The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-04
THE NIGER EXPEDITION.

We received more than month ago accounts OF
the expedition to the Niger having been attacked by
sickness, by which number of lives had been lost
The papers received by the Britannia give some
esng particulars of the progress of the expedition
besides those which relate to the sickness. Some OF
the papers announce the expedition as an entire fail
ure. The truth of this depends upon what to be
regarded its objects As to the benevolent objects
of introducing religious instruction among the natives,
and dissuading them from wars and from selling their
captves slaves, is not improbable that very little
progress will be made. But in obtaining further and
more exact knowledge of the country, establishing
friendly relations with the native chiefs and in
measure extending the limits of British trade, it is
not probable that the expedition will be entirely with
out fruits. We copy the following particulars from
the Liverpool Albion
'sThe Horatio, transport, Lieutenant Chapman, ar
rived at Portsmouth on Friday week, from St He
lena and the Coast of Africa, and has brought home
some of the officers who have been invalided belong
ing to the Niger expedition, and who had come down
the river in the Soudan steamer The accounts they
bring home are up to the 1st of October, and are
most deplorable, The mortality and sickness among
the officers and men composing the expedition were
great in the extreme, twenty-siX had already died,
and almost all i'll and unable to do duty. On
board the Wilberforce, out of the European portion
of the crew of about fifty men, not more than four
or FIVE able to do their duty the others were all
laid up and they were nearly as i'll off board the
Albert.
AT the time the SouJan left it, the expedition had
"a,
about two hundred and seventy miles up the river but
it was feared that, from the lamentabe condition in
which it was placed by the sickness and the ncieas
ing mortality among the officers and men, would be
compelled 10 return to Ascension. Among the vic
Tins to the climate previous to the Soudans leaving
her consorts Assistant Surgeon Nightingale of
the Albert; and during her passage on her return
from Auah the mouth ofthe river she lost her own
surgeon, Mr.. w. B. Marshall and one o; her men,
When she arrived at the entrance of the river she
fell in WI her to sht in nd hpr
sick board that vessel to be conveyed to Ascension
eight of whom, however, died previous to the Dol
phins reaching that place Mr.. Walter the clerk Of
the Soudan, was i'll that he could not be removed
on board the Dolphin, and it was not expected he
would survive many hours all prospect of his reco
veiy perfectly hopeless Captain Bird Allen of
the Soudan, did not come down the river with her but
Joined the Albert being anxious TO accompany the
expedition TO the extent of lis researches The Sou
dan came down under the command of Lieutenant
Fishbourne. All her officers and n en- were sick
The steamers make very slow progress in ascend
ing the river none of them remarkable for their
speed. The current of the stream is a. out three
miles and half and the average speed of the steam
is six miles consequently, their progress is not
more than two miles and half per hour. The AL
bert was to proceed up the Niger and the Wilber-
force up the Tchadda, while the Amelia schooner
was TO remain at Mount Stirling where the farm is
to be established and where the tent lately used al
the Eglintoun tournament has already been pitched.
The natives were very friendly at Eboe, a town
containing 5000 or 5000 inhabitants, several Of the.
officers went on shore, the natives crowded to see
them. AT the Queens palace they received
BY her sable Majesty who was squatted at the door
surrounded by her ladies, the principal of which
decorated with heavy iron anklets, weighing from
eight TO ten pounds each They seemed much pleased
with the visit, and laughed immoderaely, and in
am for some little trinkets given by the officers,
her Majesty presented them with fowl and some
COCOA nuts, the bcsowa of which is considered
highly complimentary there The King of Eboe
went on board the Wilberforce, accompanied by his
and the interpreter, and others of his suite.
bottle of port wine was placed before him, which he
did not pass round to any of his attendants but drank
il all himself and then gave broad hint, which
however not taken, for some grog. The King
Of Attah was more dignfed; and, upon the commits