Reis naar Merw De Aarde en haar Volken, 1887

A curious traveler departs the sweltering boulevards of Paris for an express train that rockets across Germany, slides down the Danube and braves the Black Sea, before arriving in the scorching heat of Tiflis. He marvels at the stark contrast between bustling European capitals and the raw, untamed landscapes of the Caucasus, noting how the journey itself feels both ordinary and daring. The narrative captures the anticipation of boarding a steamship in Baku, where a colorful mix of Persians, Armenians, and locals crowd the decks, and the horizon is dominated by black‑smoked oil factories and jagged, volcanic hills.

From the ship’s prow, the traveller watches the barren, yellow‑tinged coast of the Caspian stretch out, punctuated by ghostly cemeteries and the ominous “black city” of petroleum fumes. He reflects on the shifting geography—seas that have risen, deserts that have formed—and the fragile islands that seem ready to slip beneath the waves. The description sets the stage for an expedition through harsh steppes and remote ports, inviting listeners to join a vivid, early‑modern adventure.