The Life and Travels of Mungo Park Part 10

Lander's Journey.

In the preceding chapter the reader must have admired the fort.i.tude and resolution manifested by Lander, when, after the death of Clapperton, he had to travel to the coast alone. His attempt to reach the Niger shewed that his disposition was ardent and enterprising, and that, but for untoward circ.u.mstances, he would have effected his object. On his return to England, he again offered his services to government, and accompanied by his brother John, embarked from Portsmouth on the 9th January 1830, and reached Cape Coast Castle on the 22d of the following month.

Having hired several native attendants, one of whom, called Pascoe, was well qualified to act as an interpreter, the travellers sailed to Badagry, and landed on the 22d. They resided some days at this place, the chief being unwilling to part from them till he had obtained as presents almost every article which he coveted. As if in contrast with the beauty of the country, the inhabitants of Badagry are a dissolute, sensual, and greedy race. While they resided in the town, the Landers were invited to visit the spot where the Mahomedans perform some of their religious rites. Two Mussulmen guided them to the place, which was about a mile distant. They came to a bare s.p.a.ce of sandy ground, surrounded with trees; here they found the Mussulmen engaged in prostration and ablution. Each group as it arrived, was received with flourishes of musical instruments. Every one was clad in his best apparel. "Loose robes, with caps and turbans, striped and plain, red, blue, and black, were not unpleasingly contrasted with the original native costume of fringed cotton thrown loosely over the shoulders, and immense rush hats. Manchester cloths, of the most glaring patterns, were conspicuous amongst the crowd; but these were cast in the shade, by scarfs of green silk ornamented with leaves and flowers of gold, and ap.r.o.ns covered with silver spangles." No sooner were the religious ceremonies finished, than there was a general discharge of fire-arms; and clarionets, drums, and strings of bells betokened the joy felt on the occasion.

The soil of Badagry is fertile, and consists of a layer of fine white sand over loam, clay, and earth; the sand is so deep as to render walking difficult. The inhabitants depend for subsistence on fishing, and the cultivation of the yam and Indian corn. They fish with nets and spears, and also with a peculiarly formed earthen pot, which they bait with the palm nut. The more wealthy possess bullocks, sheep, goats, and poultry. The houses, which are neatly constructed of bamboo, and thatched with palm leaves, contain several rooms; almost all have yards attached to them, to the cultivation of which some little attention is paid.

On the night of the 31st March they set sail from Badagry in the chief's war canoe, which was about forty feet long, and propelled by poles. The banks of the river were low, covered with stunted trees; and a slave-factory and fetish hut were the only buildings visible. At intervals, at a winding of the river, they saw "a n.o.ble and solitary palm-tree, with its lofty branches bending over the water's edge." At this point, the atmosphere is loaded with pestilential miasmata. For a considerable way the water is almost hid by a profusion of marine plants, but these gradually disappear, and the boughs of beautiful trees hang over the banks, and screen the travellers from the sun's rays. A number of aquatic birds resort to this place; and the ear is absolutely stunned with the noise of parrots and monkeys. They landed, and walked on to Wow, which is an extensive town. After pa.s.sing through several villages, their route lay through woods and patches of open ground, till they came to a beautiful and romantic glen in the very heart of a wood. It abounded in b.u.t.terflies, whose shining wings displayed an infinity of colours.

The Landers now followed nearly the same route which Clapperton had pursued on his second journey. On the 6th April, they arrived at Jenne, where they were well received by the governor, who had recently been appointed to his office by the king of Badagry. The inhabitants are industrious and temperate, living chiefly on vegetable food. The chief labour, however, is devolved upon the females, who carry merchandize from place to place upon their heads, and bear with great patience their heavy burdens. Their path continued to lie through a most beautiful and fertile region, covered with exuberant vegetation. With the slightest attention and care, the soil would yield an abundant return; but the people are satisfied if they merely supply the cravings of nature, contenting themselves with slightly turning up the ground with the hoe. As they left Chouchow, a delightful morning following a rainy night, caused the flowers and shrubs to exhale delicious perfumes. On each side of the path were granite mountains of irregular shapes, the tops of which were covered with trees, and in the hollows of their slopes were cl.u.s.ters of huts. A great number of birds frequented the valley, and the delightful notes of a few were strangely contrasted with the harsh and discordant croaking of others. "The modest partridge appeared in company with the magnificent Balearic crane, with his regal crest; and delicate humming birds hopped from twig to twig with others of an unknown species; some of them were of a dark shining green; some had red silky wings and purple bodies; some were variegated with stripes of crimson and gold; and these chirped and warbled from among the thick foliage of the trees."

They arrived at Katunga on the 18th May, and immediately had an interview with king Mansolah. His head was ornamented with a turban resembling in shape a bishop's mitre, to which many strings of coral were attached. "His robe was of green silk, crimson silk damask, and green silk velvet, which were all sewn together like pieces of patchwork. He wore English cotton stockings, and neat leathern sandals of native workmanship. A large piece of superfine light blue cloth, given him by the late Captain Clapperton, served as a carpet." The monarch, after some hesitation, granted them permission to visit Botissa and the neighbourhood, and said he would dispatch a messenger to the neighbouring princes, to facilitate the progress of the travellers through their dominions. The city had a melancholy and cheerless aspect; the walls had fallen to decay, and the streets were nearly deserted.

