| Part 1: Before the Pacific Voyage | Part 2: The Pacific Voyage |
08 October 2003 - I prepared this biography in 2001. It contains errors and typing mistakes that I hoped I would have the time to correct. My intention (and hope) was that the text would support a proposed atlas of maps depicting La Pérouse's life. However, after two years I have been unsuccessful in convincing a publisher as to the merits of such an idea. Given my intention for the biographical information to link to an atlas it has a geographical bias and is not intended to be an analytical or critical evaluation of La Pérouse's life.
I have chosen to to write La Pérouse as one word, following the lead of the people of Albi, his home town and the La Pérouse Association, which honours him.
I apologise that many French words are still missing their accents. Also, I realise I have not been consistent with using French terms and names or their English equivalents. At some stage these points will be tidied up.
This page created 20 March 2001. Last updated 26 May 2005.
Part 1: Before the Pacific Voyage
Other La Pérouse information:
Select La Pérouse Bibliography
Links to other La Pérouse sites
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Select La Pérouse Bibliography
I am preparing material for an atlas about La Pérouse showimg all the aspects of his life.
It will take the form of a series of approximately 64 newly prepared maps. The provisional
list of maps will be:
A. Early life.
B. Ile de France.
C. North America.
D. The Voyage. Part 1. France to California
E. The Voyage. Part 2. California to Kamchatka
F. The Voyage. Part 3. Kamchatka to Vanikoro
Links to other La Pérouse sites
Proposed La Pérouse book
L01
Early 1700s
a
Southwest France
b
France
L02
1741-1756
a
Childhood in Albi
b
Albi
L03
1756
a
To Brest
b
Brest
L04
1756-1758
a
Brittany
b
Rade de Brest
c
Rochefort
L05
1757-1758
a
To Canada
b
Ile Royale and Newfoundland
c
Ile Royale
L06
1759
a
Quiberon Bay
L07
1760-1763
a
Bay of Biscay
b
Brest to Lorient
c
La Coruna
L08
1762
a
To Newfoundland
b
Avalon Peninsula
c
St. John's
L09
1763-1766
a
To the Mediterranean
b
Toulon
c
Bayonne
L10
1767-1770
a
Brest and Albi
b
Brest and Ushant
L11
1771
a
To the West Indies
b
Santo Domingo
c
Cap Francais and Port au Prince
L12
1772
a
To Ile de France
b
Goree
c
Cape of Good Hope
L13
1772-1773
a
Ile de France
b
Ile Bourbon
c
Madagascar
c
Baie d'Antongil
L14
1773-1774
a
Seychelles
b
To India
c
Mahe
L15
1773-1774
a
Eastern India and Bay of Bengal
b
Chandernagore
c
Pondicherry
L16
1773-1774
a
Western India
b
Cochin to Goa
c
Back to Ile de France
L17
1772-1776
a
Ile de France
b
Port Louis to Curepipe
L18
1776-1777
a
Back to France
b
To Madagascar
L19
1777-1778
a
Back in France
b
Lorient and Port Louis
c
Paris and Versailles
L20
1778-1779
a
North Sea and Channel
b
To West Indies
L21
1779
a
West Indies
b
Martinique
c
Grenada
L22
1779-1780
a
Charleston
b
Santo Domingo
c
Across the Atlantic
d
Lorient to Paris
L23
1780-1781
a
North Atlantic crossings
b
Rhode Island
c
Massachusetts
L24
1781
a
Boston
b
To Nova Scotia
c
Martha's Vineyard
L25
1781-1782
a
West Indies
b
Guadaloupe and Martinique
L26
1782
a
Iles des Saintes
b
Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo
L27
1782
a
Hudson Bay
b
Santo Domingo to Cadiz
L28
1783
a
Back to France and Albi
b
Paris
c
Albi
L29
1784-1785
a
Paris and Brest
b
Versailles
L30
1785 August-November
a
The Atlantic
b
Madeira
c
Canary Islands
d
Ihla da Trindade
L31
1785 November-1786 February
a
South Atlantic Ocean
b
Santa Catarina
c
Strait of Le Maire
L32
1786 February-April
a
South Pacific Ocean
b
Chile
c
Concepcion
L33
1786 March-May
a
Concepcion to Maui
b
Easter Island
L34
1786 May-June
a
Hawaiian Islands
b
Maui
c
La Perouse Bay
L35
1786 June-July
a
North to Alaska
b
Yakutat Bay
L36
1786 June-September
a
Mount St. Elias to Queen Charlotte Islands
b
Queen Charlotte Islands to Oregon
L37
1786 July-August
a
Lituya Bay to Sitka Island
b
Palma Bay
L38
1786 July
a
Lituya Bay
L39
1786 August
a
Sitka Island to Hazy Islands
b
Hazy Islands to Forrester Island
L40
1786 August
a
Forrester Island to Moresby Island
b
Moresby Island to Cape Hector
L41
1786 August-September
a
Cape Hector to Vancouver Island
b
Vancouver Island to Oregon
L42
1786 September
a
Monterey
b
Oregon to Monterey
L43
1786 September-1787 January
a
Across the Pacific
b
Necker Island
c
French Frigate Shoals
d
Necker and French Frigate Shoals
L44
1786 December-1787 January
a
Asuncion to Macao
b
Northern Mariana Islands
c
Macao and Hong Kong
L45
1787 January-May
a
Macao to Taiwan
b
Manila Bay
c
Luzon Island
L46
1787 April-May
a
Taiwan (Formosa)
b
Pescadores Islands
c
Lan Hsu
L47
1787 May
a
Taiwan to Korea
b
Yonaguni (Kumi)
c
Houpinsu
L48
1787 May-June
a
Korea to Tartary coast
b
Korea Strait
c
Ullung do (Dagelet)
L49
1787 June
a
Tartary coast
b
Terney
c
Baie de Suffren
L50
1787 July
a
Gulf of Tartary
b
Baie de Langle
L51
1787 July
a
Sakhalin coast
b
Baie d'Estaing
c
Salmon Torrent
L52
1787 July-August
a
Baie de Catries
b
Baie de Jonquiere
c
Sakhalin
L53
1787
a
Kuril Islands
b
La Perouse Strait
c
Proliv Boussol'
L54
1787 September-December
a
Kamchatka
b
Avacha Bay
c
South to Samoa
L55
1787 December
a
Tutuila
b
Manua Islands
L56
1787 December
a
Massacre Bay
b
Baie des Assassins
c
Samoan Islands
L57
1787 Dec-1788 January
a
Tonga
b
Vava'u Group
c
Tongatapu Group
L58
1787 Dec-1788 January
a
Samoa to Botany Bay
b
Niutoputapu Group
c
Norfolk Island
L59
1788 January-March
a
Botany Bay
b
La Perouse
c
La Pérouse Museum
L60
1788-?
a
After Botany Bay ?
b
Nomuka
L61
1788-?
a
On to Vanikoro
b
Nouvelle Caledonie?
c
Santa Cruz Islands
L62
1788-1830
a
Vanikoro
b
Manevai Bay
c
Astrolabe Reef
L63
1785-1788
a
Summary of the Voyage
L64
2001
a
Moon
b
New Zealand
c
Tasmania