New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-15

Animal aud quite ngsefa Of nv brother had
made of Work. was poor to buy thonsh th9y Soss
but few francs yoa GERMAN Cyclopeda, presented
me by the publisher shall never forget seer s
Of mingled Interest ami as he ponnced upon the great
Fpcvclnned,a. Was machen Sic DEM mt deser Ess
What yEa SUs name given in Germany to
similar COMPILATIONS III have not haa tune, fao ad
stndv tho arginal sources of learning anu IGeu q
nromnt aud EASY answer to thousand questions nave
az VET no other means OF solving" 49,, 0 M, ovor
,ama Nth the good things Of this world for shortly
aerward received an Invitation 10 ees nun az Whence he
led me- into one those restaurants the Tempting VII"
dows Of which had occasionally pasSe naupgy asked
me whether would order the dinner deoHh9a 'ne d
yation saying that we should fare DesSt nassed ike
dream had him all TO myself HOW ne eha How r.
much na Sat N to t aTds how to- e
10 disTibnte my tme what methods OF study 10 bt
tb we're the things Of which he talked TO me on snat
dSftmI evening" do not mention this trivial incident
itont feeling that IL may seem too familiar or te DC
s and kindiness of Humboldts nature IL
mas not enough for him to cheer and stimulate the st
dent. he cared also to give rare ndugehce W 1o"e
man who could allow himself few luxurles'
HIS AsIATIC JOURNEY.
bo Incidents OF Humboldts Asiatc journey are less
Known 20 the public at large than those OF MS onser
American rankings. Short as it was however LOT he
was absent only nine months he brought 70 the unuer
taxing such an OF collateral knowledge that us
ssentac results are Of the utmost Importance ana may
h, as the elimination Of his mature research
And comprehenhveness Of views. HIS success was s
sred also by the ample preparations OF the oad
eminent orders having been given along tue Ioan
70 grant him every facility. Descending the Soga w.
Kisan hence crossing TO over on the
Itisch 10 Barnaul the OBJ, and reachen tue All
ti the heart Of ASIA. HIS researches INTO the
nSysJcal constitution OF what was considered tue hlgn
mia of Asia revealed the true features OF that vast
ra Of mountains Touched by his cultivated genius,
tie most insignificant facts became ,h IAN, am H Tbo
mesence of fruit and other plants, beonglngto
Hmies not known IN elevated regions ied MN
i,n "iS'i extending over the whole Of Central
lsia-and by a digent comparison Of all eX,
H. own observations. he showed that four great
parallel mountain ridges separated by graduay
direction First the Aai, bordering on the plans OF
SIBERIA from the northern slope OF which desceha an
a. eeat rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean, the lrtscn
MIN the Obi Jennise and the Lena then the Than
shan south Of the plateau oI 81 nex te
Hmalaya range separatingt the plateau Oh lnDet t0ni
~ me HImalayn Mountains through the Kndookoo and
The Demavend with the farof range OF the Caucasus
These east westerly ranges giving form and character
nc cnntinent OF Asia are then contrasted with the
north southerly direction OF the Ghauts the soman ana
Bolor range and the urL MGun'as Say hirS
The caravans Of the East from Deh ana Lahore feaeh
The northern marts Of Samarcand, Bokahra and Oren
bnrr ne opens TO us the striking vsas Of the early
communication between the Arian clVlHation ana
the Western lands lying then in darkness OF savage
lie He inquired also into the OF the old
Owns and the FORMER channels between Lake Aral and
the Caspian The level Of that great inland salt lake.