After pa.s.sing Kushee, the travellers were joined by a Borgoo fatakie, or company of merchants. Their route lay through a vast and lonely forest, infested by robbers. At one opening a band of twenty marauders armed with lances and bows and arrows, appeared from behind the trees, and stationed themselves in the middle of the path before the men who carried the baggage, who were much frightened, and seemed disposed to throw down their burdens and run away. But when Richard Lander presented his gun at their leaders, their courage failed, and they took to flight. On the road to Kiama, the appearance of the country was completely changed, and the road lay through a vast tract of mountain forest, the haunt of savage animals. The crossing of a narrow brook introduced them to a people speaking a different language, of different manners and creed from those of Yarriboo. Lander gives the following account of the first night which they spent in this new territory:--"We occupy a large round hut, in the centre of which is the trunk of a large tree, which supports the roof; it has two apertures for doors, above which are a couple of charms, written in Arabic. It is now eleven P.M.; our attendants, with several of their fellow-travellers, are reposing on mats and skins, in various parts of the hut. Bows and arrows, and quivers ornamented with cows' tails, together with muskets, pistols, swords, lances, and other weapons, are either hanging on the wall or resting upon it. The scene is wild and singular. Outside our hut it is still more striking. There though it rains and thunders, the remainder of the fatakie, consisting of men, women, and children, are sitting on the ground in groups, or sleeping near several large fires, which are burning almost close to the hut, whilst others are lying under the shelter of large spreading trees in its immediate vicinity. Their only apparel is drawn over their half naked persons; their weapons at their sides, and their horses are grazing near them." After entering Kiama, they were introduced to King Yarro, who sat by himself upon a heap of buffalo hides; the walls of the apartment were ornamented with portraits of George IV. the Duke of York, the Duke of Wellington, and Lord Nelson; opposite to these were suspended horse accoutrements, and on each side were sc.r.a.ps of paper, on which were written sentences from the Koran. On the floor lay a confused heap of muskets, lances, and other weapons. The king a.s.signed to them a dwelling near the palace. The travellers had one day the gratification of witnessing an African horse-race. The entertainment was preceded by the ceremonies of Mahometan devotion. The head Mallam read a few pages from the Koran, after which a sheep was sacrificed; the blood was then poured into a calibash, and the king and some of his subjects washed their hands in it, and sprinkled the drops on the ground. After this a few old muskets were discharged, and the king and his chiefs rode about the ground, armed, and in gay attire. It was evening before the races commenced, which were attended by a joyful and noisy crowd. The monarch and his guards came upon the ground in procession, mounted on handsome steeds. The horses and their riders soon appeared. The men wore turbans of blue and white cotton, red morocco boots, and robes of every possible hue. The horses were gaily caparisoned, and had strings of bells hanging from their necks. The signal for starting was given, and they set off at full gallop. "The riders brandished their spears, the little boys flourished their cows' tails, the buffoons performed their antics, muskets were discharged, and the chief himself, mounted on the finest horse on the ground, watched the progress of the race, while tears of delight were starting from his eyes. The race was well contested, and terminated only by the horses being fatigued, and out of breath."

On the 5th June they left Kiama, and arrived at a large town called Kakafungi. The inhabitants are a good-humoured and civil race, often amusing themselves at night by dancing in the moonlight to the sound of a large drum. The road from this place was marked by many foot-prints of wild beasts; but the travellers only saw a few antelopes, which immediately took to flight. No trees defended them from the burning sun, and they could scarcely proceed from weakness. They saw the sun set behind some magnificent clouds, whilst they had yet a great way to go; and the narrow foot-path, overgrown with bushes and rank gra.s.s, was hardly discernible by the light of the moon. In the afternoon, all had been silent in the forest; but at night the jackal, the hyena, and the baboon had forsaken their retreats, and mingled their dismal howl with the chirping of innumerable insects.

They reached Boussa on the 17th June. The appearance of the Niger at this place disappointed them much. "Black rugged rocks rose abruptly from the centre of the stream, causing strong ripples and eddies on its surface." At its widest part, the Niger here did not exceed a stone-cast in breadth. They sat on the rock which overlooks the place where the intrepid Park was murdered. The Landers recovered from one of the natives a robe, of rich crimson damask, covered with gold embroidery, which the natives said had belonged to Mr. Park. The king's drummer, with whom they lodged, told them, that there was in the country a book which had also belonged to the white man. A few days afterwards, the king came to the house, followed by a man, who carried under his arm a book wrapped in a large cotton cloth. "Our hearts beat high with expectation, as the man was slowly unfolding it, for by its size we guessed it to be Mr. Park's journal; but our disappointment was great, when, on opening the book, we discovered it to be an old nautical publication of the last century." It consisted chiefly of tables of logarithms, and between the leaves were a few loose papers of very little consequence.

In a few days, a canoe was ready for their voyage up the Niger to Yaoorie. The canoe was of great length, and constructed of two blocks of wood sewn together with a thick cord, under which a quant.i.ty of straw was placed, both inside and out, to prevent the admission of water. Still it was leaky and insecure. The direction of that branch of the river which flows past Boussa is nearly east and west, and they had to descend the stream for some distance, in order to get into its main branch, where there was deeper water. The river then flowed from north to south, through a fertile country, and its channel was more than a mile in width. The branches of spreading and majestic trees almost met the water's edge; ripe grain waved upon the banks; large villages were frequently seen; and herds of spotted cattle grazed beneath the shade. Canoes, laden with sheep and goats, and propelled by women, frequently pa.s.sed them; and aquatic birds skimmed over the smooth and gla.s.sy surface.

