Humboldt spent the latter years of his long life at the court of Prussia. His last great work, Cosmos, has been unanimously recognized as one of the greatest scientific works ever published, exhibiting in most 13 lucid arrangement many of the principal facts of the physical sciences and their relations to each other. Humboldt died May 6th, 1859, at the advanced age of ninety years.

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Geneva, a city on the shores of Lake Geneva, in south-west Switzerland. fraught, filled; laden; freighted. 3 Jura and Vosges mountains, ranges in the east of France. 4 Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, situated in the Pennine Alps, in Savoy, France. botany, vegetation. physical science, the science of nature: physical science treats of the earth and natural objects as they come from the hand of the Creator. Harz mountains, in Central Prussia. investigating, searching into. 9 Ural mountains, between Europe and Asia. 10 Altai mountains, in South Siberia, Asia. 11 Caspian Sea, a large inland sea, or rather salt-water lake, in south-east Russia. 12 platina, a metal of the colour of silver, but less bright. 13 lucid, clear; plain.

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THE 1 sixty-eight pounders on the 2 Victory's 3 forecastle, each loaded with five hundred shot, had cleared the French ship's gangway, but the musketry in her tops still maintained a murderous warfare. 7 Lord Nelson and Captain Hardy were walking on the quarter-deck, and at about 1.25 p.m., just as

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the two had arrived within one pace of the regular turning-point, Lord Nelson suddenly faced about to the left. Captain Hardy made one step more,

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and also turned, to see his admiral in the act of falling. He was then on his knees, with his left hand just touching the deck, but the arm giving way, he fell on his left side, exactly upon the spot

where his secretary had fallen just before, and with whose blood his clothes were soiled.

A musket-ball had entered the left shoulder through the fore part of the 10 epaulette, and, descending, had lodged in the spine. "They have done for me at last, Hardy!" he exclaimed. "I hope not," said Hardy. "Yes," he replied, "my backbone is shot through." He was immediately carried below; but even then, such was his 11 mental composure, that, observing the 12 tiller-rope to have been cut away, he ordered it to be replaced, and, taking out his handkerchief, covered his face and star, lest the crew should be discouraged by the sight. The 13 cockpit was crowded with wounded and dying men; he was laid upon a 14 purser's bed, and his wound examined. As soon as it was pronounced 15 mortal, he insisted that the surgeon should leave him and attend to those to whom he might be useful,-" for me," he said, "you can do nothing."

His sufferings from pain and thirst were very great. He frequently called for drink and to be fanned with paper, making use of these words, "Fan, fan; drink, drink!" and they gave him lemonade to quench his burning thirst. He kept pushing away a bed-sheet, the only covering upon him, laying bare his frail limbs and 16 emaciated body-limbs and body so feeble, but 17 animated by so great a heart !

As soon as the Victory was somewhat disengaged from the crowd of 81 opponents that hovered around her, Hardy sent an officer to inform Collingwood

that his friend and leader was wounded. Collingwood asked if the wound was dangerous. The officer hesitated, then faltered out his hope that it was not. "But," says Collingwood, "I saw the fate of my friend in his eye; for his look told what his tongue could not utter."

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sixty-eight pounders, large cannon made to carry shot weighing sixty-eight pounds. Victory, the admiral's ship. 3forecastle, that part of the upper deck of a vessel forward of the foremast. * gangway, a passage on each side of a vessel from quarter-deck (see note) to the forecastle. 5 musketry, fire from muskets-long guns carried by men. tops. The men fired from the masts. "Lord Nelson, the greatest of Britain's admirals. (See App.) "quarter-deck, that part of a ship which extends from the stern to the mainmast. admiral, a naval officer of the highest rank. 10 epaulette, an ornament worn on the shoulder by military and naval officers. 11 mental composure, the calmness or quiet of the mind or intellect. tiller, the bar or lever used to turn the rudder of a ship or boat. 13 cockpit, a room near the after hatchway, under the lower gun-deck. *purser, a commissioned officer who has charge of the provisions, clothing, etc., and of the public moneys on shipboard. 15 mortal, that which causes death. 16 emaciated, lean; wasted; having little flesh. 17 animated, enlivened; inspirited; made vigorous. 18 opponent, adversary; antagonist; opposer.

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IN about an hour and ten minutes after Nelson

had received his wound, he was gratified by a visit

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from Captain Hardy, for whom he had often inquired. They shook hands in silence; neither could trust himself to speak, and Hardy could barely suppress his poignant emotions. "Well, Hardy," said Nelson, "how goes the day with us?" "Very well," replied Hardy: "ten ships have 2 struck, but five of the 3 van have tacked, and are coming down upon the Victory; but I have called two or three fresh ships around, and have no doubt we shall give them a drubbing." "I hope," said Nelson, "none of our ships have struck?" "There is no fear of that," replied Hardy. "I am a dead man," said Nelson; "I am going fast; it will be all over with

Captain Hardy then returned on deck to repel a last desperate attempt at boarding, to which the crew of the Redoubtable had been invited by the unguarded state of the Victory's deck. Soon afterwards the Redoubtable surrendered; and as loud cheers from the Victory announced every successive ship of the enemy that struck, the countenance of the dying Nelson glowed with a faint gleam of transitory light. But the concussion of the firing so affected him, that, apostrophising his ship, he muttered, "Oh, Victory, Victory, how you distract my poor brain!" and, after a pause, "How dear is life to all men!"

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The Victory now ceased firing. Her work was done, and the Spanish leading ships were making to windward and trying to escape. Hardy returned to the side of his dying chief, and, taking him by