New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS

was sineularly free from exciting incidents, his
Biography furnishes ample materials, is shown in
the present volume, for An instructive and enter
tanning narrative. His serene contemplation of
nature scarcely disturbed by the perils OF
remote travel He lived exclusively for the inter
ests Of truth and took no share in the ambitious
pursuits which agtate the lives Of most men.
Content with the greatness Of science, TIE usual
prizes which are s.riven for by the world were 70
him Of no more importance than the bauoies OF
children The interest of bis biography mu''' Oh
course, DO derived from his travels and bis winnings
This is well understood by the compiler oil this
work. Dra~ing from great variety OF sources
be has condensed the scientific labors OF Hum'od'
into popular form, and thus enabled the general
reader ts form an intelligent notion OF the scope
asd purpose Of the career Of the lustrlous savan'
The following account of the electrical eel' oil
South America may serve as specimen oil inc
manner in which the compiler works up the s'ase-
ments of Humboldt in his personal Narrative" ":
Next to the electrical apparatus nothing at Gala
bozo excited n the travellers 80 great an interest az
the gymrOt which were animated ELECTRICAL appa-
ratuses. Humboldt was impatient from the time OF MS
arrival Of Cumsus, to procure elecsncal eeis. ne naa
been disappointed He at first wished 10 make his ex
periments in the house he inhabited at Caaoozo, Dat
the dread Of the shocks caused by the gymnou was
20 great and 90 exaggerated among the common
people that during three days he could not Obtain one
though they were easily enough caught, and he hsd
msed the Indians two pissters for every strong ana
O1deus fish. Impatient at last OF waiting, ana
having obtained very uncertain results from an cleo.
trio eel which had been brought to him alive, Dnt
much epfeebed Humboldt, accompanied by Bon
pand repaired to the Cano &c Bera TO make MS e1-
- Aok ha ad.yan al a W
Thev set off on the 18th Of March. at very early
hour for the village Of Rastro; thence they were con-
Quoted by the Indians to stream, which IN the time
f drouth formed basin OF muddy water, sunounded
BY fine trees. To catch the gymnoti with nets was
considered very difficult on account Of the extreme
agility of the fish, which buried themselves 10 the
mud. The Indians told them that they would hsh
with horses. They found it difficult to form an idea OF
this manner Of fshng: but they soon saw their guides
return from the savanna, which they had been
occurring for wild horses and mules. They brought
about thirty with them, which they forced to ener the
pool The noise csused by the horses hoos made the
fsh issue from the mud and excited them TO the
attack. These yellovsh aud Evid cells, resembling
large aquatic serpents, swan on the surface OF the
water and crowded under the bellies OF the horses
and mules. contest between animals OF so di1er-
sat an organization presented very striking specta-
Gle. The Ind ans, provided with harpoons ana long
slender reeds, surrounded the pool closely, and some
cmcd up the trees, the branches OF which extended
horizontally over the surface OF the water. By their
wild cres and the length of their reeds they prevented
the horses from running away and reaching the bank
Of the pool The ees, stunned by the nose defended
themselves by the repeated discharge OF their electro
batteries For long interval they seemed likely TO
prove victorious. Several horses sank beneath the
violence of the nvi.ble strokes which they received
from all Sides and stunned by the force and frequency
OF the shocks, they disappeared under the water.
Others, painting, with mane erect, and haggard eyes
expressing anguish and dismay, raised themselves and
esdesvored TO flee from the storm by which they were
overtsken. They were driven back by the Indians
-. IL l,,k r,rnhA
ceeded in eludng the active vigilance of the fisher
men. These regaiDed the shore, stumbling at every
step and stretched themselves on the sand exhausted
with fatigue and with limbs benumbed by the electric
shocks of the gymnoti.
In less than five minutes two of the horses were
drowned The ees being five feet long, and pressing
themselves against the bellies Of the horses, MADE
discharge along the whole extent OF ther eiectrlc
organ They attacked at Opce the heart, the intes-
tines and the ceiac fold of the abdominal nerves.
The hors were probably not killed, but only stunned
They drowned from the impoSiblty oil rising
amid the prolonged struggle between the other horses
and the eels.
The travellers had little doubt that the fishing would
terminate by killing successfully all the animals en-,
gagged but BY degrees the mpetuosty OF this unequal
combat diminished and the wearled gymnou as
peted They required long rest, and abundant nour-
ishment to repa the galvanic force which they lost
The mules hotses appeared lees fnghtened their
longer brised aud their eyes expressed
lees dread. The gynnoti approached tu,ldy the edge
OF the marsh, where they were taken by means OF
ANAL barpoops fastened TO long cords. When the
cords dry, the Indians felt no shock ia raising the
tsh into the an. In few minutes Humboldt had five
large ees meet Of which were but slightly wounded.
Some others we're taken, by the same means toward
evening
Here is a touch of the musketOes OF the
Orncco:
In the missions e the Ofnoco, in the villsges on
tue banks Of the river surrounded by Immense forests
the plague OF the musketoes afforded an nexhaustbe
subject Of conversation. When two per,ons met IN
the ming the fret questions they addressed to each
other were: "liow did you find the zancudos during
the night How are We to day for the musketoes =
These questions reminded Humboldt at Chinese form
Of po,eress which indicated the ancient state Of tue
county where il took birth. Sa'utsOns for.
merry made in ths Celestial Empire in the following
words Have you been incommoded IN the night by
the serpents!'
"llow comfortable must people be in the moon =!
said Saive Indian to Father Gumia; 'she looks so
beautiful and clear, that she must be free from mus
ketoes There words, which denoted the intaocy OF
people, remarkable. The satellite OF the earth
appears to all savage nations the abode of the blessed
the country Of abundance. The Esquimsux, who
counts among his riches plank or trunk of tree,
thrown by the currents On coast destitute OF vege-
teon, in the moon plains covered with forests;
the Indian Of the forests of Onoco behods there open
savaDnas, where the inhabitants are never stung by
musketoes
At Man6avsca the travellers found an old missionary
who told them with air of sadness that he had had
his twenty years OF musketoes IN Americs: lie
desired them to look at hs legs "thst they might be
able to tell one day beyond the sea what the poor
monks suffer in the forests of Cassiqusre.' Every
sting leaving a email, dsrkish brown poiut, his legs
were g. speokled that il was difficult to recognize
the whitepess Of his skin through the spots of
cosguated blood. What appeared TO the travellers
singular, was that the different species did not
associate together and that at different hours Of the
day they were stuog by distinct species. Every
time that the changed, ard, 10 use the simple
expression of the mise other insects "mounted
cnard thew had few minntas often onar-