Pierre Poivre
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Pierre Poivre (August 23, 1719 - January 6, 1786) was a French horticulturalist born in Lyon. In his early 20s he was a missionary in Far Eastern locations such as Cochinchina, Guangzhou and Macau. In 1745 as member of the French East India Company, on a journey to the East Indies he was involved in a naval battle with the British when he was struck by a cannonball on the wrist. This injury required amputation of part of his right arm. Also, Poivre was an uncle to renowned French naturalist Pierre Sonnerat (1748-1814).
In the 1760s, Poivre became administrator of Ile de France (Mauritius) and Ile Bourbon (Réunion) in the Indian Ocean. He is famous for the construction of a botanical garden on Mauritius which consisted of trees, shrubs and plants from tropical sites worldwide. He is especially known for introduction of spice plants such as clove and nutmeg to Mauritius and Reunion. During this period of time the Dutch had a virtual monopoly on these spices in the East Indies. In order to obtain these spices, Poivre had to had organize clandestine smuggling forays to obtain plants and seeds from the Indies. Poivre also was responsible for introducing these spice plants to the Seychelles.
Today on northern Mauritius, the Botanical Garden of Pamplemousses that Poivre created still flourishes, it is now a 25-hectare garden containing tropical plants and trees from Africa, Asia, the Americas as well as islands of the Indian Ocean. Also, Poivre Atoll in the Amirantes Island Group is named after him.
[edit] Writings by Poivre:
- Voyages of a Philosopher
