FOOTNOTES:
[1] [Miss Stisted speaks of her as “Jane Digby, who capped her wild career by marrying a camel-driver,” and animadverts on Lady Burton for befriending her. The Shaykh was never a camel-driver in his life, and few, I think, will blame Lady Burton for her kindness to this poor lady, her countrywoman, in a strange land.]
[2] The Inner Life of Syria, Palestine, and the Holy Land, by Isabel Burton, 2 vols.
[3] Lady Ellenborough referred to her biography, which she had dictated to Lady Burton—the true story of her life, which Lady Burton had promised to publish for her, to clear away misrepresentations. In consequence of difficulties which subsequently arose Lady Burton did not publish it.
[4] Miss Stisted’s Life of Sir Richard Burton, p. 360. This book was published December, 1896, eight months after Lady Burton’s death.
[5] The Case of Captain Burton, late H.B.M. Consul at Damascus. Clayton & Co., Parliamentary Printing Works, 1872.
[6] Vide Letter from Foreign Office to Captain Burton, June 19, 1869 (Blue Book, p. 2).
[7] Letter of Captain Burton to Foreign Office, June 21, 1869 (Blue Book, p. 2).
[8] Letter from Sir Henry Elliott to Lady Burton, July 12, 1871.
[9] Letter from Sir Henry Elliot to Lady Burton, July 12, 1871.
[10] Blue Book, p. 75.
[11] Blue Book, pp. 140, 141.
[12] Vide Letter from Lord Granville to Captain Burton, under Flying Seal, care of Consul-General Eldridge, July 22, 1871 (Blue Book, p. 109).
[13] Vide Letter of Captain Burton to Sir Henry Elliot, July 14, 1871 (Blue Book, pp. 95, 96).
[14] Letter from Captain Burton to the Rev. E. B. Frankel, Rev. J. Orr Scott, Miss James, Rev. W. Wright, and Rev. John Crawford, Bludán, July 19, 1871 (Blue Book, p. 92).
[15] Miss Stisted’s Life of Burton, p. 361.
[16] Lady Burton thus describes her visit to the Austrian Court: “I was very much dazzled by the Court. I thought everything was beautifully done, so arranged as to give every one pleasure, and somehow it was the graciousness that was in itself a welcome. I shall never forget the first night that I saw the Empress—a vision of beauty, clothed in silver, crowned with water-lilies, with large rows of diamonds and emeralds round her small head and her beautiful hair, and descending all down her dress in festoons. The throne-room is immense, with marble columns down each side—all the men arranged on one side and all the women on the other, and the new presentations with their ambassadors and ambassadresses nearest the throne. When the Emperor and Empress came in, they walked up the middle, the Empress curtseying most gracefully and smiling a general gracious greeting. They then ascended the throne, and presently the Empress turned to our side. The presentations first took place, and she spoke to each one in her own language, and on her own particular subject. I was quite entranced with her beauty, her cleverness, and her conversation. She passed down the ladies’ side, and then came up that of the men, the Emperor doing exactly the same as she had done. He also spoke to us. Then some few of us whose families the Empress knew about were asked to sit down, and refreshments were handed to us—the present Georgina Lady Dudley sitting by the Empress. It was a thing never to be forgotten to have seen those two beautiful women sitting side by side. The Empress Frederick of Germany—Crown Princess she was then—was also there, and sent for some of us on another day, which was in many ways another memorable event, and her husband also came in” (Life of Sir Richard Burton, by Isabel his wife, vol. ii., pp. 24, 25).
[17] This and the next chapter are compiled from the original notes from which Lady Burton wrote her A. E. I. and sundry letters and diaries. By so doing I am able to give the Indian tour in her own words.
[18] Speech at the British National Association of Spiritualists, December 13, 1878.
[19] Letter to Miss Bishop from Opçina, January 17, 1881.
[20] Letter to Miss Bishop from Trieste, December 5, 1881.
[21] This refers to Camoens: the Commentary, Life, and Lusiads. Englished by R. F. Burton. Two vols. Containing a Glossary, and Reviewers Reviewed, by Isabel Burton. 1880.
[22] From her devotional book Laméd, pp. 28, 29.
[23] Life of Sir Richard Burton, by Isabel his wife, vol. ii., p. 248.
