Gaspard Théodore Mollien (29 August 1796, in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

– 28 June 1872, in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

'' en route to

Saint-Louis, Senegal Saint-Louis () or Saint Louis (), is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and north of Senegal's capital city Dakar. It had a population of 254,171 in 2023. Saint-L ...

, he became shipwrecked to the south of Cap Blanc. He survived the ordeal, and eventually made his way to Gorée Island, where he worked as a hospital manager.Gaspard Théodore MOLLIEN - l9e.org Marc Nadaux
biography In 1817 he explored

Cap-Vert Cap-Vert, or the Cape Verde Peninsula, and Kap Weert or Bopp bu Nëtëx (in Wolof), is a peninsula in Senegal and the westernmost point of the continent of Africa and of the Afro-Eurasia mainland. Portuguese explorers called it Cabo Verde or ...

(

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

) and traveled the

Senegal River The Senegal River ( or "Senegal" - compound of the Serer term "Seen" or "Sene" or "Sen" (from Roog Seen, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water")); , , , ) is a river in West Africa; much of its length mark ...

. During the following year he was tasked by the colonial governor to recognize the sources of the Senegal and

Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

rivers. In 1819 he was awarded the Cross of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

for his African exploits. Carte trajet Mollien

Beginning in 1822 he was stationed in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, then in

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

, where in 1828 he was named consul; from 1831 to 1848 he served as consul in

Havana, Cuba Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Online at Harvard's Mirador Viewer
** ''Travels in the interior of Africa, to the sources of the Senegal and Gambia: performed by command of the French Government, in the year 1818''. Translated by Thomas Edward Bowdich. London: Henry Colburn & Co., 1820. * ''Découverte des sources du Sénégal et de la Gambie en 1818 : précédée d'un récit inédit du naufrage de la ''Méduse (1889) – Discovery of the sources of the Senegal and Gambia in 1818, preceded by an unpublished account of the wreck of the ''Medusa''. * ''Voyage dans la République de Colombia, en 1823'' 1824. ** ''Travels in the Republic of Colombia : in the years 1822 and 1823'', translated into English; London; C. Knight, 1824. * ''Mœurs d'Haïti : précédé du Naufrage de la ''Méduse (introduction by Francis Arzalie).World Cat Search
(publications).

References

1796 births 1872 deaths 19th-century French diplomats Explorers from Paris Recipients of the Legion of Honour Diplomats from Paris {{France-diplomat-stub