In: "Voyage au pole sud et dans l'Oceanie ....." by the French ships ASTROLABE and ZELEE under the command of Dumont D'Urville. Plate 22. L'Astrolabe faisant de l'eau sur un glacon 6 Fevrier 1838. Parages Antarctiques
d'URVILLE, Jules Sébastien César Dumont
(1790–1842)
Maritime explorer.
Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville was born on 23 May 1790 at Condé-sur-Noireau, a village in Normandy, France. His father was Gabriel François Dumont, sieur of Urville and an hereditary Judge; his mother, née Jeanne de Croisilles, was of a noble French family. The d'Urvilles, because of their aristocratic connections, took refuge after the French Revolution in a secluded part of Normandy. Here, after the death of his father, Jules was educated by his mother's brother, a churchman of wide learning. Later he attended the Lycée Malherbe at Caen. In 1807 he entered the Navy. A student by talent and inclination, he devoted himself to learning, both in the humanities and natural sciences. In 1815 he married. In 1820, while on a visit in a French naval vessel to the eastern Mediterranean, he was instrumental in procuring for France a Greek statue which had been found on Melos – the Venus de Milo.
On 18 August 1822, d'Urville, then a lieutenant, sailed from Toulon on the CoquilleCoquille was at the Bay of Islands from 20 March to 17 April 1824. as second in command under Louis Isidor Duperrey on an extended voyage round the world, returning to Toulon on 24 March 1825. The
On 25 April 1826, d'Urville, with the rank of commander, sailed from Toulon as chief of the former Coquille, renamed Astrolabe, on a voyage of exploration and scientific inquiry which lasted till 24 March 1829. On 10 January 1827 the Astrolabe came in sight of the north-west coast of the South Island. On 14 January the ship passed the entrance to the modern Golden Bay, which had been visited by Tasman. The ship anchored off the west side of Tasman Bay. This bay had not been investigated at close quarters previously. In the following days d'Urville established that it was a great deal bigger than Cook's mapping indicated, and his officers surveyed and charted it. Adele Island, Pepin Island, and Croisilles Harbour are modern names derived from those given by d'Urville. On 23 January d'Urville made for a channel which he had noticed at a distance some time before, and which seemed to him to communicate between Tasman Bay and Cook's Admiralty Bay. This was the channel culminating in French Pass and dividing D'Urville Island from the mainland. Lottin and Gressien, two of d'Urville's officers, on the same day saw the pass at close quarters from two of the ship's boats. On 25 January d'Urville went through the pass into Admiralty Bay in a ship's boat. On 28 January the Astrolabe made the hazardous passage into Admiralty Bay. The investigation of Tasman Bay and the discovery of French Pass and the insularity of D'Urville Island were significant contributions by d'Urville to the discovery of New Zealand's coasts.
From Cook Strait d'Urville went north along the coast to Whangarei Harbour, which was surveyed and charted on 21–23 February 1827. The Astrolabe then doubled back to Hauraki Gulf, passing between the main coastal islands on the west side of the gulf on 25–27 February. The Astrolabe had been preceded in this passage by the Prince Regent in 1820, but the surveys and charts made under d'Urville's command were notable contributions to the cartography of New Zealand's coasts. Lottin crossed the isthmus on 26 February and made a survey of Manukau Harbour, discovered in 1820 by Samuel Marsden. From Hauraki Gulf d'Urville proceeded to North Cape and then to the Bay of Islands, quitting the New Zealand coast in March 1827.
Following on his return to France in 1829, d'Urville was promoted to the rank of post captain. The years from 1829 to 1837 were spent in naval duties and literary and scientific writing. d'Urville busied himself with the publication of the many volumes and albums of the records of his voyage entitled Voyage de la Corvette L'Astrolabe. The second and third volumes deal in detail with the geography, history, science, and ethnology of New Zealand, enriched by many details from d'Urville's own observations.
In 1837 d'Urville was appointed as commander of an expedition consisting of the Astrolabe and the Zéle on a voyage to the Antarctic and the Pacific islands. This lasted from September 1837 until November 1840, during which time d'Urville made two trips to Antarctica, the most notable of his explorations being that of Adelie Land early in 1840. On 25 February d'Urville left Hobart, and between 7 March and 4 May 1840 was again in contact with New Zealand's coasts. He visited the Auckland Islands, passed the Snares and Stewart Island at close quarters, and spent some time in Otago Harbour, Akaroa Harbour, and the Bay of Islands. He and his officers recorded many interesting observations of these places at that time.
d'Urville, on his return to France, was promoted to rear-admiral, and belatedly received recognition of his outstanding services to exploration and science. On 8 May 1842 he and his wife and child were killed in a railway accident near Paris.
