CHARACTERISTIC TKAITS AND PERSONAL INCIDENTS. 67 



Russian Minister, Romanzow. In 1811, lie paid a farewell visit 

 to his brother at Vienna. The scheme, however, was suddenly 

 relinquished on the part of Russia, and the expedition for 

 which Humboldt had equipped himself with so much diligence 

 \vas never carried out. 



On his return to Paris, he was deeply moved by the in- 

 telligence of an appalling event that had taken place in the 

 New World ; the town of Caracas, where he and Bonpland had 

 spent two months, in the enjoyment of so much generous 

 hospitality, had been destroyed on March 26, 1812, by a fearful 

 earthquake, in which nearly ten thousand persons lost their 

 lives, by the overthrow of the houses, and the falling in of 

 the roofs of the churches during the hours of divine service. 

 Full of grief and sympathy, he exclaimed : ' Our kind friends 

 have perished, the house in which we lived is now but a heap 

 of ruins ; the town of which I wrote a description no longer 

 exists ! ' 



In 1812, a new expedition was projected by Russia, in which 

 Humboldt was invited by the Emperor Alexander to take part. 

 From Siberia the travellers were to proceed, through Kashgar 

 and Yarkend, to the elevated plains of Thibet. Napoleon's 

 campaign against Russia, however, frustrated this scheme, and 

 the plan was suddenly abandoned. 



Then came the eventful year of 1813. While the Russians 

 were in Paris, Humboldt availed himself of his international 

 position to protect the valuable scientific collections at the 

 Jardin des Plantes, which, but for his exertions, would pro- 

 bably have been either dispersed or destroyed. Even so late as 

 1858, in a letter dated November 26, Valenciennes thus apo- 

 strophises him : ] ' You, to whom we are indebted for the 

 preservation of the Museum of Natural History during the 

 invasion of the Cossacks.' 



On March 31, 1814, the King of Prussia, Frederick William 

 III., entered Paris at the head of his troops. On the following 

 day he sent for Humboldt, who, from his intimate acquaintance 

 with Paris, could serve as an efficient cicerone in visiting the 

 places of interest. The king took so much pleasure in his 



1 Found among Humboldt's papers, now in possession of the Editor. 



F 2 



