Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk (5 June 1804 – 11 March 1865) was a German-born
explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
for Great Britain who carried out geographical, ethnological and botanical studies in South America and the West Indies, and also fulfilled diplomatic missions for Great Britain in the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
and
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
.
Life and career
Schomburgk was born at
Freyburg,
Prussian Saxony
The Province of Saxony (german: link=no, Provinz Sachsen), also known as Prussian Saxony () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg.
It was formed by the m ...
, the son of a Protestant minister. In 1820, while staying with his uncle, he learned
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
from a professor.
Commercial career
He entered commercial life and, in 1828, went to the United States, where he worked for a time as a clerk in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
.
In 1828, he was requested to supervise a transport of Saxon sheep to the American state of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, where he lived for a time. The same year, he became a partner in a tobacco manufactory at
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
. The factory was burned, and Schomburgk was ruined.
He suffered further setbacks on the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
island of
St. Thomas, where he lost all his belongings in a fire. Consequently, he ceased his business activities.
Geographic and exploration career
In 1830, he left for
Anegada
Anegada is the northernmost of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It lies approximately north of Virgin Gorda. Anegada is the only inhabited British Virgin Island for ...
, one of the
Virgin Isles, notorious for its shipwrecks. Although he did not possess the special knowledge that is required for such a work,
he surveyed the island at his own expense and sent to the
Royal Geographical Society (London) a report which created such an impression that, in 1835, he was entrusted by that body with conducting an expedition of exploration of
British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
.
He fulfilled his mission (1835–1839) with great success, incidentally discovering the giant
Victoria Regia water lily in 1837 and many new species of orchids, one genus of which, ''
Schomburgkia'', was named for him.
He also laid to rest the persistent myth of Raleigh's
Lake Parime by proposing that the seasonal flooding of the
Rupununi savannah
The Rupununi savannah is a savanna plain in Guyana, in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region. It is part of the Guianan savanna ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome.
Description
The Rupununi Savan ...
had been misidentified as a lake. In 1841, he returned to Guiana, this time as a
British Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_est ...
official to survey the colony and fix its eastern and western boundaries. The result was the provisional boundary between
British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, known as the "
Schomburgk Line
(), sometimes also called or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela. ", and the boundary with the Dutch colony of
Surinam.
He also made further geographical and ethnological observations and was joined there by his brother,
Moritz Richard.
He repeatedly urged fixing the boundary with
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, motivated by his encounters with Brazilian
enslavement of local Indian tribes, most of which no longer exist. Schomburgk's survey later played a role in the arbitration of the southern boundary between British Guiana and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, with arbitration by the
King of Italy
King of Italy ( it, links=no, Re d'Italia; la, links=no, Rex Italiae) was the title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a barbarian military leader ...
in 1904.
On the brothers' return to London in June 1844, Schomburgk presented a report of his journey to the Geographical Society, for which he was knighted by
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
in 1845,
and continued in other official capacities. In 1846, he was stationed in
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...
, where he gathered information to compile a geographical and statistical description of the island, later to be published as the ''History of Barbados'' published in 1848 by Cass as a library series of West Indian studies.
Diplomatic career
In 1848, he was appointed British
consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...
to the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
. In 1850, he signed an advantageous commercial treaty for Great Britain and also secured a truce from
Soulouque
Faustin-Élie Soulouque (15 August 1782 – 3 August 1867) was a Haitian politician and military commander who served as President of Haiti from 1847 to 1849 and Emperor of Haiti from 1849 to 1859.
Soulouque was a general in the Haitian Army w ...
in behalf of the Dominican government. During the following years, he contributed valuable papers upon the physical geography of the island to the journal of the Royal Geographical Society.
For example, he would be the first recorded person in history to climb Hispaniola's (and the entire Caribbean's) highest mountain,
Pico Duarte
Pico Duarte is the highest peak in the Dominican Republic, on the island of Hispaniola and in all the Caribbean. At above sea level, it gives the Dominican Republic the 16th-highest maximum elevation of any island in the world. Additionally, it ...
, in 1851, naming it "Monte Tina" and almost measuring its height correctly at .
In 1857, he was promoted to the position of British Consul-General of
Siam
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, where Britain exercised
extraterritorial jurisdiction through
consular court Consular courts were law courts established by foreign powers in countries where they had extraterritorial rights. They were presided over by consular officers.
Extraterritoriality
Western powers when establishing diplomatic relations with coun ...
s over
British subject
The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...
s. In a letter to his cousin William, Schomburgk notes, "In order to get an insight into the English summary police court proceedings, I was, before I left London, obliged to attend police
courts there for some time, also to acquaint myself with these proceedings by the study of books.
Based in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, he also continued his geographical surveys. The letter gives a short account of his visit to the semi-independent kingdom of
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
in 1859–60, thence by elephant across the mountain range to
Moulmein
Mawlamyine (also spelled Mawlamyaing; , ; th, เมาะลำเลิง ; mnw, မတ်မလီု, ), formerly Moulmein, is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), ''World Gazetteer'' south east of Yangon and south of Thaton, at th ...
on the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line bet ...
, returning to Bangkok after a trip of 135 days and approximately 1000 English miles.
Death
He retired from the public service in 1864, hampered by health problems, and died in
Schöneberg on 11 March 1865.
Recognition
Schomburgk was a member of various European, American, and Asiatic learned societies, and was a knight of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...
and of the Prussian
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...
.
Schomburgk's deer (''Rucervus schomburgki'') was named after him.
The South American fish ''
Mylesinus schomburgkii''
(Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...
, 1850), ''
Polycentrus schomburgkii''
( Müller & Troschel, 1849) and ''
Myloplus schomburgkii
''Myloplus schomburgkii'', also known as the Disk tetra, Disk pacu, Black-ear pacu, Black-band myleus or Black-barred myleus is a species of serrasalmid with a black bar on its side. This species is found in the middle and lower Amazon River basi ...
''
(Jardine
Jardine is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Al Jardine (born 1942), member of the Beach Boys
* Alexander Jardine (Medal of Honor) (1874–1949), American Medal of Honor recipient
* Antonio Jardine (born 1988), NCAA college b ...
, 1841) are named after him.
Many special of Neotropical plants are named for him:
*''
Harperocallis schomburgkiana''
( Oliv.) L.M.Campb. & Dorr
His botanical collection is at
Kew and his ethnographical collection from Guyana at the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
.
British Museum Collection
/ref>
Works
* ''Voyage in Guiana and upon the Shores of the Orinoco during the Years 1835–'39'' (London, 1840; translated into German by his brother Otto, under the title ''Reisen in Guiana und am Orinoco in den Jahren 1835–'39'', Leipsig, 1841, with a preface by Alexander von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister ...
)
* ''Researches in Guiana, 1837–'39'' (1840)
* ''Description of British Guiana, Geographical and Statistical'' (London, 1840)
* ''Views in the Interior of Guiana'' (1840)
* ''Baubacenia Alexandrine et Alexandra imperatris'' (Brunswick, 1845), monograph on plants discovered in British Guiana
* ''Rapatea Frederici Augusti et Saxo-Frederici regalis'' (1845), monograph on plants discovered in British Guiana
* ''History of Barbadoes'' (London, 1847)
* '' The Discovery of the Empire of Guiana by Sir Walter Raleigh'' (1848)
* Peter Rivière (ed.), ''The Guiana Travels of Robert Schomburgk 1835–1844'', 2 vols (Aldershot: Ashgate for the Hakluyt Society, 2006).
Notes
References
* Forbes, Andrew, and Henley, David, ''Ancient Chiang Mai'' Volume 1 (two chapters on Schomburgk in Thailand). Chiang Mai, Cognoscenti Books, 2012.
*Peter Rivière (ed.), ''The Guiana Travels of Robert Schomburgk 1835–1844'', 2 vols (Aldershot: Ashgate for the Hakluyt Society, 2006).
*Otto A. Schomburgk (ed.), ''Robert Hermann Schomburgk’s Travels in Guiana and on the Orinoco During the Years 1835–1839'' (Georgetown: The Argosy Company, 1931).
*Robert Schomburgk, ''A Description of British Guiana, Geographical and Statistical'' (London, 1840).
*Walter E. Roth (ed. and trans.), ''Richard Schomburgk’s Travels in British Guiana 1840–1844'', 2 vols (Georgetown: Daily Chronicle Office, 1922, 1923).
*Gibney, Eleanor.
About Robert H. Schomburgk…The Artist Responsible for our Cover Image
', St. John Historical Society. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
;Attribution
*
External links
Royal Geographical Society of South Australia.
Royal Geographical Society of South Australia.
Royal Geographical Society of South Australia.
*[https://rgssa.blogspot.com/2019/10/robert-hermann-schomburgk-and-flower-of.html Review. Journal of an expedition from Pirara to the upper Corentyne, and from thence to Demerara : executed by order of Her Majesty’s Government, and under the command of Mr. Robert H. Schomburgk. London : Printed by John Murray, 1845] Royal Geographical Society of South Australia
Sketch Map of British Guiana
by Robert Schomburgk
'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schomburgk, Robert Hermann
1804 births
1865 deaths
People from Freyburg, Germany
German expatriates in the United Kingdom
German expatriates in the United States
Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Thailand
Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Dominican Republic
British explorers
British Guiana people
History of the Colony of Barbados
19th-century British botanists
19th-century German botanists
Fellows of the Royal Society