The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-06-06
THE LATE COLONEL BuRNAsY.
Some Interesting Incidents In His Re-
markable Career,

Some Interesting Incidents In HIS Re-
markable Career.
In the list of the dead at Aboo-Klea
there is no line that will strike wider
chord of panied sympathy than that
which records his name. His renown
was worldwide, and he was in many
ways remarkable man. His personal
appearance, as he sauntered down the
street or as he sat on horseback on
parade, never failed to attract atten-
ton. The hardships undergone by him
in his ride to Khiva and in his latter
expedition to Asia Minor had begun to
tell upon him. He suffered grievously
from heart disease, and with his aocus-
toned gay courage every hour faced the
consciousness of the probability of sud-
den death.
In his youth he was passionately fond
of gymnastics, in which he excelled
above all his fellows. There used to be
in one of his clubs o colossal dumb-bell
in a glass case with the offer of a heavy
wager that no man would hold il out
at arms length for tho space of sixty
seconds. The wager was never won,
| tuOuSh DuIHitDy lhtuo HOlHluS Vi uC~
complishing the feat. Among the
many stories of his physical prowess
one relates to period shortly after he
joined the Blues. The regiment was
down at Windsor, and householder
who had come into possession of q
couple of very small ponies, had taken
them thither by command to exhibit
them to the Queen. Before going to
al. l.. L. IL. Al
officers of the Blues, to whom happy
thought occurred. Burnaby, who was
captain then, was in his own
room on the first flight With some
trouble the ponies were got upstairs,
and, the door quietly opening, they
trotted in unannounced. This was u
capital joke, and had great success.
But, rs presently appeared, 1t had
gloomy side. The ponies had gone up
stairs quietly enough, but neither force
nor entreaty could induce them to go
down, The hour approached at which
they were to be presented to the Queen,
and the owner was in despair. Burma
by settled the matter oifhand. Taking
pony up in either arm, he walked
down stairs and set them in the court
yard.
Probably no man in the army or out
of il took such infinite pains to get
killed as Burnaby did. In times of
peace he was always going up in u bal
loon, as affording the maximum of dan
ger with the minimum of preparation.
He had been up altogether thirteen
times. His last adventure in this direct
ton was little less than three years
ago, when, there having been some ao-
cidents to people trying to cross the
channel in balloon, the enterprise at
traeted Burnaby, who safely accom-
plished the journey. In times of war
he was always eager to be at the front.
His first experience of real fighting was
in the Carlist war, where he made the
personal friendship of Don Carlos,
which he always retained. When a
British expedition was sent to the Sou-
dan he went out as volunteer, and was
severely wounded at I'll Teb. Previous
to this he had seen some hard fighting
by the side of Valentine Baker in tho
Russo-Turkish war. When Lord
Wolseley set out on the last
expedition Burnaby volunteered his
services, which Lord Wolseley was
| much inclined to accept. But Bur-
naby was not in high favor at the
Horse Guards, and the nomination was
rejected. He, however, was not man
. to be easily repulsed He had made up
his mind to go out and see the fight
! and he went. He knew that II his
: movements were known u telegram
, from the Horse Guards would precedt
{ him to Korti. He accordingly KEEP
a his own secret, Withholding it ever
V from his most intimate friends. lie
1 gave out in mysterious way that hi
i, was bound for the Transvaal, and the
t first that was known Of his where
q abouts by his friends in London wat
learned from telegram announcing
4 his arrival at Korti.
. Burnaby was man of wide reading
Q and much culture. His knowledge o
n languages was extraordinary. He coulC
}, speak and write nine, including Russian
v and Arabic. The time was near a
:. hand when, in accordance with arm,
n regulations, he would be obliged Il
O retire from the command of his regi
ment, and he had intended thencefor
P ward to devote himself to politics, on
IS of the few things of which he reall
G knew nothing. 1t was characteristic
@ of him that beating about for cor
d stituency he should set himself dow
o before the impregnable stronghold {
|, radicalism in the midlands. One otht
ambition he had beyond that of wiz
is ming q seat at Birmingham was
% visit Timbuctoo and make the persons
h. acquaintance of the King. This wa
IN the "next trip" he had in his mint
r and had he lived he would probabl
re have accomplished it, for under h
Y winning manner there was resolut
ne will that would have stopped at notl
IS ing. But it has been finally stopped !
Aboo-Klea, and Fred Burnaby sleeps
be soldiers grave in the continent who
If innermost recesses he had quietly a
no ranged with himself he would son
he day explore. NeWs.
Id To reach Khartoum you trav
,e, through desert by camel or drom
he Diary after leaving the second catarac
mo- From Khartoum for many weary mil
2 hetween these two forks of the Nj