The great ambition and object of Mr. Bruce was to discover the source of the Nile; for this purpose he left Britain in 1762, and after visiting Algiers, Balbec, and Palmyra, he prepared for his journey into Abyssinia. He sailed up the Nile a considerable way, and afterwards joined a caravan to Cosseir on the Red Sea. After visiting part of the sea coast of Arabia, he sailed for Massoucut, by which route alone an entrance into Abyssinia was practicable. In this country he encountered many obstacles, and difficulties, and after all, in consequence of wrong information he received from the inhabitants, visited only the Blue River, one of the inferior streams of the Nile, instead of the White River, its real source. This, however, is of trifling moment, when contrasted with the accessions to our geographical knowledge of Abyssinia, the coast of the Red Sea, &c., for which we are indebted to this most zealous and persevering traveller. Since Mr. Bruce's time, Abyssinia has been visited by Mr. Salt, who has likewise added considerably to our knowledge of this country, though on many points he differs from Mr. Bruce.
The most important and interesting accession to our knowledge of the north of Africa was made between the years 1792 and 1795, by Mr. Browne. This gentleman seems to have equalled Mr. Bruce in his zeal and ardour, but to have surpassed him in the soundness and utility of his views; for while the former was principally ambitious of discovering the sources of the Nile,--a point of little real moment in any point of view,--the latter wished to penetrate into those parts of the north of Africa which were unknown to Europeans, but which, from all accounts of them, promised to interest and benefit, not only commerce, but science. His precise and immediate object was Darfur, some of the natives of which resided in Egypt: from their manners and account of their country, Mr. Browne concluded the inhabitants were not so hostile to Christians and Europeans as Mahometans are in general. He therefore resolved to go thither; as from it he could either proceed into Abyssinia by Kordofan, or traverse Africa from east to west. He therefore left Assiou in Egypt with the Soudan caravan in 1793, passed through the greater Oasis, and arrived at Sircini in Darfur: here he resided a considerable time, but he found insurmountable obstacles opposed to his grand and ulterior plan. He ascertained, however, the source and progress of the real Nile or White River. The geography of Darfur and Kordofan is illustrated by him in a very superior and satisfactory manner. The geography of Africa to the west of these countries is likewise elucidated by him: he mentions and describes a large river which takes its rise among the mountains of Kumri, and flows in a north-west course. This river is supposed to be that described by Ptolemy under the name of Gir, and by Edrisi as the Nile of the Negroes. The fate of Mr. Browne, who from all the accounts of him seems to have been admirably fitted by nature and habits for a traveller, was very melancholy. After his return to England from Darfur he resolved to visit the central countries of Asia: he accordingly set out, but on his way thither he was murdered in Persia.
At the commencement of this century, circumstances occurred Which rendered Egypt and the countries adjacent more accessible to Europeans than they had ever been before. In the first place, the French, who most unjustly invaded it, took with their invading army a number of literary and scientific men, by whom were published several splendid works, principally on the antiquities of this ancient country. In the second place, the English, by driving out the French, and by their whole conduct towards the ruling men and the natives in general, not only weakened in a very considerable degree the dislike to Europeans and Christians which the Mahomedans here, as elsewhere, had ever entertained, but also created a grateful sense of obligation and of favour towards themselves. Lastly, the pacha, who obtained the power in Egypt, was a man of liberal and enlightened views, far above those who had preceded him, and disposed to second and assist the researches and journies of travellers.
In consequence of these favourable circumstances, and the additional circumstance, that by the conquests and influence of Bonaparte English travellers were shut out from a great part of Europe, they directed their course towards Egypt. Their object was chiefly to investigate the numerous, stupendous, and interesting antiquities.
In the year 1813, Mr. Legh, a member of the House of Commons, performed a journey in this country, and beyond the cataracts. Above the cataracts he entered Nubia, and proceeded to Dehr, its capital. These travels are, however, chiefly interesting and instructive for that which indeed must give the chief interest to all travels in Egypt and Nubia--the description of antiquities.
The second cataract continued the limit of the attempts of European travellers, till it was reached and passed, first by Mr. Burckhardt, and afterwards by Mr. Banks. No modern traveller has excelled Mr. Burckhardt in the importance of his travels; and-few, in any age, have equalled him in zeal, perseverance, fortitude, and success.
He was employed by the African Association to explore the interior of Africa. Having perfected himself in the knowledge of the religion, manners, and language of the Mahomedan Arabs, by frequent and long residences among the Bedouins, he proceeded to Cairo. Here, finding that the opportunity of a caravan to Fezzan or Darfur was not soon likely to occur, he resolved to explore Egypt and the country above the cataracts. He accordingly "performed two very arduous and interesting journies into the ancient Ethiopia; one of them along the banks of the Nile from Assouan to Dar al Mahas on the frontiers of Dongola, in the months of February and March, 1813, during which he discovered many remains of ancient Egyptian and Nubian architecture, with Greek inscriptions; the other between March and July in the following year, through Nubia to Souakun. The details of this journey contain the best notices ever received in Europe of the actual state of society, trade, manufactures, and government, in what was once the cradle of all the knowledge of the Egyptians."
Although it will carry us a little out of our regular and stated course, to notice the other travels of this enterprising man in the place, yet we prefer doing it, in order that our readers, by having at once before them a brief abstract of all he performed for geography, may the better be enabled to appreciate his merits.
Soon after his second return to Cairo, he resolved to penetrate into Arabia, and to visit Mecca and Medina. In order to secure his own safety, and at the same time gain such information as could alone be obtained in the character of a Mahomedan, he assumed the dress, and he was enabled to personate the religion, manners, and language of the native Hadje, or pilgrims. Thus secure and privileged, he resided between four and five months in Mecca. Here he gained some authentic and curious information respecting the rise, history, and tenets of the Wahabees, a Mahomedan sect. These travels have not yet been published.
The last excursion of Mr. Burckhardt was from Cairo to Mount Sinai and the eastern head of the Red Sea. This journey was published in 1822, along with the travels in Syria and the Holy Land; the latter of which he accomplished while he was preparing himself at Aleppo for his proposed journey into the interior of Africa. These travels, therefore, are prior in date to those in Nubia, though they were published afterwards.