Cuvier, by his scientific analysis of American fossils, had exploded some of the more extravagant theories of the monstrous beasts and birds that were supposed to inhabit the tropical forests, but in other departments the greatest ignorance still prevailed. Marvellous stories were told of the forests, with their strange inhabitants, and of the great rivers, and plains, and the lofty mountain ranges, and volcanoes; but the exaggerated accounts brought by chance travelers to these regions were useless for scientific purposes, and Humboldt resolved to visit those remote countries, view their wonders with his own eyes, and then give to the world a faithful record of his travels, in the hope that such a contribution would be of value to the students of natural history.

Having this idea in his mind he made several short trips to the Alps, Poland, and Italy, which, were designed as a preparation for his great journey, and devoted his entire time to the accurate study of geological formations and similar scientific matters, in order that he might be able to compare his experiences in Europe with his explorations in America. He also devoted much care to the testing of instruments and other practical matters, with a view to making his outfit as complete as possible.

But many things hindered Humboldt in the carrying out of his plans, and years passed and 1799 found him still on European soil, detained by one thing and another, but principally by the war then waging, which resulted in the blockade of many ports, and made it almost impossible for a vessel to sail.

But finally the long-deferred hope was realized, and in June, 1799, he left Spain in a ship which was able to leave port in consequence of a severe storm which caused the blockading vessels to put out to sea, bearing with him the royal permission to explore all the Spanish possessions in America, without condition to hindrance.

They sailed first for the Canary Islands, and a few days after starting Humboldt enjoyed the first surprise of the traveler, in the appearance of immense numbers of jelly-fish which covered the sea in all directions, their colors forming a striking contrast to the waters.

At Santa Cruz they landed and ascended to peak of Teneriffe, and here Humboldt made some observations on its geological formation, which were interesting as foreshadowing the nature of his work in tropical America. It was at this time that Humboldt was first led to observe that mountains and rocks resemble one another, though separated by oceans and seas, while on the contrary, the plants and animals of distant places vary with climate and position.

From the Canaries they proceeded toward the Cape Verd Islands, and thence westward, the usual route of the mariner, and in less than a month from the time of sailing Humboldt saw the Southern Cross blazing in the sky at night, and knew that he had indeed left Europe behind, and was entering those regions of romance and wonder that it had been the dream of his life to see.

The voyage across the Atlantic was uneventful, but not monotonous, as it was Humboldt's first experience as an ocean traveler, and the ever-changing aspect of the sea, the condition of the atmosphere, the direction and force of the winds, together with other phenomena, proved a fruitful source of interest.

In this connection he noticed the difference between the temperature of the air on the land and on the sea, in the same season and latitude, and made some very interesting observations on the blueness of the sky, using an instrument which measured the intensity of the color; his work in this regard possessing a peculiar value, as he was the first traveler who made scientific observations of the sky in the region of equal days and nights.

He also measured the color of the sea, finding that it often changed form blue to green or gray, when there was no apparent change in the atmosphere, and noticing that, contrary to the usually accepted belief, the sea did not reflect the sky, retaining its vivid azure tint often when the sky was entirely covered with white clouds.

Humboldt also made some observations on the attraction of the magnetic needled in those latitude, and thus the voyage of forty-one days was made the beginning of his actual work.

He had intended going directly to the West Indies, but the breaking out of an epidemic on the ship included him and his traveling companion, Bompland, to land on the coast of Venezuela, and led him to decide upon visiting the coasts of South America before proceeding further.

They landed at Cumana, a port guarded by a fortress whose ramparts were formed of a thicket of prickly cactus, which was in turn surrounded by a moat in which living crocodiles served as an effective means of defence. This original fortification was a source of immense interest to Humboldt, as illustrating the ingenuity of the human mind in adapting to its uses the very things which were by their nature inimical to man; and as Cumana had been visited by an earthquake the year before, the traces of which still remained, Humboldt immediately upon landing found himself in a situation well calculated to enliven his scientific interest.

The neighborhood of Cumana was equally full of suggestion, and after making a study of the volcanic soil of the place, and of the history of the earthquakes in order to find, if possible, some law which governed the recurrence of shocks, he started out on his first scientific extrusion in the New World.

