News of the Death of IlunihokU. 423 



Humboldt. Even here on the shores of the far Pacific, the 

 intelligence of the greatest naturalist of our age having de- 

 parted from among us, made a deep and powerful impression, 

 which not even the tempests which impended over the po- 

 litical horizon, and threatened to envelope the entire world, 

 could allay. Although the outbreak of hostilities between 

 two such powers as France and Austria must inevitably react 

 severely upon the condition of the inhabitants of North and 

 South America, yet little was discussed respecting events in 

 Italy ; while the obituary notice of Humboldt was read 

 aloud in the cabin, and many a fellow-traveller inscribed on 

 a slip of paper for preservation those beautiful words which 

 the noble and venerable old savant is said to have spoken, 

 when on a lovely sunny May-day his spirit winged its flight 

 from our planet, whose physical constitution his mighty 

 mind had more closely investigated and comprehended 

 than any other mortal of our day. '' How gloriously those 

 sunbeams dart forth ; they seem as though inviting the earth 

 to the heavens ! " 



Thus it was forbidden to the members of the Expedition to 

 find the great naturalist yet alive on their return to their 

 common native land ! How full of meaning did those touch- 

 ing words now prove, and how full of mournful memories, 

 with which Humboldt concluded his scientific suggestions to 

 the Novara voyagers, when he prayed to Almighty God, 

 '' That His Holy Spirit would be with this great and 

 splendid undertaking to tlie honour of the common Fatlier- 



