The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-26 00:00:00

EXPEDITION TO CENTRAL AFRICA.

Letters from Dr. Overweg to Professor Carl Ritter
[ emststa the follow's, portiesdars of the proceedings of the

expedition:
A'tn having safely named the Desert between Ghat and
Alt (Attest) its progress was suddesly arrested by the &flecks
et considerable sambas of lesions TsarLake, sod the lives of
the °Aeolic,s were saved Daly by showing a determination
to defend themselves and by the parnimt of a large ransom.
Is • rawer letter,.da.ed Toradthit, August 24, Dr.•°ear-
wig had written three days we shall, with God's
help, be at Seluett, the ant plaits of the kingdom of Air.
Alarming rumours of pureeing Hagen, probably 'woo.
rated, neve sadly disturbed our caravan' end for the last
few days we have considered ourselves in a rata of arse.
The Haloes, who form oar escort, and the Testasm.
Tonic's, who have our effects and interehendin under their
charge, are, however. I. excellent 'virtu. Hitherto we ben
seen nothing of the Hagan, and we shall very soon be is tr •
end of the Heloes, end altogether beyond their reach."
Toe feats thus entenained were, nevertheless, but too well

founded.
At Ghat the travellers remained a week, which time tau
by no means one of rut or recreation, as they were eon•
tinoally hammed by the greedy demands of the chiefs and
by the 'wistarias of the inhabitants; so much so, indeed,
that they had but few opp ,ftilltitite of raptorial( the town
awl iliffrevading country, except when their medical
=Maw happened to be requires. Even old Hetita proved
• faltidese triend of the English " Oa the 25th July the
I expedition left Ohat ; and on the 27th they joined a Keloe
caravan, under whose protection they were to proceed ea
far es Tin Tellus, In Air, the ft eidsnce of the Keloe prince.
During the first fortnight their progresa was very rapid,
as they travelled from ten be twelve boon ver diem ;
a rate of fling under an African sun, which,
coupled with their hiving to make their various
scientific obeervatioes on the rcad, was alaret too
much for the llen, who bad seemly time to
recruit their strength with the necessary rest and sleep. The
camels, too, began to show symptom. of exhaustion, so that
the letter portion of the journey had to be performed at a
lux nil", rate.
In a subsequent letter, dated Sell:diet, Aug. 28, Dr.
Overseen thus describes the termination of the i urney
sous the Sabers At length we have the great desert
behind us, and have arrived .AI the frontiers of Sudan !
We are in a new world, surrounded with new plants of
lexurigot verdure, of white we have been 90 long deprived ;
we see new animals, and our tents are pitched vitenn the
encampments of the people of Air. Bet though the tedions
journey arrow the Desert is accomplished, our thoughts are
net yet sufficiently collected, and the state of our minds is
as. yet sufficiently quiet, to allow us to look back calmly
era all that we have had to undergo. The 'vests and
dangers of the last few days are still too vividly before us—
ing even now we have not yet reached a place of safety.
Daring the last ten days, our march has been one of constant
warlare—ace we have bad to paw the dangerous frontiers
between the Asger and Hagar•Tuaricks and the Keloes
(another tribe of Tunas). Day end night we were followed
sad surrounded by numbers of Hague, on their Mantis,
with the intent to murder and plunder us. On the 25th of
August, we were attacked by about forty armed men,
mounted on camels—sod last night our Guava" had to with-
stand 100 of the enemy. In both instances the result was
the same. They first demanded nothing lees than the
lives of ell the Christians in the caravan ; they then required
that the Christians should either become Musulmano
on the spot, or else should return to Ohat; and even-
tually we had to pay a high ransom, consisting of all
our best merchandise. That we did not low all our
effect., iastrumeats, and even our lives, we owe to the
conduct and exertions of the Keloes and the bravery of the
Teuelkunt-Tuarics, who had our effects under their charge.
These latter had among them in all fourteen gone (muskets),
which rendered them an imposing force easiest the enemy.
Here, at Saufiet—a place consisting of huts built of grass—
there is a sort of government, under some religious Mar
stamens (Marabouts), with a Sherif of Mekka at their head ;
and at this plea we are infer than in the Wedis, where every
Hagar considers himself a sheikh. In three days we hop
to be at Tin-Teltus, the residence of En-hour, Sultan of
the Keine., where we trust we shall be in greater safety."
The Sudan route from Ohat to Air is described by Dr.
Overweg as a mountain path, leading over ridges, table
lands, and deep cut rocky valleys. Vilt the Wadis
bosoms broader, and, through the agencies of rain, are
covered with disintegrated rocks and 'and, they show a
scanty vegetation of grate and trees. The geognosticalcha-
racier of the country is here of much greater in,
wrest. From Mursuk to Ghat, and five days to the
south beyond Ohat, the prevailing formation consists of
sandstone of various colours—with, throughout, the
same petrographical aspect of the rock., the same slopes of
the mountains and intersections of the valleys, and the same
horizontal strata. At Aggeri, the entire wens suddenly
changes. The mountains &renew rounded—and strata form-
ing projecting terrines are no longer wen. The travellers
found themselves all at once in the regions of granite; the
whole country between Aggeri and Air cusisting of crysta-
lise (so culled), primitive rooks —with mica slate and:enor-
MOM maws of granite in great diversity of mountain forms.
From Ohet, the general surface of the country continues to
ries, and et Salufiet the traveller' saw around them the
highest mountain manes met with on their journey. Attu
the middle of August they experienced the influence of the
Sudan rains—the atmosphere thee beginning to be humid,
and the eveniege or mornings being accompanied by fogs.
Fre punt thunderstorms and heavy rains also occurred.
Under the influence of these rains the aspect of the Wadies
became complott ly changed—luxuriant plantations of palms
being everywhere met with to the south of Taradahit. As-
cording to the natives the rainy season lute till the end of
Sept, other.
The information received respecting the present political
wadition of Sudan and Borne prognosticates well for the
success of the expedition. Peace reigns everywhere. A
powerful government is maintained in Sudan by the Fella.
tabs and their Sultan at !helium—and in Borne by Arab
Tribes and their Sheikh, Amur el Hanemy, at Kooks—
whereby the caravan roads in those countries are rendered
quite safe.
0.,e of the wealthiest of the Arab merchants, who has
travellt d a great deal, informed Dr. Overweg that the
Sheikh et LTIIII is on friendly terms with Wads', and that
earavens continually go from Bornu to Egypt by the way of
Waal and Dirtier.
• postscript of the 29. h of August says :—" The inhabi-
tants have shown themselves hostile, and taken all our
wangle; but the Marabouts, having found in their book
(the Koran?) something in our favour, have afforded us
their protection, and promised to see us safe t 3 Tin Whir
teencrrow."
From information received from the English Consul at
Munk, it appears that the Expedition has reached Tin
Tells' in safer.

