Baudin, Charles, 1792-1854: Letter regarding Baron Charles de Thierry

Letter from Charles Baudin (19 July 1838) to an unknown recipient regarding Baron Charles de Thierry's attempt to establish a French colony at Hokianga, New Zealand, and mentions instructions given to Dumont-Durville to visit the settlement during his second circumnavigation in 1837-1841.

The letter reveals the history of the French settlement in Hokianga. The letter answers to Thierry's complaint addressed to the French Government. Having discussed the matter with Claude Rosamel (French naval minister) and with the director of Colonies at the French Ministry of Marine, Baudin states that "As the French flag was not raised over the New Zealand settlement, it can't be the object of any claim from our ministry; but wherever there are French people and French interests, [they] are entitled to the protection of France. It would be well-advised that Baron Thierry wrote to the President of Council to request his intervention with the British minister, in order to cease all molestation of his trading post[?] and the people comprising his settlement. It should be demonstrated in the clearest terms and most measured ones that by law Great Britain has no grounds for complaint about the existence of a settlement laid out in a country where no British subject has ever claimed legal possession. The fact of this settlement carries no prejudice against those which Great Britain possesses currently in its neighbourhood. M le baron Thierry sees proof of our Ministry's interest in this business in the instructions given to Captain Dumont D'Urville of the Astrolabe of landing in New Zealand to visit Baron Thierry's settlement and to give an account of it. Please accept, my dear sir, the assurances of my most devoted sentiments, Charles Baudin"

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