A further account, entitled ‘Narrative of an Expedition in South Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Tropic of Capricorn in the years 1836–1837,’ was published at Bombay in 1838. Harris appears to have communicated an account of his travels in South Africa to the Royal Geographical Society, London, and the Geographical Society of Bombay. He died of lingering fever at Surwur, near Poona, 9 Oct. 1848 was appointed superintending engineer, northern provinces. Harris was executive engineer at Dharwar Dion in 1846, and at Poona in February 1847, and on 5 Feb.
He returned to England bearing a commercial treaty with that state, and was knighted for his services ( London Gazette, 7 June 1844). In December 1840 he was made superintending engineer to the southern provinces, and in September 1841 was sent in charge of a mission to open up relations with the ancient Christian kingdom of Shoa (Shwa) in the highlands of Abyssinia. On his return to India Harris was appointed executive engineer at Belgaum in January 1838, and field engineer to the Scinde force in December of the same year. Their absence from India etended from March 1835 to December 1837. That potentate proved friendly, and permitted the travellers to return to the colony by a new and previously closed route. Andrew Smith, the African naturalist, then just returned from up-country, Harris and his friend started by ox-wagon from Algoa Bay, by way of Somerset and the Orange River, meeting with large game in districts long since cleared, and travelled in a north-easterly direction until they reached the kraals of the famous Matabele chief Moselikatze. On the voyage to the Cape, Harris, who from a very early age had, his friends said, ‘been afflicted with shooting-madness,’ made the acquaintance of Richard Williamson, of the Bombay civil establishment, a noted shikary, and the two arranged an expedition into the interior in quest of big game. South Africa at that time was attracting some notice, owing to the recent exodus of the Dutch colonists, and their early conflicts with the Zulu hordes of Dingaan. In 1836 Harris was invalided to the Cape for two years by a medical board. 1825, executive engineer at Candeish in November 1825, and at Deesa in October 1830. He was appointed assistant-superintending engineer at Bombay 9 Sept. His commissions were dated, second lieutenant 18 Dec. After preparation at a military college Harris was appointed to the Bombay establishment (engineers) in 1823. Robert Harris (1809–1865) was a younger brother. Bombay engineers, and African traveller, son of James Harris of Wittersham, Kent, was baptised on 2 April 1807. HARRIS, Sir WILLIAM CORNWALLIS (1807–1848), major H.E.I.C.
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