Jeanne Baret was
smuggled on board the French naval ship Étoile in 1766 by disguising herself as a man named "Jean Baret". Women were strictly forbidden on French naval ships at the time.
She joined the expedition, which was the first French circumnavigation of the globe, as the valet and assistant to the expedition's botanist, Philibert Commerson, with whom she had a professional and personal relationship.
Key details of her journey:
Disguise: Baret bound her breasts and dressed as a man, successfully maintaining the deception for a year and a half.
Role: As Commerson's assistant, she was a crucial and hardworking contributor to the botanical work, collecting and cataloging thousands of plant specimens, including the one that would later be named Bougainvillea after the expedition's leader, Louis Antoine de Bougainville.
Discovery: Her true identity was eventually discovered in Tahiti, when indigenous people identified her as a woman. Following this, she confessed to Bougainville, who recorded the situation in his journal but praised her conduct.
Aftermath: Baret and Commerson were put ashore on the island of Mauritius, where she continued her botanical work. After Commerson's death, she eventually found passage back to France, completing her own circumnavigation of the world and becoming the first woman to do so.
In recognition of her extraordinary service, the French Ministry of Marine later granted her a state pension. Her story is detailed in several biographies, such as The Discovery of Jeanne Baret by Glynis Ridley.
In 1766,
Jeanne Baret became the first woman known to have circumnavigated the globe by smuggling herself onto a French naval expedition disguised as a man. At the time, French law strictly prohibited women from being on naval vessels.
The Smuggling Plan
The Disguise: Baret assumed the identity of "Jean Baret," binding her breasts with linen bandages and wearing loose-fitting men’s clothing.
The Entry: To avoid immediate suspicion from the crew, she did not board with her partner, botanist Philibert Commerson. Instead, she appeared at the dockside in Rochefort just before departure, where Commerson "hired" her as his new valet and assistant, pretending they were strangers.
Living Arrangements: The pair stayed on the store ship Étoile. Due to the vast amount of scientific equipment Commerson carried, they were granted the captain's private cabin, which included a personal latrine—a crucial factor in maintaining her disguise for 18 months.
Challenges and Discovery
Maintaining the Ruse: To explain her lack of facial hair and high voice, Baret claimed to be a eunuch who had been castrated by Ottoman forces.
Workload: She worked tirelessly, often referred to as Commerson's "beast of burden," carrying heavy equipment and specimens across rugged terrain in South America.
Exposure: Her identity was finally confirmed in Tahiti in 1768. Local Tahitians immediately recognized her as a woman, reportedly shouting "ayenene" (girl/woman) when she came ashore.
Aftermath: Once exposed, Baret and Commerson were left on the island of Mauritius(then Île de France) to avoid further legal trouble for the expedition commander, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville.
Baret eventually returned to France in 1775 after Commerson's death, completing her global journey. In 1785, the French government officially recognized her service to science with a naval pension, calling her a "femme extraordinaire".