58 



DR BIALLOBLOTSKY. 



tively short distance from the sea coast, within 

 the dominions of the Imam of Maskat.' Rightly 

 judging the eastern coast to be the easiest road 

 into central intertropical Africa, Dr Beke, then 

 secretary to the Geographical Society of London, 

 collected a snbscripion for exploring the Nile 

 Sources, via Zanzibar, and sent out Dr Eriedrich 

 Bialloblotsky to attempt the discovery. This 

 Professor of Hebrew and literary man presented 

 in February 1849 his credentials to H. M. the 

 Sayyid and to Lieut. -Colonel Hamerton. The 

 latter, backed by Dr Krapf, sent back the explorer 

 to Egypt, without allowing him even to set foot 

 upon the East African shore, and he was justified 

 in so doing. The recent murder of M. Maizan 

 had thrown the coast into confusion, the assassin 

 was at large, and the motives which prompted 

 the deed were still actively at work within the 

 Island of Zanzibar. Dr Bialloblotsky could 

 speak no eastern tongue, at least none that was 

 intelligible in S. Africa ; he was completely un- 

 trained to travel, he collected 6 meteoric ' dust 

 during a common storm at Aden — magno cum risu 

 of the Adenites ; he did not know the difference 

 between a sextant and a quadrant, and he asked 

 Lieut. -Colonel Hamerton what a young cocoa- 

 nut was. 



