366 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
sented to the Academy of Sciences, by M. Pitot, one of its members, was not so 
satisfactory. The object of this invention was to measure the track of ships; but it 
did not answer the end proposed by it, and gave only a favourable idea of the talents 
of the inventor. 
* f In all his voyages M. d’Apres was unceasingly employed on the important de¬ 
sign which he had conceived of correcting the charts of the Indian Ocean, and of 
the eastern coasts of Africa and Asia. 
* We may be assured,’ says Fontenelle, * that the charts of three quarters of the 
c globe are but rough and imperfect sketches; and that even the charts of Europe, 
* though so much labour has been employed on them, are far from being correct 
* resemblances of the original.’ “ If, therefore, the charts of Europe received such 
an opinion of their inaccuracy from such a man, how much more subject to critical 
objection must be those of India ? It was to remedy so many errors, and which have 
been so fatal to navigators, that M. d’Apres, with an indefatigable zeal, collected all 
the memoirs, charts, draughts, and journals, which he could obtain in the various 
countries where he had been; and, by comparing them with his own obser¬ 
vations, he at length produced the Neptune Oriental, which holds the highest rank 
among the works that have been published on the important subject of maritime 
geography, and deserves the gratitude of every commercial nation. 
“ M. d’Apres, who was as eager in the attainment of knowledge, as he was neg¬ 
ligent in the acquisition of riches, had made his voyages- rather as a philosopher than 
a merchant: his fortune therefore was not sufficient to bear the expences which the 
publication of his work required. He accordingly applied to the East India Com¬ 
pany, who were ultimately to reap the fruit of his labour, for support and assistance. 
They, however, required the previous approbation of the Academy of Sciences, 
which being readily granted, the Neptune Oriental was engraved and printed at the 
expence of the Company. It appeared in the month of November, 1745, and the 
King permitted the Author to present the first copy to him. 
“ The eulogi-ums which this work received were not confined to France: all the 
navigators and learned men of other countries gave the Author the most flattering' 
testimonies of their regard. But M. d’Apres appeared to be more anxious to merit 
applause by a continuance of his exertions, than to sit down in the quiet enjoyment 
of it; he therefore received, in 1749, from the East India Company, the command 
of the ship the Chevalier Marin, bound to Senegal. This expedition gave him an 
