The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-10-20

Ex-PSsSirFSr EltlnoRR ASn RARoS Hrn-
selpr. At the centennial ecmmemeratian in
Ba.Alo Rx-PrsSident Fillmore made the fol-
lowing narrstiNns
have heen requested hy the Committee ef
ArrA2Eeuests to relate ny interview with Ra-
rea HaEbeldt. and with acme relaetsnce
have consented - do 50; but il rass necessari-
IL compel ne To be listle more egctisticsl than
could desire. aud fear tia; more viii be ex-
Pestei than I can give.
In 1855. While travelling in Europe, TN
exPeesedly met Rarou Gerlot. at Bonn. On the
Rhine. vhe had 50 ably represented the frus-
sian GOyernnsnt at Washington. and he in
Sairsa Of ne If intended to visit Berlin. and
| told hin, did. and he kindly rendered ne
letter efiutroanetiou to Baron hnmholit. which
gratefully accepted. expecting. however.
sethsng more than the priviledge Of hooking
At an ostagsnarisn whe had assembled the
Peak Of Tencrise. and from its 6issy height
marked the time that il took the disk ef the
sun to rise above the horison. and uho had
traced the orinOee River through savage wilds
and burning heats to It's sOurce; sndsesledths
Andes and GSeended the ChiEahOrafo to the
height of neAriy 20 Gee feet. and whose nAnae
had been intimately associated with the ad-
vzncsnent &C science for more than half
cenrury. l felt that !, would be satisfaction
to loek upon such = man and mark his Gnca-
neats sad hear him converse. Accordingly
when l arrived in Berlin. l inquired II Baron
Humboldt had s residence there and was
informed that be had, and sent nv courier
with ny letter Of intrcdneticn and address. In
Qririns when il would be convenient TO receive
: eAn frOm ne bat my messenger returned
With information that the Baron was AZ Pots
dam, Is miles distant. and l concluded, that
should not see him until / visited PotsdAm.
but TO nv surprise. Just as had finished my
breakfast the next morning. Baron Humboldt
was announced. Ny letter and address had
heen sent to him the evening before, and be
had come down prrpOsely TO meet me. and he
reserved ne with = eordiSlity that put me en-
iirely at nv ease. He vas then S6 years old.
tall and s;outly built. with strongly marked
6erInAa eountenanee, his hair white and thin,
slightly stopping in the shoulders. with his
chin nearly resting upon his bosom as be stood,
but of a most benign and venerable aspect and
commanding dignity. The portrait which
hangs there, painted by Mr.. Selstedt,is very
good likeness
Although he spoke the English language,
yet il Was with sone difficulty that / could
understand him. as be spoke with an accent,
and the loss Of his teeth had evidently impair
cd his power Of euuuciAtion. Anera short con
versaiion, learning that had just arrived in
the city. be proposed at once to accompany
ne to see the chief objects Of interest, and in
spite Of nv pro;estAtions that could not ask
sceh fATor. he spent most Of the day in show
ing ne about the city and pointing out the
chief curiosities. You may well conclude that
for $ nan Of his age be was very active. and
he seemed TO take IS much interest in every-
thing as though be was but 50 and was looking
st them for the first time Some few days af-
ter returned his call. and found him occupy
ing rooms assigned him BY the king in one Of
his Palaces al PotsdAm, and be was engaged
in reading the last proofs Of his kosaos. I
asked him If It had been translated into Eng
lish as far as completed. He said il had /
inquired If he had seen the translation. and he
said he had and il was very good Though
sitting by table. Observed that when he
wrote, he wrote upon his knee. and as re-
marked the singulArity. be said that he had
been compelled 50 much Of his life to use his
knee for > writing table that the habit had ren-
dered il natural aud easy He spoke with in
tere<t Of his journey through the United States
in 1874. and Of his visit to President Jefferson.
The room which he occupied vas evidently
his workshop. 1t was filed with books and
maps and such natural euriOSities as be had
collected during long life, and many Of them
were very rare and curious Indeed. it was \
perfect museum for the man Of science, and he
kindly drew nv attention to objects Of the
greatest interest.
afterwards met him at dinner party given
BY the king at the palace Of Sans Souci, where
the chief diplomats and mobiles were assembled,
and I Was struck with the deference that was
paid him. not only by the king and queen, but
By all present He was indeed an extraordi-
nary uau, and never expect to look upon his
like again