18 Biographical Memoir of Baron de Beauvois. 



from France, where he had been inscribed in the list of emi- 

 grants, and his effects confiscated. His only resource in this 

 country, where a few weeks before he had been invested with a 

 sort of diplomatic character, was to engage himself as a musician 

 to a man who had an equestrian and rope-dancing establishment 

 at Philadelphia. Still, says he, in his notes, had the spectators 

 only known something of music ! but when any of Haydn's fine 

 symphonies were performed, the populace in the galleries over^ 

 whelmed the musicians with roasted apples and filth ; arid called 

 for Marlborough, and other airs of the same kind. But in all 

 situations, the sciences bring consolation ; wherever there are 

 enlightened men, they may rely on support. A quaker physi- 

 cian, who had some knowledge of natural history, Dr Wistar, 

 received the unfortunate French naturalist with the charity for 

 which his religion is distinguished; and, at the same time, with 

 the interest inspired by so many sufferings in the cause of science. 

 Mr Peale, a painter, who had established a museum of curiosi- 

 ties at Philadelphia, was very glad to have them arranged by 

 a European naturalist ; and scarcely had M. de Beauvois thus 

 procured some pitiful means, when he began to give lectures, 

 and to collect the productions of this third climate, with as much 

 courage as if he had not already twice seen the results of his 

 labours destroyed. 



Who would not be affected by such resignation, and such un- 

 alterable ardour ? And could it be possible, with such a man, 

 to bring in remembrance the party which he had followed ? 



The New French minister, M. Adet, was. not of this mind. 

 Himself a man of science, in a courageous cultivator of the 

 sciences, in an old correspondent of the Academic des Sciences^ 

 he saw only a Frenchman; and expecting that his; country 

 would render him justice, he lavished assistance upon him^ and 

 patronized all his undertakings. 



His first excursions were made in the south-western provinces, 

 among the Creeks and Cherokees, principally with the view of 

 making inquiries respecting the fur trade. There he found 

 savages poorer, perhaps ruder, than Negroes ; but whose super^ 

 stitions were not so barbarous. They do not sacrifice, their fel- 

 lows, but they still exercise the law of retaliation. A murder 

 can only be expiated by a murder; and when the first author 

 of the crime cannot be found, one of his- parents, *raust be put to 



