Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-11-06
Fom Tie United Scrr;cc Journal.
NEW AFRICAN EXPEDITION,

| The most interesting armament ever desp patch
ed from the shores of Britain has just been equip
ped at the expcncc of few princcly mcrch ants of
Liverpool. Its objects To explore, and to open
a commercial intercourse with the heart Of a frca
! by means OF the mighty waters of the Niger, a
river which has accustomed the loss of more ink
and more lives, to ascertain its course, than any
stream that gcographcrs have attempted to delina-
ate. Richard Lander, however, unlcttercd me-
NAL servant at length discovered the Niger to have
| IFS termination by several mouths in The Atlantic.
! This most important discovery has, cat one fell
swoop," with pitiIcss gertrude, ann1ilatcd thou
sand elaborate theories. Interesting he the
result OF the expedition its way to A Africa
yet is it quito amazing how little public notice has
been bestowed upon tho subject. a few fugitive
paragraphs in the ncwspa pcrs, indeed, apnounced
that the squadron had sailed; but no detailed ac-
CONT has yet appeared respecting either It's objects
or It's efficiency. The "United Service Journal )"
therefore, is appropriate medium for the public
alton OF such particulars; and mistaken il
the empire at large will not feel indebted for COM
munication important.
IL has al7eudy been observed that Richard La IL
der, aud obscure and uncducated but cnterprising
and Inteingcnt, Cornish servant OF Captain Clap
pcrtOn, At ioazth ascortaned that tho Niger below
Houssn, ab.r Wondering for four or five hundred
miles tho llte heart of western Africa and re
cciving q contributions of many navigablo
streams, emp .ss itself into the ocean, ty several
cmboucur' -, ia that Immense bay OF the Atlantic
called The fiulf Of Guinea The Nun river, by
which Ifindor and lis brother descended TO the sea
discmbocucs its waters near Cape Formosa
promou,orv separating the Blight of Biafra from
tho Blight Of Benin. From settlement at Fer
naudo Po to the Nun river, does not exceed one
hundred and fifty mics, that the Importance of
our maintaining footing upon that island is man
fest: for, in all probability, tic Nun is the prin-
cipo embouchurc of the Niger though this point
is not yet decided. Thus much, however, appears
certain, that entering by this channel, tho Niger
is naviGablc for tho whole four five hundred
miles between BouSsa and the sea; tEat though,
above BousSa, the channel is o5structed by a bar
ricr OF rocks, yet little doubt exists of it's having
communication with Iimbuotoo; and, which is of
greater consequence in Il commercial point of
Wow, tEat, throughout it's whole majestic course
the Niger rolls through fruitful, cultivated, and
thickly populated country studded with towns and
villages hitherto UNLISTED by Europeans and hay
ing no other trade with civilized nations than such
imperfect barter could be carried on across burn
ing deserts by the agency of slave dealers and pc
riodical caravans. What a field is here displayed
for mercantile adventurc What a market for our
laHguishng manufactures! What n means of
striking AZ the heart Of tic slave trade by intro.
ducing civilization ard industry across the very
route Of the principal CaTilas! What harvcstl
for geographical and other science, in cx plorng !
the Niger and its many tributary streams What
M opportunity for our missionaries to spread
the light Of the gospel in tie focus Of dolatry and
7upcvettiou! Wha' a glorious chance Of convert. I
Ipg mJrads of b"lihen HIfi0n: ard ol sIbstrafiro .
''' en7ronc", cruelty, and bar5ari-in, lie hlasscJ