Biographical Mevioir of Baron de Beauvoig. 11 



receive him into his house, and he did'so, simply from a motive of 

 humanity, and not to let him die without the consolations of re- 

 ligion. 



The strength of his constitution seemed unable to retain life 

 for more than a few days, when he had the happiness to learn 

 that his uncle, the Baron de Falleti^re, was commander of the 

 Mole St Nicolas, and occupied a healthy dwelling in the neigh- 

 bourhood of that place. He was carried thither, and, from the 

 change of air, the cares of friendship, and rest, gradually regain- 

 ed his strength. He even found this new residence so agree- 

 able, that he purposed to sell all his property in France, and 

 settle in America ; and, as he had been unable to remain an 

 African colonist, try to become a St Domingo one. We know 

 from a distinguished officer who sometimes accompanied him, 

 that he discovered near the Mole St Nicolas a new species of 

 sage, of which great use has since been made in medicine. Not- 

 withstanding all this, he did not lose sight of his ideas respecting 

 the fructification of the cryptogamic plants, and we see that he 

 sent to the editor of the Journal de Physique a memoir in sup- 

 port of them *. 



The Island of St Domingo, although inhabited for more than 

 a century by Frenchmen, was still so little known, that M. de 

 Beauvois would have found no difficulty in multiplying his dis- 

 coveries, and in rendering himself as useful to science there as 

 he would have been in Africa, had not events quickly happened 

 to him which rendered all scientific research impossible. Things 

 were not in their ordinary state when he arrived there. Already 

 in France, the people, excited by the disputes of the ministry 

 with the magistracy, openly aspired to another system of govern- 

 ment. The announcement of a speedy convocation of the States- 

 General, transformed into hope what had been but an object of 

 desire. The internal affairs of France were the only subjects 

 that occupied the attention of the men desirous of change. A 

 society formed in England, which procured ardent associates in 

 France, strongly urged the abolition of the slave-trade. These 

 proceedings soon reached to St Domingo. It was tliere quickly 

 learned that the friends of the blacks held a considerable rank 



* Lettre sur la Formation des Champignons.— Jowma/ de Phys. torn, xxxvi. 

 1». 55. 1 



