468 Jaubert and Spach's 



We have, therefore, undertaken this work in concert, to which I shall devote 

 all my leisure. 



" The region we are about to examine comprehends all Asia Minor, 

 Armenia, Georgia, to the summits of the chain of the Caucasus ; a part of 

 Persia, to the great Salt Deserts, and to the frontier of Belouchistan ; lastly, 

 Moscat and Zemen, which are to be the subject of a separate publication begun 

 by M. Decaisne. 



" In all ages, the irresistible attraction of Europe towards the East, to 

 which history and politics bear testimony, has also had its effect on botanical 

 travellers. The following enumeration will give an idea of what they have 

 done, and of the resources they have prepared for us. The French have been 

 the most active, and this has been an additional motive for confirming me in 

 my undertaking. I was of opinion that, by attaching myself to a branch of 

 the human sciences in which the French have excelled, I was contributing, 

 within the limits of my means, to the honour of my country. 



" The first of this series is a Frenchman, Pierre Belon, a native of Mons, 

 about the year 1546. 



" From 1573 to 1575, Rauwolf of Augsburg explored Palestine, Syria, and 

 Mesopotamia : his narrative is written in 1583. The systematic catalogue of 

 his plants was not published till 1755, by Gronovius, at Ley den. 



"In 1615, Bachelier brought to France the horsechestnut, on his return 

 from the Levant. 



" Our immortal Tournefort, one of the great reformers of botany, and the 

 accomplished model of travellers, travelled over Georgia, Armenia, and the 

 North of Asia Minor, in 1700, by order of Louis XIV. 



" Sherard, English consul at Smyrna in 1702, lived there for a considerable 

 time, and made several excursions in the neighbouring provinces. 



"In 1728, Buxbaum published the result of his travels in Armenia, and 

 several other countries of the Levant. 



" In 1738, the work of Shaw, the botanist and antiquary, appeared. 



" Guilandin is nearly about the same period. 



" In 1749, Hasselquist, the disciple of Linnaeus, explored the neighbourhood 

 of Smyrna, Palestine, and Syria. 



" Towards 1761, Forskal, the companion of Niebuhr in Arabia, touched at 

 Constantinople and Smyrna. 



" Sestini, in 1779, described part of the ancient Bithynia, and the peninsula 

 of Cyzicus; in 1781-82, and 1787, he visited almost all Turkey, and advanced 

 as far as Bassora. 



" In 1784, Michaux, who at a later period brought into France the materials 

 for the Flora of North America, proceeded to Aleppo, under the auspices of 

 Lemonnier, and explored several provinces of Turkey and Persia, including 

 Gbilan. 



" Sibthorp, in 1786-87, and 1794, herborised Mount Olympus twice, pro- 

 ceeded along the coast of Asia Minor, and stopped at the islands, particularly 

 at Cyprus. 



" Labillardiere, in 1787, made a tour in Syria. 



" In 1792, Olivier and Bruguiere were sent into Turkey and Persia, on a 

 scientific mission, by the Executive Provisionary Council, in which Monge and 

 Rollaud presided : they remained six years. 



More recently, when the love of the natural sciences has become greatly 

 extended, Dumont d'Urville, Belanger, Botta, Bove, Dubois, Ravergie, Coque- 

 bert de Montbret*, and particularly Aucher-Eloy, all Frenchmen; Webb, 

 Riippel, Schimper, Fleischer, Kotschy, and Ehrenberg, have explored our 



* M. Webb, who is in possession of the plants of Coquebert de Montbret, 

 has had the kindness to place them at my disposal. 



