Crozet’s Voyage to Tasmania, New Zealand, the Ladrone Islands, and the Philippines in the Years 1771-1772

Published in 1891, Henry Roth’s translation of Crozet’s narrative provided the first English account of the infamous French expedition to the South Pacific. The ship left France in 1771 under the command of Marion De Fresne (1724-1772). After exploring Tasmania (the first Europeans to do so), De Fresne’s party set out for New Zealand, arriving shortly after Captain Cook. Crozet (1728-1782), took over command of the expedition when De Fresne and twenty-six crew members were killed and allegedly eaten by local Maori in the Bay of Islands. While much of the book is concerned with the exploration of New Zealand, Roth’s translation begins with the origins of the expedition, the journey through the Pacific islands, and Tasmania and the discovery of people there, ending with descriptions of Guam and Manila. The work also includes a preface and discussion of the literature of New Zealand by James R. Boose.