My Board of Arts and Manufactures[A] has reported to me, Sir, the examination it has made of your process for the preservation of fruits, vegetables, meat, soup, milk, &c. and from that report no doubt can be entertained of the success of such process. As the preservation of animal and vegetable substances may be of the utmost utility in Sea-voyages, in hospitals and domestic economy, I deem your discovery worthy an especial mark of the good will of the government. I have in consequence acceded to the recommendation made me by my council to grant you a recompence of 12,000 francs.[B] In so doing I had in view the assigning you the reward due to the inventors of useful processes, and also the indemnifying you for the expences you have been obliged to incur, either in the forming your establishment or in the experiments necessary to establish the success of your process. You shall be immediately informed when you may repair to the public treasury and receive the 12,000 francs. It appears to me of importance, Sir, that you should spread the knowledge of your preserving process. I desire, therefore, that agreeably to your own proposal, you will digest a detailed and exact description of your process. This description, which you will remit to my Board of Arts and Manufactures, shall be printed at your expence, after it shall have been examined. You will then transmit me 200 copies. The transmission of these copies being the only condition I impose on you for the payment of the 12,000 francs, I doubt not you will hasten to fulfil it. I desire, Sir, you will acknowledge the receipt of my letter. Accept assurances, &c. (Signed) MONTALIVET. [A] _Mon Bureau consultatif des Arts et Manufactures._ [B] About £500 sterling. * * * * * BOARD OF ARTS AND MANUFACTURES. The undersigned Members of the Board of Arts and Manufactures attached to the Minister of the Interior, being required by his Excellency to examine the description of the process of Mr. Appert for the preservation of alimentary substance, certify that the details it contains, as well on the mode of carrying on the process as on the results, are exactly conformable to the various experiments which Mr. Appert has made before them, by order of his Excellency. (Signed) BORDEL, GAY-LUSSAC, SCIPION-PERRIER, MOLARD. _Paris, 19th April 1810._ * * * * * _Copy of a Letter written to General Caffarelli, Maritime Prefect at Brest, by the Council of Health, dated Brumaire, year 12._ The provisions prepared according to the process of Citizen Appert and sent to this port by the Minister of Marine, have, after lying in the roads three months, been found in the following condition. The broth or soup (_bouillon_) in bottles was good; the _bouillon_ with a _bouilli_ in a vessel apart was also good, but weak; the _bouilli_ itself was very eatable.