282 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



varieties, for vast treasures are no doubt awaiting us at Manilla 

 and Ceylon. Such is the outline of my plan. 1 



; In the event of my death, I trust that Delambre will edit 

 my astronomical observations, and that Freiesleben or Buch 

 will kindly prepare my geological notes for the press ; my 

 observations in Physics and Chemistry I intend to commit to 

 Schcerer, while my zoological manuscripts will be consigned to 

 the editorship of Blumenbach. And now I have to request that 

 you, my dear friend, will undertake my botanical papers, and 

 edit them under my name coupled with that of Bonpland. 

 My brother has been empowered to entrust the requisite manu- 

 scripts for this purpose. 



c I remain true to my promise of devoting to you the whole 

 of my share of the plants collected in this expedition. I do 

 not intend to retain a single specimen. I have only to request 

 that as I am postponing the publication of the work till my 

 return, you will not incorporate my herbarium with your own 

 collection until this publication has appeared, or until after 

 my death, should I not live to see it completed. 



'I was unwilling to address the two cases (1,600 specimens), 

 which I have to-day entrusted to Mr. Eraser's care, direct to 

 Hamburg, not only because no Spanish ship can enter a neutral 

 port, but also because I am not sure that you may not deem it 

 safer for the cases to remain with Fraser until peace be con- 

 cluded. ... I have reason to think that the plants will be 

 safe under his charge, for I have been able to render him some 

 important services. 



'You may perhaps remember that Mr. Fraser's name occurs 

 in Walter's " Flora Carolinensis," where he is mentioned as 

 having made four botanical journeys through Labrador and 

 Canada, partly as botanist and partly as an agent for the col- 

 lection of plants and seeds for cultivation. In 1799 he set 

 out upon a fifth expedition of a similar nature to the Ohio and 

 through Kentucky and Tennessee a region now very accessible, 

 for goods can be sent in a month from Philadelphia to New 

 Orleans by land as far as Pittsburg and thence by water clown 

 the Ohio and Mississippi. Unaware of the difficulty of enter- 



1 This plan was not adhered to. 



