Augustin de Beaulieu

The fleet was sent from Honfleur, to fight the Dutch in the Far East, and to establish trade with the sponsorship of traders from Rouen and Paris.

[2] Beaulieu met with Sultan Iskander Muda (1607–36) to obtain a trading license and the agreement to establish a factory.

[1][5] de Beaulieu advocated for a French settlement on Madagascar, but Richelieu refrained from the adventure for fear of annoying the Dutch.

It was only in 1665, with the establishment of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales, that a proper attempt would be made to settle the island.

Beaulieu wrote in 1631-32: I find the island [Madagascar] proper, once we are established there, for adventures to any place in the East Indies... for from the said place at the due season Persia can be reached... where a very useful and important trade can be established... And when the said trade with Persia is inconvenient, that with the countries of the Great Moghul, Ceylon, Masulipatam, Bengal, Pegu, Kedda, Achin, Tiku and Bantam can easily be followed.de Beaulieu participated to the Siege of La Rochelle with the Royal fleet in 1627–28, as well as in the capture of Sainte-Marguerite island.