Desbarres

Desbarres, Joseph Frederick Wallet (1722-1824), an English soldier and hydrographer, descended from a Huguenot family settled in England. Educated at Woolwich Academy, he joined the 60th Regiment, and went with it to America. He was first employed against the Indians, whom he subdued. He was present at the siege of Quebec in the capacity of aide-de-camp to General Wolfe. After being entrusted with the fortification of Quebec, he undertook the survey of the river St. Lawrence. He then took part in an expedition to Newfoundland, and then made researches in Nova Scotia. At the outbreak of the War of Independence operations were embarrassed by the want of accurate maps of the American coast, and in 1777 Desbarres revised the existing maps, issuing an edition called The Atlantic Neptune. In 1784 he became governor of Cape Breton Island, and in 1804 he was made governor of Prince Edward Island, being then 84 years old. He died at Halifax at the age of 102. From him Captain Cook learned navigation.