Denis, a shark killed one of his crew members who was attempting to desert, and Laplace was unable to recover an anchor he had lost near the island. On 1 May 1830, Laplace sailed towards India. Following the completion of one of his hydrological assignments, he continued on to Mahé, Seychelles. Six days later the crew had made their way past the Maldives and Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), before making landfall at Pondicherry on 9 June. In Madras (now known as Chennai), Laplace was able to purchase new anchors and cables, and left on 28 June. On the night of the 29th, La Favorite became grounded on a mudbank. The initial attempt to save the ship failed, but it was freed thanks to the help of nearby Indians. Laplace continued on to Yanaon before leaving the Indian coast on 2 August. Laplace arrived in Singapore on 17 August, the first of a long series of South East Asian cities. In Manila, many of his crew grew sick; cholera was diagnosed on the land and the crew were reporting having colds and fevers. On 28 September, La Favorite recorded its only cholera fatality; the epidemic cleared up before long. After travelling via Macao, Laplace arrived in Canton (today Guangzhou), with the intent of discussing the difficulties of French traders with the Chinese authorities. Laplace managed to secure France as the most favoured nation of China. Setting sail on 18 December, Laplace arrived at Tourane (today Da Nang) on 21 December. There, he came across the S. Michel wrecked off the coast and the crew sick. Laplace attempted to allow the crew on board, but many died from their illnesses. In Tourane, Laplace was met with hostility, as the authorities were paranoid of his intentions in the area. It was suspected that La Favorite had a large army concealed in the hold, and Chinese soldiers were brought into the city to oversee Laplace's actions. Laplace left the area in frustration of Emperor Minh Mạng's isolationist policies, the diplomatic mission having failed. On 5 March, Laplace sailed south towards the Natuna Islands, charting the area as they moved. In particular, Laplace attempted to complement Bougainville's earlier workaround around the Anambas, not finishing his work until 4 April. He then set sail for Surabaya in the Dutch East Indies. There he was informed of the events of the July Revolution, and that