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Dénys De Montfort (C.1768-C.1820) and His Connection with the Netherlands

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Dénys De Montfort (C.1768-C.1820) and His Connection with the Netherlands BASTERIA, 55: 95-102, 1991 Pierre Dénys de Montfort (c.1768-c.1820) and his connection with the Netherlands L.B. Holthuis Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands De 1807 visit the Description of Montfort’s to Netherlands, where he expected to become a naturalist to Daendels, the newly appointed Governor-General of the East Indies, and the miserable failure of this project. Mention of some data on the life of this peculiar zoologist, who is best known by two handbooks on Mollusca that he published between 1802 and 1810. Key words: Dénys de Montfort, history of malacology. Pierre Denys de Montfort was born in Paris around 1768 and died in the same town in 1820 or 1821. There is remarkably little known about his life, even though he wrote two fundamental works on Mollusca, his 1802 "Histoire naturelle, et generale par- ticuliere des Mollusques" vols. I-IV, and his "Conchyliologie systematique" vols. I (1808) and II (1810). This is well demonstratedby the fact that neither the exact date of his birth, nor that of his death is known. Querard (1828: 480) says of him "ne a 1768" Paris, vers and subsequent authors do not add anything more specific to his birth date. As to his position in life, Querard described him as "naturaliste, ancien Museum d'Histoire naturelle". Dance of him "a aide-geologue au (1986: 87) says strange and little known figure who styled himself a 'former chief naturalist to the King of Holland' ". This last qualification is based on the title which Denys de Mont- fort himself "Ancien gave on the title pages of his Conchyliologie: Naturaliste en chef de S.M. le Roi de les Indes Orientales". This title Hollande, pour was not entirely imaginary as will be explained below. de in Denys Montfort was his early thirties when he published the first four volumes on Mollusca in C.S. Sonnini's series "Suite aux Oeuvres de Leclerc de Buffon". The following volumes (5 and 6), however, were written by a different author, Felix de Roissy. The reason why Denys de Montfort did not continue the work is given by Son- nini in the introduction to vol. 5 (p. v): "L'auteur, M. Denys Montfort, qui avoit rassemble les materiaux travail si heureusement pour completer un commence, employoit toute son activite a les mettre en ordre, lorsqu'un evenement facheux a arrache One ce savant a ses occupations cheries, et peut-etre a sa patrie". wonders what the ill-fated event was that tore him away from his cherished occupations and his perhaps even from country. This event must have happened between 1802 and 1805 (when vol. 5 was published). Could it be his involvement with an impostor who claimed be Persian and who convinced Montfort of to a prince, evidently Denys de his bona fides such to an extent that the latter in 1801 published a pamphlet "La vie et avantures les politiques de Nadir-Mirza Schah, prince de Perse, actuellement a Paris, etc.; recueillis et publiees pour la defense de ce prince" (Paris, 1801). Denys de Montfort the who mentions was not only one was duped (Querard also a M. de Varenne). The hoax may have exploded between 1802 and 1805, but it is difficult to 96 BASTERIA, Vol. 55, No. 4-6, 1991 that de Montfort have been and imagine as a consequence Denys might jailed threatened with exile as one could conclude from Sonnini's words. This, again, is one of the that de Montfort's life it is many enigmas punctuate Denys story. Anyhow, almost certain that Sonnini's words have nothing to do with Denys de Montfort's Dutch adventure. In 1806 Emperor Napoleon's youngest brother, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, was made King ofHolland at the instigation ofhis imperial brother. Louis was quite active the interests of his and became in protecting and furthering new country even quite popular there; so much so that in 1810 he was relieved of his post by Napoleon, who then annexed the Netherlands to France. Soon after his accession to the throne, King H.W. Louis decided to send the general Daendels to the Netherlands East Indies as its Governor-General. Daendels suggested that in his retinue there should be some naturalists to study and collect the animals and plants of the colony. At that time the of the the French botanist Charles Francois Brisseau de Mirbel secretary King was (born in Paris 27 March 1776 died in Paris, 12 September 1854), who was appointed to that position in the end of 1806. On 4 February 1807 De Mirbel was invited by Daendels to suggest to the King one or more naturalists to accompany him to the