102 



HERMITAGE. 



return to Marseilles next day ; but this kindness my 

 anxiety to get forward, induced me to decline, and, after 

 partaking of some fruit and wine, I returned to Marseilles. 



Tnesdai/, 6th December. — During the course of this 

 day I visited M. Negrel, He is now engaged in removing 

 the collections of Natural History to a new Museum. I 

 was happy to be able to promise that I would send him 

 from London a stuffed Ornithorhijnchus paradoxus and a 

 few shells. M. Negrel is only pro tempore Director of 

 the Cabinet of Natural History at Marseilles; M. Roux, 

 who holds that appointment permanently, being at pre- 

 sent travelling in the East Indies with aGerman naturalist. 

 M. N. said it was probable they might visit New Holland, 

 in which case he recommended them to my attentions. — 

 Through the kindness of Mr. Gower, an English mer- 

 chant, to whom I had brought a letter of introduction, I 

 procured letters to Valence, to the neighbourhood of 

 Beaune, and to Dijon ; the first, in order to enable me to 

 visit, with advantage, the vineyards of Hermitage, — the 

 two latter, those of Burgundy. I then procured, for the 

 purpose of planting in New South Wales, a quantity of 

 very fine fresh dates, three varieties; the first was called 

 the date of Oran ; the second, the Muscat date : both of 

 these were from Tunis. The third was the common date 

 of Barbary, to which they attached little value. 



Wednesday^ 1th December. — This morning, at seven 

 o'clock, I quitted Marseilles for Avignon, where I arrived 

 at eight in the evening. The whole district from INIar- 

 seilles till within a few miles of Avignon, is, to all appear- 

 ance, of the most sterile description, though everywhere 

 cultivated with the greatest care. Aix, about 20 miles 

 from Marseilles, is celebrated for the quality of its oils ; 

 but from this town, onwards, the olive becomes more rare, 



