Jeanne Baret's Circumnavigation Recognised
- When
- 1769
- Where
- aboard the Boudeuse and Étoile and subsequently Mauritius
Baret, who sailed disguised as a man, is recognised as the first woman to complete a circumnavigation; she remained in Mauritius rather than returning with the ships.
Jeanne Baret sailed on the Boudeuse and Étoile in 1766–1769 disguised as a man named Jean Baret, serving as Commerson's valet. She is recognised as the first woman to have completed a voyage of circumnavigation. The legacy claim that she returned to France some time after Bougainville is unsupported: she appears to have established herself independently in Mauritius, being granted property in Port Louis in 1770, and likely collected plants on Madagascar and Bourbon Island in 1770–1772.
Sources
- Jeanne Baret Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-25
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