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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Dunbar, Robert Nugent

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1172763Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 16 — Dunbar, Robert Nugent1888Gordon Goodwin

DUNBAR, ROBERT NUGENT (d. 1866), poet, lived many years in the Antilles and elsewhere in the West Indies. He recorded his impressions of the scenery and romance of the Western Archipelago in sundry volumes of verse, which contain a good many reminiscences of Byron and Moore. The notes are worth reading. The titles of his poems are: 1. ‘The Cruise; or, a Prospect of the West Indian Archipelago: a Tropical Sketch, with Notes, Historical and Illustrative,’ 8vo, London, 1835. 2. ‘The Caraguin: a Tale of the Antilles,’ 8vo, London, 1837. 3. ‘Indian Hours; or Passion and Poetry of the Tropics. Comprising the Nuptials of Barcelona and the Music Shell,’ 8vo, London, 1839. ‘The Nuptials of Barcelona’ was afterwards published separately, 8vo, London, 1851. 4. ‘Beauties of Tropical Scenery; Lyrical Sketches, and Love-Songs. With Notes, Historical and Illustrative,’ 8vo, London, 1862; 2nd edit. 8vo, London, 1864; 3rd edit., with additions, 8vo, London, 1866. Dunbar was also the author of a slight piece, ‘Garibaldi at the Opera of “Masaniello,”’ 8vo, London, 1864. As long ago as 1817 he had mourned the death of the Princess Charlotte in ‘The Lament of Britannia,’ 8vo, London. He died at Paris in 1866.

[Prefaces to Works; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Gent. Mag. 4th ser. ii. 424.]