TS24.] 



into Senegal ; every 

 Sagon tree has been transi)orled to 

 Bourbon and to Cayenne. OF the 

 JSapou tree, one kind is remarkable lor 

 a long fibrons Iiair, of which cordage 

 and cables may be made, almost incor- 

 ruptible, and which in some cases may 

 serve for c!iaius. Also several varieties 

 of tlie bread fruit tree; a considerable 

 number of valuable trees and plants, 

 among which is the abacca, from wJiicli 

 a stuff may be made as fine as cam- 

 brie; some very strong plants for 

 cordage, which, compared with the best 

 liemp ol the same bulk, would be, in the 

 proportion of strength, as seventeen or 

 eighteen to ten; the |)ignas, which serves 

 1o make a very fine but very strong 

 thread; indeed, the inhabitants of 

 Liu^on make a stuff of it finer tiiau our 

 lawn. 



Plants have been procured of (he 

 stellated anise (aniseed), which the 

 Aluseum of Paris had been seeking fur 

 jn vain the last fii'ty years; the beauliCul 

 Chinese varnish, a tree which bears a 

 good fruit ; if an incision be made in its 

 trunk, a liquid substance runs from it, 

 by dipping a spungc into whieb, rubbing 

 the article to be varnished, and repeat- 

 ing tlie operation after some hours, the 

 varnishing is completed, without farther 

 preparation. 



'I'he siik of China and Cochin China 

 is well known to be superior to that of 

 Europe; this superiority is generally 

 thought to [)roceed from the (|Mality of 

 the mulberry-tree whereon the worms 

 are fed, its leaves being mucli finer and 

 more delicate tlian ^hose of the Euro- 

 pean. A sufficient number of plants 

 bas been procured to leave at Bourbon 

 and CaA'fnne, with some others brought 

 to rriiicc. As their growth is easily 

 ^)ropaga!e<l by slips, we may look for 

 their nniltiplieatiou where they have 

 Ijecn conveyed. 



At Hourbon has been introduced a 

 tnellifluous or luscious plant, much in 

 use with the inhabitants of the Isle of 

 IjU^on, for pectoral complaints. Also 

 the tagal, whose bitter and resinous 

 bark serves for fjuinquina ; the woncudo, 

 from which (he inhabitants of Java 

 cxtraf:t a dcarlet colour ; the Indian 

 bresillelto (a kind of Brasil-wood), and 

 many other plants. 



Experience has shown that the coffee- 

 tree only thrives tinder the shade of a 

 protecting tree. Some blight or ma- 

 lady having destroyed the Bois Noirs, 

 -at lieurbon, which till then had been 

 successfully made iisu of, plants of Ui]- 



Ins'tUule of France. 541 



pccies of the ferent trees have been provided to re- 



place them, tliat will serve as excellent 

 protectors. Among them is a cotton- 

 tree, which, moreover, produces a cot- 

 ton much superior to that of Indostan. 



The pepper-tree requires a defender; 

 tins has been procured, as it was wanted, 

 at Bourbon and Cayenne. Also several 

 (rees for the defence of the vanilla-tree. 

 The cinnamon-tree, from Cochin China, 

 which produces a fine cinnamon, su- 

 perior to that of Ceylon, has also been 

 introduced. All these plants have been 

 provided in a sufficient number, to sup- 

 ply Bourbon, Cayenne, and the Jardin 

 dii Roi. Some, however, have been 

 left in these two colonies, as a dep6t, 

 to be removed either to Erauce, or 

 wherever else the government should 

 think fit. 



The rice, called mountain, iiitroiluced 

 by M. Poivre, into the Isles of Erance 

 and Bourbon, hail been lost by some 

 accident; of this, eighteen hogsheads, 

 of five different kinds, h.iye been pror 

 cured and distributed at Bourbon, 

 Cayenne, and in Erance. 



Exclusive of all these ])lants, a con- 

 sidefahle quantity of grains and seeds 

 have been transported to the colonies 

 and to France. The zeal and care of 

 M, Pcrrotet, botanist in the voyage, 

 will enrich the Museum with an her- 

 bary, comprising many plants hitiierto 

 unknown. IJe had opportunities of 

 herborising in places that had seldonj 

 or never been explored. A number of 

 rare animals and birds have also beeii 

 deposited in the INIuseuin dii Roi, as 

 many more would have been if they 

 had not died in the voyage. 



A saw has been introduced into 

 France and the colonies, which will 

 saw the largest and longest trees, when 

 laid on the ground, and not placed ori 

 s(ocks, as is the common practice. This 

 instrument, originally of Ciiinese in- 

 vention, has not been known, and, 

 tiiough found already to be very useful, 

 is susceptible of yet greater improve- 

 ments. 



Enquiry has been made in (he voy- 

 age, whether in the Arehii)elago, or 

 Asiatic islands, a market miglit not be 

 found for our coniinereial wares ; but 

 the islanders have scarcely any call lihr 

 the consumption of French, English, 

 American, or other European goods. 

 These are to be found oidy in the ware- 

 houses of Europeans. 'i'o send out 

 vessels for the purposes of traffic, the 

 att(;m|)t would be fruitless, boAvever 

 well selected the cargo might be. This 

 drcnmsfnnptf 



