Tuesday.
(“Thoughts on the first Rainbow, in connexion with certain Geological Facts.” London: 1852. The author is W. Bateman Byng, but it was sent to Humboldt by Mr. F. A. Fokker, of Hamburg, a superannuated pilot captain.)
On the 24th of April, 1858, Varnhagen observes in his diary: “Humboldt was very droll yesterday, in speaking of the letters he receives. A number of ladies in Elberfeld have conspired to labor at his conversion, by means of anonymous letters, and have informed him of their design. Such letters are received from time to time. Somebody in Nebraska asks him what becomes of the swallows in winter. I suggested that this inquiry must be for ever on the wing. ‘Of course,’ he replied; ‘I don’t know any more than other folks, but,’ he added, with jocose gravity, ‘I took care not to write that to the man in Nebraska, for it is never safe to make such admissions.’”
223.
HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN.
Potsdam, June 19th, 1858.
Tedious on the whole, and full of internal contradictions, but still historical in reference to the mythical Americo-Germanism, and unfortunately too true. See p. 76 to 80, and pp. 33, 35, 75. The charms of a language without genders. “Fermez les lèvres et serrez les dents.”[[103]] “Der” and “die” fell into lazy mouths, and lapses into “de,” and this was corrupted into a neutral, lifeless “the.”
Page 88 sets forth how my friend Froebel escaped being Blumed.
A. Ht.
There gloomy Potsdam has kept me too long from your side.
Note by Varnhagen.—This letter accompanied “The German Emigration, and its Importance in the History of Civilization. By Julius Froebel. Leipsic: 1858.” A copy sent by Froebel to Humboldt.