During the following day, the river gradually widened to two miles, and though in many places shallow, was in other parts deep enough to float a frigate. By the afternoon, however, the beauty of the scene was entirely gone; the banks were composed of black and rugged rocks, and the course of the river was frequently intercepted by sand-banks and low islands. On the following morning, the channel became so much obstructed, that, at one part, they were obliged to land in order to lighten the canoe, which, after much trouble, was lifted over a ridge into deeper water. Though they often struck upon concealed rocks and sandbanks, yet the canoe, from its peculiar structure, seemed to sustain little damage. At length, however, these difficulties were surmounted, and they came to the termination of all the islands, beyond which they were a.s.sured there was no farther danger to navigators. At this point, the river "presented its n.o.blest appearance; not a single rock nor sand-bank was perceptible; its borders resumed their beauty, and a strong refreshing breeze, which had blown during the whole of the morning, now gave it the motion of a slightly agitated sea." They landed at a village about eight miles distant from Yaoorie, where they found their horses and attendants waiting for them. Here one of the Landers obtained from an Arab a gun which had belonged to Mr. Park, in exchange for his own.

The walls of Yaoorie are between thirty and forty miles in circuit; but this s.p.a.ce encloses cl.u.s.ters of huts, with pasture grounds and corn fields. The land is fertile, and produces excellent crops of rice. Yet it must be very unhealthy, for it is in many places swampy, and exposed to inundation. The sultan's residence is substantially built, and two stories in height; most of the other houses are built in a circular form. The place has rather a pleasing appearance, being adorned by many clumps of trees. The soil is cultivated by a peaceable, industrious, half servile tribe, called the c.u.mbrie, who are often subjected to much oppression.

On the 1st August, they paid a farewell visit to the sultan before proceeding on their return to Boussa. They were ushered into a large, gloomy, and uncomfortable apartment, through which naked girls and boys were constantly pa.s.sing, carrying dirty calibashes in their hands, and swallows flew about the room in all directions. The sultan sat upon a platform covered with faded damask, and smoked a pipe of huge dimensions. Next day they departed, travelling in a direct line towards the river Cubbie. They embarked in two canoes, each about twenty feet long, and constructed of a single log. After they had sailed for about four miles, the Cubbie fell into the Niger. They took a different channel from that by which they had before ascended, and reached Boussa on the 5th. They now determined to proceed to Wowow, to purchase a canoe better fitted for navigating the Niger. They arrived at Wowow on the 12th, and had a favourable interview with the old chief. They then returned to Boussa to complete their preparations, but the arrival of the vessel was delayed, under various pretexts, until past the middle of September.

Early in the morning of the 20th, however, their goods were embarked in two canoes, and they set off. Some of their Boussa friends implored a blessing upon them before they started. They had not proceeded far before they found that the smaller of the two canoes was so unsafe, that they were compelled to lighten it much. After pa.s.sing several towns of considerable size, they reached a large and beautiful island called Patashie, very fertile, and adorned with groves of lofty palm-trees. One of the Landers went to Wowow to procure better canoes, while the other remained on the island with the baggage. At length they succeeded in their object, and were again borne along the river. For some time they met with no obstacle; but at one part they came to a reef of rocks, to clear which they had to proceed through a very narrow channel, overhung with the branches of trees, and more than half filled with rushes and tall gra.s.s. Soon after pa.s.sing into the main river, they landed at the town of Lever, or Layaba, which contains a great number of inhabitants, and was then in the hands of the Fellatahs; here they remained till the 4th October. The river at this place ran deep, and was free from rocks. Its width varied from one to three miles; the country on each side was flat, and a few insignificant villages were scattered at intervals along the banks. Yet at a little distance farther on, the banks were again overshadowed by large trees, the openings of which disclosed a fertile, and apparently populous country.

Near Bajiebo, they noticed several large canoes of a peculiar build, the bottom being of a single tree, and built up with planks to a considerable height. Upon these, sheds thatched with straw, were erected, which served the people for dwellings. Beyond this place the Niger separated into large branches, and the travellers went on by the eastward one; after they had pa.s.sed an island, these again united.

After pa.s.sing a high hill of curious granite rock, they came to a double range of rocky mountains, near which was a small village, where the canoe-men were exchanged. The hills are gloomy and romantic, fringed in some parts with stunted shrubs, which overhang deep precipices; they are haunted by wild beasts and birds of prey. In the very middle of the river a rocky island, called Mount Kesa, rose to the height of nearly 300 feet, and its steep sides had an imposing appearance.

They next pa.s.sed the island of Belee; the sound of music was heard, and an ornamented canoe appeared, conveying an important personage, called by the sounding t.i.tle of "the King of the Dark Water," who conducted them to his "island-domain," which is called Zagoshi, and is situated in the midst of the Niger. It is fifteen miles long, and three broad; its mud surface, which is frequently overflowed, lies almost on a level with the water, and is so soft, that even in the floors of the huts, a slender cane could be thrust down to any depth. Yet it is well cultivated, and productive; and its manufactures are superior to those of Nyffe; the cloth especially is reckoned the best in Africa. Wooden vessels, mats, shoes, horse trappings, and rude agricultural instruments, are likewise made. The travellers saw many natives plying their various occupations in the open air. The chief of the place possesses a naval force of 600 canoes.

