890 John BacHman. 



the Himalayas. Where science, from her mountain 

 throne, contemplates the vast monuments on which 

 time has recorded the history of the world, or, 

 unfolding the bosom of the earth, reveals the record 

 of the successive phases of its development ; 

 wherever the tides of ocean, the rush of mighty 

 rivers, and the stillness of unbounded plains, pro- 

 claim the laws which make this globe a habita- 

 ble world wherever forests wave, decked with ex- 

 uberant foliage, laden w r ith many hued and fragrant 

 flowers, and fruits of luscious taste, and teeming 

 with throngs of beasts, birds and insects through- 

 out nature's richest kingdoms, the name of Hum- 

 boldt stands confessed the greatest of nature's his- 

 torians, the wisest and most eloquent expounder of 

 her laws."* 



It was in the latter part of the summer of 1804, 

 that I was permitted, for the first time to look upon 

 the countenance, to press the hand, and listen to the 

 interesting words of this great philosopher. He 

 had arrived in Philadelphia, with his associate, 

 Bonpland, after having explored almost every 

 portion of Mexico, and measured the heights of the 

 Cordilleras, and Chimborazo. He had visited por- 

 tions of South America, which had not been reached 

 by previous travellers, he had remained in Havana 

 for ten months, where he completed his political 

 essay on Cuba, and after a five years residence in 

 America, he was now about to return to Europe. 

 Efforts were made to evince the respect of the com- 

 munity for such a successful traveller, and so emi- 

 nent a naturalist. Attempts were made to collect 

 together the few who had any pretensions to natural 

 science, residing in Philadelphia. I was then a 

 student, and only sixteen years of age, but it being 



*Humboldt's Leben, von Herman Klouke. 



