924 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



ACCOUNT OF BOOKS 



FOR 1809. 



Voyage D^ Alexander De Humboldt 

 ct Aimy Bompland. 



npHE name of Alexander Hum- 

 -*- boldt has justly attained to a 

 decided pre-eminence among the 

 various travellers of the present 

 day, the most philosophical not 

 excepted. It has rarely happened, 

 nor can it be expected often to hap- 

 pen, that an individual shall be so 

 admirably disposed and qualified 

 for such grand designs as Hum- 

 boldt has accomplished. Few men 

 have ever united such a variety of 

 knowledge, such sublimity of ge- 

 nius, such ardent curiosity, such 

 courage and perseverance, and such 

 a just sense of true glory, with so 

 plentiful a fortune. By exploring 

 the regions of the New World be- 

 tween the tropics he has increased 

 the stores of both physical and mo- 

 ral science, natural history, mathe- 

 matical geography, the history of 

 human society and human nature. 

 The mass of curious facts and ob- 

 servations, and the magnificent col- 

 lections he has made for the ad- 

 vancement of science, exceed those 



of any one else that has preceded 

 him in the same career. These 

 acquisitions, arranged according to 

 the kingdoms to which they res- 

 pectively belong, are delivered to 

 the public, by a succession of deli* 

 veries embellished by all the luxury 

 of the arts of typography and de- 

 sign. 



Baron Humboldt is a native of 

 Prussia, where he has large estates. 

 He began his travels in Europe at 

 the age of twenty-one, and in the 

 course of six years he visited Ger- 

 many, Poland, France, Switzer- 

 land, part of England, Italy, Hun- 

 gary, and Spain. Having returned 

 to Paris, in 1798, he was invited by 

 the governors of the museum of 

 natflral history, to accompany cap- 

 tain Baudin in a voyage round the 

 world. But that design was given 

 up in consequence of a renewal of 

 hostilities with Austria. Mr. Hum- 

 boldt, on this, began to think se- 

 riously of executing a design which 

 he had long entertained, of visiting 

 the East in the character, that is, 

 with the views and curiosity, of a 

 philosopher. He wished earnestly 



to 



