The Journal of Jean-Francois de Galaup I de la Perouse, 1785-1788

After the death of James Cook, during the great era of Pacific exploration, France planned a four-year expedition to areas of the Pacific left unexplored or inadequately surveyed by Cook. The expedition was led by the highly regarded naval officer Galaup de la Perouse, and he set off for Tenerife, Brazil and Chile. He went on to Easter Island, the Hawaiian group, and the north-west coast of America, then crossed the Pacific to China, the Philippines and Formosa, and the unknown waters around Korea. From thence he sailed south via the Samoan group to Botany Bay, which he left in March 1788 -at which point the expedition vanished, its fate uncertain for almost 40 years.