BURNES, Sit Alexander, Scottish soldier and traveler: h. Montrose 1805; d. Cabul, 2 Nov. 1841. Having obtained a cadetship, he fouled the Bombay •native infantry in 1821; Here his proficiency in Hindustani and Persian procured him two regimental appointments as interpreter, and contributed greatly to his promotion. In 1830 he was appointed to pro ceed to Lahore, ostensibly for the purpose delivering a present of horses from the IGng of England to Runjeet Singh, but really for the purpose of acquainting himself with the lower Indus, with the view of opening it up to come mercial enterprise. On returning from this mission, which he successfully accomplished, he proposed a mission into central Asia, and having obtained the sanction of the government, set out in January 1832, descended the to Lahore, and proceeded thereafter to Peshawur, Cabul and Bokhara. He afterward traveled with a caravan across the desert of Merv, visited the Shah of Persia in his capital of Teheran, traveled southward to the Persian Gulf and reached Bombay after a year's ab scence. He published an account of this
journey in 1834, under the title of 'Travels into Bokhara.' He was afterward sent to England as the bearer of his own despatches, received the special thanks of the court of directors and was presented with the gold medal of the Royal and the silver medal of the French Geographical Society. He returned to India in 1835, and in the following year was sent on a commercial mission to Cabul. While there he discovered that Russia was intriguing to detach the Emir, Dost Mohammed, from the British alliance, and on finding the Emir disposed to be friendly to Great Britain, he urged Lord Auckland to come to terms with him. His advice was, however, rejected, and a force was dispatched in 1839 to reinstate Shah Sujah on the throne. Burnes accompanied the force as second political officer, and received the honor of knighthood. On the breaking out of an insurrection in Cabul, he was murdered with his brother and several other Europeans.