Overview

Between 1785 and 1788 Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse (1741-1788?), sailed on a mission of exploration to discover islands and lands not yet found by France's European rivals. With two ships, La Boussole and Astrolabe, La Pérouse traveled to many parts of the Pacific, although he is best-known for his explorations in the North. In particular, he discovered the strait named for him that separates the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, connecting the Sea of Okhotsk with the Sea of Japan. These and other discoveries helped complete this phase of Pacific Ocean exploration and established a French presence in the region.

Background

European exploration of the Pacific Ocean began with Vasco Núñez de Balboa's (1475-1519) first view of the ocean from...