Opposite Zagoshi, on the eastern sh.o.r.e of the river, stands Rabba, the largest and most flourishing city of Nyffe. The surrounding territory is fertile, and produces large crops of grain; the people possess many flocks and herds. The travellers' stock of goods to be exchanged for provisions was now so nearly exhausted by the delays they had met with, and the extortions of the chiefs and natives, that they began to be in difficulties, and were compelled to part with several valuable articles, and among the rest with Mungo Park's robe.

Before they left Zagoshi, they exchanged their two canoes for one, which appeared more commodious, and better adapted for the navigation of the river. It was fifteen feet long, and four broad, perfectly strait, and flat-bottomed. They had not gone far, however, when the canoe began to leak, and they discovered that it had been patched up in many places, After they had paddled about thirty miles, they were in great danger from the hippopotami, which rose very near to them, and came "snorting, splashing, and tumbling all round the canoe." They fired a shot or two, but the noise only called up more of these unwieldy monsters to the surface. The boatmen, who had never before been exposed in a canoe to such huge and formidable beasts, trembled with fear and apprehension, and absolutely "wept aloud; their terror was not a little increased by the dreadful peals of thunder that burst over their heads, and the awful darkness that prevailed, which was only broken at intervals by vivid flashes of lightning. We were told that they frequently upset canoes in the river, when every one in them is sure to perish. They came so close to us, that we could reach them with the b.u.t.t-end of a gun." To add to their terror, as the night advanced the storm increased. The wind was so furious, that it dashed the water several times over the sides of the canoe, so that she was nearly filled. The little vessel became almost unmanageable; at length, however, they got to a bank about the centre of the stream, and fastened the boat to a th.o.r.n.y tree. The weather became calmer at midnight, after which the rain descended in torrents, accompanied with terrific thunder and lightning. They were obliged constantly to bale. Next morning they perceived several mountains, which were so elevated and distant, that their blue summits could scarcely be distinguished from the clouds. They were of the most varied shapes, and appeared to form part of a regular mountain chain. After having pa.s.sed the island of Gungo, which contains about 100 inhabitants, they were again exposed to danger on the river, which was so agitated, that the canoe was "tossed about like a cocoa-nut sh.e.l.l." The only method by which they could escape sinking, was by pulling it among the Tushes on the banks, which was effected after much labour and difficulty. No sooner did they conceive themselves safe, than a huge crocodile rose up close to the canoe, plunging near it with much violence: one blow from him would have split it to pieces. Shortly after they came to a place where the current rushed with the impetuosity of a torrent over a broad sand bank; they were carried along with irresistible velocity, and the canoe struck against the roof of a hut which was covered with water.

They now pa.s.sed the mountains which they had observed on the preceding day; they were flat table mountains, and appeared to be not far distant from the bank. One or two were entirely barren, while a few were most fertile, being covered with corn up to the very summits; they rest displayed only stunted vegetation. Several villages, surrounded by groups of tall trees, were situated at their foot. On the 19th October, they arrived at Egga, a large handsome town, behind a deep mora.s.s. It is upwards of two miles in length, and the people carry on a great trade. A large number of canoes, laden with merchandize, lie beside the town, and many of the natives reside in them. Half of the population is Mohammedan. When they left this place, they were informed that in their farther progress towards the sea, they would pa.s.s through states of an entirely different character, inhabited by fierce and lawless people, from whom both their lives and property would be exposed to peril. The friendly natives exhorted them to return, or at least if they were determined to persevere, to pa.s.s, if possible, the towns by night.

After they had left Egga, the banks of the river a.s.sumed a pleasing appearance, and were adorned with numerous villages. The Landers observed a number of canoes, built in the same manner as those of the Bonny and Calabar rivers, which confirmed them in the opinion that they were approaching the sea. The natives of one village, when they saw them, sounded their war-cry, and flew to arms; but their hostility was speedily exchanged for friendship, when the object of the travellers was explained. Their next halting-place was Kacunda, which consists of four large villages, at a considerable distance from each other. The river here changes its direction to the N.N.E., which the main branch keeps till it reaches the sea. About forty miles below Kacunda, its volume is increased by the influx of the Tshadda; at the place of the junction the river is about three or four miles in breadth, and the Landers saw numerous canoes floating upon it. They pa.s.sed a large city, but neither landed, nor held any communication with the inhabitants; they were afterwards told that it was called Cuttumcurafee, and was a place of considerable traffic.

