CLAPPERTON, Hugh, a distinguished African traveller, was born at Annan, in Dumfriesshire, in the year 1788. His father was a respectable surgeon in the town where the subject of this memoir was born, but having a very numerous family to support, the future traveller received but an indifferent education. When able to do little more than read and write, he was placed under a mathematical teacher, from whom he acquired a knowledge of practical mathematics, including navigation and trigonometry. At the age of seventeen he was bound as an apprentice on board a large vessel which traded between Liverpool and North America, and in this situation he continued for some years, distinguishing himself thus early by his ability, coolness, and intrepidity. A circumstance which it is unnecessary to mention here compelled him to change his berth in the merchant trader for one on board a tender lying at Liverpool. From this vessel he removed to the Ċlorinde, where his intelligence and activity soon raised him to the rank of midshipman. In 1813, Clapperton, with a number of other young men of the same standing with himself in the navy, were ordered to Plymouth dock-yard to acquire a knowledge of the improved cutlass exercise, then newly introduced. When their own instructions were completed, these individuals were distributed as teachers over the fleet, and it fell to the lot of Clapperton to be appointed to the Asia, the flagship of Vice-admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. Early in 1814 this vessel sailed for Bermuda, and, during the voyage, besides being distinguished as an excellent drill sergeant, our future traveller, by his many excellent and fascinating qualities, rcndered himself beloved and respected by all on board, including the admiral, who honoured him with his warmest friendship and patronage. Clapperton, however, was ordered to the Canadian Lakes, then likely to become the scene of important operations. Here he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and soon afterwards to the command of a schooner. In the year 1817, when the flotilla on the lakes was dismantled, he returned to his native country on half pay. But we must now hasten to view him in a new career, that of African discovery, where he has won for himself an honourable nichc in the temple of fame; and where all those excellent and ennobling qualities of which we have but the earnest, though a propitious one, in the naval officer, were to reach their climax in the intelligent and enterprising traveller.

In the year 1820, Clapperton removed to Edinburgh, where he contracted an intimacy with the late Dr Oudney. It was this gentleman who first directed his attention to the cause in which both were destined to perish. After the return of Captain Lyon from his unsuccessful attempt to penetrate through Northern Africa, the British government determined to send out a second mission for the purpose of exploring this quarter of the globe. Dr Oudney was appointed to proceed to Bornou as consul, and Captain Clapperton went along with him as a companion. Colonel Denham was also added to the expedition.

After having arrived at Tripoli, they set out early in 1822, in a line nearly south to Mourzook, where they arrived on the 8th of April. Circumstances having prevented them from proceeding any farther this season, Clapperton with his friend Oudney made an excursion to the westward of Mourzook, into the country of the Tuaricks, which they penetrated as far as Ghraat, in the eleventh degree of east longitude.

On the 29th of November, Clapperton, with his fellow-travellers, set out for Bornou, and on the 17th of February 1823 reached Kouka, the capital of the country. They were well received by the sultan; and here Clapperton and Oudney remained until the 14th of December, when they set out for the purpose of exploring the course of the Niger. The travellers arrived in safety at Murmur, where Oudney breathed his last in the arms of his companion. The loss of this enterprising individual was felt by Clapperton as severe and afflicting in the extreme.
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Alone, however, he penetrated as far as Sackatoo, a large city in lat. 13. N. and long. 6⅜. E. which was the extreme point of the expedition in that direction. Circumstances prevented him from proceeding to the Niger, which was only five days’ journey to the westward. He accordingly returned to Kouka, where he was rejoined by Denham, who scarcely knew him, from the ravages which disease had made upon his frame. The two travellers then set out for Tripoli, which they reached in January 1825, and from thence proceeded to England, where they arrived on tire 1st of June.

The result of this expedition was a work containing the travels of Denham, Clapperton, and Oudney; but it was not the fortune of the subject of this memoir to see the publication of it. Immediately after his return he was requested to take the management of another expedition to Africa, which he accepted, and set out on the 27th of August 1825, in company with three other individuals and Richard Lander his servant, an enterprising youth. On this occasion our traveller landed at Badagry, in the Bight of Benin, and immediately commenced his journey into the interior, along with Lander and two of the individuals who had sailed with him from England. Both of them, however, soon fell victims to the hardships of the journey. In January 1826, Clapperton reached Katunga, the capital of Youriba, and soon afterwards crossed the Niger at Boussa, the place where Park met his untimely fate. In July he arrived at Kano, a city which he had previously visited. Here he left his servant with the baggage, and proceeded alone to Sackatoo. It was the wish of Clapperton to obtain permission from Bello, the sultan of Sackatoo, to visit Timbuctoo, and revisit Bornou. But his plans were all frustrated in consequence of Bello having engaged in a war with the schcik of Bornou. To the latter individual Clapperton bore considerable presents from the king of England. Our traveller was detained by bad health for several months at Sackatoo; but in the mean time the sultan had privately inveigled Lander to join his master with the baggage, in order that the presents might be intercepted; and Lander arrived at Sackatoo in November, to the no small astonishment of Clapperton. The baggage was immediately seized in the most shameless manner, and the travellers were expressly prohibited from proceeding to Bornou.

For some months Clapperton enjoyed tolerable health, but on the 13th of March 1827 he was suddenly attacked with dysentery. It is unnecessary to trace the progress of the disorder which finally carried off this enterprising traveller. He lingered on until the 13th of April, when he expired in the arms of his faithful servant.

Although Clapperton failed in the main object of his ambition, which was afterwards accomplished by his servant, he has done much to reform the geography of Northern Africa. (See the article Africa of this work.) In stature Clapperton was tall; in disposition warm and benevolent; in temper mild and cheerful. “No one,” says his servant Lander, “could be better qualified than Captain Clapperton, by a fearless, indomitable spirit, and utter-contempt of danger and death, to undertake and carry into execution an enterprise of so great importance and difficulty as the one with which he was intrusted. He studied the African character in all its phases; in its moral, social, and external form; and, like Alcibiades, accommodated himself with equal ease to good as well as bad fortune.” On the return of Lander to England he published a work entitled “Records of Captain Clapperton’s last Expedition to Africa,” which appeared in 1830, in 2 vols. 12mo.