OFFICIAL EMPLOYMENT. 145 



Von Haften succeeded in obtaining leave of absence, and 

 Humboldt wrote to Freiesleben repeating the invitation to join 

 the party : the route was finally arranged through Munich, 

 Innsbruck, Halle, and Treviso to Venice, where on Haften's 

 account they were to spend a fortnight, thence through Vicenza 

 and Verona to Milan, and by way of the Lago Maggiore and the 

 Pass of St. Grothard into Switzerland and on to Schaffhausen, 

 the main object of the journey being to observe the connection 

 between the various mountain ranges of the Tyrolese, Italian, 

 and Swiss Alps. ' This tour is planned more for Haften than 

 for myself ; I am, as you are aware, under some obligation to 

 him, therefore I would rather neglect some of my scientific aims 

 than not be entirely at his disposal during the first part of the 

 journey. The only question now remaining is, where and when 

 shall I meet you ? ' 



In a long letter to the minister Von Heinitz, dated Schwarz- 

 enbach-am-Walde, May 29, 1795, he furnishes a detailed report 

 of the results of his official and scientific labours ; and while 

 reminding him of the necessity of appointing a successor, com- 

 municates his plans for extensive travel all expressed in terms 

 of the most respectful devotion, but yet with unmistakable 

 evidence of the full consciousness of his independent position, 

 and the unalterable nature of his determination. 



The fame which Humboldt had earned for himself by his 

 official labours, and the rumour of the comprehensive plans he 

 had laid for extensive foreign travel, had spread far and wide 

 among all circles of his acquaintance. With reference to this 

 period, /David Veit wrote as follows to Eahel on June 15, 

 17 95 i 1 'Alexander has been appointed Counsellor of the 

 Upper Court of Mines ; he has erected works at Bayreuth at an 

 extremely small cost, and has carried them on with such an ex- 

 traordinary amount of ability and honesty of purpose that the 

 mines now yield as much in one year as they formerly did in 

 fourteen years, while he has put the whole under such ad- 

 mirable management that the works may be conducted by any 

 ordinary mining engineer. He receives no salary, and therefore 

 can leave at any time ; next summer he spends in Switzerland, 



1 Varnhagen, ' Galerie von Charakteren aus Rafael's Um-ang,' vol. i. 



VOL. I. 



