MALMAISON. 397 



Buonaparte wrote broken open and shattered, in the search 

 for gold. 



The grounds at La Malmaison were originally laid out 

 by Morel ; but they were greatly altered, or re-cast, and 

 brought into their present character, by Blaikie and Hud- 

 son, to whom the reader has been already introduced. 

 There is here a near approach to the English style, which 

 seems to have been the object of ambition. Although the 

 grounds are now in some measure neglected and out of re- 

 pair, they are still very fine ; the situation is admirable, 

 and the climate delightful. As a slight illustration of this 

 last characteristic, it may be noticed, that the Indian sage 

 (Salvia Indica) has evidently naturalised itself in the shrub- 

 beries, and springs up even on the outer hedge-banks. 



On the lawn near the house are scattered irregularly, 

 but with good taste, many large specimens of Magnolia 

 grandiflora, Pinus palustris, Ligustrum lucidum., Melia Aze- 

 darach, and several other uncommon exotic trees and shrubs. 

 During winter, the greater part of these are protected by 

 having wooden huts erected over them. The boards of 

 which these huts are composed, are at this season kept in 

 store; and, being regularly numbered, they can be put 

 together and erected around the trees very speedily, at the 

 approach of winter, or whenever severe cold threatens to 

 set in. The frost, though generally of short continuance, 

 is often more intense here than in Scotland; and, there- 

 fore, for the more tender trees, the boarded walls are made 

 double, and the interstices filled with straw. The bright 

 and warm summer and mellow autumn ensure the ripening 

 of the wood of the trees, and promote the formation of the 

 buds for the following year ; so that the plants suffer their 

 five months confinement within the board-houses with com- 

 parative impunity. Soon after the middle of April they 



