Hyacinthe Yves Philippe Potentien, baron de Bougainville (; 26 December 1781 – 18 October 1846) was a French naval officer. He was the son of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville.Randier, p.292 He became Rear-Admiral on 1 May 1838.
Career As a young second-class midshipman of eighteen Hyacinthe de Bougainville participated in the 1800-02 Baudin expedition to Australia.Horner, F. The French Reconnaissance: Baudin in Australia 1801—1803, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1987 .
Hyacinthe de Bougainville sailed around the world from 1824 to 1826 onboard Thétis and Espérance, sent by the Minister of the Navy and the Colonies, the duc de Clermont-Tonnerre.Colin L. Dyer, The French Explorers and the Aboriginal Australians 1772-1839 p.12 His main mission was a diplomatic one to reconnect with China, and Cochinchine (Vietnam).On those aspect, it was a failure, the Empereur of Cochinchine refused to meet with him, being afraid of the British reaction. In Australia, he obtained authorisation to build a monument for Laperouse, on a piece of land given by Sir Brisbane. He came back to France, very sad and demotivated, knowing that the British will dominate Oceania and South Pacific for generations, France arriving too late.« Daring French Explorations,1714-1854,Trailblazing adventures around the world.Featuring Bougainville,Laperouse,Dumont d’Urville, and more » Hubert Sagnières, Edward Dyuker, Flammarion, 2023,
On 12 January 1825, Hyacinthe de Bougainville led an embassy to Vietnam with Captain Courson de la Ville-Hélio, arriving in Da Nang, with the warships Thétis and Espérance.Oscar Chapuis, A History of Vietnam: From Hong Bang to Tu Duc p. 190. Although they had numerous presents for the Emperor, and a 28 January 1824 letter from Louis XVIII, the ambassadors could not obtain an audience from Minh Mạng.Oscar Chapuis, The Last Emperors of Vietnam p.4 Hyacinthe de Bougainville infiltrated Father Regéreau from the Thétis when it was anchored in Da Nang, triggering edicts of persecution against Christianity by Minh Mạng.The Vietnamese Response to French Intervention, 1862-1874 p.27
Bougainville visited New South Wales in 1825. That same year, he visited Port JacksonColin L. Dyer, The French Explorers and the Aboriginal Australians 1772-1839: 1772-1839 p. 11 and Sydney where he set up a monument to La Pérouse and erected a grave for le Receveur in Botany Bay. He became acquainted with the leading colonial Sydney figures of the day including John Piper, Samuel Marsden, John Macarthur, and John Blaxland. The daughter of the latter, Harriot Blaxland Ritchie, became romantically involved with Bougainville.
Works Journal de la Navigation Autour Du Globe de la Frégate Thétis et de la Corvette L'Espérance (Paris : Arthus Bertrand) 1837.
See also France-Vietnam relations European and American voyages of scientific exploration
Notes
References Randier, Jean 2006 La Royale Editions Babouji