THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE. 



'l ' 



I. Letter from C. Httmboldt to C. Fourcroy, Member 

 of the French National Injiituie. 



TCurrana, Oftobe'r i6j 1800. 

 HE capture of the ifland of Curacao, by the Englifh 

 and the Americans, having obliged the agent of the republic, 

 C. Breflbt, and general Jeannet to re-embark their troops, in 

 order to return to Guadaloupe, they have put into this port 

 for want of provisions; and though they intend to remain 

 only twenty-four hours, I have endeavoured to collect for 

 you funic objects worthy of your attention, and which I 

 hope will reach you in fafety. You are well enough ac- 

 quainted with the nature of my travels, and the difficulty and 

 expenfe attending conveyance in the centre of a va(i conti- 

 nent, to know that my object is rather to collect ideas than 

 things. A fociety of naturalifls feht out by government, ac- 

 companied with painters, collectors, packers,- &c, might be 

 able to embrace all the detail of the defcriptive part of na- 

 tural hiftory, and, no doubt, would do fo; but a private per- 

 fon, of a very moderate fortune, who undertakes a voyage 

 round the world, ought to confine himfelf to objects more in- 

 tereft'mg. To ftudy the formation of the globe, and the 

 ftrata which compofe it ; to analvfe the atmofphere ; to mea- 

 fure, with the moil accurate iultruments, its elafticity, its 

 temperature, its humidity, its electric and magnetic charge; 

 to obferve the influence if climate on the animal and vege- 

 table ceconomy ; to compare, on a grand fcale, the chemiiiry 

 and phyfiology of organized beings; — fuch is the labour which 

 I have propoied. But, without lofing fight of this principal 

 object of my voyage, vou may readily conceive that r with 

 much zeal and a little activity, two men, who traverie an un- 

 known continent, may at the fame time collect a great many 

 things, and make a great many obiervations. 



Vol.X.N 37. A3 During 



June 1801. 



