BARROW, Sut John, eminent English traveler and geographer: b. near Ulverston, Lancashire, 1764; d. 23 Nov. 1848. When 14 years old he entered an iron foundry in Liver pool as timekeeper. Two years afterward he gave up this situation and made a voyage in a whaler to Greenland. He was subsequently employed as a teacher of mathematics in a school at Greenwich, and in that capacity at tracted the attention of Sir George Staunton, who appointed him nominally comptroller of the household to Lord Macartney in his em bassy to China in 1792, though his real employ ment was to take charge of _the philosophical instruments carried out as presents to the Chinese Emperor. Of this journey he afterward published an account under the title of 'Travels in China' (1804). On Lord Macartney being appointed governor of the Cape of Good Hope in 1797, he made Mr. Barrow his private sec retary; and on quitting the Cape in 1798 left him auditor-general of public accounts. Dur ing his residence there he made several journeys into the interior of south Africa, and on his return to England published an account of them under the title of 'Travels in Southern Africa.'
in 1804 Barrow was appointed second secretary to the admiralty which post, with a brief in terval. he occupied continuously for 40 years. The duties of this post he discharged with the most exemplary industry and activity, and he took an ardent interest in promoting geographi cal and scientific discovery, and more especially the expeditions to the Arctic Seas. His leisure hours were employed in literary work, and the numerous volumes published by him attest the profitable use he made of his time. These in in addition to the books of travel already mentioned, the 'Life of Earl Macartney' ; 'Life of Lord Anson' ; 'Life of Lord Howe' ; 'Voy ages of Discovery and Research within the Arctic Regions' ; Autobiographical Memoir' (1847). In 1835 he was created a baronet. He originated the Royal Geographical Society in 1830 and was its vice-president at the time of his death. Barrow Strait, Cape Barrow and Point Barrow, in the Arctic regions, were named in his honor.