t
finished his studies, enjoy the advantage of travel in foreign lands,
Buffon proposed to Lamarck to go with him as a guide and friend; and,
not wishing him to appear as a mere teacher, he procured for him, in
1781, a commission as Royal Botanist, charged with visiting the foreign
botanical gardens and museums, and of placing them in communication with
those of Paris. His travels extended through portions of the years 1781
and 1782.

According to his own statement,[18] in pursuit of this object he
collected not only rare and interesting plants which were wanting in the
Royal Garden, but also minerals and other objects of natural history new
to the Museum. He went to Holland, Germany, Hungary, etc., visiting
universities, botanical gardens, and museums of natural history. He
examined the mines of the Hartz in Hanover, of Freyburg in Saxony, of
Chemnitz and of Cremnitz in Hungary, making there numerous observations
which he incorporated in his work on physics, and sent collections of
ores, minerals, and seeds to Paris. He also made the acquaintance of the
botanists Gleditsch at Berlin, Jacquin at Vienna, and Murray at
Goettingen. He obtained some idea of the magnificent establishments in
these countries devoted to botany, "and which," he says, "ours do not
yet approach, in spite of all that had been done for them during the
last thirty years."[19]

On his return, as he writes, he devoted all his energies and time to
research and to carrying out his great enterprises in botany; as he
stated: "Indeed, for the last ten years my works have obliged me to keep
in constant activity a great number of artists, such as draughtsmen,
engravers, and printers."[20]

But the favor of Buffon, powerful as his influence was,[21] together
with the aid of the minister, did not avail to give Lamarck a permanent
salaried position. Soon after his return from his travels, however, M.
d'Angiviller, the successor of Buffon as Intendant of the Royal Garden,
who was related to Lamarck's family, created for him the position of
keeper of the herbarium of the Royal Garden, with the paltry salary of
1,000 francs.

According to the same _Etat_, Lamarck had now been attached to the Royal
Garden five years. In 1789 he received as salary only 1,000 livres or
francs; in 1792 it was raised to the sum of 1,800 livres.

FOOTNOTES:

[10] _Les Grand Naturalists Francais au Commencement du XIX Siecle._

[11] Was this quiet place in the region just out