Jules Sébastien Csar Dumont d'Urville was a man of impressive talent both in navigation and in learning. He made notable contributions to New Zealand exploration, particularly in the Tasman Bay – French Pass area, and to the detailed cartography of New Zealand's coasts in conjunction with his officers. Both he and his officers made valuable records of the contemporary history, scenery, ethnology, and botany of New Zealand.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/durville-jules-sebastien-cesar-dumont/1
Sainson, Louis Auguste de, b. 1801 :Baie Houa-Houa ; Naturels executant une danse a bord de l'Astrolabe (Nouvelle-Zelande) / de Sainson pinz. ; Raffet lith ; J Tastu editeur ; Lith. de Lemercier. - [Paris] ; [1833]
"Māori on board Astrolabe performing dance, French officer at right; at Tolaga Bay"
Time Line From Google
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| 1820 | 1820 - His early navel career was given a tremendous boost by his acquiring of the Venus de Milo for France on a cruise in the Mediterranean in 1820, for which he was fêted and Captained. Later, his Pacific voyages—including the discovery of Antarctica— were equally ...An extraordinary sea-captain by most measures, d'Urville combined in his own person as much of the historian and natural scientist as of the navigator. His early navel career was given a tremendous boost by his acquiring of the Venus de Milo for France on a cruise in the Mediterranean in 1820, for which he was fêted and Captained. Later, his Pacific voyages—including the discovery of Antarctica— were equally celebrated. In Pacific studies d'Urville is most remembered for ... Show moreShow lessFrom The oceanic drift in Polynesian linguistics - Elsevier - Related web pageslinkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii ... |
| 1826 | 1826 - The next scientific party to come to this area was French, in 1826 on L' Astrolabe, under the command of Dumont D'Urville who was on his second voyage to New Zealand, having visited the Bay of Islands some years earlier. The French concentrated on the large ...The next scientific party to come to this area was French, in 1826 on L' Astrolabe, under the command of Dumont D'Urville who was on his second voyage to New Zealand, having visited the Bay of Islands some years earlier. The French concentrated on the large island to the west now named for D'Urville. Unlike Banks and von Bellingshausen, D'Urville found the bush strangely quiet: No birds , no insects, no reptiles even, this complete absence of any living creature and the ... Show moreShow lessFrom Unique Wildlife of New Zealand - Related web pageswww.ecotours.co.nz/Brian/wildlife/nelson/index.htm |
| 1827 | 1827 - "Discovered" by French mariner Dumont D'Urville in 1827, D'Urville is the eighth -largest island in New Zealand at 150 square kilometres, with a permanent population of fewer than 100 people. Travelling up the western face of the island we sped past iconic ..."Discovered" by French mariner Dumont D'Urville in 1827, D'Urville is the eighth -largest island in New Zealand at 150 square kilometres, with a permanent population of fewer than 100 people. Travelling up the western face of the island we sped past iconic fishing spots such as Paddock Rocks, Black Reef, Bottle Point, Nile Head, Nelson's Monument, Cape Stephens, past the Bishops Cauldron and Hell's Gate, and into the famed Stephens Passage, sandwiched between the ... Show moreShow lessFrom Fishing mecca fails to inspire - Related web pageswww.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/opinion/columnists ... |
| 1828 | 1828 - After Peter Dillon had recovered relics of Laperouse's expedition, a French naval vessel commanded by Dumont D'Urville visited the island in 1828. They found a population of about 1200-1500, who seemed fairly healthy, but with warring divisions. D ...After Peter Dillon had recovered relics of Laperouse's expedition, a French naval vessel commanded by Dumont D'Urville visited the island in 1828. They found a population of about 1200-1500, who seemed fairly healthy, but with warring divisions. D'Urville's visit was not without its ironies for he brought with him lengths of kauri (Agathis australis) from New Zealand in order to construct a memorial to Laperouse and crew.1 Had D'Urville managed to break through the ... Show moreShow lessFrom Pacific Forest - Related web pagesbooks.google.com/books?id=ummoM3g_sI0C&pg=PA91 ... |
