430 PROFESSOR LIEBEK'S VISIT TO HUMBOLDT. 



himself, which is prepared entirely according to the 

 latest astronomic and altitude measurements. The cal- 

 culation of the astronomical observations made for this 

 purpose, in Siberia, was the last work of Humboldt's 

 constant fellow- worker, Oltmans, who died soon after the 

 completion of this task." 



But let us for a moment leave these great works, and 

 glance at their author. 



" I visited Humboldt," said Professor Lieber, in his 

 eloquent address before the New York Geographical 

 Society, "I visited Humboldt at Potsdam in the year 

 1844, when he had reached, therefore, the age of seventy- 

 five ; for you know that he was born in that memorable 

 year, 1769, in which Cuvier was born, and Wellington, 

 and Chauteaubriand, and Napoleon, and Canning, and 

 Walter Scott, and Mackintosh — just ten years after 

 Schiller, just twenty after Goethe. Humboldt told me 

 at that time that he was engaged in a work which he 

 intended to call Kosmos ; that he was obliged chiefly to 

 write at night, for in the morning he studied and 

 arranged materials, and in the evening he was expected 

 to be with the King from 9 o'clock to about 11. After 

 his return from the King he was engaged in writing until 

 1 or 2 o'clock. 



" Humboldt, when in Berlin or Potsdam, was retained, 

 if we may use a professional term, to join the evening 

 circle of the King for the indicated hours. It was all, I 

 believe, he was expected actually to perform in return 

 for the titles, honours, and revenue which he was enjoy- 

 ing, except that the monarch sometimes selected him as 

 a companion on his journeys. Humboldt described to 

 me the character of these royal evening reunions. Every- 



