234 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



Dollond had brought to perfection the astronomical tele- 

 scope, while Laplace had given to the world his admirable 

 6 Mecanique celeste.' Mechanics and the laws of motion had 

 kept pace with the advance of astronomy, while physical science 

 had received a surprising impetus from the application of 

 mathematics and from the invention and improvement of every 

 kind of apparatus. The various phenomena of magnetism, elec- 

 tricity, and galvanism underwent the searching scrutiny of the 

 most careful observers, and became the object of manifold inves- 

 tigations. In botany and zoology Jussieu and Cuvier had proved 

 worthy successors to Linnaeus and Buffon. With Lavoisier 

 a brilliant career had been opened to the science of chemistry. 

 In short, a more exact process of investigation, a more scien- 

 tific method of treatment, had been introduced into every de- 

 partment of natural science. 



Full of joyous excitement, Humboldt wrote to Pictet 1 on 

 June 22 as follows : ' I do not tell you about Paris, nor of my 

 mode of life here ; you know my tastes and my love of occupa- 

 tion. I live in the midst of science, I work with Vauquelin in 

 his laboratory, and I have given some lectures at the National 

 Institute ; I feel I have just claim to the reception that has 

 been accorded me.' 2 



Not less eager was he to give help to others in their labours. 

 6 Halle,' writes Lalande, 3 ' has laid before the National Institute 

 an important paper upon galvanism ; Von Humboldt has ren- 

 dered essential service to our commissioners, who have been 

 instituting a variety of experiments, and have done much 

 valuable work.' 



* < Le Globe,' vol. vii. p. 155. 



2 In a letter to Delambre, dated Lima, November 25, 1802, Humboldt 

 writes : ' In the desert plains of the Apure, in the dense forests of the 

 Cassiquiari and of the Orinoco, everywhere has your name and the names of 

 your associates been present before me ; and in reviewing the various 

 passages of my wandering life, I often linger with pleasure at the recollec- 

 tion of years VI. and VII., which I spent in the midst of you all, when 1 

 was loaded with so much kindness by Laplace, Fourcroy, Vauquelin, 

 Guy ton, Chaptal, Jussieu, Desfontaines, Halle", Lalande, Prony, and espe- 

 cially by you, my kind and generous friend, in the plains of Lieursaint.' 

 (' Annales du Mus. d'Hist. nat., an XII.' vol. ii. p. 170.) 



3 ' Allgemeine geographische Ephenieriden,' vol. ii. p. 172. 



