Career
In 1847 Street John"s father, the journalist James Augustus Saint John, introduced him to James Brooke. He went out to Sarawak the following year to become Brooke"s private secretary and thus began his diplomatic career. He was British Consul General in Brunei from 1856 and in 1858 made two ascents of Mount Kinabalu with Hugh Low.
One of the peaks of Mount Kinabalu, Saint John"s Peak (4,091 m - 4 metres shorter than the summit of Low"s Peak), is named in his honour.
He wrote a book about his explorations in Borneo,, and two biographies of James Brooke (1879 and 1899). In 1863 Street John became British chargé d"affaires in Haiti and in 1871 took up the same post in the Dominican Republic.
He was promoted to Minister in Haiti late in 1872, and was chargé d"affaires in Lima and Minister in Peru from 1874 to 1883. While in Peru he made a collection of pottery which is now in the British Museum He is also quoted as saying that "The History of the country.. is but a series of plots and revolutions followed by barbarous military executions." Street John was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Mexico from 1884 to 1893, and helped to restore relations between Britain and Mexico, which had been broken since the French intervention in Mexico.
Street John retired after serving as Minister to Sweden from 1893 to 1896.
