The Express.
London, England, 1858-01-16 00:00:00

THE NIGER EXPEDITION.

By the arrival of the West African mail, kg
week information has been received from the Niger
Expedition, with accounts of the loss of the steamer
Day E.3pring on a ledge of rocks in the river Bowen,
Providentially, no lives were lost; and the pert,
have encamped near Jeba, 12 miles above RaTrbeg.
awaiting the arrival of the Sunbeam from Fernando
Po. The Rev. Semi. Crowther, a native African,
from whom this information is derived, gives a ladi.
crone description of the manner in which the
native chiefs in the vicinity of the disaster came to
the rescue. He writes, Oct. 30, 1867:—" It will
amuse you to hear that the Fnlari kings, Sumo 2W
and Dasaba, Pest messengers to all the mutes Of
the ferry to call all the villagers up and down the
river to cut sticks and push the ship Sam
the rock into deep water u soon as possible,
Wednesday morning these ferry-masters were here
to inspect the position of the ship, and to devise by
what 1114:41111 she could be set afloat; but, poor
fellows, they were overpowered by the huge use of
the wreck and the bubble of the current eddies under
her. However, we took the good intention of the
kings for the deed, and sent them home with a pro.
mime that when we needed their assistance we would
let them know."

The native engineers of Western Africa do net
appear to have advanced much further in mechani•
al serene than Mr. Brunel. One advantage has
resulted from the disaster. A gentleman of the en.
pedition, Mr. May, has come down across the coun-
try from the encampment to Albeokuta and Lagos,
in order to forward the mail, and to endeavour to
hasten up the Sunbeam, thus opening an overland
communication between the Niger and the west
coat.

Mr. Crowther thus describes the encampment:—
" After the excitement and the exertions of erect.
ing our camp, many of our number suffered a little
from fever, agues, and headaches; there was one
ease of diarrheas before the ship struck, which has
since been checked, and all hands are now nearly
perfectly well again, and begin to feel themselves at
home in our new village of 60 persons, consisting of
12 Europeans and 88 black men. We have opened
• wovision market, which is attended daily by the
Roan, to which stack, yarns, cow-butter, beer made
of Guinea oorn, &a, are brought for sale. Our
camp consists of two large tents made of mats and
canvas, my own of mats in which morning and
evening prayers are kept daily, the Bremen shed, and
another shed for the servants, another for pantry and
store, and a stall for the sheep and goats. This will give
you a tolerable idea of our state, of which we cannot
much complain." The rev. gentleman concludes his
letter with the following observation :—" Africa is
known as a country inimical to European constitu-
tions. It will be a great thing for us to know that
the Niger, or the countries about the river, are not
worse than other places in this respect" (health).

PROMOTION or THE PEr'Z'
LUOINOw.

(PlO/1 UST NIGHT'S °AVMS.)
GENERAL ORDER

Horse Guards, S.W., Jan. 18.
The Queen has been graciormly pleased to com-
mand that Colonel John Eardley Wilmot Inglis, of
the 32nd Regiment, be promoted to the rank of
major-general, for his enduring fortitude and per-
severing gallantry in the defence of the Residency
of Lucknow, for 87 days, against an overwhelming
forte of the enemy.
By order of his Royal Highness the General
Commanding-in-Chief.
G. A. Waruzmul., Adjutant-General.

MADRAS FUSILIERS.