692 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



Tlie most extensive and important of these journeys were to Greece 

 and Constantinople, and back through Hungary ; to Paris and South- 

 em France ; and to England, Sweden, and Norway. He afterward 

 concentrated his whole attention upon geography, giving up for this 

 purpose all employment that was not connected with it. From 1832 

 the series of volumes on Asia appeared in rapid succession ; the nine- 

 teenth volume was finished only a few weeks before his death. With 

 the progress of this work, his fame increased from year to year, and 

 his connections and the influence which he exerted upon the progress 

 of geographical research were extended to all the countries of the 

 civilized world. He became one of the most important personal cen- 

 ters in the whole domain of geographical science, not less on account 

 of the incomparable richness of his knowledge than on account of the 

 living interest which he took in all current questions. In this position 

 he did not fail to receive distinctions of every kind. As a teacher he 

 acquired a brilliant clientage. When he published his first lecture on 

 general geography in 1820, it is said that he had not a single scholar; 

 afterward the largest lecture-rooms were not sufiicient to hold his 

 classes, and at Berlin it became the fashion to attend his lectures. As 

 a teacher, and in all his personal relations, he possessed a strong at- 

 tractive influence. Kramer, his biographer, says that no one ever 

 approached him without meeting the most kindly reception, that he 

 was ready to recognize every honestly meant effort, to encourage, to 

 help with counsel and support. N"o man ever had less of egotism. 

 His physical condition was generally good through the whole of his 

 long life. He had a strong constitution, which was hardened by exer- 

 cise in his youth and strengthened by the pedestrian excursions taken 

 on his journeys. The weaknesses of age began,to appear in his later 

 years, and, on account of them, he often visited the springs of Teplich 

 with good effects. He made a visit to these springs in 1859, the year 

 of his death, but returned no stronger, and died on the 28th of Sep- 

 tember. After his death were published his "Geschichte der Erd- 

 kunde und der Entdeckungen," 1861 ; " Allgemeine Erdkunde," 1862; 

 and " Europa," 1863. 



