painter and draughtsman, was appointed draughtsman responsible for figure and landscape drawing on the ill-fated expedition commanded by Jean-François de La Pérouse. He sailed in La Boussole , which left Brest (France) on 1 August 1785. At Petropavlovsk (Kamchatskiy) in September 1787, La Pérouse received new orders to investigate the British settlement at Botany Bay, which La Boussole and L’Astrolabe reached on 24 January 1788, entering on 26 January just as the last of the British transport ships were leaving for Port Jackson. The French camped on the northern shore of the bay, troubled from time to time by Aborigines and deserting convicts. Although formal visits were exchanged between the French camp and the British settlement, for the most part the French were left to their own devices. During this time, considering La Pérouse’s special instructions to survey the region, it is likely that many sketches, especially topographical views, would have been made. None survive. The French left Botany Bay on 10 March and no trace of them was found until the wreckage of their ships was located, nearly 40 years later, off the coast of Vanikoro Island, in the Santa Cruz Islands.

A record of the first part of the expedition, Voyage de La P é rouse autour du Monde (4 vols and Atlas ), was published in 1798, using material, including sketches by de Vancy sent overland from Kamchatskiy in 1787 by La Pérouse. Records after this date went down with the ships. Although La Pérouse had asked Governor Phillip to send dispatches back to France no Australian illustrations are known to have been included and presumably La Pérouse would not have thought it politic to forward such sensitive material by British hands.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011