Simon Lucas facts for kids

Simon Lucas (who lived around 1766 to 1799) was an English diplomat and explorer. He worked for the African Association, an organization that explored Africa.

Life Story

Early Life and Capture

Simon Lucas was born in Greyfriars, London. His father was a vintner, which means he sold wine. Simon went to St. Paul's School. When he was young, he was sent to Cadiz, Spain, to learn about business.

On his way back home, he was captured by a "Sallee rover." This was a type of pirate ship from Morocco. Simon was then enslaved in Morocco for three years.

Return to Morocco as a Diplomat

After three years, Lucas managed to get to Gibraltar. This is a British territory. The governor of Gibraltar, Edward Cornwallis, sent him back to Morocco. This time, Lucas went as a vice-consul. A vice-consul is like a junior diplomat who helps people from his country. He stayed in Morocco for 16 years. During this time, he learned a lot about the region.

Exploring for the African Association

In 1785, Lucas returned to England. He got a job as an "oriental interpreter" at the court. This meant he helped translate languages from the Middle East and Africa.

In 1788, he started a journey in Africa for the Association for Promoting African Exploration. This group was set up to explore the continent. Lucas left England in August 1788. His plan was to cross the desert from Tripoli to Fezzan, which is in modern-day Libya.

He wanted to gather information in Fezzan. He also planned to talk to traders about the interior of Africa. His goal was to return home by way of The Gambia or the Guinea coast.

Journey into Africa

Lucas landed in Tripoli at the end of October 1788. He was welcomed by Ali I Pasha, the ruler. A revolt on his planned route delayed his journey. However, two local leaders called "sharifs" offered him safe travel.

Lucas started his journey in February 1789. He rode a mule and was part of an armed group of 18 people. They reached the old ruins of Lebida. Within a week, they arrived at a place called "Menrata," which was likely Misrata.

Challenges and Discoveries

The difficult conditions meant Lucas had to change his plans. He could not complete the full journey. Instead, he got information from one of the sharifs. This sharif had worked as a trader in the slave-trade for the king of Fezzan.

Lucas traded a map of Africa for stories about Fezzan, the Bornou empire, and a region called Nigritia.

Lucas turned back at a place called Memoon on March 20, 1789. He reached Tripoli on April 6. He was back in England by July 26. Another explorer, Daniel Houghton, took over his position at the African Association. In 1793, Simon Lucas became the consul in Tripoli.

Works

Lucas wrote about his experiences in Africa. His account was published in the Reports of the African Association.