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Henri Lambert (explorer)

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Henri Lambert
Henri Lambert, engraving published in Le Tour du monde in 1862.
Born(1828-06-16)June 16, 1828
Redon, France
DiedJune 4, 1859(1859-06-04) (aged 30)
Moucha Island
Parents
  • Amable Joseph Lambert (father)
  • Rosalie Marie Joseph Dubois (mother)
RelativesJoseph-François Lambert (brother)

Henri Lambert (born Henri Marie César Lambert; June 16, 1828 – June 4, 1859), was a French explorer, diplomat and trader. He was responsible for convincing the French government to establish a colony in modern-day Djibouti to counter British influence in the Gulf of Aden. [1]

Early life

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Lambert's family, originally from Nantes, claimed descent from the monarchy and from the prosecutors at the Presidential Court. Amable Joseph Lambert, Henri Lambert's father, was a customs auditor. He belonged to the “provincial petty bourgeoisie” having no properties in the Nantes region. Amable Joseph Lambert married quite lately with Rosalie Marie Joseph Dubois. The couple resided for a long time in Redon, where Amable Joseph was employed. It was there that Joseph François Lambert was born on February 14, 1824, and Henri Marie César was born on June 16, 1828. The couple also had three other children, Louis, Pierre and Sophie. Joseph Lambert, had received a satisfactory education for the time while Henri Lambert, had to leave school at 14.[2]

Henri embarked on September 1, 1842, at the age of fourteen, as a cabin boy on the three-masted Quos-Ego of Nantes, then as a pilot on the Brig Saphir and the three-masted Courrier de St Pierre, Marie and again Quos-Ego. As a registered sailor, he had a total of 28 months of navigation on November 26, 1846, including a voyage to La Réunion. He had good reviews from his Captains due to his zeal, regularity of conduct, great activity for his service.[3] He entered the Imperial Navy in early 1847, at the age of 18. He was on board the Descartes on January 9, 1847, until his arrival in Port Louis in 1850.[4][5]

Mercantile career

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Henri departed from Port Louis on September 17, 1855, aboard the *Bayadère*, a modest vessel that transported him to La Réunion. By taking this route, he avoided the detour via Pointe de Galle, which was typically required by the sailing schooners connecting Port Louis to Ceylon. In La Réunion, he boarded another ship, likely a merchant vessel, destined for Arabia. His journey included a stopover on the island of Socotra, which he passed on October 1, 1855. Eventually, on October 9, 1855, he arrived at the port of Aden, specifically at Steamer Point, a harbor named by the English as a regular docking point for their steamboats.[6][7] After settling in Aden, Henri found himself under English jurisdiction, subject to the political and military authority of officers serving Queen Victoria. His activities in Aden were influenced by the political and economic framework established by the East India Company, which maintained a significant presence and authority in the region.[8]

On 13 October 1855, he embarked on a journey over multiple stopovers throughout the Red Sea, beginning with Zeila on the 16th.[9] This is where he paid a visit to the city's governor, who was subordinate to the Ottoman Pasha of Al-Hodeydah. He mentioned that the tribes of the country do not recognise his authority and obey their respective chiefs. He took note that travelling through the interior required a firearm or never go out in the evening and be careful not to cross, even during the day, the gates of the city, unless accompanied by a detachment. This was due to the wandering tribes of Issa bedouins who roam and pillage travellers without pity.[10][11] Lambert set sail to Tadjoura on the 18th, where he met the local vizier, Mohammed bin Mohammed, was described as an independent, shrewd leader who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad and held ambivalent views toward foreign powers, favoring the French over the English and Turks.[12] Coghlan's meeting with the chief on October 25 was brief and strained, reportedly due to discussions about the abolition of slavery and English support for the ousted Sharmarke Ali Salih. The vizier's hostility led Coghlan to reclaim the gifts he had brought, and he allegedly warned Mohammed bin Mohammed against offering protection to any French visitors to Tadjoura.[13][14][15] Lambert then travelled to Mokha on the 22nd where he discussed its decrepit state, it was there he met a Persian merchant called Abderasoul, who was established in the city and whom Lambert made his correspondent.[16][17] Lambert left Mokha after a stay of twenty-four hours and sailed towards Al-Hodeydah where he met the Turkish Pasha, an elderly man with whom he forms a certain friendship. The Pasha had imprisoned Sharmarke for theft, replacing him in Zeila with Abubakr, disregarding pressure from Aden.[18] He left Hodeidah on the 28 making a brief stop at the island of Huakel while passing through the Dahlak Archipelago. He reached Massawa on the 29th, staying there for a month to assess the commercial resources.[19][20] He returned to Aden on 26 December, ultimately remaining there between January 22 to April 11, 1856, as he was interested in Zeila's political activity regarding Sharmake Ali Salih being dispossessed by the Ottoman Pasha of Al-Hodeydah. During this time, his brother was trying to secure French investment in its protectorate project over Madagascar.[21][22]

