The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-06-06
From the Providence .A,;c,ocos,,,

ATE OF FERoUsE. Among the navi.
gators OF the last century, distinguished
Ior their enterprise and science, was La
ferouse, Frenchman. He became at an
carry age an officer in the navy of his
prince, Louis the 10TH and when our com
Try was engaged in herrevoiutionary strug-
gie with Great Britain, this Young AMI
gallant officer became one of her anxiIia-
RES anu slgnalized himself at the takiDy-
OF Grenada, and by other services nndes
Ooont d,Estaing, Admiral of the French
navy and commander of the French SQUAD
rons which were employed in aid of the
American cause. At the close of the war,
and on the return of La Perouse to his
native country, he was selected by his
sovereign to take command of two vessels
prepared for voyage of discovery. 1t
was an undertaking from which the king
and the French people had the greatest
expectations; and the selection Of La
ferouse to conduct II was an evidence Of
the high estimation in which he was hold
en- by the monarch of that great nation
lie pursued the track of tho celebrated
navigator, Cook, in exploring the North
west coast OF America; passed down the
eastern coast of Asia, and in tie year
1903 touched at Botany Bay. At that
/
marks Of respect from the English settlers
IN New Holland, which were due to his
enterprise, his nautical skill, and his scieu-
ttli I5t Re 1l ff llt that frs
| crew was discovered. Various were the
conlectures as to their fate; but it was ev-
| ident that they had persisted. And wheth-
er they were swallowed up by the wild
waves OF the ocean, or were shipwrecked
and died by famine on desert coast, or
were murdered by savages were matters.
of speculation, but could not then be re-
duced to certainty. Three years after
he left NewI Holland, two ships sailed UNI
der the direction of the National Assem-
bly, in pursuit of this adventurous naviga-
tor; but they lost his track after be sailed
from New Holland, and returned to France
after long an unavaling search, painfully
satisfied of his destruction and that of his
crew. A nautical commander, by thename
OF Dillon, on board Bengal shiplately, OBJ
tanned from the Tucopiad Islanders 1t
sword hilt, marked La Perouse, which they
had received from an island in the vicinity,
called Malicolo, where it YVES said among
the natives, that two large vessels had
been driven On shore many years since
The person from whom this sword hilt was
optulheti, HSu seen many OlneF uJlcleS, d.
mong which, was sword of French man
ufacture, all of which came from the is
land where the vessels went to pieces
The account states, that one vessel anchor
ed at Wahnoo, and the other at Palcw. A
storm arose and the first was driven on the
rocks, and the crew were butchered by tho
natives; the other struck on a sand bank,
and the natives were induced by presents
from the crew, to suffer them to remain
long enough to build a small vessel, in
which q part embarked, leaving others on
the island. To that island, Capt. Dillon
directed his course, but after he came III
sight of it, was prevented, by a seven days
calm; and being short of provisions, and
in vessel out of repair, he made immedi-
ately for Calcutta. At that place ship
was put under the command of Capt. Dill
Ion, with orders to pursue the best means
for obtaining further particulars respecting
the fate of La Perouse and his crew; and
it is probable that these enquiries will be
so prosecuted, that ere long the world will
be furnished with all the circumstances
attending an event which SO early ternn-,
ated the career of that distinguished nays,
gator.