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scene of this merchandise is an immense plain of white moving sand, the desolate monotony of which is not broken by a single herb or shrub; and here the French take their station to await the arrival of the Moors. On the appointed morning they hear at a distance the confused noise of their hordes in motion. Towards noon this extensive solitary waste appears covered with men, women, and animals, innumerable, enveloped in clouds of dust. The chiefs ride beautiful horses; while the females of rank are seated on camels, elegantly caparisoned, in baskets covered with an awning. An incessant murmur pervades this barbarous assemblage, till, the whole having arrived, the camp is pitched, and a cannon fired as a signal for beginning the fair. The French relate, that every species of artifice and even threats are employed by these rude traffickers to enhance the price of their commodity; yet they themselves, it would appear, have little right to complain, inasmuch as they confess that they have, insensibly, and without attracting the notice of their barbarous customers, raised the kantar, by which the gum is measured, from five hundred to two thousand pounds weight.

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CHAPTER VII.

Early Proceedings of the African Association.

Ledyard-Lucas-Information respecting the Interior-Houghton-His Death.

THE preceding narrative of French and English discoveries, proves the imperfect success with which the earlier attempts to penetrate into the interior of Africa, though made by the most powerful nations of Europe, were attended. While the remotest extremities of land and sea in other quarters of the globe had been reached by British enterprise, this vast region remained an unseemly blank in the map of the earth. Such a circumstance was felt as discreditable to a great maritime and commercial nation, as well as to the sciences upon which the extension of geographical knowledge depends. To remove this reproach, a body of spirited individuals formed themselves into what was termed the African Association; who, after subscribing the necessary funds, sought out individuals duly qualified to undertake such distant and adventurous missions. Lord Rawdon, afterwards Marquis of Hastings, Sir Joseph Banks, the Bishop of Llandaff, Mr Beaufoy, and Mr Stuart, were nominated managers. It seemed scarcely probable that the mere offer to defray travelling expenses, which was all the society's finances could afford, would induce persons with the requisite qualifications to engage in journeys so long and beset with so many perils; yet such is the native enterprise of Britons, that men eminently fitted for the task presented themselves, even in greater numbers than could be received.

The first adventurer was Mr Ledyard, who, born a traveller, had spent his life in passing from one extremity of the earth to another. He had sailed round the world with Captain Cook, had lived several years among the American Indians, and had made a journey with the most scanty means from Stockholm round the Gulf of Bothnia, and thence to the remotest parts of Asiatic Russia. On his return he presented himself to Sir Joseph, to whom he owed many obligations, just as that eminent person was looking out for an African traveller. He immediately pronounced Ledyard to be in all respects suited, and recommended him to Mr Beaufoy, who was struck with his fine countenance, frank conversation, and an eye expressive of determined enterprise. He himself declared this scheme to be quite in unison with his wishes; and on being asked how soon he could set out, replied, "to-morrow." Affairs, however, were not yet quite matured; but he was soon after provided with a passage to Alexandria, with the view of first proceeding southward from Cairo to Sennaar, and thence traversing the entire breadth of the African continent. He arrived at the Egyptian capital on the 19th August 1788, and while preparing for his journey into the interior, transmitted some original, though rather fanciful, observations upon the country. He represents the Delta as an unbounded plain of excellent land miserably cultivated; the villages as most wretched assemblages of poor mud huts, full of dust, fleas, flies, and all the curses of Moses; and the people much below the rank of any savages he ever saw, wearing only a blue shirt and drawers, and tattooed as much as the South Sea Islanders. He bids his correspondents, if they wish to see Egyptian women, look at any group of gipsies behind a hedge in Essex. The Mohammedans he describes as a trading, enterprising, superstitious, warlike set of vagabonds, who, wherever they are bent upon going, will go; but he complains that the condition of a Frank is rendered most humiliating and distressing by the furious bigotry of the Turks. To him it seemed inconceivable that such enmity should

exist among men, and that beings of the same species should think and act in a manner so opposite. By conversing with the Jelabs or slave-merchants, he learned a good deal respecting the caravan-routes and countries of the interior. Every thing seemed ready for his departure, and he announced that his next communication would be from Sennaar; but, on the contrary, the first tidings received were those of his death. Disappointment, occasioned by delay in the departure of the caravan, working upon his impatient spirit, brought on a bilious complaint, to which he applied violent remedies, and thus reduced himself to a state from which the care of Rossetti, the Venetian consul, and the skill of the best physicians of Cairo, were found insufficient to deliver him.

The society had, at the time they engaged Ledyard, entered into terms with Mr Lucas, a gentleman, who, being captured in his youth by a Sallee rover, had been three years a slave at the court of Morocco, and after his deliverance acted as vice-consul in that empire. Having spent sixteen years there, he had acquired an intimate knowledge of Africa and its languages. He was sent, by way of Tripoli, with instructions to accompany the caravan, which takes the most direct route into the interior; and being provided with letters from the Tripolitan ambassador, he obtained not only the bey's permission, but even promises of assistance for this expedition. At the same time he made an arrangement with two shereefs, or descendants of the prophet, whose persons are held sacred, to join a caravan, with which they intended to travel. He proceeded with them to Mesurata; but the Arabs there, being in a state of rebellion, refused to furnish camels and guides; which, indeed, could scarcely be expected, as the bey had declined to grant them a safe conduct through his territories. Mr Lucas was therefore obliged to return to Tripoli, without being able to penetrate farther into the continent. He learned, however, from Imhammed, one of the shereefs, who had been an extensive traveller, a variety of particulars respecting the interior regions. The society had at the same time

made very particular inquiries of Ben Ali, a caravantrader of Morocco, who happened to be in London. From these two sources Mr Beaufoy was enabled to draw up a view of Central Africa, very imperfect indeed, yet superior to any that had ever before appeared.

According to the information thus obtained, Bornou and Kashna were the most powerful states in that part of the continent, and formed even empires holding sway over a number of tributary kingdoms,—a statement at that time quite correct, though affairs have since greatly changed. The Kashna caravan often crossed the Niger, and went onwards to great kingdoms beyond the Gold Coast, Gongah or Kong, Asiente or Ashantee, Yarba or Yarriba, through which last Clapperton recently travelled. Several extensive routes across the Desert were also delineated; but in regard to the Niger, the report of Imhammed revived the error which represented that river as flowing westward towards the Atlantic. The reason on which this opinion was founded will be evident, when we observe, that it was in Kashna that Ben Ali considered himself to have crossed that stream. Niger, then, was the Quarrama or river of Zirmie, which flows westward through Kashna and Sackatoo, and is only a tributary to the Quorra or Great River, to which we give the name. He describes the current as very broad and rapid, probably from having seen it during the rainy season, when all the tropical rivers of any magnitude assume an imposing appearance.

His

As Mr Lucas made no farther effort to penetrate into Africa, the next expedition was performed by a new agent, and from a different quarter. Major Houghton, who had resided for some time as consul at Morocco, and afterwards in a military capacity at Goree, undertook to reach the Niger by the route of the Gambia; not, however, like Jobson and Stibbs, by ascending its stream in boats, but by travelling singly on land. He seems to have been endowed with a gay, active, and sanguine spirit, fitted to carry him through the boldest undertakings, but without that cool and calculating temper necessary to

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