Humboldt, Fried Rich

HE IN RICH ALEXANDER VON, the greatest naturalist of his time, B. at Berlin, 1769, the same year that gave birth to Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and many other distinguished persons. He was educated at Frankfort-on-the-Oder, Göttingen, at Hamburg, and at the mining-school of Freiberg. From the earliest period he evinced a faculty for physical inquiry, which he a iduously cultivated by the study of chemistry, botany, geology, and galvanism. At Göttingen he became acquainted with George Forster, to whose Delineation of the South - Sea Islands he attributes the earliest excitement of his desire to visit the tropics, and in company with whom he made his first tour. In 1790 he accompanied Forster in a tour through the Rhine districts and Holland, and afterwards visited England with him. His scientific observations made in Germany were afterwards published in 1790, under the title of Mineralogical Considerations on Certain Basaltic Formations on the Rhine. His intention being to seek employment in the civil service of the Pru ian kingdom, he subsequently went to Hamburg to study bookkeeping and the other forms of commercial knowledge, and afterwards studied in the mining academy of the eminent Werner, at Freiberg. In 1792 he obtained the post of mining superintendent in the works of Bayreuth, in which situation he remained till the year 1795, during which time he wrote many scientific articles for the German periodicals, and published a botanical work in Fig . 1328.-ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. Humboldt, in Minnesota , a post-office of Kittson co., on the Great Northern R. R., about 10 m. S.E. of the extreme northwestern corner of the State. Humboldt, in Michigan , a post-village of Marquette co. Pop . (1894) 580. Humboldt, in Mi ouri , a post-office of Reynolds co. Humboldt, in Nevada , a N.W. co., adjoining Oregon; area , about 16,580 sq. m. Rivers . Humboldt and Owyhee rivers, besides numerous lakes. Surface , mountainous. Soil , in some parts fertile. Min . Gold, silver, and sulphur. Cap . Winnemucca. Pop . (1890) 3,434. Humboldt, in Ten ne see , a post-village of Gibson co., about 82 m. N.E. of Memphis. Pop . (1897) 1,854. Humboldt, in Wisconsin , a township of Brown co. city. Washington and Philadelphia succeeded, after which he quitted America for France, and arrived at Bordeaux in August, 1804. He spent nine months in Paris arranging his notes, and a isting Gay-Lu ac in making some experiments relative to the chemical composition of the atmosphere. After spending a short time in Italy and at Berlin, where he obtained permi ion from the king to take up his residence in the French capital while his works were being printed, he returned to Paris. In 1807 appeared the first of a large number of volumes, all published under the general title of Travels of Hum boldt and Bonpland in the Interior of America between the years 1799-1804. In this magnificent undertaking, composed partly in Latin, partly in French, he was a isted by Oetmans for the astronomical, Arago and Gay--A village of Milwaukee co., about 5 m. N. of Milwaukee Lu ac for the chemical and meteorological, Cuvier for the zoological, and Klaproth for the mineralogical divisions. It was mainly divided into six great sections, which again were subdivided into many more, the botanical portion alone consisting of twenty volumes, embellished with 1,200 plates. He spent a portion of the years 1827-28 at Berlin, whither he had been invited by the king of Pru ia; in 1829 he, at the expre desire, and at the sole expense, of the emperor Nicholas, set out with Rose and Ehrenberg to explore the eastern provinces of Ru ia, and in nine months travelled, between St. Petersburg and the Chinese frontier, over a distance of 2,320 geographical miles. The results of this expedition were published by him at Paris in 1843, under the title of, Central Asia ; Researches on its Moun tain-chains and Climatology. Between the years 1830 and 1848, although he desired to keep aloof from politics, he was intrusted by the king of Pru ia with several diplomatic mi ions to the court of Louis Philippe. In 1848 he went to reside near the king of Pru ia, whose court he ornamented till his death. In 1845 he commenced his great work Kosmos, or a Physical De script i on of the Universe, which was concluded in 1851, and which has become exceedingly popular in an English translation. He was a member of almost every scientific body in the world; an a ociate of the Academy of Sciences of Paris and Berlin; was decorated with many orders, and was a grand officer of the French Legion of Honor. By the labors of his long and valuable life he earned the title of creator of the science of comparative geography, and reviver of the study of the natural sciences. In addition to those already quoted, a few of his most important works may be given: E ay on the Chemical Analysis of the Atmosphere; Pictures of Nature; E ay on Electrical Fishes; E ay on the Geography of Plants; Causes of the Difference in Temperature of various portions of the Earth's Surface; mislead; to cajole; -in short, to make a fool of, or to Fragments of Asiatic Geology and Climatology ; and cause one to feel or appear ridiculous. (Colloquially The Progre of Nautical Astronomy during the Fifused.) Humboldt Bay, in California , an arm of the Pacific Ocean, in Humboldt co., about 270 m. N. of San Fran- cisco. It is one of the best harbors on the coast, having 21 feet of water on the bar. Humboldt House, in Nebraska , a post-office of Humboldt co., on the Humboldt river and the So. Pac. R. R., 40 miles S.W. of Winnemucca. Humboldtilite, n. ( Min .) A var. of Melilite, q. v., occurring in crystals in geodes, in lava at Mount Somna, near Naples.