i756.] 
# convoy of more than twenty waggons. 
Here follow fome details on this fubieét : 
Borany, Rurat Economy, Gar- 
DENING. 
In the city of Cologne, we examined 
feven botanic gardens, finall, in point. of 
extent, indeed, and poffelling but few 
tare plants: we have, however, fele¢ted 
afew. Some, which are indigenous to 
warm climates, and in full vegetation, 
cannot at pretent be removed, but we 
have put them i regufition, for a more 
convenient opportunity. 
The hift will be foundin No. I. The 
bulbeus-rooted plants (planies & vignons) 
Shall he fet immediately ; a lift is fub- 
joined. See No. II. 
The charming plains of Cologne, and 
the woods that crown the neighbouring 
mountains, have furnifhed us with feve- 
ral interefting remarks, relative to agri- 
culture, the {ucceffion and value of crops, 
and alfo the management of woods.— 
Whenever the inftruments or utenfils 
haye appeared fuperior to our own, 
either from the fimplicity, facility, or 
celerity of make or execution, we have 
either fent drawings of, or the inftru- 
ments themfelves. See No. lil. 
In addition to the Aortus ficeus, for in- 
ftruétion in the national fchools, we have 
alfo procured a confiderable number of 
{fpecimens of rare woods, curious incruf- 
tations, and fingular impreflions, made 
by vegetables, &c: Lift, No, VI. 
We have colleéted on the fpot a 
complete affortment of all the various 
kinds of umber (Ja terre d’.mbre, ou icrre 
de Cologne). It would not, indeed, be 
dificult to demonftrate, that the mine 
near Cologne owes its exiftence to an 
¢normous mafs of wood, as it is to be 
met with every where within a circle of 
four icagues, has been dug into, to the 
depth of eighty feet, and is not inter- 
mixed with any heterogeneous fubftance 
whatever. It is allo not a little remark- 
able, that this wood grows no where at 
prefent except within the torrid zone. 
See No V. 
WATURAL Hisrory. 
We have vifited feveral cabincts of 
natural hiftory ; among others, that of the 
Baron de Hupch, which is much admired 
by traveliers. The manners of this na- 
turalift are at once fimple and agreeable ; 
his whole fortune has been employed in 
forming a vait celleétion, not only of 
natural hiftory, but of every thing con- 
acéted with the arts and fciences, He 
MonTHLy Mac, Ng, 1X. 
Letter of the French Commiffioners of Arts, &c. 
715 
has offered to throw epen his cabinet, fcr 
the in{pection of his fellow citizens ; and 
has prefented the republic with a MS. 
in vellum, cotemporary with Charle- 
magne, befides an ancient Greek éas- 
rel‘ef, in marble, of a Hercules. 
reprefentatives of the people, Hefcine 
and Jombert, deeming it worthy of the 
French republic to teftify to the pro- 
priector the intereft which it takes in the 
{clences, and thofe that cultivate thein, » 
even in the conqucred countries, have 
prefented one of the magnificent hotels of 
the emigrants to citizen Hupch, and 
awarded him a gratification befides, in 
order to enable him to remove his col- 
lection toa place more worthy of it. As 
he isa friend to the poor, in{peéts their 
complaints, and furnifhes them daily 
with remedies, the adjoining garden will 
enable him to cultivate the plants ufually. 
reared for the hofpitals. 
An able mechanic having made a va- 
riety of experiments before the repre- 
fentative of the people, with an improv- 
ed microfcope, fuperior even to Delle- 
bare’s, and far more fimple, one was 
inftantly ordered for the republic; it 
will Serve as a model to the opticians of 
Paris, who will be eager to introduce it 
as an objeét of commerce ; and in the 
mean time it may be placed imthe Na- 
tional Mufeum of Natural H ftory. 
By way of rendering our journey more 
inf{tructive, we have given direétions for 
perlpective views, and geometrical plans, 
of the principal places where the armics 
of the republic have performed prodigies 
of valour, See No. VI. 
BisLroGRarHy, ANTIQUITIES. 
Our fuccefs, in refpeét to thefe objeéts, 
has been extraordinary. Artillery, an- 
cient monuments, medals; prints, de- 
figns, manufcripts, editions of the fife 
teenth century, rare and valuable books 
on the arts, {ciences, aad hiftory, have 
all been procured in this city, in order to 
enrich the colleétion of the republic. 
The culverin (/a couleuvrine/ cat in 
1400, engravings by Montegna and Al- 
bert Durer, and a great variety of works, 
printed about the middle of the fifteenth 
century, prefent the lovers of thefe three 
arts with a vicw of them in their infant 
fiate. We have noticed fome of the moft 
remarkable MSS. in No. VII, and books 
in No. WILT. Phe antiquities confit of fix 
packets of medals, containing a {mall fe- 
ries of the confular families, in filver; 
another of the imperial families, all in 
the fame metal, except two, which are 
4¥ of 
The. 
we ee 
