BIRTH AND EDUCATION OF HUMBOLDT. 17 



Frankfort on the Oder. In 1790 he visited Holland 

 and England in company with Messrs. George Fors- 

 ter and Van Geuns, and in the same year published 

 his first work, entitled " Observations on the Basalts 

 of the Rhine." In 1791 he went to Freyberg to re- 

 ceive the instructions of the celebrated Werner, the 

 founder of geological science. The results of some 

 of his observations in the mines of that district 

 were published in 1793, under the title of Specimen 

 Flora Fribergensis Subterranece. 



Having been appointed assessor of the Council of 

 Mines at Berlin in 1792, and afterward director- 

 general of the mines of the principalities of Bareith 

 and Anspach in Franconia, he directed his efforts to 

 the formation of public establishments in these dis- 

 tricts ; but in 1795 he resigned his office with the 

 view of travelling, and visited part of Italy. His 

 active and comprehensive mind engaged in the study 

 of all the physical sciences ; but the discoveries of 

 Galvani seem at this period to have more particularly 

 attracted his attention. The results of his experi- 

 ments on animal electricity were published in 1796, 

 with notes by Professor Blumenbach. In 1795 he 

 had gone to Vienna, where he remained some time, 

 ardently engaged in the study of a fine collection of 

 exotic plants in that city. He travelled through 

 several cantons of Salzburg and Styria with the 

 celebrated Von Buch, but was prevented by the war 

 which then raged in Italy from extending his journey 

 to that country, whither he was anxious to proceed 

 for the purpose of examining the volcanic districts 

 of Naples and Sicily. Accompanied by his brother 

 William Von Humboldt and Mr. Fischer, he then 

 visited Paris, where he formed an acquaintance with 

 M. Aime Bonpland, a pupil of the School of Medicine 

 and Garden of Plants, who, afterward becoming his 

 associate in travel, has greatly distinguished himself 

 by his numerous discoveries in botany. 



Humboldt, from his earliest youth, had cherished 

 B2 



