,P>T #d3 ,/4 ,PET]SBURG2 ,FIR/ ,J\RNEY TO ,WE/]N ,EUROPE1 ,SECTION #a 

#ahiiahii 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,PET] ,KROPOTK9 

,TEXT 3 

  

,PHOTO BY ,GIANNI ,DOM9ICI1,C,C ,B,Y-,N,D ,LIC5SE ,E>LY 9 ! AUTUMN ( #ahfg MY BRO!R & ,I1 ) HIS FAMILY1 W]E SETTL$ AT ,/4 ,PET]SBURG4 ,I 5T]$ ! UNIV]SITY1 & SAT ON ! B5*ES AMONG Y\NG M51 ALMO/ BOYS1 MU* Y\NG] ?AN MYSELF4 ,:AT ,I SO LONG$ = FIVE YE>S BE=E WAS ACCOMPLI%$1-,I C\LD /UDY2 &1 ACT+ UPON ! IDEA ?AT A ?OR\< TRA9+ 9 MA!MATICS IS ! ONLY SOLID BASIS = ALL SUBSEQU5T WORK & ?\<T1 ,I JO9$ ! PHYSICO-MA!MATICAL FACULTY 9 ITS MA!MATICAL SECTION4 ,MY BRO!R 5T]$ ! MILIT>Y ACADEMY = JURISPRUD5CE1 :IL/ ,I 5TIRELY GAVE UP MILIT>Y S]VICE1 TO ! GREAT DISSATISFACTION ( MY FA!R1 :O HAT$ ! V]Y SI<T ( A CIVILIAN DRESS4 ,WE BO? HAD N[ TO RELY 5TIRELY UPON \RSELVES4 

,/UDY AT ! UNIV]SITY & SCI5TIFIC WORK ABSORB$ ALL MY TIME = ! NEXT FIVE YE>S4 ,A /UD5T ( ! MA!MATICAL FACULTY HAS1 ( C\RSE1 V]Y MU* TO DO1 BUT MY PREVI\S /UDIES 9 HI<] MA!MATICS P]MITT$ ME TO DEVOTE P>T ( MY TIME TO GEOGRAPHY2 &1 MOREOV]1 ,I HAD NOT LO/ 9 ,SIB]IA ! HABIT ( H>D WORK4 

,! REPORT ( RNY LA/ EXP$ITION WAS 9 PR9T2 BUT 9 ! MEANTIME A VA/ PROBLEM ROSE BE=E ME4 ,! J\RNEYS ?AT ,I HAD MADE 9 ,SIB]IA HAD CONV9C$ ME ?AT ! M\NTA9S :I* AT ?AT TIME W]E DRAWN ON ! MAPS ( ,NOR!RN ,ASIA W]E MO/LY FANTA/IC1 & GAVE NO IDEA :ATEV] ( ! /RUCTURE ( ! C\NTRY4 ,! GREAT PLATEAUS :I* >E SO PROM95T A FEATURE ( ,ASIA W]E NOT EV5 SUSPECT$ BY ?OSE :O DREW ! MAPS4 ,9/EAD ( !M1 SEV]AL GREAT RIDGES1 SU* AS1 = 9/ANCE1 ! EA/]N PORTION ( ! ,/ANOVOI1 :I* US$ TO BE DRAWN ON ! MAPS AS A BLACK WORM CREEP+ EA/W>D1 HAD GR[N UP 9 ! TOPOGRAPHIC BUREAUS1 CONTR>Y TO ! 9DICATIONS & EV5 TO ! SKET*ES ( SU* EXPLOR]S AS ,L4 ,S*W>TZ4 ,!SE RIDGES HAVE NO EXI/5CE 9 NATURE4 ,! HEADS ( ! RIV]S :I* FL[ T[>D ! ,>CTIC ,OCEAN ON ! ONE SIDE1 & T[>D ! ,PACIFIC ON ! O!R1 LIE 9T]M+L$ ON ! SURFACE ( A VA/ PLATEAU2 !Y RISE 9 ! SAME M>%ES4 ,BUT1 9 ! ,EUROPEAN TOPOGRAPH]'S IMAG9ATION ! HI<E/ M\NTA9 RIDGES MU/ RUN ALONG ! *IEF WAT]-P>T+S1 & ! TOPOGRAPH]S HAD DRAWN !RE ! HI<E/ ,ALPS1 ( :I* !RE IS NO TRACE 9 REALITY4 ,MANY SU* IMAG9>Y M\NTA9S W]E MADE TO 9T]SECT ! MAPS ( ,NOR!RN ,ASIA 9 ALL DIRECTIONS4 

