Andrea Debono | |
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| Born | (1821-11-07)7 November 1821 |
| Died | 29 October 1871(1871-10-29) (aged 49) |
| Nationality | Maltese |
| Occupation | Trader |
| Spouse | Victoria Debono |
| Children | 3 |
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Andrea Debono (7 November 1821 – 29 October 1871), also known asLatif Effendi, was aMaltese trader and explorer who was one of the first Europeans to explore the area around theWhite Nile in the mid-19th century.
Debono was born on 7 November 1821 inSenglea,Malta. He was the son of Michael Debono, a captain of the merchant navy, and his wife Teresa née Carabott. He had a twin sister named Battistina. During his youth, Debono studied medicine and chemistry.[1]
The Debono family later emigrated toAlexandria inEgypt, and Andrea Debono worked in a hospital. Andrea and Battistina moved toCairo after their parents died, and later toKhartoum in theSudan in 1848, where Andrea built a corn mill and was involved in the production of building materials. Debono married Victoria, anAbyssinian, and they had three children but two of them died in infancy.[1]
In 1851, Debono began to serve the EgyptianGovernor of Sudan and adopted the name of Latif Effendi. He made significant profits from theivory trade,[1] and he employed around 400 men as porters or boatmen.[2] At this point he also began exploring theNile, and he was the first European to explore theSobat River tributary of theWhite Nile, reaching the cataracts beyondGondokoro. He reached the Djiamoudj rapids in April 1853, acquiring knowledge ofLake Albert and theSemliki River. He made a 300-mile-long (480 km) journey to the mouth of the Sobat in 1854–1855 together with his wife, his son and later his agent Philippe Terranuova. At one point, their boats were grounded for six months due to the dry season and they were threatened by hostile natives.[1]
Between 1855 and 1856, Debono was the British Consular Agent in Khartoum. In 1859 he explored Gondokoro once again, publishing a book about his travels three years later.[1]He was accompanied by the Italian explorerGiovanni Miani[3]Samuel Baker wrote, "de Bono's people are the worst of the lot, having utterly destroyed the country."[4]In Khartoum, ConsulJohn Petherick accused Debono and his nephew of involvement in slave trading, and although all charges were later dropped, Debono's reputation was ruined. His health declined after he lost his nephew, and he subsequently sold his property and moved back to Cairo. Debono died there on 29 October 1871 at the age of 49.[1]
Andrea Debono was mentioned in the 1863 novelFive Weeks in a Balloon byJules Verne.[5]
A street in his hometown Senglea is named after him.[1]
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