Some days afterwards the apprehension of a storm induced them to land, and to erect an awning of mats under the shade of a palm-tree. No habitation was seen, but the place had evidently been resorted to by a great number of people. Three of the men, however, who had gone in search of firewood, suddenly came upon a village, but saw only some women, who fled in terror from the strangers, and alarmed their male relatives, who were at work in the fields. They returned to the party, who did not antic.i.p.ate any danger from this strange occurrence, till one of the negroes suddenly cried out, "War is coming! oh, war is coming!" A fierce band of men, armed with spears, cutla.s.ses, muskets, and bows and arrows, rushed towards the little encampment. Resistance was vain against such an overwhelming force, and the only resource of the travellers was to adopt pacific measures. They threw down their useless weapons, and walked forward boldly towards the chief. The natives seemed determined to attack them; the chief's "quiver was dangling at his side, his bow was bent, and an arrow which was pointed at their b.r.e.a.s.t.s, already trembled on the string. But just as he was about to pull the fatal cord, a man that was nearest him rushed forward and stayed his arm. At that instant we stood before them, and immediately held forth our hands; all of them trembled like aspen-leaves; the chief looked up full in our faces, kneeling on the ground; light seemed to flash from his dark rolling eyes, his body was convulsed all over, as though he were enduring the utmost torture, and with a timorous, yet undefinable expression of countenance, in which all the pa.s.sions of our nature were strangely blended, he drooped his head, eagerly grasped our proffered hands, and burst into tears. This was a sign of friendship; harmony followed, and war and bloodshed were thought of no more." His followers showed equal delight. They gave repeated shouts, thrust their arrows into their quivers, fired off their muskets, shook their spears, danced, laughed, sung, and cried in succession, and in short behaved like madmen. The chief sat down on the turf, with the Landers on each side of him, while his men stood around leaning on their weapons. Employing an interpreter who understood the Haussa language, the chief stated, that he had taken them for a hostile party, who meditated a midnight attack upon the village, to carry away the inhabitants as slaves, but that his heart had relented when he saw them approach in peaceful and friendly guise, and that he had thought that they were "children of heaven" who had dropped from the skies. "And now," said he "white men, all I ask is your forgiveness." "That you shall have most heartily," said the travellers, shaking hands with him cordially; and they internally returned thanks to G.o.d for this signal preservation.

Fifty miles farther on, they came to Damugoo, the chief of which place gave them a very kind reception, and sent a canoe, manned by some of his subjects to accompany and guide them to the coast. Yet he was a tyrannical despot, and told the travellers to cut off the heads of his people, if they annoyed them by crowding to see them. Here they saw manifest traces of European intercourse; the natives wore Manchester cottons, and the chief presented the travellers with a case bottle of rum, a liquor which they had not tasted since they left Kiama.

About a mile from Damugoo, they saw two streams which appeared to be branches of the Niger; one of which came from the eastward, while the other flowed from the westward. At the junction formed by this latter branch with the river, they saw a large town, called Kirree, in front of which lay a great number of canoes. They appeared to be very large, and had flags flying at the end of long bamboo canes. The travellers pa.s.sed without molestation; but in a short time came in contact with a fleet of fifty war canoes, each of which had a six-pounder lashed to the stern, and the crews were well provided with muskets. From their masts fluttered a great number of European flags of various nations, among which the British union bore a prominent place; some had also figures on them of a man's leg, chairs, tables, decanters, gla.s.ses, &c. The crews were chiefly dressed in European clothing. As the travellers came up separately, the canoes of each were attacked and plundered. Their lives were in jeopardy, and at length they were compelled to proceed to the town of Kirree. Here, however, several of the well-disposed and more respectable inhabitants espoused their cause, and that part of the stolen property which could be recovered was ordered to be restored. It was at last decided that they should be brought down the river, and placed at the disposal of Obie, the king of the Eboe country. During the attack, Richard Lander's journal was lost, but his brother John's notes were fortunately preserved. The most valuable part of their property was likewise gone, and among the rest their wearing apparel, Mr. Park's gun, all their other weapons, their compa.s.s and thermometer, and their cowries and needles, so that they were left completely dest.i.tute.

As the Landers were carried down the river, the country on the banks completely changed its appearance, being low and swampy, covered with vast entangled forests, which completely concealed the towns and villages, of whose existence the travellers were nevertheless apprised by the number of inhabitants who came to the beach to trade with the canoemen. The people subsisted chiefly on the produce of the banana, the plantain, and the yam, and on the fish which they caught in the river. The chief article of traffic was palm-oil.

As they drew near to Eboe, they sailed through a large lake on the river, which branched out into three broad streams, which take different directions towards the south-west; whence they felt a.s.sured that they were rapidly approaching the termination of the river's course in the Gulf of Guinea. The pleasure which they felt in the hope of soon solving the mysterious problem which had been hid for so many ages, was however damped by the thought of their precarious situation, and the hostile reception which they might meet with at Eboe.

They came to an extensive mora.s.s, intercepted by narrow channels in every direction. Pa.s.sing through one of these, they got into clear water, and arrived in front of Eboe town. Here they found hundreds of canoes, some of which were much larger than any they had hitherto seen, being furnished with sheds and awnings, and affording habitations to a great number of the people, who constantly reside in them. The travellers say that one of these canoes, hollowed out of a single trunk, may accommodate seventy individuals. The houses of the people of Eboe are of a superior kind, and are constructed of yellow clay plastered over, thatched with palm leaves, and surrounded by plantations. The people are a savage and dissolute race, and the bad expression of their countenances is a true index of their character.

