DISCOVERY OF KING GEORGES ISLANDS 1765

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DISCOVERY OF KING GEORGES ISLANDS 1765

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:54 pm

1765 Discovery of king Georges islands

Born on 8th November 1723 in Nottingham, John BYRON joined the English Navy at the age of 8.

In 1740, he took part in Commodore Anson’s expedition. His ship wrecked in the Magellan Strait and it was only after 13 months of incredible sufferings that the crew got rescued.

In 1763, after the Seven Year's War, the rivalry between
France and Great Britain took on an economic form and the
two governments decided to take hold of the Falkland Islands, as the former were the gateway to the Pacific. Louis Antoine de Bougainville and John Byron were appointed by their respective governments to carry out that mission.

In June 1764, John BYRON left England with two ships: the frigate DOLPHIN and the sloop TAMAR . He officially took possession of the Falkland Islands, where settlers of Bougainville had
already built a camp, without him knowing it.
He then followed the wakes of Magellan, Le Maire and Roggeveen.
This is how he sailed past the Polynesian atolls of NAPUKA and TEPOTO on 7th June 1765, without being able to land because of the heavy swell and of the many armed savages lined up along the beach.

On 11th June 1765, he landed on the atoll of TAKAROA, in order to get supplies of coconuts and scurvy grass that was indispensable for his ill seamen. His account of that day remains one of the few evidences of what life was like on the atolls before the arrival of the Europeans.
He then tried to land on the atoll of TAKAPOTO, where, 43 years earlier, Roggeveen’s ship AFRICAANSCHE GALEY had wrecked, but the islanders rebuffed all landing attempts.

He gave the name “King George Islands” to the group made of 4 atolls: Ahe – Manihi – Takapoto – Takaroa and to the uninhabited island of Tikei.
Then he continued on his way, narrowly missing the discovery of Tahiti, just like Le Maire and Roggeveen before him.
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In May 1766, he was back in England, completing a round-the-world voyage in less than two years – a record.

In 1769, John BYRON was appointed Governor of Newfoundland.
He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron in 1778, and then Rear Admiral of the White Squadron in 1780.
He died on 10th April 1786, and rests in Twickenham, near the Chapel of St Mary’s Church.

HMS DOLPHIN: http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... f=2&t=7660
HMS TAMAR: http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... f=2&t=9096

French Polynesia 2015 190F sg?, scott?
http://www.tahitiphilatelie.com/details ... 015&id=285
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2015 polynesie Europa King George (2).jpg

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