Susan Arnott

In 1788 two French ships, Astrolabe and Boussole, under the command of the Count of LapÈrouse, arrived in Botany Bay just hours after the First Fleet had done the same. It was a bitter disappointment to be beaten by the British and some weeks later the two ships sailed away into the Pacific never to be seen again.
In 1826 another ship called Astrolabe under the command of Captain Dumontd'Urville came to the colony searching for news of the lost ships. Arnott recreates this voyage through the eyes of a cabin boy, Lucien, who is on his first voyage. Life aboard ship is uncomfortable and often perilous. For Lucien things are made worse by the loss of his mentor and the suspicions of another sailor, Simonet. Disease, storms, poor food, rebels and violent islanders mean an endless series of challenges… (more)