118 



avant le terme de deux annees. On trouvera sans 

 doute la recompense des soins qu'on consacre aux 

 sciences dans leur avancement meme, mais 1'appro- 

 bation des savants distingues donne une veritable 

 satisfaction, dont on jouit doublement lorsque ces 

 suffrages nous viennent d'une voix qui vaut bien 

 d'autres. Jaloux de meriter toujours votre appro- 

 bation, Monsieur le Baron, je desire etre guide par 

 vos lumieres, et je serai charme toutefois que vous 

 voudrez m'adresser vos observations scientifiques. 



C'est avec la plus haute consideration que j'ai le 

 plaisir de me dire, Monsieur le Baron de Humboldt, 

 votre tout affectionne 



CHRISTIAN E. 



LXXXII. 



JOHN HERSCHEL TO HUMBOLDT, 



?, 21st Dec. 1843. 

 Hawkhorst, Kent. 



My dear Baron, It is now a considerable time 

 since I received your valued and most interesting work 

 on Central Asia, which I should have long ago acknow- 

 ledged, but that I was unwilling and indeed unable in 

 proper terms to thank you for so flattering and pleasing 

 a mark of your attention, till I had made myself at 

 least in some degree acquainted with the contents. 

 This, however, the continued pressure of occupations 

 which leave me little time and liberty for reading has 

 not yet allowed me to do otherwise than partially 

 and, in fact, it is a work of such close research that I 

 despair of ever being able fully to master all its details. 

 In consequence, I have hitherto limited myself chiefly 



