16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
and worth tempting. On the other hand, in
spite of everything, everything, there is still a
glamour attaching to France, and combined
with the name of Napoleon and the idea of
independence it moves some young men to a
giddy enthusiasm; and the two naturalists,
who appear to have served in the Italian campaign,
have a number of followers. Castro
may be one of them. He often invites the
younger, Latrobe, and he arranged for their
journey to the place where Humboldt stayed
near Quito, so far up in the Andes that you
can touch the moon from the ground floor.'
'That would have been Antisana for sure; and
if I do not mistake the house is at more than
thirteen thousand feet. If these French agents
were not truly devoted naturalists, it must have
been the weary, weary climb for them. But
Lord, what an opportunity! I long to see the
high Andes – to tread the virgin snow, and