54 Expedition to Spant/h America. 



of them were feen one above the other. Thefe alfo vlniflicd 

 again, but the two parheUa remained. At four in the after- 

 noon, previouily to the fetting of the fun, the mock-fvm in 

 the weft difappeared, and afterwards that in the eaft. 



Von Humboldt's Expedition to Spanish 

 America. 



The two following* letters from this indefatigable philo- 

 fopher to one of his friends in Germany, have been pub- 

 hflied in one of the foreign journals : — 



Corunna, June 3, 1799. 



I wrote you from Marfcille?, that I had been difappointcd 

 in my hopes of undertaking a voyage round the world with 

 Captain Baudin (to which I had been invited by the French 

 Government) juft at the moment when I was going down to 

 the port to embark. After this T propofed to go out to Bo- 

 naparte with the fecond expedition from Toulon, and my 

 friends were anxioufly expe6ling me; but this expedition 

 was rendered impoffible by the battle of Aboukir. Firm to 

 my purpofe, I then wifhed to go by a Swediflx frigate, ex- 

 peAcd at Marfeilles, to Algiers, in order that I might under- 

 take, with the caravan of Mecca, that dangerous journey 

 through the defart of Stlima to Cairo. The frigate, how- 

 ever, did not arrive ; and, after waiting two months to no 

 purpofe in Provence, as war had broken out between France 

 and Algiers, I proceeded to Spain. I had procured recom-- 

 mendations to the king, and received from him what no fo- 

 reio-ner ever obtained — letters of reconmiendation to all the 



o 



viceroys, and permiffion to traverfe all the Spanifh fcttlemerits 

 with my inftruments. 



You muft acknowledge that I have been exceedingly for- 

 tunate. I have been provided with every thing necclfary, 

 and in a few hours fliall fail, in the Spanifli frigate Pizarro, 

 for the Havannah ; from which I intend to proceed to Peru, 

 Mexico, and Chili. I (hall be abfent for feveral years, but 

 I flatter myfelf with the hopes of accomplifliing fomethingof 

 importance. 



Bonpland, a young French botaiiift, accompanies me. I 

 {hall write you from the Havannah. 



Alex. Von Humboldt. 



Oiotava 



