The Invention of Nature

Chapter 14: Going in Circles

1

AH’s visits to London: In June 1814, November 1817 and September 1818; see also WH to CH, 22 and 25 September 1818, WH CH Letters 1910–16, vol.6, pp.320, 323; ‘Fashionable Arrivals’,

Morning Post

, 25 September 1818; Théodoridès 1966, pp.43–4.

2

Prince Regent gave support: AH to Karl August von Hardenberg, 18 October 1818, Beck 1959–61, vol.2, p.47.

3

‘place in my way’: Ibid.

4

AH to Aachen: WH to CH, 9 October 1818, WH CH Letters 1910–16, vol.6, p.336.

5

‘consulted on the affairs’:

Morning Chronicle

, 28 September 1818.

6

French secret police: Daudet 1912, p.329.

7

Spanish minister to Aachen:

The Times

, 20 October 1818.

8

Allies disinterested in Spanish colonies: Ibid.; see also Biermann and Schwarz 2001a, no page numbers.

9

his ‘own affair’:

The Times

, 20 October 1818.

10

‘complete guarantee’: AH to Karl August von Hardenberg, 18 October 1818, Beck 1959–61, vol.2, p.47.

11

king granted AH money: Friedrich Wilhelm III to AH, 19 October 1818, ibid., p.48;

The Times

, 31 October 1818.

12

AH’s preparations for India: AH to Karl August von Hardenberg, 30 July 1819; AH to WH, 22 January 1820, Daudet 1912, pp.346, 355; Gustav Parthey, February 1821, Beck 1959–61, vol.2, p.51.

13

Humboldt’s financial situation: Eichhorn 1959, pp.186, 205ff.

14

compare plants on mountains: AH to Marc-Auguste Pictet, 11 July 1819, Beck 1959–61, vol.2, p.50.

15

‘my whole existence’: Bonpland to Olive Gallacheau, 6 July 1814, Bell 2010, p.239.

16

Bonpland in Paris and London: Ibid., pp.22, 239; Schulz 1960, p.595.

17

Zea asked Bonpland: Francisco Antonio Zea to Bonpland, 4 March 1815, Bell 2010, p.22.

18

‘new methods of practical’: Schneppen 2002, p.12.

19

‘The illustrious Franklin’: José Rafael Revenga to Francisco Antonio Zea, ‘Instrucciones a que de orden del excelentísimo señor presidente habrá de arreglar su conducta el E.S. Francisco Zea en la misión que se le ha conferido por el gobierno de Colombia para ante los del continente de Europa y de los Estados unidos de America,’ Bogotá, 24 December 1819, Archivo General de la Nación, Colombia, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Delegaciones - Transferencia 2, 242, 315r-320v. I would like to thank Ernesto Bassi for this reference.

20

‘impatiently waiting for you’: Manuel Palacio to Bonpland, 31 August 1815, Bell 2010, p.22.

21

Bolívar, Bonpland and Argentina: Bolívar to Bonpland, 25 February 1815, Schulz 1960, pp.589, 595; Schneppen 2002, p.12; Bell 2010, p.25.

22

Bonpland’s herbarium: William Baldwin, March 1818, Bell 2010, p.33.

23

‘old companion-in-fortune’: AH to Bonpland, 25 November 1821, AH Bonpland Letters 2004, p.79.

24

Bonpland’s arrest: Schneppen 2002, p.12.

25

‘innocent whom I love’: Bolívar to José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, 22 October 1823, ibid., p.17.

26

AH’s attempts to help Bonpland: Ibid., pp.18–21; AH to Bolívar, 21 March 1826, O’Leary 1879–88, vol.12, p.237.

27

‘maladie centrifuge’: AH to Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre, 29 July 1803, Bruhns 1873, vol.1, p.333.

28

‘liberty of thought’: AH to WH, 17 October 1822, Biermann 1987, p.198.

29

‘greatly respected’: Ibid.

30

AH wants to move to Latin America: AH to Bolívar, 21 March 1826, O’Leary 1879–88, vol.12, p.237; WH to CH, 2 September 1824, WH CH Letters 1910–16, vol.7, p.218.

31

‘Alexander always envisages’: WH to CH, 2 September 1824, ibid.

32

British scientists in Paris: Davy dined with AH on 19 April 1817, AH Letters USA 2004, p.146; Charles Babbage and John Herschel in 1819, Babbage 1994, p.145.

33

‘derived pleasure from’: Charles Babbage, 1819, Babbage 1994, p.147.

34

Humboldt talked faster: William Buckland to John Nicholl, 1820, Buckland 1894, p.37.

35

Lyell met AH: Charles Lyell to Charles Lyell sen., 21 and 28 June 1823, Lyell 1881, vol.1, pp.122–4.

36

‘a famous lesson’: Charles Lyell to Charles Lyell sen., 28 August 1823, ibid., p.146.

37

AH’s English skills: Charles Lyell to Charles Lyell sen., 3 July 1823, ibid., p.126.

38

‘Hoombowl’: Charles Lyell to Charles Lyell sen., 28 June 1823, ibid., p.124.

39

new understanding of climate: Körber 1959, p.301.

40

‘vergleichende Klimatologie’: AH Cosmos 1845–52, vol.1, p.312; AH Kosmos 1845–50, vol.1, p.340.