King Obie determined to detain the Landers till he could extort a large sum for their ransom. He demanded the sum of twenty bars (each equal to one slave or a cask of palm oil). The travellers had the prospect of being detained for an indefinite period, had not King Boy of Bra.s.s-town, Obie's son-in-law, undertaken to pay the amount, and convey them to the coast, on condition of receiving a guarantee for thirty-five bars, being determined to retain the difference as profit for his trouble. King Boy then went to the mouth of the river with Richard Lander, John being left at Bra.s.s-town. The English brig Thomas, commanded by Captain Lake, was then lying at anchor in the Nun, and Richard Lander went on board, in the hope that Lake would advance the sum, which was sure to be repaid by the British Government. He, however, had no sympathy towards his distressed countrymen, and peremptorily refused to grant them any a.s.sistance, and King Boy was with difficulty prevailed upon to bring John Lander to the brig, Richard trusting that the hard-hearted captain would by that time relent. Both brothers were now on board, and were employing all the means in their power to induce Lake to consent to the arrangement; but in place of doing so, he set sail, leaving King Boy to exclaim against what he no doubt considered the treachery of the travellers. The British Government, however, afterwards caused King Boy to be paid more than the sum which he had stipulated for.

The Landers suffered much discomfort on board the vessel from the tyrannical and harsh behaviour of Lake; and they encountered a severe storm in crossing the bar of the river Nun. On the 1st of December, they landed at Fernando Po, where they experienced great friendship and hospitality from the British residents. Thence they found a pa.s.sage home in the Carnarvon, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 10th June 1831.

The great problem of African geography was now solved, and the enterprising travellers met with the praise so justly due to their sagacity, prudence, and fort.i.tude. "For several hundred miles of its lower course, the river was found to form a broad and magnificent expanse, resembling an inland sea. Yet must the Niger yield very considerably to the Missouri and Orellana, those stupendous rivers of the new world. But it appears at least as great as any of those which water the old continents. There can rank with it only the Nile, and the Yang-tse-Kiang, or Great River of China. But the upper course of neither is yet very fully established; and the Nile can compete only in length of course, not in the magnitude of its stream, or the fertility of the regions. There is one feature in which the Niger may defy compet.i.tion from any river, either of the old or new world. This is the grandeur of its Delta. Along the whole coast, from the river of Formosa or Benin to that of Old Calabar, about 300 miles in length, there open into the Atlantic its successive estuaries, which navigators have scarcely been able to number. Taking its coast as the base of the triangle or Delta, and its vertex at Kirree, about 170 miles inland, we have a s.p.a.ce of upwards of 25,000 square miles, equal to the half of England. Had this Delta, like that of the Nile, been subject only to temporary inundations, leaving behind a layer of fertilizing slime, it would have formed the most fruitful region on earth, and might have been almost the granary of a continent. But, unfortunately, the Niger rolls down its waters in such excessive abundance, as to convert the whole into a huge and dreary swamp, covered with dense forests of mangrove, and other trees of spreading and luxuriant foliage. The equatorial sun, with its fiercest rays, cannot penetrate these dark recesses; it only exhales from them pestilential vapours, which render this coast the theatre of more fatal epidemic diseases than any other, even of Western Africa. That human industry will one day level these forests, drain these swamps, and cover this soil with luxuriant harvests, we may confidently antic.i.p.ate; but many ages must probably elapse before man, in Africa, can achieve such a victory over nature."[29]

[29] Edinburgh Review, vol. 55.

CHAPTER x.x.xVI.

The Steam Voyage of the Quorra and Alburkah.

The peculiar characteristic of British enterprise is in general its practical tendency; wherever a way is opened which promises to afford a competent return for labour and even hazard, the path is pursued; and though the advantage may not be immediately held out, the experiment is nevertheless made. Notwithstanding that the remarkable voyage of which we are about to give some account, failed in effecting the desired end, enough was done to shew the possibility of establishing commercial intercourse between Britain and Interior Africa, when due care and management are employed in the choice of that season of the year when the influence of the climate is comparatively little felt.

Some Liverpool merchants being desirous of opening a trade with the countries on the banks of the Niger, by the exchange of British manufactures for native produce, fitted out two steam boats: one of which, the Quorra, was of 150 tons, and of the ordinary construction; while the other, the Alburkah, was only of 57 tons. The latter vessel was entirely iron-built, with the exception of her decks; her bottom was 1/4 of an inch in thickness, her sides from 3/18 to 1/8 of an inch. She was seventy feet in length, 13 in beam, 6-1/2 in depth, and had an engine of 16-horse power. The great inconvenience apprehended from the vessel was, that from her construction, the crew would suffer much from heat; but so far from this having been the case, the iron, being an universal conductor, kept her constantly at the same temperature with the water. To these vessels was added the Columbine, a sailing brig of 150 tons, which was intended to remain at the mouth of the river, to receive the goods brought down by the steam-boats.

Richard Lander volunteered his valuable services to this expedition,--the last in which he was destined to take part; Messrs. Laird and Oldfield, with a considerable number of Europeans also embarked. They left England about the end of July 1832, and arrived off the Nun on the 19th of October, after having touched at Sierra Leone, Cape Coast Castle, and other settlements, to lay in provisions, and secure the services of some Kroomen.[30]

[30] The Kroomen inhabit the country which extends along the coast, from Simon River to Capes Palmas and Lahoo; they voluntarily engage themselves in bands to aid the crews of vessels.

