1835.] M. Desfontaines. 245 



carried into effect. His protector then used his influence 

 to have him appointed his successor, with the intention 

 himself of resigning the situation which he held of Professor 

 of Botany in the Jardin du Roi. This establishment was 

 then under the direction of Buffon, who joined to his su- 

 perior talents an overbearing manner, as is well known. He 

 possessed ex officio the patronage of the professorships, and 

 M. Lemonnier was afraid if he resigned, that a stranger 

 would be appointed in his place. He represented the matter 

 to Buffon, but although they were on intimate terms, no 

 answer could be obtained except, " Let M. Lemonnier give 

 in his resignation and I shall exercise the powers of my office. 3 ' 



After hesitating for a considerable time, Lemonnier, how- 

 ever, thought he could understand the intention of Buffon, 

 and resigned his situation without receiving any assurance 

 from Buffon. For two days no answer was received from 

 Buffon ; but at the expiration of that time he nominated 

 Desfontaines, giving him to understand that he did so, not 

 for the sake of his patron but from his own free will. Thus, 

 in 1786, Desfontaines found himself in a situation exactly 

 suited to his taste. From this period he continued to receive 

 new honours from the learned and from government ; being 

 one of the first named for the formation of the institute ; 

 elected by his associates to the chair of the Academy of 

 Sciences, and Administrator to the Museum. He was ap- 

 pointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour, and nominated 

 professor of Botany to the Faculty of Sciences of Paris. 



The cares and duties in which he was thus engaged pre- 

 vented him from drawing up the result of his labours in 

 Barbary. Louis XVI, who had taken a great interest in 

 this expedition from the account which his physician had 

 given him, expressed a desire to peruse his manuscripts, 

 and Lemonnier requested his friend to entrust his journals 

 to him, in order that the king might read them. 



These journals were unfortunately mis-laid, and as he 

 possessed no regular copy of them, all this portion of his 

 travels which did not consist of collections was completely 

 lost. A few fragments retained by him, containing an im- 

 perfect account of the first part of his travels, were pub- 

 lished by Lalande in 1784, in the Journal des Savans. This 

 accident discouraged Desfontaines, and it was not till near 



