The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-11 00:00:00

MRS. BELZONI.

The efforts which have been made to engage
the public sympathy in favour of this deserving
and afflicted woman, are beginning to produce
such effects as might be hoped for, not only from
the compassionate character of our countrymen,
but from the sense of national honour and justice
by which they have ever been distinguished. It
is but fair to mention at the same time, that of
those appeals to English feeling, the person on
whose behalf they were made was wholly and
absolutely unconscious. She had importuned no
friend for relief—she had reproached neither in-
dividuals nor public bodies with neglect. In
silent resignation she bore her complicated mi-
series, doubled as they were by the heavy por-
tion of them which fell upon the aged mother and
destitute family of Belzoni. The friends who,
first interested themselves in this distressing case
have since been of opinion that a simple statement
of the facts which constitute its leading features
and merits might be brought with advantage un-
der the public eye, and would certainly not
weaken any favourable impressions which already
existed towards the unobtrusive sufferer.—Bel-
zoni was, as to all the objects of vulgar selfish-
ness, the most disinterested of men. He was co-
vetous of fame, and succeeded in rendering an
humble name illustrious; but his love of inde-
pendence and contempt for money bore, likewise,
their natural fruits, for he lived unpatronized,
and died, in his own words," a beggar." If this,
however, was the state in which he died, and the
forlorn condition to which he bequeathed his
widow, the cause was his devotion to great and
noble purposes, in the late prosecution of which
he consumed, together with life itself, that little
property which had been the indirect harvest of
his earlier and unrivalled researches. The
course of the Niger, which, like the ❑orth west
passage, seems a philosopher's stone to the 19th
century, was the grand aim of Belzoni's expedi-
tion to the interior of Africa in 1523. We ex-
aggerate nothing when we assert that he might
have proceeded in respectable company, with of-
ficial authority, and with Government resources
at his back; but fetters upon his judgment, and
partnership in his renown, were more terrible
than any risk or privation.from which they might
have exempted him. He resolved, therefore, to
sacrifice his private means, to shape his own course
to stand or fall by his individual spirit and saga-
city ; and telling the world " alone I did it,"
dedicate to England the results and records of
his toil, but impose upon her, also, the liberal
duty of rewarding it. Enterprises of discovery
into the heart of Africa have been repeated, And
multiplied under the British Government. To
depreciate the object contemplated by these mis-
sions, would be to impugn the wisdom of His Ma-
jesty's advisers. If, therefore, Belzoni had suc-
ceeded by his own resources, intellectual and
pecuniary, in accomplishing that which was a
darling desideratum with the State itself, the
good taste and dignity of the King's Government,
to say nothing of the natiob at large—could not
have passed over his demands upon them. Belzo-
ni, after months of laborious and expensive prepa-
rations, bent his steps by Tangier to Morocco :
there,by dint of presents with which he loaded the
Sovereign and courtiers of that unchristian mo-
narchy, he procured the necessary official
orders and permissions for facilitating his progress
across the immense Desert of Zabara in company
with the Moorish caravan, to Timbuctoo, the
city to which no European has yet been able to
find access. While waiting the departure of the
caravan, Belzoni was suddenly—from no offence
on his part, but from jealousies respecting the de-
sign of his journey, (how or by whom instilled

into the Court of Fez, it is not our present busi-
ness to inquire,)—deprived of all his hard-earned
hopes ; -the promised facilities for his expedition
were withdrawn from him, and the door of dis-
covery closed against him where it had. seemed
most inviting. With resources thuscruelly wasted,
expectation mortified, and -health impaired, but
nothing daunted in his purpose, this unconquer-
able traveller retraced his route to Tangier. De-
termining to get rid of the desert, and attempt
Timbuctoo from the south-west quarter, he em-
barked
for Madeira, then for Teneriffe ; and
thence, by the aid of some gallant officers of the
British navy, was conveyed to Benin ; where,
after many anxious preparatory efforts, he suc-
ceeded in obtaining the sanction and kind
offices of the Government, but was seized at
Gata with the fatal illness which destroyed him.
The state of mind in which this benevolent and
grateful, as well as public-spirited and useful
being met the last moment by which all human
pretensions are brought to a test as infallible as
it is awful, will appear from the letter which he
wrote while conscious .that he was dying, and
which is annexed in a note to the present article
—a more 'pathetic or affecting document we have
never read. The wife whom he was then about

