The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-04

were TO I've informed OF all aud everything con-
corning 1t.
THE LADY or THE LAKE
was ABOUT to ascend the Volta River to the second
post. occupied by q portion OF Governor Gcver's
expedition. The Governor kindly asked If We
should like to visit the rst and second posts, for
II we ala, we were welcome to proceed IN COM
pany with Captain GoldswOrthy or course we IN
stantly accepted. Captain Goldsworthy conveyed
some mess dishes ami what provisions ana wines
his mess could furnish. saw the gallant soiaier
was fdgeting about, DESTROYS OF making the Trip
enjoyable to his visitors.
Before we started some amusement was Afforded
by the antics ana pugnacity OF
THE WILD CATTLE
Commissarv Blisselt had procured from tribes to
leeward OF the Volta River. The stout Mahom-
etan soldiers of Glover were special objects OF
hatred to these cattle--the largest OF which,
though full grown, was not as large as an Ameri-
can year-old heller. They were butted rearward
ana lrontward, were dashed at on the banks and
tumbled over TO the intense enjoyment OF the
crowds drawn together by the vociferOus merri-
ment which first signalled the onset OF the
cattle ana the defeat of the Haussas. Reinforce
ments or the uniformed warriors arriving,
with long coils Of rope, however. turned
the tables on the valorOus beeves; they were,
after a few Intellectual struggles against over
fore and hind legs. ana dragged ignomin-
iously along the gangway panks to the lower
decks and the steamer swung to mldstream. and
soon revolved her paddles, and shot down stream
until, nearing Doibens Point and the sury bar. she
rounded the extremity OF Kennedy's Island. and
with her stern pointed up river. breasted the
noble current OF the Volta.
THE VOLTA,
near the mouth, is from two to three miles wide.
unless indeed, you dare call the lagoon, formed by
the confluence or the Volta and the Troyeng
River mouth, when you may say 1t is nearer
thirty miles wide, From Doben's Point on the
Addah side OF the Volta to Richards Point, the
opposite side or the Volta, is but mile and half.
western eXtremities Of narrow sand splits, which,
with the exception OF the mile and half Of
river exit the sea, enclose large area or water,
where are numerous islands CvergrOwn with man
grove and varied bush, the resort Of numerous
aquatic birds and crocOdiles.
THE VOLTA NEEDS EXPLORING.
and as we ascend it from the sea 1t must be de-
scrbed reverseiy to how it should be described
because we are ignorant OF its source and course
above Pong, otherwise we might take your read
from It's cavernous birthplace or its natal dell
in some faraway mountain range In the interior
and glide downwards, singing of Its charms as the
might give them glimpses OF the picturesque and
inspiring scenes through which it rushed OF new
countries as yet untouched by travellers pen,
OF strange animal and vegetable productions and
OF the rivers numerous affluents. But above Pong
we know naught OF this river. and very Jew, ii any,
OF your readers know anything of its mouth.
You all can imagine what river like the Volta
must be near its mouth. 1t Is an African tropical
river OF some magnitude, not as large as the Nile
the Congo or the Niger. 1t is as WIDE when from
bank to bank OF mainland you see its breadth, as
the Missouri is at Omaha, as the Hudson is a. Sing
Sing or as the Thames Is at Greenwich should
say 1t was altogether as large stream, as many
miles in length, as the Hudson-not SO deep nor so
useful for navigation.
The Volta has all the characteristics of second
class African tropical river. Its course is way
ward, running at random around numerous low
lslets IN mdstream, at one time giving you view
OF long oblique stretch Of water, mile wide
and three four or five miles in length, with
shallow depth averaging nine feet, because vast
quantity of water has been absorbed by the creek
like channels which separate the islands from each
other and INTO the innumerable small arteries
which lead to the broad lagoon.
THE BANKS OF THE MAINLAND
are fringed with the indispensable and everlasting
mangrove, while the low islands appear to be
fit lairs of the amphibous monsters with which
the African rivers OF the tropics swarm. Were
you able to so crane your neck as to look over the
dark mangrove lines on either side you would see
q vast extent OF morass half shaded by dense over
hanging clumps Of bush, vivid green, thick Dubious
leafed plants, only inhabited by crocodiles, igua-
mas and aquatic birds. No sign OF man or
vestige OF cultivation would be seen in all the
wilderness, because natdre's laws will not permit
that man shall breathe the fatal air Of those
marshes and live, as yet. To live there would be
like eating Of the forbidden fruit. The black vege-
table mould of the morass is still in Q state OF
chaos. The air and light which belong TO the
haDitable portion OF the globe may not enter until
subtle, slow the mould shall have been transformed
by the processes of nature into healthy. productive
earth. Man flies the vicinity. and wisely leaves
it until time shall have prepared 1t for him.
Though we board the steamer hurry by this
fatal district, the wind waits the deathly exhaa.
tions towards us, and in It's unrelenting embrace
we are involved for time, when the alga are de-
posted In the lungs and the stomach to incubate
and torture the frame with the rackings, the tor
ments and ag0nes OF perhaps remittent fever,
which will last four or five days, and show US the
verge OF the dark pit so many poor bodies have
already barely escaped on this Ashantee expe-
ditlOn.
Even while we hurry by we feel the influence or
the forbidden region we feel
UNUSUAL LAssITUDE OF FRAME,
are conscious that veil OF death hangs over US,
and sensible that for breathing that noxious air
we shall suffer. IL is low tide; the river has de-
creased in height, and the mangrove roots stand
revealed in all their hideous deformity. The
bushes seem as II they grew on stills. for so the
mudpainted stems appear, entanged among one
another and disgustlngly naked, and below them
Is the rich deep auvial deposit OF the river fer
mentng in the fervid sum- and adding still more to
the disease which has begun to permeate our
frames.
THE HUNTERS PARADISE
DESPITE, however. the sad reality OF the picture
have attempted to give you, any one fond OF gun
ming and solitude would here find ample oppor-
tunties for the exercise OF his skill with the gun
and ample space In the broad stream. in the may,
sluggish creeks and bayous to indulge in the
luxury Of thorough solitariness. Here are croco-