PARIS BOTANISTS 183 
me to make up a parcel for England, to go without me, to 
the land of my Fathers. . . . (All thanks to my father's name, 
for I have done nothing to please the French ; but his name 
carries me everywhere.) 
My great alUes here are Montagne and Decaisne, both 
of whom are extremely kind to me, and very remarkable 
persons in their way ; they have both fairly gammoned me 
into hking them, by force of good words and good offices, 
and the latter particularly I find to be an exceedingly good 
fellow, of whom I had formed a very wrong notion. My 
Hotel being close by Montagne, I see him every day for 
an hour ; he is a clever, active, little old man, who took up 
Cryptog. Bot. when nearly 50 years old, and has continued 
it ever since ; his knowledge of species is very great, and 
his collections kept in beautiful order ; of structural Botany 
he knows nothing, and is much too old to learn at 61 (as 
he calls himself). I have had sad work with the Antarctic 
Algae ; you never saw such specimens. Montagne very fairly 
says that he does not hope that his work is at all to be 
depended upon ! 
You know well how apt I am to form uncharitable 
opinions of people ; I hope I may prove as ready to make 
the amende honorable as I know them better, for now I 
must confess Decaisne to be the most remarkable Botanist 
for his age I have ever seen. In structural, anatomical, and 
physiological Botany, better judges than I say he is deep, 
nay profound, and his descriptive knowledge is very, great, 
as is that of the Nat. Ords., and that of both hve and dead 
plants specifically. His drawings are also very talented, 
and every one hkes him but Montagne. The latter I have 
always found a most excellent and warm friend, truly 
anxious and willing to go to any trouble to serve me, never 
tired of showing me his beautifully kept and named speci- 
mens and atrociously vile drawings ; he is always pleasant 
and agreeable, but has the character of a tricky temper, 
with £100 a year as retired army surgeon, in which capacity 
he served with Napoleon in Egypt ; he keeps both house, 
library, and collection up, and subscribes to sundry concerts, 
the dehght of his old age, for he is passionately fond of 
music ; he is also very generous and kind, a warm friend 
and generous. 
