watch by turns.
May 9th, they weighed anchor, and sailed before the wind for the
north. In their course, observed the eastern part of the reefs and
islands, the western side of which they saw the year before. May 21st,
were close on the island of St. Croix, and sent in two boats to look
out for an anchoring place. While the sailors were employed in
sounding, one of the natives, at the distance of upwards of eighty
paces, lanced an arrow, which slightly wounded the forehead of one of
them. A volley of firearms, however, soon dispersed the group of
canoes which had surrounded the boats, and from which the lance
proceeded. Although the wound was apparently so inconsiderable, it was
attended with a tetanus, which proved mortal to the unfortunate sailor
after only eight days. The arrow did not appear to have been poisoned,
as it is well known that beasts pierced with the same weapons do not
experience any fatal symptoms. In India, it is no uncommon thing to
see the slightest puncture followed by a spasm, which is a certain
forerunner of death.
July 16th and 17th, they sailed in view of the Anchoret Islands of
Bougainville. On the 20th they lost D’Entrecasteaux, the captain. He
died of convulsions, every fit of which was succeeded by a speechless
stupor, August 16th, 1793, in 129 deg. 14 min. of east longitude, and
so near the equator, that they were only half a minute to the south.
Here the inhabitants brought very large sea-turtles, the soup of which
they experienced to be a salutary remedy for the scurvy, which was now
prevalent among them. In this island they procured a number of
interesting objects, and quitted it August the 29th, and sailed for
Bouao, where they anchored September the 3d, 1793. In this mountainous
isle, where the productions of nature are extremely varied, they had a
favorable opportunity of continuing their botanical researches, etc.
Here several of the men died of a contagious bilious dysentery,
contracted in the low marshy grounds of the country.
October 28, 1793, cast anchor in the road of Sourabaya, in the Isle of
Java. Here divisions broke out among the crews, in consequence of
gaining intelligence of the further progress of the French revolution.
D’Auribeau hoisted the white flag Feb. 19th, 1794, and surrendered the
two vessels to the Dutch. He also seized all the journals, charts, and
memoirs, which were connected with the voyage, and arrested all those
of the ship’s companies that were obnoxious to his own political
sentiments. One journal, however, was fortunately saved, by having
been stowed in a box of tea. In this hazardous, yet important voyage,
of two hundred and fifteen persons, thirty-six lost their lives; the
astronomer, Pearson, died at Java; and Ventenat at the Isle of France.
Riche, the naturalist, remained at Java, as well as Billadiere. Lahay,
the botanist, also stopped there; having under his care the
bread-fruit trees, brought from the Friendly Islands. Pison, the
painter, tarried with the governor of Sourabaya; but afterwards
returned to Europe, and published an account of the voyage.