15 



observations through the whole of the Spanish 

 dominions, measure the height of mountains, 

 examine the productions of the soil, and execute 

 all operations which I should judge useful for the 

 progress of the sciences*. These orders of the 

 court were strictly followed, even after the events 

 which obliged Mr. d'Urquijo to quit the minis- 

 try. I endeavoured on my part to justify by my 

 conduct these marks of unceasing attention. 

 During my abode in America, I presented the 

 governors of the Provinces with a duplicate of 

 the materials which I had collected, and which 

 might interest the mother country by throwing 

 some light on the geography and the statistics 

 of the colonies. Agreeably to the offer I had 

 made before my departure, I addressed several 

 geological collections to the cabinet of natural 

 history of Madrid. The purpose of our journey 



* Ordena S. M. a los Capitanes generates, comandantes, 

 gobernadores, yntendentes, corregidores y demas justicias no 

 impidan par ningan motivo la conduccion de los instrumen- 

 tos de fisica, quimica, astronomia y matematicas, ni el hacer 

 en todas las posessiones ultramarinas las observaciones y ex- 

 periraentos que juzgue utiles, como tampoco el colectar libre- 

 mente plantas, animates, semillas y minerales, medir la altu- 

 ra de los montes, examinar la naturaleza de estos y hacer 

 observaciones astronomicas y descubrimentos utiles para el 

 progresso de las ciencias: pnes por el contrario quiere el 

 Rey que todas las personas a quienes corresponda, den al 

 B. de Humboldt todo el favor, auxilio y proteccion que ne- 

 cessite. (De Aranjuez, 7 de mayo 1799.) 



