Ernest Doudart de Lagrée facts for kids
Ernest Marc Louis de Gonzague Doudart de Lagrée was a brave French explorer. He lived from March 31, 1823, to March 12, 1868. He is famous for leading the French Mekong Expedition of 1866-1868. This journey explored a very important river in Southeast Asia.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Ernest Doudart de Lagrée was born in Saint-Vincent-de-Mercuze, France. This town is close to Grenoble. He studied at a special engineering school. It was called the École Polytechnique. After his studies, he joined the French navy. He even fought in the Crimean War.
Later, he moved to French Indochina. This area is now parts of countries like Vietnam. He hoped the warm weather would help his throat. He had a long-term problem with ulcers in his throat. Sadly, the climate did not help him. He often felt a lot of pain.
The Mekong Expedition
Starting the Journey
The big expedition started on June 5, 1866. They left from Saigon. Their goal was to explore the Mekong River. This river is one of the longest in Asia. The team wanted to map the river. They also looked for new trade routes.
Challenges on the Way
The journey was very hard. Doudart de Lagrée faced many health problems. Besides his throat pain, he got fevers. He also suffered from a stomach illness. Leeches caused infected wounds on his body. The explorers even ran out of shoes. They had to walk barefoot for long distances.
A Leader's Final Days
The expedition reached Dongchuan in Yunnan, China. By this point, Doudart de Lagrée was too sick to move. His second-in-command took over. This was Francis Garnier. Garnier led the team onward to Dali. Doudart de Lagrée stayed behind with the doctor.
He sadly died from a liver problem. The doctor removed his heart. It was sent back to France. Ernest Doudart de Lagrée was buried in Dongchuan.
Other Interests
Ernest Doudart de Lagrée was also interested in insects. He was an entomologist. He collected many insects in Africa. These collections are now kept in Paris. They are at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle.
Honours
- Three ships of the French Navy were named after him. One was the Doudart de Lagrée (F 728).
- Three stamps were made in his honour. They were issued in French Indochina in 1944-45. They had values of 1, 15, and 40 centimes.
