Baron Cuvier on the state of Natural History. 7 



other. Who could have imagined such an event 130 years ago, 

 when Peter the Great built on a lake his first frigate ? 



Among the French, Captain Freycinet has been particularly 

 useful to physics and astronomy, and notwithstanding his ship- 

 wreck, brought home a multitude of valuable objects collected 

 by his medical officers, MM. Quoi, Gayrr.ard, and Gaudi- 

 chaux. Of these, scientific Europe will soon be in possession, 

 through the attention of the government, which has ordered 

 their publication ; and in this matter we have reason to praise it, 

 for it has too often happened, that after expeditions have been 

 sent out at a great expense, the small additional sum has been 

 refused which would have rendered their results useful to the pub- 

 lic. MM. Milius and Philibert have peopled our gardens with 

 many vegetables of the torrid zone. Already what we learn of 

 Captain Duperrey's expedition, excites our curiosity and kindles 

 our hopes. Thus, every thing announces that our navy will 

 not remain behind any other in brilliant results of their exer- 

 tions, any more than in science and courage. 



However, a much less expensive method, and one still more 

 fruitful with respect to natural history, has been devised and 

 put in practice by some governments, since the commencement 

 of the period of which we are speaking. 



Young naturalists have gone to settle in different climates, 

 and, from the central point which they have chosen, hunting 

 and fishing in all directions, their researches have been much 

 more productive than they would have been, had they only 

 touched at a few ports. Thus Austria has sent to Brazil MM. 

 Mikan and Schott ; Bavaria, MM. Spix and Martius ; Prussia, 

 MM. Dolfers and Sello; while the government of the Low 

 Countries has successively kept at Java MM. Reinward, Kuhl, 

 and Van Hasselt. 



The king of France has employed equal perseverance and 

 munificence in favouring establishments of this kind, and his 

 views have been perfectly seconded by the ministers entrusted 

 with the departments of the Interior and of the navy. France has 

 sent out her scientific ambassadors to all quarters, and war it- 

 self has not interrupted this new diplomacy. M. Delalande first 

 Iwtook himself to Brazil, where he made very fine collections, 

 and afterwards to the Cape of Good Hope, for the same pur- 



