Jean François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse (1741–88) was a French explorer appointed by Louis XVI to lead an expedition to explore the Pacific Ocean, which ended in disaster when in 1788 the ships left Botany Bay in Australia on course for the islands of Oceania, and were never heard from again. However, La Pérouse had sent back via a British ship letters, journals and charts which form the basis of these detailed volumes (first published in English translation in 1799), providing a fascinating account of the journey and the discoveries of the expedition. They provide valuable insights into the social and political context of contemporary scientific naval expeditions. Volume 1 contains a short biography of La Pérouse, copies of documents concerning the planning and provision of the expedition and a description of the voyage across the Pacific Ocean as far as Korea.