Duperrey undertook this circumnavigation under the sponsorship of the French Minister of Marine, to study terrestrial magnetism and meteorology, and to confirm or correct the position of islands and landmarks that were essential for safe navigation. To accomplish this mission in August 1822 Duperrey departed Toulon, "embarking on what would become a three-year expedition through the Pacific Islands and South America. Joining him on board were two naturalists, both also the ship’s surgeons, Prosper Garnot and René Primevère Lesson, plus his colleague and assistant commander, the botanist Jules Dumont d’Urville. They sailed along the coast of South America as far as Paita, Peru, and then headed west through the Tuamotus to Tahiti, before continuing on through the Society, Friendly (Tonga), and Fiji Islands. Although they were bound for Australia, dangerous weather conditions forced them northwest, and they passed the Santa Cruz and Solomon Islands before landing at Louis de Bougainville’s Port Praslin, New Britain. From there Coquille continued across the top of New Guinea, eventually making its way to the west and south coasts of Australia and to New Zealand by April 1824. It also passed through the Gilbert and Ellice Islands and the British island of Mauritius before finally docking in Marseilles in March 1825.

"Along the way, Duperrey and his crew had discovered a number of undocumented islands, prepared charts of little-known areas of the South Pacific (especially in the Caroline Archipelago), studied ocean currents and gathered new data on geomagnetic and meteorological phenomena. They had also amassed a staggering collection of unknown plants and animals, especially from New Guinea, including birds of paradise, bower birds, marsupials and a variety of fish and invertebrates for the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle" (https://blogs.adelaide.edu.au/special-collections/2015/11/18/voyage-autour-du-monde-by-louis-isidore-duperrey-1826/, accessed 04-2018). Digital facsimiles of the complete set, including the unusually elaborate 12-page prospectus from the Biodiversity Heritage Library at this link.

In 1836 King Louis-Philippe, enthusiastic for Southern Hemisphere exploration, sponsored Dumont d'Urville's plan for a circumnavigation focusing on the South Seas. D'Urville had already distinguished himself on two Pacific expeditions and was eager to rival the achievements of James Cook. Between 1837 and 1840, the ships Astrolabe and Zélée explored the waters of the Antarctic area and Oceania in extremely harsh conditions; almost forty crew members died or deserted. However, d'Urville discovered a new portion of the Antarctic coast, shed light on the ethnography of several Pacific islands and brought back multitudes of botanical specimens. D'Urville published his account of the voyage, including his contributions to geography, natural history and ethnography in 10 vols, from 1841 to1846. Vol. 10, includes extracts from his correspondence, as well as a biography. The extensive scientific team who sailed on the voyage published their reports in 13 additional volumes. Their works are listed below.

Histoire du Voyage par M. Dumont d'Urville 10 vols, 1841-1843-46- [47]. Text. Plus Atlas pittoresque. 2 vols. 200 plates, 8 maps.

Anthropologie par M. [Pierre-Marie-Alexandre] Dumoutier, texte ...par M. É[mile]. Blanchard. 1854.

Anthropologie Atlas (50 plates) 1842-47.

Zoologie, par MM. [Jacques Bernard] Hombron et [C. H.] Jacquinot

Vol. 1. De l'homme dans ses rapports avec la Création, par M. Hombron. 1846.

Vol. 2. Considérations générales sur l'anthropologie suivies d'observations sur les races humaines de l'Amérique méridionale et de l'Océanie, par M. H. Jacquinot.

Vol. 3. Mammifères et oiseaux, par M. H. Jacinot et M. [Jacques] Pucheran.

           Reptiles et poissons, par M. H. Jacquinot et M. A. Guichenot.

           Crustacés par M. H. Jacquinot et M. H. Lucas. 1853.

Vol. 4. Description des insects, par E[mile]. Blanchard. 1853. 

Vol. 5. Description des mollusques, coquilles et zoophytes, par L. Rousseau. 1854.

Zoologie Atlas: Mammifères, 29 colored plates; Oiseaux, 37 colored plates; Reptiles, 18 colored plates; Poissons, 5 colored plates, Insectes, 25 colored plates; Crustacés, 9 colored plates; Mollusques, 20 colored plates; Zoophytes, 3 colored plates. 1842-53.

Botanique

Vol. 1. Plantes cellulaires par  [Jean Pierre François] C[amille] Montagne.

Vol. 2. Description des plantes vasculaires, par J. Decaisne.

Botanique Atlas. 66 plates (20 colored). 1852.

Géologie, Minérologie et Géographie physique...par M. J. Grange. 2 vols. 1848, 1854.

Géologie Atlas. 9 plates, 4 colored maps.

Physique, par MM. Vincendon-Dumoulin et Coupvent-Desbois. Vol. 1. 1842.

Hydrographie, [par M. Vincendon-Dumoulin. 2 vols. 1843, 1851.

Hydrographie Atlas. 57 maps. 1847.

Digital facsimile of d'Urville's 10 vols. texte from Biodiversity Heritage Library at this link.