The study of Cook made a deep impression on the King’s mind.  Why, he asked himself, should not France share in the glory of discovering new lands, and penetrating untraversed seas?  There was a large amount of exploratory work still to be done.  English navigators were always busy sailing to unknown parts, but the entire world was by no means revealed yet.  There were, particularly, big blank spaces at the bottom of the globe.  That country called by the Dutch New Holland, the eastern part of which Cook had found—­there was evidently much to be done there.  What were the southern coasts like?  Was it one big island-continent, or was it divided into two by a strait running south from the head of the Gulf of Carpentaria?  Then there was that piece of country discovered by the Dutchman Tasman, and named Van Diemen’s Land.  Was it an island, or did it join on to New Holland?  There were also many islands of the Pacific still to be explored and correctly charted, the map of Eastern Asia was imperfect, and the whole of the coastline of North-Western America was not accurately known.

The more Louis turned the matter over in his mind, the more he studied his globes, maps and books of voyages, the more convinced he was that France, as a maritime nation and a naval Power, ought to play an important part in this grand work of unveiling to mankind the full extent, form, nature and resources of our planet.

He sent for a man whose name the Australian reader should particularly note, because he had much to do with three important discovery voyages affecting our history.  Charles Claret, Comte de Fleurieu, was the principal geographer in France.  He was at this time director of ports and arsenals.  He had throughout his life been a keen student of navigation, was a practical sailor, invented a marine chronometer which was a great improvement on clocks hitherto existing, devised a method of applying the metric system to the construction of marine charts, and wrote several works on his favourite subject.  A large book of his on discoveries in Papua and the Solomon Islands is still of much importance.

As a French writer—­an expert in this field of knowledge—­has written of Fleurieu, “he it was who prepared nearly all the plans for naval operations during the war of 1778, and the instructions for the voyages of discovery—­those of Laperouse and Dentrecasteaux—­for which Louis XVI had given general directions; and to whose wise and well-informed advice is due in large part the utility derived from them.”  It was chiefly because of Fleurieu’s knowledge of geography that the King chose him to be the tutor of the Dauphin; and in 1790 he became Minister of Marine.

Louis XVI and Fleurieu talked the subject over together; and the latter, at the King’s command, drew up a long memorandum indicating the parts of the globe where an expedition of discovery might most profitably apply itself.

The King decided (1785) that a voyage should be undertaken; two ships of the navy, la Boussole and L’ASTROLABE, were selected for the purpose; and, on the recommendation of the Marquis de Castries—­remember Madame la Marquise!—­Laperouse was chosen for the command.