CHAPTEE II. 



CENTRAL ASIA. 



On the 12th of April, 1829, Humboldt, Eose, and 

 Ehrenberg departed from Berlin for St. Petersburg. 

 They had arranged the different branches of science to 

 which each was to devote himself. Ehrenberg was to 

 attend to the botany and zoology of the countries through 

 which they should pass, Eose was to analyse the minerals, 

 and keep the travelling diary, while Humboldt undertook 

 the magnetic observations, the results of geographical 

 astronomy, and the geology and natural history gene- 

 rally. To show the respect in which he held him, be- 

 fore he started, the King of Prussia appointed Humboldt 

 an acting privy councillor. It was the rank of a minis- 

 ter, and his title thenceforth was Excellency — " His 

 Excellency the Baron Yon Humboldt." 



On their way from Berlin to St. Petersburg, the tra- 

 vellers passed through Konigsberg and Dorpat, Esthonia 

 and Livonia. As the sea shore in the neighbourhood of 

 Konigsberg abounded with amber, it was almost a for- 

 bidden ground to the inhabitants. It was farmed out at 

 a hio^h rate, and carefullv ouardcd, so that the fishermen 

 could only put to sea at certain prescribed points of the 

 coast. The coast between Dantzic and Memel was let 



