Overview

During the closing years of the eighteenth century, French exploration of the Pacific Ocean began in earnest. One of the most important French sea captains during this period was Antoine de Bruni, known as the Chevalier d'Entrecasteaux (1739-1793), whose voyages to Australia returned valuable knowledge of this continent and its neighboring islands. Bruni's voyages helped establish France as a serious presence in the Pacific and served to counterbalance the existing presence of the British, Dutch, and Spanish in these waters.

Background

European exploration of the Pacific Ocean began in 1519, when Ferdinand Magellan (1480?-1521) led his small fleet through the Straits of Magellan into the reaches of the Pacific. Although Magellan did not live to complete the voyage, the reports returned by his expedition whetted the appetites and imaginations of most major European powers. Sensing the...