THE LONGEVITY OF TREES. 73 



there was no demand for them ; and our diligent attempt to 

 find a single copy in the public and private libraries of three 

 of our largest cities has proved entirely unsuccessful. 



The foundation of the North American Sylva was laid by 

 the laborious researches of the elder Michaux ; who, under 

 the auspices of the French government, devoted ten years, 

 from 1785 to 1796, to a thorough exploration of the country, 

 from the sunny, sub-tropical groves of Florida to the cold 

 and inhospitable shores of Hudson's Bay ; repeatedly visiting 

 nearly all the higher peaks and deepest recesses of the Alle- 

 ghany Mountains, and extending his toilsome journeys west- 

 ward to the prairies of Illinois and the banks of the Missis- 

 sippi. He had formed indeed, and was only prevented by 

 untoward circumstances from executing, a plan — more hardy 

 than we can well conceive at this late day — for ascending 

 the Missouri to its sources, and crossing the mountains into 

 the then untrodden but now litigated country on the Oregon. 

 The curious reader will find an extract from his private diary 

 in the " American Journal of Science and Arts " for January, 

 1842 ; l showing that he had laid his plans and proposals upon 

 this subject before Mr. Jefferson, who was then Secretary of 

 State. The papers submitted by him may have suggested the 

 scheme of the national expedition of discovery, soon after- 

 wards ordered by Jefferson, and nobly carried into effect by 

 Lewis and Clarke. 



Soon after his return to France, and the year before he 

 fell a victim to scientific zeal upon the coast of Madagascar, 

 the elder Michaux published his History of North American 

 Oaks ; 2 which may be deemed the nucleus of the more com- 

 prehensive work subsequently published by his son. The 

 younger Michaux accompanied his father in the earlier por- 

 tion of his travels, through South Carolina, Georgia, and 

 Florida ; but he afterwards returned to Europe. Revisiting 

 this country in the autumn of 1801, and passing the winter 

 in South Carolina, he traveled, during the following season, 



1 Vol. xlii. p. 7. 



2 " Histoire des Chenes de l'Anie'rique Septentrionale." Par A. Mi- 

 chaux. Paris, 1801. 1 vol. fol. 



