Jean Nicolas Collignon
Encyclopedia
Jean Nicolas Collignon was a gardener and botanist from the Jardin du Roi who served on the La Pérouse
expedition to the South Seas (1785–?1788).
Following the three voyages of James Cook
, French King Louis XVI had commanded a similar expedition be sent out by France. The La Pérouse expedition consisted of the frigates La Boussole, the flagship with Collignon in the crew, and L’Astrolabe
under the command of Fleuriot de Langle. The two ships left Brest on the 1 August 1785 and were last seen at Botany Bay
, New Holland
on 26 January 1788.
Collignon was born in Metz, France in 1762. He was recommended for the voyage by André Thouin
, Director of Horticulture at the Jardin du Roi. Collignon was just 24 and had previously only worked under the direction of Thouin, who judged him as "active and intelligent". Thouin in his recommendation emphasised that Collignon should not be subordinate to the expedition's botanist, Joseph Hugues Boissieu La Martinière
, and so the two were assigned to different ships. Collignon was permitted to assist the other naturalists provided this did not interfere with his principal mission.
The expedition anchored on Easter Island on 9 April 1786 and was able to land goats, ewes and pigs that had been purchased at the port of Concepcion, Chile. After viewing native plantations of yams and sweet potatoes Collignon judged the soil suitable for planting seed and he explained to the natives that the seed would produce plants that were good to eat. They appeared to understand, indicating where they thought the plants would grow best. He planted cabbage, carrots, beets, maize and pumpkins.
On 29 May 1786 the ship anchored at Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago; knowing of Cook’s fate, the ships stayed for just 24 hours, allowing only a brief period for Collignon to plant seed. In mid September 1786, the ship landed at Monterey. The soil was very fertile and Collignon gave seed to the Spanish governor and to the local mission. He also gave them potatoes that had been gathered in Chile and were still in good condition.
Some of the plants collected at Monterey and Macao would be sent back to Thouin. The visit to Monterey marked the beginning of the botanical exploration of the Trans-Mississipi West although the true range of his collections is uncertain.
In December the ship landed in Samoan waters, where Lamartinière and Collignon botanized on several islands, the natives demanding a glass bead for every plant collected, and on one occasion threatening Lamartinière when he threatened to not pay. The ship left on 23 December 1787.
La Perouse
La Perouse may refer to* Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, a French naval officer and explorer,and the following places which were named after him:* La Perouse, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney...
expedition to the South Seas (1785–?1788).
Following the three voyages of James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
, French King Louis XVI had commanded a similar expedition be sent out by France. The La Pérouse expedition consisted of the frigates La Boussole, the flagship with Collignon in the crew, and L’Astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
under the command of Fleuriot de Langle. The two ships left Brest on the 1 August 1785 and were last seen at Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
, New Holland
New Holland (Australia)
New Holland is a historic name for the island continent of Australia. The name was first applied to Australia in 1644 by the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman as Nova Hollandia, naming it after the Dutch province of Holland, and remained in use for 180 years....
on 26 January 1788.
Collignon was born in Metz, France in 1762. He was recommended for the voyage by André Thouin
André Thouin
André Thouin was a French botanist who was born in Paris. He studied botany under Bernard de Jussieu . In 1793 Thouin attained the chair of horticulture at Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris. Thouin was a good friend of U.S...
, Director of Horticulture at the Jardin du Roi. Collignon was just 24 and had previously only worked under the direction of Thouin, who judged him as "active and intelligent". Thouin in his recommendation emphasised that Collignon should not be subordinate to the expedition's botanist, Joseph Hugues Boissieu La Martinière
Joseph Hugues Boissieu La Martinière
Joseph Hughes de Boissieu La Martinière, also called Joseph La Martinière was a French botanist and biologist...
, and so the two were assigned to different ships. Collignon was permitted to assist the other naturalists provided this did not interfere with his principal mission.
The expedition
The ships anchored at the fertile Catherine Island off the southern coast of Brazil on 6 November 1785, and after a welcome reception, Collignon took on board orange and lemon trees to join the other live plants he had gathered for the South Seas: he also took on cotton, rice, maize and other staples of the tropics.The expedition anchored on Easter Island on 9 April 1786 and was able to land goats, ewes and pigs that had been purchased at the port of Concepcion, Chile. After viewing native plantations of yams and sweet potatoes Collignon judged the soil suitable for planting seed and he explained to the natives that the seed would produce plants that were good to eat. They appeared to understand, indicating where they thought the plants would grow best. He planted cabbage, carrots, beets, maize and pumpkins.
On 29 May 1786 the ship anchored at Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago; knowing of Cook’s fate, the ships stayed for just 24 hours, allowing only a brief period for Collignon to plant seed. In mid September 1786, the ship landed at Monterey. The soil was very fertile and Collignon gave seed to the Spanish governor and to the local mission. He also gave them potatoes that had been gathered in Chile and were still in good condition.
Some of the plants collected at Monterey and Macao would be sent back to Thouin. The visit to Monterey marked the beginning of the botanical exploration of the Trans-Mississipi West although the true range of his collections is uncertain.
In December the ship landed in Samoan waters, where Lamartinière and Collignon botanized on several islands, the natives demanding a glass bead for every plant collected, and on one occasion threatening Lamartinière when he threatened to not pay. The ship left on 23 December 1787.
Collecting localities
Collignon was gardener on ’L’Astrolabe’ sailing from Brest on 1 August 1785 via Madeira, the Canaries, Teneriffe, St Catherine, Conception Bay (Chile), Easter Island, Sandwich Islands, Alaska, California, Macao (2 Jan. 1787), Philippine Islands, Port de Marivelle (21-24 Feb.) at Cavite, Manila (28 Feb-8/9 Apr.), coast of Siberia, Kamchatka, Samoa (some crew killed on Maouna Island (Collignon wounded on 11 Dec.), Fiji, Norfolk Island (1788), Botany Bay, New Caledonia, Santa Cruz Islands (shipwrecked on the reefs of Vanikuro).See also
- List of gardener-botanist explorers of the Enlightenment
- European and American voyages of scientific explorationEuropean and American voyages of scientific explorationThe era of European and American voyages of scientific exploration followed the Age of Discovery and were inspired by a new confidence in science and reason that arose in the Age of Enlightenment...