Eugène Duflot de Mofras

Who was Eugène Duflot de Mofras?

Eugène Duflot de Mofras was a nineteenth-century French naturalist, botanist, diplomat and explorer. He was the 7th son of Vost Cosme Nicolas Duflot and Anne Julie Mofras. In 1839 Duflot de Mofras was dispatched from his post in Mexico City and spent the next four years exploring the western coast of North America, specifically what is now California and Oregon. He was to access the region for French business interests. His account, published as Travels on the Pacific Coast, recorded the commercial, political and military significance of the region. A great majority of the description is given to life surrounding the California missions, including the missions at Monterey and Santa Cruz.

While stationed in San Francisco he traveled inland and visited General Sutter and his outpost on the Sacramento River – before the discovery of gold. His report was remarkably significant at the time, and remains one of the finest descriptions of the Pacific Coast before the American era. He wrote in 1840 "...it is evident that California will belong to whatever nation chooses to send there a man-of-war and two hundred men."