ACROSS EAST AFRICAN GLACIERS AN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST ASCENT OF KILIMANJARO eBook Dr HANS MEYER
Download As PDF : ACROSS EAST AFRICAN GLACIERS AN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST ASCENT OF KILIMANJARO eBook Dr HANS MEYER 
Kilimanjaro was discovered by a German missionary,
it was first explored by a German Baron von der
Decken ; and it seemed to me to be almost a national duty
that a German should be the first to tread the summit of this
mountain, probably the loftiest in Africa, and certainly the
highest in the German Empire. In all the expeditions which have penetrated the region since the first delimitation of the various spheres of interest, the interests of Geography and of Science in general have been of secondary importance to the making of treaties and the establishment of stations. It seemed to me, therefore, that, since Government showed no signs of moving in the matter, the work of geographical research in East Africa must be taken up by private individuals, I resolved to devote myself and my means to it forthwith; and in the course of three expeditions I have done my best to make known the districts geographically the most interesting and colonially the most valuable. First in importance in both these respects is Kilimanjaro, a mighty mountain mass, which attains an altitude of nearly 20,000 feet
ACROSS EAST AFRICAN GLACIERS AN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST ASCENT OF KILIMANJARO eBook Dr HANS MEYER
I'm only giving this four stars instead of five due to the editing. It's written very well, but it almost seems like it was scanned from a typewritten copy and quite a few letters didn't make it in the transition. But that was really just a minor irritation, and I"m glad someone went through the trouble of getting it in electronic format, because it is a treasure trove.Hans Meyer was the first European (and likely the first person) to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, and this is his personal account of his climb, written during and after his trek in the year 1889. As someone who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and wanted to get more background information on its history, I was surprised again and again how relevant this story is today. How much kinship I felt with the guy who had the same concerns and worries about his undertaking that I had, even though the path has literally been paved so well over the years. Yes, it was so much more unknown and in many ways difficult back then, but in other ways it seemed to not have been very different at all. Meyer's observations of the local tribes he encounters on his travels, both when trading for supplies and hiring porters an guides, are very astute and any Africa traveler will find much that is familiar in his descriptions. Yes, it was written in a different age when slavery hadn't even been abolished in Zanzibar, where Meyer started his expedition, and sometimes a certain condescension towards the black tribes he interacts with is shining through his storytelling, but in almost equal measure he so wonderfully describes some of his companions in the most vivid colors that you can tell he got to know them well and cared for them deeply.
The story is also a great personal portrait of a man who was universally gifted in so many areas, almost Jeffersonian. A geologist by training, he didn't shy away from an adventure that at some point had him kidnapped and jailed and freed for ransom. He was curious about everything and dedicated years of his life to finding answers, diligently measuring and taking stock of everything he discovered.
If you're interested in the history of East Africa and particularly Mount Kilimanjaro, you won't be disappointed by this book. I felt that towards the end it dragged on a bit when Kilimanjaro was conquered and the trek continued into other areas of then Tanganyika, but it was still fascinating to see how these explorers made their way into unknown territory and negotiated with unknown chieftains.
All in all a worthwhile read.
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ACROSS EAST AFRICAN GLACIERS AN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST ASCENT OF KILIMANJARO eBook Dr HANS MEYER Reviews
Excellent translation of a classic piece of history. Unfortunately, the photographs did not copy so well and are exceedingly dark. Still, as the author of an historical mystery series (Jade del Cameron series), I found this copy most useful for letting me know what Kilimanjaro was like before all the huts and people and global warming.
Suzanne Arruda ([...]
Adventures
It was an interesting book; however the translation of it wasn't the greatest on the edition. I had to do a lot of guessing about what many of the words were. But all-in-all, I could get the gist. Life was certainly different in the 1800s. To do what Dr Meyer and other explorers did is almost incomprehensible now in this day and age! They kept their nose to the grindstone and kept on going... I would have given 5 stars for a better translation.
I'm only giving this four stars instead of five due to the editing. It's written very well, but it almost seems like it was scanned from a typewritten copy and quite a few letters didn't make it in the transition. But that was really just a minor irritation, and I"m glad someone went through the trouble of getting it in electronic format, because it is a treasure trove.
Hans Meyer was the first European (and likely the first person) to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, and this is his personal account of his climb, written during and after his trek in the year 1889. As someone who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and wanted to get more background information on its history, I was surprised again and again how relevant this story is today. How much kinship I felt with the guy who had the same concerns and worries about his undertaking that I had, even though the path has literally been paved so well over the years. Yes, it was so much more unknown and in many ways difficult back then, but in other ways it seemed to not have been very different at all. Meyer's observations of the local tribes he encounters on his travels, both when trading for supplies and hiring porters an guides, are very astute and any Africa traveler will find much that is familiar in his descriptions. Yes, it was written in a different age when slavery hadn't even been abolished in Zanzibar, where Meyer started his expedition, and sometimes a certain condescension towards the black tribes he interacts with is shining through his storytelling, but in almost equal measure he so wonderfully describes some of his companions in the most vivid colors that you can tell he got to know them well and cared for them deeply.
The story is also a great personal portrait of a man who was universally gifted in so many areas, almost Jeffersonian. A geologist by training, he didn't shy away from an adventure that at some point had him kidnapped and jailed and freed for ransom. He was curious about everything and dedicated years of his life to finding answers, diligently measuring and taking stock of everything he discovered.
If you're interested in the history of East Africa and particularly Mount Kilimanjaro, you won't be disappointed by this book. I felt that towards the end it dragged on a bit when Kilimanjaro was conquered and the trek continued into other areas of then Tanganyika, but it was still fascinating to see how these explorers made their way into unknown territory and negotiated with unknown chieftains.
All in all a worthwhile read.
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