218 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLBT. 



journey through Prague and Vienna. In the capital of Austria 

 they found much to amuse and interest them during the first 

 part of their stay, for while William spent his days with Bast, a 

 young philologist, in poring over the manuscript treasures of 

 the Imperial Library, Alexander became engrossed in the study 

 of botany, availing himself of the valuable herbarium and 

 collection of rare plants in the Imperial Gardens at Schon- 

 brunn, placed at his disposal through the kindness of Jacquin 

 and Van der Schott. 



Some letters written by Alexander at this time contain 

 some humorous descriptions of the intellectual society of 

 Vienna. 



To Freiesleben he writes, in a letter which bears no date, but 

 is evidently the first addressed from the Austrian capital : 

 'Though in the midst of Vienna, I am living in complete 

 solitude, for I am working very hard and not wholly without 

 success. The second part of my book (" Experiments in Gal- 

 vanism ") is now nearly completed, and my other works will soon 

 be ready. The journey here from Prague was somewhat weari- 

 some. The southern part of Bohemia is just as flat and unin- 

 teresting as those northern districts which I visited with you 

 are beautiful and romantic. Or did the journey here seem only 

 dull to me because you were not by my side ? Buch writes me 

 word that he " is going to Italy to cast off his outer garments, 

 and clothe himself in ether." (He may manage thus to look 

 quite handsome.) He neither says when he goes, nor where I 

 should be likely to meet him. 



4 Not only is my new book much read here, but also my 

 former works. At Schonbrunn they make use with advantage 

 of oxygenised muriatic acid. I have seen trees grown from 

 seed twenty-four years old. Otherwise everything here is. ... 

 They know nothing about the magnet, and young Jacquin, to 

 whom I was speaking of it, had not even the curiosity to wish 

 to see a specimen. 



' My " Subterranean Gases " reached me here at Vienna, my 

 dear Karl, at my present address first floor of No. 1224, 

 Karntnerstrasse. 1 I shall certainly remain here till October 4. 



1 Reference is here made to the manuscript of his work ' On Subterranean 

 Gases/ which had been sent to Freiesleben to revise. Upon receiving the 



