20 Biographical Memoir of Baron de Beauvois^, 



had used its influence in behalf of a man, who, in some measure^ 

 belonged to it, and its demand was heard. Hastening to profit 

 by this act of justice, M. de Beauvois abandoned a journey 

 which he was just about to undertake to the Akansas. Taking 

 with him the little that remained of his collections, he landed at 

 Bordeaux in August 1798. Thus ended twelve years of travels, 

 and, it may be said, of misfortunes ; for none of these twelve 

 years passed over without his having encountered great dangers, 

 experienced great losses, and been subjected to vexations more 

 injurious, perhaps, than the hazards and losses themselves. 



It will easily be imagined, that, after his adventures in St 

 Domingo, he would long keep free of public aflPairs. Collect- 

 ing the remains of his fortune, and those of his collections, de- 

 voting to his works the remainder of his life, he still saw pass- 

 ing under his eyes greater and as bloody revolutions, although 

 less sullied by crimes ; and he, no doubt, had more than one 

 occasion to bless the misfortunes which had caused him to de- 

 vote himself entirely to science. After his return to France, it 

 was in fact his sole occupation. 



The herbarium and insects which he had sent from Oware to 

 M. de Jussieu in 1788, compensated in part for the collections 

 which he had lost, and served as a basis to his Flora of Oware 

 and Benin * and to the greater part of his insects collected in 

 Africa and America. 



Favoured with the protection of an enlightened government, 

 these two works were executed with magnificence. They make 

 known to naturalists species remarkable for their beauty, their 

 singularity, or their utility. If the number is not great, it 

 ought to be remembered, that there only remained to the author 

 the wrecks that had escaped from his unfortunate adventures. 



Two other works, the Prodrome d'JEthegamie-f-, and the 

 Essai d''Agrostographie J, have shewn that M. de Beauvois was 



•Flore d'Oware et de Benin en Afrique. Paris, 1804.1820. Nineteen 

 numbers, folio. 



2. Insectes recueillis en Afrique et en Amerique, dans les royaumes 

 d'Oware et de Benin, a Saint-Domingue et dans les Etats-Unis, pendant les 

 annees, 1785-1797. Paris, 1805-1820. Twelve numbers, folio. 



•f Prodrome des cinquieme et sixieme families de P-^Etheogamie, les Mousses, 

 les Lycopodes. Paris, 1805. 8vo. 



^ Essai d'une nouvelle Agrostographie, ou nouveaux genres de Graminees, 

 avec Figures representant les caracteres de tous les Genres. Paris, Fain. 1812, 

 8vo. et 4to. 



