They were now, with the exception of a few bracelets and other trifling articles, possessed of nothing with which to make presents or pay tribute to the chiefs. It was, therefore, important that they should hasten down the stream, touching at as few places as possible.
They passed a village on an island completely submerged, and were nearly upset by striking against the roof of one of the cottages, towards which a whirlpool had driven them. A number of canoes were engaged in carrying off the inhabitants.
At the island of Fofo they heard that the frontiers of Funda were three days' journey down the Niger, and that the city itself was upwards of three days' journey inland from the water-side, and that thus it would be impossible for them to visit it.
After they had left Zagozhi, in between three and four days they reached Egga, a large town situated behind a morass, several creeks leading out of it. A vast number of large canoes lay off the place, laden with all kinds of merchandise. The chief, a venerable man with a long, white beard, examined them from head to foot and, remarking that they were strange-looking people well worth seeing, awarded them a commodious hut.
It was a town of prodigious extent and had an immense population. The river varied in width from two to five and six miles.
They here observed Benin and Portuguese clothes worn by the inhabitants, who, being very enterprising, were engaged in trading up and down the river.
On the 22nd they once more embarked, their crew greatly alarmed with the prospect of meeting enemies ahead, who would, they said, very likely put them to death.
Had they, however, remained at Egga, they would probably have been made slaves. They heard, indeed, dreadful reports of the character of the people occupying both sides of the Niger between Kakunda and Bocqua.
They, however, loaded their arms and prepared to defend themselves.
One of their men, Antonio, son of a chief on the Bonny river, who had joined them from HM brig "Clinker," was especially alarmed--not on his own account, as he said that his life was of no consequence, but that he feared that his two white friends, whom he loved so dearly, might be killed. They, accordingly, pulled on during the night, passing a large town, from which issued a loud noise, as of a multitude quarrelling.
Once they fancied they saw a light following them, but it turned out to be a will-o'-the-wisp.
On the 25th of October suddenly the river changed to the south-west, running between immensely high hills, and in the evening they passed the mouth of a considerable rivet entering the Niger from the eastward.
After pulling up some little way, they found the current so strong against them that they were compelled to return. This they concluded to be the Tsadda, known, however, as the Binue.
While their men were on shore collecting firewood they came suddenly on a village, and, the people being aroused, the travellers, seated under a palm-tree, were quickly surrounded; but the chief, appearing, was persuaded that they only desired peace. Old Pasco was the only one who had stood by them during the interval, the rest having taken to their heels on the appearance of danger.
On landing at another place, a number of women hastened out of an adjacent village with muskets; but, seeing the travellers sitting down quietly without making any hostile display, they soon became friendly.
They were detained three days at Damuggoo, a very dirty town, where, however, the people were generally dressed in Manchester cottons; that is to say, they wore pieces of them round their waists, extending to the knee.
Continuing their voyage down the river, they observed the large market town of Kirree. Near it were a number of canoes of considerable size, with flags flying on long bamboos. Shortly afterwards a fleet of fifty canoes appeared ahead, with flags of all nations, among which the Union Jack was most conspicuous. All the people were dressed in European clothes, with the exception of trousers, which the chiefs alone are allowed to wear.
Lander, overjoyed by the sight, supposing that they must be friends, approached without fear, when a huge man of most forbidding countenance beckoned him to come on board his canoe. The next instant the sound of drums was heard, and several men levelled their muskets at the traveller. In addition to the muskets, each canoe had a long four or six-pounder in its bow, besides which the crews were armed with swords and boarding-pikes. In an instant their luggage was transferred to the canoes of their opponents, while some of them seized Pasco's wife, and were dragging her out of the canoe. On this Lander, calling to his men to assist him, determined to sell his life as dearly as he could; and, having dragged back Pasco's wife, they fought so determinedly that they were able to effect their escape. None of the other canoes had interfered, and, seeing that which had plundered them making its way to the market, Lander pulled after her as fast as he could go, in the hopes of recovering their property. On their way they encountered another canoe, in which a person, apparently of consequence, hailed them with the words: "Hilloa, white man! You French; you English?"
"English," answered Lander. "Come here in my canoe," was the reply.
Lander accordingly got into his canoe, while the chief put three men into Lander's that they might assist in pulling to the market. He at once treated Lander with great kindness and promised him every assistance in his power.
Soon after this, what was Richard Lander's dismay to see the canoe of which his brother John had command followed by the villains who had attacked him, capsized, and sunk, while their luggage went to the bottom--his brother and crew being left struggling in the water.
