CARTE DE L’ARCHIPEL DES NAVIGATEURS Découvert par M. de BOUGAINVILLE en Mai 1768, et reconnu par les Frégates Françaises da Boussole et l’Astrolabe en December 1787.

From the Voyages of La Pérouse who set sail from France in 1785 to continue the discoveries of Captain Cook. He was shipwrecked in 1788 but his narrative, maps, and views survived and were published in 1797. This is how La Pérouse’s arrival at the archipelago was described in a diary: 'On the 14th of December, La Perouse stood for the island of Oyolava (...) At the distance of about three leagues from the north-east point, he was surrounded by canoes, laden with bread-fruit, bananas, cocoanuts, sugar-cane, pigeons, and a few hogs. The inhabitants of this island resemble those of the island of Maouna, whose treachery had been so fatally experienced. Some exchanges were conducted with these islanders with more tranquillity and honesty than at the island of Maouna, as the smallest act of injustice received immediate chastisement. On the 17th they approached the island of Pola, but not a single canoe came off perhaps the natives had been intimidated by hearing of the event which had taken place at Maouna. Pola is a smaller island than that of Oyolava, but equally beautiful, and is only separated from it by a channel four leagues across. The natives of Maouna informed our visitors, that the Navigator's Islands are ten in number, viz. Opoun, the most easterly, Leone, Fanfoue, Maouna, Oyolava, Calinasse, Pola Skika, Ossamo, and Ouera. These islands form one of the finest archipelagos of the South Sea, and are as interesting with respect to arts, productions, and population (...)'

Very good condition. Some browning to upper margin. Some very faint waterstains along the vertical folds; one of them slightly affecting the image. Good margins.