After the death of D'Auribeau, which occurred upon the 21st of Aug., 1794, Rossel became head of the expedition. He undertook to convey all documents of every kind collected during the voyage to France; but being taken prisoner by an English frigate, he was deprived of his property, in defiance of justice; and when France obtained the objects of natural history, of which she had been robbed--the expression is not too strong when we recall the instructions given by the French government with regard to Captain Cook's expedition--they were in so bad a condition that they had lost much of their value. Thus ended this unfortunate expedition. Although its principal object had not been attained, it had at least resulted in some geographical discoveries; it had completed or rectified those made by preceding navigators; and to it, especially to the exertions of La Billardiere, are due the acquisition of an immense number of facts in natural history. III. Captain Marchand's voyage--The Marquesas--Discovery of Nouka-Hiva-- Manners and customs of the inhabitants--Revolution Islands--The coast of America and Tchinkitane Port--Cox Strait--Stay at the Sandwich Islands--Macao--Disappointment--Return to France--Discoveries made by Bass and Flinders upon the Australian coast--Captain Baudin's expedition--Endracht and De Witt Islands--Stay at Timor--Survey of Van Diemen's Land--Separation between the _Geographe_ and the _Naturaliste_--Stay at Port Jackson--Convicts--Agricultural wealth of New South Wales--Return of the _Naturaliste_ to France--Cruise of the _Geographe_ and of the _Casuarina_ to the Islands of Nuyts, Edels, Endracht, and De Witt--Second stay at Timor--Return to France. Etienne Marchand, a captain in the merchant service, returning to France from Bengal in 1788, met with the English Captain Portlock in the roadstead of St. Helena. Their conversation naturally fell upon commerce, and the value of various articles of trade. Like a sensible man, Marchand allowed his companion to talk, and only put in a few words himself now and again, and thus drew from Portlock the interesting information that furs, and more especially otter skins, which could be obtained for a mere trifle upon the eastern coast of North America, realized an enormous price in China; whilst at the same time a cargo brought from the Celestial Empire would return a large profit in Europe. Upon arriving in France, Marchand communicated what he had learned to his ship-owners, MM. Baux of Marseilles, and they at once resolved to act upon the knowledge he had obtained. Navigation in the Pacific Ocean required a ship of special strength and excellence. MM. Baux ordered the construction of a vessel of 300 tons' burden, plated with copper, and provided with every necessary for defence in case of attack, and for repairs in the event of accident, and also with everything likely to promote trade and to ensure the health of the crews during a voyage of three or four years.