PEOJECTED VISIT TO EGYPT. 25 



to Upper Egypt. The party were to be provided witli 

 astronomical instruments and able draughtsmen, and 

 were to ascend the Nile as far as Assouan, after examin- 

 ing minutely the positions of the Said between Tentyris 

 and the cataracts. The expedition was to occupy eight 

 months. Humboldt consented to join it, on condition 

 that he should be allowed to continue the journey over 

 Palestine and Svria, and went to Paris to make the 

 necessary preparations. 



He arrived at Paris in the spring of 1798, and was 

 warmly welcomed by his brother William, whose house 

 was a rallying point for all his educated countrymen. 

 The family led a pleasant life during their stay in the 

 capital: gave dinner parties, esthetic teas, etc., and en- 

 joyed themselves at the Parisian theatres. " The comedy,'* 

 wrote Frau Yon Humboldt, " is excellent." " My little 

 ones would please you. Caroline grows very amiable ; 

 she is delicate, and has a rare degree of sentimentality, 

 perfectly natural, however, as you may imagine. Her 

 brother William is handsome, much more rough, very 

 naughty, self-willed, and yet exceedingly good-natured. 

 Theodore is the most amiable child I ever saw : he is 

 stout, and almost fat, and yet looks slender ; his little 

 face has an expression of merriment, and yet his glance 

 seems to indicate something more profound. His eyes 

 are as if you gaze into the heavens. The white in them 

 is quite blue, and the eyeball brown. His hair is light, 

 and his mouth the prettiest I ever saw in a child. If 

 you could see the boy he would make a fool of you, as 

 he does of me." 



The Humboldts were surrounded by celebrities of all 

 sorts, artists, poets, statesmen, and savans. Among 



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