3/5 Humboldt's Travels through Spanrjh America. 



of the fa:ellites, and refearches refpe&ing the intenfity of 

 light of ilie auftral ftars, meafurccl by means of diaphragms. 

 I have addrefled to the TiiRitute a chemical memoir on the 

 phofphorefcence of the fea ; obfervations on a particular gas 

 furniflied by the fruit of the coffea ar..bica when expofed to 

 the fun; on a fnow white feld-fpar, which, when moiliened, 

 abforbs all the moifture of the atmofphere; experiments on 

 the milk of the cecropia pellata and the euphorbia curajfa- 

 vicoy which will form a fupplement to your excellent memoir 

 on the cahout-cbouc, and to that of our friend Chaptal ; and 

 on the air which circulates iu vegetables. 



" The cruifers which cover the feas here make me ap- 

 prehend that a part of my letters may not have reached yoa ; 

 though I fent them fometinies by way of Guadaloupc, and 

 fometimcs by that of Spain. Thefe few lines I have fent by 

 at\ American veffel, which will fail in a few days for Bofton ; 

 rrnd, though they cannot reach you but through Hamburgh, 

 they will, perhaps, be lefS liable to mifcarry. People here 

 are accuftomed to make four or five duplicates of their letters. 

 But how can I find time, when I have fo many things to 

 obfcrve, arrange, and calculate ? 



" I fliall confine myfelf, therefore, to letting you once 

 more know that I ftill enjoy the beft health poilible, anc} 

 that I am treated with the utmofl kindnefs by the inhabit-- 

 ants of thefe countries : that the paffports and letters of re- 

 commendation from the Spanifli government procure me 

 every facility for making refearches ufeful to the fcicnces ; 

 that none of my inftruments, even the moll delicate, fuch as 

 barometers, thermometers, hygrometers, Bordas' dipping 

 needle, &c. are deranged : and that, at the extremity of the 

 miffionary eftabliOiments among the Chayma Indians, in 

 the mountains of Toumiriquiri, I have my laboratory 

 mounted as if I were in the Hotel Bofton, in the Paie du 

 Colombier. My fellow-traveller, Bonpland, educated in the 

 Jardin des Planies, becomes every day more valuable to me. 

 To an extenfrve knowledge of botany and comparative ana-r 

 tomy he unites indefatigable zeal, I hope one day to re- 

 Itore him to his country, worthy of attrafting public atten, 

 tion. Never did any foreigner enjoy fuch pcrniiffion as that 



granted 



