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Miracle Find: La Pérouse Mission Letters Surface
29 Oct
Summary
- Rare personal letters from a scientist on the ill-fated La Pérouse mission have been discovered.
- The letters offer a new, personal account of the 1785 round-the-world scientific voyage.
- The scientist's correspondence expresses regret and a desire for personal redemption.
Rare personal letters from scientist Jean-André Mongez, who perished during the ill-fated La Pérouse expedition, have been discovered, offering a unique personal account of the 1785 voyage. These documents, found hidden in a book of engravings, are described as veiled love letters and a 'miracle' find.
The La Pérouse expedition, launched by Louis XVI in 1785, aimed to rival British discoveries and establish trade routes. The two ships, La Boussole and L'Astrolabe, disappeared in 1788 after departing Botany Bay, Australia.
Mongez's letters express his unhappiness with the recipient's marriage and his repentance for past actions, suggesting a complex emotional journey. He writes of leaving partly for fame and knowledge, but also due to this personal relationship.
These intimate correspondences detail the crew's struggles over three years of global navigation, including hardships and the shock of the perilous journey. Mongez recounts tragic events, and in his final letter, expresses a desire to return home due to unhappiness and meager results.
Discovered by auctioneer Benoît Derouineau and valued at €30,000-€50,000, the letters are set to be sold in Paris on November 17. The expedition's significance is underscored by Louis XVI's reported inquiry about its progress at the time of his execution.
