OF BAEON HUMBOLDT. 77 



the feelings of Humboldt when, at a late hour 

 of this summer day, he saw the realization of 

 the hopes and wishes which he had nourished 

 for nine years, and in which he had been 

 so frequently disappointed ! what were his 

 thoughts on that evening, about nine o'clock, 

 when he perceived the light from the hut 

 of a fisherman of Sisargo the last visible 

 object of the western coast of Europe- which 

 in the continually increasing distance mingled 

 with the light of the stars which now appeared 

 in the horizon. His and Bonpland's eyes were 

 involuntarily directed to this phenomenon. Hum- 

 boldt observed many years afterwards, in rela- 

 tion to this event : " These impressions can 

 never be obliterated from our memory ! How 

 many memorials of the past are brought before 

 our imagination, by even a single illuminated 

 spot, which appears in the midst of a dark 

 night, alternately above the moving waves, in- 

 dicating the shores of our native land." 



The travellers passed the small Canary 

 islands, whose conical rocks and volcanic erup- 

 tions engaged their attention, and which be- 

 sides offered many interesting sea-plants. Their 

 captain mistook a basalt-rock for a fortress, 

 and despatched one of his officers to the spot. 

 This gave Humboldt and Bonpland an oppor- 



