354 



humboldt's cuba. 



observations, and barometrical readings of altitudes, 

 and which I had so patiently copied out in full. It 

 was only after having traversed New Granada, 

 Mexico, and Peru, and when I was on the point of 

 leaving the New World, that in the public library 

 at Philadelphia, I accidentally ran my eye over the 

 table of contents of a scientific review, and there 

 saw these words, "Arrival of the Manuscripts of 

 M. Humboldt, at the residence of his brother, in 

 Paris, by way of Spain." With difficulty I sup- 

 pressed the expression of my joy, and it seemed to 

 me that no table of contents had ever before been so 

 well arranged. 



While M. Bonpland labored night and day, 

 dividing and arranging our collections, I had the 

 ungracious task of meeting a thousand obstacles that 

 presented themselves to our sudden and unforeseen 

 departure. There was no vessel in the harbor of 

 Havana that would convey us to Porto Bello or 

 Carthagena, and the persons whom I consulted took 

 a pleasure in exaggerating the inconveniences that 

 attended the crossing of the isthmus, and the delays 

 incident to a voyage southward, from Panama to 

 Guayaquil, and thence to Lima or Valparaiso. 



They censured me, and perhaps with reason, for 

 not continuing to explore the vast and rich countries 

 of Spanish America, which had been closed for 



