New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-06
FROM MECCA TO DAMASCUS.

Practically Burtons Fast Indian career eho'N
with his effort 10 become an Interpreter nv WI"
back 70 England suffering with rhcumi'i oP"'""
mia and during his period OF cohVaI's'""'c -
fected his plan for visiting Mecca his i "ou"'
Loco ore ~ the best known OF his adventure.
Fvon the Arabs bore testimony TO thc cohP'','
rcss Of his disguise, wh."h enabled MN 10 ,"H'
mart in every one Of their ccrcmonl's III 'I' h"N
city. 70 kiss and 20 sketch the khanan' 10 'a'
the seven stones washed in seven 'Wa"iS AZ VIZ
na,u 20 nor,icipate in the countless sacrifices, AMI
% return safely TO Cairo having been h"hore' III
Tho mean while with the title Abu Shuwario
-, ~ Nonstarhios Soon aftcrward lie went
,,no, the still more dangerous but less known en-
,.ad;,op 70 IIarrar. the capital Of Somaliland In
This case he mpcrsonated a devout M'sem ue'-
h.nt His familiarity with the Koran gave an
Dir of commences to his pretcnsonS, wliic Ills
o,,ill with sword and pistol, his knowledge oil
mvstcries and his threats made him dreaded a. Il
sorccrcr Among the Somali spcarincn hoi 'ion
tho rulc- would lave finished him, ana he mas r'i'
| on record the statement that he con "ai"d HN-
shooter in his belt, intending to put IL 10 '''
head of Amir in the very heart OF the narpaIlah
palace if hostile movement was made. ih'r'
was an unhappy sequel to this adventure" burton
himself said that he should have let wei "ho"9"
aIono Rut he was anxious to reach the MI" pN
way Of Uarrar Perhaps he was even then con
formulating a Journey to the sources OF tlat rlN'f
With Spekc. who was his companion later III Gen
,,, Africa. Lieutenant Iernc, of the First BOMBAY
rusilacrs and Lieutenant Stroyan, oil ''
Indian Navy, and a party OF lorIy-'ouf
men he landed at Bcrocr1h. the Soial por.
opposite Alden. But the camp was sufpr'S"
! in the night. Stroyan was Killed. Spoke re''iN'"
eleven wounds. and Burton had spear thrust
.i.x, ES 4 Inc
ventures were almost forgotten in the excite
mont. caused by the Crimcan War Burton, upon
recovering from his wound, sought 4 share III
that conflict But his only opportunity was az
4, vountecr in the irregular cavalry under com
m.nd of General Beatson. He instrumental
in reducing the Bashi Bazouks TO discipline, re-
SIGNED when his commander was superseded, and
for long years had 10 bear an unjust accusation
NJ having fonentcd mutiny when no mutny
Ind occurred Then came the journey OF en-
uloration TO Lake Tanganyika, the laurels Of
which were appropriated by Spoke The long
quarrel between the :wo men ended with the
tragic death Of Spoke, but 1T is all revived III
these pages There only one note Of apology
running through Burtons story of the affair. lie
insisted that Spoke knew well with what sort Of
commander he had to deal. Iacltly Burton thus
admitted that he was hard to get along with
That was to be expected oil man VINO among
,be other wonders of his career could boast an
extraordinary number Of single combats. In his
childhood he once for a short time IN an
English school, where his days were nothing but
e.ooos,ioo Of fights The boy certainly
father to the man But after his experience with
,pekc he preferred to 90 alone on his expiora-
tons As Consul at Fernando 10 he ihvesusa'ed
.,..st coast of Africa, and made close study
Wv =. .,'o p,bomcynns at home. A three years Con-
..,a. =. santos made him familiar with Brazil,
H. s,rd;cd Normonism in .hc days of Brigham
young when IL seemed strongest, and made acute
observations on the American Indians. Every
where be learned more or less perfectly the