TARING A GENTLEMAN'S LOGOAOII TO IRELAND. -
At the Chaster County Court, on the 20th inst., Mr.
Bower, barrister. 'tiger, of Birkenhead, brought an action
against the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company
for compensation in damages for inconvenience and dawn-
tint at Holyhead, is consequence of the negligence of
the servants of the defendants. It appeared that the plain-
tiff, Mr. Bawer, was an extensive cotton-spinner at Man-
chester, and that he brought the present action not for the
sake of damages, but on public grounds. Mr. Bower, with
'friend named Griffith, his wife, and a party of ladies, were
one tour in North Weiss in August last. On the 13. h of
August they bathed themselves at Bangor by the express
train for Holyhead, and before starting saw that thew
luggage was properly placed for transit. When they
arrived at Holyhead, the plaintiff and Mr. Griffith
got out of the carnage to look after their luggage,
intending to proceed with it at once to the hotel
at Holyhead. A portion of the luggage was then on the
platform. end the remainder on the luggage van. Mr. Bow. r
sad Mr. Griffith advanced to the van, to get the remainder
of their luggage, when Mr. Mamie/sherd, the station master
at Holy head, told the:tato stand out of the way, or " he would
hurt them," or "they would be hurt," as all the luggage
must go down to the pier. Mr. Bower remonstrated,
bat ineffectually : and the luggage wee taken to the pier.
The plaintiff and Mr. Griffith followed it, and when they
got to the pier the luggage had been stowed in the
packet amidst a greet deal of other luggage. Mr.
Bower got on board the packet and endeavoured to god
his own • bat while doing so the landing stare wee pulled
away, and the pocket was set in motion, and Mr. Bower,
finding himself on his way to Ireland, got on the paddle-box,
and with some difficulty managed to jump on to the pier,
and save himself the journey. Mr. Griffith sad the plain-
tiff then went to the station, where they sow Mr. Mender
herd, with whom they remonstrated on the impropriety of
his conduct. He told them, after some rudeness, that if they
would describe the large's, he would send for it, and they
should have it the next day. At six o'clock the next eve,.-
Jag the luggage was returned. Mr. Bower sad the patties
had bees much incionvenieneed. Mr. Bower bad no change
of linen, Mr. Geiffith had to he in bed while his shirt war
washed, and the ladies of the party had neither eombs,
brushes, or anything else, in consequence of their lug-
gage Worths been tam away. Had the luggage not been
taken away, it was probable that the party might have
returned home the same night, as Holyhead was soon
found to be a vary inconvenient place, end instead of the
sight of a fine open sea (as was expected) there was no.hing
but • mud bank. For this detention, and the inconvenience
consequent thereon, the plaintiff laid his damages at 201.
For the defence, it was sworn by the witnesses that the ex-
press train on the 13th of August was from 40 to 80 minutes
late ; that there were about 60 pentagon, all of whom
except plaintiff and his party were going to Inland, and
many baying luggage then we. nommeny mach contu-
sion ; that when the plaintiff athed for his luggage out of
the Tea le wee so covered up that it would be impossible
to remove it then without great delay and inconvenience,
bat that Mr. Bower had been told by Mr. Mmeingtard
that he should be roamed to the pier by en omnibus fra or
charge, Lad himself and his luggage brought bath. (This
Mr. Bower denied) That when Mr. B weer returned be
was very abusive' end threatened Mr. Masabigberd that
an action should be brought, when the oethe of his eight
witnesses would put oat of court his unsupported testimony ;
that Mr. Measingberd behaved most civilly, and that the
greatest diligence had been used In obtaining the restoration
of the lost luggage. A porter wig called, who deposed that
ha had received Inetrustioas to give up a portmanteau at the
pier to a gentlemen who was to apply for it, hut that no
such application was made, or it would hays been given up.
His Honour, in summing up, said it was clear there had
been negligenth oa the part of the servants of the company ;
for they had no right ro take the leggege to the steamer,
wises it wee may going to the station. The verdict matt in
log the eteintlF, bat the dantessie the jury meat New then-
ordeen—Verdist ar the pleint4 deny. 201,