The Invention of Nature

Chapter 16: Russia

1

AH left Berlin: Beck 1983, p.35.

2

plants, landscape and animals in Siberia: AH to WH, 21 June 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.138; Rose 1837–42, vol.1, p.386ff.

3

more or less ‘ordinary’: AH to WH, 21 June 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.138.

4

‘not as delightful’: Ibid.

5

‘life in wild nature’: AH to Cancrin, 10 January 1829, ibid., p.86.

6

fast coaches: Beck 1983, p.76.

7

sleeping in carriage: AH to WH, 8 June and 21 June 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.132, 138

8

Count Polier: AH to WH, 8 June 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.132; Beck 1983, p.55.

9

AH’s equipment: Cancrin to AH, 30 January 1829; AH to Ehrenberg, March 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.91, 100; Beck 1983, p.27.

10

‘loving and affectionate’: CH to August von Hedemann, 17 March 1829, WH CH Letters 1910–16, vol.7, p.342; for CH’s death, see Gall 2011, pp.379–80.

11

AH had to avoid war zone: AH to Michail Semënovic Voroncov, 19 May 1829 and AH to Cancrin, 10 January 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.86, 119.

12

‘advancement of the’: Cancrin to AH, 30 January 1829, ibid., p.93.

13

Russia, manufacturing and ores: Suckow 1999, p.162.

14

AH and diamonds: AH to Cancrin, 15 September 1829 and 5 November 1829; AH to WH, 21 November 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.185, 204–5, 220. It was the sandstone Itacolumite that indicated diamonds. AH later also correctly predicted gold, platinum and diamonds in South Carolina – and in California.

15

AH and magnifying glass: AH Fragments Asia 1832, p.5.

16

‘crazy Prussian prince’: Cossack in Perm, June 1829, Beck 1959, p.103.

17

Polier and diamonds: Polier to Cancrin, Report about diamonds, Rose 1837–42, vol.1, p.356ff.; Beck 1983, p.81ff.; AH to WH, 21 November 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.220.

18

thirty-seven diamonds in Russia: Beck 1959–61, vol.2, p.117.

19

AH’s predictions like magic: Beck 1983, p.82.

20

‘true El Dorado’: AH to Cancrin, 15 September 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.185.

21

‘to bring the laments’: AH Cuba, 2011, pp.142–3.

22

‘poorer provinces’: AH to Cancrin, 10 January 1829; for Cancrin’s reply, see Cancrin to AH, 10 July 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.86, 93.

23

‘conditions of the lower’: AH to Cancrin, 17 July 1829, ibid., p.148.

24

Yekaterinburg: Beck 1983, p.71ff.

25

‘like an invalid’: AH to WH, 21 June 1829, see also 8 June and 14 July 1829, ibid., pp.132, 138, 146.

26

reached Tobolsk: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, p.487.

27

‘analogies and contrasts’: AH Central Asia 1844, vol.1, p.2.

28

‘small extension’: AH to Cancrin, 23 July 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.153.

29

‘his death’: Ibid., p.154

30

Cancrin received AH’s letter: Cancrin to AH, 18 August 1829, ibid., p.175.

31

‘without any sign’: Gregor von Helmersen, September 1828, Beck 1959, p.108.

32

Siberian steppes: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, pp.494–6.

33

leather masks: AH to Cancrin, 23 July 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.154; Rose 1837–42, pp.494–8; Beck 1983, p.96ff.

34

‘sea voyage on land’ and travel speed: AH to WH, 4 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.161, 163, and Suckow 1999, p.163.

35

anthrax epidemic: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, p.499; AH to WH, 4 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.161.

36

‘At my age’: AH to Cancrin, 27 August 1829, ibid., p.177.

37

‘traces of the pest’: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, p.500.

38

‘clean the air’: Ibid.

39

storm at Obi River: Ibid., p.502; AH to WH, 4 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.162.

40

1,000 miles in nine days: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, p.502.

41

distances to Berlin and Caracas: AH to WH, 4 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.162.

42

saw Altai mountains: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, p.523

43

left baggage in Ust-Kamenogorsk: Ibid., p.580.

44

AH in cave: Ibid., p.589.

45

‘covered the bottom’: Jermoloff about Ehrenberg, Beck 1983, p.122.

46

‘real joy’: AH to Cancrin, 27 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.178.

47

vegetation Altai: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, pp.575, 590.

48

‘mighty domes’: Ibid., p.577; for Belukha pp. 559, 595.

49

Altai and Belukha enticing: Ibid., p.594.

50

hot spring and earthquake: Ibid., p.597.

51

‘My health’: AH to WH, 10 September 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.181.

