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

| MIN. A strain OF the hOU hOy -haNViNs~-S 800
gled with the race which had produced merry
Yerkist in old times in the person of Sir Edward
Burton, made Knight Banneret by Edward w.
was hardly moderated by descent from LOUIS
Lceupe tAnglice Louis Young, who was sup
posed with good reason, TO be a son OF LOUIS
XIV and the Huguenot Countess OF Montmorency
| or his father he wrote: Although OF very
mixed blood, he more OF Roman III ap-
pearance than anything else. of moderate height
dark hair sallow skin, high nose and piercing
black eyes" Burton himself looked like an
| Oriental and there were cOnJectures WHICH lie
wouM have 81 IDLY believed that the Burtohs
had a trace Of gypsy blood. With such ante
cedents il is not easy 10 imagine him COM
Melting without accident the pIosalc routine OF
an English education. One feels sure now IN
reading over this massive biography that lie
could not have done otherwise than he did Tn
less he was doing what other men could not
do. or going where they hardly dared 10
venture he seemed from his own point OF view
TO be accomplishing nothing. Yet this was the
man who hoped to rise in humdrum diplomacy
THE APPRENTICESHIP IN INDIA.
After putting Oxford behind him the yount
man easily persuaded his father TO procure a
commission for him in the Bombay army. Then
hc set 10 work under an eccentric Scotchman
Duncan Forbes. who had spent year or so
in Bombay, land upon the strength of 1t was
perfect master of Oriental languages. lie hau
two passions one was for smoking huse
meerschaum stuffed with the strongest posslnlc
tobacco, and the other was Tor chess Ie'-
haps his third passion was not quite so harill'cs'
it was simply for not washing" Burtohs at
tainments in Arabic. though ne speaks siightlheN
of them, must already have been considerable.
nc tbey won for him at once the old Scotchman 5
regard The foundation was rapidly lald lor
Burton's future studies. and, on coming OIL me
shin at Bombay, he was ready to surprise tlc
natives with some of their own choice IAN
ouaoc. Griffin though he was he had the start
Of all the youngsters who had been taken mo
the East India Service along with him But
there was something uncanny about MN ~
seen with the eyes of the Englishmen about
him From the outset he sought to learn what
was good in native customs Tho Orient'is
had tricks of workmanship and skill on horse
back which he gladly acquired. BY studying
twelve hours day lie rapidly mad" himself
familiar with all the languages that corld DO OIL
use to him between Bombay and Tehcran' Ohe
of his instructors celebrated him as man VINO
could learn language running
The proper thing for an English oihc"r WIS
10 hold aloof from native life in general view
ing il as inferior This sentiment was liiPos
sbfo 70 Burton He turned TO the natives
In effect he became one Of them. lie studlcd
tho Jots and came to the conclusion that thcN
were identical with tire Gypsics known 10 inc
West Az O surveyor he made hmscl 1nthha"
with the workmcn in the canals. Putting on IN"
dress and with il the character OF inc hai-
Arab half Iranian. such as YVES to he met WIN
by the thousands along the northern shore OF me
Persian Gnif, he passed everywhere under inc
name of Mira Abdullah. the Bushri. He iml
toted the religious practices which came under
his observation. was decorated WIN 'hc '"'"'
thread of the Brahmin, was impressed WIN 'h'
profound lore Of Snfism. and in particular pecan"
expcrt in every detail of Moslcm worship -
nerfect was his disguise that he deceived MS
own moonshec or instructor. As 10 d"cciNlng NJ
vbjto comradcs-that was triil" sir 'hd''
v,nicr emplovcd him il the most difficult TASK
n oainipr information among the people III
-uoh = Efa as this he learned how - make "a"
;ou,nov 70 Mecca in safety. Yet when h" APP
nlied in almost supplant terms 10 accompany
a force which WIS about To enter on cam
no;on in Mootan as interpreter. lie was re-
Voted with scant courtesy. The fact was .nh'
no knew too much The sobriquct OF the WIN"
Niger, which was bestowed upon hin Is Too'
enough in itself that his extraordinary give
awakened suspicion and nothing but suspicion III
the minds OF the average men among ""o"'
bis Iot was cast Besides he had Tn" Ill fortune
70 attach himself to the fortunes oil great "h''
who were generally at odds with other er"'
man M home The contempt OF SIT 'haii'-
Napier for the East Indian Directors WIS ~
hol,, to