Fall 2009 » In Review » The Narrative of Robert Adams, A Barbary Captive

The Narrative of Robert Adams A Barbary Captive, A Critical Edition

Charles Hansford Adams
March, 2009

Europeans in the 19th century did not believe that Timbuctoo - the fabled city of wealth and learning on the Niger in Mali - could exist. But in 1815, an African American sailor named Robert Adams told powerful leaders in London a fantastic tale of crossing the Sahara as a slave and of his time in Timbuktu.

First published in London in 1816, The Narrative of Robert Adams tells of exploration and adventure, one of many tales of Timbuktu circulating.

Charles Adams, professor of English and associate dean of international programs, became interested in these narratives, most of which have been out of print since the 19th century. He found Adams's narrative fascinating and decided to bring it to the attention of modern readers.

By placing the narrative within the context of European exploration and colonialism, Charles Adams illuminates the motives of the storyteller.

So did Robert Adams actually go to Timbuktu, or is this tale another rendition of a legend?

To find answers, Charles Adams studies not only the 1816 account, but also contemporary essays, notes and maps.

"The reader is allowed to know of Robert Adams only what his English handlers chose to show," writes Adams.