In the year 1735, M. Lozier Bouvet, a French Sea Officer, presented a memorial to the French Compagnie des Indes, recommending to them to cause search to be made for the countries long before discovered by the Sieur de Gonneville, which were supposed to lie to the South of the Cape of Good Hope, not many degrees distant from the same meridian; and offering to undertake the search if they would furnish the means. The Company conceived that an establishment on a land so situated, would be convenient for the refreshment of their ships bound to or from India, that thence they might hold commerce with the Brasils, or the South Sea; and that in times of war, it would give them a general controul over the Southern navigation. On these considerations, they appointed two ships to be fitted out under the command of M. Bouvet, for making the proposed discovery, which equipment took place in the year 1738.

A short abstract of M. Bouvet's journal was printed at Paris in les Journaux de Trevoux, for February 1740; from which M. de Brasses inserted an account in his Navigations aux Terres Australes, since which time, Mr. Dairymple published the sea reckonings kept day by day in the ships under Bouvet, which were communicated to him by M. D'Apres de Mannevillette, the editor, and of the greater part author, of the well known and serviceable book of charts, entitled le Neptune Oriental.