PAGES, Pierre Marie Francois, Viscount de, French explorer, born in Toulouse in 1748; died in Santo Domingo in 1793. He entered the navy as midshipman in 1764, was promoted to 2d lieutenant, and in 1767 projected an expedition to search for the northwest passage by the eastern coast of Asia. He sailed from Cape Francais, in Santo Domingo, on 30 June, 1767, and, although he was unsuccessful in his object, he explored Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and the East Indies, returning to Marseilles, 5 September, 1771. After some difficulties he was reinstated in the navy on 9 March, 1772. During the following" year he took part in the expedition of Kerguelen to the South sea. In 1776 he engaged passage on a whaler and visited Spitzbergen and the coast of Greenland, being the first navigator to reach 80º 30' north latitude. After being imprisoned twice by ice-fields he reached Amsterdam on 15 August, 1777. The fatigues and hardships that he experienced during the journey having impaired his health, he retired from the navy in 1782 and, going to Santo Domingo, settled upon an estate that belonged to his wife, a creole. His last years were devoted to scientific researches, and he had in preparation several important works on America when he fell in 1.793 among the first victims of the negro insurgents. Pages was a member of many learned societies, and in 1782 was created a knight of St. Louis. He published " Observations sur l'histoire naturelle, la temperature, les mceurs, l'industrie et les habitants du royaume de la Nouvelle Espagne" (2 vols., Paris, 1772); "Memoire sur l'anomalie de la constitution atmospherique des deux poles" (1775); " Voyage autour du monde et vers les deux poles, par terra et par mar, pendant les annees 1767 a 1776" (2 vols., 1782; translated into Dutch, Rotterdam, 1784" German, Leipsie, 1786; Swedish, Upsala, 1788" and English, London, 1791, and Boston, 1793) ; and "Reflexions sur les vents d'est qui regnent entre les tropiques, sur les pluies et le ciel serein darts ce paralldle etles circonvoisins" (Cape Francais, 1790).