Foreign Laterature and Science. 381 
29. Natural history in France.—The splendid collec- 
tion of natural objects in the several museums of the garden 
of plants in Paris is almost daily enriched by fresh acces- 
sions from Naturalists attached to the Institution, and who, 
supported by the government, perform voyages of research 
and collection in all parts of the world. The following sub- 
stance of a report presented the 10th of January 1821, to the 
minister of the Interior, by the administration of the Muse- 
um of Natural History, on the collection just brought from 
the Cape of Good Hope, by M. Delalande, is worthy of 
notice. Notwithstanding the previous researches of Kolbe, 
Sparrman, Le Vaillant, &c. it was believed that the Natur- 
al history of Southern Africa had not been sufficiently ex- 
plored. 
M. Delalande had given proof of his capacity in three 
voyages to Lisbon, to the sea of Provence, and to Brazil 
under the direction of the government. He again left Pa- 
ris on the 2nd of April 1818, accompanied by his nephew 
twelve years of age, who has shared in his fatigues, his la- 
bours and his dangers. ‘Two of the largest animals of Afri- 
ca were much desired by the directors of the museum, viz. 
the double horned Rhinoceros, and the Hippopotamus. In 
search of them he wandered among the Hottentots and the 
Caffres, the latter of whom were at that time much incensed 
against Europeans, and carried on a ferocious war when op- 
portunities for it offered. M. Delalande remained a long 
time in this research, and wandered 800 miles west of the 
Cape. But his intelligence and perseverance were at length 
crowned with success. He obtained a Rhinoceros twelve 
feet in length, and on the Berg River he surprised a family 
of the Hippopotamus, and killed the largest and most for- 
midable of the company. In this enterprise he was gener- 
ously assisted by Lord Charles Somerset Governor of the 
Cape, and Col. Bird his Secretary, who in his favour dis- 
pensed with a law which forbids the hunting and killing of 
the Hippopotamus under a penalty of 1000 Rix dollars. 
Thanks, (says the Report) to the enlightened protection of 
those two chiefs of the colony, who procured for him the . 
—— facilities, gave him flattering encouragements, and 
urnished him with instructions to commit, by an authorized 
exception, an infraction of the law. In the interval of these 
istant expeditions, M. Delalande employed his time at the 
Vat. TY ....,.00. 2. 23 
