VISIT TO CUBA. 291 



Graliano, the faithful companion of the unfortunate Malaspina. 

 On the completion of this undertaking, he travelled in the early 

 part of the year 1801 through a portion of the island, and ob- 

 tained the latitude and longitude of Eio Blanco, El Almirante, 

 and several other places in the interior of the country. He 

 returned in February to Havana, 1 and occupied himself in 

 collecting materials for the work he subsequently published 

 under the title of Essai politique sur 1'Ile de Cuba.' 



Humboldt had originally intended to proceed from Cuba 

 through North America to the Canadian Lakes, and return 

 southward by way of the Ohio and Mississippi to Louisiana, 

 whence he was to strike across the intervening unfrequented 

 district to New Biscay and Mexico. 2 On learning, however, 

 through the American newspapers, that Captain Baudin was on 

 the point of starting upon his long-projected expedition, and 

 purposed to sail by Cape Horn to the coasts of Chili and Peru, 

 he at once determined to carry out the original agreement of 

 joining the expedition whenever an opportunity offered, for 

 he had every reason to hope that a union with so many other 

 scientific men would considerably promote the objects of his 

 journey. He therefore resolved to cross the isthmus of Panama 

 and proceed to Guayaquil, and wrote word to Baudin that he 

 proposed to meet him on the shores of the Pacific. This 

 letter never reached its destination, and was returned to 

 Humboldt at Lima, for Baudin, instead of sailing round Cape 

 Horn, had started by way of the Cape of Good Hope ; it is as 

 follows : 3 



' Cartagena, West Indies : April 12, 1801. 



6 Citizen, When I bade you farewell in the Eue Helvetius at 

 Paris, with the prospect of sailing shortly for Africa and the East 

 Indies, I had but faint hopes of meeting you again and forming 

 one of the expedition under your command. You have heard, no 

 doubt, through our mutual friends, Citizens Jussieu and Des- 

 fontaines, how completely my plans have been changed. . . . 



1 Oltmann's 'Untersuchungeniiber die Geographic des Neuen Continents, 

 &c.' vol. i. p. 226 ; vol. ii. p. 1. 



2 From a letter to William von Humboldt, dated Contreras, near Ibague, 

 September 21, 1801. 



3 t Briefe von Alexander von Humboldt, &c., an Varnhagen/ p. 228. 



u 2 



