New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-05
A LETTER FROM HUMBOLDT on THE
DEATH OF BONPLAND.

The Berlin correspondent of The Boston Journal
sends the following letter of Alexander Won Humboldt,
on The recent death of Bopplsnd, his junior by about
four years. Humboldt hoped be might not survive
the warmes friend Of his early years, but IL sssns N
be the destiny Of this venerable man to follow all his
friends to III grave ard to remain himself the solo
representative Of the times Of his youth.
HrNBoLDT's LETTER.
Couscous Of the deep symp sthy of numerous friends
In the sorrow occasoned by the wide spread report oil
the death Of my dear, noble friend aud ieliow-Iss.
sler Boppand consider 1t my duty to give at lest
a brief notice of this event, for the pMucuixs oil
which am indebted to the kind services of Dr. Isle
msnt author Of an important Paper on the diseases
map, after leaving the Austrian Royal Expedition in
the frigate Novsra in February Of this year. for thu
purpose Of doing kindness 10 myself, msds thd
journey from Rio Janeiro TO Rio GsAnoe and tnsnce
by way of Porto Allegro through the former Jesut
Mission to San Borgls, under the erroneous mpfes-
sion that Boppland, who had gone there in lSJi, c~
s resident at that place. have receiyedtwo letters
frt m Dr. Lslemant one dated at San Borgia on the
10th OF April, the other written from the village OF
Umgusana, after be had visited Bopplsnd at santa
Ara. An extended abstract Of these letters hsving
be en- sent to the editor Of the widely and inter-
sttipg botanical journal, the BonTiandia in Hanover.
tho following bretsr eAsraes may here sufii 70;
"In San Borgs," writes DIR. Lalemant, Ihved
with an intimate friend Of Bonpland, the vicH Gray,
with whom visited the garden OF tho botan'st so
de.oa.e II was the close of the year 1857 that
the Vicar last received letters from BoDp,nd since
VIXEN Intelligence had como OF his severe ilae@
Letters of Inquiry still remained unanswered, snd
rotw itt standing the short distsnce between the
places. the people Of Sau Borgis were uncertain
whether should find your fellow travellers yet IN
the land of the living. In 1875 Bonpland had ieit
San Borgis and taken up his residence upon his
larger plantation of Santa Ana, where he had long
occupied himself in the cultivation OF orange trees.
The residence Of the sged scholar IN tho Esanns
ef Santa Ana, consists of two large buildings,
mere clay walls, bound together by bamboo sticks
ard few beams, and thsiched with straw. These
buo ings have DOORS but no wind0ws, the ght DeiDS
admitted through the ehirks between the BAN
boO sticks. Despite the deep burrows which an event
ful life had epgraven in the beloved couhtenancs, nis
eye rad not grown dim nor lost any OF ~ full
thoughfed vivacity. Bat lively Conversation, though
started by hinseE appeared to weary 6lm nucn, snd
he suffered severely from chronic affection OF the
bladder. The privatlous he had so strangely I'M
posed upon himself are by no means IN consequence
OF poverty Of any necessity for abstinence but OF
long custom crest sef control, and charactersc IN
dividuaity. The Government o. C3snentes m ns' P.s
sen,ed TO him an estate valued at lO 0O0 Spannn pas
terr ard he enjoys q French pension OF 3oW hancs
q year. He he never made the practice Of mea-
cine q source of pecuLiaIy proht to himself. Iaougo
universally reveIed he loves the solitude, ana espe-
cislly avoids all persons who might cer him assist
snce or advice. His scientific srdor has not yet
sbsted ard his collections and manuscripts are deoos
tied iu Corrientes where he has founded ns''onS'
museum. Al,
"On the following morning found him visibly
worse and sinking awsy. The night hsd besn s
psnful cne. l pressed him TO tell me eneensp :
might rot, in some way be OF service " MN. pas
fsrsd better than bis otner fieDds-be would sc-
cent Of no assistence How glsoly We uld have per-
81 AZ ed him to return once more to cvized s,o'sty
But l. too felt with him that his time vas psst. ~
belongs TO the first bali of the ninetesn.n o.yss
20 90 the second, think ttst your friend nimaeif
va, moved when took his wasted hands IN mne win
tbs nrese ure OF farewell. For three months nov n1
tteIdsnts have remarked bis falling strength, and
perhaps the old man had the sane ioreoodng my
elf Al psrtrR e. that might be the last emossssdof
European lnesge who should penetrate the oeptas OF
the wilderness TO ser him regard, love ana tnsnks
the nsme of that ecisrce which owes 10 mucn W hs
labors I mounted my koTse ana rode noi.a.1
through the evergreen plans; no Pssn ',S rn,.w
wsy. 20 guide dnturbed me- va aots ~.n my ."
,2yfuI tbous hts over the departed Bosp'shd.
Vet no y cheerful the last letter ] receyse ron
Bonplard, bearing dste the nh o Jucs .Sm .,t
~ snu.c,iots 10 Paris and depo.t them 10 tho Mass-
80 Nv ;,urrey TO France will bs exceedingly saon.
- .5.II y.tnrn 70 my Santa Ana, where Iced q1ist
ard happy life. Here shal die, and my sep1cnfo
sId nv crave shall be urdsrrea.h the shsoow Oh srS
.msrv ices have planted. o., how happy we're 4
INV dear Humboldt, could We meet ence more, aeL
rscsll our common experiepces On the Ssa Oh
August neIt shall be esh'yfour ysLs oio -. sd
II Is vicinity Who hsd attained ths e. Of one Dsn
.d,sd And Seyeu. What prospect fer tso Essssrs E
who hsye already stepped bsyosd The e'sa'''o
year." .us.d..;rioy tone Of this lst,sr.
Ane a,.puelv With the melancholy represente-
c.luan I'm isfemsnt. According to Hen v. Tschudi
non, c naIt n vss credited Mon,svdeo the s Of
Msv hi Bopplsnd had died At BOrgs, the dSs .,
ss sth uncertain, Yet DR.. Lsliemant hsH spA ~,
wih him on the 18th Of April 10 santa Ara ~ ~ :.
NAV 10 tho report Of his death vas d<crsa..esa ~
Psto Allegro. Thus there ye. re~Ains .% S1s. sx.x
bore that the younger s no. to bs hrs Ss' ~ n.'1
Such remoeness often s,retcses nncsnrs "a ys Vel
fal durs,icp ,uch TIE sclici ute 'et ioi
- Cs~t,sl Africs. eud for Ad,phus sehbeso'"Ai' :"
Cerir,l A.is-,bs sorrowfaly %,s,soy urxsoL,r.
e,,i, Ill. jsI.6s. ALEAASDEh v h"no"S'