Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 35. (1982)
LY-TIO-FANE, Madeleine: Contacts between Schönbrunn and the Jardin du Roi at Isle de France (Mauritius) in the 18th Century. An Episode in the Career of Nicolas Thomas Baudin
88 Madeleine Ly-Tio-Fane pany, he had an uncle, Balthasar-Florent, in his late years residing in Vienna, who was ‘Conseiller Receveur général des Finances aux Pais-bas’ up to 1784 and became State Councillor in the Austrian Netherlands in 1786. Audience within the Emperor’s closest circle could be gained through the Privy Councillor and State Vice-Chancellor Philipp Cobenzl, a relative of Johann-Karl Cobenzl, the Minister Plenipotentiary to the Austrian Netherlands, and entirely devoted to its interests. Pierre had an invaluable helpmate in his cousin Charles, Chevalier de Pelgrom, who arrived at Isle de France in 1782, and who was appointed in 1786 Imperial Consul-General at the Cape of Good Hope. In the Spring of 1781, Pierre fitted out from Trieste the ship ‘Ville de Vienne’ (Captain Antonio Gherizza) and travelled to Port Louis of Isle de France in the capacity of supercargo. The goods were to be sold by the local house of Pitot fréres. During his stay, he signed a contract of association with the merchants Le Roux de Kermorseven, Broutin and Oury for the purchase of colonial coffee which was to be shipped apparently to Livorno, but really to Marseilles for sale4). What more subtle compliment to pay to Emperor Joseph II as an acknowledgement of his protection, than to suggest that rare plants from the Jardin de l’lsle de France be sent to adorn the Gardens of Schönbrunn, to which the Emperor was at the time giving particular attention. Cáré was definite in attributing the initiative to Proli: ‘J’en étois réduit ä regretter de ne savoir pas si les arbres que j’avois pris la liberté d’adresser ä votre demande ä Sa Majesté l’Empereur en 1782 étoit arrivé ä bon port . . .’ he wrote to Proli on the 6th April 1787. And to Pelgrom on the same day: ‘Je viens d’écrire et de remercier votre cousin M. le Comte de Proly, c’est lui qui est venu me remettre dans le cas d’essayer de faire quelque chose qui pű étre agréable ä Sa Majesté Impériale ...’5). It could hardly be expected that Proli or Captain Gherizza would have enough experience of conditions for the maintenance of plants on a long sea journey. Of this first consignment to Schönbrunn, only the seeds and the catalogue survived, but the gesture seemed significant enough to be recorded in Nicolas Joseph Jacquin’s literary monument Plantarum rariorum horti caesarei Schoenbrunnensis, descriptiones et icones 1797-1804. 4) For background to events discussed, vide Louis Dermigny Cargaisons indien- nes. Solier & Cie. 1781-1793 2 vol. (Paris 1959, 1960); La Chine et I’Occident. Le Commerce á Canton au 18* siécle, 1719-1833 3 vol. and Album (Paris 1964); also Fulvio Babudieri Trieste et les interéts autrichiens en Asie au 18* et 19* siécles in Sociétés et Compaqnies de Commerce era Orient et dans l’Océan Indien (Paris 1970) 653-658. 5) Lettres V fol. 117 and 122.
