He here notices the death of Mr. White-Cooper, F.R.G.S., the eminent oculist, with whom and his wife (Lady Cooper) we were on the most friendly terms. He was now working at the ninth volume of the "Nights."
Politics.
A man's politics and a man's religion are supposed to be two very prominent features in his character. I therefore give you a résumé of Richard's politics in the Appendices ([E]). Now, being in an official position, he never was able to express his opinions very freely, and what I give you, though they were actually written by me, and published by me in various books and pamphlets, were what I learnt from my husband, as I learnt everything that I know from him. To him I owe all the education that I have received. I consider that he made me, so to speak, and whatever little publicity or fame have been accorded to me by those who know me, I owe it entirely to him. In one part of his politics you will see that he strongly advocated an alliance with China; and I am sure that Mr. G. H—— will have no objection to my publishing the letters he wrote me in 1886, praising me for what I wrote, that I may give the honour where it is due, to Richard. Richard has been consulted over and over again by different Governments; he has given his knowledge and suggestions freely, and they have often been carried out, but have never in one single instance been publicly acknowledged in any way, and scarcely thanked for privately.
"December 6th, 1886.
"Dear Lady Burton,
"Of course you will recollect sending me a presentation copy of your work, 'Arabia, Egypt, and India,' with
'To G. H.,
a grateful souvenir
from Isabel Burton,'written on the title-page.... Well, I want you to send me another, as the other is out of my possession. Thus—
"In reading it I had been much struck with the chapter, 'A Peep into the Future of North-Western India,' and especially with the last forty-seven lines, as containing a proper solution of our difficulties with Russia.
"I took the liberty of marking pages 394 and 395, and sending the book to Lord Salisbury twelve to fifteen months ago, during his short administration before the present one, and I asked him, if what Mrs. Burton said was true, whether an arrangement with China would not free us in the future from all the bother with Russia—and, if he thought so, would he not do it at once? I received an answer. Now, in three or four weeks after I sent it, I saw in the papers that we had entered into an alliance, offensive and defensive, with China, in case of a war with Russia, and since then the collapse of Russia's pretensions, and our own power in future, to remain in the van of civilization as we list, without fear, are matters of history.
"It is surprising how plainly people see things when they are once pointed out. I believe you pointed it out at the right moment, and that I was a small instrument in the matter of getting it accomplished. And who shall say that a greater stroke of policy was ever accomplished? Its consequences are far-reaching indeed.
"My brother-in-law, Major —— of the —— Regiment, whose regiment is stationed in India, although he is home on furlough, considers it a masterpiece of strategy, looking at the position we were in. However, let that pass; it is not the only good you have done, and I'll be bound to say are doing, in the world now.
"Yours sincerely,
"G. H——.
"P.S.—How are the donkeys, horses, and the other animals you took under your protection in Trieste getting on? I often wonder. If you have time, please read pages 394 and 395 of your book, commencing, 'But our highest prospect,' etc."
"14th December, 1886.
"My dear Lady Burton,
"I am much pleased by receiving your note and hearing from you once again.
"I enclose a copy of the two pages to which I called Lord Salisbury's attention, and you will say yourself, looking at the words in the light of subsequent events—to say nothing of the present position—it is hard to say what influence these words have had on the present and future of the whole world.
"England's arm was paralyzed, and has been for some time, by the nightmare and bugbear of Russia. Bismarck, to clear himself and his own country, had been pointing Russia to India; but when this occurred, and it became clear that at last we had secured ourselves in India by this Chinese alliance, Russian bother at Afghanistan's frontier ceased. Germany hastened to offer thirty-five millions loan to China. France stopped her war and sent a deputation after the German with proposals for trade, and Russia at Merv, and France at Tonquin, were both paralyzed and powerless for harm. Burmah was taken and our future secured, and, what is more, England was again free to declare, as Lord Salisbury did at the last Mansion House banquet, that if any of England's interests are imperilled, her own right arm is quite powerful enough to right them at once, without assistance from any European Power.
"Without this arrangement with China dared he to have said so? No! However, whatever the facts are, one thing is certain, that what has happened is for the best.
"I hope you will get the pension.[2] If you think I could do anything towards it I will gladly try, so long as I am not doing any harm by interfering. I ought to say I sent the book to Mr. Gladstone two months before I sent it to Lord Salisbury, when Gladstone was in. He returned it. I suppose the reference to Gordon was too much for him. Of course he may have initiated what Lord Salisbury carried out with China.
