Early Acquaintance with ILnnholdt. ']^U 



known tliat I was occasionally in the habit of ac« 

 company ing Wilson in his researches in Ornithology, 

 and of spending my vacations and Saturdays in 

 Bartram's garden, the usual resort of botanists, I 

 was honored with an invitation to meet those who 

 were about to welcome this eminent philosopher 

 and naturalist to our country I felt that I was not 

 deserving of the high honor of the invitation, and 

 mention the fact here, to show how scanty, in those 

 days, were the material in natural science. A din- 

 ner had been prepared for the occasion \\\ Peal's 

 Museum. Among the few naturalists who attended 

 were the two Bartrams, Wilson, the Ornithologist, 

 Lawson, his engraver, George Ord, and a few 

 others, whose names have now escaped my recollec- 

 tion. To this small group was added a considerable- 

 number of men who were eminent in the various 

 departments of literature and science. Few speeches 

 Avere made, and. those were short — there was no 

 formality. Humboldt was then, as he was after- 

 Avards, in every society, ^'the observed of all ob- 

 servers," ready to answer any question that was- 

 propounded to him, and evidencing throughout a 

 spirit of gentleness and kindness, and great amia- 

 bility of character. I saw him every day during* 

 the few days he remained in Philadelphia. He in- 

 serted my name in his note-book, and for the last 

 sixty years we corresponded at long intervals. Plis 

 publications, as they successively appeared, mostly 

 in the French language, with the exception of his 

 " Aspects of Nature," which was in German, were 

 regularly sent to me. It would have been very 

 gratifying to me, and interesting to your societies, 

 if I could have exhibited to you his autograph in 

 some of his letters; but, alas ! my whole library and 

 all my collections in Natural History, the accumu- 

 lation of the labors of a long life, were burnt by 



