Geology from the 19th century frontier
A firsthand travelogue of fieldwork across China, Mongolia, and northern Japan, published by the Smithsonian. It combines narrative journeys with careful observations of coal basins, fossil plants, and regional geology, written by Raphael Pumpelly during 1862–1865.
This edition compiles the author’s private expeditions into a coherent study of Eastern Asia’s landscapes. It details long overland treks, collaborations with local guides and international researchers, and the challenges of studying geology in foreign lands. Readers gain a window into the methods, equipment, and discoveries that shaped early geological science in Asia.
- Follow the routes taken across the Yangtse basin, northern Japan, and the Mongolian steppe.
- Learn how field observations were organized, documented, and later analyzed alongside fossil and mineral finds.
- Explore descriptions of coal measures, mineral deposits, and the early map-based framing of regional geology.
- See how language barriers, climate, and travel conditions influenced scientific work in the era.
Ideal for readers of historical science, exploration narratives, and early geological fieldwork, this edition offers a rigorous but accessible account of exploration in a pivotal region during a transformative era.