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Zitierempfehlung
Alexander von Humboldt: „A Letter from Humboldt on the Death of Bonpland“, in: ders., Sämtliche Schriften digital, herausgegeben von Oliver Lubrich und Thomas Nehrlich, Universität Bern 2021. URL: <https://humboldt.unibe.ch/text/1858-Neueste_Nachrichten_ueber-12-neu> [abgerufen am 25.04.2024].
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| Titel | A Letter from Humboldt on the Death of Bonpland | ||||
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| Jahr | 1858 | ||||
| Ort | New York City, New York | ||||
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Nachweis in: National Anti-Slavery Standard 19:3/949 (14. August 1858), [o. S.].
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| Sprache | Englisch | ||||
| Typografischer Befund | Antiqua; Spaltensatz; Auszeichnung: Kursivierung, Kapitälchen. | ||||
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|Seitenumbruch|
The Berlin correspondent of the Boston Journal sendsthe following letter of Alexander Von Humboldt, on therecent death of Bonpland. His senior by about fouryears, Humboldt hoped he might not survive the warm-est friend of his early years, but it seems to be the destinyof this venerable man to follow all his friends to the grave,and to remain himself the sole representative of the timesof his youth.
Conscious of the deep sympathy of numerous friends inthe sorrow
occasioned by the wide-spread report of thedeath of my dear, noble
friend and fellow-traveller, Bon-pland, I consider it my duty to give
at least a brief noticeof this event, for the particulars of which I am
indebtedto the kind services of Dr. Lallemant, author of an
im-portant paper on the diseases of Europeans in the tropics.This
talented gentleman, after leaving the Austrian royalexpedition in the
frigate Novara, in February of thisyear, for the purpose of doing a
kindness to myself, madethe journey from Rio Janeiro to Rio Grande, and
thenceby way of Porto Alegro through the former Jesuit Mis-sion to
San Borgia, under the erroneous impression thatBonpland, who had gone
there in 1831, was still residentat that place. I have received two
letters from Dr. Lal-lemant, one dated at San Borgia on the 10th of
April,the other written from the village of Umguaiana, after hehad
visited Bonpland at Santa Ana. An extendedabstract of these letters
having been sent to the editor ofthe widely-read and interesting
botanical journal, TheBonplandia, in Hanover,
the following briefer extractsmay here suffice.
“In San Borgia,” writes Dr. Lallement, “I lived
withan intimate friend of Bonpland, the Vicar Gray, withwhom I
visited the garden of the botanist, so long culti-vated with care, but
now lying waste and desolate. Itwas near the close of the year 1857
that the Vicar lastreceived letters from Bonpland, since when
intelligencehad come of his severe illness. Letters of inquiry
stillremained unanswered, and, notwithstanding the short dis-tance
between the places, the people of San Borgia wereuncertain whether I
should find your fellow-travellers yetin the land of the living. In 1853
Bonpland had left SanBorgia and taken up his residence upon his larger
plan-tation of Santa Ana, where he had long occupied himselfin the
cultivation of orange trees. The residence of theaged scholar in the
Estancia of Santa Ana consists oftwo large buildings, mere clay walls
bound together bybamboo sticks, and a few beams, and thatched with
straw.These buildings have doors, but no windows, the lightbeing
admitted through the chinks between the bamboosticks. Despite the deep
furrows which an eventful lifehad engraven in the beloved countenance,
his eye had notgrown dim nor lost any of its full-thoughted
vivacity.But lively conversation, though started by
himself,appeared to weary him much, and he suffered severelyfrom a
chronic affection of the bladder. The privationshe had so strangely
imposed upon himself are by no meansin consequence of poverty, or of
any necessity for absti-nence, but of long custom, great self-control,
and charac-teristic individuality. The government of Corrientes
haspresented to him an estate valued at 10,000 Spanishpiasters,
and he enjoys a French pension of 3,000 francsa year. He has never made
the practice of medicine asource of pecuniary profit to himself. Though
universallyrevered, he loves the solitude, and especially avoids
allpersons who might offer him assistance or advice. Hisscientific
ardor has not yet abated, and his collectionsand manuscripts are
deposited in Corrientes, where hehas founded a national museum.
“On the following morning I found him visibly worse,and sinking
away. The night had been a painful one. Ipressed him to tell me whether
I might not, in some way,be of service to him. But I fared no better
than hisother friends—he would accept of no assistance.
Howgladly would I have persuaded him to return once moreto
civilized society! But I, too, felt with him that histime was past. He
belongs to the first half of the nine-teenth century, not to the
second. I think that yourfriend himself was moved when I took his
wasted handsin mine with the pressure of farewell. For three
monthsnow his attendants have remarked his failing strength,and
perhaps the old man had the same forboding as my-self at parting, that
I might be the last ambassador ofEuropean lineage who should penetrate
the depths of thewilderness to offer him regard, love and thanks, in
thename of that science which owes so much to his labors.I mounted
my horse and rode northward through theevergreen plains. No path showed
my way, no guidedisturbed me; I was alone with my sorrowful
thoughtsover the departing Bonpland.
Yet how cheerful the last letter I received from Bon-pland, bearing date
the 7th of June, 1857! “I myself,”he writes,
“shall bring all my collections and manu-scripts to Paris, and
deposit them in the Museum. Myjourney to France will be exceedingly
short. I shall re-turn to my Santa Ana, where I lead a quiet and
happylife. Here shall I die, and my sepulchre and my graveshall be
underneath the shadow of the many trees I haveplanted. Oh, how happy
were I, my dear Humboldt,could we meet once more, and recall our common
expe-riences! On the 28th of August next I shall be eighty-four years old, and am yet four years younger
than you.A man lately died in this vicinity who had attained
theage of one hundred and seven. What a prospect for twotravellers
who have already stepped beyond the eightiethyear!”
The cheering, almost life-desiring tone of this lettercontrasts
strangely with the melancholy representationsof Dr. Lallemant.
According to Herr von Tschudi thereport was credited in Montevideo on
the 29th of May,that Bonpland had died at Borgia, the date of his
deathuncertain. Yet Dr. Lallemant had spoken with him onthe 18th
of April in Santa Ana, and on May 10 the re-port of his death was
discredited at Porto Allegro. Thusthere yet remains ground for hope
that the younger is notto be first called away. Such remoteness often
stretchesuncertainty to a painful duration; such the
solicitudefelt for Edward Vogel in Central Africa, and for
Adol-phus Schlagintweit in Central Asia—the
sorrowfullymissed!
A LETTER FROM HUMBOLDT ON THE DEATHOF BONPLAND.
The Berlin correspondent of the Boston Journal sendsthe following letter of Alexander Von Humboldt, on therecent death of Bonpland. His senior by about fouryears, Humboldt hoped he might not survive the warm-est friend of his early years, but it seems to be the destinyof this venerable man to follow all his friends to the grave,and to remain himself the sole representative of the timesof his youth.
humboldt’s letter.
Alexander V. Humboldt.
Berlin, July 12, 1858.