Jeanne Baret, in a painting painted around 1812, after her death

Ferdinand Magellan is commonly, although incorrectly, credited as being the first explorer to circumnavigate (sail all the way around) the globe. He was killed in what are now the Philippines, and only eighteen of his crew managed to limp back to Spain–they’re the ones who actually completed the voyage (you can read my blog about that here). But did you know the story of the first woman to complete the trip?

Her name was Jeanne Baret, and for most of the voyage she went disguised as a man.

She was born in the Loire region of France in 1740, and as a girl she acquired the botanical skill to use herbs and plants to treat wounds and diseases. When she was a teenager, she was hired by a nobleman and well-known botanist named Philibert de Commerson, whose wife had recently died, to be an assistant and housekeeper. Eventually they fell in love.

In 1765 Commerson was selected by the French navy to go on a round-the-world exploration. He would collect plant and animal specimens in his role as ship’s botanist. He was allowed to bring along a servant, and the two hatched a plan whereby Jeanne would disguise herself as a man, pretend to be a stranger to him, and show up at the last minute to be enlisted as his assistant. (Women weren’t allowed on French navy ships.) It worked. Jeanne bound her chest and dressed in men’s clothes, and the two shared a cabin.

According to this account, the crew grew suspicious because “Jean” never undressed or went to the bathroom in front of them. “He” also seemed too clean-shaven and wore baggy clothing. Jean/Jeanne made up a story about having been kidnapped by Ottoman Turks and castrated, which helped explain why “he” was embarrassed to be seen in a state of undress. They may or may not have believed “him,” but eventually, Jeanne’s secret identify was discovered somewhere near Tahiti, in the South Pacific. At the next port-of-call, Jeanne and Philibert were left behind at the French port of Mauritius. They lived there for seven years. Philibert died, Jeanne married a French soldier, and she and her husband sailed back to France in 1774. She was recognized in her lifetime as the first woman to sail around the world.