HUMBOLDT AND AGASSIZ. 415 



The commencement of 1830 found Humboldt and 

 his companions, Rose and Ehrenberg, at work on their 

 Asiatic journey, but some years elapsed before it was 

 ready for publication. Humboldt's portion was ready 

 first, which could hardly have been expected, a consider- 

 able portion of his time being taken up with his official 

 duties. He sought the advice and assistance of his sci- 

 entific friends, as was his custom when undertaking his 

 great works. This obliged him to reside a while in 

 Paris. He was also sent thither by the King, with a 

 diplomatic mission, to acknowledge Louis Philippe and 

 the new regime. This was in September, 1830. In 

 February, 1831, he filled another mission there, while 

 his brother William, who had retired from politics 

 shortly before the death of his wife, was decorated with 

 the order of the Black Eagle at home, and admitted into 

 the Council of State. 



It was at this time that Humboldt first met Agassiz, 

 then a poor student, now the celebrated Professor. " I 

 was only twenty -four years of age," says Agassiz, in his 

 touching tribute to the memory of Humboldt, " I was 

 only twenty-four years of age when in Paris, whither I 

 had gone with means given to me by a friend, but was 

 as last about to resign my studies from want of ability to 

 meet my expenses. Professor Mitscherlich was then on 

 a visit to Paris, and I had seen him in the morninsr, 

 when he had asked me what was the cause of my de- 

 pressed feelings, and I told him that I had to go, for I 

 had nothing left. The next morning as I was seated at 

 breakfast, in front of the yard of the hotel where I lived, 

 I saw the servant of Humboldt approach. He handed 

 me a note, saying there was no answer, and disappeared. 



