372 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



traveller Andrea de Nerciat, and the celebrated Sylvestre de 

 Sacy, the most distinguished Oriental scholar of this century, 

 he was gradually acquiring an extensive acquaintance with the 

 Asiatic tongues, when, early in the year 1827, his studies were 

 interrupted by a change of residence from Paris to Berlin. 



centrale, dressee d'apres les Cc'irtes levees par ordre de 1'empereur Khian- 

 loung, par les missionnaires de Pekin et d'apres im grand nombre de notions 

 xtraites et traduites de livres chinois.' (See Himiboldt's ' Briefwechsel 

 mit Bergliaus/ vol. ii. p. 1.) 