52

description of AH at Baty: Rose 1837–42, vol.1, pp.600–606; AH to Arago, 20 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.170.

53

dressed in ‘rags’: AH to Arago, 20 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.170.

54

the ‘heavenly kingdom’: AH to WH, 13 August 1829, ibid., p.172.

55

route from Altai: Beck 1983, p.120ff; AH to WH, 10 and 25 September 1829, pp.181, 188.

56

Lenin’s maternal grandfather: Ibid., p.128.

57

‘Thirty years ago’: AH to Cancrin, 15 September 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.184.

58

detour to Caspian Sea: AH to Cancrin, 26 September 1829, ibid., p.191; see also AH, Aspects, vol.2, p.300; AH Views 2014, p.283; AH Ansichten 1849, vol.2, p.363.

59

Cancrin kept AH up to date: Cancrin to AH, 31 July 1829 and 18 August 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.158, 175.

60

reasons for detour: AH to WH, 25 September 1829, ibid., p.188.

61

‘peace outside the gates’: AH to Cancrin, 21 October 1829, ibid., p.200.

62

Astrakhan and Caspian Sea: Rose 1837–42, vol. 2, p.306ff.; Beck 1983, p.147ff.

63

AH to scientists in St Petersburg: AH, Speech at Imperial Academy of Science, St Petersburg, 28 November 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.283–4.

64

AH and Caspian Depression: AH Fragments Asia 1832, p.50.

65

‘highlights of my life’: AH to WH, 14 October 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.196.

66

AH’s experiences in Russia: For mare’s milk, see AH to WH, 25 September 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.188; for Kalmyk choir, see Rose 1837–42, vol.2, p.344; for antelopes, snakes and fakir, see AH to WH, 10 September and 21 October 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.181, 199; Rose 1837–42, vol.2, p.312; for thermometer and copy of

Essay

, see Beck 1983, pp.113, 133; for Siberian food, see AH to Friedrich von Schöler, 13 October 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.193.

67

‘lack of timber’: AH to Cancrin, 21 June 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.136.

68

considerable desiccation: AH Fragments Asia 1832, p.27.

69

‘connections which linked’: AH Central Asia 1844, vol.1, p.27.

70

destruction of forests: Ibid., p.26; see also vol.1, p.337 and vol.2, p.214; AH Fragments Asia 1832, p.27.

71

‘great masses of steam’: Ibid., vol.2, p.214.

72

‘questionable’ (footnote): AH Central Asia 1844, vol.1, p.337.

73

distances and horses used: Bruhns 1873, vol.1, p.380; Suckow 1999, p.163.

74

AH’s health: AH to Cancrin, 5 November 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.204.

75

parties in Moscow and St Petersburg: Alexander Herzen, November 1829, Bruhns 1873, vol.1, pp.384–6; AH to WH, 21 November 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, pp.219–20.

76

‘Prometheus of our days’: Sergei Glinka, Bruhns 1873, vol.1, p.385.

77

‘Captivating speeches’: Pushkin in 1829, recounted by Georg Schmid in 1830, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.251.

78

‘I’m almost collapsing’: AH to WH, 21 November 1829, ibid., p.219.

79

AH asked tsar to pardon exiles: AH to Tsar Nicholas I, 7 December 1829, ibid., p.233.

80

‘mysterious march’: AH Cosmos 1845–52, vol.1, p.167; AH Kosmos 1845–50, vol.1, p.185.

81

‘reveal to us’: Report on letter from AH to Royal Society, 9 June 1836,

Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London

, vol.3, 1830–37, p.420 (Humboldt had written the letter in April 1836).

82

magnetic hut 1827: Biermann und Schwarz 1999a, p.187.

83

‘great confederation’: Report on letter from AH to Royal Society, 9 June 1836,

Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London

, vol.3, 1830–37, p.423; see also O’Hara 1983, pp.49–50.

84

almost two million observations: AH Cosmos 1845–52, vol.1, p.178; AH Kosmos 1845–50, vol.1, p.197.

85

‘economy of nature’: AH, Speech at Imperial Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, 28 November 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.277; for AH’s call for global climate studies see p.281.

86

AH returned money: AH to Cancrin, 17 November 1829, ibid., p.215; Beck 1983, p.159.

87

‘natural history cabinet’: AH to Theodor von Schön, 9 December 1829; for vase and sable, see AH to WH, 9 December 1829, AH Letters Russia 2009, p.237.

88

looked rather ‘picturesque’: AH to Cancrin, 24 December 1829, ibid., p.257.

89

‘contradictory theories’: Ibid.

90

‘steaming like a pot’: Carl Friedrich Zelter to Goethe, 2 February 1830, Bratranek 1876, p.384.