CHAP, III. CONTINENT OF EUROPE. 141 
returned to France with a great number of trees, which were planted in the 
gardens of M. Lemonnier, and of the Maréchal de Noailles, where they suc- 
ceeded perfectly. He often used to take from these gardens a packet of grafts, 
and, going through the woods of Versailles, he would graft them on the trees 
already there. In 1780, he went to botanise on the mountains of Auvergne 
with several botanists, among whom were Lamarck and Thouin. Michaux 
was the most active of all of them; besides his musket, haversack, portfolio, 
and several specimen boxes, he carried in his pocket seeds of the cedar of 
Lebanon, which he sowed in favourable situations. Soon afterwards he went 
to the Pyrenees and travelled in Spain; and, in a short time, accompanied the 
nephew of the celebrated Rousseau to Persia, the latter being appointed con- 
sul to that country in 1782. He went to Aleppo, Bagdad, the Tigris, the 
Euphrates, Bassora, and many other places, Sending home numerous seeds to 
Thouin, Malesherbes, and others. _ Persia at that time was a prey to civil wars, 
and Michaux, plundered of every thing by the Arabs, was supplied with the 
means of continuing his journey by M. de la Touche, the English consul at 
Bassora, though France and England were at that time at war; M. de la 
Touche, his biographer observes, thinking that a naturalist, who travelled for 
the good of humanity, ought to be protected by every nation. In this part of 
the world Michaux remained two years, traversing mountains and deserts from 
the Indian to the Caspian Sea, and proving that the provinces situated between 
35° and 45° of latitude in the East have supplied most of our trees, exclusive 
of those which belong to America. He here verified the fact first noticed by 
Kzmpfer, that the male flowers of the date will keep during the year, and yet 
impregnate the female. He sent home sculptured ruins from the palace known 
as that of Semiramis, near the Tigris, and various other antiques, and objects 
of natural history. He returned to Paris in June, 1785, and was chosen soon 
after to go to the United States, to collect seeds of trees and shrubs; to 
establish an entrepét for them in the neighbourhood of New York; and 
to get them sent from that to Rambouillet, which was destined to receive 
them. He was also commissioned to send home American game. He ar- 
rived at New York in October, 1785; established a garden there; traversed 
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland ; and, after the first year, he sent 
home twelve boxes of seeds, and 5000 young trees, together with some Cana- 
dian partridges, which afterwards bred at Versailles. In September, 1789, he 
went to Carolina, making Charleston his depot; he traversed the Alleghany 
Mountains, and the whole country north and south, leaving his son at Charles- 
ton, in charge of the gardens there. From this place he sent home numerous 
seeds, and many hundreds of young trees. In April following, he set out to 
reconnoitre the sources of the Savannah; and there he discovered Magnolia 
auriculata, Robinia viscosa, Azalea n. coccinea, a Kalmia,a Rhododéndron, and 
many oaks and other trees not before known, The manner in which he tra- 
velled, his intercourse with the native Indians, and the accidents he met with, 
are extremely interesting. Whenever he discovered a new plant, it inspired 
him with such enthusiasm, that he no longer felt fatigue. The discovery of a 
new Pavia, and of the Pincknéya pubens, gave himgreat pleasure. He arrived at 
New Providence in February, 1799, and returned to Charleston in May of the 
same year. He afterwards visited the highest mountains of Carolina. The 
dangers he experienced there convinced him of the necessity of having two 
guides, because one might perish by the road by a thousand accidents, and it 
would be impossible for a European to find his way alone through the 
country. He found in these mountains vast tracts covered with rhododen- 
drons, kalmias, and azaleas, and with forests of trees altogether impenetrable. 
War, at this time, was declared between France and England; and Michaux 
was afraid of being forced to leave America. He had been for a long time 
occupied with the idea of determining the native place of all the American 
trees ; and also at what latitude they begin to grow rare, and where they dis- 
appear entirely: in short, he wished to ascertain up to what height they 
are found on the mountains, and in what soil they prosper best. He con- 
M 4 
