66 SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS 



The renown of Werner, of Freiburg, an 

 eminent geologist, attracted Humboldt's atten- 

 tion, and in pursuit of this important branch 

 of the physical sciences, which became hence- 

 forth one of his favourite studies, he undertook, 

 accompanied by his friend Forster, in the spring 

 of 1790, a journey on the Rhine, to Holland 

 and to England. On his return he published 

 these first results of his own individual obser- 

 vations, in a little work, entitled " Mineralo- 

 gische Beobachtungen iiber einige Basalte am 

 Ehein " (Mineralogical Observations on the 

 Basaltic Formation on the Rhine), endeavouring 

 to establish the Neptunic origin of these rocks, 

 which, he asserted, owed their formation to the 

 great revolution of the waters of our earth. 



Humboldt next applied himself to book- 

 keeping, the study of mineralogy and botany, at 

 an academy in Hamburg ; and it is related that 

 during the winter months of 1790-91, he often 

 went out alone in search of those mosses which 

 blossom during the winter season. His resi- 

 dence in Hamburg was of short duration. 

 Anxious to prepare himself for his intended 

 travels, he resolved to visit the celebrated 

 mining-school of Freiburg, in order to study 

 another important branch of science, Geo- 

 gnosy, the composition and formation of the 



