basin of the Tchad, were points on which his informants varied greatly.

Returning by a different route, the lieutenant visited Zirmie, the capital of Zamfra, a kind of outlawed city, the inhabitants of which are esteemed the greatest rogues in Houssa, and where all runaway slaves find protection. He passed also through Kashna or Cassina, the metropolis of a kingdom which, till the rise of the Fellata power, ruled over all Africa from Bornou to the Niger. In its present subject and fallen state, the inhabited part does not cover a tenth of the wide circuit enclosed by its walls; yet a considerable trade is still carried on with the Tuaricks, or with caravans crossing the Desert by the route of Ghadamis and Tuat. Here our traveller met with much kindness from Hadgi Ahmet, a powerful Arab chief, who even took him into his seraglio, and desired him, out of fifty black damsels, to make his choice, -a complaisance, nothing resembling which had ever before been shown by a Mussulman. But our countryman, being indisposed, only picked out an ancient maiden

to serve as a nurse.

Clapperton rejoined Major Denham at Kouka, whence they set out, and recrossed the Desert in the latter part of 1824. Having reached Tripoli next January, they soon after embarked for Leghorn; but, being detained by contrary winds and quarantine regulations, did not reach London till June.

CHAPTER XIII.

Clapperton's Second Journey-Laing-Caillié.

Objects of this Journey-Departure from Badagry-Death of Pearce and of Morrison-Kingdom of Yarriba― Eyeo— Kiama-Wawa-Boussa-Particulars respecting ParkNyffe-Koolfu-Zaria-Kano-Siege of Coonia — Violent Conduct of Sultan Bello-Sickness and Death of Clapperton at Sackatoo-His Servant Lander returns, partly by a new Route-Laing's Expedition-He reaches Timbuctoo-Assassinated-Caillié undertakes a Journey-Reaches JenneTimbuctoo-Aroan-The Desert-Arrival at Tangier.

Ir is clear that, in spite of some occasional symptoms of jealousy, and even of alarm, the Sultan of the Fellatas manifested a considerable inclination to cultivate intercourse with the English. He was even understood to say, that messengers should wait at Rakah and Fundah, or at some port on the coast, to conduct a new mission to Sackatoo. These promises, it is probable, were mere inferences drawn from the empty boasts of his highness ; he being master neither of Rakah nor Fundah, nor of any place within a great distance of the Gulf of Benin. Be this as it may, there seemed good ground to expect a welcome for the British envoys when they should reach his capital; and in that direction, it was conjectured, were to be found the termination of the Niger, and also the most direct channel of trade with regions already ascertained to be the finest in Africa.

These were views to which the statesmen who conducted the naval department at home were never insensible. Clapperton, now promoted to the rank of captain, was equipped afresh, and sent to the Gulf of

Benin; Captain Pearce, an excellent draftsman, and Mr Morrison, being named as his associates, the latter a surgeon of some experience, whose skill, it was hoped, might be of great avail in preserving the health of the whole expedition.

The mission, in the end of 1825, reached its destination; but, as might perhaps have been anticipated, they could hear nothing of Rakah or of Fundah, of any messengers sent by Bello, nor of any town subject to him on this coast. They were not, however, discouraged; and having consulted Mr Houtson, whom a long residence had made thoroughly acquainted with the country, they were advised not to attempt ascending the banks of the river,—a circuitous track, and covered with pestilential swamps, but to take the route from Badagry as the most direct and commodious, and by which, in fact, almost all the caravans from Houssa come down to the shores of the Atlantic.

