After the stay at New Guinea, the _Coquille_ again sailed through the Moluccas, put in for a short time at Sourabaya, upon the coast of Java, and on the 30th October reached the islands of Bourbon and Mauritius. At length, having on the way stopped at St. Helena, where the officers paid a visit to the tomb of Napoleon, and at Ascension, where an English colony had been established since 1815, the corvette entered Marseilles on the 24th April, 1825, concluding a voyage that had occupied thirty-one months and three days, over 24,894 nautical miles, without the loss of a single life, or any cases of sickness, and without any damage being sustained by the ship. A success in every way so distinguished covered with glory the young commander of the expedition and all its officers, who had manifested such untiring energy in the prosecution of scientific inquiries, yielding a rich harvest of valuable results. Fifty-two charts and plans carefully drawn up; collections of natural specimens of all kinds, both numerous and curious; copious vocabularies, by the help of which it may be possible to throw new light on the migrations of the Oceanic peoples; interesting intelligence regarding the productions of the places visited; the condition of commerce and industrial pursuits; observations relating to the shape of the globe; magnetical, meteorological, and botanical researches; such formed the bulk of the valuable freight of knowledge brought home by the _Coquille_. The scientific world waited eagerly for the time when this store of information should be thrown open to the public. II. Expedition of Baron de Bougainville--Stay at Pondicherry--The "White Town" and the "Black Town"--"Right-hand" and "Left-hand"--Malacca-- Singapore and its prosperity--Stay at Manilla--Touron Bay--The monkeys and the people--The marble rocks of Faifoh--Cochin-Chinese diplomacy-- The Anambas--The Sultan of Madura--The straits of Madura and Allas-- Cloates and the Triad Islands--Tasmania--Botany Bay and New South Wales--Santiago and Valparaiso--Return _via_ Cape Horn--Expedition of Dumont d'Urville in the _Astrolabe_--The Peak of Teneriffe--Australia-- Stay at New Zealand--Tonga-Tabu--Skirmishes--New Britain and New Guinea--First news of the fate of La Perouse--Vanikoro and its inhabitants--Stay at Guam--Amboyna and Menado--Results of the expedition. The expedition, the command of which was entrusted to Baron de Bougainville, was, strictly speaking, neither a scientific voyage nor a campaign of discovery. Its chief purpose was to unfurl the French flag in the extreme East, and to impress upon the governments of that region the intention of France to protect her nationalities and her interests, everywhere and at all times. The chief instructions given to the commander were that he was to convey to the sovereign of Cochin-China a letter from the king, together with some presents, to be placed on board the frigate _Thetis_.