346 



BONPLAND S CAPTIVITY, 



Return to 

 Americii. 



CHAPTER mountain-chains, and even the active volcanoes, have no 

 " li^'" appreciable influence on tlie magnetic power ; and liave 

 established the foct, that it gradually diminishes as we 

 recede from the equator. 

 Prnmotion of On the return of the philosophers horn America, 

 Uoi.piand. Bonpj.^Hd ^vas appointed by Bonaparte to the office of 

 superintending tlie gardens at Malmaison, where the 

 Empress Josepiiine, Avho was passionately fond of flowers, 

 had formed a splendid collection of exotics. His amiable 

 disposition, not less than his acquirements, procured for 

 him the csteeni of all who knew him. In 1818 he went 

 to Buenos Ayres as Professor of Natural History. In 

 1820 he undertook an excursion to the interior of Para- 

 guay ; but when he arrived at St Anne on the eastern 

 bank of the Parana, where he had established a colony 

 of Indians and a tea-jjlantation, he was unexpectedly 

 surrounded by a large body of soldiers, who destroyed 

 the plantation and carried him off a prisoner. This was 

 done hy the orders of Dr Francia, the ruler of Paragua}^ ; 

 and the only reason assigned was his having planted the 

 tea-tree ])eculiar to that country, and which forms a 

 valuable article of exportation. He was confined chiefly 

 in Santa Martha, but was allowed to practise as a phy- 

 sician. lIuml)oldt applied in vain for the liberation of 

 his friend, for whom he appears to have cherished a 

 sincere affection. According to a late report, however, 

 he has obtained his libert}'. 



In October 1818 our author was in London, where it 

 was said that the allied powers had requested him to 

 draw up a political view of the South American colonics. 

 In November of the same year the King of Prussia 

 granted liim an annual pension of 12,000 dollars, with 

 the view of facilitating the execution of a plan which he 

 liad formed of visiting Asia, and especially the mountains 

 of 'J'hiliet. In the year 1822 he accompanied liis majesty 

 to tlic congress of Verona, and afterwards visited Venice, 

 Rome, and Naples; and, in 1827 and 1828, delivered at 

 Berlin a course of lectures on the physical constitution 



Imprison- 

 ment. 



Huinbnl'll's 

 visit to Lull 

 dou. 



