Washington telegraph., 1853-12-14
Interview with Baron Won Hum
bOIdt.

bOldt.
Professor SILLIMAN has recently added
two volumes to the vast library of European
travels from one of which we extract an ex-
tremely interesting passage descriptive Of
an interview with the venerable HUMBOLDT:
'In fulflment of an appointment we went
at once. and were admitted by his faithful
servant, the companion of many an arduous
journey. His mansion is a plain edifce |
situated in a retired part of the city, and he
would not have been now at home had not
the king gone to konigsberg, for his resi-
dence is generally with the king at Potsdam,
who keeps him near his person, as his father
did before him, not only for his society and
conversation but no doubt also as a counsel
lor, wise from his many years and his large
experience in the world We passed through
his library, which fills on all sides. room
of considerable size; and he issued from
door on the remote side of the apartment,
opening apparently from his private room.
He met US with great kindness and perfect
frankness, and with pleasant rebuke for
my having hesitated to call on him, q had
written note, asking permission to call,
implying that he was not ignorant of my
position and efforts at home | then intro
duced my son and Mr.. Brush, and we were
at once placed perfectly at our ease His
bright countenance expressed great benevo-
lence; and from the fountain Of his immense
stores Of knowledge stream. almost con-
stant, flowed for nearly an hour lie was
not engrossing but yielded to our prompt
yphopavnr ba taJ
or alluded to any particular topic; for we
did not wish to occupy the time with our
own remarks any further than to draw him
out. He has perfect command of the best
English, and speaks the language quite
agreeably. There is no stateliness or re-
serve about him, and he is as affable as if
he had no claims to superiority. His voice
is exceedingly musical, and he is so anlnat-
ed and amiable that you feel at once as if he
were an old friend. His person is not much
above the middle size; he is not unlike in
form to the late Colonel Trumbull He
stoops little, but less than most men at the
age of eighty-two. He has no appearance
OF decrepitude; his eyes are brilliant, his
compilation light; but his features and per-
son are round, although not fat; his hair thin
and white; his mind very active, and his
language brilliant. and sparkling with brigt
thoughts. He alluded in flatterine man
ner to our progress in knowledge in the |
United States, and to the effect which the |
american Jour7aal Of Science and Arts
had produced in promoting it He showed
himself perfectly acquainted with the pro-
gress of physical science and general i'm
provement in our country, and particularly
commended the labors of Col Fremont in
the Far West, Of Professor Bache in the
coast survey. and of Lieut. Maury, in navi-
cation. Bringing out his maps and tracing
his lines without glasses, he pointed out
channel of communication across the Isthmus
of Darien which he had observed and des-
cribed more than forty years ago, and to |
which his attention had been recalled bv !
paper of Captain Fitzroy in the Journal of
Roya! Geographical Society. He showed |
us that there are no mountains In the course !
he indicated, which is more southern than
any of the existing routes, and that it has |
several important advantages | alluded to
his brief visit to the United States in 1904, |
when he travelled no further north than
Philadelphia. He told us that he passed
three weeks at Monticello, with Mr.. Jeffer- |
son, who entertained him with an extraordi-
nary project of his inventive but often Wis |
ionary mind regarding the ultimate division |
Of the American Continent into three great
republics, involving the conquest of Mexico |
and of the South American States. He dis |
cussed many topics regarding the United |
States. The discovery of gold in California !
furnished him an abundant theme; our top |
ography, climate, productions, institutions
aud even political controversies were all IA |
miliar with him. Baron Humboldt, although
associated intimately with kings, is evident
ly friend to human liberty, and reioices in |
the prosperity of our country. lie made
some very interesting remarks on the pre-
sent state of Europe, and on the impossible
ity of keeping down moral power by physical
force. In bis library hung an excellent
likeness of the king and another of his own |
brother, the late William Humboldt, the |
eminent philosopher and chronological anti
quarry. We retired greatly gratifed and
the more 50 as a man in his eighty-third year
might soon pass away. 1t is proper to add |
that at the time of our visit Baron Won !
Humboldt was engaged in the preparation
of new production on the Outline Form of
Mountain Peaks in which he was working
up original observations and drawings made |
during the course of his various wanderings |
He assured us that the greater part of his |
literary labor was of necessity performed
when others slept, as the hours of usual labor
were with him consumed by the demands of
the King. He added that he early made
the discovery that he could get on very well
with four hours of sleep This as has been