BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 39 



The duties which Humboldt has to perform as 

 chamberlain at the Prussian court are not of a very 

 onerous description, and interfere but little with the 

 prosecution of those investigations to which his life 

 has been devoted. The latest of these which has 

 fallen under our observation is " An Attempt to 

 determine the mean Height of Continents," con- 

 cerning which he read a memoir at the meeting of 

 the Berlin Academy of Sconces on 18th July, 

 J 842. This was a work of great labour, and had 

 engaged his attention for many years. According 

 to the final result of the whole of his investigations, 

 the maximum assigned by Laplace for the mean 

 height of continents is too considerable by two- 

 thirds. 



Prefixed to this volume is a portrait of Baron 

 Humboldt, copied for our work from an engraving 

 which was published at Berlin in 1808. It repre- 

 sents the Baron in undress, occupied with his her- 

 barium, such as he was in the prime of life. His 

 features form a happy combination of capacity of 

 intellect and benignity of disposition. His frame 

 is strong and muscular, and well-fitted for accom- 

 plishing the laborious undertakings to which he 

 devoted himself. 



