REPORT OF M. GUILLEMIN, 13 



sive heat, and M. Houlet had much difficulty in saving the 

 others. 



In the hope that French vessels from the Rio Plata would 

 touch at Brazil during the month of April, I now turned my 

 attention to the preparation of chests, in which I could pack 

 my treasures; and finding that Brazilian and French carpen- 

 ters asked exorbitant sums for their work, I adopted the plan 

 of purchasing the necessary wood and iron myself, and setting 

 two negro carpenters to work by the day, at making the cases 

 under my directions and the inspection of M. Houlet. My 

 first plan hatl been to construct boxes on Mr Ward's system ; 

 but the heavy price deterred me, while the safety with which I 

 had brought my fruit trees from Europe in a box with sliding 

 pannels, induced me to fix finally on this latter mode of con- 

 struction. Much anxiety and trouble did the formation of 

 these chests cost me, as well as the case which should contain 

 the hot-house plants for the Museum at Paris; but I was 

 enabled to pursue, at the same time, my inquiries and re- 

 searches in the neighbourhood of Rio Janeiro, through the 

 months of March and April. M. Dumas, of the Academy of 

 Sciences, having charged me to procure information respect- 

 ing a vegetable wax from Brazil, in which he had found a 

 new principle, I sent him a specimen of Carnauha, a sub- 

 stance holding a middle place between wax and rosin, and 

 which forms an article of commerce between the north of 

 Brazil and Montevideo, and even England. 



A French ship, the Heroine, commanded by Captain 

 Cecille, arrived at Rio on the 9th of May, while I was on 

 the Organ mountains, visiting: the great agricultural estab- 

 lishments of M. March, where I hoped to obtain more Tea 

 plants to add to my stock. I returned to town in all haste, 

 and was mortified to find how little progress had been made 

 towards completing our packing chests. I also wished to 

 visit the Botanic Garden once more, that I might procure 

 some Tea shrubs, as recently moved as possible, with a quan- 

 tity of perfectly fresh seeds. M. Cecille instantly sent me two 

 ship-carpenters, who in a very few days despatched more work 



