Francois Joseph de Pons (1751 - 1812)

Francois Joseph de Pons

François Joseph de Pons, full name François Raymond Joseph de Pons, was a French traveler, writer, and diplomat.

De Pons, during his stay in Venezuela in the early 19th century, served as a political and diplomatic correspondent in Caracas, gathering information for the French government. This prompted him to write a book entitled: "A voyage through the eastern part of Terre Ferme, North America, made in 1801, 1802, 1803 and 1804; containing a description of the general chapter of Caracas and the provinces of Venezuela, Maracaibo, Varinas, Española Guiana, Cumana and Margarita Island", which also included a geographical map and plans of the capital Caracas and the main ports.

Contemporaries praised the work as "an important account of Venezuela, containing a description of the country and people, as well as a description of the growth and production of cacao, indigo, sugar, cotton, coffee, and tobacco." The first edition was published in Paris in 1806. This work was so popular and significant that in the same year it was translated by the writer Washington Irving and published in New York and London.