Born in France in 1741, La Perouse served in the Seven Years War and the American War for Independence, before exploring the Pacific as far as the eastern coast of Russia. In 1785, he was handpicked by the French government to head a scientific expedition into the Pacific, with the goal of fleshing out the work done by the famous Captain Cook.
During the voyage (planned to last four years), La Perouse landed on Easter Island, California, southern China, Japan, and Korea. By 1789, he had reached Australia and had written to France to confirm that he was on his way home. His expedition started toward New Caledonia, off the east coast of Australia—and simply disappeared.
A clue to his possible fate came when another ship’s captain discovered that natives on the island of Vanikoro were in possession of distinctly European items, including copper, cannons, and candlesticks. According to one unproven theory, La Perouse’s ships ran aground on a coral reef surrounding the island. The locals were unfriendly and the survivors may have built a small fort on the island. After a brief stay, it was said that the Europeans built themselves a boat and sailed away.
No comments:
Post a Comment