IQQ Bayard Taylor's Visit to Humholdt. [Apri], 



of Siberia, lie thought, would best repay me. The scenery among 

 the Altai Mountains was very grand. From his window, in one of 

 the Siberian towns, he had counted eleven peaks covered with eter- 

 nal snow. The Kirghizes, he added, were among the few races 

 whose habits had remained unchanged for thousands of years, and 

 they had the remarkable peculiarity of combining a monastic with a 

 nomadic life. They were partly Buddhist and partly Mussulman, 

 and their monkish sects followed the diiferent clans in their wander- 

 ings, carrying on their devotions in the encampments, inside a sa- 

 cred circle marked out by spears. He had seen their ceremonies, 

 and was struck with their resemblance to those of the Catholic 

 Church. 



Among the objects in his study was a living chameleon, in a box 

 with a glass lid. The animal, which was about six inches long, was 

 lazily dozing on a bed of sand, with a big blue-fly — the unconscious 

 provision for his dinner — perched upon his back. ' He has just 

 been sent to me from Smyrna,' said Humboldt ; ' he is very listless 

 and unconcerned in his manner.' Just then the chameleon opened 

 one of his long, tubular eyes, and looked up at us. ' A peculiarity 

 of this animal,' he continued, 'is its power of looking in different 

 directions at the same time. He can turn one eye toward heaven, 

 while the other inspects the earth. There are many clergymen who 

 have the same power.' 



After showing me some of Hildebrand's water-color drawings, 

 he returned to his seat and began to converse about American affairs, 

 with which he seemed to be entirely familiar. He spoke with great 

 warmth of Col. Fremont, whose defeat he profoundly regTctted. 

 'But it is at least a most cheering sign,' he said, 'and an omen of 

 good from your country, that more than half a million of men sup- 

 ported by their votes a man of Fremont's character and achieve- 

 ments.' 



With regard to Buchanan, he said : ' I had occasion to speak of 

 his Ostend Manifesto not long since, in a letter which has been pub- 

 lished, and I could not characterize its spirit by any milder term than 

 savage.' He also spoke of our authors, and inquired particularly 

 after AVashington Irving, whom he had once seen. I told him I 

 liad the fortune to know Mr. Irving, and had seen him not long be- 

 fore leaving New York. ' He must be at least fifty years old,' said 

 he.' ' He is seventy,' I answered, ' but young as ever.' ' Ah ! ' 

 said he, ' I have lived so long that I liave almost lost the conscious- 



