Show BURGK BUROK LINE the Botan tat who drew the boundary once lived in richmond an interesting fact in connection with the famous burgk line which has escaped observation I 1 is a that the man who provided the british government with that boundary came to this country from germany when he was 21 years old and after working tor for some time as a clerk in boston and philadelphia became a partner in a richmond va tobacco manufactory in 1828 the factory was burned and burgk drifted d to the west indies where after unsuccessful ventures his be botanical anical works attracted the attention of the london geographical society and he secured means to explore the unknown region of the orinoco where he traveled from 1833 to 1839 and discovered the victoria regina III lily and numerous other plants this work woric led the british government to commission him to suggest a boundary between venezuela and guiana and to maks make further explorations the line was drawn and he was knighted by the queen for his services burgk until his death in 1865 continued in the british consular service but devoted himself chiefly to geographical studies being a member of the principal american and european learned societies |