to leave a widow, had been his companion to Fez,
and back to Tangier. Her whole life was an in-
cessant exertion in his service. She everywhere
roused his friends to activity. She solicited,
raised, and transmitted funds for his support : one
sum of 200/., which Mrs. Belzoni procured from
a liberal friend, and got forwarded to the Moor-
ish Minister at Fez, to be by him remitted to
Timbuctoo for Belzoni, has recently been made
the subject of a communication with the Trea-
sury, which, being misunderstood, and to Mrs.
Belzoni's prejudice, we think it but just to

describe more correctly. The letter of the Moor
Ben Gelool (for which see note 13) acknowledges

the. receipt of the above sum, and his responsi-
bilitY for its value. In reply to a memorial ,
which was some months ago submitted to the
Treasury, on behalf of Mrs. Belzoni, it has been
lately notified that the sum of 2001. should be at
her disposal, provided she would give up to Go-
vernment her right to the same sum in the hands
of the Minister of Morocco. Mrs. Belzoni has
accepted the offer from the Treasury, and at
once paid over the 2001. to the friend who for-
merly advanced it for her husband. This, there-
fore, an honest and honourable transaction so far
concerns Mrs. Belzoni, whose first anxiety is to
pay her husbands debts, has not been a gift,
nor any thing like it, on the part of the Lords of
the Treasury. They are sensible of the conve-

nience, and justly so, of having money at comma° f
for future enterprises of research within reach 8
Timbuctoo; and they deposit an equivalent haret
with the person who has already lodged IP-
and who leaves it for their benefit in Afrfic.,;,
This isa mercantile transaction, not a donation;
and Ministers can be in no doubt as to the salli
being tangible when required, for we have Or'
selves had before us a letter from Morocco, elt;
pressing wonder that the money had not yet belt
called for. Again, with regard to the Price,
9.
the sarcophagus, for which Mrs. Belsonitill
said to have received 2,0001. from Mr.Soane,wh:t.
Belzoni has never received one farthing ef
purchase-money. Mr. Salt's agent has got it
though, but for the genius of Belzoni, the P:9:
cious specimen of antiquity for which that pric-
was paid, might have slept during 30 other eel;
turies in the tomb whence he disinterred it. a
orte
is somewhat strange that when Belzoni, supp
by his friends, had offered 3,0001. for that serc,";
phagus, the persons at the head of the Brltise
Museum, would not authorize the sale of it,le
ing a negative power), but instantly on WI the
cease let it go for 2-thirds of the money. Hafi,:cd(
sarcopagus fetched any thing over 2,0001., ""e,
of the surplus was to have become, by agreL.
ment, the property of Belzoni or his vri"W„gb
But we will no longer dwell on this. Thr°,ole'e.
various mischances the sum for which Mrs' "--,(1
zoni stands bound to her husband's creditors °ls
her own exceeds 1,5001. Of the above deb.t'no
large proportion was incurred by his preluiretw
and remittances to Africa, in Belzoni's life tireehat
the rest by her endeavours to keep entireto
remained of his collections after death, a'l,l
render them worthy of public patronage."%ell
tice. Her attempts have failed—she must' yt
the exhibition, and still be destitute of surlr
for herself, unless aided by the generosity
°f
countrymen. The thirst for a knowledge tton
dent art is the exclusive growth of an educa.tetl
in some degree learned, and is therefore law Iti•
to those classes of society whose tastes- are c" to
vated and refined. Celebrity, indeed, is theiroo
give, but profit comes from those exhibition
only which the bulk of the communitirt-Or'
admire. We wish, therefore, that the r.iteit,
Museum, now enlarging itself indefinlifsi•
would allot one spacious chamber for the l'i
,"110.
cal memorials of Belzoni's unprecedente"o,'
boors. They are well worthy of such a
but if it be decided otherwise, we sh°°l:b 110
to see this poor lady disencumbered re
unwieldy, and, in her hands, unproductive ;ire
perty, by the sale of it at a fair valued"' to it'
are informed that a committee, containing.tody
names of some distinction, has been constit"
with Mrs. Belzoni's full consent, and at tierr
sire, to act as they shall deem best for u
vantage—that proposals from purchasers,' twit'
should offer, will, when made to her, he s"
ted to its consideration—and that a Publ'co etc
scription, already commenced, and which
lighted and humane individuals are hereccattl'
treated to encourage and promote, win, for
ing to Mrs. Belzoni's wish, be administer,pd
her benefit by the following Nobletnel-dr
Gentlemen—who will be happy to
sistance from others desirous of joining O'Sq.:
The Marquis of Lansdown, Murriwl vsa.
Colonel FitzclarenCe, E. Sterlito.44:
Captain. Parry, B. N., Driggsg;pori•
Bev- 13,*:.,701'
Major Denham,
J. Christie, Esq., Fis,-.7pq.
Rev. 0. A. Browne, Cam- C. Bawl°,
bridge,
•

