Jean Francois de Galaup, comte de La Perouse (1741 88) was a French explorer appointed by Louis XVI to lead an expedition to explore the Pacific Ocean, which ended in disaster when in 1788 the ships left Botany Bay in Australia on course for the islands of Oceania, and were never heard from again. However, La Perouse had sent back via a British ship letters, journals and charts which form the basis of these detailed volumes (first published in English translation in 1799), providing a fascinating account of the journey and the discoveries of the expedition. They provide valuable insights into...

Jean Francois de Galaup, comte de La Perouse (1741 88) was a French explorer appointed by Louis XVI to lead an expedition to explore the Pacific Ocean, which ended in disaster when in 1788 the ships left Botany Bay in Australia on course for the islands of Oceania, and were never heard from again. However, La Perouse had sent back via a British ship letters, journals and charts which form the basis of these detailed volumes (first published in English translation in 1799), providing a fascinating account of the journey and the discoveries of the expedition. They provide valuable insights into...