Laperouse

The biography chronicles the life of a French naval officer and explorer of the late eighteenth century, recounting his family background, education, naval service and romantic attachments, then follows his circumnavigatory voyage of exploration. It narrates early passages around Cape Horn, stops in Chile, at Easter Island and the Sandwich Islands, and describes his courteous interactions with other European figures and indigenous peoples alongside philosophical reflections on possession and colonization. The account highlights his unexpected visit to Botany Bay, the subsequent disappearance of his expedition, contemporary searches and later discoveries of relics, and the monuments and remembrance that enshrined his fame.