Sir Richard F. Burton

Sir Richard Francis Burton (March 19, 1821—October 19, 1890) was a British consul, explorer, translator, writer and Orientalist known for his often-unprecedented exploits of travel and exploration as well as an extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. His best-known achievements include travelling alone and in disguise to Mecca, journeying with John Hanning Speke to discover the Great Lakes of Africa and the sources of the Nile, visiting Brigham Young in Salt Lake City, Utah, and translating The Arabian Nights and the Kama Sutra. Also, he was probably the third best European swordsman of the period. Later in life, he served as British consul in Trieste, Damascus, and Fernando Po and was knighted in 1886.