The mystery of Lapérouse

Jean François de Galaup, Count of La Pérouse, was the man chosen by the King and his Minister of the Marine to lead an expedition at the time. Its aims were to correct and complete maps of the area, establish trade contacts, open new maritime routes and enrich French science and scientific collections. It was also the chance to answer certain strange questions such as “In the Americas, do men exist whose breasts contain enough milk to feed children, as it is said?”

On 1st August 1785, two frigates set sail: the Astrolabe and the Boussole with 226 men aboard, to sail the world’s oceans for three years. The list of their ports of call is a fantastic travel journal: Tenerife, Sainte-Catherine, Cape Horn, Easter island, Hawaii, Alaska, the Marianne Islands, Macao, Formosa, Great Tartary, Japan, the Samoan Islands and Australia.
On 26th January 1788 in Botany Bay (Australia), the Count of La Pérouse entrusted Commodore Philippe with his ultimate report for the Minister of the Marine
On 10th March 1788, he set sail for the East.

Then nothing. Interminable, unbearable silence. What happened to the Boussole and the Astrolabe? What happened to Lapérouse’s expedition? His disappearance incited a great deal of emotion throughout Europe. Lapérouse was a famous sailor and his expedition, like that of Captain Cook several years earlier, had tremendous repercussions all over the world.

In 1827, Peter Dillon, a merchant captain, discovered traces of the wreck off the island of Vanikoro to the north of Vanuatu. But it wasn’t until 1981 and the perseverance of a handful of enthusiasts, who formed the Salomon association, that excavations began.
Since then, seven other expeditions have been run by the association; the latest one is taking place right now – until 15th October 2008 – to finally reveal the answers to the mystery of Lapérouse. Did any survivors make it to Vanikoro Island? Did they hide the scientific treasures of the expedition somewhere?
The association hopes to provide answers to all these questions and more.

Ludovic Roubaudi