Saturday, August 5, 2017

Where is Laperouse?

From Marianas Variety:
THERE is a legend from the French Revolution that says when King Louis XVI was taken to the guillotine, his last words before losing his head were, “Is there any news about Laperouse?” Who was Laperouse, and why was he the last thing on the mind of the king who lost his kingdom? Actually, it is not as far fetched as it may sound. Nearly everyone in Europe became obsessed with the whereabouts of the great explorer. Here’s why.

After the enormously successful voyages of Captain Cook of England many countries wanted to take a closer look at the Pacific. Trade, exploration, even conquest factored among the possibilities. King Louis hoped to outdo Cook’s feat so the French government sent Laperouse on a voyage to explore the Pacific in greater detail than ever before. He was to retrace Cook’s paths, but also fill in the gaps. (Read more.)
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