How does one rate such a book? Literary ??, not really of literary note at all. The story is very limited, simply a journals high lights and therefor often repetitive, and then progressing to no place in particular. The author also expressed little interest in the people and cultural surroundings, his major interest was as a amateur geologist, with his English mountain man privilege and ego showing, he actually shows little professional insight here either.

So why would this book be interesting and why did I feel it necessary to read, not skim, each page despite all it's shortcomings?

Maybe my abiding interest in the things he was not very interested in and the fact this man was someplace, under special circumstances and at a once in a lifetime view and insight of history that changed before his eyes, and few if any other outsiders ever saw or left a record of it's being, or passing. I found myself trying to be where he was, and feel what he felt, but didn't say, and what he should have felt. Strange feeling for me, strange review also. ( )