PHYSICAL AND GEOGNOSTIC SUGGESTIONS, 



ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



In compliance with the gracious invitation which H.I.H. 

 the Archduke Ferdinand MaximiHan was pleased to address 

 to me from Trieste (December 12th, 1856), and as yet barely 

 recovered from an indisposition, I jot down these hasty notes, 

 without presuming to give definite instructions, such as those 

 I drew up, conjointly with M. Arago, for the guidance of the 

 French expeditions, or for Lord Minto, then First Lord of 

 the Admiralty, on the occasion of the Antarctic Voyage of 

 Discovery of Sir James Ross (1840-43). The following 

 pages consist simply of hints which may possibly prove 

 serviceable to the distinguished and highly informed 

 gentlemen, who have the good fortune to sail on board the 

 Imperial Frigate, Novara, under the command of Commodore 

 von Wiillerstorf. With two of these savans, Dr. Ferdinand 

 Hochstetter and Dr. Karl Scherzer, I have had the pleasure, 

 liere in Berlin, to agree verbally on various subjects. 



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