Jean-Baptiste Labat was a French missionary, enslaver and engineer who lived on the island of Martinique between 1694 and 1706. He invested much time in the development of the island and the sugar plantations there. His name continues to be applied in colloquial names for infrastructure on Martinique.

Due to his time in the West Indies, Labat became a noted authority of the history of the region and wrote several books on the subject. This book is his account of his time on Martinique and provides a history of the island and its flora and fauna.