,TO DISCOV] ! TRUE LEAD+ PR9CIPLES 9 ! DISPOSITION ( ! M\NTA9S ( ,ASIA--! H>MONY ( M\NTA9 =MATION--N[ BECAME A QUE/ION :I* = YE>S ABSORB$ MY ATT5TION4 ,= A CONSID]ABLE TIME ! OLD MAPS1 & /ILL MORE ! G5]ALIZATIONS ( ,ALEX&] VON ,HUMBOLDT1 :O1 AFT] A LONG /UDY ( ,*9ESE S\RCES1 HAD COV]$ ,ASIA ) A NETWORK ( M\NTA9S RUNN+ ALONG ! M]IDIANS & P>ALLELS1 HAMP]$ ME 9 MY RESE>*ES1 UNTIL AT LA/ ,I SAW ?AT EV5 ,HUMBOLDT'S G5]ALIZATIONS1 /IMULAT+ ?\< !Y HAD BE51 DID NOT AGREE ) ! FACTS4 

,BEG9N+1 !N1 ) ! BEG9N+1 9 A PURELY 9DUCTIVE WAY1 ,I COLLECT$ ALL ! B>OMETRICAL OBS]VATIONS ( PREVI\S TRAVEL]S1 & FROM !M CALCULAT$ HUNDR$S ( ALTITUDES2 ,I M>K$ ON A L>GE SCALE MAP ALL GEOLOGICAL & PHYSICAL OBS]VATIONS ?AT HAD BE5 MADE BY DIFF]5T TRAVEL]S1--! FACTS1 NOT ! HYPO!SES2 & ,I TRI$ TO F9D \T :AT /RUCTURAL L9ES W\LD ANSW] BE/ TO ! OBS]V$ REALITIES4 ,?IS PREP>ATORY WORK TOOK ME MORE ?AN TWO YE>S2 & !N FOLL[$ MON?S ( 9T5SE ?\<T1 9 ORD] TO F9D \T :AT ALL ! BEWILD]+ *AOS ( SCATT]$ OBS]VATIONS MEANT1 UNTIL ONE DAY1 ALL ( A SUDD51 ! :OLE BECAME CLE> & COMPREH5SIBLE1 AS IF IT W]E ILLUM9AT$ ) A FLA% ( LI<T4 ,! MA9 /RUCTURAL L9ES ( ,ASIA >E NOT NOR? & S\?1 OR WE/ & EA/2 !Y >E FROM ! S\?WE/ TO ! NOR!A/1-JU/ AS1 9 ! ,ROCKY ,M\NTA9S & ! PLATEAUS ( ,AM]ICA1 ! L9ES >E NOR?WE/ TO S\!A/2 ONLY SECOND>Y RIDGES %OOT \T NOR?WE/4 ,MOREOV]1 ! M\NTA9S ( ,ASIA >E NOT BUNDLES ( 9DEP5D5T RIDGES1 LIKE ! ,ALPS1 BUT >E SUBORD9AT$ TO AN IMM5SE PLATEAU1 AN OLD CONT95T :I* ONCE PO9T$ T[>D ,BEHR+ ,/RAIT4 ,HI< BORD] RIDGES HAVE T[]$ UP ALONG ITS FR+ES1 & 9 ! C\RSE ( AGES1 T]RACES1 =M$ BY LAT] S$IM5TS1 HAVE EM]G$ FROM ! SEA1 ?US ADD+ ON BO? SIDES TO ! WID? ( ?AT PRIMITIVE BACKBONE ( ,ASIA4 

,!RE >E NOT MANY JOYS 9 HUMAN LIFE EQUAL TO ! JOY ( ! SUDD5 BIR? ( A G5]ALIZATION1 ILLUM9AT+ ! M9D AFT] A LONG P]IOD ( PATI5T RESE>*4 ,:AT HAS SEEM$ = YE>S SO *AOTIC1 SO CONTRADICTORY1 & SO PROBLEMATIC TAKES AT ONCE ITS PROP] POSITION )9 AN H>MONI\S :OLE4 ,\T ( A WILD CONFUSION ( FACTS & FROM BEH9D ! FOG ( GUESSES1--CONTRADICT$ ALMO/ AS SOON AS !Y >E BORN1--A /ATELY PICTURE MAKES ITS APPE>ANCE1 LIKE AN ,ALP9E *A9 SUDD5LY EM]G+ 9 ALL ITS GR&EUR FROM ! MI/S :I* CONCEAL$ IT ! MOM5T BE=E1 GLITT]+ UND] ! RAYS ( ! SUN 9 ALL ITS SIMPLICITY & V>IETY1 9 ALL ITS MI<T9ESS & BEAUTY4 ,& :5 ! G5]ALIZATION IS PUT TO A TE/1 BY APPLY+ IT TO HUNDR$S ( SEP>ATE FACTS :I* HAD SEEM$ TO BE HOPELESSLY CONTRADICTORY ! MOM5T BE=E1 EA* ( !M ASSUMES ITS DUE POSITION1 9CREAS+ ! IMPRESSIV5ESS ( ! PICTURE1 ACC5TUAT+ SOME *>ACT]I/IC \TL9E1 OR ADD+ AN UNSUSPECT$ DETAIL FULL ( MEAN+4 ,! G5]ALIZATION GA9S 9 /R5G? & EXT5T2 ITS F\NDATIONS GR[ 9 WID? & SOLIDITY2 :ILE 9 ! DI/ANCE1 ?R\< ! F>-(F MI/ ON ! HORIZON1 ! EYE DETECTS ! \TL9ES ( NEW & /ILL WID] G5]ALIZATIONS4 

