J 66 Letter from M. Humboldt to C Belamlreu 



variations of the magnetic needle ; and I learn, with regret, 

 that the frigate Astigarraga, which was not to set out before 

 the end of a fortnight, has' hastened her departure for Cadiz, 

 and will sail this very night. This is the first opportunity 

 we have had during five months of writing to Europe from 

 the solitude of the South Seas ; and the want of ti«ie ren- 

 ders it impossible Tor me to write as I ought to the National 

 Institute, which has given me the most affecting marks of 

 the interest and kindness with which it honours me. A few 

 days befqre my departure from Quito for Jaen and the river 

 Amazon, I received the letter dated Piuviose Qth, addressed 

 to me, through you, by that illustrious body. This letter 

 employed two years to reach me in the Cordillera of the 

 Andes : 1 received it the day after a second excursion which 

 I made to the crater of the volcano of Pinchincha to carry 

 thither a Volta's electrometer, and to measure the diameter 

 of it, which I found to be 752 toises, while that of Vesu- 

 vius is only 312. This reminded me that on Ihe summit 

 of Guaguapichincha, A\hcre T have often been, and which 

 I love as classical ground. La Condamine and Bouguer re- 

 ceived their first letter fitmi the ci-devant academy"; and I 

 figure to myself that Pinchincha, si mugua licet compnnera 

 pan/is, .is fortunate to philosophers. It is impossiljle for 

 me to express the joy with which I read that letter of the 

 Institute, and the repeated assurances of your remem- 

 brance. How agreeablf; it is to know that one lives in the 

 memory. of those whose labours continually tend to favour* 

 the progV>>ss of the human mind ! ' Iii the deserts of the 

 plains of the Apure, in the thick forests of Casiguiare and 

 ot the Ororioko, every where, in short, your names have 

 been .present to me; and, while revifA\ ing the different pe- 

 riods of my erratic life, I stopped with pleasure on that of 

 die years 6 and ?, when I lived an!ong you, and w hen La- 

 place, Fourcroy, ^'a•tlquelin, Ggyton, Chaptal, Jussieu, 

 Destontaines, Halle, I.alande, Prony, and you in parti-, 

 cular, loaded me with kindness in the plains of Lieusainf. 

 Rccei\e together the homage pf my tender attachment ancj 

 of my cpnsiant gratitude. 



i^ongbefoFc 1 received the letter which vou wrote to me 

 ia yrrnr qvialiiy of secretary to the Institute, \ successively 

 add) Pscd to the Class of 'the PhyHcal and' iu.ithcmutical 

 ScitucffF Three letters, two fron' 8Rii;a-Fe di Bogota, accom- 

 panied with a w»')i^ on a genus of cinchona ; >hat is to sa}'", 

 specin^^ns bt spVeiV kinds of bark, v/irh .coloiircd drawings 

 of these vcget'abl',.s;' the anaK-my of the flnwer so difleix-nt 

 by the ieugih of its stamina^ and the skeletons carefully 

 ■ ' ' - dried. 



