Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-07-24
From the N. Y Courier and Enquirer.
Humbolt and Fremont.

| From the N. Y Courier and Enquirer.
Humbolt and Fremont.
To honor him as Pioneer of American
Discovery, the King of Prussia presented IL
Col. John c. Fremont "the great Colder
Medal of Progress in the Sciences" The
medal is of fine gold, massive, more thar
double the size of the American double eagle
and of exquisite workmanship. On the
face is the medallion head of the King
FrederlCk William the Fourth, surrounded
by figures emblematical of Religion, Juris-
prudence, Medicine, and the Arts. On the
reverse, Apollo, in the chariot of the sun
drawn by four high-mettled, plunging horses
| traversing the zodiac, and darting rays Of
light from his head. This beautiful tribute
to the merit Of Col Fremont came ,c him
accompanied with a complimentary letter
from Baron Humboldt, of which the follow
ing j. translation: ss.sss..z,,.. =. ). 3
"To Coz. Fremont, Senator:
at is very Agreeable to me, sir. to ad-
dress you these line, by my exec Hen; friend
,'ur NJ mister to the United States, N. De-
Gerot. After having given vou in the new
rditinn of my ASPECTS of NatuIe,' the public
testimony of the admiration wb ch is due 10
your gigantic labors between ST. Louis o.
Missouri, and the coasts of the South Sea-
feel happy tc offer you, in this living token
(dans ce petit signs de vis) the homage of
my warm acknow led dgment. You have dis
played noble coursge in distant expeditions
brdvet all the dangers of cold and famine.
enriched all the branches OF the natural
science, illustrated vast country which
was almost entirely unknown to US.
"a merit 50 rare has oeen acknowledged
by sovereign warmly interested in the
progress of physical Geography, the King
orders me to offer you the grand golden
medal destined to those who have labored
at scientific progress. l hope that this mark
of the Royal good will, will be agreeable to
lscu at time when, upon the proposition of
the iliustrious geogrs spher, Chas. Ritter, the
Geographical Societ- at Berlin, has named
you an honorary member. For myself,
must thank you particularly also for the
honor which you have done in attaching my
name and that of my fellow laborer and in
innate friend, Mr.. Bonpland, 10 countries
neighboring to those which have been the
object of our labrs. California, which has
so noby resisted the introduction OF slavery
will be worthiiy represented by friend OF
Liberty, and OF the progress of intelligence.
"Accept, pray yol, sir, the expression
OF my high and afectionate consideration
Your most humble, and most obedient
servant, ga. v. HUMBOLDT.
"SAxs SoUc1, October Z, 1850"
The follow ing is the public testimony of
the Baron's admiration of the gigantic lab.
orS OF Fremont, referred to in the letter, as
contained in a new or third edition OF his
'.ASpecfS Of Nature" and which, as refer
ence, becomes natural appendant to the
letter:
'Fremont's map and geographical nvesti-
cations comprehend the extensive region
from the Junction of the Kansas river with |
the Missouri, 10 the falls Of the Columbia.
and to the missions .of Santa Barbara and
Puebia de los Angeles, in New California:
or space OF % degrees of longitude. and
from the 34th to the 45thparallel Of latitude.
Four hundred points have been determined
hyposometricalIy by barometric observations
and for the most part geographically by as
tronomical observations; SO that district
which. with the windings of the route, "a
mounts to $500 geographical miles, from
the mouth OF the Kansas To Fort Van Cou, |
yer and the shores of the Pacific, (almost
72O miles more than the distance from Mad |
rid to Toboisk,) has been represented in
profile. showing the relative heights above |
the level Of the sea.
GAS was, believe, the first person who
undertook to represent, in geognostc profile I
the form Of entire couGtries--such as the |
Iberian peninsula, the high llnds of Mex
leo, and the Cordileras OF South America,
(the semi-perspective projections o. a
Siberian traveller, the Able Chappe, were |
founded on mere ana generally i'll jud ged
estmations of the fall OF rivers) ii: has
given me peculiar pleasure to see the geo.
graphical method OF representing the form
of the earth in vertical direction, or the |
elevations Of the solid portion Of our planet |
above. its watery covering, applied On So
map"