166 



MEMOIR OF BURCKHARiJT. 



Early in 1817, lie sent home the journals of his 

 travels in the Hejaz, together with some notices on 

 the interior of Africa, a translation from Macrizi's 

 History of Egypt, containing some documents on 

 the geography and inhabitants of Nubia and the 

 Nile countries. In many of the regions which he 

 visited, he had been anticipated by other travellers, 

 with some of whom he formed a personal acquaint- 

 ance. He found Salt and Belzoni labouring among 

 the antiquities of Egypt ; of the efforts of the latter 

 in clearing away the rubbish from the pyramids, 

 temples, sphinxes, obelisks, &c., he has given some 

 interesting details in his letters to the Association. 

 Dr. Seetzen, a German, had preceded him only a 

 few years in his route through Syria, Arabia Petrasa, 

 Mount Sinai, and the Hejaz, to Mecca; but he was 

 poisoned near Mocha, in September 1811, as has 

 been already stated, and no part of his travels was 

 ever published, except short fragments of his tour 

 along the Jordan, by the Dead Sea, to Jerusalem. 



As Burckhardt's recovery was not so expeditious 

 as his medical attendant had led him to expect, he 

 determined to try the air of Alexandria, where he 

 hoped the sea-breezes, and the society of Colonel 

 Missett, would effectually re-establish his health. 

 The change was of so much benefit (aided by the 

 advice of Dr. Morgan, physician to Lady Hester 

 Stanhope), that in a few weeks he was so far con- 

 valescent as to enable him to return to Cairo, with 

 the view of making preparation for the exploration 

 of Africa. Several months, however, elapsed, with- 



