This man, although he appeared so humble and embarrassed in his air and manners, and passed so unheeded, had inspired me with such a feeling of horror by the unearthly paleness of his countenance, from which I could not avert my eyes, that I was unable longer to endure it.

Belles lettres
Chamisso's earliest writings which include a verse translation of the tragedy Le Compte de Comminge in which "heilsam" is used in place of "heilig" show a 20 year old still struggling to master his new language and a number of his early poems are in French. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Cham. It was written partly to divert his own thoughts and partly to amuse the children of his friend Julius Eduard Hitzig.