41

Lyell connected climate and geology: Charles Lyell to Poulett Scrope, 14 June 1830, Lyell 1881, vol.1, p.270; see also Lyell 1830, vol.1, p.122.

42

‘read up’ on Humboldt: Charles Lyell to Gideon Mantell, 15 February 1830, Lyell 1881, vol.1, p.262.

43

influences on heat distribution: Körber 1959, p.299ff.

44

Lyell’s conclusions: Lyell 1830, vol.1, p.122; see also Wilson 1972, p.284ff.

45

moment of ‘a beginning’: Charles Lyell to Poulett Scrope, 14 June 1830, Lyell 1881, vol.1, p.269

46

‘geological application’: Ibid, p.270.

47

‘he eats dry bread’: CH to WH, 14 April 1809, WH CH Letters 1910–16, vol.3, p.131; see also Carl Vogt, January 1845, Beck 1959, p.201.

48

AH at hub of spinning wheel: AH to Simón Bolívar, 29 July 1822, Minguet 1986, p.749; this was Jean-Baptiste Boussingault, Podach 1959, pp.208–9.

49

AH and Jefferson: AH to Jefferson, 20 December 1811, TJ Papers RS, vol.4, p.352; this was José Corrêa da Serra; AH also introduced the Italian Carlo de Vidua to Jefferson in 1825, AH to Jefferson, 22 February 1825, Terra 1959, p.795 and AH Letters USA 2004, pp.122–3.

50

‘laid the foundation’: Justus von Liebig about AH, Terra 1955, p.265.

51

‘the request of a distinguished’: Gallatin 1836, p.1.

52

‘tendency to absolute’: Charles Lyell to Charles Lyell sen., 28 August 1823, Lyell 1881 vol.1, p.142.

53

AH on freedom of press and religion: AH told this to George Bancroft, 1820, Terra 1955, p.266; AH to Charles Lyell in 1823, recounted by Charles Lyell to Charles Lyell sen., 8 July 1823, Lyell 1881, vol.1, p.128.

54

‘less disposed than ever’: AH to Auguste-Pyrame Decandolle, 1818, Bruhns 1873, vol.2, p.38; for science in Paris, see Päßler 2009, p.30 and Terra 1955, p.251.

55

‘pliant tools’: AH to Charles Lyell in 1823, recounted by Charles Lyell to Charles Lyell sen., 8 July 1823, Lyell 1881, vol.1, p.127.

56

‘They are scattered thick’: Ibid.

57

AH’s appearance in 1822: Jean Baptiste Boussingault, 1822, Podach 1959, pp.208–9.

58

‘you must already have’: King Friedrich Wilhelm III to AH, autumn 1826, Bruhns 1873, vol.2, p.95.

59

‘poor as a church’: AH to WH, 17 December 1822, AH WH Letters 1880, p.112; for AH finances, see Eichorn 1959, p.206.

60

‘only thing in heaven’: Helen Maria Williams to Henry Crabb Robinson, 25 March 1818, Leask 2001, p.225.

61

AH gave up freedom: AH to Carl Friedrich Gauß, 16 February 1827, AH Gauß Letters 1977, p.30.

62

‘the middle ground’: AH to Georg von Cotta, 28 March 1833, AH Cotta Letters 2009, p.178.

63

a ‘force of noblemen’: AH to Arago, 30 April 1827, AH Arago Letters 1907, p.23.

64

AH in London: 3 May 1827, RS Journal Book, vol.XLV, p.73ff. and 3 May 1827, List of Attendees, RS Dining Club, vol.21, no page numbers; AH to Arago, 30 April 1827, AH Arago Letters 1907, pp.22–4.

65

Mary Somerville (footnote): Patterson 1969, p.311; Patterson 1974, p.272.

66

AH and Canning: AH to Arago, 30 April 1827, AH Arago Letters 1907, p.28; Canning became Prime Minister on 10 April and the dinner was on 23 April 1827.

67

‘my torments here’: AH to Achille Valenciennes, 4 May 1827, Théodoridès 1966, p.46.

68

Thames tunnel: Buchanan 2002, p.22ff.; Pudney 1974, p.16ff.; Brunel 1870, p.24ff.

69

‘anxiety increasing daily’: Marc Brunel, Diary, 4 January, 21 March, 29 March 1827, Brunel 1870, pp.25–6.

70

‘clayey silt above’: Marc Brunel, Diary, 29 March 1827, ibid., p.26.

71

AH at tunnel: AH to Arago, 30 April 1827, AH Arago Letters 1907, p.24ff.; Pudney 1974, pp.16–17; AH to William Buckland, 26 April 1827, American Philosophical Society (copy at Alexander-von-Humboldt-Forschungstelle, Berlin); Prince Pückler Muskau, 20 August 1827, Pückler Muskau 1833, p.177.

72

looked like ‘Eskimos’: AH to Arago, 30 April 1827, AH Arago Letters 1907, p.25.

73

‘a privilege of Prussians’: Ibid.

74

tunnel fell in: Marc Brunel, Diary, 29 April and 18 May 1827, Brunel 1870, p.27; Buchanan 2002, p.25.

75

‘You care for nothing’: Robert Darwin to Charles Darwin, Darwin 1958, p.28.