The Invention of Nature

Chapter 3: In Search of a Destination

1

he felt ‘chained’: AH to William Gabriel Wegener, 27 March 1789, AH Letters 1973, p.47.

2

WH recounting childhood: WH to CH, 9 October 1818, WH CH Letters 1910–16, vol.6, p.219.

3

WH to Tegel: Geier 2009, p.199.

4

WH felt paralysed: WH to Friedrich Schiller, 16 July 1796, Geier 2009, p.201.

5

AH in Berlin: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 7 April 1796, AH Letters 1973, p.503.

6

AH excited about attention: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 25 November 1796; AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 December 1796, ibid., pp.551–4, 560.

7

‘great voyage’: AH to Abraham Gottlob Werner, 21 December 1796, ibid., p.561.

8

AH’s control of his destiny: AH to William Gabriel Wegener, 27 March 1789, ibid., p.47; AH, Meine Bekenntnisse, 1769–1805, in Biermann 1987, p.55.

9

‘strangers to each’: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 25 November 1796, AH Letters 1973, p.553.

10

AH relieved to leave home: AH to Archibald Maclean, 9 February 1793, ibid., pp.233–4.

11

‘her death … must be’: Carl Freiesleben to AH, 20 December 1796, ibid., p.559.

12

WH and CH in Paris: Gersdorff 2013, pp.65–6.

13

AH’s inheritance: Eichhorn 1959, p.186.

14

‘I have so much’: AH to Paul Christian Wattenback, 26 April 1791, AH Letters 1973, p.136.

15

preparations for voyage: AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 December 1796, ibid., p.560; AH, Meine Bekenntnisse, 1769–1805, in Biermann 1987, pp.55–8.

16

‘splendid’ tree: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 4 March 1795, AH Letters 1973, p.403.

17

AH to Freiberg: AH to Schuckmann, 14 May 1797; AH to Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, 10 June 1797; AH to Joseph Banks, 20 June 1797, ibid., pp.578, 583, 584.

18

AH to Dresden: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 18 April 1797; AH to Schuckmann, 14 May 1797, ibid., pp.575, 578.

19

wanted to compare mountains: AH to Goethe, 16 July 1795, Goethe AH WH Letters 1876, p.311.

20

tropical plants in Vienna: Personal Narrative 1814–29, p.5; AH to Carl Freiesleben, 14 and 16 October 1797, AH Letters 1973, p.593.

21

future would be ‘sweet’: AH to Joseph van der Schot, 31 December 1797; see also AH to Carl Freiesleben, 14 October 1797, AH Letters 1973, pp.593, 603.

22

AH in Salzburg: AH to Joseph van der Schot, 31 December 1797; AH to Franz Xaver von Zach, 23 February 1798, ibid., pp.601, 608.

23

‘This is just the’: AH to Joseph van der Schot, 28 October 1797, ibid., p.594.

24

Italy closed to AH: AH to Heinrich Karl Abraham Eichstädt, 19 April 1798, ibid., p.625.

25

West Indies and Egypt: AH to Count Christian Günther von Bernstorff, 25 February 1798; AH to Carl Freiesleben, 22 April 1798, ibid., pp.612, 629.

26

Bristol arrested as spy: AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, ibid., p.661; AH, Aus Meinem Leben (1769–1850), in Biermann 1987, p.96.

27

AH’s plans for Paris: AH to Heinrich Karl Abraham Eichstädt, 19 April 1798; AH to Carl Freiesleben, 22 April 1798, AH Letters 1973, pp.625, 629.

28

AH in Paris: Moheit 1993, p.9; AH to Franz Xaver von Zach, 3 June 1798, AH Letters 1973, pp.633–4; AH, Meine Bekenntnisse, 1769–1805, in Biermann 1987, pp.57–8; Gersdorff 2013, p.66ff.

29

‘I live in the midst’: AH to Marc-Auguste Pictet, 22 June 1798, Bruhns 1873, vol.1, p.234.

30

Bougainville invited AH: AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, AH Letters 1973, p.661.

31

Bonpland: Biermann 1990, p.175ff.; Schneppen 2002; Sarton 1943, p.387ff.; AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, AH Letters 1973, p.662.

32

‘Alexander couldn’t get’: Friedrich Schiller to Goethe, 17 September 1800, Schiller Letters 1943–2003, vol.30, p.198; see also Christian Gottfried Körner to Friedrich Schiller, 10 September 1800, Schiller Letters 1943–2003, vol.38, pt.1, p.347.

33

‘great fear for ghosts’: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 19 March 1792, AH Letters 1973, p.178.

34

Baudin’s expedition: AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, ibid., p.661; AH, Meine Bekenntnisse, 1769–1805, in Biermann 1987, p.58.

35

AH’s plans to Egypt: AH to Heinrich Karl Abraham Eichstädt, 21 April 1798; AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, AH Letters 1973, pp.627, 661.

36

‘have had greater difficulties’: AH Personal Narrative 1814–29, vol.1, p.2.

37

AH contacted Swedish consul: Ibid., p.8; AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, AH Letters 1973, p.662.

38

passport from Banks: AH to Banks, 15 August 1798, BL Add 8099, ff.71–2.

39

AH’s passport: Bruhns 1873, vol.1, p.394.

40

AH in Marseille: Ibid., p.239; AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, AH Letters 1973, p.662.

41

‘hopes were shattered’: AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799, AH Letters 1973, p.661.

42

‘the world is closed’: AH to Joseph Franz Elder von Jacquin, 22 April 1798, ibid., p.631.

43

Spanish granted permission: AH to David Friedländer, 11 April 1799; AH to Carl Ludwig Willdenow, 20 April 1799; AH to Carl Freiesleben, 4 June 1799, ibid., pp.657, 663, 680; see also AH’s passport, 7 May 1799, Ministerio de Cultura del Ecuador, Quito; Holl 2009, pp.59–60.

44

‘My head is dizzy’: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 4 June 1799, AH Letters 1973, p.680.

45

AH’s instruments: AH Personal Narrative 1814–1829, vol.1, pp.33–9; Seeberger 1999, pp.57–61.

46

‘My mood was’: AH, 5 June 1799, AH Diary 2000, p.58.

47

‘all forces of nature’: AH to David Friedländer, 11 April 1799, AH Letters 1973, p.657; in another letter AH wrote about the ‘interaction of the forces’, AH to Karl Maria Erenbert von Moll, 5 June 1799, ibid., p.682.

48

‘the good and the great’: AH to Carl Freiesleben, 4 June 1799, ibid., p.680.

49

‘edible liquid full’: AH, 6 June 1799, AH Diary 2000, p.424.

50

arrival Tenerife: AH Personal Narrative 1814–29, vol.1, p.110ff.

51

‘fir torches’ and no tents: Ibid., pp.153–4.

52

face frozen, feet hot: Ibid., pp.168, 189–90.

53

‘magical’ transparency: Ibid., pp.182, 188; see also AH to WH, 20–25 June 1799, AH WH Letters 1880, p.10.

54

no lights on board: AH, Mein Aufbruch nach America, in Biermann 1987, p.82.

55

his ‘earliest youth’: AH Personal Narrative 1814–29, vol.2, p.20.

56

arrival at Cumaná: Ibid., p.183ff.

57

thermometer into sand: Ibid., p.184.

58

Spanish control of colonies: Arana 2013, p.26ff.

59

‘inspiring some personal’: AH Personal Narrative 1814–29, vol.2, pp.188–9.

60

‘announced the grand’: Ibid., p.184.