Humboldt's expedition drew Europe's attention because French journals tracked and reported his movements, but when he returned to Europe, he was astonished to discover that he had already died three times.
Napoleon learned of Muller's death through the casualty lists. In fact, Muller had indeed hoped Bonaparte would believe he was dead. His parents had taught him to be just, brave, and rigorous, yet some of what he experienced after joining the army was difficult for him to accept.
In January 1798, soldiers who had not received their pay plundered Rome. The Directory strongly supported this measure, especially after Berthier was recalled to France and Masséna took his place.
Muller and the Army of the North he belonged to occupied the Pantheon, defying Masséna and the other Italian generals' orders. They firmly opposed all forms of looting. In the end, the Directory compromised and sent General Dallemagne to calm the situation.
Later, he followed Bernadotte to Ibach and discovered a secret mercury mine in Carniola. Mercury had already been discovered in Idrija in the fifteenth century, but it initially attracted little attention until the amalgamation method for extracting silver was discovered. By the sixteenth century, the Idrija mine was directly under Habsburg rule. It was precisely this mercury that increased the output of silver mines and indirectly boosted silver production in Mexico and Peru.
The enormous profits meant that even when local residents discovered mercury deposits, they did not report them. They mined them in secret for many years, until Muller stumbled upon them by accident.
A supplier named Collot was also accompanying the army. After giving each divisional officer in Muller's detachment a bill of exchange worth eleven thousand pounds sterling, he reported the matter to Napoleon. Napoleon took one million pounds sterling for himself, while Bernadotte and Murat