Navigating Career: Deciphering the Narrative Strategies in Louis Freycinet’s Navigation et Géographie (1815)

Abstract

The historical account of the Baudin expedition, the Voyage de découvertes aux Terres Australes , has attracted considerable critical attention, notably for the way in which its lead author, the zoologist François Péron, positions himself as narrator and protagonist. In contrast, the companion volume devoted to the nautical work of the expedition, Navigation et Géographie , compiled by Péron’s collaborator Louis Freycinet, has aroused little by way of commentary. No doubt the abundance of technical content has obscured its storyline, yet the fact that the author has chosen to revisit the voyage narrative from a different standpoint is of great interest in itself. To gain insight into Freycinet’s intentions, we examine the various strategies he deploys as he proceeds to construct his own distinct narrative persona. We show how he distances himself from the hero-victim strategy adopted by Péron, first by establishing his credentials as a professional navigator and cartographer, and second by positioning himself as a diligent and dispassionate servant of the national interest.