838 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



tion, in which he was encouraged and assisted by his liberal-minded 

 father, was to visit the Philippine Islands, alone if he should not 

 find suitable companions. In the hope that he might thereby fur- 

 ther advance his scientific purposes, as well as in order to gratify his 

 taste for a sea life, he determined to make the voyage on a sailing 

 vessel. Reaching Manila in December 1858, he devoted the first 

 half year of his stay there to making himself acquainted with the 

 country and the people and to mastering the language, and, limiting 

 his zoological rambles at first to the neighborhood of the town, did 

 not undertake any more extensive excursion till August, 1859, when 

 he went to the southern part of the Philippines. During a residence 

 of seven months at Zamboanga and on Basilan, in addition to his zo- 

 ological and other scientific researches, he studied the anthropology 

 and ethnology of the Mohammedan Malays living there. Returning 

 to Manila in March, 1860, he began the next month a second long 

 journey to the northeastern part of the island of Luzon, where, be- 

 sides zoological studies, he had an opportunity to become acquainted 

 with the heathen tribes of Malays and collect much new and valu- 

 able anthropological and ethnographical material. 



His activity was interrupted for several weeks by illness, and, 

 following the advice of a physician, he embarked for the Pelew 

 Islands, where he intended to study the coral formations. His 

 vessel was leaky and unseaworthy, and the voyage was lengthened 

 by the necessity of running in often at the different islands for re- 

 pairs. His stay at the Pelew group was prolonged for months by 

 delay in putting the vessel in proper condition for the return voyage, 

 and he suffered great hardships, but formed very pleasant relations 

 with the natives; and this, with the richness of the scientific and 

 ethnological treasures he acquired, was ample compensation for all. 



Having returned to Manila, he was married to Anna Hermann, 

 of Hamburg, and they soon afterward went to the island of Bohol, 

 north of Mindanao, whence he in the same year (1862) made brief 

 excursions to the neighboring islands of Cebu, Leyte, and Min- 

 danao. The last of the series of expeditions from the Philippine 

 Islands was made to the interior of Mindanao from May till Decem- 

 ber, 1864; and in May, 1865, Semper left Manila for home. 



Near the close of this year Semper was licensed by the Philo- 

 sophical Faculty of "Wiirzburg as Privat Docent in zoology. In 

 February, 1869, he was appointed professor extraordinary. Ten 

 days later he became a temporary supply for Professor Leiblein, who 

 was ill, and on Leiblein's death, in August of the same year, he was 

 appointed regular professor and director of the zoological cabinet. 

 In 1870 he was invited to go to Gottingen, but decided to remain at 

 Wiirzburg. 



