154 Humboldt's Letters. 



not to tell anybody that I gave you the King's notes, 

 however insignificant they are. It would injure me. 

 With old veneration, yours, 



A. VON HlJMBOLDT. 



MONDAY EVENING. 



77. 



J. W. T. TO HUMBOLDT. 



HOFGEN, NEAR SOLINGEN, March I2st, 1844. 

 YOUR Excellency will not be offended at the liberty 

 I take of writing you. Some time ago I read in the 

 newspapers that somebody of Koenigsberg is said to 

 have written you about secrets of nature, referring to 

 photographs taken in the dark. I presume, therefore, 

 that your Excellency is a naturalist and has friends who 

 are likewise so. As I also have made important dis- 

 coveries in secrets of nature, which my present business 

 will not allow me to pursue, I wish to have an oppor- 

 tunity of speaking with you about them. Perhaps we 

 can be useful to each other. I am perfectly willing to 

 make the journey to Berlin, in order to see you. May 

 it please your Excellency to write me as soon as possible 

 at what time I can call on you at Berlin, if you have no 

 objection to my visit. 



