Expeditions

Abbe Rochon Expedition

Funder(s)

French Navy

Start

/1793

End

//1793

Description

Abbe Rochon, astronomer to the French Navy, returned to the Chagos islands to continue exploration and mapping, following his earlier voyages which helped to fix the location of Diego Garcia. Extract from Abbe Rochon, “I make it my province to dwell in this preliminary discourse on those objects only, which most excited my attention. Among the number of these I reckon, for instance, the harbour of Diego Garcia, and the prospect of the island itself is pleasant. We judged to have twelve leagues in circumference. Its form resembles a horse shoe. Its greatest breadth is not above a quarter of a league; the ground is however sufficiently elevated to serve as a fence and shelter to a vast reservoir of sand, which affords spacious room to the most numerous fleets. This level is four leagues long, and its main breadth is about one league. Its excellent harbour has two entrances to the north. The roads are extremely fine. Its situation I ascertain it to be in the 7 deg. 14 min. South Latitude, and in the 68 degree east longitude from the meridian of Paris.” (ABBE ROCHON (1793, 48-49)

Expedition leader

Abbe Rochon

Expedition leader email

Members

Publications

Sites

• Diego Garcia