TURGOT, Etienne Francois (toor'-go), Marquis de Coismont, French statesman, born in Paris, 2 June, 1721 ; died there, 21 October, 1789. After serving for some time with the Knights of Malta, he was created on his return to France in 1764 brigadier of the armies of the king. He made a proposal to the French minister, Choiseul, to regenerate the colony of Cayenne by establishing in Guiana. a new settlement under the name of " France equinoxiale," strong enough to resist, without any aid from the mother country, an attack from any quarter, and even to give succor to the other American colonies in case of need. Turgot expected that such a colony, if successful, would counterbalance the recent loss of Canada. The plan was adopted, and Turgot received the title of governor-general of French Guiana; but the measures for its execution were badly carried out, the colonists perished in crowds, and loud complaints met him on his arrival as to the oppression of the intendant of the new colony, Chauvallon. He arrested the latter and sent him a prisoner to France. Turgot remained about four months, during which he made fruitless efforts to remedy the evils that preyed on the settlement. His health failed him, and he was forced to return to France, where he confirmed the reports that had already reached the government that it was impossible to realize the projects so lightly adopted in such a country as Guiana. He was for some time imprisoned on the complaint of Chauvallon, and, on his release, lived in retirement. He wrote several works, memoirs, and pamphlets, among them "Memoire sur la flore de la Guiane" (Paris, 1766) and "Observations sur l'espece de resine e1astique de l'lle de France, semblable celle de Cayenne" (1769).