Considering his method of learning languages was, by his own admission, to get himself a mistress who spoke the language learn it from her in bed, I can only hope that his monkeys were spared. He did learn something like a dozen or so languages that way, however, including Arabic sufficient to enter Mecca disguised as an Arab, and sufficient Afghani dialects to pass among the hill tribes as a local. It was the record of his repeated and unrepented infidelities that apparently persuaded his wife to burn his papers after his death.
Wow, fascinating. I guess Burton was an early Jane Goodall. I think when people look back at our Age they will be amazed (maybe disgusted) that we were still eating animals. I'm not a vegan, but more and more, especially as I've gotten older, I feel a connection to them that i did not have when I was younger.
I wonder if the wife also burned the Shakespeare play the monkeys typed out one night.
We can assume the wife saw little value in the fact that, much like the Eskimos and their dozen words for "snow," Burton learned monkeys had over 40 words for "flinging feces."
Sorry, this story is comedy gold. I couldn't resist.
Considering his method of learning languages was, by his own admission, to get himself a mistress who spoke the language learn it from her in bed, I can only hope that his monkeys were spared. He did learn something like a dozen or so languages that way, however, including Arabic sufficient to enter Mecca disguised as an Arab, and sufficient Afghani dialects to pass among the hill tribes as a local. It was the record of his repeated and unrepented infidelities that apparently persuaded his wife to burn his papers after his death.
Let's be sure to remember the sage advice: " Never monkey with another monkey's monkey." :)
Wow, fascinating. I guess Burton was an early Jane Goodall. I think when people look back at our Age they will be amazed (maybe disgusted) that we were still eating animals. I'm not a vegan, but more and more, especially as I've gotten older, I feel a connection to them that i did not have when I was younger.
"No more monkeying around," said Isabel.
I’m reading Vol.1 of his journey to Mecca and Medina. Wonderful writer! Funny, sympathetic, detail oriented. I’ll search for Vol. 2!
I wonder if the wife also burned the Shakespeare play the monkeys typed out one night.
We can assume the wife saw little value in the fact that, much like the Eskimos and their dozen words for "snow," Burton learned monkeys had over 40 words for "flinging feces."
Sorry, this story is comedy gold. I couldn't resist.
Too bad the info was burned. I mean, the guy was weird, but there may have been scientifically-useful info in there.