[24] Gondokoro was the seat of Government of the Province of the Equator.
[25] Sir Samuel Baker, whom Gordon succeeded as Governor of the tribes which inhabit the Nile Basin in 1874.
[26] Romalus Gessi (Gessi Pasha), a member of Gordon’s staff.
[27] Mtesa, King of Uganda.
[28] Mr. Rivers Wilson.
[29] Nevertheless he permitted Dr. Birkbeck Hill to edit and publish his letters in 1881, which give a good account of his work in Central Africa.
[30] Johannis, King of Abyssinia.
[31] Colonel Prout, of the American army, for some time in command of the Equatorial Provinces.
[32] King of Unyoro, a powerful and treacherous savage. Sir Samuel Baker attempted to depose him, but Kaba Rega maintained his power.
[33] Life of Sir Richard Burton, by Isabel his wife, vol. ii., p. 177.
[34] He actually compiled a book of quotations from the Bible and Shakspeare for use in case of need, which he called The Black Book.
[35] Letter to Miss Bishop from Tangiers, Morocco, February 16, 1886.
[36] The late Lord Gerard.
[37] Letter to Miss Bird from Trieste, April 10, 1887.
[38] The Duchess of Fife.
[39] Letter to Miss Bishop, July 21, 1890.
[40] Lady Burton’s maid, now dead.
[41] Life of Sir Richard Burton, by Isabel his wife, vol. ii., pp. 410–414. This work was published in May, 1893.
[42] Miss Stisted’s Life of Burton, pp. 409–414.
[43] Translated from the Italian.
[44] A tonic, a strengthening restorative.
[45] An official (generally a physician) who visits the dead, and assures himself that the death is real, and not an apparent one.
[46] The Baroness Paul de Ralli, who procured the above attestation from the priest, sent it in the first instance to Cardinal Vaughan, together with the following letter:
“Trieste, Austria, January 19, 1897.
“My Lord Cardinal,
“There has lately been published a so-called ‘true’ Life of the late Sir Richard Burton, written by his niece. Since my letter to The Catholic Times, which appeared in the issue of December 24, it has been pointed out to me that it would be well if I could procure a written attestation of the priest who gave Extreme Unction to the late Sir Richard Burton. I am authorized by Monseigneur Sterk to place in the hands of your Eminence the enclosed manuscript, written by Monseigneur Martelani, who is now Prebendary of the Cathedral here. As an intimate friend of the Burtons, I beg to say that everything said about the life of the Burtons at this place in the ‘true’ life has been written from dictation, and, furthermore, that I could name the authoress’s informant, which makes the book worthless for those who know the source from which the authoress has gathered her information—the same source which has made Lady Burton’s life hideous from the day of her husband’s death to the time she left this place. As regards those who claim to have known all about Sir Richard Burton—‘They knew the man well,’ etc.—allow me to point out that the exoteric subtleties of his character were only exceeded by the esoteric; and to what an extent this is true is only known to those who were at the same time his friends and his wife’s intimate friends, of whom there are several here beside myself. My position at the Villa Gosslett was perhaps a little exceptional. Having come here from England in 1875 after my marriage, I was looked upon by the Burtons as a sort of ex-subject of theirs.
“Believe me to be, my Lord Cardinal,
“Yours faithfully,
“Catherine de Ralli.”
[47] Speech at the Anthropological Society, London, 1865.
[48] Lady Burton’s letter to The Morning Post, June 19, 1891.
[49] Vol. X. Arabian Nights, Terminal Essay, Section D, pp. 205, 206, 1886.
[50] Letter to Madame de Gutmansthal-Benvenuti, from London, March 1, 1891.
[51] Letter to Miss Bishop, December 27, 1891.
[52] Burton’s enemies.
[53] Letter to Miss Bishop from Mortlake, March 25, 1893.
[54] Letter to Madame de Gutmansthal-Benvenuti, January 10, 1894.
[55] Letter of Lady Burton written from Trieste to Mrs. Francis Joly, April 17, 1890.
[56] Holywell Lodge, Eastbourne, March 13, 1896.
Transcriber’s Notes:
1. Obvious printers’, punctuation and spelling errors have been corrected silently.
2. Where hyphenation is in doubt, it has been retained as in the original
3. Some hyphenated and non-hyphenated versions of the same words have been retained as in the original.