Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 13 February 1734 |
| Died | 3 March 1797 (aged 63) |
| Branch | French Navy |
| Rank | Counter admiral |
| Conflicts | Battle of Groix |
| Other work | First voyage of Kerguelen Second voyage of Kerguelen |
Counter-AdmiralYves Joseph Marie de Kerguelen-Trémarec (13 February 1734 – 3 March 1797) was aFrench Navy officer. He discovered theKerguelen Islands in 1772 during hisfirst expedition to the southernIndian Ocean. Welcomed as a hero after his voyage and first discovery, Kerguelen fell out of favour after hissecond voyage and was cashiered in 1775 for violating Navy regulations. He was rehabilitated during theFrench Revolution. Kerguelen authored books about expeditions and about Frenchnaval battles of the American Revolutionary War.
He was born inLandudal,Brittany. During theSeven Years' War, Kerguelen-Trémarec was aprivateer, but without much success.
In 1767 he sailed nearRockall, orRokol. 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.
In early 1772, he was assigned command of the third French expedition sent in search of the fabledTerra Australis with thefluytsFortune andGros Ventre. The expedition discovered the isolatedKerguelen Islands north ofAntarctica in the southernIndian Ocean and claimed the archipelago for France before returning toMauritius. He was accompanied by the naturalistJean Guillaume Bruguière. On a follow-up expedition to the Kerguelen Islands in 1773, he was accompanied by the astronomerJoseph Lepaute Dagelet. Kerguelen, a supporter of slavery, used "Blacks in difficult moments in order to preserve his white crew".[3]
In his report toLouis XV, he greatly overestimated the value of the Kerguelen Islands; consequently, the King sent him on asecond expedition with the 64-gunRoland and the 32-gun frigateOiseau, 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 Terra Australis. Upon his return, Kerguelen wascourt-martialled inBrest on 15 May 1775 by acouncil of war presided over by Vice-admiralAnne Antoine, Comte d'Aché for transporting 200 slaves onRoland fromMadagascar to sell in French colonies in defiance of Louis XV, who had issued regulations forbidding French Navy officers to trade in slaves. At the court-martial, his defence lawyer minimised Kerguelen's slave-trading activities by stating that it was only "Eight or nine negroes that the pilot’s assistant bought on Kerguelen’s behalf". Although several other naval officers had traded in slaves, he was found guilty on 25 May 1776 and sentenced to six years imprisonment.[4][5]
During theFrench Revolution, he was seen as a victim of theAncien Régime and restored to his position, taking part in theBattle of Groix. He died in 1797 as acounter admiral and commander of Brest.
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