Sargent.] ^ [Oct. 19. 



United States he was unable, through a lack of financial support, to carry 

 out these plans. 



Michaux "was not destined, however, to remain long in France. The 

 gOTernnient was anxious at this time to inlroduce into the royal plan- 

 tations the most raluable trees of eastern iXorlh America, and Michaux 

 was selected for this undertaking. He was instructed to explore the terri- 

 tory of the Unii ed States, to gather seeds of trees, shrubs and other plants, 

 and "to establish a nursery near New York for their reception, and after- 

 wards to send them to France, where they were to be planted in the Park of 

 Rambouillet. He was directed also to send game birds from America with 

 a view to their introduction into the plantations of American trees. 



Michaux, accompanied by his son, then fifteen years old, arrived in Xew 

 York in October, 1785. Here, during two years, he made his principal 

 residence, establishing a nursery, of which all trace has now disappeared, 

 and making a number of short botanical journeys into New Jersey, Pen}\- 

 sylvania, and Maryland. The fruits of these preliminary explorations, 

 including twelve boxes of seeds, five thousand seedling trees and a num- 

 ber of live partridges, were sent to Paris at the end of the first year. 



Michaux's first visit to South Carolina was made in September, 17S7. 

 He found Charleston a more suitable place for his nurseries, and made 

 that city his headquarters during the rest of his stay in America. Michaux's 

 journeys in this country after his establishment in Charleston are detailed 

 in the Journal. They cover the territory of North America from Hudson's 

 Bay to the Indian river in Florida, and from the Bahama islands to the 

 banks of the Mississippi river. His ambition to carry out his instructions 

 was equaled only by his courage and industry. The history of botanical 

 exploration records no greater display of fortitude and enthusiasm in the 

 pursuit of knowledge, than 3Iichaux showed in his iourney to the head- 

 waters of the Savannah river in December, 1788, when his zeal was re- 

 warded by the discovery of Shortia, or in the return from his visit to 

 Hudson's Bay. The hardship of this last journey even did not satisfy his 

 cravings for adventure and discovery ; and shortly after his return he laid 

 before the American Philosophical Society a proposition to explore the un- 

 known region which extended beyond the Missouri. His proposition 

 was well received. The sum of five thousand dollars was raised by sub- 

 scription to meet the expenses of the journey ; all arrangements were 

 made and he was about to start when he was called upon by the Minister 

 of the French Republic, lately arrived in New York, to proceed to Ken- 

 tucky, to execute some business growing out of the relations between 

 France and Spain with regard to the tn^nsfer of Louisiana. It was this 

 suggestion of Michaux, no doubt, which led 3Ir. Jefferson, who had re- 

 garded it with great favor, to send a few years later the first tn\nscon- 

 tineutal expedition to the shores of the Pacific. 



This political journey, and a second made into the far West, occu- 

 pied Michaux for nearly three years longer. He returned finally to 

 Charleston in the spring of 1796. His nurseries were in a most 



