Richard Francis Burton

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821–1890) was a British explorer, translator, writer, and diplomat. Born in Torquay, Devonshire, to a British army officer, he was expelled from Trinity College, Oxford, in 1842 because of horse betting. He soon joined the East India Company, where he further developed his language skills. Burton made extensive journeys through the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Americas, describing his experiences in more than eighty books. His notable translations include *The Thousand and One Nights* and the *Kama Sutra*. He also served as a British consul in Damascus and Trieste.