René Primevère Lesson was a French surgeon, naturalist, ornithologist, and herpetologist.
Portrait of Lesson by Tardieu (1827)
French ship Astrolabe (1811)
Astrolabe was originally a horse-transport barge converted into an exploration ship of the French Navy. Originally named Coquille, she is famous for her travels with Jules Dumont d'Urville. The name derives from an early navigational instrument, the astrolabe, a precursor to the sextant.
Les Corvettes L'Astrolabe, watercolour by A. Mayer, 1838
Astrolabe and Zélée an anchor in Anna-Maria Bay (Nuku Hiva). Engraving by Louis Lebreton
Astrolabe making water on a floe, 6 February 1838.
Astrolabe and Zélée stranded in the Austral Ocean. Painting by Louis Lebreton