Pierre François Péron
Encyclopedia
French Captain Pierre François Péron, born in 1769 at Lambézellec, near Brest
, was a French sailor and trading captain who sailed to many different locations in the late 18th century. He owned his ship until it was captured by the British, following which he became a sealer and adventurer.
Captain Péron was marooned three years (from 1792 to 1795) on New Amsterdam Island or Île Amsterdam
. He wrote an account about being marooned for 40 months gathering sealskins on that lonely Southern Indian Ocean
island.
After being rescued, Péron travelled via Tasmania
to the convict
settlement at Sydney Cove
. While in Sydney
Péron had the opportunity to serve under Capt. Ebenezer Dorr ("Dawes") aboard the Otter
as first officer. The Otter was engaged in the sealskin and fur transport from the Pacific coast to China
. While leaving Sydney, Péron assisted in the escape of Thomas Muir of Huntershill (1765-1799), a Scottish reformer tried in 1793 in Edinburgh for sedition and sentenced to transportation to New South Wales
in 1794. Péron's chronicles describe the escape and the voyage across the Pacific.
The Otter then became the first known European merchant vessel to visit Tonga
. After crossing the Pacific, the Otter landed at Pukapuka
on 3 April 1796. This island was given the name "Isles de la Loutre" (Otter Islands) by Péron. Peron, Thomas Muir and a small party landed ashore but the inhabitants did not allow them to inspect the island. Trading took place near the ship as adzes, mats and other artifacts were exchanged for knives and European goods.
"Everything united to convince us that we had the right to attribute to ourselves the honour of having discovered three new islands; and with this conviction I gave them the name of Otter Islands [Isles de la Loutre] which was the name of our vessel. In order to distinguish them we named the eastern one 'Peron and Muir' (Motu Ko), the one to the north 'Dorr' (Pukapuka), and the name of 'Brown' (Motu Kotowa) was given to the third, after one of our officers." Peron
From Pukapuka the Otter sailed to Nootka Sound
where furs were obtained and Muir was transferred to the Spanish vessel Sutil under José Tobar y Tamariz and taken to Monterey
where he was received by governor Diego Borica. In his accounts, Péron writes about the Pacific Northwest and its natives, as well as the Hawaiian Islands
. Most notable is a visit to California, by then a Spanish colony
, including a stay at Monterey in 1796. This was the first time an American ship entered California waters. Péron found Monterey somewhat backward at the time.
Péron then travelled to San Blas, Mexico City
, Veracruz
, Havana
, and Cádiz
, finally reaching France.
In 1804 Péron retired to his chateau
in Piage. He was appointed mayor in 1805 and again in 1815, but in 1825 he settled in Saumur
, where he became first deputy mayor until 1830.
Péron's Memoires, in which he describes his survival alone on Île Amsterdam, were published in a limited edition and are now an expensive collectors' item. His account contains notes on British Columbia
, Vancouver Island
, and the Queen Charlotte Islands
, descriptions of California
, particularly of his visit to Monterey in 1796, Tasmania
and New South Wales
in Australia, Hawaii
and Sumatra
. His memoires include descriptions of storms, shipwrecks, as well as situations of misery and hardship of all kinds. Péron’s memoirs are well-written and described many interesting events in the life of a sea captain who travelled in most of the then still little-known world where Western commerce was fast developing.
Péron probably died in 1840.
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, was a French sailor and trading captain who sailed to many different locations in the late 18th century. He owned his ship until it was captured by the British, following which he became a sealer and adventurer.
Captain Péron was marooned three years (from 1792 to 1795) on New Amsterdam Island or Île Amsterdam
Île Amsterdam
New Amsterdam, Amsterdam Island, or Île Amsterdam is a French island in the Indian Ocean located at . It is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.- History :...
. He wrote an account about being marooned for 40 months gathering sealskins on that lonely Southern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
island.
After being rescued, Péron travelled via Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
to the convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
settlement at Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
. While in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Péron had the opportunity to serve under Capt. Ebenezer Dorr ("Dawes") aboard the Otter
Otter (ship)
The Otter was a maritime fur trading vessel which was most famous for the rescue, under command of Capt. Ebenezer Dorr , of Thomas Muir, a famous Scottish political exile....
as first officer. The Otter was engaged in the sealskin and fur transport from the Pacific coast to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. While leaving Sydney, Péron assisted in the escape of Thomas Muir of Huntershill (1765-1799), a Scottish reformer tried in 1793 in Edinburgh for sedition and sentenced to transportation to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1794. Péron's chronicles describe the escape and the voyage across the Pacific.
The Otter then became the first known European merchant vessel to visit Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. After crossing the Pacific, the Otter landed at Pukapuka
Pukapuka
Pukapuka is a coral atoll in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean, with three small islets threaded on a reef that encloses a beautifully clear lagoon. It is the most remote island of the Cook Islands, situated about 1140 kilometres northwest of Rarotonga. It is a triangular atoll with three...
on 3 April 1796. This island was given the name "Isles de la Loutre" (Otter Islands) by Péron. Peron, Thomas Muir and a small party landed ashore but the inhabitants did not allow them to inspect the island. Trading took place near the ship as adzes, mats and other artifacts were exchanged for knives and European goods.
From Pukapuka the Otter sailed to Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound is a complex inlet or sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Historically also known as King George's Sound, as a strait it separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island.-History:The inlet is part of the...
where furs were obtained and Muir was transferred to the Spanish vessel Sutil under José Tobar y Tamariz and taken to Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
where he was received by governor Diego Borica. In his accounts, Péron writes about the Pacific Northwest and its natives, as well as the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. Most notable is a visit to California, by then a Spanish colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
, including a stay at Monterey in 1796. This was the first time an American ship entered California waters. Péron found Monterey somewhat backward at the time.
Péron then travelled to San Blas, Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, and Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, finally reaching France.
In 1804 Péron retired to his chateau
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
in Piage. He was appointed mayor in 1805 and again in 1815, but in 1825 he settled in Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, where he became first deputy mayor until 1830.
Péron's Memoires, in which he describes his survival alone on Île Amsterdam, were published in a limited edition and are now an expensive collectors' item. His account contains notes on British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, and the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
, descriptions of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, particularly of his visit to Monterey in 1796, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in Australia, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. His memoires include descriptions of storms, shipwrecks, as well as situations of misery and hardship of all kinds. Péron’s memoirs are well-written and described many interesting events in the life of a sea captain who travelled in most of the then still little-known world where Western commerce was fast developing.
Péron probably died in 1840.
External links
- Works by or about Pierre François Péron at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions)