The fantastic geography of wandering summit (II)
In the twentieth century, some European and American explorers of remote mountain ranges within China, those of Kunlún and Hengduan, believed glimpse at the two of them virtually unknown peaks that would exceed the altitude of Everest, the Amne Machin and Minya Konka, which led to new geographical checks until, made them, altimetry waters returned to normal and continued on his throne Everest.
But there's more. When Humboldt reflected in 1849 the supposed location Lloyd and Gerard, in 1840, mountains 30.000 feet in an enigmatic «Tartaric Chain”, the great geographer confesses he does not know where to be such a chain can, perhaps north of the Himalaya, by Kailash or Kunlun. In fact, any map of "Tartary" was imprecise, as such term extended from the northern coast of Siberia to the Himalayas and the Caspian Sea to China. Some divided as large Russian region Tatarstan, India and China Tartary Tartary.
In the twentieth century, some scouts believed glimpse in remote mountain ranges of China two peaks would exceed the altitude of Everest
But in the elementary Atlas Tomas Lopez, printed in Madrid 1792, there is a map, he nº 18, the "Empire of China", representing a portion of said Tartary China. In this lake appears Kokonor, And near, in place, City Xining (Jining titled here). South of the map drawn both have a mountain that is surrounded by the Yellow River, namely, as it is actually the eastern foothills of Kunlun chain Amne Machin. Further south is marked City Chengdú (although it labeled as Tchintu) in the province of "Setchuen" (the current Sichuan) and its immediate west lies several parallel chains, Net north-south, again as it is generally the currently called cordillera Hengduan. they, the easternmost would logically Shan mountain ranges of Duxue, namely, where it is located the Minya Konka, and further west, It would be the Meili.
Does it refer to these chains, and drawn close approximation by Thomas Lopez 1792, the vague mention in 1840 de la “Tartaric Chain”? ¿Derive knowledge of the position of these chains the first idea that will be placed in them the towering mountains of Lloyd and Gerard, then, and in the twentieth century, the explorers Pear and Rock They materialize in peaks Amne Machin and Minya Konka? It seems quite possible.
Humboldt confesses 1849 que no sabe dónde puede estar la «Tartaric Chain»
In summary, Novísima in World Geography Onesimo and Elysée Reclus, largely composed in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Blasco Ibáñez who translated into Spanish 1906, his take on Asia opened with an engraving of the geographer and artist pirenaico Franz Schrader with "Gaurisankar" in the distance, with profiles could be assimilated in long lines to today well-known features of Everest. It should be noted that the peak Gauri Sankar It does exist in the Himalayas, because that name is known to a mountain 7.134 m. not far from Everest but clearly distinct, As you can see the reader on a current map in some detail. But neither its shape nor its details match the engraving.
And in the section of his text on the Himalayas and Karakoram Reclus brothers wrote the significant and explicit sentences: "The 'Radiant' (8.840 meters), the Gaurisankar of indos, the Tibetan Tchingopamari, Everest of English, who have not hesitated to descoronar her beautiful sounding name to the monarch of all peaks in the world, king threatened, however, in all its majesty, as it is suspected, 80 kilometers beyond, two mountains of Sikkim They are taller than him. The the ntchindjinga (8.478 meters) or 'Five Nieves Brillantes' has five large glaciers on the peaks. The Dwlgiri or 'Monte Blanco' usurped some time the rank and honor of the first peak ".
They have not hesitated to descoronar her beautiful sounding name to the monarch of all peaks in the world
The high mountain so long wandering in the world finally had stopped, and good high, among their peers where he could best be: in the solitude of the Himalayas. However, thus the fantastic geography of wandering highest peak on Earth is over: namely, hoping to still find great loss Giant mountains surprise and hidden, dream when Earth was still hidden in the unknown potential geographies.
Este artículo está extraído de una parte del prólogo de Eduardo Martínez de Pisón a la traducción del libro «Claudius Bombarnac»», Jules Verne, published in Madrid by FORCOLA editions 2013.
