Richard Burton
1821–1890 · British (Devon) · Victorian Era
Known for: Linguist-explorer who spoke 29 languages, infiltrated Mecca in disguise, co-discovered Lake Tanganyika, and translated the Kama Sutra and Arabian Nights
Burton was one of the most extraordinary Victorians—he spoke 29 languages, was an expert swordsman, and disguised himself as a Muslim pilgrim to infiltrate Mecca (discovery would have meant death). He explored Somalia, co-discovered Lake Tanganyika, and feuded bitterly with Speke over the Nile's source.
He translated the Arabian Nights and the Kama Sutra, scandalizing Victorian England with their erotic content. He was physically tough, intellectually voracious, and deliberately provocative. His wife Isabel burned many of his manuscripts after his death—an incalculable cultural loss.
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