Rare letters written by a scientist who perished on the ill-fated La Pérouse expedition have been discovered hidden in a book of engravings, offering a new and personal account of the voyage that Louis XVI reportedly asked about as he prepared for execution in 1793.
The letters, described as veiled love letters addressed to the married daughter of an aristocratic family, were found in a 19th-century book of engravings being prepared for sale, auctioneer Benoît Derouineau said. Ludovic Miran, a book and manuscript expert for the auctioneers, called the find “a miracle.”
The correspondence was written by Jean-André Mongez, a scientist, church canon and director of a science revue who sailed with the expedition, to Louise Victoire Le Cloustier, daughter of a minor noble family from Rouen, Normandy. Miran said Mongez used the letters to express unhappiness at her marriage and appears to repent for past behaviour, writing several times: "I will be back, I will be another man, a better man."
The La Pérouse expedition, commissioned by Louis XVI in 1785, was a round-the-world scientific mission intended to rival the discoveries of Captain James Cook. Two ships, La Boussole and L'Astrolabe, carrying 225 crew, officers and scientists, sailed from Brest on 1 August 1785 and sent reports from stopovers including Alaska, California, Asia, Russia and Samoa, where the captain of the Astrolabe and 11 men were killed. The ships disappeared after leaving Botany Bay in March 1788, and their wrecks were only formally identified in 2005.
Miran said the letters reveal how the young men endured three years of navigation, including an account of a friend and others being massacred on one stop. In his last letter, Mongez tells Le Cloustier the expedition has taken a sad turn and he now only wants to come home, because such unhappiness is not compensated for by the meagre scientific results they have. "Perhaps it is a journey of redemption," Miran said.
Le Cloustier died in 1821, unaware of Mongez's fate, but she kept the letters, which show signs of having been read and reread. "I would imagine she had to hide them from her husband," Miran said.
The letters, valued at €30,000-€50,000, are being sold as one lot by Daguerre at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris on 17 November.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The letters provide a rare human perspective on a historically significant expedition, most surviving documents being scientific.
- They may reshape understanding of the motivations of those who joined the perilous voyage, particularly Mongez's personal reasons.
- The auction offers a chance for the letters to enter public or scholarly collections, potentially aiding future research.
Background
The La Pérouse expedition was launched during intense British-French rivalry over colonial expansion, with Louis XVI seeking trade routes and intelligence on British plans to establish a base at Botany Bay. The two frigates vanished after leaving Botany Bay in 1788; wreckage was found in 1826 and 1964, but formal identification of the wrecks came only in 2005. The fate of the expedition remained a mystery for over two centuries, with Louis XVI reportedly asking for news of La Pérouse moments before his execution.
Key Perspectives
- Ludovic Miran (book and manuscript expert): Describes the find as "a miracle" and notes the letters are "extremely rare" because most surviving documents are scientific.
- Benoît Derouineau (auctioneer): Recalls not realizing what the letters were at first, noting they had "clearly been carefully saved and hidden."
What to Watch
- The auction on 17 November: whether the letters sell within the estimated €30,000-€50,000 range.
- Potential interest from French museums or archives in acquiring the correspondence for public display.
- Any further analysis of the letters by historians, which could yield new details about the expedition's final months.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline says veiled love letters from the La Pérouse voyage have resurfaced.World news | The Guardian: “Now rare letters written by an illustrious scientist who perished in 1788 have resurfaced”
- SupportedThe summary says the letters, hidden in a book of engravings, offer a rare personal account of the 1785 voyage.World news | The Guardian: “They are described as veiled love letters addressed to the married daughter of an aristocratic family, and were discovered hidden in a book of engravings being examined in preparation for auction.”
- SupportedLouis XVI reportedly asked about La Pérouse as he prepared for execution in 1793.World news | The Guardian: “As he prepared to climb the scaffolding to be publicly executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793, Louis XVI is reported to have asked: “Is there news of Monsieur de la Pérouse?””
- SupportedLudovic Miran called the find “a miracle.”World news | The Guardian: “Ludovic Miran, a book and manuscript expert for the auctioneers selling the letters next month, described the find as “a miracle”.”
- SupportedMiran said Mongez wrote several times, “I will be back, I will be another man, a better man.”World news | The Guardian: ““He writes several times: ‘I will be back, I will be another man, a better man’,” Miran said.”
- SupportedMiran said, “Perhaps it is a journey of redemption.”World news | The Guardian: ““Perhaps it is a journey of redemption.””
- SupportedMiran said, “I would imagine she had to hide them from her husband.”World news | The Guardian: ““But she kept the letters and we can tell they have been read, and reread. I would imagine she had to hide them from her husband,” Miran said.”
- SupportedAuctioneer Benoît Derouineau said he discovered the letters in a 19th-century book of engravings being prepared for sale.World news | The Guardian: “The auctioneer Benoît Derouineau said he had discovered the letters in an “unremarkable” 19th-century book of engravings being prepared for sale.”
- SupportedThe letters were written by Jean-André Mongez to Louise Victoire Le Cloustier.World news | The Guardian: “The letters were written by Jean-André Mongez, a brilliant scientist, director of an illustrious science revue and church canon who was with the expedition, to Louise Victoire Le Cloustier”
- SupportedThe ships sailed from Brest on 1 August 1785 carrying 225 crew, officers and scientists.World news | The Guardian: “La Pérouse’s ships, carrying 225 crew, officers and scientists, sailed from Brest on France’s Atlantic coast on 1 August 1785”
- SupportedAt Samoa, the captain of the Astrolabe and 11 men were killed.World news | The Guardian: “including from Alaska, California, Asia, Russia and Samoa, where the captain of the Astrolabe and 11 men were killed.”
- SupportedMiran said Mongez’s last letter describes the expedition taking a sad turn and says he now only wants to come home because the unhappiness is not compensated for by the meagre scientific results.World news | The Guardian: “In his last letter he tells her the expedition has taken a sad turn and he now only wants to come home because such unhappiness is not compensated for by the meagre scientific results they have.”
