Mr. Burckhardt's Proceedings in Egi/pt, &;c. 29 



arduous an undertaking ? His reply was simply, the conviction 

 that rested on his own mind of being equal to the combat of any 

 difficulties which might arise in his way. The same conviction 

 must have possessed the worthy President also, for his offer was 

 almost instantly accepted, and arrangements made for his pro- 

 jected voyage. 



He remained some time in London to improve himself in the 

 knowledge of botany and mineralogy, which he understood tole- 

 rably well ; but, as far as we are aware, astronomy and drawing 

 were not familiar to him, nor were they likely, indeed, ever to 

 be called for, travelling, as he was from the first intended to do, 

 as a Mohammedan, and an individual of the humblest class. 



Before leaving England he partook of a farewell dinner, which 

 was given to him by the Association, and at which the principal 

 members of that institution attended. The Marquis of Hastings 

 (then Lord Moira,) was of the number of the distinguished per- 

 sonages present, and Mr. Burckhardt had the honour of being 

 seated next to him. The conversation on this occasion naturally 

 tending towards African travellers, the unfortunate Mungo Park 

 was spoken of as having had his ardour rather quickened than 

 damped by all that he had suffered in his first voyage, and 

 having very nobly ventured on his second journey. Lord Moira, 

 addressing Mr. Burckhardt in the most encouraging tone, assured 

 him of his confidence in the success of his enterprise, and ex- 

 pressed his persuasion that he, too, like Park, if returned safely 

 from his first expedition, would not be able to refrain from ven- 

 turing on a second ; when the young Swiss replied, that, as in 

 military affairs, no one was called upon to go on a forlorn hope 

 twice, he thought his Lordship would agree with him, that it 

 would be temerity in a traveller to tempt his fate by such a 

 duplication of danger. He used to repeat this anecdote fre- 

 quently, and never failed on such occasions to do justice to the 

 distinguished patronage which the Noble Earl was invariably 

 found to shew to science and knowledge in all their departments 

 and more particularly to the warm and paternal interest which 

 he felt and expressed in his own peculiar case. 



After leaving England, in the spring of 1809, he first landed 



