Reception hjj M. de Montigmj. 467 



being made by Germany, and recalled in animated terms the 

 splendid services of A. von Humboldt, whom the news of the 

 death of Washington (14th Dec. 1799) found already oc- 

 cupied in scientific research in the primeval forests of South 

 America, and who still (August, 1858) continued to display 

 such marvellous intellectual activity. 



, Besides Mr. Reed, we also made the personal acquaintance 

 of the French Plenipotentiary, Baron Gros ; the ambassadors 

 of England and Russia were already gone, the former to 

 Japan, the latter to the Amur. TVe were introduced to 

 Baron Gros at tlie house of M. de Montigny, the French 

 Consul, who during a residence of many years in China has 

 occupied himself not alone with upholding the prestige and 

 influence of '' la grande nation^'' but has also rendered con- 

 spicuous services to science and agriculture. To him is due 

 the credit of having in 1847 dispatched to Europe the first 

 seeds of what is called the Chinese sugar-cane [Sorghum sac- 

 charatani), and of having introduced to agriculturists that re- 

 markable species of grass, with which, in consequence of its 

 many useful qualities, hundi^eds of thousands of acres have 

 since that period been planted in various parts of tlie 

 globe. M. de Montigny distinguished the members of our" 

 Expedition in every way, and presented them with numerous 

 specimens of seeds from Northern China.* 



* Among these there were, besides a small quantity of Sorghum, several species of 

 vegetables, which are suited for cvdtivation in temijcrate climates, such, for example, 

 as Poussen, Pa-tse, Pon-ta-tse, with which since our return experiments h;ive been 

 instituted in various parts of the Austrian Empire. M. de Montigny luis also since 



2 II 2 



