The Indianapolis journal., 1885-01-23

by's strength and prowess during that fight and
retreat have been told and it is said that but for
him Valentine Baker. who was sorely wounded
after his Egyptian allies had run away. would
never have been brought from the field alive.
Colonel Burnaby was son of the late Rev. q.
Burnaby, was born at Bedford March 3, lo42.
and received his education at Harrow school and
in Germany. He entered the Royal Horse
Guards, Blues, Sept. 80 1859. So passionately
fond was he of fencing and gymnastics that he
became very muscular at the expense OF his
vitality and broke down. He was then recon-
Inended to travel, aud accordingly visited South
America, central Africa and most parts of
Europe. In 1875 ne determined to go to Khiva,
although the journey was beset by almost insur
mountable obstacles. Captain Burnaby was ex
ceptionally qualified for this particular journey
by his acquaintance with the Russian and Arabic
languages, and he was, besides, as much at
home on camel in canoe, sledge or bal
loon as in a railway carriage or steamer.
Moreover, he delighted in graphing with diff
Guilty, and his determination to penetrate cen
trail Asia was much stimulated by the assurance
that it was impossible. At more than
one station the passage of foreigners
was absolutely. prohibited, and ne only
the inability of the inspector to read his pass
port. On arriving at Kazala, near the mouth of
Syr Daria, he was allowed by the commandant
to proceed it being assumed that he would go at
once to the fort of Petro -Alexandrovsk, near the
river Oxus, in the territory lately acquired by
Russia. Had he done so he would never have
reached the capital; but suspecting this, he made
a detour, crossed the Oxus into the Khanate,
and found his way to the capital He had in
tended to proceed thence to Bokhara, but his
further progress was arrested by message from
the Russian authorities inviting" him to recross
the river and go to Petro- -Alexandrovsk, where
he found telegram awaiting him from the
Duke of Cam bridge, field marshal commanding
lnchief, requiring his immediate return to
European Russia. In the winter of 1S76-77
Captain Burnaby went on horseback through
Turkey in ASIA and all the way from
Scutari to Khoi, in Persia, returning by kars,
Ardahan, Batoum, and TrebiZond to Constantl-
nople He was military correspondent of the
Times with the army of Don Carlos in Spain.
AT the general election of 1880 Major Burnaby
contested Birmingham in the conservative
interest and, although his opponents included
two gentlemen-Messrs j. Bright and Chamber
lain-who were afterward cabinet minister's yet
no fewer than 10, ZIG votes given in his
favor Lieutenant colonel Burnaby mem
ber of the council of the Aeronautic Society of
Great Britain, and has made nineteen balloon
ascents, being on several occasions unaccompa-
MED by any professional aeronaut In March,
1882, he ascended alone in the Eclipse balloon
from Dover, and after some vcissitudes in mid
air, descended near Chateau de Montigny near
Envermu, in Normandy His works are: "A
Ride to Khiva;" ''rravels and Adventures i'll
Central Asia, with maps and appendix, contain
ing among other information series of march
routes translated from several Russian works."
''On Horse back Through Asia Minor" and IA
Ride Across the Channel and Other Adventures
in the Air.