Henri Lambert embarked on his second voyage to the Red Sea following the lifting of the blockade of Zeila. Departing Aden on April 11 aboard a rented dhow, he arrived in Zeila the next day, receiving a warm welcome from its residents and the local chief, Aboubeker. During his stay, he witnessed a Bedouin fantasia and discussed trade relations, securing promises of cooperation and protection.[23][24] Continuing to Tadjoura, Lambert reunited with the elder Mohamed bin Mohamed, who informed him of British efforts to discourage French influence in the region. Despite local tensions, Lambert successfully negotiated for livestock and witnessed a caravan bound for Shoa, gaining insights into the customs of the Issa people. Lambert next visited Obock, where he was regarded as the first European to land in the area.[25][26] He explored the surrounding countryside, noted for its active volcano and thermal springs, and established rapport with the local Danakil community through gifts and diplomacy. Departing Obock on May 5, he made brief stops in Mokha and Al-Hodeydah, where festivities celebrated the end of the Crimean War and earned him the nickname "bird of good omen" from the Turks.[27][28] On his return journey, Lambert fell ill but managed to stop in Mocha to recover. He secured offers of laborers and local goods, including wheat, millet, and coffee. Exhausted, he crossed the Bab el-Mandeb on May 15 and arrived in Aden on May 20, marking the end of his eventful expedition.[29]

The British authorities in Aden suspected him of being an agent of the French government seeking a suitable port in the region for French expansion, which accelerated the British government's decision to occupy Perim in December 1856.[30][31] Henri Lambert travelled to Mauritius after hearing rumours of his brother Joseph’s death in Madagascar, only to find him alive but suffering from fevers. Joseph had defied a ban and returned to Madagascar in May 1857. Alongside Ida Pfeiffer and other Europeans, he became involved in a failed plot to overthrow Queen Ranavalona and her Prime Minister, leading to his banishment from Madagascar in September 1857. The Port Louis–Aden line saw little activity during this period, and Joseph, focused on his Malagasy ventures, soon departed for Europe, particularly Paris, where he continued to hope for French colonisation of Madagascar.[32][33][34]

Henri Lambert's appointment as Consular Agent of France in Aden remains unclear but was likely facilitated by his brother Joseph's efforts during his visits to France in 1856-1857 and contact with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[35] Officially recognized by the Governor-General of India in Calcutta on September 2, 1857, Lambert received his appointment letter from interim French Consul Angelucci on October 10, 1857.[36][37] After Angelucci's replacement by Boilleau on November 1, 1857, Lambert was formally integrated into the consular service. He submitted his credentials to Brigadier Coghlan on February 1, 1858, and received official acknowledgment from the Governor of Aden the same day.[38][39][40][41]

Aboubakr Pasha, a prominent figure in Tadjourah, offered to cede Ras Ali and the Bay of Ouano to France. Henri Lambert resigned from his consular post in April 1859 and closed the Aden agency. He then traveled to Mocha and al-Hodeida. On June 4, 1859, he was assassinated near Moucha Island, likely on the orders of Ali Shermake, then the customs chief of Zeilah.

Following his death, a French naval mission from Réunion, commanded by Alphonse Fleuriot de Langle, conducted an investigation in 1860. The mission arrested Shermake, who died in 1861.

As a result of this mission, a delegation of local dignitaries traveled to Paris, where they ceded the Territory of Obock—stretching from Ras Bir to Douméra—to France in March 1862 for 10,000 thalers. This agreement later became the legal foundation for the creation of the French Somali Coast two decades later.

