ning of 1815, which will be sufficiently accurate, even if we omit his ten thousandths of seconds.

Correction of the right ascension of a Ursa Minoris in time, = 15 (a-a).

+20,368 sin. (8 + 256°. 40',9)

The angle is the latitude, and the sidereal time expressed in degrees. The laborious author promises new tables of the pole star, calculated upon these principles, which will be published in the fourth part of his astronomical observations.

S. B. L.

28

ART. III. Journal of the Proceedings of Mr. Burckhardt in Egypt and Nubia.

[The following article, chiefly extracted from the Calcutta Journal, is prefaced in that publication by a letter from Mr. Salt to Mr. Hamilton, which we have not thought it necessary to reprint, as it appeared originally in the Quarterly Review, Vol. XVIII. p. 368.]

Cairo, Oct. 20, 1817.

THE interest which the labours of this distinguished traveller have excited among the literati of Europe, and the degree of eager curiosity with which the publication of his Travels is looked for, from the hands of the African Association, under whose direction they are preparing, induces us to believe that the few notices which we have it in our power to give of their lamented author, will not be unacceptable, more particularly as we are enabled to state these from our own personal knowledge of the excellent individual to whom they relate, and as they contain many interesting particulars hitherto unknown.

Mr. Burckhardt was born at Zurich, in Switzerland, about the year 1786. His father was an officer in the military service of the French, and he had a brother in the political service of that country also. He was himself educated chiefly at Berlin, but being disappointed in some promised employment from the French Court, went to England, where he completed his studies during a stay of three years at Cambridge.

On removing to London, he was deceived into hopes of political employment by some of the courtiers there; but being of an active and independent mind, and impatient both of indolent waiting and of humble solicitation, both of which were required of him before he could hope for success, he determined on offer ing his services to the African Association, to explore for them the interior of Africa.

When he waited on Sir Joseph Banks, the question was naturally asked him, what assurances he could give of his capacity to execute and to suffer all that could be required of him in so

Mr. Burckhardt's Proceedings in Egypt, &c. 29

arduous an undertaking? His reply was simply, the conviction that rested on his own mind of being equal to the combat of any difficulties which might arise in his way. The same conviction must have possessed the worthy President also, for his offer was almost instantly accepted, and arrangements made for his projected voyage.

He remained some time in London to improve himself in the knowledge of botany and mineralogy, which he understood tole rably well; but, as far as we are aware, astronomy and drawing were not familiar to him, nor were they likely, indeed, ever to be called for, travelling, as he was from the first intended to do, as a Mohammedan, and an individual of the humblest class.

Before leaving England he partook of a farewell dinner, which was given to him by the Association, and at which the principal members of that institution attended. The Marquis of Hastings (then Lord Moira,) was of the number of the distinguished personages present, and Mr. Burckhardt had the honour of being seated next to him. The conversation on this occasion naturally tending towards African travellers, the unfortunate Mungo Park was spoken of as having had his ardour rather quickened than damped by all that he had suffered in his first voyage, and having very nobly ventured on his second journey. Lord Moira, addressing Mr. Burckhardt in the most encouraging tone, assured him of his confidence in the success of his enterprise, and expressed his persuasion that he, too, like Park, if returned safely from his first expedition, would not be able to refrain from venturing on a second; when the young Swiss replied, that, as in military affairs, no one was called upon to go on a forlorn hope twice, he thought his Lordship would agree with him, that it would be temerity in a traveller to tempt his fate by such a duplication of danger. He used to repeat this anecdote frequently, and never failed on such occasions to do justice to the distinguished patronage which the Noble Earl was invariably found to shew to science and knowledge in all their departments, and more particularly to the warm and paternal interest which he felt and expressed in his own peculiar case.

After leaving England, in the spring of 1809, he first landed

at Malta, and it was during his short stay here, while the island was under the government of Sir Alexander Ball, that he first adopted the Mohammedan costume, and suffered his beard to grow; while, in the barbarous dialect of the Maltese, he made his first steps towards the acquisition of the Arabic language.

From hence he sailed to Cyprus and Laodicea, and went by Antioch and the Orontes to Aleppo. He resided here in his own lodgings in a Mohammedan part of the town, but made little scruple of mixing with the Europeans, though he never omitted the duties of the Mohammedan religion, and always retained the Mohammedan costume.

During a stay of two or three years here, he applied himself with great assiduity to the study of the Arabic language, in which he made a proficiency that surprised all who witnessed it. He made from hence also occasional excursions among the Arabs of the Desert, visited Palmyra, and most of the principal ruins of antiquity in Syria, and after passing through the Hauran, and the countries east of the Jordan, and the borders of the Dead Sea, he came from thence to Cairo by the Desert of Suez.

In Egypt, as in Syria, he was visited both by Turks and Christians; and while he mixed freely with both, without seeming to study the concealment of any thing from either, his talents and his virtues were such as to command universal respect and

esteem.

From Cairo he proceeded into Upper Egypt and Nubia, and was met there by Mr. Legh, who has written a Journal of his Voyage above the Cataracts, and who makes mention of him. therein. This was in the spring of 1813; and in the autumn of the same year, Mr. Burckhardt was still in Upper Egypt, waiting at the town of Esneh on the Nile, for an opportunity to penetrate by land into the higher parts of Nubia, towards Abyssinia and the shores of the Red Sea.

The notices that we possess of the subsequent movements of this distinguished traveller are contained in a Journal kept on the Nile, and afterwards on the Red Sea, in both of which places he was met by the writer of it; and though the form and style of a journal, written while all the impressions it records are yet

warm upon the mind, are objectionable to some, yet in our opinion it is this very freshness and genuine glow of truth about them, which give to loose memoranda of this description their highest charm, and with this belief we choose rather to hazard the imperfections they may contain, than alter even a phrase of the journal in which they are preserved. We shall confine ourselves, however, to the extracts of such particulars only as bear on the subject of this memoir, though a degree of abruptness and want of connexion will be given to the narrative thereby, but it would be difficult to avoid this without falling into a greater evil.

Ascending the Nile above Hermonthis, Friday, Nov. 26, 1813.

The breeze strengthened every hour, and brought us to Esneh about three o'clock, where we landed to wait on the Kiashef, or Commandant. When the ceremonials of our visit were over, my first inquiry was after a Swiss traveller, whom I had heard was here, and it was a pleasure to me of the highest kind to find my hopes confirmed. The Kiashef politely sent for him, and he entered the room, dressed as an Arab Fellah, with a long beard and blue chemise, having assumed the name of Sheikh Ibrahim, and so perfectly acquired the Arabic language during several years' travels in Egypt and Syria, as to pass among the most suspicious for a native of the country. Our conversation was divided between the most recent intelligence from Europe, as demanded from me, and the local information relative to Egypt kindly given in return by him. We both remained to sup with the Turk, whose attentions were such as I had not yet witnessed among them, and we continued together in close conversation until nearly midnight.

Esneh, or Latopolis, Saturday, Nov. 27.

We had not yet risen, when Sheikh Ibrahim paid me a visit in the boat, and we breakfasted together at sun-rise. It is a circumstance which I shall ever remember with peculiar pleasure, that early as the visit was, we sat upon the mattress extended on