PEROUSE

PEROUSE (John Francis Galoup de la), the celebrated, though unfortunate, French navigator, was born at Albi in 1741. Of the rank or condition of his father, M. Millet-Mareau has given us no information in that meagre eulogy of Perouse which he has inserted in the introduction to his last voyage. It appears, however, that he intended to make his son a seaman, and sent him, at a very early period of life, to the marine school, where the young man became enthusiastically fond of his profession, and laudably ambitious to emulate the fame of the most celebrated navigators.

Being appointed a midshipman on the 19th of November 1756, he behaved, we are told, with great bravery in that station, and was severely wounded in the engagement between the admirals Hawke and Conans, on the 20th of November 1759. The Formidable, in which he served, was taken, after a vigorous resistance; and it is probable that Perouse reaped some advantage from his acquaintance with British officers.

On the 1st of October 1764 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant; and despising a life of ease and idleness, he contrived to be employed in six different ships of war during the peace that subsisted between Great Britain and France. In 1767 he was promoted to the rank of what, in our navy, is called master and commander. In 1779 he commanded the Amarone, belonging to the squadron of Vice-admiral Count d'Estaing; and when that officer engaged Admiral Byron, the post of La Perouse was to carry his Admiral's orders to the whole of the line. He afterwards took the sloop Ariel, and contributed to the capture of the Espritment—exploits which his eulogist seems to consider as instances of very uncommon heroism; but he soon after performed a greater.

Being, on the 4th of April 1780, appointed captain of the frigate Altea, and being on a cruise with the Hermione, these two frigates attacked six English vessels of war, of from 28 to 14 guns each, and took two of them. The French certainly reaped more laurels about that period than they have been accustomed to do in naval wars with Great Britain; but as we have completely forgotten the particulars of this fight, we suspect that it was not altogether so very brilliant a business as M. Milet-Mureau is pleased to represent it.

In the year 1782, La Perouse was dispatched with the Sceptre of 74 guns, and two frigates of 36 guns each, having some troops and field pieces on board, to destroy the English settlements in Hudson's Bay. This task was easily accomplished; for when he had surmounted the difficulties of navigation in a frozen sea, he found nothing on shore to oppose the smallest force. Having destroyed the settlements, he learned that some of the English had fled at his approach into the woods; and his eulogist considers it (such are the dispositions of French republicans) as a most wonderful instance of humanity, that he left to these unfortunate men provisions to preserve them from perishing by hunger, and arms to protect them from the fury of the savages! Perouse, we dare answer for him, was conscious of nothing heroic or extraordinary in this act of beneficence, which he certainly could not have omitted, without incurring both infamy and guilt.

In the year 1785, he was appointed to the command of a voyage round the world; which was unfortunately destined to be his last. Of this voyage, as far as it was accomplished, there is a full account in the hands of every French and English reader; and from that account it appears, that Perouse was admirably qualified to discharge such a trust. He seems to have been an experienced and skilful seaman; a man of considerable mathematical and physical science, uncorrupted by that philosophism which disgraced many of his attendants; and capable of the utmost perseverance in every laudable pursuit. To these qualities he united a proper combination of caution and courage, with a disposition truly benevolent to the various tribes of savages whom

he visited. The disasters which occurred on the voyage were all, except the last, of which nothing is known, occasioned by the disobedience of his officers, or their neglecting to follow his advice.

The last dispatches of this great and good man were dated from Botany Bay, February the 7th 1788; and since that period, no account of him has been received which is intitled to the smallest confidence. M. Milet-Mureau has indeed given us, at some length, the childish conjectures of the Society of Natural History respecting his fate, which, in language equally childish, were delivered at the bar of the National Assembly; and he has added the ridiculous decree which that body of legislative sciolists passed in consequence of so extraordinary a speech. We will not disgrace our pages, or insult the memory of Perouse, by contributing to the circulation of nonsense, which, we are persuaded, would have made him blush for his country.