75 
the Tasmanian Society. 
Oil M. Dumont D’Urville, Member of the Society, supplied by 
the kindness of M. Berard, Captain of the French corvette 
Le Ithln , was read by the Secretary. 
M. Dumont D’Urville was born in Normandy, of an old and 
noble family. He there received a good education, and became 
well acquainted with Greek and Latin literature. He was 
preparing for the Polytechnic School, when he decided on 
entering the navy. 
During the last years of the empire he served in the ships 
of the Toulon squadron. At the beginning of the peace, in 
1817 and the following years, he followed Captain Gautier on 
board the Ckevrette , in his survey of the coasts of the Medi¬ 
terranean. While sailing in the Archipelago and the Black 
Sea, he made very interesting collections in natural history, 
and particularly in botany. He was at Milo when a peasant, 
who was collecting curiosities, found that remarkable statue 
which is now to be seen in the Museum at Paris, called the 
Venus de Milo. M. D’Urville was the only person who recog¬ 
nised it as a work of the age of Pericles; and he was so 
convinced of it, that he did not hesitate to write to M. lc 
Marquis de Riviere, the Ambassador at Constantinople, to^ 
persuade him to secure it at once. When the French Govern¬ 
ment recognised the value of the precious object which it owed 
to the intelligence and research of M. D’Urville, this officer 
was presented with a copy of the great work upon Egypt. 
In 1822 M. D’Urville embarked on board the Coquitte as 
first Lieutenant. This vessel under Captain Duperay was 
intended to make a voyage round the w'orld. M. D’Urville 
had given considerable assistance in drawing up the plan of 
this voyage, and he was entrusted with the charge of the col¬ 
lections of natural history. 
Having been promoted to the rank of Commander soon after 
his return, he submitted a plan for a new voyage, with the 
execution of which he was entrusted, lie embarked in the 
same ship, which was at that time called the Astrolabe. 
It was in this voyage that, guided by the information fur¬ 
nished by Captain Dillon, he visited the Island of Vanikoro, 
where he found the very place of the hapless La Pcyrouse’s 
shipwreck, and brought from thence a great number of articles 
belonging to the ship, which he recovered from the bottom of 
the sea. On his return he was made Post-Captain. 
Ilis interesting writings, and the discoveries made in his last 
voyage, gained him the reputation which lias given rise to the 
lively sympathy, and tlie deep and universal grief,which have 
been manifested at the sad event which terminated his life. 
His discovery of La Terre Adelie, and his passage through 
Torres Straits, were attended with circumstances which w ill 
ever hereafter be of interest to navigators. 
M. D’Urville had a remarkable facility in learning 
