Haimatochare

Foreword

The following letters, which provide information on the unhappy fate of two natural scientists, were disclosed to me by my friend, Adalbert von Chamisso, upon return from his remarkable trip, during which he circumnavigated the globe one and a half times. They appear to be worthy of publication. – With sadness, yes, with horror, one concedes how often a seemingly harmless event might violently tear apart the closest bond of dearest friendship and cause ruinous disaster, where one had justifiably believed to expect the best, the most beneficial.

E.T.A. Hoffmann