Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America: During the Years 1799-1804The list of species named after him is long. His contributions to the foundations of modern science are inestimable. German naturalist and explorer ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT (1769-1859) was called by Charles Darwin "the greatest traveling scientist who ever lived" and by Thomas Jefferson "the most important scientist whom I have met." From 1799 to 1804, Von Humboldt traveled with French botanist AIM JACQUES ALEXANDRE BONPLAND (1773-1858) in Latin America, the first exploration from a scientific perspective of this vital region of the planet, and afterward, they produced this groundbreaking three-volume work, which introduced Europeans to this previously mysterious land. First published in French in 1807, this is a replica of an 1851 English-language edition. In Volume III, the explorers visit Spanish Guiana and "El Dorado," journey across Colombia, contrast the population of the West India islands with that of "the New Continent," discuss the politics of Cuba, and more. |
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Amazon amphibolic ancient Angostura appears Apure arrobas auriferous banks basin Batabano branches Brazil Cape Caracas Caribs Caripe Carony Carthagena Cayo Cerro coast colonies contains Cordillera crocodiles cultivation Cumana Cumanacoa Cundinamarca direction Dorado east eastern Essequibo Europe extend formations gneiss gold granite Grenada Guiana gulf Havannah height Indians inhabitants island of Cuba isthmus Jura limestone kilogrammes knot Laguna lake land latitude limestone Llanos Lower Orinoco Magdalena Mariara meridian Meta Mexico mica-slate mountains mouth nations natives northern Nueva Barcelona observed Omaguas Orinoco palm-tree parallel peninsula of Araya Peru piastres plains population port province Punta Quito Raleigh region ridge Rio Branco Rio Negro rise river rocks sandstone Santa shore Sierra Parime slaves soil South America southern Spaniards Spanish square leagues strata sugar summits surface table-land tertiary tion toises toises high town trachyte tributary streams Trinidad valley Venezuela volcanic voyage West Indies western