Journal of a voyage from Brest to Siam in L'Oiseau, 1687-1688

Item

Title
Journal of a voyage from Brest to Siam in L'Oiseau, 1687-1688
Subject
Australia--Description and travel
Discovery and exploration--French
Oceania--Discovery and exploration
Voyages and travels
French diaries
Shipping
Category
1. Settlement
Author
Bremond
Current holder
National Library of Australia
Date
August 4, 1687
Series number
MS 10724
Item number
8819817
Access rights
Request at location
Rights 
In Copyright. Permission required for use due to preservation reasons; Collection Care assistance required for any handling of this item. Not for loan.
Country of origin
Australia
Language 
French
Description from source
0.10 m (1 volume)
Bound volume comprising 102 leaves, measuring 22.2 x 17.5 cm, plus 26 illustrations, mostly full-page (6 larger folding drawings, 2 slightly smaller than full-page) in pen and wash. Contemporary limp vellum.
Also Titled: Journal de la routte de Brest a Siam en 1687 et 1688.

On 4 August 1687, the French ship L'Oiseau sighted the northwest coast of Australia. Though the men aboard did not disembark, they made the first documented French sighting of the Australian coastline. This illustrated journal is one of several surviving descriptions of Australia made by travellers on L'Oiseau. The journal was made by the ship's surgeon, only known by his surname Bremond. Bremond's journal documents the entire voyage, and his drawings illustrate the topography, local inhabitants, flora and fauna of the Cape, Batavia, Siam, the Nicobar Islands, Puducherry and Ascension Island.
Physical format
Manuscripts
Diaries
Drawing