FERDINAND, FREIHERR VON RICHTHOFEN 565 



Meereskunde; and 1903-04, rector of the University of Berlin, a 

 position of honor conferred only upon the most distinguished. 



Von Richthofen's scientific activity covered half a century, we 

 may almost say the half-century of geological progress. He himself 

 never stood still, but, advancing, welcomed newly discovered facts, 

 was receptive to fresh ideas. In a letter received from him shortly 

 before his death, he writes: 



Die Anschauungen wandeln sich; die Art, die Dinge zu sehen und zu beur- 

 theilen wird eine andere, bei der Allgemeinheit und bei dem Einzelnen. 



And, referring to recent investigations in parts of China which he had 

 described, he says: 



Niemand wird mehr Freude daran haben als ich selbst, audi wo sie mich 

 berichtigen und erganzen. Ich begriisse diese Berichtigungen, welche 33 bis 34 

 Jahren nach meiner einsamen Wanderung in dem damals noch verschlossenen 

 Land gemacht werden. 



His contributions to science are characterized by the qualities 

 which distinguish him as an explorer of unknown lands: capacity 

 for painstaking and detailed observation, combined with a broad 

 grasp of his subject, and a daring conception of ideas. His ability 

 to observe and to present his observations in a striking manner is 

 ■exemplified in his reports on the geology of the Tyrolean Alps, which 

 were written before he was twenty-seven. They are important 

 works, illustrated with many studies of intricate structure, and they 

 show a thorough comprehension of the best methods of geological 

 study and presentation. These methods reappear in his great work, 

 China. Upon the internal literary evidence it would be easy to deter- 

 mine that the early papers and the later volumes were written by one 

 and the same hand, even though the name of the author had 

 remained unknown. 



Volumes I and II of China are by himself; the first deals with 

 the geography of China and central Asia, and presents initially a 

 ■description of the regions from the standpoint of our knowledge at 

 the time it was written, 1873-76, and, secondly, an account of the 

 development of intercourse between Europe and China since the 

 legendary period of n 22 B. C. The latter subject is discussed 

 through study of Chinese works, of which von Richthofen made 

 .extensive use. The book also contains the discussion of the loess, 



