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Louis-Antoine de BougainvilleNavigator, leader of the first French expedition around the world
Country:
 France |
Content:
- Biography of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville
- The Colonization of the Falkland Islands
- The Circumnavigation Voyage
- Discovery of Tahiti
- The Naming of New Caledonia
- Correcting the Misconception of the New Hebrides
- Legacy
Biography of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Count of Bougainville, was a French explorer and the leader of the first French circumnavigation expedition. He was born in Paris in 1729. Initially, Bougainville pursued a career in law, but later joined the army and fought in Canada and Germany during the Seven Years' War. Afterward, he chose a career as a sailor and embarked on a voyage around the world in search of new colonies for his homeland.
The Colonization of the Falkland Islands
Bougainville, who possessed extensive knowledge as a lawyer, mathematician, and skilled diplomat, first focused on the colonization of the Falkland Islands, located in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Strait of Magellan. With the help of wealthy relatives, he visited these islands three times starting in 1764 and established a small settlement called Saint-Louis. At that time, the Falkland Islands were a subject of dispute between France and Spain. Confronted by a formidable opponent, King Louis XV of France was forced to cede the islands to Spain.
The Circumnavigation Voyage
After this, Bougainville began to contemplate a plan for a circumnavigation voyage. In the autumn of 1766, the twenty-six-gun frigate "Boudeuse" and an accompanying cargo vessel set sail from France and headed for the Pacific Ocean. Bougainville visited the tall Patagonians and the short, unremarkable inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego.
Discovery of Tahiti
After spending fifty-two days in the Strait of Magellan, the French ships reached the sparkling expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Although the ships sailed separately, they remained within sight of each other. They were in search of islands but initially had little success. Finally, on a sunny morning, when the purple ocean shimmered with millions of fiery tongues in the rays of dawn, the explorers caught sight of the flourishing island of Tahiti. According to Bougainville, it was a place with "mountains dressed in lush forests, and a magnificent waterfall cascading down steep slopes..." The uncorrupted natives of Tahiti, who were known for their kindness, referred to the French as "taio," meaning "friends". The Tahitians were remarkable people in every aspect, except they had one flaw - they were prone to thievery. Even during formal visits, theft was not considered inappropriate. Once, an esteemed elderly Tahitian brought his three daughters to the ship to offer them as wives to the captain, as a gesture of friendship and love. Bougainville welcomed him into his cabin but politely declined the offer. When the family departed, he discovered that his valuable spyglass had been stolen. Bougainville immediately sent a boat in pursuit. Seeing that they were being chased, the old man turned back and, upon meeting the pursuers, good-naturedly returned the stolen item.
The Naming of New Caledonia
This beautiful island was named "Bougainville's New Cythera" by Bougainville. He wrote the names of the ship's officers on parchment and placed the note in a bottle, sealing it with wax and ceremoniously burying it in the ground. Taking a young and intelligent Tahitian named Otuhu with them, the French continued westward. They visited the Samoan Islands, which they called the "Navigator's Archipelago". Otuhu attempted to communicate with the Samoan natives in Tahitian, but they did not understand him.
Correcting the Misconception of the New Hebrides
Arriving at the New Hebrides, Bougainville rectified a misconception that had persisted for one hundred and fifty years, proving that they were islands and not part of the South American continent, as was popularly believed due to the mistake made by Quiros. However, the voyage had become excessively prolonged. It was time to return to France. Supplies were running low, and the crew's strength was diminishing. Scurvy, a scourge of many expeditions at that time, began to take its toll. The ships passed by New Holland (now Australia) and New Pomerania, then set a course for Batavia, passing New Guinea and the Molucca Islands.
Legacy
Upon his return to the familiar conditions of luxury and bustle at the Palace of Versailles, Bougainville did not indulge in idleness but diligently organized the materials from the expedition. He became extremely popular in France and, two years later, published a book titled "Bougainville's Voyage." He died in 1811.
The name Bougainville is not only attached to some of the islands and straits he discovered but also to plants and a luscious variety of grape that he brought back from the tropics.
