i 5 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



While German science was involved in the enervating network of 

 aesthetic speculations, his own energy and happy skill enlisted Hum- 

 boldt in wider spheres of healthy activity for its salvation. Even in 

 our fast-living age, it is hard to conceive that only two years after he 

 had been enjoying in the Saal Valley those visions, short indeed, but 

 in a certain sense, like a young love, decisive as to his life, he was 

 observing in Cumana the first periodical shower of stars, and discov- 

 ering the electric folds in the brain of the torpedo-eel ; was exploring 

 the caves of Caripe resonant with the cries of the guachero ; was 

 threading in a pirogue, environed with alligators, the stream-net of the 

 Rio Negro and the Cassiquiare between the Orinoco and the Amazon ; 

 and in Esmeralda, on the upper Orinoco, was observing the concoction 

 by the natives of the weird arrow-poison, curare, which owes its 

 name to him. Nothing was wanting to raise the fantastic charm of 

 these journeys, from which, nevertheless, Humboldt brought back a 

 greater sum of acute, distinct observations in every conceivable field 

 of science, in geography and anthropology, than any single observer 

 ever collected either before him or after him. No ! The world will 

 " never see his like " in comprehensive, restless activity, combined with 

 lofty thought ; in dauntless venture for ideas, with the wisest saving of 

 means and strength ; in soaring height of feeling, the expression of 

 which frequently, in view of the sad contentions of mankind or of the 

 horrors of slavery, for instance, has an elegiac tone, as in a similar way 

 a delicate haze adorns his sketches of the giant heights of the Cor- 

 dilleras. 



It is essential to the success of a scientific journey, first of all, that 

 the traveler return. But, besides threatening him with physical dan- 

 gers, which Humboldt's apparently not very strong body resisted won- 

 derfully, long journeys in wild regions have other inconvenient conse- 

 quences. Habituation to perfect freedom in solitude, to constant 

 change and external stimulation, even excitement, the diversion from 

 accustomed literary occupations, render it very hard for travelers to 

 feel themselves at home again, to give themselves up to the compli- 

 cated demands of cultivated society, and to be satisfied to make the 

 most of the treasures they have brought with them. They seem to 

 prefer to such allegiance a return to the wilderness, so that it is said 

 of African travelers that the greatest danger that threatens them is 

 the unconquerable propensity, when they have once escaped the perils 

 of the journey, to try them again. Thus it was with Humboldt's fel- 

 low-traveler, Bonpland, who was drawn back to South America, where 

 it was his fate, not to perish, but to be lost to science, a prisoner to 

 Dr. Francia. He left to Humboldt, in whom no trace of such weak- 

 ness could be found, the fruit of many of their common labors. 



Humboldt had lived in Paris before his journey. He now perma- 

 nently fixed his place of labor there, as the only place where he could 

 perfect the literary undertakings he had planned ; and as with curious 



