French botany in the enlightenment : the ill-fated voyages of La Pérouse and his rescuers

Royal Instructions for Scientific Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The French Gardener Overseas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 The Voyage of La Perouse: Part 1, From Brest to Monterey Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Part 2, From Monterey Bay to Botany Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Adventures and Misadventures: The Bizarre Story of the Dupetit-Th9uars Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 The Voyage of Entrecasteaux: Part 1, Genesis and Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Part 2, From Brest to Tasmania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Part 3, New Caledonia to Ambon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Part 4, Esperance Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Part 5, Tasmania Revisisted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Part 6, On to New Caledonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Part 7, Its Woeful End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Internment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 From Explorer to Closet Botanist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 General Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Plant Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Introduction-I INTRODUCTION he title of this book is meant to signal at the outset its confines, both its T inclusions and what is beyond its scope. This volume does not stand alone, neither in splendid nor terrifying isolation, but as the third volume in a trilogy meant to be a commentary on the botanophilia that captured the literate public in 18th-century France, the very time that botany was becoming established as a science independent from medicine and herbal ism. Even though the components of that phenomenon have been examined indi­ vidually by earlier scholars, a synthesis of them, founded upon a reliable command of the history of botany, has been wanting. Front Matter....Pages i-vii Introduction....Pages 1-14 Royal Instructions for Scientific Exploration....Pages 15-32 The French Gardener Overseas....Pages 33-50 The Voyage of La Pérouse: Part I From Brest to Monterey Bay....Pages 51-72 The Voyage of La Pérouse: Part 2 From Monterey Bay to Botany Bay....Pages 73-92 Adventures and Misadventures: The Bizarre Story of the Dupetit-Thouars Brothers....Pages 93-106 The Voyage of Entrecasteaux: Part 1 Genesis & Preparations....Pages 107-118 The Voyage of Entrecasteaux: Part 2 From Brest to Tasmania....Pages 119-138 The Voyage of Entrecasteaux: Part 3 New Caledonia to Ambon....Pages 139-152 The Voyage of Entrecasteaux: Part 4 Esperance Bay....Pages 153-160 The Voyage d’Entrecasteaux: Part 5 Tasmania Revisited....Pages 161-176 The Voyage of Entrecasteaux: Part 6 On to New Caledonia....Pages 177-188 The Voyage of Entrecasteaux: Part 7 Its Woeful End....Pages 189-197 Internment....Pages 199-207 From Explorer to Closet Botanist....Pages 209-220 Epilogue....Pages 221-225 Back Matter....Pages 227-249 "This volume completes a trilogy meant to be a commentary on the botanophilia that captured the literate public in 18th-century France. Enthusiastic public support for any governmental initiative likely to expand botanical knowledge was an expression of immense curiosity about the natural world beyond Europe, which extended into a curiosity about primitive people and cultures little known. It amounted to a quest for universal knowledge that could benefit all mankind: useful knowledge that could improve the human condition in this life. That was the spirit of the Enlightenment, the sciences believed to be the key to humanity's advancement. The botanists exploring abroad brought back exciting quantities of new species and genera, but also a message about the condition of primitive people that undercut the fashionable image of noble savagery. No matter how dispiriting were some of the conditions they observed abroad, they retained a faith that ignorance and superstition could be vanquished."--Back of dust jacket.