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
108 Madeleine Ly-Tio-Fane ment, and probably infected with Bredemeyer’s suspicions, wrote that Baudin had deliberately driven the frigate on the sands so as to be able to sell the slaves he had on board65). V Ironically, such a journey begun in conflict and concluded in disaster, was to promote his career. Determined to act in this conjuncture, Baudin made his way to New England and prevailed upon the Ambassador of France in the United States to grant him a passport to enable him to return home and offer his services to his country. He immediately called upon the Minister of Marine Truguet (January 1796) to propose a plan to harry a convoy of English East Indiámén homeward bound. But the Minister, judging the conditions unfavourable to the prosecution of such a project, politely but firmly indicated that the time had not yet come for him to obtain a commission66). Undaunted, Baudin sought to achieve his ambition through the agency of the men of science, his staunchest supporters. Knocking at the door of the professors of the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, he obtained that'they use their influence to prevail upon the Government to give him the command of a ship to go to Trinidad to recover ‘une collection laissée par lui en dépöt dans cette Isle et offerte en don ä la France, et qui parait mettre sa gloire ä enrichir les galeries, le jardin et la ménagerie du Museum d’histoire naturelle’. With Baudin went a group of naturalists with instructions from the Museum to make observations and collections in the neighbourhood of the mouth of the Orinoco67). The voyage of ‘La Belle Angélique’ lasted from September 1796 to June 1798 and the mission successfully carried out decided the issue: Baudin joined the naval hierarchy, his nomination as post captain dating from the 4th August 17 9 8 68). 65) Scholl’s letter dated 28th June 1794: vide Kronfeld Park und Garten von Schönbrunn 101. 66) Correspondence of Baudin with Truguet, Minister of Marine, January 1796: vide Baudin’s file in the Archives Nationales Vincennes Marine CC7 126 nos. 16, 17, 18. Baudin to Truguet, 21st January 1796, no. 18: ‘Je prouverai mérne, s’il étoit nécessaire, que la conquéte de toutes les Isles angloises de l’Amérique ne seroit qu’un avantage momentané et sans utilité réelle pour nous, si pour y parvenir il falloit renoncer ä in- tercepter un convoi qu’aucune circonstance ne peut faire rendre, et encore moins ré- clamer quand le moment de la paix arrivera . . . On ne peut se dissimuler que le mécontentement du peuple anglois est prét ä éclater, et du moment qu’il apprendroit la prise d’un semblable convoi, la secousse que son Gouvernement a tant d’intérét á éviter ne peut manquer d’arriver ...’. 67) Bibliothéque Centrale du Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris Ms. 2621 (Voyage de ‘La belle Angélique’); ‘Instructions données par le Muséum d’histoire naturelle aux naturalistes qui accompagnent le C. Baudin dans son expédition ä l’Isle de la Trinité Espagnole’. 6S) ‘Certificat de Services de Nicolas Thomas Baudin’: Baudin’s file in Archives Nationales Vincennes Marine CC 126 no. 49.
