Star.
London, England, 1824-05-03 00:00:00

BrLZONL

The latest accounts from Africa announce o.le death
of Mr. Belzoni. This Gentleman whose muscular
strength and vigour were equal to his resolution, after
penetrating the Pyramids and unveiling those monu-
ments of antiquity in Egypt. which for twenty centu-
ries had been buried, has fallen a victim to African dis-
covery—the sad fate of almost every person who at-
tempts to penetrate into the interior of that c< entry.
'lle following letter om a yours Cien:leman of Li-
verpool, to NIT.
.1. Hoditson-, communicates the parti-
cuiars of the death o this entor wising traveller :
•

" Brig Ca.tor, British Accarah, J.in. 7, 1813.
" I wrote you sorre time since, almost at a venture,
mer.tinni;•g the arrival in Benin River of Mr. G. Bei zoni,
the celebrated travel:er, ‘vho was attempting to reach
Houssa and Tinnbuctoo, by wav of Benin. I am stnty to
inform you that, like all ethei s ho have made tins tr ial,
he has perished. lie died at Gain, the ;id ul Decem-
ber,

" He Lad been a consider-thle time a very welcome
guest on board this b!ig, waiting for the time a Mr. J.
Houtson could accompany him to Benin, whose in-
tereA with tl:e King of that place he considered would
be sers iceable to him. On the night of the 21.111 of
November he lef: us, with Mr. Houtson, for Gam. On
parting with us, he seemed a little agitated, particularly
when the crew, to each of whom he made a present,
gave him three loud cheers on leaving the ves,el.
Gob bless you, my tine fellows, and send you a happy
sight of )cur country and friends; was his answer. On
the 3d of December I received a letter CI om Mr. Hout-
son, requesting me to come to Benin, as Mr. Belzoni
was lying dangerously ill, and, in case of eltnith,wi,hing
a second person to be present. I was prevented going,
not only by business, but a severe fever, which had
then hold of me. On the s;h, I had a secrasd letter
from Mr. H. with the particulars of Mr. B.'s end, and
one from himself, almost illegible, dated December 2,
requesting me to assist in the disposal of his effects, and
to remit the proceeds home to his agents, Messrs.
Briggs Brothers and Co. America-square, London, to.
gether with a beautiful amethyst ring he wore, which
Ire seemed particularly anxious should be delivered to
his wife, with the assurance that he died_ in the fullest
affection for her, as he found himself too weak to write
his last wishes and adieus. Ile was interied at Gato,
next day, with all the respect possible; and I furnished
a large board, with the following inscription, and which
was placed over his grave:

Here lie the remains of
G. BELZONI,
Whn was attacked with dysentery at llenin
(On his way to Houssa and Tinibuctou),
Or' the 26th of November, af.cl died at this place,
December 5, 1825.

