ISBN : 9782296022805
THE ISLE DE FRANCE AND BAUDIN'S PRECURSORS IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS
Edward Duyker
In the thirty-two years between James Cook's discovery of the eastern
coast of Australia and the circumnavigation of Matthew Flinders, five
French expeditions visited Australia. The first of these anchored off Cape
Frederick Hendrick, on the east coast of Van Diemen' s Land (Tasmania),
on 6 March 1772, in search of fresh water and timber for repairs. This
expedition, commanded by Marc-Joseph Marion Dufresne, was launched
from Isle de France and carried a number of local men among the crew:
René Marie Houbert and Joseph Gassin were sailors on Marion Dufresne's
vessel, the Masearin. They would be the first'Mauritians' to visit
Australia. Anthonie, Marion's slave cook, may also have been Mauritianborn.
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