The Life and Adventures of Bruce, the African TravellerHead, Francis Bond, Sir
History
The Life and Adventures of Bruce, the African Traveller
Head, Francis Bond, Sir
Bruce, James, 1730-1794; Ethiopia -- Description and travel
"On the 5th," says Lord Valentia, the commander-in-chief of Bruce's
enemies, "I had a most severe attack of fever, which went off at night.
I took James's powder, which I thought relieved it. On the 7th I was
unwell in the morning, but the James's powder prevented a regular fit. I
took _two grains_ of calomel night and morning, which gradually
recovered me."--Vol. ii., p. 218. His lordship, alluding to Bruce,
farther says: "When a person attempts to give geographical information
to the public, it is necessary that his information should be accurate,
and that he should not give as certain a single circumstance of which he
has not positively informed himself." Yet Lord Valentia not only
published "Travels to Abyssinia" (having only landed at Masuah, a
harbour which did not at that time even belong to the King of
Abyssinia), but also thus ventures, merely from hearsay, to contradict
Bruce, who had been an eyewitness of facts which he related. "Although,"
says his lordship, "I was not so fortunate as to reach Macowar, yet I
was sufficiently near it to convince myself that the _accounts I had
received_ at Massowah and Suakim of its actual position were perfectly
true; and that Mr. Bruce's adventures at and near it were complete
romances. I confess that I always had some doubts in my mind respecting
this voyage from Cosseir, from the absurdity of the account he gives of
his taking a prodigious mat-sail, distended by the wind, then blowing a
gale, in his arms, and yet having one hand at liberty to cut it in
pieces with a knife. Nor could I more easily credit his finding at Gibel
Zumrud or Sibergeit, the pits still remaining, five in number, none of
them four feet in diameter, from which the ancients were said to have
drawn the emeralds," &c., &c.
Now Belzoni, who in 1816 visited this identical spot, says (p. 325),
"The plain which extends from the mountain to the sea was covered in
many places with woods of sycamore and ciell (the male acacia) tree,
which confirms the account of Bruce. I do not see any reason why Mr.
Bruce's assertion of having visited these mountains should be doubted."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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