Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-24
THURSDAY. MAY "a, 1927.
from the Boston Advertiser.l


The fate of In Pero,ss dscorersd.-lt is quite
remark able tina, after all the frutless search
that has been made for the last forty years, tc
ascertein ,hs fate which interrupted the spien-
did VOYAGE Of this unfortunate traveller, facts
should have come to light tthis late day, which
bid fair no, only TO disclose the nature Of the
disaster which bcfel him, but probably to re-
store to their friends some of the survivors OF
The expedition tits not surprising that the fate
of,his enterprising traveller and his companions
should have excited the most lively interest in
France. He was himself Of noble family, had
been MANY years in The naval service, and had
distinguished himself in the American war
He sailed from Brest on the LIST Of August,
1885, 90 voyage Of discovery in the Pacific
Ocesn,in the irigate Boussoie, accompanied by
the frigae ,3SirOla6e, commanded by Captain
Langle who was also an officer Of distinguish
ed merit ths officers were among the most
accomplished in the Royal Navy, and his crews
were picked men. He was accompanied by a
large number Of men Of science, who were fur
nished instruments of every description for the
! most exact observations. All the learned soci-
cites furnished memoirs, and all thS govern
men,s of Europe offered the protection and assis
lance of their marine, Louis XVI, is said 10
have drawn up The Instructions for the voyage
with his own hand, and the expedition was re.
garded as one which bid fair to render his reign
iliustrous. The two fnga,es doubled Cape
Horn, visited he Sandwich Islands, and arrived
on the North West Coast Of America. in lat
$50 North, and there discovered deep bay,
which they called Port Francois, without hav-
ing LOST man, or had any sickness. In an ISL
and in this bay they took in supply OF wood
and water, and were about TO take their depar-
iurr, when unfortunately two boats. which we're
employed in making some surveys, were driven
upon breakers, and every person on board them
was lost, including six distinguished officers
They thence proceeded southerly, rec onno,ter-
ing the sestern coast Of America, arrived az
Macao in January. 1887, and afterwards at Ma
nilla Thence they proceeded uortherly, BY a
long and ,liNnUurI UruTT, aDo0ndlng WIN ls'ahuS,
and arrived at Avatscha, in The peninsula OF
Kam,schatka Thence they sailed on the Isl
of October, 1897, to explore the islands of ia
pan. and the strait which separates them from
Asia. On The 9Th Of December, party landed
on one Of The islands, and were violently attack
ed by party Of the natives, and Capt Lang'e,
who commanded the party in person, was mas
sacred, with eleven ct his men, aud great mum
Der of others were severely wounded. Alter
this disaster, La Perouse proceeded TO Botany
Bay, where he sailed again IN the beginning o.
the wear 1888, and from that time nothing has
been heard Of him. The journal OF his expedi-
ton up to this period with memoirs and sclen-
liioal collections were sent 10 France, and
splendid account of the voyage was published
in four ouarto volumes. In 1871, the govern
ment Of France sent out rwo vessels in search
OF the lost travellers, but they returned without
having discovered the least trace Of them, and
the same fate attended all subsequent inquiries.
But the Paris papers just received, contain
number Of authentic documents, relating a va
rietv of facts which justify the supposllion that
the place where The two friga,es were lost has
been discovered, and thai within very snort
period al least, some of the survivors OF the
wreck were vet in existence. The principal
facts now proved are the following:-Captain
Dillon. who in 1918 WAS an officer on board the
Bengal ship Hunter, Capt, Robson, on voyage
from Calcutta to New Holland, the islands OF
Fidii and Canton, was on shore al a town called
VILLAIN, on the Sandal Wood coast, when a
quarrel arose, in which, Of several Europeans
who were there nearly all were killed. Plus
sian named Martin Buchert, who happened to
te there, AND Lasoar, escaped from the mas
sacre, and with Dillon, got on board the Hun.
ter, requesting Captain Robsin to pu, them "a
shore, on the first land they should make. Ac
cordingly Buchert and the Lascar were landed
a, the island Of Tucopia, in 5 lat. 10 IS, E
Ion l6e. Thirteen years afterwards, viz on
the 18th of May last, Capt Dillon, who wa'
then in command ofthe ship ST. Patrick, bount
from Valparaiso TO Pondicherry, happened &c
PASS ip SIGH, of the island Of Tucopia. Exoitet
by curiosity, and an interest for his old compa
Mons in danger, he came to before 'lucopia, II
the hope Of ascertaing whether the men whom
he had landed there in 1918 were still! alivs.-
He soon saw a canoe launch from the shore
which ear,e alongside, containing the very Las
car whom he had brought there, and IL wa
soon followed by another canoe, containing
Martin Buchert, the Prussian, both in goo'
health. aud overjoyed to see him again The.
informed him that they had been kindly
by the natives, and that they had seen no Euro
nean vessels since they had been on the island
except two English whale ships The Lasca
had an old sword hilt Of silver, which ne SOLE
10 some Of the crew Of the St. Patrick for SONS
fish hooks. On inquiry respecting this article
the Prussiap said that on his arrival in the isl
and. he saw this sword hilt in the hands OF thu
natives aud also several iron bolts, 1--WE axes, TIT
handle of silver fork, several knives, tea cups