République des Sept-Îles
In 1802, not long after the creation of the Septinsular Republic, he joined the Republic's army and became a captain in the engineering corps. Five years later, when the area reverted to French control, he was appointed Director of the topographical service and was assigned to map the islands and the coastal areas of Epirus. In 1809, he was part of a diplomatic mission to Ali Pasha. Later that year, the Ionian Senate sent him to Rome to complete his studies at public expense.