French Explorer's Shipwreck Found (Australia Might Have Been A French Colony)

CNN ^ | Tuesday, May 10, 2005

[nickcarraway]

One of the great mysteries of early European exploration of the Pacific Ocean has been solved with the confirmed identification of a sea-floor wreck as that of French seafarer La Perouse.

The fate of Jean-Francois de Galaup de La Perouse has been a matter of speculation for more than 200 years after the experienced seaman disappeared following his departure from Botany Bay in Australia in 1788.

It was thought La Perouse's two frigates had been shipwrecked during a storm off the coast of the Solomon Islands to the northeast of Australia, a theory which has now been confirmed by physical evidence.

An expedition launched by the Solomon Islands Association and backed by the French government said Tuesday it had identified a shipwreck off the island of Vanikoro as that of La Boussole, one of La Perouse's ships.

The mission, the seventh bid to solve the mystery, involves 70 people based on a French navy transport ship and includes archaeologists, an entomologist, a linguist, painter and a geophysicist, and Marc de La Perouse, a descendant of the aristocratic explorer.

La Boussole was found at a site known as "the fault".

Last week, a sextant -- an instrument used by navigators to measure the angular distance of the sun from the horizon -- with the inscription "Mercier" was found near "the fault".

Had La Perouse made it back to France he may well have successfully claimed the continent of Australia for France, rewriting the colonial history of the South Pacific.

His name does live on in Australia however, with a Sydney beachside suburb named after him.

[nickcarraway]

File photo showing a diver recovering objects thought to be from La Perouse's shipwrecks.

[The Great Yazoo]

How do you say "G'Day Mate!" with a French accent?

[Stonedog]

The Frogs would have just surrendered to the Aborigines.

[The Great Yazoo]

Outback Steakhouse would be an escargot restaurant chain.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

1788, Wow, that's when the french had "little" balls to explore and concquer. Now they got no balls.
Hey did they find Chirac's career in the wreck?

[The Great Yazoo]

A "Blooming Onion" would be a "Blooming Chirac."

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Stonedog wrote:
The Frogs would have just surrendered to the Aborigines

--> I don't think the Frogs would have been able to survive/concquor any of the dangers in australia.

[Joe 6-pack]

His ship's pennant was discovered, remarkably well preserved...

[The Great Yazoo]

Foster's would be "le Francois"

[The Great Yazoo]

Australian wine would suck, just like French wine.

[The Great Yazoo]

"Another shrimp on the barbie" would signify the placing of an additional especially masculine Frenchman on the grill.

[Jaysun]

Had La Perouse made it back to France he may well have successfully claimed the continent of Australia for France, rewriting the colonial history of the South Pacific.

God obviously saw what a disaster Frenchstralia would be and took him out. RIP La Perouse, you took one for the team.

[The Great Yazoo]

One more:
Lingua franca would signify the French language.

I hereby pass le baton of trashing second rate culture to others.

[Brian Allen]

Good one.

In gratitude for his passing I reckon the Aussies aught name something after him.

I reckon a nice little suburb south of Sydney -- down Botany Bay way, say -- aughta do the trick -- and that they should name it after him: "La Perouse;" -- and populate it with Australia's first immigrants -- the ones they quaintly [And erroniously] call: "Aborigines."

[Brian Allen]

<< Had La Perouse made it back to France he may well have successfully claimed the continent of Australia for France ... >>

And, had one of my aunts had balls, I'da had another uncle.

[Aussiebabe]

I have never heard of a "Blooming Onion". I think "Outback" has pulled a fast one on you Yanks!

[The Great Yazoo]

I have never heard of a "Blooming Onion". I think "Outback" has pulled a fast one on you Yanks!

There is no doubt about it. But someone has also pulled a fast one on you Aussies to call all Americans "Yanks!"

[Red Sea Swimmer]

Very interestinng story.

[Cowman]

Last week, a sextant -- an instrument used by navigators to measure the angular distance of the sun from the horizon -- with the inscription "Mercier" was found near "the fault".

Well now we know just who was at fault

[BlueMondaySkipper]

This proves that cowardice can be evolved out of humans in something short of 11 generations.