370 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



himself for a great expedition through the Peninsula of 

 Southern Asia, a plan which had formed the most ardent 

 aspiration of his life. 



These aspirations, however, were never realised. 

 Having hoped to reach the Red Sea by passing through 

 Egypt with Bonaparte's army, he hastened to Toulon 

 with the view of joining that expedition, but he unfortu- 

 nately arrived only in time to see the last ship of the 

 squadron disappear in the distance. He then made a 

 vain attempt to rejoin the French army by following the 

 native caravans, but being again disappointed, he deter- 

 mined to proceed to Asia by way of America, and this 

 was the cause of his departure for the New World ; but 

 after he had once set foot on the American continent, he 

 saw himself surrounded by such vast natural riches, that 

 for the moment he lost sight of his favourite project. 

 During five years, he continued to explore the vast rivers 

 and great mountains of Southern America, and having 

 reaped a rich harvest of materials, he was anxious to 

 turn them to the best account. He chose Paris as the 

 place in which to publish the result of his labours, and 

 having been received with the greatest cordiality by the 

 most illustrious savants of that distinguished period, he 

 remained for a long time in this city, which he has since 

 regarded as a second home. 



Alexander von Humboldt repeatedly attempted to ac- 

 complish his great voyage to India, but his wishes always 

 met with the decided opposition of the English Govern- 

 ment, notwithstanding the direct intervention of their 

 ally the King of Prussia. As he was unable to explore 

 the south of Asia, he contented himself with visiting the 

 northern regions of the Asiatic continent. In 1819 the 

 Russian Government wished to explore the vast countries 

 which it possesses in those regions, and which had hitherto 

 been very little known. Humboldt having heard of their 