(Note A.) „ 180-
My dear, dear Sir, and true Friendl3—eGnionti 11)taesc.;1°'
of
Ishould not survive to see my friends again:. a vi°lellte`"-
~,stt:/'
dysentery brought me to the hour of death.
All 1
onol
that I am fully resigned to my fate, and beg pardon °
is,on;
may happen to have offended in my Past
their prayers for my next. All the travelling aftPa-ete ;Of
be carried to Liverpool by the brig Castor, novi
Benin, to
I believe belonging to Mr. Bold, of that place., ,jor
next is woat I feel most deep to my heart—console e 9
Sarah—tell her I cannot write to her—she has been t°' :O.
faithful and good wife upwards of 20 years. 1 (lie fidt,
i
beggarher and
; and if my friends should agree to do arY
and my family, I wish it to be divided between
and my mother.

Yours, most truly, („TlONlig f
. r ot
(Signed) B
God,bless you, my good Sir ; may he reword Y 443
your goodness unto me.

(Note B.) the 20
Copy of a Translation of a Moorish Letter frotn, to
of the Emperor of Morocco, Ben Gelool, at
Belzoni.

.1
, 00

In the name of God the mercifal, &c. Ba. ~.f'
oli
of From the writer of this, Taleb Ben Gelool, to
7..
our friend Belzoni, the Englishman. e-diii,l44,;
Know ye that we received, through the lianas 0'
tb— orr
lish Consul, two letters fromone.for as, Oa- ...e
t°ll'
for your husband, BeizOni ; you,and we received A pats 4 P 5041
as also I received previously a gun with two Ifillle,111.01"
ettGodeaoninndtiasniblesscontaining
o i
nopugrryoc9oo6ueboed:
de
cyottolo.itat havetrhs
e.
z:bgue been n at much trou b I e 4°31'11014'
for us. I likewise received from your part a gr41:1014:4
that Belzoni is arrived at Tunis, and from that c$P- bit%
ro.d is very good and safe, ankd'cnpooursvenfteYrryse:btlte:ttoiritoo;lllisr;!3::lo':;l:
sent. We pray God to facilitate every thing befGre
A if
: sn-id
The said group of money is in our possOitn:lat (or
forward it as it is, in dollars, there will be 111"-.44;11,0
total loss, and delay to him, which would be le.' oiit
We will therefore write to our friend at Tirribncfl3',l%oolo
our own goods in his hands, to pay the amount foceiceil `is
re s
ye
gold coins of the country, equivalent to what we
yewxoiuclicia,,,n,nrotteew;tith?su,tarnid:riinegrdtlaietrecisi•nilblubcetomo:ich 1055
ililite.roit'atti its
but for your sake we shall not. lookieioni 014
there to recoey.e him into his own house; to Paibeip 111 ita"Y
that tt. •ia o`a til
to stand with him in all his wants, and °color 511 ,Pi
execution of his object, if Cod causes no difg Ite sl3eil.°
atwonadlztyo
itpatyo
ioi
isi'ner, to him thei said moneys _lid:: :., se ~olf:
. If tite I
sfrhoolnlfill
doh lb:el in
nh
helps
iaslothawonf
moreliand -nwriting
tfhoarnt to,:
ettgu.oteurvetise sivi te
he °llpi: to
in want of any thing ; and we pray uv-,iin tO 01
ps
inlnd
ttoakaerraivreeesetipTt
ilutbbrZto
00,04 n et:t it:
the accomplishment of his object, and cause P ' 4 Ole
you safe. . e tfrifQ' 815'
. Any affair you should wish to be done bet ' ifi, I
it, and it shall, if God please, be done. A Oi See'
Dated 13th 111 charrem, 1239,. corresr° W

S
11"‘
NII9, °..10
Printed and Published for the PitoPttltt coif-
Orrtcr., No. 112, Strand, 14