1835.] M. Desfontaines. 243 



mortal career, and history alone remains to bear witness 

 of their labours. # 



Desfontaines became the favourite and intimate friend of 

 Lemonnier. Their simple and excellent characters, their 

 devotion to science and the investigation of truth, established 

 between them a powerful friendship, notwithstanding the 

 difference of their ages. It was a similar mildness and 

 amiableness of character which united in the bonds of 

 friendship Desfontaines with Malesherbes, Duhamel, 

 Denainvilliers, Fougeroux, and others. Desfontaines was 

 also encouraged by M. Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, who 

 was some years older than himself, and who had succeeded 

 his uncle Bernard in the professorship of the Jardin du Roi. 

 In 1783 he was made a Member of the Academy of Sciences. 

 This title, which is so justly honourable, was deserved by 

 his Memoirs on Tithonia and Ailantus, and upon the Irrita- 

 bility of the Sexual Organs. Determined not to remain 

 idle, he procured the necessary funds for accomplishing a 

 botanical journey, and encouraged by his countryman 

 M. De Kercy, consul at Algiers, he determined to investi- 

 gate the coast of Barbary, from the frontiers of Tripoli to 

 those of Morocco, viz : the territories of Algiers and Tunis. 

 These countries, although so near Europe, had been little 

 visited, and had not been examined in a botanical point of 

 view, except cursorily, by Dr. Shaw. Desfontaines' plan 

 was approved of by the Academy, and on the 16th August 

 1783, he departed from Marseilles for Tunis. 



He remained two years in these countries ; visited them 

 in their whole extent, from the sea to the summits of 

 Mount Atlas, and even examined the narrow strip of land 

 which lies to the south of this ridge, and between it and 

 the desert of Sahara. His examination of these govern- 

 ments was facilitated by the protection of the French consul, 

 and by the kindness with which he inspired the Deys. He 

 had permission to visit the whole country, under the care 

 of an armed Turk. Although he felt the advantage of this 



* Jacq Jul Hauton de Labillardiere, was born at Alencon, in 1755, and died 

 at Paris, 8th January 1834, fifty-three days after his intimate friend Desfontaines. 

 He travelled in Syria under the patronge of Lemonnier, and accompanied Entrecas- 

 teaux in his search for La Perouse. He had published five portions of his work 

 on the Plants of Syria ; a Voyage round the World ; two volumes on the Plants 

 of New Holland, and New Caledonia, besides some Memoirs. 



2r 