References

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  1. ^ Alwan, Daoud Aboubaker; Mibrathu, Yohanis (2000). Historical Dictionary of Djibouti. Scarecrow Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-8108-3873-4.
  2. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 23. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  3. ^ Archives de la Marine, Fort de Vincennes, Paris, dossier personnel H. Lambert, Ne 836
  4. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 80.
  5. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 25. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  6. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: vie et mort d'Henri Lambert, consul de France à Aden, 1859 (in French). L'Harmattan. p. 43. ISBN 978-2-7384-1487-8.
  7. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 66.
  8. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: vie et mort d'Henri Lambert, consul de France à Aden, 1859 (in French). L'Harmattan. p. 44. ISBN 978-2-7384-1487-8.
  9. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  10. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  11. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 67.
  12. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 66.
  13. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  14. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 63.
  15. ^ L/PS/9 vol. 34, para. 96, p. 409-438, Coghlan Report to Anderson, Ne 137/516, November 8, 1855
  16. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  17. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 66.
  18. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  19. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  20. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. pp. 67–68.
  21. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  22. ^ Adolphe, Harold (1943). Dictionnaire de biographie mauricienne (in French). Esclapon.
  23. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 70.
  24. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 62. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  25. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. pp. 70–71.
  26. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 63. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  27. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. pp. 71–72.
  28. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  29. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 65. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  30. ^ L/P&S/9, Vol. 35, Report No. 126/398, par. 17-19, p. 343-346, Brigadier Coghlan to Lieutenant-Colonel Melville in Bombay, 27 August 1856.
  31. ^ Daguenet, Roger Joint (1992-01-01). Aux origines de l'implantation française en Mer Rouge: Vie et mort d'Henry Lambert, consul de France à Aden. 1859 (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 65. ISBN 978-2-296-27042-8.
  32. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). Librairie de L. Hachette. 1862. p. 70.
  33. ^ Le Tour du monde (in French). 1861. p. 320.
  34. ^ Adolphe, Harold (1967). Dictionnaire de biographie mauricienne (in French). Esclapon.
  35. ^ Foreign Affairs, Various Affairs, Africa, Red Sea–Abyssinia–Zeila, (1857–1895), No. 21, Letter from Boilleau to H. Lambert, February 15, 1858.
  36. ^ Foreign Affairs, Various Affairs, Africa, Red Sea–Abyssinia–Zeila (1857–1895), No. 21, Angelucci to H. Lambert, Letter No. 1589, October 10, 1857.
  37. ^ Foreign Affairs, Various Affairs, Africa, Red Sea–Abyssinia–Zeila (1857–1895), No. 21, Letter from Angelucci to H. Lambert, No. 1607, October 28, 1857.
  38. ^ OR: L/PS/6 Vol. 218, pp. 173-174, Government of Bombay to the Secretary of State for India, Letter No. 10, December 8, 1858.
  39. ^ Foreign Affairs, Various Affairs, Africa, Red Sea–Abyssinia–Zeila (1857–1895), No. 21, Boilleau to Lambert, November 15, 1857.
  40. ^ Foreign Affairs, Various Affairs, Africa, Red Sea–Abyssinia–Zeila (1857–1895), No. 21, Lambert to Coghlan, February 1, 1858.
  41. ^ Foreign Affairs, Various Affairs, Africa, Red Sea–Abyssinia–Zeila (1857–1895), No. 21, Coghlan to Lambert, No. 47/1858, February 1, 1858.

Further reading

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Bibliography

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  • Henri Lambert (Journal) et Louis Simonin (Récit du crime), publiés ensemble sous le titre Voyages de M. Henri Lambert, agent consulaire de France à Aden, assassiné près des îles Moussah (Afrique), le 4 juin 1859, dans l'hebdomadaire Le Tour du monde, 1862, t. VI, p. 65-80.
  • Jules Borelli, Éthiopie méridionale, 1890, p. 36-37
  • Roger Joint Daguenet, Aux origines de l'implantation française en mer Rouge. Vie et mort d'Henri Lambert, consul de France à Aden - 1859, L'Harmattan, 1992, p. 347
  • Marc Fontrier, Abou-Bakr Ibrahim, pacha de Zeyla - Marchand d’esclaves, Paris, Aresae, L’Harmattan, 2003, p. 275
  • François Angelier, Dictionnaire des voyageurs et explorateurs occidentaux, Pygmalion, 2011, p. 414
  • Yves Boulvert, Henri Lambert (1828-1859) : aventurier voyageur en mer Rouge, in J. Serre (dir.), Hommes et destins, tome 11, «Afrique noire», Académie des sciences d'outre-mer/L'Harmattan, 2011, p. 423-424
  • Jehanne-Emmanuelle Monnier, Les Frères Lambert, deux aventuriers dans la mer des Indes, Orphie, Saint-Denis (La Réunion), 2011 ISBN 978-2-87763-646-9
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