Submitted by Raymond Proner on
British Royal Guard Infantry Uniform Button (Troop Model 1780-1790) found at the wreck site of La Boussole. Photo P. Dancel.
By Raymond Proner and Jean-Pierre Thomas (Association Salomon).
Commodore Phillip "beating" La Pérouse to Botany Bay?
The French translation of the English word "beating" is unequivocal, beating someone, but with a little ironic twist that suggests a beating! This unbelievable statement does exist! A lawyer who is looking for her way in publications, Miss Margaret Cameron-Ash, has just published it in Sydney.
In her latest book "Beating France to Botany Bay - the Race to Found Australia" (November 24, 2021) she alleges her writings are based on "secret" documents that La Pérouse received during his stopover in Kamchatka, Russia. These letters do exist, but the interpretation she makes of them is very personal, her view of history. Not only does she speak of a race, but also of a "Battle of Port-Jackson" won by Commodore Arthur Phillip.
Can we let this unfounded statement and this posthumous dishonor against our navigator and his King go unnoticed? Could "fake news" distort history?
Fortunately, the entente cordiale exists between France and Australia. An Australian retired teacher of history Bob Selinger, intrigued and skeptical about this new vision of the history of the foundation of Australia by the English, contacted us and informed us about this new book and information. This was a good opportunity for us to get the archives out and to put the specialists of the "La Pérouse Mystery" on this track.
The King's instructions
The instructions of King Louis XVI to La Pérouse upon his departure from Brest on August 1, 1785 were above all scientific and commercial. It was necessary to complete what the remarkable and highly esteemed Captain Cook had started. These instructions only mentioned the improvement of knowledge of the world, geography, cartography, hydrography and sciences in various fields. Two commercial observations remained on the program. On the one hand the whales in the South Atlantic Ocean whose oil exploitation was in full expansion. On the other hand, the possibility of a trade in otter furs in the North Pacific, for which there was demand in Russia and China. This was the only source of competition at that time and in that region between the French, English, Spanish and Russians.
Finally, humanism towards the indigenous populations encountered was to be a line of conduct. Any use of weapons was to be a last resort. The attitude of La Pérouse in the Samoan Islands after the massacre of his friend Fleuriot de Langle and eleven other people is an illustration of this. He opposed any revenge that his crews demanded and set sail.
There was no question of taking possession or conquest. However, on the King's ships, the usual strategic instructions were given to the officers. Here are those given to La Pérouse before his departure:
"Memorandum of the King - Objects relating to politics and trade"
"In general, in all the islands, and in all the ports of the continents, occupied and frequented by Europeans, where he will land, he will make with prudence, and as much as the circumstances and the duration of his stays will allow, all the research which will be able to put him in a position to make known with some details, the nature and extent of the trade of each nation, the land and sea forces that each one maintains, the relations of interest or friendship that may exist between each one of them and the chiefs and natives of the countries where they have establishments, and generally all that may interest politics and trade. "
Almost nothing has changed nowadays. Rear Admiral François Bellec, writer and painter of the Navy, recognized historian, specialist of the history of La Pérouse, does not hide his annoyance when he learns about this book beyond belief by Miss Cameron-Ash. On this occasion, he brought out an article on the subject that he wrote several years ago, here are two short extracts:
On France and Australia in general, and La Pérouse in particular.
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1- As to the temptations of annexation of the La Pérouse mission.
On May 30, at the anchorage of Mowee Island in Hawaii, La Pérouse ordered a brief ceremony in memory of Cook and immediately set sail again towards Alaska. He did not take possession of this island in the name of the king, and he explains: “The philosophers of this century must see with pain that, because one has guns and cannons, one counts 60 000 inhabitants for nothing, that one does not respect their rights on a ground which for perhaps thousands of years has been used as a burial site for their ancestors, that they watered with their sweat and of which they tear off the fruits to come to offer them to the new alleged owners.”
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2- As for the stopover in Botany Bay
La Pérouse's stopover in Botany Bay at the time when the First Fleet was setting sail for Port Jackson, which was seen as more favorable for founding the British settlement and the future Sydney, was fortuitous. It was accidental, not deliberate, even if France was interested in the intentions of the British in the South Pacific. La Pérouse's plan was that after Chile, he would sail to the Torres Strait via Tahiti to map the future Australia, still partly unknown. He unfortunately reversed the direction of the route planned by the royal instructions after Concepcion, in order to reach Alaska directly and see the otters, which was the origin of the voyage - and in reality, not such a good idea which finally caused his loss by passing through the Solomon islands two years after the planned date, and accidentally at a bad meteorological moment.
After the Tutuila massacre, he suspended his journey to take refuge in Botany Bay to care for his wounded, rebuild lost boats and boost his morale. And he came across the English. His investigation did not go beyond the "open intelligence" that all officers of all navies and naval attachés engage in.
How was it that La Pérouse, before arriving at Botany Bay, made a stopover in Norfolk Island, then uninhabited, without taking possession of it? However, a few weeks later, Philip King on board the HMS Sirius took possession of Norfolk Island, in the name of England, after his meeting with the French expedition.
Or, to remain in the same spirit as Mrs. Cameron-Ash, can we not imagine that the letters that La Pérouse entrusted to the British to send to the court of the King of France would have been read and "corrected" to fit the history of the English crown?
We dare to hope that the word given by naval officers, especially at that time, was kept.
Good relations
In any case, on both the French and the English sides, relations were good and respectful. Many testimonies from both sides confirm this.
It is very interesting to consult the British writings of the time:
Watkin Tench (officer on HMS Charlotte) A narrative of the expedition to Botany Bay
John Hunter (Commander of HMS Sirius) Historical Journal
John White (Surgeon on HMS Charlotte) Journal of a voyage to NSW
All of them mention the excellent relations between the two fleets, including:
Land visits by emissaries from Port Jackson to Botany Bay.
Courtesy visit of Robert Sutton De Clonard (Commander of the Astrolabe) to Arthur Phillip. Trip by sea in a rowboat from Botany Bay to Port Jackson (future Sydney) located 16 miles further north.
It is also worth noting La Pérouse's formal refusal to welcome the convict deserters who presented themselves, eager to return to Europe on board his ships. He had given his word to the English on this subject. Finally, the leader of the French expedition gave the order to moderate the retaliatory measures against the many larcins of the aborigines in order not to harm the serenity of the future English colony.
Last point, La Pérouse, probably for reasons of diplomatic finesse never had a dinner with Commodor Phillip! contrary to what Madame Cameron-Ash writes!
These are the elements that go against any war-like or competitive intention on the part of the leader of the French expedition.
For the record, during the 2003 expedition, we found on the wreck of La Boussole two buttons, one of which was in good condition, of an English uniform! A forgotten or exchanged garment? This physical link, testimony of a relationship between the two nations in Botany Bay is touching. The name of the owner is perhaps one of those we know... Indeed, on February 1, 1788, a few days before the departure of the two French frigates, the second lieutenant of the HMS Sirius, Philip Gidley King (already mentioned above) spent two days aboard La Boussole with other officers including Lieutenant William Nicolas Dawes.....
British Royal Guard Infantry Uniform Button (Troop Model 1780-1790) found at the wreck site of La Boussole. Photo P. Dancel.
