New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-01-30
Alexander Won Humboldt.

Alexander Won Humboldt.
\ Berlin correspondents II the Commercial Al.
-sr.i.cr describes visit TO tia great naturalist as
.o,.oes
81 m1s, confess that NJ frs, impression VA.
lue % disappointment. tor has busts aud pictures
lad gwen lus the IDEA I'd; man nearly ST feet
.isL. rather s-outy bulk and erect as an ar-ow-
lnsead o.. tl,s there stood before me a man a. mid
de hight, his once robust frame aud limos meager
With axe sui has head dropping and shoulders
bowel under the wcgdt o. more thai four score
summers IT, appears as Old AS be really =. but
DO tiuc state 81 prcservs flol-tbc result oi con
slant Temperance and active cxcrcise m the open
air from youth and % carefully avoiding al unAs
cessary exposure, AID al extreme emotions
He commenced tie conversation ia English. with
an apology Tor ms impcvcc, stsle. and spoke in
hat language during the greater part OF the inter
new. Truth requires uc -o say that Mr Hum.
5oit knows. ll better ttau Ls To hasfy admirers
IS proficiency ln tLat language. Contrary % tle
assertion generally made s0 loosely must gree
eirh HIM that 10 does not speak perfectly though
Nel, and with great huenDy. 4 foreign accent
made his English ess nteih lbie than hs French.
which he speaks elegantly and ike native tie
sac generally with his head slightly bowed on hs
breast but when he became Interested would
asa it and look on h.s visitors. while warm and
.euia smile would play across his features. tie
mas the expression OF a man Of great goodness OF
y
pie manner OF a veteran courtier. There IS nothing
labby about the face, the flesh benz ir and solid
His hca Is not remark bic for size, bui the tore
lead IS high and smooth, without the protuberanoes
which phrcnoloelsts usually assign % the percep
I'VE organs OF such men. II u.s. should say. a head
u a remarkably harmonious development. and not
singular ~ It's appearance unless II be sogularity
;na, II is not yet bald, but covered with ong thin
whit. hair.
The conversation ran ON numerous topics. he
nad iust received a copy Of a pamphlet published
~ one Of our astronomers, Mr.. Il. IN which sir
| John Herschel attacked TINS ne regretted, and
made some remarks on the favorable opinion Her
.chel had always had Of America and her scientific
| men. He inquired with interest after Mr.. Bsche
ana bis progress m the survey OF our coasts, and
seemed quite familiar with the state OF feeling hls
/ appointment had produced among the gentlemen OF
he Navy. The Navy officers, he said always
| lblcct "a an appointment Of that kind when not
| made from their own number, no matter how com-
| 1eteut and efficient the person may be Speaking
II Professor Agsssiz be said, YOU Americans have
| made a tine acquisition there. AgassIZ would
De- dlstne uIshed, even IN Europe, tor his attain
nents in various branches Of natural history. Per
maps lie IS little to unbeudng n his theory Of the
eject OF glaciers The change OF the general cli
nate OF tho world However, be has thrown
-reat deal Of hight that subject, ha wing made per
sOuay many very excellent experiments aud OBJ
seryatluus The mention of glaciers led naturally
t0 that 81 persons who had observed them, and ot
exploring voyages IN the North. One OF us asked
l.s opinion to the fate Oi Franklin. He thought
C qu.to probable that franklin had not porshed
bat was sta shut IN by the ice. and gave several
ats 90 voyagers whom he bad seen and who had
Jcen iur long seasons detained ~ the Northern
seas. Tho Esqulmaux Vt this coast, he sad, were
l0t at all dangerous Franklin was well supplied
with provisions, and would probably yet return TO
give au account OF his voyage. Indeed tie report
hat the Esquimaax Indians had SAID that some
vessels had long been last ~ thu zee, away on d
he North seemed 10 be fully confirmed.
