16 



being merely scientific, we succeeded in concili- 

 ating the friendship of the natives, and that of 

 the Europeans entrusted with the administration 

 of these vast countries. During the five years 

 that we travelled throughout the new continent, 

 we did not perceive the slightest mark of mis- 

 trust ; and we remember with pleasure, that a- 

 midst the most painful privations, and whilst we 

 were struggling against the obstacles which 

 arose from the savage state of those regions, we 

 never had to complain of the injustice of men. 



Many considerations might have induced us 

 to prolong our abode in Spain. The Abbe Cava- 

 nilles, no less remarkable for the variety of his 

 attainments than his acute intelligence, Mr. Nee, 

 who, together with Mr. Hsenke, had, as botanist, 

 made part of the expedition of Malaspina, and 

 who had formed one of the greatest herbals that 

 was ever seen in Europe; Don Casimir Ortega, 

 the Abbe Pourret, and the learned authors of the 

 Flora of Peru, Messrs. Ruiz and Pavon, opened 

 to us without restriction their rich collections. 

 We examined part of the plants of Mexico dis- 

 covered by Messrs. Sesse, Mocino and Cervantes, 

 whose drawings had been sent to the Museum 

 of Natural History of Madrid. This great esta- 

 blishment, the direction of which was confided to 

 Mr. Clavijo, author of an elegant translation of 

 the works of Buffon, offered us, it is true, no ge- 

 ological suite of the Cordilleras, but Mr. Proust, 