two and three hundred below the level OF
the sea- suggested TO him It's former communication with
the Arctic ocean, when the steppes OF the kirghls,
formed an open gulf and the northern waters poured
over those extensive plains After examining the Ger
man settlements about the Caspian Sea, he returned TO
81 petersburg by way Of orenburg and Moscow. The
scientific results OF this journey are recorded IN Two sep
arate works-the first OF which, under the ute OF Asa
Fragments OF Cimaology and Geology Is chiefly devoted
TO an account OF the inland volcanoes which he had had
an ouporunity Of studying during this journey He had
now examined the volcanic phenomena upon three con
tneuts aud had gained an insight more penetrating aud
more comprehensive than was possessed by any other
geo0gst into their deep connection with all the changes
our globe has UNDERGONE volcanoes are no longer to
hi mere local manifestations OF limited focus OF erup
ton: he perceived their relation 10 earthquakes and TO
nl the phenomena coincident WIN tne FORMATION olthe
inequalities of the earth surface Inc contrast between
the siberian Winter and the great fertility OF the neigh
borhood OF AsIaean, Will nv, ' bit ~ on u9
vineyards no had ever seen, Itd MN 70 consider
anew the causes OF the irregularities OF tempera'
ture under corresponding ATTITUDES, aud thus 20 en-
large his knowledge OF the sothernal lines which he
had first sketched IN his younger years and the rationale
OF which hc clearly set forth In one comprehensive
view he showed tho connection between the rotation OF
the earth radiation Of It's surface the currents OF the
In their combined influence upon the conditions of
peature producing under identical ATTITUDES such con
pes con.tannopo Tins on the Caucasus TInkodadI.
HE city which bears his own yeneratcd name.
The second work relating 10 the Asidtlc Journey ap
poarcd under the title OF Central ASA being an
recount Of his researches into the mountain systems and
the climate of that continent The broadcast generaza
tons relating 10 the physics OF the globe showing Hum
lures. here introduced IN short paper upon the
average elevation OF the continents above tho level Of
the sea, compared with the average depths Of the
@ INF p,Scdt bropght ,a nc 3iscUs
sion amount OF facts which showed concusiyey that
the purely mathematical consideration % the Inquiry rs
handled by laplace had been premature. Taking sepa.
rately into consideration the space occupied Ia the
earhs surface by mountain ridges. with that occupied
by high tabeands and the far extensive tracts OF
low plains Humboldt showed that the average elevation
Of tho EARTH estimated by Laplaco at more than lOoo
meters could In fact Dc scarcely onehrd That amount
"A
la speaking ot his later days cannot omit some alln.
Berlin. The publication OF private correspondence be-
tween Narnhagen Won Fuse and Humboldt has led TO
many unfrendly criticisms upon the latter. lie has
been blamed for holding his place ~ court while In pri
connected with IT, It's not easy to place oneself In the
right point of view. with reference TO these confidential
letters II must be remembered tlat HumDodt was a
Forster, in his early Youth to Aragc, IN his
mature years, were ardent republicans. lie
shared their enthusiasm for the establishment
served To by eber, shows that he did not conceal
his sympahies, before the King who honored him
gives the following account Of IT. The King of Prussia
Humboldt aud Nlebuhr were talking Of the affairs OF the
day the latter spoke In hattering Of the
political views and Rnteccdents Of AagO, who II Is well
known, very advanced republican OF the Gallca
School an ompromsing French Democrat Frederic
William the Third simply abominated rcpublcansln; yet
when Nlebulr had finished, Humboldt said, with sweet
dearest friend have IN France"
Can we, therefore, he surprised that In his confidential
letters TO a sympathiling friend lac should not refrain
from expressing his dislike Of the petty intgues ana
low sentiments which he met among cOurtiers. |
ceved, myself letter from Humboldt, written In the
days, when the reactionary movements at their
hight in Prussia, In which, In strain Of deep sadness
and dependence he expresses his regret At the turn
political affairs lad taken IN Europe aud mis- dsappon
men at tho failure OF those aspirations for freedom with
which he had felt the deepest sympathy IN his youth
We may wish that this great man had been wholly
sisten that shadow had rested the loyalty OF his
character that he had not accepted the friendship and
affection OF king whose court he did not respect and
whose weaknesses he keenly felt. But let us remem
Der that his official station there him the means Of
influencing culture and education In his native country
In way which lie could not otherwise have done and
that In this respect he made the nobest OF his po
sitiOn, His sympahy with the oppressed In land