The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-01-11 00:00:00

THE NIGER EXPEDITION

Extract of a letter from an officer of her Majesty's steam-
vessel Albert, dated
" Wilberforce, off Ascension, Nov. 22.

" The Albert left the confluence for lt abbah the same day
we did for Fernando Po. As Mr. Fishbourne took the Sou-
dan down the river with 46 fever patients, Captain Bird
Allen remained in the Albert. As soon as we arrived at
Fernando Po, Captain William Allen despatched the Soudan
and the Ethiop (Mr. Becroft) up the river to assist the Al-
bert, in case of need. We arrived at Fernando Po on the
Ist of October, and left the island on the 9th, accompanied
by the Pluto. Mr. Strange took the command of the Sou-
dan, because Mr. Fishbourne got the fever and came on
board the Wilberforce to go to Ascension, but recovered so
rapidly that he returned in the Pluto to join the Albert on
the 21st of October, with Mr. Bowden, who also had been
taken ill up the river. On the 14th of September it was ar-
ranged that the Albert and the Soudan should proceed toge-
ther up the Niger, and the Wilberforce up the Chaddah ; ' but
my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my ways your ways,
saith the Lord.' Sickness and disease came upon us like a
thunderbolt. This was as enexpected a defeat of our plans
as it was sudden. The Lord's will be done ! It prudence,
sound judgment, and indefatigable diligence and perseverance
could have overcome the difficulties of the expedition, our
excellent commander-in-chief would soon have accomplished
more than the most sanguine hope could ever have ventured
to expect ; but to overcome the laws of nature is beyond the
power of human wisdom and strength. In two letters which
were written by Captain Trotter, on the 20th and 21st of
September, at the confluence of the Niger and Chadda,
there are the following passages, which show, that notwith-
standing the numerous obstacles arising from the climate,
he had still strong hopes of eventual good resulting from the
expedition, and was by no means disposed to omit one single

chance of success:—

" ' The new cases that occur every minute are very per-
plexing, but I do not see that it is yet time for the Albert to
give up the river this year, though half-an-hour more may
alter the case.' I shall certainly, I think, be at Fernando
Po by the 15th of December. The model farm is going on
well, and is beautifully situated." '
It is probable, as no news of the Albert had reached Ascen-
sion when the letters from which we have given extracts
were written, that Captain Trotter has been able to persevere
in his design of visiting Rabbah before leaving the river. It
appears, from other letters, that the Wilberforce came down
the river in charge of Lieutenant Strange, Captain William
Allen and 26 of her hands being ill of the fever. She also
brought down three invalids from the Albert, leaving her
with eight or ten on the sick list, inclusive of two of her en-
gineers. Captain William Allen had quite recovered at the
date of these letters. We publish these extracts because it
is desirable that authentic intelligence should be before the
public. At the best the news is bad and distressing enough;
but it is always better that facts, rather than uncertain and
often exaggerated reports, should reach the ears of the friends
of those engaged in this perilous enterprise.

CHRISTMAS AMUSEMENT.—THE HOUR TOLD BY A SUS-
PENDED SHILLING.—However improbable the following
experiment may appear, it has been proved by the repeated
trial :—Sling a shilling or a sixpence at the end of a piece of
thread by means of a loop. Then, resting your elbow on the
table, hold the other end of the thread betwixt your fore-
finger and thumb, observing to let it pass across the ball of
your thumb, and thus suspend the shilling into an empty
goblet. Observe, your hand must be perfectly steady ; and
if you find it difficult to keep it in an immovable posture, it
is useless to attempt the experiment. Premising, however,
that the shilling is properly suspended, you will observe, that
when it has recovered its equilibrium, it will for a moment
be stationary ; it will then, of its own accord, and without
the least agency from the person holding it, assume the action
of a pendulum, vibrating from side to side of the glass; and
after a few seconds, will strike the hour nearest to the time
of day ; for instance, if the time be twenty-five minutes past
six, it will strike six; if thirty-five minutes past six, it will
strike seven ; and so on of any other hour. It is necessary
to observe at the thread should lie over the pulse of
the thumb, and this may in some measure account for
the vibration of the shilling ; but to what cause striking
the precise hour is to be traced, remains unexplained ; for it
is no less astonishing than true, that when it has struck the
proper number, its vibration ceases, it acquires a kind of
rotatory motion, and at last becomes stationary as before.—
, A/dimes! Advertiler.