The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-10
ALEXANDER Won HUMBOLDT.
uuu,hnlh,,. ChiIdhood and CoIIege Life.

September IL. t769. His inther was MAJOR AleAah-
der George Won Humboldt; his mother was of
French extraction. He had bat one brother,
William who was his elder by two years.
The childhood OF the two brothers was passed
at the Castle of Tegel, about three leagues from
berlin. IL was in the midst of pleasant scenery;
a dark pine-clad hill rose at the back, in front
extended the lake, and beyond 1t lay the town
and famous fortress of Spandau. No traditions
of precocious intelligence are recollected of
Alexander-the man who outlives family and
fellow workers, and gains twenty years beyond
the common lot. leaves no contemporaries of his
bovhuod to recount To u new generation the
shadows of eminence forecast upon his youth.
From such "reminiscences, however, as can be
collected, we perceive that in his early training
lay the germs of his ultimate greatness.
His education began with his brothers i'm 1175,
under joachim Heinrich Campo, teacher who
went by Rousseaus theory; combining the physi-
cal with the mental development of his pupils,
and treating the study of the natural sciences rs
Of equal Importance with that of the classics and
metaphysics. Next to klopstock, Campo was
accounted the greatest of German critics and
philolOgists; but the work of his in which his
young scholars probably found most editication,
was translation of the famous adventures OF
Robinson Crusoe." AleXanders taste for the
natural sciences was already awakened, and the
hero of that history filled him with longing
desire to visit strange lands upon his own
account.
Campo remained but year at Tesel, and was
succeeded in his Office by Christian Knutte, Il
young man, poor in purse, but rich in learning,
sor Throughout the childhood of his pupils,
and up to the period of their fathers death,
which happened in 1779, many distinguished
visitors appeared at Tegel-princes, statesmen,
old companions in arms, and famous scholars;
amongst the last come Goethe and DIR. Ernst
Ludwig Heine, the physician of the family and
q learned botanst, who instructed the boys in
his favorite science on the system of Linneus.
When they were sent to Berlin to pursue their
education, Christian knutte accompanied them
he also went with them when they were trans
ferred TO the University of Gottingen. At this
famous seat of learning, the most distinguished
teachers during the young HumbOldts residence
were johann Friedrich Blumenbach, Professor
of Physiology and Comparative Anatomy; Chris
tian Gottleib Heync, Il great classic: and Eich-
horn, Professor of Arabic and profound Bibli-
cal scholar.
But the man who exercised the most perma-
nent influence over the mind of Alexander was
George Foster, son-in-law to Professor Heyne
He had seen what the University sages had but
learnt from books. He had outdonc the adven-
turOus Robinson Crusoc. At eighteen he had
sailed round the world with Captain Cook. and
had since written an account of his voyage. In
his company Alexander spent most of his
leisure, and his example and conversation mainly
determined the bent of the young students fu-
ture life.
In 1889 the university course of the two bro
theirs ended. William proceeded to Paris with
his old tutor Campo, and Alexander remained in
Germany, prosecuting his studies. He applied
himself to geology. thea new science, directed
thereto by the works of AbrahamWerner Hum
boldts first journey was meteorological tour
with Foster up the Rhine, and through Holland
to England. He afterwards emho lied his OBJ
servatons in work which supported Werner's
theory that all rocks are OF aqueous formation.
1t was his earliest published production.
He next went to u commercial academy at
Hamburg, and thence to Freyburg, where he
remained Il year studying mining under Werner
In 1892 he gained his first appointment as in
spector of mines in Franconia. Here his duties
hoJ had tl
system throughout, ana to travel continually
inspecting the working of the new operations:
at the same time he lost no opportunity of pur-
suing his scientific researches he botanized, he
descended into the mines to examine the fungi
that grew in the shafts, and if the district were
mountainous, he studied the rock formations,
and speculated on Werners theory. His powers
ot continuous labor were marvellous; busy as he
must have been ut this period, he wrote largely
for the scientific journals, and published a work
on the local botany of the neighborhood OF
Freyburg.
In 1895 he resigned his Office of inspector of
mines, and proceeded to Vienna, where the mag
nifcent collection of eXotics gave him great
facilities for the study of botany.
During the following year his mother died,
and was buried Mt Tegel and in the subsequent
spring his brother, who was now married, met
him at Berlin to divide their inheritance. Will
liams share was Tegel, AleXander's an estate in
Nenmark, which he sold to the poet Franz Won
hlalst, to raise funds for the journey which was
to pass, he diverted his energies with numerous
plans and many short excursions. He made
geological tour with Leopold Won Buch through
Salzburg, Styria, and the Tyrolese Alps. and in
iI9o he went TO Paris, where his brother William
resided. whose house was a rallying point for all
the French SGUGnS and distinguished men who
visited that gay capital. Of this period were two
abortive plans for journeys to South America
the Archipelago of the Pacific, New Holland,
Madagascar, and the Cape of Good Hope: they
were set on foot by the National Museum of
France, but fell to the ground for lack of funds
to carry them out; and the only good Humboldt
reaped from his disappointment was the friend
ship of Aime Bonpland, one of the naturaiists
who had been appointed to accompany the
voyage of exploration to South America
In 1898 he and Aime Bonpland spent the win.
ter in Spain, and while in Madrid he was pre-
sented to the King, who promised him the sup
port of his ministers ii he undertook
Voyage 10 the New World.
Thus encouraged, he resolved not to risl
further disappointment by delay. Furnished
with passports and with extensive permission
for researches throughout all Spanish America
Humboldt and Bonpland despatched farewell
letters to their friends and relatives, embarked
on board the Pizarro, and got safe out to sea OF
June D, ll99. so the great journey was begun
Humboldt was then in his thirteth year
Many portions OF the story of Humboldt
great transatlantic journey with Aimc Bon
pland read like the widest travellers tales bu
they are told on the authority of his own nara
tives.
Their first stay was at the great Canaries, TIN
Pizarro anchoring in the Bay of Santa Cruz
Their chief point of interest was Teneriffe. anC
as the captain could not promise them a della
of more than four or five days, they mmediatel
set out for Orotava, on the western declivity o
the volcano.
They started before sunrise; the French vic