Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse
Encyclopedia
Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse is a book , issued in 1800, that gives an account of the 1791-1793 d'Entrecasteaux expedition to Australasia. The title refers to the search for La Pérouse
, who disappeared in the region in 1788, a popular, though unsuccessful, object of the mission. Many of the discoveries made by the scientists attached to the expedition were published in the two volumes. The author, Jacques Labillardière
, was a French botanist on the voyage, engaged to collect and describe the flora of the continent. The work includes some of the earliest descriptions of Australian flora and fauna, and an account of the indigenous peoples of Tasmania
.
The work also contains the second ever description of an Australian spider, the species Nephila edulis
. Labillardière also describes seeing a dog-sized animal, and discovering the remains of a carnivorous animal, what is considered to be the first european report of a thylacine
. The author of the first description, George Harris
, cites this work in an 1804 letter regarding rumours of such an animal.
Labillardière's work was published in two volumes, becoming very popular and translated into English in the same year; Voyage in search of La Pérouse (four editions) was issued by John Stockdale
with similar success. The contents include his description of the journey, an atlas, and illustrations of ethnographic and natural history subjects. The work is noted for its early botanical illustrations of Redouté, birds by Jean-Baptiste Audebert
, and engravings produced from the surviving illustrations of Piron.
The first description of a West Australian eucalypt, Eucalyptus cornuta
, and the widely cultivated Eucalyptus globulus
are amongst the newly discovered species and genera of flora. Those discovered while anchored at Observatory Island, Esperance Bay
, include Banksia nivea
, Banksia repens
, Anigozanthus rufus and Chorizema ilicifolia.
The botanical descriptions were based on the extensive collections made by Labillardière during the expedition's stop at Esperance Bay, and the two visits to Tasmania
. The abbreviation Voy.Rech.Perouse is used to refer to this work in botanical literature.
The book was published during a time of great interest in the flora of Australia. It was preceded by A specimen of the botany of New Holland
(1793–1795), the first book devoted to the subject.
The botanist Robert Brown
took a copy of this work on his journey to Australia in 1801, enquiring in his letters home as to whether Labillardière had published his flora
. This anticipated work, Labillardière's Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen
(1804–1806), was published before Brown's more comprehensive Prodromus
.
This work preceded Rossel's english publication of the d’Entrecasteaux journal, Voyage de d’Entrecasteaux envoyage à la recherche de La Pérouse, by nine years.
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse
Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse was a French Navy officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania.-Early career:...
, who disappeared in the region in 1788, a popular, though unsuccessful, object of the mission. Many of the discoveries made by the scientists attached to the expedition were published in the two volumes. The author, Jacques Labillardière
Jacques Labillardière
Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière was a French naturalist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the La Pérouse expedition...
, was a French botanist on the voyage, engaged to collect and describe the flora of the continent. The work includes some of the earliest descriptions of Australian flora and fauna, and an account of the indigenous peoples of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
The work also contains the second ever description of an Australian spider, the species Nephila edulis
Nephila edulis
Nephila edulis is a species of large spider of the Nephilidae family. It is referred to the common name edible golden silk spider or golden silk orb-weaver...
. Labillardière also describes seeing a dog-sized animal, and discovering the remains of a carnivorous animal, what is considered to be the first european report of a thylacine
Thylacine
The thylacine or ,also ;binomial name: Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian wolf...
. The author of the first description, George Harris
George Prideaux Robert Harris
George Prideaux Robert Harris was a deputy surveyor and naturalist in Tasmania, Australia from 1803. He described many of the marsupials native to the Island, including the Tasmanian Devil and the Thylacine. He also described some plant species....
, cites this work in an 1804 letter regarding rumours of such an animal.
Labillardière's work was published in two volumes, becoming very popular and translated into English in the same year; Voyage in search of La Pérouse (four editions) was issued by John Stockdale
John Stockdale
John Stockdale was an English publisher whose London shop became a salon for the political classes and who had to face two actions for defamation...
with similar success. The contents include his description of the journey, an atlas, and illustrations of ethnographic and natural history subjects. The work is noted for its early botanical illustrations of Redouté, birds by Jean-Baptiste Audebert
Jean-Baptiste Audebert
Jean Baptiste Audebert was a French artist and naturalist.Audebert was born at Rochefort. He studied painting and drawing at Paris, and gained considerable reputation as a miniature-painter. Employed in preparing plates for the Histoire des cloportes of Guillaume-Antoine Olivier, he acquired a...
, and engravings produced from the surviving illustrations of Piron.
The first description of a West Australian eucalypt, Eucalyptus cornuta
Eucalyptus cornuta
Eucalyptus cornuta, commonly known as Yate, is a tree which occurs in an area between Busselton and Albany in Western Australia....
, and the widely cultivated Eucalyptus globulus
Eucalyptus globulus
The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an evergreen tree, one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. They typically grow from 30 to 55 m tall. The tallest currently known specimen in Tasmania is 90.7 m tall...
are amongst the newly discovered species and genera of flora. Those discovered while anchored at Observatory Island, Esperance Bay
Esperance Bay
Esperance Bay is a bay on the south coast of Western Australia. Nominally located at , it is the site of the town of Esperance.The bay was discovered on 9 December 1792 by a French expedition under Bruni d'Entrecasteaux, which sailed in search of the lost expedition of Jean-François de Galaup,...
, include Banksia nivea
Banksia nivea
Banksia nivea, commonly known as Honeypot Dryandra, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. First described as Banksia nivea, it was transferred to Dryandra as Dryandra nivea by Robert Brown in 1810, and remained in that genus until 2007, when all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by...
, Banksia repens
Banksia repens
Banksia repens, the Creeping Banksia, is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs on the south coast of Western Australia from D'Entrecasteaux National Park in the west to Mount Ragged in the east....
, Anigozanthus rufus and Chorizema ilicifolia.
The botanical descriptions were based on the extensive collections made by Labillardière during the expedition's stop at Esperance Bay, and the two visits to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. The abbreviation Voy.Rech.Perouse is used to refer to this work in botanical literature.
The book was published during a time of great interest in the flora of Australia. It was preceded by A specimen of the botany of New Holland
A specimen of the botany of New Holland
A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland, also known by its standard abbreviation Spec. Bot. New Holland, was the first published book on the flora of Australia. Written by James Edward Smith and illustrated by James Sowerby, it was published by Sowerby in four parts between 1793 and 1795...
(1793–1795), the first book devoted to the subject.
The botanist Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
took a copy of this work on his journey to Australia in 1801, enquiring in his letters home as to whether Labillardière had published his flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. This anticipated work, Labillardière's Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen
Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen
Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen is a two volume work describing the flora of Australia. The author was the French botanist Jacques Labillardière, who visited the region in 1792 with the d'Entrecasteaux expedition...
(1804–1806), was published before Brown's more comprehensive Prodromus
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is an 1810 flora of Australia by botanist Robert Brown. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora...
.
This work preceded Rossel's english publication of the d’Entrecasteaux journal, Voyage de d’Entrecasteaux envoyage à la recherche de La Pérouse, by nine years.
External Links
- Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the 1800 English translation on Internet Archive
- Labillardière and His Relation article by Edward Duyker, including gallery of images, and comprehensive links to relative public domain online works.