Curieuse is the fifth largest of the Inner Granitics and was initially given the name Ile Rouge, on account of its red earth. Its name was then changed to honour a schooner of the French East Indies Company, which was sent to the Seychelles in 1768 by the mariner Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne. The island is part of the marine park it is strictly protected and only a few families live there.
Du Fresne was instructed to confirm possession of a group of islands that lay some twenty miles to the north-east of Mahé. Before setting off he fell ill and had to hand over to his second-in-command, Jean Duchemin of St. Malo. In September 1768, Duchemin sailed from the Isle de la France in a King’s ship, the Digue, accompanied by the Curieuse, commanded by Lieutenant Lampériaire. They arrived at Mahé on the 9th of October and the slaves were put to work felling trees. After some weeks Lampériaire left to investigate the other islands of the archipelago. He found a secure anchorage on the north coast of Praslin, and while one party explored Praslin (which had been named after the French Minister of Marine, the Duc de Praslin), he rowed across the bay to the smaller island. He named it Isle Curieuse after his ship.
