The Cruise of the ''Bibbr 153 



One of the greatest efforts of this period of 

 Agassiz's Hfe, one which though painful gave him 

 supreme pleasure, was the delivery of an address 

 on the occasion of the centennial celebration of 

 Humboldt's birth. Agassiz as we have seen, had 

 been one of his dearest friends. He had lived with 

 him, worked with him, enjoyed his counsel, and no 

 one was better fitted to speak upon his virtues. 

 The movement was inaugurated by the Boston So- 

 ciety of Natural History, and Agassiz accepted the 

 duty with his usual modesty, feeling and expressing 

 the belief that he was not a biographer. As with 

 everything he attempted, the address was a most 

 impressive one, and stands to-day the most valuable 

 paper on Humboldt extant. In this paper we find 

 much that relates to the great naturalist himself, and 

 the following extracts, taken from the memoirs of 

 the Boston Society of Natural History, are worthy 

 of perusal in this connection. 



He says : Humboldt had at this time (about 

 1830) two residences in Paris, — his lodging at the 

 Hotel des Princes, where he saw the great world, and 

 his working room in the Rue de la Harpe, where he 

 received with less formality his scientific friends. It 

 is with the latter place I associate him ; for there it 

 was my privilege to visit him frequently. There he 

 gave me leave to come to talk with him about my 

 work and consult him in my difficulties. I am un- 

 willing to speak of myself on this occasion, and yet 

 I do not know how else I can do justice to one of 

 the most beautiful sides of Humboldt's character. 

 His sympathy for all young students of nature was 



