The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-06
TIE LArE SIR RICHARD BURTON,


on the lilo OF her husband. the late Sir Richard
Burton. many recoll ections come to my mind
OF an intimate acquaintance with that great
traveller, and In many respects tho most won
derful man Of our time. When l returned from
the Soudhn. crossing the hottest desert OF
Africa In the month OF August, 1872. and
reaching Sunkn on tho Red Sea. I first heard
OF stanleys discovery OF Livingstone Stanley
and myself had been for the year preceding
at the head Of two separate expeditions fitted
out and equipped by Mr.. James Gordon Ben
mott of tho Ne,o York Herald Tho finding OF
the intrepid missionary at Ujiji. on Lake Tan
ganyika. 900 miles from tho coast. rendered
n further movement on my mart toward tho
equator superfluous undertaking. as 1t
nfterward turned out. Yet during my eight
months in tho SOudan l conducted q
close examination OF the slnvo trade. OF
the internal adm Illustration OF tho nino prov-
inces comprehendng that somewhat indefinite
nrca and looking to the future development OF
this vast arabic tract In tho interest of the
Khedive OF Egypt However this. found that
Stanley had preceded mo on his journey to
London by about two weeks. notknowlng even
then what Juror hs great exploit would
create throughout the civilized world. At
tracted by this sensational event. nearly all
travellers OF any rcrute. eithor OF Great Britain
or on tho Continent flockod to London to hail
the Rising Sun. Stanley became the hero OF
the hour. or course. at tho outset he was met
with ridicule. detraction, incredulity. and
scorn. 1t was q trying time for him. After
many strange fluctuations OF public opinion.
wild editorial expressions pro md con. tho
Royal Geographical Socicty-Sir Horny Raw
linson. Prcsident-resolved to give Stanley
stated dinnor 1t took place at Wi!iss Rooms.
with as distinguished guests as had then gath
cred at tho festal board In England. Seated at
the table were renowned travellers and ex-
plorers from oil quarters OF the globe.
was q guest on that occasion, owing
to my recent experience on tho White
Nile. But tho chief guest indeed tho
most distin guishcd present on that memora-
able evening. was Richard Burton. When tho
toastmaster had opened the proceedings and
Sir Henry Rawlinson had made the conven-
tional spesoh, Stanley responding in his then
rambling style. Burton arose. OF course.
every body In tho banquet hall was anxious to
know what Burton would say-that Mcphis-
tophelian critic, that man whose life was do
voted to frowning on shams and shoddies who
was not less a shatterer Of humbug than Car
lyle himself. nor less relentless in expressing
himself. What would no say2 In studied and
careful phrase no simply pointed out that
Stanley was not a fraud: that he had accom-
plished his journey as he claim ed /: that he had
found Livingstone: but about tho magnitude
OF the exploit lie did not caro- to express him
self. That settled 1t for Stanley. With this en-
dorsement he became genuine coin through
out Great Britain. from the Crown to the hum
blest cottagcr. The Queen ent him a SNUFF
box: he was received at Windsor Castle. and
the world knows the rest But this is not to
tho purpose. 1t WAS perhaps midnieh. when
the guests sought their homes. but not Bur
ton. Stanley. Mark Twain. Winwood Rende.
and myself. who wore not eager for slumher.
On tho contrary. We went. Mt Burtons invita-
ton. to tho Raleigh Club whore we made o
night OF II, and thoro my intimate acquaint-
ance with Burton began. and in person and
by correspondence continued to within a few
months OF his death.
found him all that his devoted and brill
liant wife. Lady Burton. has written in these
typographical peculiarties. in undressed die
ton. IN singular Oriental idoms and Persian
parallels as they arc: Moreover. she has hit
e Eastern climates thoroushly e understand.
nam. sided man, that hs win have anpea ear
different to every set 81 people VIII" knew him
t es 1ae ~ he sf 9 any the
those who deserved it the cynic. the hard. tho
severe" or course. these are the words Of q
burton was true friend true as triple steel
itself there was always u hauteur in his bear
In fact Should sum WE ap burton Would in say
that In all things the scholar WAS domination
ITSELF In everything he undertook he was a
physical He loofed upon A' men men, worm Wome D
things. laws. religions. and institutions % ha.
He recognized no obstacle. Of whatever
MAGNITUDE. tangible or ntanGible. This
nj m n n fnIn in
making his literal translation OF the Arabian
Nights.' the, greatest monument 70 the
century. a MI, opinion. that has yet been pro.
duced. Then he DID not quail. He sent back
T0tS Of s the se oe In
plre gather daily with the r lunches in the
Sns hsnd ana the Bible; ShaEs.pesTs: and
Se n yo
burton and Lady Burton reaped a net profit Of
10000 for the Ave years work consumed in
be mentioned that when it was souGbt-sp-fn-
troduce these ponderous volumes through the
States great trouble was occasioned, but 1t
was soon overcome. because they were sent to
eny a t. IN ~.
viii inv No. b 81 n ana ndsef have n heard
Marco Polo burton stood at the head OF OK
plorers by the land. OF course he was not a
NAVIGATOR Ike sir, John Ross nor ST. John
Franklin. nor WAS his ONCE going about the
world adding to the colonial empire Of Great
Britain. He pursued exploration as q scien-
tist scholar. geographer. q humanitarian:
and 1t was his pleasure and his policy TO go
without pompous escort and armed retainers
to frighten tho natives. 10 stir up strife and
civil war, as have marked the careers OF some
ofthose more recently famous in the field Of
searches penetra ed all OF the continents and
there was no branch Of knowledge that he
could not bring to hear on given eXigsncy as
it might arise. He was meteoroloclst. IA
milar with fauna and fora. an astronomer. a
linguist. n purist in Arabic. Persian. Hiinlo-
stanI. Sanscrit. and In many Of tho 1ndo-
Chinese dialects no was 4 soldier: no was a
cine: asa commander he WAS without peer:
thc shedding OF human blood was no more t.
this he had q gigantic frame: his endurance
was u marvel: no was Inder constant mental
as well as physical straip; he could stand all
the climates nf the world In almost every lati
tpde. from the death breeding lnnGlcs Of Az:
the Himnlayas or the Andes
As 10 tho literary quality Of Burton's books
there seems to he but one opinion among
those who recognize distinctive, un Que and
att lie ira i,.il .tttla In