Humboldt and Jefferson: A Transatlantic Friendship of the Enlightenment

Appendix

Appendix Humboldt and Jefferson’s Correspondence alexander von humboldt to thomas jefferson, philadelphia, may 24, 1804 Mr. President,¹ Having arrived from Mexico to the blessed land of this republic, whose executive powers have been entrusted to your enlightened hands,it is my pleasant duty to present my respects and to express my great admiration for your writings, your actions, and the liberalism of your ideas, which have inspired me from my earliest youth. I had dearly hoped to be able to express my sentiments to you in person, at the same time delivering the enclosed package, which my friend, the Consul of the United States in Havana, has kindly requested me to give to you. Since the unloading of my herbarium has detained me here, and delayed my departure for Washington, I have been obliged to choose to use the postal service.The dreadful storm which was felt in Georgia made our voyage as dangerous as it was long (24 days), and I regret that the package has been so long in reaching you. My desire to be of use to the physical sciences and to study mankind in its different states of barbarism and culture inspired me in 1799 to undertake, at my own expense, an expedition to the tropics. Thanks to a combination of fortunate circumstances and personal trust, the Spanish Government has granted me privileges beyond those enjoyed by La Condamine and the Abbé Chappe. I found in my friend Citoyen Bonpland, a student of the Paris Museum, great levels of knowledge, courage, and enthusiasm that should inspire all those who, through great sacrifice, strive for moral insight. For the past five years we have traveled throughout New Andalusia, the Carib and Chaimas Indian Missions, the provinces of BarceRebok , final pages.indd 143 Rebok, final pages.indd 143 2/27/14 10:56 AM 2/27/14 10:56 AM 144 appendix lona, Caracas, Varinas, and all of Guyana. We have covered almost a thousand nautical leagues by canoe on the Orinoco, the Guaviare and the Rio Negro, passing the huge and beautiful rapids of the Maipures and Atures on two occasions, and we determined by our chronometers, by longitudes and by the satellites [of Jupiter] the exact position of the Casiquiare, a tributary of the Orinoco which connects with the Amazon and by which we advanced to the borders of Grão-Pará [Brazil]. There in the wilderness and ancient forests of the Casiquiare, at Latitude 2° N, we saw rocks covered with hieroglyphs which prove that this remote land, now populated by a few naked Indian cannibals, was at one remote period the home of civilized peoples. Upon returning from the Rio Negro to Cumana we proceeded to the island of Cuba, and thence to the Sinú River, and Santa Fé [Bogotá], we traversed the Kingdom of New Granada, Popayán,and Pasto.For a year we carried out our work in the Andes of Quito, carrying our instruments up Mount Chimborazo to a height of 3,036 toises [19,413 feet], and thus 500 toises [3,197 feet] higher than any other human being before us. In order to study the chinchona trees we proceeded to Loxa, to the province of Jaén and onward to the Amazon.In Lima we observed the transit of Mercury, and sailing from there via Guayaquil for Acapulco we traveled for a year through the kingdom of New Spain, which offered us a vast field for observations. Despite the dangers of the climate for a young man, born in the frosts of Ultima Thule—Prussia—and despite the lack of food and shelter, to which I was exposed for several months, my health did not fail even for a single day. In spite of my burning desire to return to Paris, where I had long worked with Citoyens Vauquelin and Chaptal, and where we now hope to publish our works (the fruits of this expedition), I could not resist the moral interest to see the United States, and to enjoy the comforting aspect of a people which understands the precious gift of Liberty. I wish it were possible for me to present my personal respects and admiration to you, and to admire in you a philosopher magistrate, who has gained the approval of two continents! Pray forgive, Mr. President, the confidential tone and length of this letter. I do not know whether my name is already known to you through my work on...