TEAVELS IN AMBEICA. 



'Es war, als ware eine neue Sonne voll Lieht und Warme im Westen iiber de 

 Xeucn Welt emporgestiegen, um auf die Alte "Welt wohlthatig zuriickzustrahlen.' 



CA<RL EITTEB (Speech at the Humboldt Festival, August 5, 1844). 



CHAPTER I. 

 PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 



Extent of the Spanish Colonies in America Principles of Government 

 Results of previous Explorations New Direction given to Physical 

 Science The Objective Character of Humholdt'e Descriptions of Nature 

 Their Biographical Value. 



BEFORE we can fully enter into the significance of Alexander 

 von Humboldt's travels in America, we must revert in imagi- 

 nation from these days of easy communication of steamers, 

 railways, and telegraphs to those days of tedious, insecure, and 

 infrequent transport, when nations held themselves in distrust- 

 ful isolation. 



The Spanish colonies in America, at the close of the last 

 century, extended without interruption from 38 North latitude 

 to 42 South latitude from the most northern point of Cali- 

 fornia to beyond even the most southern part of Chili an 

 immense territory, measuring from North to South above 

 5,500 miles. These possessions included a large district of 

 North America, now forming the States of Florida, Louisiana, 

 Texas, Mexico, and California, the whole of Central America, 

 most of the West India Islands, and the whole of South 

 America, with the exception of Brazil, Patagonia, and Tierni 

 del Fuego. This vast extent of country, larger than had ever 

 before been united under one rule, was merely a colony or 

 dependency. 