| 1831 | 1831 - Originally coined by the French explorer Dumont d'Urville in 1831, Oceania has been traditionally divided into Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. As with any region, however, interpretations vary; increasingly, geographers and scientists divide Oceania into ...Originally coined by the French explorer Dumont d'Urville in 1831, Oceania has been traditionally divided into Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. As with any region, however, interpretations vary; increasingly, geographers and scientists divide Oceania into Near Oceania and Remote Oceania. Most of Oceania consists of island nations composed of thousands of coral atolls and volcanic islands, with small human populations. Australia is the only continental country but ... Show moreShow lessFrom Oceania - Related web pagesschools-wikipedia.org/wp/o/Oceania.htm |
| 1837 | Sep 7, 1837 - The ships set sail on 7th September 1837, stopping off at Staten Landt before passing by Le Maire Strait. D'Urville had also received orders to navigate the Antarctica area. It was not long before the Astrolabe and the Zelée found themselves in the icefields ...The ships set sail on 7th September 1837, stopping off at Staten Landt before passing by Le Maire Strait. D'Urville had also received orders to navigate the Antarctica area. It was not long before the Astrolabe and the Zelée found themselves in the icefields of the south, near Clarence Island. Bad weather, ice fields, fog and snow eventually obliged d'Urville to turn from the Antarctica, before the end of it's short summer, and make for the South Orkneys, where the ... Show moreShow lessFrom Dumont d'Urville - New Zealand in History - Related web pageshistory-nz.org/discovery5.html |
| 1838 | Oct 1838 - For four years nothing had been done to avenge the outrage committ4ed against the French ship L'Aimable Josephine by the rebels of Bau and their underlings at Viwa; but when, in October, 1838, the French corvettes Astrolabe and Zeiee, under Dumont d'Urville ...For four years nothing had been done to avenge the outrage committ4ed against the French ship L'Aimable Josephine by the rebels of Bau and their underlings at Viwa; but when, in October, 1838, the French corvettes Astrolabe and Zeiee, under Dumont d'Urville, appeared off the Tailevu coast, the chiefs guessed their mission. D'Urville had called at Lakeba to get a pilot, and had secured the services of one of the chiefs, who piloted the ships safely through the reefs ... Show moreShow lessFrom Fiji Islands - Discovery And People - Related web pageswww.janesoceania.com/fiji_discovery/index.htm |
| 1840 | Jan 19, 1840 - Once summer returned, Dumont d'Urville decided to make another push for the Antarctic. On 19 January 1840, land was sighted and Dumont d'Urville named it Terre Adélie, after his wife. Samples of rock were taken to prove that it was a continent, and the ...Once summer returned, Dumont d'Urville decided to make another push for the Antarctic. On 19 January 1840, land was sighted and Dumont d'Urville named it Terre Adélie, after his wife. Samples of rock were taken to prove that it was a continent, and the French flag was flown. Discovering and claiming Terre Adélie in Antarctica for the French was strategically and politically Dumont d' Urville's most significant achievement. Show moreShow lessFrom A Voyage of Antarctic Discovery - The Astrolabe - Voyages of Pacific … - Related web pageswww.canterbury.ac.nz/voyages/astrolabe ... |
| 1842 | May 8, 1842 - Rear Admiral Jules Dumont d'Urville, his wife and son, were returning by train from an outing to Versailles on 8 May 1842, when the two locomotive engines jumped the track. The leading wooden carriages ran atop the engines and caught fire, and d'Urville and ...He began writing up the narrative of his latest expedition, and just as the fourth volume was nearly ready for the publisher, tragedy overcame d'Urville and his family. Rear Admiral Jules Dumont d'Urville, his wife and son, were returning by train from an outing to Versailles on 8 May 1842, when the two locomotive engines jumped the track. The leading wooden carriages ran atop the engines and caught fire, and d'Urville and his family were engulfed in flames. Show moreShow lessFrom Antarctic Medals - Related web pageswww.antarctic-circle.org/medals.htm |
The figure stretched out on the stem
Faces the four winds, thrusting forward;
And, magnificent, made proud by the wind
The entire ship follows her like a slave.
Lucie Delarue-Mardrus : "La figure de proue" 1908
