The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-26 00:00:00

DEATH AND FUNERAL Or CAPTAIN

CLAPPERTON.

(From the Journal of a Second Expedition.)
" On the 12th of March, 1827 (Lander says),
I was greatly alarmed on finding my dear master
attacked with dysentery. He had been com-
plaining a day or two previously of a burning
heat in his stomach, unaccompanied, however,
by any other kind of pain. From the moment
he was taken ill he perspired freely, and big
drops of sweat were continually rolling over every
part of his body, which weakened him exceed-
ingly. It being the fast of Rhamadan I could
get no one, not even our own servants, to render
me the least assistance. I washed the clothes,
which was an arduous employment, and obliged
to be done eight or nine times each day; lit and
kept in the fire, and prepared the victuals my-
self; and the intermediate time was occupied in
fanning my poor master, which was also a tedious
employment. Finding myself unable to pay
proper attention to his wants in these various
avocations I sent to Mallam Mtley, on the
13th, entreating him to send me a female
slave to perform the operation of fanning. On
her arrival I gave her a few beads, and she
immediately began her work with spirit ; . but she
soon relaxed in her exertions, and, becoming tired,
ran away on pretence of going out for a minute,
and never returned. Alla &Rabe, a young man
my master had purchased on the road from
K.ano to take care of the camels and whom he
had invariably treated with his usual kindness,
and given him his freedom, no sooner was made
acquainted with his master's illness than he be-
came careless and idle, and, instead of leading.

the camels to the rich pasturage in the vicinity of
Soccatoo, let them stray wherever they pleased,
whilst he himself either loitered about the city
or mixed with the most degraded people in it :
by this means the camels became quite lean ;
and being informed of the reason, I told my,
master, who instantly discharged him from his
service. My master grew weaker daily, and the
weather was insufferably hot, the thermometer
being, in the coolest place, 107 at twelve in the
morning, and 109 at three in the afternoon.—
At his own suggestion I made a couch for him
outside the hut, in the shade, and placed a mat
for myself by its side. For five successive days
I took him in my arms from his bed in the hut
to the couch outside, and back again at sunset,
after which time he was too much debilitated to
be lifted from the bed on which he lay. He at-
tempted to wiite once, and but once, during his
illness ; but, before paper and ink could be
brought in, he had sunk back on his pillow,
completely
.exhausted by his ineffectual attempt
to sit up in his bed."
Lander fancied, from the symptoms, that he
had been poisoned ; but Captain C. assured him
his illness proceeded from a cold caught in
shooting, when he incautiously slept on the wet
ground. " For twenty days," he continues,
" my poor master remained in a low and dis-
tressed state. He told me he felt no pain ; but
this was spoken only to comfort me, for he saw
I was dispirited. His sufferings must have been
acute. During this time he was gradually, but
perceptibly, declining ; his body, from being ro-
bust and vigorous, became weak and emaciated,
and, indeed, was little better than a skeleton. I
was the only person, with one exception, he saw
in his sickness. Abderachman, an Arab, from
Fezzan, came to him one day, and wished to
pray with him after the manner of his country-
men, but was desired to leave the apartment in-
stantly. His sleep was uniformly short and dis-
turbed, and troubled with frightful dreams.- In
them he frequently reproached the Arabs aloud
with much bitterness ; but, being an utter stran-
ger to the language, I did not understand the
tenour of his remarks. I read to him daily
some portions of the New Testament and the
ninety-fifth psalm, which he was never weary
of listening to ; and on Sundays added the
church service, to which he invariably paid the
profoundest attention. The constant agitation
of mind and exertions of body I had myself un-
dergone for so long a time, never having in a
single instance slept out of my clothes, weakeeed
me exceedingly, and a fever came on not
long after my master's death, which hung
upon me for fifteen days, and ultimately
brought me to the very verge of the grave."
* * The taking of some native medica-
ments, which produced no good effects, and a
singularly pathetic conversation, in which he
gave his last directions and advice to his affec-
tionate comrade, are related in a simple and
touching manner; and Lander proceeds :
" This conversation occupied nearly two hours,
in the course of which my master fainted several
times, and was distressed beyond measure. The
same evening he fell into a slumber, from which
he awoke in much perturbation, and said he had
heard with much distinctness the tolling of an
English funeral bell. I entreated him to be
composed, and observed that sick people fre-
quently fancy they hear and see things which
can possibly have no existence. He made no
reply." * * * After this the patient rallied
a little ; but the sad story goes on z—" On the
13th, however, being awake, I was much alarmed
by a peculiar rattling noise proceeding from my
master's throat, and his breathing was loud and
difficult ; at the same instant he called out
Richard in a low and hurried tone. I was
immediately at his side, and was astonished at
seeing him sitting upright in his bed, and staring
wildly around. I helot him in my arms, and,
placing his "head gently on my left shoulder,
gazed a moment on his pale and altered
features ; some indistinct expressions quiveeed
on his lips ;—he strove, but ineffectually,
to give them utterance, and expired with-
out a struggle or a sigh. When I
found my poor master so very ill I called 9.0
with all my_ strength, s 0 God, illy master is
dying which brought Pascoe wia Niutley into
the apartment. Shortly alter the breath had
left. his body, I desired Pascoe to fetch, some
water, with bitich I washed the corpse, 1 then
got Pascoe and Mudey to assjst me taking it
outside of the hut, laid it on 4 clean mat, and
wrapped it in a sheet nisi blanket. Leaving it
in this state teen hours, I put a large clean mat
over the whole, and sent a messenger to Sultan
Jeello, to acquaint ..him of the mournful event,
and' ask his permission to bury the body after
the manner v,t‘ my own country, and ,also to
know in what particular place his remains were
to be interred. The messenger soon returned
with the Sultan's 'consent to the former part of
my. request ; anti febeeat 12, o'clock at noon of the
same day person came into my hut accompanied
by lour slaves, sent by Bello to dig the grave. I was
desired to follow them with the corpse. • Accord-
ingly I saddled my wine], and putting the body
on its back;, and throwing union-jack over it,
I bade them proceed. Travelling at a slow pace,
we halted at Jung avie, a small village, built on
a rising ground, about fi,ve miles to the south-
east of Soccatoo, The body was then taken
from the camel's back and placed ite asked, whilst