PREFACE. There are several biographies of Humboldt, French, German, and English, but none of any importance, except Professor Klencke's. Klencke had an excellent opportu nity to make a good book, for much of his material was obtained from Humboldt himself, but he failed to do so. He seemed to have no idea of writing, beyond its being a means of conveying facts. His facts are reliable, but arranged without order or method. He says the same thing over and over again, and entirely lacks the chief requisite of a biographer-the art of making his subject attractive. Still, he is reliable, and the author has made considerable use of his work, especially in Book I. The first five chapters of Book II. are derived from Humboldt's "Voyage aux Régions Equinoxiales." As these chapters cover an important epoch in Humboldt's life, it was thought advisable to let him tell his own story, and this has accordingly been done, wherever it was practicable. It would have been easy to have rewritten this matter, but the author could not see the advantage of so doing: |