18th C Indian Ocean Voyages

The Voyage of the Digue (1770-1771)

The Digue was a small frigate owned by the Marine Royale. It had 10 cannons, a crew of 59, and a cargo capacity of 360 tonnes. Under the command of a series of captains, Marion Dufresne, Jean Duchemin and Jean-Baptiste Le Fer de La Lande, the Digue travelled from Lorient all the way to Birmanie (Myanmar) by way of the Mascarenes, Seychelles and India.

Joséph Tréguier joined on with the Digue at Pondichéry very shortly after he disembarked from the Jason. On the rôles of the Digue he is listed as coming from the Jason, and on the rôles of the Jason it indicates that he transferred onto the Digue. He is described as a sailor from Lorient with a small stature and black hair.

At a monthly wage of 26 livres, this was the peak of Tréguier's career in terms of the value of his labour. His average wage on the seven known voyages he was on as an adult is 22 livres. Perhaps as a European in South Asia his labour could fetch a higher value.

Already mid-voyage, the Digue soon began to make its way back to Europe. It spent a few months in the Mascarene Islands in the fall of 1770, stopped at the Cape of Good Hope in March 1771, and was back at Lorient by 29 May.

Tréguier earned approximately 536 livres over the duration of these two voyages. He then remained in Europe for seven months before embarking on his longest voyage to date.

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