Having safely moored the brig, they proceeded to unload the merchandize on board of her, and to transfer it to the steam-vessels. They then began to sail up the Nun branch of the Niger. This part of the river is most unhealthy; it is one entire swamp, covered with mangrove, cabbage, and palm trees. "The fen-damp rose in the morning cold and clammy to the feeling, and appeared like the smoke of a damp wood fire." The bodies of the natives are covered with ulcers and cutaneous eruptions; they spend a short and miserable life in profligacy. After they had gone up about thirty miles, the banks had an appearance of greater consistency, and the beautiful, but deadly mangrove tree was no longer visible. The river was now about 300 yards broad, and from four to five fathoms deep. They met with no obstruction from the natives, till they came to Eboe, where an unfortunate quarrel took place, which seems to have arisen from a mere misunderstanding. The discharge of a gun had been agreed upon as the signal from the Alburkah for the Quorra to anchor; which being fired after dark, before the village, alarmed the natives, who opened a brisk discharge of musketry from the banks. The voyagers found it necessary to put a stop to this attack, by the discharge of their great guns, and in about twenty minutes the musketry from the sh.o.r.e was silenced. At day-break they made farther reprisals, and in order to terrify the natives, landed and set fire to the village--an act of barbarity which appears to have been entirely gratuitous and uncalled for. After they had pa.s.sed the scene of this unfortunate rencontre, the river increased in breadth to one thousand yards; the banks were higher, and the woods were more frequently diversified with plantations of bananas, plantains and yams. Soon after they anch.o.r.ed off Eggaboo, to take in a supply of wood; it was the first town which they had observed built at a short distance from the river, and not upon its margin. It contained about two hundred houses, each of which was surrounded with a bamboo fence about nine feet high. They gratified King Obie by a visit, who gave them various presents, and also visited the steamers in state, escorted by upwards of sixty canoes, seven of which were of great size, and were each manned by crews of seventy men. Palm oil is produced in large quant.i.ties at Eboe; but the people are chiefly occupied in slave-hunting. As may be expected, their disposition is cruel and revengeful,--they live in the daily practice of the most flagrant vice and immorality.

On the night of the 9th November, they departed from Eboe, and were guided through the intricate and dangerous navigation by the light of a brilliant moon. After two days they anch.o.r.ed about 15 miles from the town. The river was here at least 3000 yards broad; and afterwards when it had thrown off its two great branches, the Benin and the Bonny, was about 1500 yards wide, divided by sandy islands overgrown with gra.s.s. One of the vessels grounded, but after half-an-hour's hard labour was got off. In the course of the same evening they were surrounded by canoes, which brought goats, yams, plantains, and bananas for sale.

The effect of the climate and of their stay near the swamps now became fatally manifest. In the Quorra, fourteen men died, and three in the Alburkah. The disproportion of mortality in the two vessels, at this period, is ascribed to the superior coolness of the Alburkah, which was rendered more healthy in consequence of her iron hull diffusing through her interior the coolness of the surrounding water.

They next anch.o.r.ed off Attah, a picturesque town, situated on the top of a hill which rises nearly 300 feet above the river. The view from the town is said to be grand and extensive. Here Mr. Laird saw an alligator captured by two natives, in an ingenious and daring manner. "He was discovered basking on a bank in the river, a short distance ahead of the vessels. Two natives in a canoe immediately paddled to the opposite side of the bank, and having landed, crept cautiously towards him. As soon as they were near the animal, one of the natives stood up from his crouching position, holding a spear about six feet long, which with one blow he struck through the animal's tail into the sand. A most strenuous contest immediately ensued; the man with the spear holding it in the sand as firmly as his strength allowed him, and clinging to it as it became necessary to shift his position with the agility of a monkey; while his companion occasionally ran in as opportunity offered, and with much dexterity gave the animal a thrust with his long knife, retreating at the same moment from, without the reach of its capacious jaws, as it whirled round upon the extraordinary pivot which his companion had so successfully placed in its tail. The battle lasted about half an hour, terminating in the slaughter of the alligator, and the triumph of his conquerors, who were not long in cutting him into pieces and loading their canoes with his flesh, which they immediately carried to the sh.o.r.e and retailed to their countrymen. The success of the plan depended entirely on the nerve and dexterity of the man who pinned the animal's tail to the ground; and his contortions and struggles to keep his position were highly entertaining."

They were now within the district of the Kong Mountains, which are of a tabular form, and rise on both sides to between 2000 or 2500 feet. The change of prospect was most grateful to those who had spent two months in a flat, marshy, and uninteresting country. These mountains lie in the direction of W.N.W. and E.S.E., where they are intersected by the Niger. Their outlines are extremely bold, and they appear to be chiefly composed of granite. The navigation of the channel between them is full of danger, as large fragments of granite have fallen into the stream, and produced eddies and shoals. At a little distance beyond this point, a n.o.ble prospect opened before the Voyagers. "An immense river, about three thousand yards wide, extending as far as the eye could reach, lay before us, flowing majestically between its banks, which rose gradually to a considerable height, and were studded with clumps of trees and brushwood, giving them the appearance of a gentleman's park; while the smoke rising from different towns on its banks, and the number of canoes floating on its bosom, gave it an aspect of security and peace." Here the vessel ran aground with a violent shock, and they experienced the greatest difficulty in relieving her.

A great misfortune happened to the expedition a little above Attah. The Quorra again ran aground, near the confluence of the Tshadda with the Niger, and all their efforts to extricate her proved vain; she was stopped for four months, after which the rising of the water lifted her up.

