Description

The French had occupied the Isle de France (now Mauritius) since 1715, and by 1735, it was becoming increasingly important under the leadership of Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, appointed to protect the French sea route to India. In 1742, La Bourdonnais sent an expedition led by Lazare Picault to chart the islands northeast of Madagascar. On November 21, 1742, Picault's ships, the Elisabeth and the Charles, anchored off Mahé at Anse Boileau, discovering a land of abundance, which he initially named Ile d'Abondance. However, after poor mapping, Picault returned in 1744 and renamed the main island Mahé, in honor of La Bourdonnais, and the island group as Iles de la Bourdonnais. The islands were forgotten after La Bourdonnais was replaced in 1746.

In 1754, during the outbreak of what would become the Seven Years' War, the French authorities in Mauritius were reminded of the islands. Two ships, commanded by Corneille Nicolas Morphey, were sent to claim them. Morphey renamed the largest island Isle de Séchelles, in honor of Viscount Jean Moreau de Séchelles, the French Minister of Finance, a name later Anglicized to Seychelles and used for the entire archipelago. On November 1, 1756, Morphey officially claimed the islands for France and the French East India Company.