FORSTER, Johann Georg Adam. Nassenhuben near Danzig (now Mokry Dwór in Poland) 27.11.1754 — Paris 10.1.1794. German Scientist, Author and Traveller interested in India. The eldest son of —> J. R. F. and Justine Elisabeth Nicolai. As a youth travelled with his father in 1766 in Russia and England and…
FORSTER, George. 1752 — Nagpur 5.1.1792. British Civil Servant and Traveller in India. Served in Madras as early as 1776. In 1782 he travelled from India using the unusual route through Kashmir, Afghanistan, Herat, by the Caspian Sea to Baku, then to Astrakhan and Moscow and by ship from St.Petersburg…
FITCH, Ralph. 1550? — London (?) 1611. English Merchant and Traveller in India. In February 1583 left London with other merchants of the Levant Company (with John Newberry as leader) with the purpose of opening trade with India. They travelled through Tripolis, Aleppo (May), Baghdad and Basra to Ormuz (September),…
FINCH, William. 15?? — Baghdad ?.8.1613. British Merchant and Traveller in India. Native of London. He came to Surat with Hawkins in 1608 and had to stay there because of an illness, but joined later Hawkins in spring 1610 at Jahangir’s court and spent one and a half year in…
FERGUSON, Donald William. Colombo 8.10.1853 — Croydon near London 29.6.1910. British (Scottish) Journalist and Scholar of Sri Lankan History (especially of Colonial Period). Son of —> Alastair M. F. (d. 1892) and Anne Mackerras. The father came to Ceylon in 1837, was a long time the chief proprietor and editor…
FEDERICI, Cesare de (Fedrici). Erbanno (Brescia) c. 1530 — 1600/03. Italian (Venetian) Merchant and Traveller in India. Left Venice in 1567 (Charpentier & Lach 1563, long stay in the Near East), travelled via Aleppo and Basra to Ormuz, by ship to Diu and Goa. From Goa he went by land…
FALCONER, Hugh. Forres, Moray 29.2.1808 — London 31.1.1865. British (Scottish) Physician, Botanist, Palaeontologist, Geologist and Traveller in India. Son of David Falconer and Isabel Mackrae, educated at Forres and Aberdeen University. M.D. 1829 Edinburgh. Joined the E.I.C.’s medical service in Bengal in 1830, succeeded Royle in 1832 as Superintendent of…
EVANS-WENTZ, Walter Yeeling (born Wentz, added his mother’s surname c. 1910). Trento, N.J. 2.2.1878 — Encinitas, Calif. 17.7.1966. U.S. Traveller, Anthropologist and Tibetologist. Son of Christopher Wentz, a wealthy estate owner from New Jersey with German origin, and Mary Evans Cook, of Irish descent. Originally Baptist, his father turned to…
ELIAS, Ney. Widmore, Bromley, Kent 10.2.1844 — London 31.5.1897. British Diplomat and Explorer. Son of Ney Elias, a merchant with Jewish background, and his wife Sophia, educated in London, Paris and Dresden. “Went to Shanghai in a merchant’s firm in 1866, led an expedition in 1868 to examine the channels…
DUTREUIL DE RHINS, Jules-Léon. Saint-Étienne (Loire) 2.1.1846 — Tong-mbon-ndo in Kham 5.6.1894. French Marine Officer, Cartographer, Traveller and Explorer. Son of Jean-Denis D. de R. and Jeanne Félicité Blondart. Born in the Loire area, joined early the navy. In the 1870s captain. In 1876 he commanded the detachment of sixty…