François Pyrard de Laval

François Pyrard de Laval was a French seaman who is known for a personal written account of the Maldives Islands from 1602-1607. On July 2, 1602 Pyrard and a handful of sailors were shipwrecked on Baa Atoll of the Maldives. The were taken captive by the Maldivians and spent five years as "unwilling guests" on the islands, with most of the time spent on Malé. The sailors also endured malaria and sporadic cruel treatment during their captivity.