DUGUAY TROUIN, RENE, one of the most celebrated naval officers of France, was b. 10th June, 1673, at St. Maio, left the school at Caen, where he was to have studied theology, with the reputation of a good-for-nothing fellow, and betook himself to the sea. His career, which was very brilliant, may be divided into two parts, the first extending from 1689 to 1697, and the second from 1697 to the close of his life. During the former, he cruised about as a sort of privateer, inflicting immense damage on the enemies of France. The English merchantmen suffered severely from his attacks. In the channel, on the coasts of Ireland and Holland, in the Spanish Main, everywhere fortune followed Duguay. Louis XIV., as a reward for his daring exploits, admitted him into the state navy, and gave him the command of a frigate. The second part of his career was as brilliant as the first. In 1707, he engaged a part of the English fleet at the entrance of the channel, burned 1 ship, captured 3 others and about 60 transports; but the most glorious of his triumphs was the attack and capture of Rio Janeiro in 1711, after hostilities had lasted for 11 days. The city was ransomed for 610,000 cruzades.
The South American expedition of D. T., which cost Portugal in all about 30,000,000 francs, put the seal to the celebrity of the French commander. He was successively named chef d'escadre, member of the council of the Indies, ]ieut.gen., and naval com mandant at Brest. In 1731, Louis XV. sent D. T. into the Levant, to chastise the bar barians inhabiting the neighboring coasts, and to obtain reparation for the damages done to French commerce. In this also D. T. was successful. He died 27th Sept., 1736. His 111emoires were published by Beauchamps (4 vols., Paris, 1740).