Carte General de la Nouvelle Hollande des Archipels du Grand Ocean et des Archipels du Grand Ocean….

Important map of Australia, from the discoveries made by Antoine de Bruni d’Entrecasteaux, with the tracks of the French ships the Recherche and Esperance 1792-1793, who were searching for La Pérouse after being last sighted at Botany Bay.

La Pérouse had arrived at Botany Bay 24 January 1788, on the same day that Governor Phillip had decided to relocate the fleet and establish the new colony at Sydney Cove. Neither the English or French fleets were able to sail in or out of Botany Bay for two days due to an extreme gale. La Pérouse remained in the infant colony for a further six weeks before departing 10 March, never to be seen again.

In 1791 the French Assembly decided to send an expedition to search for La Pérouse. The expedition was under the command of Bruni d’Entrecasteaux and was supplied with two frigates, the Recherche and Esperance. The hydrographer for the expedition was the very capable Beautemps-Beaupre, who is regarded ‘as the father of modern French hydrography’. D’Entrecasteaux’s orders were to proceed to Cape Leeuwin and closely follow the New Holland coast, inspecting any harbours and then sail onto the Pacific, following La Pérouse’s intended route.

At the Cape of Good Hope the expedition received news that the Admiralty Islanders on the north coast of New Guinea had been seen wearing French uniforms, so they quickly headed to the area, sailing via the Roaring Forties around the southern reaches of Tasmania, to New Caledonia and north to New Guinea. Not finding any evidence of La Pérouse, they sailed westwards to Cape Leeuwin, continuing to New Zealand and onto a number of Pacific islands. D’Entrecasteaux was unsuccessful in resolving the disappearance and died of scurvy off the eastern coast of New Guinea on 21 July 1793. The continuing search for La Pérouse resulted in some of the great French voyages to the Pacific and Australia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

From Atlas du voyage de Bruny Dentrecasteaux, contre-amiral de France, commandant les fregates la Recherche et l’Esperance, fait par ordre du gouvernement en 1791, 1792 et 1793.