132 SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS 



boldt delivered his public lectures in Berlin, 

 the Emperor Nicholas of Eussia made him the 

 munificent offer to undertake an extensive 

 journey through the Eussian Empire, at the 

 sole expense of the crown, and with the express 

 wish to regard the possible advantages which 

 might accrue to mining and industry, in con- 

 sequence of his researches, as an entirely imma- 

 terial object of this journey, the advancement of 

 science being of paramount importance. 



Humboldt accepted this generous offer, though 

 he could not immediately set out on his 

 journey. During his preparation, in 1828, the 

 Society of Naturalists originated by Oken 

 held their seventh annual meeting in Berlin, 

 and elected Alexander von Humboldt and Lich- 

 tenstein the presidents. The practical mind of 

 Humboldt found here new scope. It appears 

 that this annual meeting did not adequately 

 fulfil its object, because the various branches of 

 science were not distinctly divided, and the 

 enormous accumulation of material could not 

 be thoroughly surveyed, much less properly es- 

 timated, considering the limited time of their 

 assembly. Humboldt at once recognised this 

 defect, and proposed a division into different 

 sections, which would enable the members to 

 communicate their more special experience in 