. - - -
The Gentlemen who placed this inscription over the grave of this
intrepid and enterprising traveller, hope that every Eutopean visit-
ing the spot, will cause the ground to be cleared, and the fence
'amid the grave repaired, if necessary.'
g' At the time of Mr. Belzoni's death, Mr. Houtson
had everything arranged with the King of Benin for
his departure, and had his health continued, thea•:
doubt he would have succeeded. Air. Belzoni pass,:d
at Benin as an inhabitant, or lather native of the inte-
rior, who had come to England when a youth, ;!-ad was
snow trying to return to his country. The kirig and
Emegrands (or Nobles) gave credit to this, Mr. Belzoiii
being in A Moorish dress, with his beard nearly a foot
in length. There was, however, some little jealousy
amongst them, which was removed by a present or two,
well applied ; and the King of Benin's messenger was
to accompany Mr. Belzoni with the King's cane, and
as many men as were considered necessary for a guard,
and baggage carriers. The King's name is respected as
far as Houssa, and he has a messen,,er, or ambassa.!or,
stationary there. On Mr. Belzoni': al rival at Houssa,
•he was to leave his guard there, and proceed to Tim-
buctoo, the King not guaranteeing his safety farther
than Houssa, attd Tintbuctoo not being known at
Benin. Oa his return to Houssa, he would make the
necessary preparations for going dowp the Niger, and
dispatch his messenger and guard back with letters to
his agents, and to Mr. John Houtson. The messenger
to be rewarded according to the account the letters
gave of his behaviour.
" The distance from Benin to Houssa is not so great. The King
gave the following account of the route :—From Benin to Jaboo,
six days' journey ; Jaboo to Eyoo, three ; Eyre to Tappa, nine;
Tappa to Nyffoo, four; and Nyiro to Houssa, three. lam sort y
I cannot find the memorandum I made of this, hut I think I am
correct. Between Nytfoo and Houssa, Big Water' is to be
crossed, considerably above Tangara, at which place it is tremen-
dously rapid and wide; farther down the natives of Benin know
nothing of it, except that it Inns to the southward. I wish it was
a settled point. Mr. B. began to waver in his opinion of the Niger
being a branch of the Nile, after having seen one or two of these
rivets in the bight of Benin. I will give you my idea on-the sub-
ject. li the Niger does not empty itself into the bights of Beapa and
Benin, thete must be sonic other immense course of water it) the
interior, to supply these seven rivers, viz. Benin, Doi Escravos,
Dos llamas, Wanly, New Calabar, Ohl Calabar, and Rio del
Rey, with the numerous intersecting creeks, and which any ger.
son, I think, only need see to know they run front one great stream.
Add to this, the land to the westward of river Lagos, though not
high, is perfectly dry, and free from marsh; front Lagos to the
west side of Rio del ley, there is scarcely a spot of land that is not
ovetfhweed at high tides. The east side of Del Itey is the con-
trary, bring high and mountainous, via. the high laud of Cameroons
and Reconly Lat.d. The intervening marsh between L.tdu i and
Del Rey has evidently been farmed by the soil and raiel we red
down these rivers. That the coast here has been carried far f.er
out, in my opinion, cannot be doubted, as, in a convertatinn I had
with the King of Wanu, he informed me ' six or seven '.l his fa-
thers back was when white man first came to Wutill ; that then
they came to the town in their ships, as they could then soon c at .a.
the sea; but now the river had gone a long way further eta.' Of
course he n'ea't the land further out. I suppose Want is forty
miles front the sea now. At the same time he chewed me tome of
the guns brought out by the first ship that came there, with niatelei
locks and stands. The old Gentleman was very commu-
nicative. He related the history of his fetidly licit.: made
Kings, which would please you, but I have ea rime for it
here ; I hope I may relate it to you in Liverpool. Of course,
you know the various opinions against the Niger termina-
ting here or in the Congo. I may add another. None of the
natives of the interior having come down the river, nor rune ft(
the river people gone up to look for trade more than two fleys s
journey in a canoe. Yet they describe it at that distance as large a
at the entrance. I may also remark, that I never could fled any
of the natives who had been at Iloussa, that had crossed or seen
those mountains, which ere considered an iusuperatile obstacle to
the Niger running south, viz.-4 the Mountains of the Moon.'—
But their heads here are so thick, it is difficult to get correct infor-
mation out of them. There arc several natives of nooses slaves
in the river. You will perceive, by what I have said, the opinion
I have formed, that the Niger empties itself by a great Delta, .-t
whichltio Formoso, ur Benin, is the Western, Jai Rio del Rey
thr.e.sstern branch, with several rivets between thLin Irons tat!
.14111 r slitlrl:*•" . •

• MADAME SZYM.4VOIegrA•
• e! •
- 'Madame Szymanowska, a Polish Litrr, wfiojilot
pianist to the two Empresses of Russia, and -thoie been
honoured with the patronage of the Continentar
has arrived. in town from Paris, where she has given
several concerts, of which the French Journals speak
in terms of unbounded admiration. Nl.rdame Szy-
manowska's performance is distinguished at once for
delicacy and spirited execution. We have not l:card
whether her visit to this country is prolessimial or not,
but we should presume that it is so, and that the lovers
of music in the British Metropolis will have the oppor-
tunity of judging of those talents, which have been so
much eulogised on the Continent.