"Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon" by Sir Samuel White Baker is a historical travel account where the author journeys to Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) in the mid-1800s, seeking adventure and a new life as a colonial settler. The narrative explores Baker’s initial enchantment with the possibilities of Ceylon, fueled by tales of its beauty and potential, as he arrives in Colombo eager to immerse himself in the island’s wild landscapes and establish a settlement in Newera Ellia. However, the initial allure quickly gives way to a realistic portrayal of the challenges and difficulties faced by a colonist, including navigating the island's existing infrastructure and adapting to its agricultural demands. Baker's experiences hunting elephants and initial observations expose a sharp contrast between romantic expectations and the harsh realities of colonial life, setting the tone for an exploration filled with both wonder and the tribulations inherent in taming a wild landscape.
Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon
By Samuel White Baker
An adventurer confronts the stark realities of colonial life when his dreams of settling in a wild, beautiful land are challenged by unexpected hardships and disappointments.
Summary
About the AuthorSir Samuel White Baker was an English explorer, officer, naturalist, big game hunter, engineer, writer and abolitionist. He also held the titles of Pasha and Major-General in the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. He served as the Governor-General of the Equatorial Nile Basin between April 1869 and August 1873, which he established as the Province of Equatoria. He is mostly remembered as the first European to visit Lake Albert, as an explorer of the Nile and interior of central Africa, and for his exploits as a big game hunter in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Baker wrote a considerable number of books and published articles. He was a friend of King Edward VII, who as Prince of Wales, visited Baker with Queen Alexandra in Egypt. Other friendships were with explorers Henry Morton Stanley, Roderick Murchison, John H. Speke and James A. Grant, with the ruler of Egypt Pasha Ismail The Magnificent, Major-General Charles George Gordon and Maharaja Duleep Singh.
Sir Samuel White Baker was an English explorer, officer, naturalist, big game hunter, engineer, writer and abolitionist. He also held the titles of Pasha and Major-General in the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. He served as the Governor-General of the Equatorial Nile Basin between April 1869 and August 1873, which he established as the Province of Equatoria. He is mostly remembered as the first European to visit Lake Albert, as an explorer of the Nile and interior of central Africa, and for his exploits as a big game hunter in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Baker wrote a considerable number of books and published articles. He was a friend of King Edward VII, who as Prince of Wales, visited Baker with Queen Alexandra in Egypt. Other friendships were with explorers Henry Morton Stanley, Roderick Murchison, John H. Speke and James A. Grant, with the ruler of Egypt Pasha Ismail The Magnificent, Major-General Charles George Gordon and Maharaja Duleep Singh.
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