2 S 4 Natural History, 



XATUKAL HISTORY. 



Captain Baudin, commanderof the ship's sent on a voyage 

 of discovery roLiud the world, by the French government, 

 having collected at New Holland and the Moluccas a quan- 

 tity of productions from the three kingdoms of nature, 

 suBicient to load one of the ships, dispatched them to France. 

 They arrived lately at Havre in the Natiiralisle, commanded 

 by captain Hamefin. One of ihe professors in the Museum 

 of Natural History at Paris was commissioned to receive 

 them, and to take the speediest measures for conveying them 

 to the place cf their destination. 



This collection consists of more than 110 boxes or half 

 barrels, containing minerals, vegetables, or animals. 



The minerals are contained in 14 boxes. 



The vegetables, consisting of plants dried and prepared 

 for the herbal, occupy 12 : besides these there are 3 casks 

 fdled with specimens of different kinds of wood ; 2 boxes 

 with seeds, and more than (50 half casks of living plants. 



The dead animals, or the remains of them, such as ma- 

 drepores, shells, insects, preserved birds, and skins of qua- 

 drupeds, fdl 3.5 boxes. 



The living animals consist of IQ individuals, and are con- 

 tained in <) cages. 



All these articles, planks of wood proper for cabinet- 

 makers, and some utensils of the Indians, were conveved 

 from the NaturnUste into two small brigs of tlie state de- 

 stined to carrv them to Paris, and to land them at the gate 

 of the Museum of Natural Historv. 



This cargo is one of the most valuable of the kind ever 

 hrought to Europe ; but unfortunately the length of the 

 voyage, the want of means, and the multitude of rats with 

 whieli the vessel was infested, and ignorance in regard to 

 the manner of treating live beings, caused a great many of 

 them to perish on tlie passage from the South Sea to France. 

 Many of. the animals died, and several of those aliA'c are 

 in a languishing condition. A small number only are in 

 good heahh, such as the Indian hinds and the black swans, 

 male and female. Fortunately they arc the most valuable 

 of those embarked. 



In regard to the living vegetables, they have suffered still 

 iDore : of a huridrt d individuals sent from Port .Jackson 

 only thirty give pjiy signs of life, 1'2 or 15 vegetate feebly, 

 and only naif a Aozcn at most are in a good state. Among 

 the Litter there arc sever?.! kinds of the flax of New Zea- 

 land, 