"With kind regards, believe me
"Yours sincerely,
"G. H——."
"31st January, 1887.
"My dear Lady Burton,
"I enclose you a little scrap from to-day's paper about Germany and China. The jealousy shown all round by the different Powers since our agreement with the latter one, is clear proof what a great thing they think it is for us. One thing is certain, that those two pages of yours have done more to 'make history,' as it is called, than many wars could do, and without blood-shedding. The more I think of it, and the more I view the convulsion which must come very soon from all these armed men, the more I am satisfied that it is a grand thing for Lord Salisbury that, having India secure, he can now do as he feels he can best secure the future in accordance with the spirit of our old traditions.
"With kindest regards, believe me
"Yours sincerely,
"G. H——.
"P.S.—I conclude you received the Asiatic Review article in Paris by the Marquis Tseng. I sent it there to you."
"June 28th, 1887.
"My dear Lady Burton,
"I have not heard one word from you or any one else since the earthquake, and have often wondered what had become of you, and how you fared.
"What a time you had! much worse than any one would think who had not himself known and seen in others what a serious matter nervous suffering is.
"As to the Government, they might have given Sir Richard the pension. However, if it's not done when you return, I would stick to them for it. They can well afford it, for they are having a grand innings through this China business. Even the French papers say how cleverly Lord Salisbury has managed by playing off China against Russia.
"I am satisfied that will be the chief road in future to India, Japan, and China, re Liverpool to Halifax, Canadian Pacific to Vancouver, and steam over the Pacific.
"It will beat the Suez Canal; but Lord Salisbury has got quit of the Russian periodical scares, which was the great thing, and all through you.
"Give my kindest regards to your husband, and believe me always,
"Yours sincerely,
"G. H——."
The paragraph in my book above alluded to, was as follows:—
"But our highest prospect of happy deliverance from this terrible northern rival (Russia) is still to be noticed; and that so little attention has been paid to it by our writers, is not a little astonishing to the student. In Russia it must have caused a vast amount of anxious thought; and it readily explains the cautious system of her approaches, parallels, and encroachments in the East; her provisional system of indirect until ready for direct rule over her new conquests; her strategic lines of observation and demonstration; and her carefully disposed apparatus of supports, reserves, and bases of operations. Nolens volens, will-we nill-we, Russia must eventually absorb Kashgar; she must meet China face to face, and then her serious troubles begin.
"The dash of Tartar blood in Russian veins establishes a remote cousinhood with China. There is something of physical, and more of moral, likeness between the two peoples. Both are equally sturdy, hardy, frugal, energetic, persistent, aggressive, and brave in facing death. Both have a national speech, a peculiar alphabet, and, to go no further, a religion which distinguishes them from the rest of the world. Both are animated by the sturdy vigour of a newly awakened civilization. During the war of 1842 we facetiously said that it was rank murder to attack the Chinese troops with any missiles but oranges. Presently the Ever-Victorious Army led by Gordon, one of England's noblest and best neglected sons, showed the might that was slumbering in a nation of three hundred millions.
"And now China is preparing herself, with that slow but terrible steadfastness of purpose which distinguishes her, to exercise her influence upon the civilized world,—upon the other three-fourths which compose the sum of humanity. After a hundred checks and defeats she has utterly annihilated the intrusive Mohammedan schism which attempted to establish its independence in Yunnan. She will do the same in Kashgar, although the dilatoriness of her proceedings, unintelligible to the Western mind, tends to create a false feeling of security. She is building a fleet and rolling her own plates. Her army is being drilled by Europeans; the men are armed with Remingtons, and she has six manufactories for breech-loading rifles. Securely cautious of her coming strength, she declines all little wars with England and France, till another dozen years or so shall enable her to meet her enemies on terms which, forecasted in 1842, would have appeared the very madness of prophecy.
"Such is the nation which is fated to contend with Russia for the glorious empire of Central Asia. This is the power which our Press and its teachers have agreed to ignore. In the coming struggle we shall see the direct result of the Crimean War, and then, perhaps, we may reap the reward of sacrifices and losses which hitherto have added little to our honour or to our power."
We get Leave again to England.
He writes—
"On the 5th of June we left again for England, as I was obliged to consult a particular manuscript, which would supply two volumes of my supplemental 'Arabian Nights.' The route lay through Krain or Carniola, with its queer little capital Laibach."