Biographical Memoir ofM. Claiide Louis Richard. 207 



him nearly as much trouble to give the clove-tree to Martinique, 

 as it had cost these courageous citizens to procure it for the Isle 

 of France. It even happened that a ship coming from the Isle 

 of France, having brought over a certain number of plants, 

 which were supposed to be the true pepper-tree, this governor 

 was not ashamed to make it be understood, that if they were 

 to be propagated, it should be for himself, and on his own 

 estate. He even avowed, that he had already caused a piece 

 of ground to be prepared for this purpose by the king's ne- 

 groes. I need not say how such an insinuation was received by 

 a young man, who at the age of thirteen had shown so much 

 firmness of character. Every day something new occurred to 

 thwart him; but he resolved to do good in spite of his superiors, 

 as he had made himself a botanist in spite of his relations ; and 

 his activity prevailed so much over the obstacles opposed to 

 him, as to enable him eventually to be of great service to the 

 colony. He was at least permitted to cultivate and distribute 

 some vegetables which the governor had not thought worthy of 

 his exclusive solicitude. The litchi (Scytalia litchi), the sago- 

 tree ('jS'ag'if^ paZwia-pinws'^, the rose-a.Y>p\e (Eugenia Jambos J, 

 and the mangrove ( Mangifera indica), required for their pro- 

 pagation only that the indolence natural to the colonists should 

 be overcome. The bamboo, whose utility was more readily ap- 

 preciated, was generally cultivated, and is now abundant, and 

 of enormous size. In 1785, finding an opportunity of going 

 to Brazil, M. Richard brought from it to Cayenne the talin, or 

 pourpier du Para (Talinum oleraceum), a fleshy, tender, some- 

 Avhat acidulous and cooling plant, which yields a pleasant salad. 

 He afterwards went to the Antilles, where he remained from 

 February 1786 to November 1787. He succeeded in procu- 

 ring in the island of St Croix the Eugenia expetita, a delicious 

 fruit, which now forms the ornament of the finest desserts. 



Better times at length arrived. Another Governor, M. de 

 Villebois, turned out to be a benevolent and enlightened man. 

 Scarcely had M. Richard spoken to him, when he abrogated 

 the odious restrictions laid upon cultivation by his predecessor ; 

 and during the short time that our botanist remained under his 

 orders, no restraint was put on his operations. Even before, 

 M'hen he was so much harajsscd by the vexations which he ex- 