Mr. Laird, accompanied by Dr. Briggs, visited Addakudda, which was the largest town in sight from the vessel on the western bank of the river; it is situated on an eminence of granite, which gives it the appearance of a fortified place. It contains about 5000 inhabitants, but like most African towns, is dirty and ill-constructed. Here they saw the method used by the natives for dying cloth with indigo, which is extremely rude and inartificial; and the effect seems to be produced solely by the superior quality of the indigo, and the quant.i.ty employed. Little ivory is exposed for sale in the market, cloth, and provisions forming the chief articles of traffic.

As any farther progress was for a time entirely prevented, Mr. Laird resolved to travel towards Fundah, in order to ascertain whether any opening for commerce could be found there. After journeying about forty miles, by land and water, he arrived in a state of great debility, and experienced a most inhospitable reception from the king, who pilfered from him as much as he could, and detained him in his own residence for some time, threatening to put him to death if he attempted to escape. He was only allowed to depart in consequence of several devices, which operated powerfully upon the superst.i.tious fears of the king and his subjects.

The town of Fundah, which is very extensive, is situated on the western extremity of an immense plain, about nine miles distant from the northern bank of the river Shary. To the eastward the country is rich and beautiful. The town is built in the form of a crescent, and is surrounded by a ditch, and a wall about twelve feet high. A considerable s.p.a.ce intervenes between the houses and the walls. The streets are narrow and dirty, with the exception of one a mile in length, and about two hundred feet wide; where the market is held every Friday. "The houses are all circular with conical huts built of clay, with the exception of the chief Mallam's, which has a gable end to it. The verandahs in the front give them a cool and pleasant appearance." The king's residence would appear to be the citadel, as it is surrounded by a wall pierced with many loopholes. Mr. Laird estimates the population at 15,000, who are chiefly employed in extensive dye-works, and in the manufacture of iron and copper utensils.

Soon after this, Mr. Laird having resolved to abandon the expedition, returned to Fernando Po in the Quorra. Dr. Briggs, the medical officer attached to the expedition, had died in February; and only three or four of the original crew of the vessel survived.

We shall now follow Mr. Oldfield's narrative. As Mr. Laird was on his return to Fernando Po, he pa.s.sed the Alburkah, with Messrs. Lander and Oldfield on board, on their way to Boussa. They entered the Tshadda on the 2d August, and sailed 104 miles up the stream, till the want of provisions compelled them to return to the Niger. They remained for some time at Kacunda, Egga, and Rabba, but their efforts to open a trade with the natives were by no means successful. At Rabba, they were compelled to return, in consequence of the steamer's engine having sustained some damage. They returned to the sea-coast, but had scarcely arrived when Lander departed to Cape Coast Castle to procure a supply of cowries. Mr. Oldfield proceeded with the Alburkah to meet him. The voyage was slow, for the machinery had got out of order; great mortality prevailed on board the vessel; the Kroometi began to disobey orders; and there were rumours abroad, that the natives, knowing their weakness and diminished numbers, intended to attack and plunder the vessel. On the 28th of March, Mr. Oldfield received a letter from Richard Lander, which stated that his boat had been attacked, three of the crew killed, and himself wounded; that the other three men who were with him had been seriously hurt; that they had been plundered of every thing, and had with difficulty escaped. This fatal accident happened when he was opposite to the towns called Hyamma and Ikibree. The natives tempted by the value of the goods which he carried with him in several canoes, opened a fire of musketry upon him. Lander and his men defended themselves as long as they could, but they were at length compelled to flee. Their pursuers continued to fire; and as Lander stooped to take up some ammunition, he received a musket shot, and the ball lodged in the upper part of his thigh. The wound at first seemed slight, and he was enabled to reach Fernando Po; but all efforts to extract the ball were useless, and mortification of the muscles having ensued, he expired on the thirteenth day after the attack.

The Alburkah proceeded up the river no farther than Attah, where Mr. Oldfield procured a considerable quant.i.ty of ivory. The greater part of the crew had been cut off by fever and dysentery, four only being fit for duty. As soon, therefore, as Mr. Oldfield heard of Mr. Lander's death, he resolved to return to the coast, which he reached in July 1834.

We have now completed the sketch of those discoveries in Central Africa, which have taken place since the time of Park, and have endeavoured to make it as interesting as our restricted limits permitted. The scenery through which we have pa.s.sed has been varied and sometimes beautiful; but the beauty has been wild and uncultivated, and has been more than counterbalanced by the oft-times stern aspect of nature, darkened by the frowns of an ungenial and unhealthy sky, in too faithful keeping with the actions of savage men, cruel and revengeful, sunk in vice and immorality. The narrative has been one of suffering and untimely death; one adventurer after another has gone forth, while scarcely one has returned from his toilsome and perilous wanderings; and the melancholy list has been closed by the fate of him who had the proud honour of tracing the termination of the mysterious river. Though each has displayed high and peculiar qualities of mind, not one has surpa.s.sed him whose energy and force of character in a great measure paved the way for succeeding travellers. Yet none will have fallen in vain, inasmuch as each has done something to point out the way whereby the blessings of civilization may be conveyed to the natives of Africa. The time may yet be distant, but it will a.s.suredly come, when commerce and enlightenment shall be conveyed by the great channel of the Niger; when slavery shall be finally and for ever destroyed; and when, above all, the same blessed influence shall pervade Central, which had already done so much good in Southern Africa; when the voice of the missionary, which has been already blessed in raising up from the ground the degraded Hotentot, shall be heard in the huts that border the great river; when the natives shall cast away their idols, and with them, those vices which degrade and sully their character.

THE END.