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French naval officer (1734?1797)
Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Tremarec
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Portrait of Kerguelen wearing a Navy Captain uniform.
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Born
| 13 February 1734
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Died
| 3 March 1797
(aged 63)
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Yves Joseph Marie de Kerguelen-Tremarec
(13 February 1734 ? 3 March 1797) was a French Navy officer. He discovered the
Kerguelen Islands
during his
first expedition
to the southern
Indian Ocean
. Welcomed as a hero after his voyage and first discovery, Kerguelen fell out of favour after his
second voyage
and was cashiered for violating Navy regulations. He was rehabilitated during the
French Revolution
.
Kerguelen also authored books about expeditions and about French naval operations during the
American Revolutionary War
.
Biography
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Early life
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He was born in
Landudal
,
Brittany
. During the
Seven Years' War
, Kerguelen-Tremarec was a
privateer
, but without much success.
Rockall
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In 1767 he sailed near
Rockall
, or
Rokol
. Although he may not have approached within sight of it, or even within 150 miles, he appears to have had good information regarding it. His charted position for it was only 16 miles north of its actual position and he accurately described its appearance
[1]
and the nearby Helen's Reef: "East of Rokol, ¼ league away, there is a submerged rock over which the water breaks".
[2]
In 1771, he published a map of the area.
Discovery of the Kerguelen Islands
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In early 1772, he was assigned command of the third French expedition sent in search of the fabled
Terra Australis
with the
fluyts
Fortune
and
Gros Ventre
. The expedition discovered the isolated
Kerguelen Islands
north of
Antarctica
in the southern
Indian Ocean
and claimed the archipelago for France before returning to
Mauritius
. He was accompanied by the naturalist
Jean Guillaume Bruguiere
. On a follow-up expedition to the Kerguelen Islands in 1773, he was accompanied by the astronomer
Joseph Lepaute Dagelet
.
In his report to King
Louis XV
, he greatly overestimated the value of the Kerguelen Islands; consequently, the King sent him on a second expedition with the 64-gun
Roland
and the 32-gun frigate
Oiseau
, but was again unsuccessful in finding Terra Australis. By now, it had become clear that the Kerguelen islands were desolate and quite useless, and certainly not the Terra Australis. Upon his return, Kerguelen was court-martialled in Brest for bringing his mistress aboard, in defiance of Navy regulations. He was found guilty on 25 May 1776.
French Revolution
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During the
French Revolution
, he was seen as a victim of the
Ancien Regime
and restored to his position, taking part in the
Battle of Groix
. He died in 1797 as a
Rear Admiral
and commander of the port of
Brest
.
Works
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Notes, citations, and references
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Notes
Citations
References
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International
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National
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Other
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