“Few are the Oriental scholars in England who could do justice to this picture of the mediaeval Arab.  Captain Burton is perhaps the only one who joins to the necessary linguistic knowledge that varied practical experience of Eastern life which alone in many cases can supply the true meaning of a troublesome passage or an accurate comment upon it.  His aim is to make the book in its English dress not only absolutely literal in text but Oriental in tone and colour.  He knows the tales almost by heart, and used to keep the Bedouin tribes in roars of laughter in camp during the long summer nights by reciting them.  Sheiks to whom a preternatural solemnity of demeanour is usual were to be seen rolling on the ground in paroxysms of uncontrollable mirth.  It was also Burckhardt’s custom to read the stories aloud, but the Arabs would snatch the book from his hand because his pronunciation was so bad.  Captain Burton is said to have an Arab accent not easily distinguishable from the native.  When he contents himself with the English tongue here in England, he is one of the most picturesque talkers to be met with.  I can remember a certain dinner-party, now many years ago, where the great traveller kept us all listening till long past day-break; narrating, as he did, the most singular adventures with the most vivid fidelity to facts.  That, however, is a digression.  I have only to add that Captain Burton has the names of many subscribers and will doubtless be glad to receive others which may, I suppose, be sent to him at Trieste.  His present hope is to be ready to go to press next February and to bring out the whole of the volumes in 1885.”

(Signed) G. W. S.

Concerning this “American” communication and its author I shall have more to say in a future page.

Some 24,000 to 30,000 circulars were posted at an expense of 126 pounds and they produced about 800 favourable replies which, after my return to England (May ’85), rose to 1,500 and to 2,000 as my unprofessional friend, and he only, had anticipated.  Meanwhile occurred an incident characteristic of such appeals by the inexperienced to the public.  A case containing 1,100 circulars had been sent to my agent for mailing in London, and my secretary had unfortunately gummed their envelopes.  Hereupon I should have been subjected by the Post Office to the pains and penalties of the law, perhaps to a fine of œ200 pounds.  But when the affair was reported, with due explanations, to the late lamented Postmaster-General Henry Fawcett—­a man in a million, and an official in ten millions—­ he had the justice and generosity to look upon the offence as the result of pure ignorance, and I received a caution “not to do it again.”

Needless to say that I lost no time about advertising my mistake in the dailies, giving the name of my agent and in offering to refund the money.  Some of the sealed and unpaid envelopes had, however, been forwarded prematurely and the consequence was a comical display of wrath in quarters where it was hardly to be expected.  By way of stemming the unpleasant tide of abuse I forwarded the following communique; to The Academy.