OF BARON HUMBOLDT. / 



boldt's life, consuming almost his entire fortune, 

 and twenty years of labour. It caused a con- 

 siderable sensation in Europe, because such a 

 gigantic undertaking of a private individual was 

 without a parallel, free from all personal 

 egotism, a voluntary sacrifice for science and 

 humanity. Humboldt's way, prepared through 

 the discovery of the western hemisphere in 

 the fifteenth century by Columbus, reflected 

 with peculiar interest on the consequences of 

 these discoveries ; because he became, in con- 

 trast to Columbus, the geographical explorer 

 of America ; the scientific discoverer of these 

 regions. Humboldt's name ought, therefore, 

 to be placed at the side of Albertus Magnus, 

 Roger Bacon, Vincent de Beauvais, Columbus, 

 and Gama. The two latter are the discoverers of 

 that space from which Humboldt dispersed the 

 darkness ; and, in reality, he discovered America 

 for science. Thus were offered to the western 

 nations of Europe the most valuable materials 

 for the foundation of a physical description of 

 the earth, in an already agitated period of time, 

 when a great number of Europeans came in di- 

 rect and intimate connection with the gorgeous 

 tropical regions of South America. All know, at 

 least partially, what the results of Humboldt's 

 labours are ; but his researches were too varied 