Richard was on the point of leaping in to help him, when he saw him dragged into another canoe, the other men swimming on shore. It was some time before he was able to reach him, when, with their new friend, they repaired to the market. Here they found a number of Damuggoo people and others who sided with them, and a Mahommedan from Funda urged them to keep up their spirits, and that all would be made right. Search was then commenced for their property. One of their journals and a box of books, with the medicine chest and a few articles of clothing were found, and after a palaver were restored; but the whole of Richard Lander's journal with the exception of one note-book, Mr Park's gun and thirty-six of their cutlasses and pistols, some elephant tusks, ostrich feathers, leopard-skins, and a variety of seeds had all been lost, as well as their remaining cowries, buttons, and needles, which were so important to enable them to purchase food.
The people who had attacked them were from Eboe, and had come this distance on a plundering expedition, intending to trade when unable to carry off property without fighting. The leading man who had attacked them was put into irons and doomed to die by the people of Kirree; and it was decided that if the king of Eboe, whose subject he was, should refuse to put him to death, no more of his canoes should be allowed to come to the country to trade.
Escorted by six war-canoes from Damuggoo, the travellers left Kirree and continued their voyage down the river, passing through a large lake-like expanse of the Niger, till on the evening of the 8th they reached the town of Eboe.
The houses were neatly built of yellow clay, plastered over and thatched with palm leaves. Yards were attached to each, in which plantations of bananas and cocoa-nut trees grew.
Here they were addressed in English by several brawny fellows with stentorian voices, who shook hands, asking them "how they did"--one calling himself Gun, though Blunderbuss or Thunder would have been as appropriate a name, then stating that his brother was King Boy and that his father was King Forday, who with King Jacket governed all the Brass country. He also informed them that a Spanish schooner and an English brig, the "Thomas," of Liverpool, were lying in the first Brass river.
After resting for some time they were conducted to the palace of the dreaded Obie, king of the Eboe country. Instead of the savage monster they expected to see, a door opened, when a sprightly young man, with a mild countenance and an eye which indicated quickness and intelligence, appeared before them and cordially shook hands. His dress was so covered with a profusion of coral ornaments that he might appropriately have been styled the "Coral King." On his head he wore a sugar-loaf hat, thickly adorned with strings of coloured beads and pieces of broken looking-glass, while several strings of beads were tightly fastened round his neck. He had on a short Spanish surtout of red cloth, ornamented with gold epaulettes, and a pair of trousers of the same material, while both his legs and wrists were covered with strings of beads, and to each leg, above the naked ankles and feet, was suspended a string of little brass bells, which jingled as he walked.
An account of what had happened at Kirree was narrated to him, and he declared his intention of settling the matter. Notwithstanding his protestations, however, the fair-spoken king detained the travellers, and would have kept them and their followers in slavery had not King Boy, the eldest son of the King of Brass Town, volunteered to pay their ransom on receiving a written promise that it should be repaid to him by the master of the "Thomas," then lying in the Brass River, or by any other merchantman captain who might be found there. King Boy wished to send the document down to the brig at once; but fortunately Lander told him that he was sure the captain would not pay it till he had been received on board. On this the King of Eboe allowed them to embark in King Boy's canoe. It was a large craft, paddled by forty men and boys, in addition to whom there were, besides the king and his wife and their own party, several slaves, so that the number on board amounted to fully sixty people. There were also cannon lashed to the bows, and a number of cutlasses and chests of spirits, silk, and cotton goods.
Thus laden, the Brass canoe took her way down the river, her unfortunate English passengers dreadfully cramped for room--John Lander one night, while suffering from fever, having the feet of the royal couple in his face.
On the 15th of November they landed at the excessively dirty town of King Forday, situated in the middle of a marsh. Here they took up their quarters at Boy's house.
Soon after their arrival they were cheered by recognising the features of a European in the midst of a crowd of savages. He proved to be the master of a Spanish schooner lying in the Brass River for slaves. He was affable and courteous, and told them that six of his crew were ill of fever and that the rest were suffering.
Their residence, which its owner called an English house, was built close to the water, of yellow clay, but with several windows, all furnished with shutters.
Having paid his respects to King Forday, Richard Lander, leaving his brother and his men at the town, set off, in King Boy's canoe, to go sixty miles down the river to the brig.
His feelings of delight may be imagined when he had ocular evidence that he had at length succeeded in tracing the mysterious Niger down to the ocean, by seeing before him two vessels, one the Spanish slaver, the other the English brig on board which he fully expected to receive the assistance he so greatly required.
To his utter surprise and consternation, on going on board, Captain Lake, though almost himself at death's door from fever, flatly refused to give him a single thing. By his language and behaviour he showed himself to be a greater savage than the ignorant blacks among whom Lander had been travelling. Lander in vain expostulated with the captain; fearful oaths and flat refusals were the only answers he made.
