MALLET, PIERRE ANTOINE (1700-?). Pierre Antoine Mallet (Maillet, Mailhet, Malet), French Canadian voyageur and explorer, brother of Paul Mallet, was born on June 20, 1700, in Montreal, Canada, the son of Pierre and Madeline Mallet. His family soon moved to Detroit, where Paul was baptized in 1711. While still a young man Pierre moved to New Orleans and became a voyageur in the "Mizuri" country. He married Louisa Deupet, who died by 1751. Mallet is noted for four explorations: from the plains to Santa Fe (1739), from Santa Fe to New Orleans via the Canadian (some sources say Pecos) River (1740), from New Orleans in an abortive attempt to reach Santa Fe with André Fabry de La Bruyère via the Canadian River (1741-42), and from New Orleans to Santa Fe via the Red and Canadian rivers (1750). Mallet was arrested and taken to Havana by the Spanish in 1750. See also MALLET EXPEDITIONS.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bill Barron, comp., The Vaudreuil Papers...1743-1753 (New Orleans: Polyanthos, 1975). Martha Royce Blaine, "French Efforts to Reach Santa Fe: Andre Fabry de la Bruyere's Voyage up the Canadian River in 1741-1742," Louisiana History 20 (Spring 1979). Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. 3.