,HE :O HAS ONCE 9 HIS LIFE EXP]I5C$ ?IS JOY ( SCI5TIFIC CREATION WILL NEV] =GET IT2 HE WILL BE LONG+ TO R5EW IT2 & HE CANNOT BUT FEEL ) PA9 ?AT ?IS SORT ( HAPP9ESS IS ! LOT ( SO FEW ( US1 :ILE SO MANY C\LD ALSO LIVE ?R\< IT1--ON A SMALL OR ON A GR& SCALE1--IF SCI5TIFIC ME?ODS & LEISURE W]E NOT LIMIT$ TO A H&FUL ( M54 

,?IS WORK ,I CONSID] MY *IEF CONTRIBUTION TO SCI5CE4 ,MY FIR/ 9T5TION WAS TO PRODUCE A BULKY VOLUME1 9 :I* ! NEW IDEAS AB\T ! M\NTA9S & PLATEAUS ( ,NOR!RN ,ASIA %\LD BE SUPPORT$ BY A DETAIL$ EXAM9ATION ( EA* SEP>ATE REGION2 BUT 9 #a#h#g#c1 :5 ,I SAW ?AT ,I %\LD SOON BE >RE/$1 ,I ONLY PREP>$ A MAP :I* EMBODI$ MY VIEWS & WROTE AN EXPLANATORY PAP]4 ,BO? W]E PUBLI%$ BY ! ,GEOGRAPHICAL ,SOCIETY1 UND] ! SUP]VISION ( MY BRO!R1 :ILE ,I WAS ALREADY 9 ! =TRESS ( ,/4 ,PET] & ,/4 ,PAUL4 ,PET]MANN1 :O WAS !N PREP>+ A MAP ( ,ASIA1 & KNEW MY PRELIM9>Y WORK1 ADOPT$ MY S*EME = HIS MAP1 & IT HAS BE5 ACCEPT$ S9CE BY MO/ C>TOGRAPH]S4 ,! MAP ( ,ASIA1 AS IT IS N[ UND]/OOD1 EXPLA9S1 ,I BELIEVE1 ! MA9 PHYSICAL FEATURES ( ! GREAT CONT95T1 AS WELL AS ! DI/RIBUTION ( ITS CLIMATES1 FAUNAS1 & FLORAS1 & EV5 ITS HI/ORY4 ,IT REVEALS1 ALSO1 AS ,I WAS ABLE TO SEE DUR+ MY LA/ J\RNEY TO ,AM]ICA1 /RIK+ ANALOGIES BETWE5 ! /RUCTURE & ! GEOLOGICAL GR[? ( ! TWO CONT95TS ( ! NOR!RN HEMISPH]E4 ,V]Y FEW C>TOGRAPH]S C\LD SAY N[ :5CE ALL !SE *ANGES 9 ! MAP ( ,ASIA HAVE COME2 BUT 9 SCI5CE IT IS BETT] ?AT NEW IDEAS %\LD MAKE !IR WAY 9DEP5D5TLY ( ANY NAME ATTA*$ TO !M4 ,! ]RORS1 :I* >E UNAVOIDABLE 9 A FIR/ G5]ALIZATION1 >E EASI] TO RECTIFY4 

7,S\RCE3 ,MEMOIRS ( A ,REVOLUTIONI/1 ,FIR/ ,$ITION1 ,H\<TON ,MIFFL9 ,COMPANY1 ,BO/ON & ,NEW ,YORK1 #a#h#i#i47 

,FROM 3 ,AN>*Y ,>*IVES4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahih 3 ,P>T #d3 ,/4 ,PET]SBURG2 ,FIR/ ,J\RNEY TO ,WE/]N ,EUROPE1 ,SECTION #a -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,JANU>Y #b#a1 #bag 3 ,P>T #d3 ,/4 ,PET]SBURG2 ,FIR/ ,J\RNEY TO ,WE/]N ,EUROPE1 ,SECTION #a -- ,ADD$4 

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