OF BARON HUMBOLDT. 31 



globe is auriferous at all." Sir Eoderick has 

 furnished valuable information on this im- 

 portant subject, not only in his " Siluria," but 

 "Russia and the Ural." His views regarding 

 the durability of the auriferous quartz reefs of 

 Australia were almost unanimously accepted by 

 the scientific men of the colony. Humboldt's pre- 

 vious and extensive researches afforded valuable 

 material, and opened a wide field for these 

 investigations. His general views on this 

 subject are perhaps the most satisfactory, and 

 have certainly remained undisturbed. 



Whilst Humboldt thus furnished valuable in- 

 formation regarding the mysterious life of our 

 planet in the great features of its phenomena, 

 his mind was also directed to the silent world 

 of plants, in order to discover the great law of 

 their existence. He did not despise, besides 

 his more important general labours, to collect 

 a variety of herbs ; and in his sublime con- 

 ception of the life of plants, relative to 

 the condition of the soil, he was enabled to 

 establish a new science, " the Geography 

 of Plants," i. e. 9 " the science of the distri- 

 bution of plants and their laws." He proved 

 distinctly the connection of their propagation, 

 with regard to various heights and climatic 

 conditions, and uniting his observations with 



