Peter Dillon

Peter Dillon (c. 1788 – 1847) was an Irish-French sailor and adventurer, notable for his role in solving the mystery of the disappearance of the La Pérouse expedition. Dillon was born on the island of Anitgua, West Indies. He joined the British East India Company in 1808 and served in various capacities, eventually becoming a captain of merchant vessels trading in the South Pacific.

In 1826, while trading sandalwood on the island of Tikopia, Dillon acquired evidence suggesting that survivors of the La Pérouse expedition, which had vanished in 1788, had been shipwrecked on the nearby island of Vanikoro. He reported his findings to the British authorities in Calcutta, who provided him with a ship to search for further clues.

In 1827, Dillon located the site of the La Pérouse expedition's wrecks on Vanikoro. He recovered artifacts and gathered accounts from the local inhabitants, confirming the fate of the expedition. His discoveries provided crucial evidence about the La Pérouse expedition's demise, and he was subsequently honored by the French government.

Dillon's account of his travels and discoveries was published in 1829 under the title Narrative and Successful Result of a Voyage in the South Seas, to Ascertain the Actual Fate of La Pérouse's Expedition. He later became the French consul in the South Seas and continued to be involved in maritime trade until his death in Paris.