In 1742 on an expedition of exploration of the
Indian Ocean, Picault discovered the largest island of the Seychelles which he named
L’Île d’Abondance (Isle of Abundance). Also a smaller island to the east he called
Ste. Anne Island, named after
Saint Anne's Day (the date of his landing there). In 1744 he returned to the Seychelles and renamed the largest island
Mahé after
Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the governor of
Réunion and
Mauritius, who was in charge of the mission. He also named the entire island group,
Iles de la Bourdonnais. This was changed to
Sechelles in 1756, in honour of the French Minister of Finances,
Jean Moreau de Séchelles. In 1744 Picault also explored several other islands in the archipelago, including: •
La Digue: Which he calls
Ìle Rouge because of its reddish granite boulders. In 1768 it is named
La Digue, after the name of a ship in the fleet of the explorer
Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne. •
Praslin: Which Picault calls
Isle de Palmes because of the large tracts of palm forests on the island. In 1768 it is changed in honour of the diplomat
César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin. •
Fregate Island: Named
Fregate due to the large number of
frigatebirds he finds on the island. == Legacy ==