At last, when Lander suggested that he had five men, who might be useful in working his vessel out of the river, he softened a little, and gave him a change of linen and some provisions for his brother.
King Boy was ultimately induced to go back to bring John Lander and the rest of the men, on Richard's reiterated promise that he would at some time or other obtain the goods they had promised him. He presented him also with some silver bracelets, which they had before overlooked, and a native sword. These articles Boy accepted, but when John Lander offered him his watch it was refused with disdain, the savage not knowing its value.
The captain of the brig had in the meantime loaded his guns and got his arms ready, and when Boy came up to him once more, to demand the bars which had been promised, he replied, in a voice of thunder: "I no will!"
As the pilot, to whom the captain had also refused to pay his demand, could not be trusted to take the brig out, she narrowly escaped shipwreck on the bar, but happily at length getting clear of the river, she steered a course for Fernando Po, where the travellers landed.
Hence they sailed for Rio de Janeiro, which they reached on the 16th of March, and from that port obtained a passage on board the "William Harris" to England, which they reached safely on the 10th of June.
Thus, with very humble means, by the energy and courage of two unpretending men, was the long-disputed problem of the course of the Niger at length completely solved.
Besides the payment which the Government had promised to Richard Lander, he received a premium of fifty guineas, placed at the disposal of the Royal Geographical Society by the king, and his brother John obtained employment under Government suitable to his abilities.
CHAPTER TEN.
TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES OF DR. BARTH IN NORTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA, 1849.
LEAVES TRIPOLI WITH MR. RICHARDSON AND DR. OVERWEG--SUPPRESSION OF SLAVE TRADE THE CHIEF OBJECT OF THE EXPEDITION--NUMEROUS RUINS SEEN--CROSS THE HAMMADA DESERT--REST AT AN OASIS--REACH MOURZOUK--DR. BARTH'S ADVENTURE--NEARLY PERISHES IN THE DESERT--DIFFICULTIES OF JOURNEY-- FOLLOWED BY TAWAREK FREEBOOTERS--PREPARATIONS FOR AN ATTACK--STRANGE DANCERS--TRIBUTE DEMANDED--CAMP AT NIGHT--EXPECTING AN ATTACK--CONSTANT FIRING KEPT UP--CAMELS STOLEN--PURSUED--DANGEROUS SITUATION--TRAVELLERS EXPECT DEATH--SAVED BY FRIENDLY CHIEF--DR. BARTH VISITS AGADES--A SALT-CARAVAN--THE CARAVAN REACHES TAGELEL.
The British Government had, in 1849, appointed Mr Richardson, an experienced traveller in Africa, to the command of an expedition which was to start from Tripoli, on the north coast, and thence endeavour to penetrate to the central part of the continent. By the recommendation of the Chevalier Bunsen Dr Barth, who had spent three years travelling through Barbary and the desert tracts to the westward bordering the shores of the Mediterranean, was allowed, accompanied by another German, Dr Overweg, to join the expedition.
A light boat, which was divided into two portions and could be carried on the backs of camels, was provided, and a sailor to navigate her either on Lake Chad or down the Niger.
Dr Barth and his countryman at once pushed on for Tripoli, in the neighbourhood of which they made long excursions while waiting for the arrival of Mr Richardson, who had remained in Paris for despatches.
One of the principal objects of the expedition was the abolition of the slave trade, which it was known was carried on to a fearful extent in those regions. The principal employment of the Moorish tribes on the borders of the territories inhabited by blacks is still, as it was in the days of Mungo Park and Clapperton, slave-hunting. Villages are attacked for the purpose, when the prisoners captured are carried northward across the desert and sold in Morocco and the other Barbary states.
Another object was the opening up a lawful commercial intercourse with the people who might be visited, and the exploration of the country for scientific purposes, as well as to discover the course of the great river which the Landers had seen flowing into the Niger in their adventurous voyage down that stream.
On the arrival of Mr Richardson the travellers at length set out from Tripoli, on the 24th of March, 1850. They rode on camels, a considerable number of which were also required to carry their baggage.
The boat had unfortunately been divided only into two pieces instead of four, thus causing much trouble.
We may picture them setting forth with their long line of camels and numerous attendants, servants, camel-drivers, and guides, and accompanied by Mr Crowe, the consul, Mr Reade, the vice-consul, and other friends who came forth to see them start; or with their tents pitched on a moonlight night, amidst a few date and olive trees, in a green meadow--a little oasis surrounded by sand.