" lie praised the United States Tor rs generous
initiative matters OF science, and Sad that ;he ex
petition 10 Chli. ior scientific purposes, would not
nave been undertaken by any country m Europe
Dlc of toid hlm that Capt. Stone had eit Tor
Essrt aui jerusalem Nj Humboldt expressed
the pleasure he had derived from his acquaintance
AMI wished to know whether the captain was
aware that he had put has name Ia the last volume
# the recent edition OF the work, The Aspccfs 81
Nature TINS 70 N connection with ths account Oi
the captain VISIT TO Pop0catapet-
The name Of Colonel Fremont happening 10 be
mentioned Humboldt spoke Ia hIzh praise OF his
contributions "a geographical science and thought
.t unfortunate he had returned prisoner by the
very road which no had travelled as an explorer
lie thOush tie day would come when Colonel Ere
alonts works would BE- much better appreciated
.han at present He expressed the opinion
mat the probable produce Ol tns NhlllJfnid sOtl
mines had been over estimated, ior that up 70 the
present time the yield hsd been much .ess than
that VI the Russian mines, the later having often
produced annually thirty millions OF dollars. No
such arge pieces have been found Ia California
One sohd piece VI eighty pounds had been found Ia
Russia and many Of forty, thirty, twenty and Six
teen He was surprised that no platn2 had yet
been found. These are only few OF the remarks
made In a conversation which he, VI course con
Quoted almost without remarks On our side. lie
seems o. have an Iuexhaustlbe store Of facts, aud
70 be accurately informed about ever thing and
every body His friend said after we came away
that the way to hear him " the greatest advsnt
axe was 10 ask h.s opinion any given point, when
his wonderful kno edge would be brought 10 bear
On Il In a manner most Satisfactory 70 any skeptlc
- % The extent ard mlnuteness % hs Information
We lett quite charmed with the noble and genial
nature whose richness Aas made II the cory OF the
axe.
The habits Of Humboldt are not remarkable
except the limited number Of hours necessary 70
sleep, eri ia Temperance and regularity. H.s
tine IS systematically divided. he rises az SIX u
the Winter and i've Ia the Summer, studies two
hours, drllAs cap d c0rse, returns n hls study
and commences tie TASK % answering lis letters
VI wtish he receives yearly more than ole Lgn
dsed thousand I have beard this number doubled
out dislike % seem O. exag-erate.I From twelve
lnu. tS0 ne receives sIslts and returns 10 work al
,go A. four be dimes, ~ Summer with the King
Ia the Winter At home nom four until eleven be
passes At the table, and generally IL company viii
tie King. but sometimes AZ meetings Of learned
sOcieues or Ia the company Of lis friends. AZ
eleven be- retircs - his study and continues there
4Hti one " two answering etters writing BIS
WORKS o. preparing them by study. Ills best books
hsve al been written az midnight H. sleeps four
nours, II having always been 4 peculiarly ia lis
family o. require like sleep Now II anybody
links that - sleeping oEiy four hours and study
lng al midnight, be may equal Hunbo.tt ia varied
aitalnments, let hin first be that be possesses
another o. H1moolct pecuharities, namely genius
HIS cary IuclInatons led him . the pursuits IL
which be has since 50 dsstlnz gished himself A,
tweLtytnrc be was IN such repute for Is know
edge that he vas appointed First Assessor Of the
Mines 81 Prussia. From very early age, then
lr o the present time, aDo1t tgO-thrds u a cen
IIry. be has been nce.atlgable IN the pursuit q
knoH edge He bgulght o. tins pursuit a rare aus
,eptibity the charms Of Nature, = heart capable
Of feeling and head Of generaAzing. His for
tune AID rank have ever gwen hIn the bes, advan.
tages a every kIEf. II be had Dot been a saraaf
be might have been artist OF poet sor hs WORKS
show taste and imagination O; the most exquisite
perfection
FURTHER RECOVERY OF PRoPERrY-Tbe
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