William Winwood Reade

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photo by William Winwood Reade, published 1910

William Winwood Reade (born December 26, 1838 in Murrayfield near Crieff ( Scotland ), † April 24, 1875 in Ipsden ) was a British traveler to Africa and writer .

Life

William Winwood Reade was a nephew of the English novelist Charles Reade . He studied at the University of Oxford since 1856 without obtaining a degree. First he appeared as a novelist, then, inspired by Du Chaillus' descriptions , traveled for 14 months (1862-63) the west coast of Africa , where he mainly hunted the gorilla , and described his experiences and discoveries in Savage Africa (London 1864 ). After studying medicine for a few years , he went to Africa for the second time in 1868 and in 1869 came from Sierra Leone to Falaba , where he was imprisoned for three months, and to upper Niger . He showed that this river rises only 400 km from Sierra Leone in the same mountains as Senegal and Gambia and is already navigable 160 km downstream. He described this journey in The African Sketch Book (2 vols., London 1873). As a special correspondent for the Times he accompanied the British expedition against the Ashanti from November 1873 , but had to return sick and died on April 24, 1875 at the age of only 36 in Ipsden.

Other publications by the atheistically minded author include:

  • The Veil of Isis, or the Mysteries of the Druids , London 1861 (this work represents an attack on religious beliefs, especially on Catholicism )
  • The Martyrdom of Man , London 1872; 17th ed. 1903
  • Story of the Ashantee Campaign , London 1874
  • The Outcast: a Novel , London 1875

literature

personal data
SURNAME Reade, William Winwood
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British African traveler and writer
DATE OF BIRTH December 26, 1838
PLACE OF BIRTH Murrayfield near Crieff ( Scotland )
DATE OF DEATH April 24, 1875
Place of death Ipsden