xl 



he went to Freiberg, where he attended the lectures of Werner, and 

 became acquainted with Von Buch and Del Rio. During his residence 

 at Freiberg he collected the materials for his work entitled ' Specimen 

 Florae subterraneee Fribergensis et aphorisimi ex physiologia chemica 

 plantarum.' After obtaining an appointment in the Administration 

 of Mines at Berlin, he filled the office of Director- General of the 

 mines of Ansbach and Baireuth from 1792 to 1797. During this 

 time he prepared his work on the irritability of muscular and nervous 

 fibre. On the death of his mother in 1796, his desire to travel 

 increased. He resigned the post of Director of Mines, and devoted 

 himself to the study of practical astronomy under v. Zach. After 

 passing some months at Jena and Vienna, he made an attempt to 

 visit Italy, accompanied by v. Buch, for the purpose of examining 

 the volcanos of that country. Being forced by the war of which 

 Italy was the scene to relinquish this undertaking, he passed the 

 winter of 1 797-1798 in the study of meteorology at Salzburg and at 

 Berchtesgaden. He was invited by Lord Bristol to accompany an 

 exploring party into Upper Egypt, and went to Paris to procure the 

 necessary instruments. On his arrival, in May 1798, he was apprised 

 of the failure of Lord Bristol's project in consequence of the departure 

 of the French expedition for Egypt. Here he became acquainted 

 with his future fellow-traveller Bonpland. He obtained permission 

 from the Directory to accompany Baudin in his voyage round the 

 world. The sailing of this expedition having been postponed, he 

 made an attempt to join the French in Egypt. Failing, however, in 

 consequence of the non-arrival of a Swedish frigate in which he had 

 been promised a passage to Tunis, he went to Spain, accompanied 

 by Bonpland, where he passed the winter of 1 798-1 799. Encouraged 

 by the Spanish Minister, Luis de Urquijo, to visit Spanish America, 

 he and Bonpland embarked at Corunna on the 5th of June, 1799. 

 They landed at Santa Cruz on the 1 9th of June, ascended the Peak 

 and explored the Island of Teneriffe. On the 1 6th of July they 

 reached the Cumana. After having traversed Venezuela, the valleys 

 of the Orinoco and Amazon, the countries of Peru and Mexico, 

 Ilumboldt embarked on the 7th of March, 1804, for the Havana, 

 where he remained six months. After visiting the United States, he 

 sailed from America on the 9th of June, and landed at Bordeaux on 

 the 3rd of August, 1804. 



