Where Fate Beckons: The Life of Jean-Francois de la PerouseFrench explorer and naval officer Jean-Franois de la Prouse (1741 - 88) was, after James Cook, the greatest explorer of the Pacific in the eighteenth century. In 1785, La Perouse was commissioned by Louis XVI to head an expedition into the uncharted regions of the Pacific Ocean. Setting out from France, the expedition over the next three years was the first to map the coasts of California, Alaska, and Siberia. From there, La Prouse continued to Easter Island and Hawaii, where La Prouse Bay bears his name. After a stop in Botany Bay, Australia, La Prouse's two ships set out for the Solomon Islands. En route, they encountered a storm and were sunk; despite search efforts over the centuries, no trace of the wreckage of La Prouse's ships has been found. Where Fate Beckons tells the story of La Prouse's life and adventures, along the way providing a lively introduction to the world of French colonialism, the end of the Age of Exploration, and French society in the years leading to the French Revolution. |
Contents
A TEENAGER | 1 |
Part | 54 |
DOWN IN THE INDIAN | 86 |
INTRODUCING ELÉONORE BROUDOU | 118 |
THE AMERICAN | 172 |
THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN | 188 |
THE STRUGGLE | 206 |
TRIUMPHS | 228 |
THE GREAT | 296 |
THE FINAL | 312 |
SOUTH AND NORTH | 338 |
ALASKA | 359 |
ACROSS THE PACIFIC TO CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES | 376 |
THE PHILIPPINES | 390 |
KAMCHATKA | 416 |
FORTY YEARS | 438 |
THE HUDSON | 259 |
FAMILY | 279 |
THE UNENDING | 455 |
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Common terms and phrases
Albi American anchor Archives nationales ashore Astrolabe Atlantic battle Belle-Poule Benyowski Botany Bay Bougainville Boussole Brest British Brossard Broudou Cape captain capture Castries charts Choiseul coast colony command convoy crew D’Estaing decided Dunmore Eléonore enemy expedition fleet Fleurieu forced France France’s François French French India friends frigates Galaup gardes Grasse guns Hudson Bay India Indian Ocean island Isle de France James Cook Jean-François join Jonquière Kamchatka Kerguelen kilometres knew La Pérouse Lamanon land Lapérouse letter livres London looked Lorient Louis de Bougainville Louis XVI Madagascar Mahé Maillard manoeuvre Minister of Marine Monneron months naval navigation navy needed officers Pacific Paris Pérouse Pérouse’s Pondicherry port Port-Louis realised Rochambeau sailed sailors Saint scientists sent settlement ships shore Société soon Spanish supplies Ternay told took trade troops Vanikoro Versailles Vésian vessels warships West Indies wrote young