On the seventh of December the party set out from Badagry. But at the very first they were guilty of a fatal imprudence; for during the two succeeding nights they slept in the open air, and on the last occasion in the public market-place of Dagmoo, without even their beds, which had been sent away by mistake. The consequence was, that in a day or two Morrison and Pearce were attacked with a dangerous fever, and Clapperton with fits of ague. Instead, too, of stopping in one of the towns, and endeavouring by rest to recruit their exhausted strength, we find them pushing on till the 22d, when the chief of the expedition, seeing the illness of his two companions increase, urged them either to remain behind or return to Badagry. They insisted on proceeding; but next day Mr Morrison, who could struggle no longer, departed for the coast, and he died before reaching it. Captain Pearce persevered, till, sinking on the road, he breathed his last at nine in the evening of the 27th. The survivor was thus left to pursue his way in very painful and desolate circumstances. He had only a faithful servant, Richard Lander, who stood by him in all his

fortunes, with Pascoe an African, not the most trusty of his race, whom he had hired at Badagry.

After a journey of sixty miles, the travellers entered the kingdom of Yarriba, called also from its capital Eyeo. This country had long been considered on the coast as the most populous, powerful, and flourishing of all Western Africa, holding even Dahomey in vassalage. It answered the most favourable descriptions of it; the fields were extensively cleared, and covered with thriving plantations of Indian corn, millet, yams, and cotton. A loom nearly similar to that used in England was busily plied; while the women were spinning, or dyeing the cloths with their fine indigo. These African dames also went from town to town bearing large burdens on their heads,—an employment shared by the numerous wives of the King of Eyeo; their majesties being in no respect distinguished from the humblest of their country women. Amid these occupations, they exercised their powers of speech with such incessant perseverance as to confirm the captain in what appears to have been with him an old maxim, that no power on earth, not even African despotism, can silence a woman's tongue; yet, as this loquacity seems to have been always exerted in kindness, he need not, we think, have groaned quite so heavily under its influence.

The Englishmen were agreeably surprised by the reception which they experienced during this journey. In Houssa they had laboured under the most dire proscription as Caffres, enemies of the prophet, and foredoomed to hell; and, as black is there the standard of beauty, their colour was considered by the ladies a deep leprous deformity, detracting from every quality that might otherwise have been agreeable in their persons. With the negro and pagan Eyeos there was no religious enmity; and having understood, by reports from the coast, the vast superiority of Europeans in arts and wealth, this people viewed them almost as beings of a higher order. A rumour had also spread that they came to do good, and to make peace wherever there was war.

On entering the towns they were immediately encircled by thousands, desirous to see white men, and testifying respect, the males by taking off their caps, the women by bending on their knees and one elbow. In some places singing and dancing were kept up through the whole night in celebration of their arrival.

The mission had now to cross a range of hills about eighty miles broad, said to reach the whole way from behind Ashantee to Benin. The highest pinnacle, indeed, was not supposed to exceed 2500 feet, which is a good deal lower than Skiddaw; but its passes were extremely narrow and rugged, hemmed in by gigantic blocks of granite 600 or 700 feet in height, sometimes fearfully overhanging the road. The valley varied in breadth from 100 yards to half a mile; but every level spot along the foot of these mountains, or amid their cliffs, was covered with fine crops of yams, millet, and cotton. A large population thus filled those Alpine recesses, all animated with the most friendly spirit. Parties met the travellers on the road, or were stationed on the rocks above, which echoed with choral songs and sounds of welcome. After ascending hill after hill they came to Chaki, a large and populous town, on the very summit of the ridge. Here the caboceer had a house and a large stock of provisions ready for them: he put many questions, and earnestly pressed them to stay two or three days.

Having descended to the plain, and passed through a number of other towns, the party came to Tshow, where a caboceer arrived from the King of Yarriba, with a numerous train of attendants on foot and horseback. This chief having shaken hands with them, immediately rubbed his whole body, that the blessing of their touch might be spread all over him. His people kept up through the night a constant tumult,-singing, drumming, dancing, and firing; and, claiming free quarters, they devoured such a quantity of provisions, that the travellers fared worse than in any other place. Next morning they set out with a crowded escort of bowmen on foot, and of horsemen ill mounted but active, dressed