out Burton resigned his post under Scott in
order to take part in the campaign in the Punjab, but peace being
proclaimed a few weeks later, after the battle of Sobraon, Burton had no
opportunities of distinguishing himself. So he returned to his studies,
and now became ambitious to understand not only the people but also the
monkeys of India. Consequently he collected some forty of them, made
them live and eat after the manner of humans; and studies them as they
mowed and gibbered. He would then talk to them and pronounce the
sounds they made, until at last they could conduct quite a conversation
together. Burton never divulged this talk, which, of course, may have
been of a confidential nature, but he compiled a Simian Dictionary,
and thus to some extent anticipated the work of Mr. R. L. Garner.
Unfortunately the dictionary was some years later destroyed by fire.

14. Duality.

We shall often notice in Burton's life what Burton himself called his
dual nature. In the tale of Janshah in The Arabian Nights we read of a
race of split men who separated longitudinally, each half hopping
about contentedly on its own account, and reuniting with its fellow at
pleasure. If Burton in a pre-existent state--and he half believed in
the Pre-existence of Souls--belonged to this race, and one of his halves
became accidentally united to one of the halves of somebody else, the
condition of affairs would be explicable. In any circumstances, he was
always insisting on his duality. For example--a kind-hearted man, who
detested cruelty to animals, nevertheless he delighted, as we have seen,
in the sport of cocking; an ambitious man, who wore himself out with his
studies yet he neutralised all his efforts to rise by giving way to an
ungovernable temper. He would say just what he thought, and no man could
have exhibited less tact. Thus he managed to give offence, and quite
unnecessarily, to his superior officer, Colonel Henry Corsellis, and
they were henceforth at handgrips.

Among his favourite books was Jami's Beharistan. The only pity is that
he did not take the advice proffered in the Third Garden:

"If Alexander's realm you want, to work adroitly go, Make friends more
friendly still, and make a friend of every foe."

Other instances of opposing qualities will be noticed as this work
proceeds. Late in life, when he took to glasses, Burton used to say
"My duality is proved by my eyes alone. My right eye requires a No. 50
conve