76 SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS 



plore the island of Teneriffe Clavigo instructed 

 the captain to secure the former and to land 

 at the island, and wait until the travellers had 

 visited the harbour of Orotava, and ascended 

 the Peak. 



At the moment of embarkation Humboldt 

 wrote a letter to Captain Baudin, reminding 

 him of his former promise, that if the delayed 

 French expedition should take place, and he 

 took the road round Cape Horn, he would 

 meet him either at Montevideo, Chili, or Lima, 

 or in whatever part of the Spanish colonies he 

 might be. In consequence of a severe storm, 

 the two English frigates and a line-of-battle 

 ship, which blockaded the harbour of Corunna, 

 were compelled to leave the coast of Spain, and 

 seek for a while the more open sea. The Com- 

 mander Clavigo urged the travellers to seize this 

 favourable moment. Humboldt and Bonpland 

 speedily brought their luggage on board, and 

 embarked in great haste ; but had, in conse- 

 quence of the increasing western gales, to con- 

 tend four days with the elements. At last 

 they succeeded, unobserved by the English 

 cruisers, in leaving the harbour. They passed 

 the lighthouse near Corunna in the afternoon 

 of the 5th of June, and reached towards evening 

 the open, boisterous sea. Who can describe 



