The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-08 00:00:00

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THE RIVER NIGER.

(From a Correspondent of the Observer.)
From the length of time that I remained at
Old Calabar and Bonny, in the Bight of
Biafra, I was decidedly of opinion that the exit
of the Niger must be in that situation. This
conclusion was not come to hastily, but from
accurate examination of many natives from the
interior, to whom I could trust for the clearness
of their description, which was this, " that long
way up country large water." Those individuals
came in canoes to Old Calabar and Bonny,
which plainly indicated that the communication
was by water, and the time occupied in coming
to the coast was upwards of " one moon."
The natives also mentioned that " large water
make small water,"—that is to say, the large
river subdivided itself into many inferior rivers,
one of which they had come down. Those
opinions I had the pleasure of communicating to
Captain Clapperton previous to his last and ill-
fated journey ; and he perfectly coincided with
me, that from all he knew of Africa, there was
no place so likely for the debouche of the
Niger as the Bights of Biafra or Benin. It may
not be uninteresting to your readers to know
something regarding the debortchure of the
Niger, as now ascertained by the intrepid
Landers. Between Cape Formosa and the
River Cameroons there are eight rivers. Cape
Formosa is in lat. 4. 15. N. and long. 5.10. E.
Cameroons River in lat. 3. 15. N. and long
9. 0. E. The names of the principal_ rivers are
Rio Formosa, Bonny River, New Calabar River,
Old Calabar River,'Rio del Rev, Bimbia River,
am./ Cameroons River. The Old Calabar and
Cameroons River are the largest, up both of
which I have been to the distance of one
hundred and fifty miles. It seems to me a very
singular circumstance that the Landers came to
the Atlantic by the Nun River, as it is a very
inferior stream, and it is to be supposed that
they would always keep the course of the
largest. However, this will in due time be
explained. It is all alluvial soil from Cape
Formosa to Cameroons; indeed, I might
say, that from the River Lagos, in the Bight
of Benin, to Cameroons, in the Bight of Biafra,
the country has the same appearance, except
about the Rio del Rey and Cameroons, where
very high land exists. Opposite the River Ca-
labar stands, at the distance of eighteen miles,
the island of Fernando Po, the most insalubrious
spot on the face of this habitable globe, not even
excepting the certain death-bed of Europeans—
Sierra Leone. The Kings on this part of the
coast are generally intelligent men, particularly
the King of Old Calabar and the King of Bonny,
and possessed of immense wealth. Both of
them can read and write with the greatest ease ;
and it was from the King of Old Calabar (with
whom I resided 15 or 16 months,) that I re-
ceived information enough to impress on my
mind that the Bight of Biafra was the outlet to
some immense interior river or lake. The Lan-
ders must have had sad difficulties to contend
with, as it is well known that even' the natives
of the coast, trading up those rivers, have fre-
quently been massacred. The Brasse nation,
through which they passed, are considered, by
all the natives on the coast of the Bight of
Biafra, as the most ferocious and sanguinary
race of men with whom they have to deal ; and
considering the characters of the Biafrans them-
selves, I am not aware under what name to class
the Brasse nation.

New York Papers to the 10th ult. reached
Might'
They contain accounts from Vera Cain to
d from the capital of Mexico of the sth of
the l tii,, i
7laAril.
sit
They represent the country as beitr; in a compa-
raptively tranquil state. The treaty with the United States,
a.long. time under consideration, has re-
by the Mexican Government.
• mentioned in these accounts, that the Governor of
It is
Cuba has been authorised by the King of SPAIN to open a
negociation for a rciiewal of the intercourse of trade be-
ewelii%i.codh ibt'sufibneaelnratitication
theN obrneae
twren Coln and Mexico. A Bill has passed the L-gi-
sia.nre of the state of New York, for the abolition of iin-
kw i Cabinetng u p o hasf
the
b be e
olden organisedone,
the
only appointment made being that of Mr. LIVINGSTONE.
ail:. I rt:Pi Ln
gt
tfoOrt;
stbele.
as Secretary of State.

THE RIOTS AT MER MYR TYDVIL.—We
regret to state that the melancholy result of the rencontre
between the miners and the military on Friday has only
had the effect of rendering the former more determined in
their resolve not to return to work unless the demands
which they have made be complied with. A large body
of the military from all the adjacent quarters had reached
the scene of riot, at the date of the latest letters (yesterday
afternoon) received this morning, There bad been no
further attempt on the part of the miners to re-commence
rioting, but it is to be regretted that they show no desire
to return to work. Mr. Alderman THOMPSON had
arrived on the spot, and was immediately on his arrival
engaged in tracing out the cause of the disturbance. An
inquest was to he held either on Monday or yesterday 011
the bodies of the people killed in the rencontre. It is to
be feared that more lives than we at first stated have
been lost in this melancholy affair ; upwards of 50 have
been severely, and many of them dangerously wounded.
A fatal accident occurred to a man employed
at Goderich Court, Monmouthshire, the seat of Dr. MET-
RICK, who, in a letter, explains, that in order to celebrate
his MAJEszv's birth-day he had some cider distributed to
his men, and that time deceased, who had come from Bristo
to put down some east-iron pipes to heat an apartment it,
his house, cut one of them, and loaded each part with gun-
powder for the purpose of discharging them. His friends
remonstrated with him, but he was determined in his pur-
pose, and on the Ktt-lo's health being given he discharge!!
them, when unfortunately they burst, and shattered hi
head and limbs to pieces. He has left a wife and ten chal-
d re n.—Mon/71011thshire