The sexagenarian; or, the recollections of a literary life (Volume 2 of 2)Beloe, William
General
The sexagenarian; or, the recollections of a literary life (Volume 2 of 2)
Beloe, William
Authors, English; Beloe, William, 1756-1817; English literature -- Anecdotes
From Bombay he crossed the Indian ocean, and arrived at Mocha, in the Red
Sea. After a certain sojourn at that place, he proceeded to Massouah, the
key by which means, Bruce was enabled to penetrate to Abyssinia. From
Massouah, Mr. Salt, Lord ⸺’s Secretary, was dispatched to visit the Ras
at Antalow. Mr. Salt having successfully accomplished this expedition,
joined his illustrious friend at Massouah, and after various perils and
difficulties, they arrived in safety at Suez. The rout from Suez was
that usually pursued by travellers from the East, namely, to Cairo,
Alexandria, Malta, &c.
The details published of these interesting travels, were not, however,
so popular as might reasonably have been expected, and as they actually
deserved. They certainly contained a great deal of original matter,
and a large mass of important information. They were more favorably
received on the continent. The translator of them into French has, in his
introduction, drawn a strong contrast between the reception Lord ⸺ met
with in his native country, and what would have been given in France to
a man of his Lordship’s situation in life, who would have performed such
a work. Bonaparte considered it so important as to the State of India,
that Notes were ordered to be inserted by the Police, as an antidote,
which was done; the original order is in his Lordship’s possession, and
it is curious that Lord V. has often been the subject of Napoleon’s
conversation with Englishmen.
They were considered by the very learned Editor of the voyage of
Nearchus, as entitled to the merit of having elucidated many abstruse
and complicated points in ancient geography, and in many parts as fairly
claiming the honour of actual discovery. Certain it is, that no modern
navigator has before taken an actual survey of that part of the African
coast, from the straits of Babulmandeb to the 26th degree N. &c. Perhaps
the principal cause which restrained their more extensive circulation,
is to be found in the first volume, where too great importance has been
given to trifles, and the work too much swelled out with circumstantial
representations of Oriental ceremonies, visits, dresses, and presents,
which scholars contemn, and which in fact had not the charm of novelty to
recommend them.
The work was afterwards published in a smaller compass, pruned of many of
these eccentricities and unnecessary appendages, and can never, in its
present form, be perused without much gratification and improvement.
Upon this work and its author, the following remarks subsequently occur
in our manuscript, and are evidently written in another hand, but
they well deserve preservation, as well from their erudition as their
sagacity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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