tchell
Library, Sydney. It is called "Louis XVI giving instructions to
Monsieur de Laperouse for his voyage around the world." An Australian
statesman who saw it during a visit to Paris a few years ago, confessed
publicly on his return to his own country that he gazed long upon it,
and recognised it as being "of the deepest interest to Australians." So
indeed it is. A photograph of the picture is given here.

The instructions were of course prepared by Fleurieu: anyone familiar
with his writings can see plenty of internal evidence of that. But
Louis was not a little vain of his own geographical knowledge, and he
gave a special audience to Laperouse, explaining the instructions
verbally before handing them to him in writing.

They are admirably clear instructions, indicating a full knowledge of
the work of preceding navigators and of the parts of the earth where
discovery needed to be pursued. Their defect was that they expected too
much to be done on one voyage. Let us glance over them, devoting
particular attention to the portions affecting Australasia.

The ships were directed to sail across the Atlantic and round Cape
Horn, visiting certain specified places on the way. In the Pacific they
were to visit Easter Island, Tahiti, the Society Islands, the Friendly
and Navigator groups, and New Caledonia. "He will pass Endeavour Strait
and in this passage will try to ascertain whether the land of Louisiade
(the Louisiade Archipelago), be contiguous to that of New Guinea, and
will reconnoitre all this part of the coast from Cape Deliverance to
the Island of St. Barthelomew, east-northeast of Cape Walsh, of which
at present we have a very imperfect knowledge. It is much to be wished
that he may be able to examine the Gulf of Carpentaria."

He was then to explore the western shores of New Holland. "He will run
down the western coast and take a closer view of the southern, the
greater part of which has never been visited, finishing his survey at
Van Diemen's Land, at Adventure Bay or Prince Frederick Henry's, whence
he will make sail for Cook's Strait, and anchor in Queen
Charlotte's Sound, in that Strait, between the two islands which
constitute New Zealand."

That direction is especially important, because if Laperouse had not
perished, but had lived to carry out his programme, it is evident that
he would have forestalled the later discoveries of Bass and Flinders in
southern Australia. What a vast difference to the late