East Indies. De Mirbel, in his letter of the same day to the King, referred to the famous natural history collection of the former Stadtholder of the Netherlands, Willem V, Prince of Orange. This collection, as De Mirbel wrote was "le plus riche cabinet d'histoire naturelle, la eut en This collection pour Zoologie, qu'il y Europe". was confiscated by the French troops that invaded the Netherlands in 1794, and brought to Paris in 1795 to be incorporated in the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. De Mirbel continued "Le Daendels croit former qu'il peut une nouvelle collection non moins riche que la premiere si votre Majeste veut lui permettre d'emmener le Sieur Denis Montfort instruits l'histoire et deux jeunes gens dans naturelle. J'ai connu au Jardin des Plantes, a Paris, le Sieur Montfort et je puis cer- tifier d'une a votre Majeste, qu'il a beaucoup d'instruction, qu'il est doue prodigieuse activite, et il existe de conviennent autant lui qu'enfin, peu personnes qui que pour l'expedition proposee". Mirbel for De suggested an annual salary Denys de Montfort of 3.000.- Dutch guilders, and for his assistants each 1200.-; for equipment a sum of Hfl. 1000.- for De Montfort, Hfl. 400.- for each of the assistants. Furthermore, Hfl. 1.500.- was for scientific instruments books. In 'arret' of required and an (Lett. K. Secret) 9 February 1807, signed by Louis personally in the Royal Palace at The Hague, all De Mirbel's suggestions were accepted including the financial ones. So far it smooth but then de seems sailing, something went very wrong. Denys Montfort came to Holland and evidently went on board the ship "De Hersteller" = the Den Helder. It is clear whether this the ( repairer) at not was ship that was to sail him to the East Indies, but that seems most likely, especially so as it was visited then the in It is certain that by King person. Daendels did not go with this ship. In order to avoid the British blockade of the European waters, he went overland via Paris to Lisbon, where he boarded the ship that brought him to Java, arriving there in January 1808. No naturalists accompanied him, and nonejoined him later. In the National Archives in The there is the written Hague a petition to King by Denys de Montfort on board "De Hersteller", shortly after the King's visit to Den Helder. This document, which gives some interesting information, but leaves several questions unanswered, is too interesting not to be cited in full: Holthuis: De Montfort and his connection with the Netherlands 97 "Sire! A Votre l'epoque ou Majeste ordonna une Expedition pour les Indes, je d'un bonheur troublait Livre jouissais domestique que ne aucun nuage. a mes travaux scientifiques, ma situation etait digne d'envie. Le Gouvemeur-General Daendels, de qui j'ai l'honneur d'etre connu indivi- duellement, me fait appeller, m'electrise, m'offre une carriere nouvelle et de nou- velles decouvertes faire a pour augmenter le domaine des connaissances humaines: Borneo a des nul naturaliste n'a Java, explorer, pays a parcourir ou encor tout enfin un pu penetrer, ce qui pouvait flatter ami de l'histoire naturelle. balancais Je cependant encor un instant, malgre ce gout inne chez moi pour les decouvertes: Je devais quitter ce qui me restait encorde cher au monde. Sire! J'ai abandonne des objets tendrement cheris, dans l'esperance de les revoir un jour, avec de nouveauxtitres la des lors les sacrifices pour posterite: et pecuniaires ne me couterent plus rien. Mon menage lui meme n'existe plus. Le Gouverneur General Daendels avait decider l'hon- su me en me prenant par moi de choses dans neur, qui pour est tout; l'argent entrant en general pour peu il m'assura mes calculs; de sa bienveillance particuliere et m'offrit sous le bon de Votre le titre de Naturaliste en chef des Indes, le Colo- plaisir Majeste rang de nel hors de dans ce le titre militaire seul est d'ail- ligne l'lnde, par que y respecte; leurs il voulait ainsi m'employer comme ingenieur, comme militaire, que sous une foule d'autres rapports. Satisfait de ce cote, ces conditions furent rigoureuse- ment celles qui presiderent a mes engagemens; alors, moi meme j'ai fixe mes le monde convient modiques appointemens; et tout qu'on ne peut etre plus et sont tous modere, qu'ils pourraient a peine m'y suffire: ces faits a la connais- Monsieur sance de de Mirbel; Sire! dans l'lnde ces appointemens ne sont meme point suffisans. Maintenant, Sire, Votre arrivee a bord du vaisseau le Hersteller, dont tous nous nous faisions un de fete, en est un de moi seul on m'a jour regret pour trompe ah Sire! Serais-je en but, et peut etre victime de quelques calomnies; Sire, l'experience toute de ma vie, m'apprit a les mepriser.
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