Sir Richard has to be one of the all time most amazing characters in English history. A recent movie, "The Mountains of the Moon" shows his exploration for the source of the Nile with Speake. It touches on his ability to understand and embrace foreign cultures, a trait not usually identified with 19th century Europeans and Americans.
When Burton was serving with the Indian army, his general ordered him to write an intelligence report on local tribesmen. Burton delightedly entitled his work, "Sexual Perversions Among Certain Tribes Of the Hindustandi". The Army was furious, but it was required reading in the officer's mess.
Is there a current edition in English of his translation with his complete and unexpurgated footnotes? The footnotes by themselves can make a book of their own, and ramble on about the most amazing details of Occult and Sexual details not seen this side of "The Perfumed Garden".