The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-24 00:00:00

AFRICAN TRAVELLERS.

The Nalla7tmes has received information from Benghazi
(coast of Barbary) which seems to th row some light on the
fate of two African explorers. From these statements there
seems little doubt that Lieut. Beurman, who went in search
of Dr. Vogel's papers, has been plundered and probably
murdered. The white captive said to be still alive atWadai,
cannot, however, be Dr. Overweg, as it is known for certain
that he was beheaded by the Sultan of Bonrnou, but he may
perhaps be Dr. Vogel. It appears that on the 24th Sept.,
a man presented himself at the British Vice-Consulate,
at Benghazi, who pretended to have arrived from the in-
terior of Africa, and had important information to com-
municate. He voluntarily admitted that he had been exiled,
about twelve years ago, from Constantinople for stabbing
the Neapolitan Consul's son, and had been sent in chains

to Tripoli, and thence into the interior as tar as Wadai,
where he was left. He professed to be a Sicilian named
Salemi, but had changed his name to Sleiman. He had
been to Baghirmi, Tibesti, and other places in the
interior, and declared that ho had a letter from Lieute-
nant Beurman for Mr. Tulin, the British Vice-Consul at
Benghazi, which he entrusted to a companion who • would
arrive on the morrow. He said that he had married a na-
tive woman, and left her and his child at Djalo, whence
he intended to fetch them. He further stated that Lieu-
tenant Beurman had been robbed of all his money and valu-
ables by his negro servant, and the lieutenant had offered
him (Salemi) 400 dols, to conduct him to Wadai, which ho
had declined doing, as Wadai was at war with Bournou, and
both would have been murdered. He thought Lieut. Beur-
man was now at Wadai, if he had not been murdered by
the way. The most interesting part of this man's story re-
lates to a white Christian captive whom he saw two years
ago at Baghirmi, and who was called Abd-el-Kerim (tho
name Dr. Barth went by in Africa). He supposed him to
be one of Dr. Barth's party, which consisted of an English-
man (Richardson), a German doctor (Dr. Barth), another
German (Dr. Overweg), and an English servant. Tho
first, he said, died of sickness, the second returned to
Europe, the third was taken prisoner and carried to
Baghirmi, and the fourth was murdered. The Chris-

tian had spoken to him in French, but he durst
not hold any communication for fear of the natives. Ho
felt sure this person was Dr. Overweg (Dr. Vogel ?). Ou
the following day (Sept. 25) Salemi's companion arrived at
Benghazi, and they went together to the British Vice-Con-
sul. The man said he had lost the letter by the way.
Sa'emi offered to go to Baghirmi and bring back the Chris-
tian captive, provided £lO were given him for an outfit, and
£lOO on his return with the captive. He begged the Vice-
Consul not to divulge the fact that ho was a Christian, and
pleading poverty solicited pecuniary aid. It afterwards
transpired that this Salami had been showing a large num-
ber of Napoleon's which he kept in a sash; on hearing
this, the British Vice-Consul sent for his companion, who
made the following revelation : "I am an inhabitant of
Zella, but met Sleiman and Lieut. Beurman at Murzuk.
They lived in the same house. Lieut. Beurman started
with Sleiman for Wadai by way of Bournou. Lieut. Bear-
moany. N
nehadsoevoetrhalerlapregresobn went withoxesandm him.uc
hgolsdierman had
engaged to
m ngaged to conduct him to Wadai.
Sleiman i s a poor roan
at Murzuk, and gets a living by selling lezbi (an intoxicat-
ing beverage made from the date). When he went away
he had only a small sum of money and a common negro
shirt. In a week he came back, saying he had conducted
Lieut. Beurman to the frontier of Bourriou, but would go
no further. He purchased a new set of clothes and some
baracans, burnouses, and other things. Sleiman then en-
gaged me for 10 dollars to conduct him to Benghazi, he
not knowinigs own,the as ryooands. stated
(ttelhdekn by
British
htiitishn ha,t Sleiman has now a
sash full of gold Napoleons and Austrian dols. He has no
vnoireca.cwonifseutiondthcahtilhde.
camelHtolde o of
he
to tell
had given me a letter which he had received from Lieut.
Beurman, and to say that I had lost it on the way to Beng-
hazi. To some people he is an Italian, to others a Mussul-
man, and sometimes be calls himself a Greek. He is much
given to drinking. It is my belief that he took Lieut.
Beurman into the interior, then plundered and perhaps
murdered him." Measures were immediately taken fur
Salemi's arrest, but he escaped front the caamakan's
cavasses and took refuge in a Catholic convent, where the
monks keep him till claimed by the Italian Consul. But
it appears that the French Consul, who acts for Spain also,
has claimed him as a Spanish subject. Ultimately he made
his escape from Benghazi, and no more has been heard of
him. There can be no doubt that Salami had conversed
with Lieut. Beurman, as he repeated many things that tra-
veller had said when at Benghazi, and his knowledge of
Central Africa cannot be the result of study, as he is quite
uneducated.

A murder was committed at Vervien, in Bel-
gium, three nights back. A woodcarder named Hardy, aged
28, who lived with his wife and two children at the
Ruelle-du-Marechal, was sometimes forced to work during
the night. Last week he was compelled to be absent for
some days ; and on his return he learned from some of his
comrades that his wife had been unfaithful to him, having
been seen in company with a working painter,named Plette,
whom she had admitted at night. On returning home that
evening and not finding his wife, ho told his children to in-
form their mother when she came in that be should be again
absent that night ; at midnight hardy returned and found his
room door locked contrary to habit. He knocked violently,
when, after keeping himwaiting a short time, the wife
admitted him. Hardy immediately discovered a stranger
under the bed, and having drawn him from his place of
concealment was, according to his own statement, about to
administer to him a severe correction when the stranger,
who was Piette, having attempted to return the blows'
Hardy seized the lid of an iron stove and struck him a blow
on the forehead, crashing in the frontal bone and inflicting
injuries from which the latter died in a few minutes.
Hardy and his wife have both been arrested,