Henri Lambert (born Henri Marie César Lambert; May 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.
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Early life
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 May 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.
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. 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.
Mercantile career
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. 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.
On 13 October 1855, he embarked on a journey over multiple stopovers throughout the Red Sea, beginning with Zeila on the 16th. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Death
Lambert went aboard on the dhow Nasseri, where from Mocha on the afternoon of Friday, June 3, 1859, departed towards Tadjoura. The Nasseri anchored near the Moucha Islands in the Red Sea. Lambert, who had been navigating these waters as part of his trading and diplomatic activities, was attacked and killed by the ship's crew, led by the Nacouda Abdillahi. Accounts of the incident vary, but it is widely reported that Lambert was ambushed while sleeping, beaten with sticks, and stabbed when he attempted to resist. His body was later weighted down with stones and thrown into the sea. The motives behind the murder remain unclear but are believed to involve disputes over authority and maritime dealings. Lambert's tragic end, at just 31 years old, marked the conclusion of his adventurous life as a pioneer in the region.