LAPEER, a city in s.e. Michigan, junction of the Detroit and Bay City railroad, and the Northwestern Grand Trunk railway, 6 m. froth the town of Fish Lake, with which it is connected by a branch railroad; pop. '70, 2,882. It is centrally situated on the Flint river, 60 m. n, of Detroit, 50 m. s.s.e. of Bay City, 20 in. e. of Flint, and 46 m. from Port. Huron. It is in the midst of an agricultural and lumber country, and has several saw-mills for the manufacture of pine lumber, and shingles and machine-shops where engines and windmills are made. It has good public schools, a first-class hotel, 3 banks, and 6 churches.
LAPtROUSE, JEAN FRANcOIS DE GALATTP, Count de, a famous French voyager, b. near Albi, in Languedoc, now in the dep. of Tarn, in 1741; attained the rank of captain in the French navy; and was sent in 1782 to destroy the British forts or settlements in Hudson's bay. In this expedition he showed a remarkable power of contending with difficulties, and accomplished his object notwithstanding the storminess of the sea and the ice in which it abounded. He signalized himself also by his humanity towards the occupants of the forts which lie destroyed. He was now chosen to command an expedi tion of discovery sent out by the French government. He sailed in Aug., 1785, with two
ships, visited the n.w. coast of America, explored the north-eastern coasts of Asia, and made important discoveries in that region, although be failed to discover the n.w. pas sage. In Feb., 1788, he anchored in Botany bay, after which all trace of him was lost. The French government offered a reward of 10,000 francs for information, and in 1791 sent an expedition in search of him, but without success. In 1S26 an English captain, Dillon, found on the island of Tucopia a number of things belonging to Laperouse's ships, obtained from the inhabitants of Mallicao, one of the New Hebrides, The East India company sent rapt. Dillon, and the French government sent out an expedition under Dumont d'Urville to investioate all traces of Laperouse and his fellow-voyagers. Eye-witnesses of the destruction i')f two French vessels were found; it was fully ascer tained thap both of Laperouse's ships had been wrecked in a storm on a coral reef off the coast of MallicollO, and,.thal ali had perished., .The,,titenniit of Laperouse'c voyage, prepared from journals sent home by him, was published under the title of Voyage autour du Monde (4 vols., Paris, 1797, with atlas).