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

Contacts between Schönbrunn and the Jardin du Roi

95

*. . . soit celui que j’ai en vue, si la chose réussit, alors il ne pourra que seconder de toutes les maniéres M. Boos qui le connoit déjá et qui a le mérne désir que moi; alors M. le Comte, j’aurai l’honneur de vous en entretenir d’une maniére plus directe . . .,24).

This was a reference to Baudin who was at the time in Mozambique fetching a convoy of slaves.

Céré gave particular care to the planning of Boos’ visit to Bourbon. At the end of May, he wrote to his faithful correspondent and fellow researcher, Pierre Forvétu Le Comte, ‘Chirurgien-Major des Milices’, whose estate was at Riviere des Pluies in the neighbourhood of St. Denis:

‘. . . M. Boos ira ä votre isle et se propose d’en faire le tour; je ne l’adresserai qu’á vous, ä M. de Parny et ä M. Hubert; il s’y est décidé par mon conseil . . .

Quand vous posséderez le sage, l’honnéte M. Boos, questionnés-le sur le fameux Jardin imperial de Schönbrunn, sur les voiages qu’il a fait, les riches envois qu’il a fait, sur la botanique, la culture et 5 ä 6 langues, et vous le trouverés parfaitement instruit sur tous ces objets. Depuis son arrivée il a passé sa vie active avec moi hors ses courses dans les bois, au port, pour ses plantations ä Palma24 25); il est infatiguable et va tou- jours ä pied; le terns lui est égal et il se passe de manger pourvu qu’il travaille á mer- veille ...’26).

In June, Céré was in a position to sketch an itinerary and to discuss more leisurely the arrangements of his stay with Parny, who was a member of his family circle. Boos should hire a room in town and be introduced to the ‘Commandant’, M. Dioré, and the ‘Ordonnateur’, M. Thibault de Chanvallon. He should then proceed to M. Le Comte’s estate on his way to Saint Benoit where he would meet Joseph Hubert, ‘Capitaine des Milices du Quartier’, and Céré’s closest colleague in the research on the acclimatization of the spice plants. In his company, he would tour the island and make collections, in particular, of indigenous plants. Pamy would have the responsibility to care for the collections while Boos returned to Isle de France to make final arrangements for the charter of the ship which would return him to Trieste27).

24) Céré to Cobenzl, 4th July 1787: Lettres V fol. 147—148.

25) Palma in Plaines Wilhems was the private estate of the learned and active Joseph Frangois Charpentier de Cossigny (1736—1809), a close colleague of Céré. He had established there an experimental garden, and Boos, a favourite guest of Cossigny, used the grounds to further his own research.

26) Céré to Le Comte, 30th and 31st May 1787: Lettres V fol. 143-144.

27) Céré to Pamy, 2nd June 1787: Lettres V fol. 135. - It is difficult to identify from the letters which member of the notable family of Desforges-Pamy corresponded with Céré. Evidence points to Paul Desforges-Parny de Terréincourt, born in 1741, and the second son of Paid Desforges-Pamy (1717-1782), ‘Commandant des Troupes Nationales’ in the Quartier Saint Paul. He had married Louise Frangoise de La Roche du Ronzet, the younger sister of Marie Bernardine, Nicolas Céré’s wife. The family was equally closely connected with Evariste Désiré Desforges, Vicomte de Pamy, the poet, a younger half-brother of Terreincourt. But is is certainly not to him that Céré wrote as the poet was at the time in France: vide Noel Regnard Filiations Mauriciennes (Port Louis 1975) 157 and George Azema Histoire de Vile Bourbon depuis 1643 jus- qu'au 20 Décembre 1848 (Paris 1859) 149 (note) and Dictionary of Mauritian Biography 677-678.