Sir Richard Burton
Burton , Sir Richard Francis (1821–1890), a British traveler, linguist, and author. His 16-volume translation of The Arabian Nights (1885–88) is his major work. Burton attended Oxford, but did not take a degree. He went to India in 1842, where his knowledge of many languages enabled him to move among the Indians to observe their customs. In 1853, disguised as an Afghan, Burton became the first European to enter Mecca.
In 1854 Burton began to explore parts of Africa. With John Hanning Speke, who later discovered Lake Victoria, source of the White Nile, Burton discovered Lake Tanganyika in 1858. While British consul in various parts of the world, Burton wrote many books about his adventures. His travels included a visit to the Mormons in Utah in 1860. He was knighted in 1886.