406 BONPLAND’S CAPTIVITY. 
large body of soldiers, who destroyed the plantation 
and carried him off a prisoner. This was done by 
the orders of Dr Francia the ruler of Paraguay ; 
and the only reason assigned was his having planted 
the tea-tree peculiar to that country, and which 
forms a valuable article of exportation. He was con- 
fined chiefly in Santa Martha, but was allowed to 
practise as a physician. Humboldt 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 liberty, 
and returned to Buenos Ayres. 
In October 1818 our author was in London, 
where it was said that the allied powers had re- 
quested him to draw up a political view of the 
South American colonies. In November of the same 
year the King of Prussia granted him an annual 
pension of 12,000 dollars, with the view of facilita- 
ting the execution of a plan which he had formed 
of visiting Asia, and especially the mountains of 
Thibet. In the year 1822 he accompanied his ma- 
jesty to the congress of Verona, and afterwards visit- 
ed Venice, Rome, and Naples; and, in 1627 and 
1828, delivered at Berlin a course of lectures on the 
physical constitution of the globe, which was attend. 
ed by the royal family and the court. But, except- 
ing the results of his investigations, which have 
appeared at intervals, we have no particular account 
of his occupations until 1829, when he undertook 
another important journey to the Uralian Moun- 
tains, the frontiers of China, and the Caspian Sea. 
