PROJECTED SCHEMES. 365 



TEAVELS IN ASIA. 



Je me ferai Eusse, comme je me suis fait Espagnol.' 



A. VON HUMBOLDT to VON RENNENKAMPFF. 



Paris: January 7, 1812. 



CHAPTEE I. 

 PROJECTED SCHEMES. 



Proposals from Russia in 1811 Negotiations with Yon Rennenkampff 

 Preparatory Studies Projected Arrangements with Prussia, 1818 

 Munificence of Frederick William III. Acquisition of Asiatic Lan- 

 guages. 



A JOURNEY through Asia and Northern India to the Himalayas 

 and Thibet had. ever formed, as we have repeatedly observed, 

 one of Humboldt's most cherished projects. With this object 

 in view, he had commenced the study of the Persian language, 

 under the guidance of Sylvestre de Sacy and Andre de Nerciat. 

 But zealously as he carried on his preparations for the journey, 

 carefully as he weighed and organised his plans, 1 and near as 

 he often believed the fulfilment of them to be, some hindrance 

 always presented itself to the accomplishment of his wishes, 

 in the events of war, financial difficulties, or the delay in the 

 publication of his works. 



It was not till the close of the year 1811, when Russia was 

 preparing an expedition to Kashgar and Thibet, that these 



1 ' Herr von Humboldt is still busy in Paris with preparations for his 

 scientific expedition to Tartary and Thibet. He has recently completed an 

 excellent treatise on the Mexican Calendar, and, by the comparisons he has 

 instituted between it and the calendars of Peru, Japan, China, Mongolia, 

 Thibet, and Hindostan, new light has been thrown upon the earliest history 

 of the world and its primeval inhabitants.' Allg. geogr. Ephemeriden, 1811, 

 vol. xxxvi. p. 37G. 



