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Kealakekua Bay Village Scene
Rare lithographic image of an early 19th Century encounter between European explorers and the indigenous cultures of the Hawaiian Islands, known historically as the "Sandwich Islands."
The image appeared in August Nicolas Vaillant's Voyage Autour du Monde Execute Pendant les Annes 1836 et 1837 sur la Corvette la Bonite Commandee par M. Vaillant … Album Historique. The work was published in Paris by Arthus Bertrand between 1840 and 1866.
In 1836, French naval officer Captain Auguste Nicolas Vaillant embarked on a voyage aboard the corvette Bonite, with a mission that was primarily political in nature. The expedition aimed to bolster trade relations across the Pacific, touching upon strategic locations including South America, Hawaii, China, the Philippines, and Calcutta. While the voyage's primary goals were to extend French influence and protect French interests, there was also a significant scientific facet to the journey. Vaillant was charged with conducting hydrographic and geographic observations, as well as collecting natural history specimens.
The scientific crew of the expedition included naturalists Joseph Eydoux and François Souleyet, alongside watercolor artists Barthélémy Lauvergne and Théodore-Auguste Fisquet, who documented the voyage through detailed illustrations. These efforts were integral to the overarching objectives of displaying the French flag in key territories, extending national protection to French citizens abroad, and compiling extensive reports on the diverse regions visited. This included accounts from locales such as Brazil, Chile, the Marianas, and the Philippines, providing valuable insights into the geopolitics and natural history of the 19th-century Pacific world.
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