In the article we use the round-the-world travel essays "Around-the-world trip on the frigate "Boudez" and the transport" Etoile" by Louis Antoine de Bougainville and "Travel all over the world to "Bussoli" and "Astrolabe" by Jean- Francois de La Perouse to show the image of the "noble savage". These travelogues show that the intercultural contact led to the emergence of patterns of perception of "Others" by Europeans. It is noted that travelogues contributed to self-examination and determined the place and the role of Europeans in the world. Moreover, this pattern includes positive and negative elements as well. The empire could have a benefit from a romanticized image of the "noble savage" thereby stimulating new colonial conquests. At the same time, travel essays could contradict the Enlightenment ideas, when Europeans found barbarians to be aggressive, deceitful and dimwitted. The purpose of this study is to consider the problematic aspects of describing "Others" and to define the role of travelogues in imperial politics. We will argue that the intercultural dialogue shown in French round-the-world travel essays of the second half of the 18th century can hardly be called successful. These travelogues led to the appearance of fascinating pattern of "other". That pattern looked at the “others” through the European knowledge based on system of values typical for the European world.