THE 



JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY 



OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, igos 



FERDINAND, FREIHERR VON RICHTHOFEN 



Born May 5, 1833; Died October 6, 1905 



By BAILEY WILLIS 

 Washington, D. C. 



Ferdinand von Richthofen is best known in the countries other 

 than his fatherland as the explorer of China, and the author of the 

 theory of the origin of the eolian loess deposits. In Germany his 

 dominant personality carried his influence into many affairs not 

 immediately connected with the sciences of geography and geology, 

 in which he was a specialist. In him the emperor has lost a well- 

 informed and conservative counselor. 



Von Richthofen first took up geological work in connection with 

 the Wiener Reichsanstalt in 1856, at the age of twenty-three. His 

 earliest publications relate to the structure of the Tyrolean Alps, 

 and the occurrence of certain igneous rocks. In i860 he was 

 appointed attache for scientific studies with the Prussian expedition 

 of Graf von Eulenberg to China, a diplomatic mission reinforced by 

 four men-of-war, its object being to persuade the Chinese to enter 

 into treaties with the German powers. Two years passed in diplo- 

 matic negotiations, during which the eager explorer found little 

 opportunity to penetrate beyond the coast line of the unknown land; 

 but he availed himself of a voyage made by one of the frigates among 

 the East India islands to visit Formosa, the Philippines, Celebes, 

 and Java. He also made excursions into Siam and farther India. 

 Vol. VIII, No. 7. 561 