This was an expedition to the island of Araya, formerly famous for its pearl fisheries and slave trade, and was not remarkable except as the beginning of a series of small excursions around Cumana, which were fruitful in suggestion, and of much use in preparing the travelers for longer and more important South American journeys. The visit to Araya occurred in August, 1799, and from that time till the following November, Humboldt made Cumana the base of his operations.

During this time he visited many of the old Spanish missions, and was able to study something of the life of the Mission Indians, who lived in little huts surrounded by sugar-cane, maize, and fruit trees.

The impression that the rich tropical vegetation made upon Humboldt was most vivid, and made him realize, as nothing else could have done, that he was indeed in a strange land. He now saw growing in the greatest profusion the trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruits that could only be found in rare botanical collections in Europe, and he and Bompland immediately set about gathering specimens with a zeal what was astonishing to the monks at the Missions, who looked upon their dried plants and scientific instruments with a gentle wonder not entirely unmixed with a little disdain, that human beings should find interest in such unimportant things.

It was during his stay in this region that Humboldt visited some Indians who prophesied earthquake shocks in the near future, a prophecy which was fulfilled after his return to Cumana. For nearly a month before the earthquake occurred Humboldt was able to study the phenomena which proceeded it. At first the sky was covered for a few minutes at night with a reddish mist, then the mist grew denser, the air became hotter and hotter, the sea breezes failed, and the sky grew flame-colored. The inhabitants grew nervous and fearful as these alarming signs succeeded one another, and on the day of the shock the feeling of dread extended even to the animal world. The birds uttered low cried of distress, the dogs howled, and the crocodiles left the beds of the rivers and fled with hideous noises into the forests.

When the shock came the inhabitants rushed into the streets, wild with terror, imploring the saints for aid, and a scene of confusion ensued almost as terrifying to the unfamiliar mind as the earthquake itself. Cumana suffered from several shocks at this time, and Humboldt and Bompland were surrounded by questioners who eagerly asked if their instruments could not foretell the duration of the trouble, or indicate fresh shocks.

The splendid sunset, and the banks of golden clouds tinged with rainbow colors which illuminated the west at the end of this eventful day, were not the least interesting among the strange experiences which Humboldt felt at this time.

In the latter part of November, Humboldt and Bompland left Cumana for Caracas, where they remained two months, charmed with the delightful climate, and interested in making collections of geological and botanical specimens. Caracas was one of the most important towns of South America, and the surrounding country was rich in plantations of citron, figs, coffee, and other tropical productions. The were hospitable, and gave a friendly welcome to the travelers, who were glad to remain a while amid such pleasant scenes before starting out on the great undertaking which had detained them in South America.

This was to explore the Ilanos of the Orinoco and Amazon, and make a scientific survey of those almost unknown regions. After a preliminary excursion to various places of interest, such as the warm springs, the gold veins, the sugar and indigo plantations, which were to be found in the western part of Venezuela, they finally embarked on their journey on the Apure, intending to sail down this stream to its junction with the Orinoco, thence to the Rio Negro, and so on to the Amazon.

The journey was important, for form the moment of starting they traveled through regions hitherto almost unknown to the white man, and abounding in scenes of scientific interest. The river itself was crowded with fish, sea-cows, crocodiles, and turtles, its shores were the home of innumerable flocks of birds, and the woods were filled with monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, and other animals. In the daytime the voyaging was comparatively easy. The Indians who managed the boat were skilled oarsmen, and the constant variety of incident kept up a lively interest; but at night, when the boat was moored, and the travelers had lain down in the hammocks weary with e day's journey, another side of the picture presented itself.

The neighboring forests were filled with the shrieks and howls of the wild animals, many of whom pursued their prey at night, and the knowledge that among these was the jaguar, whose approach always carried dread with it, did not greatly reassure the alarmed travelers, who saw in the waving shadows cast by their camp fires the angry eyes of this terrible foe glaring at them through the darkness, and could discern above the voices of the other animals his hoarse scream, as he pursued hi prey from tree to tree.