Manuscript appointing Bissy as astronomer to the Baudin voyage

The official document appointing the astronomer Frédéric de Bissy to the Baudin voyage. Bissy, in the formal language of the high Revolutionary period here referred to as “citoyen Bissy”, was one of the first of the officers to clash with Baudin, and deserted while they were at Mauritius.

Bissy was born in London to an English mother and French father, and served in the French army for many years before being imprisoned during the Terror as a British subject. Baudin discussed Bissy’s refusal to rejoin the expedition at the Ile de France in his journal, commenting that the ‘Naturaliste’s astronomer, Citizen Bernier, joined the Géographe to replace Mr. Bissy who had remained ashore, and in hospital, either as a matter of form or until he had collected a sufficient number of pupils, for he proposes to teach drawing’ (Journal of Nicolas Baudin, p.138).

The manuscript is signed by Lazare Carnot (1753-1823). In 1800, after a brief exile in Geneva, Carnot was appointed Minister of War by Napoleon, in which role it was his duty to oversee the outfitting of the Baudin expedition. Bissy was a major in the 17th Division of the Army, but by virtue of this order was seconded to the Baudin expedition. The order notes that ‘à son retour de cette mission il reprendra son grade et son rang dans la ligne‘ (on the return of the expedition he will return to his original rank and position).