STEAM EXPEDITION UP THE NIGER.

AT length we have a book of real travels, embracing scenes of danger, privation, hardship, death ; full of novelty, variety, cha- racter ; and not less remarkable for the spirited determination with which the enterprise was carried through, so far as natural obstacles permitted, than important for the information gained as to the social and political condition of the interior of Western Africa, and the commercial speculations which that information suggests. As a picture of hairbreadth 'scopes and personal ad- venture, it is inferior to PARK'S first Travels; and the oft-pictured African river wants the landscape novelty which characterized Derrnam's Journey across the Sahara, as well as the excitement of the military marauding expedition against the Fellatalis by his Mend the Sultan of Bornou. But if inferior in such paints to those first of modern travels, the Steam Expedition up the Niger may be placed closely next them, whilst it ranks above them in largeness of view and importance of suggestion. ln literary merit, Mr. LAIRD'S part of the Expedition equals, if it does not surpass those productions. Mr. OLDFIELD'S Journal is of a more literal and less spirited nature: depending for its interest altogether upon the subjects it describes.

The leading object of the expedition was a comtnercial specu- lation, undertaken by some spirited merchants of Liverpool in consequence of the favourable reports of LANDER as to the trailing capabilities of the country bordering on the Niger; and which river, it may be remembered, he succeeded in descending, after CLAPPERTON'S death. Two steam-vessels—one the Quorra, built of timber, the other the Alburkah, of iron, and both drawing little water, but the Alburkah the least—were provided, to ascend the river and trade with the natives; whilst the Columbine, a fine brig of 200 tons, was to anchor at its mouth, and wait for the cargoes that might be collected. In fitting out these vessels, no expense was spared to provide for the health and com- forts of every one : the crews were formed of picked young men, (perhaps too young, as it turned out, for it requires a veteran to bear up against the despair of sickness in a strange land ;) and the assortment of goods for trading was made under the direction of RICHARD LANDER, who accompanied the expedition. The un- successful issue of the speculation with regard to profit is already known : an idea of the fearful mortality will best be con- veyed by the simple statement, that out of forty persons who left England, only three survived to return, each of those survivors having frequently been at death's-door, with their lives con- stantly trembling in the balance. But neither the loss of life nor the loss of property has been barren of results. From the failure, others will be taught tl.e means of achieving success, or will abandon the project altogether. The observations they were enabled to make have added directly to our geographical knowledge, and furnish hints for enlarging it still further by completing a survey of the lower part of the Niger and of the Shary; whilst, independent of the picture of Negro manners, life. and character, presented by the general narrative, we have in Mr. LAIRD'S portion of the work the remarks of by far the shrewdest and most informed mind that has yet survt yed the in- terior of Africa.

Turning to the expedition itself, it consisted of three ascents of the river by the Nun branch, besides the outward voyage to the coast of Africa. The first ascent was begun with nearly a full compliment of Europeans, and, luckily, with a good many Kroo- men as a reserve. The plan was to pass rapidly through the two lower regions of the Niger—the lower Date, so fatal for its mud and mangroves with their pestiferous miasma ; the Upper, where the land, though higher than the river, is still low and flat. By this means, they hoped to escape the African fevers, and to get quickly to the fountain-head of trade, amongst Negroes yet uncorrupted by European habits, and yet unenlightened probably as to the value of European goods. Untoward circumstances, always at- tendant upon a first adventure, conspired to mar the good effects of this conception. Owing to the bad sailing qualities of' the Querns steam-vessel, arising from her too slight rig, they were compelled to run along the coast of Africa, and often land to procure fuel; which delays seem to have sown the seeds of disease in many of the crew. On reaching the month of the river Nun, ten days were passed in very unfavourable weather amongst the most deadly part of the mangrove swamps in preparations to ascend. Having frequently to anchor for the purpose of cutting wood for fuel, more delay of course took place; and, to crown all, the attempt was made at the close of the dry season, when the river was at its lowest; so that the Quorra was constantly ground- ing, and much time lost, and much exertion used in getting her oft'. In a European river these things would be trifling; but they were of the last importance in Western Africa, where exposure fur a few hours to the rnid.day sun or the night air is frequently fatal. The day after leaving Eboe, an important trading town situated about 160 wiles from the sea, and at the beginning of the Delta of the Niger, symptoms of sickness began to appear, and reser left them until it had nearly destroyed the whole of the European part of the crew, and the survivors had quitted the river. In despite, however, of the difficulties of the navigation, and of the fever, whose deadly influence depresses alike both mind and body, a steady course was kept up the river—passing the town of Arab, whose King has the reputation of being the most power- ful monarch between the hitherto unvisited Fundah and the sea, and the Kong mountains, which rise abruptly from the banks of the stream—till the Quorra grounded within sight of the con- fluence of the Niger and the still mysterious Shary or Tcharlda. Nere she lay for two months ; whilst sickness, aggravated by inactivity and despondency, did its remaining work. There was little or no supply of ivory, which LANDER had represented as so abundant ; nor much trade of any kind, unless the specu- lators sr ould have taken slaves. The few survivors, with one or two exceptions, were hardly able to crawl about; and a sugges- tion that the Alburkhali should proceed up the river, and try fresh markets, was quashed by, it would appear, an incorrect report of her commander, that a sand-bank stretched across the river. Anxious to leave no chance of success untried, Mr. LAIRD, though suffering under excessive debility, and afterwards under "craw- craw "—an aggravated species of itch, which affected the joints as well as the skin, depriving him of the use of his limbs and rendering him painfully susceptible of the slightest motion—had himself rowed in a canoe to Yimtnallah, a town on the banks of the Shary. Ile was thence conveyed, partly by water and partly by land, to Fundali ; whose tyrant stopped any trading under the penalty of flagellation, with a view of getting possession of Mr. LAIRDS goods ; and seemed inclined, by his indifferent usage, to hasten the moment when he might seize upon them as lawful heir. By practising upon his superstition, however, Mr. LAIRD managed to get away with his Kroamen and an English at- tendant; but his Majesty of Fundah figures on the debtor silo of the expedition's books to the tune of some hundreds of thou- sands of cowries,*—a national debt which some day or other will give us the means, if desirable, of picking a very ptetty quarrel with the Fundah state.

Having once more reached the Quorra, Mr. LAIRD determined to abandon the enterprise ; and on the floating of the vessel with the rising of the river, made the best of his way to the Columbine, and thence to Fernando Po; whence, after getting somewhat con- valescent, he returned to England.

In the mean time, LANDER having gone down to the sea in a canoe, brought back with him Mr. OLDFIELD, the medical officer of the Columbine; and meeting the steam-boats ere they reached Eboe, it was settled that LANDER and OLDFIELD should try their luck in the Alburkalt, whilst Mr. LAIRD returned. The river now offered fewer obstacles to naviga- tion; arid the second expedition ascended easily to the Shary, and proceeded 104 miles up that river ; when the want of provi- sions and the aversion of' the natives to trade with the adventurers induced them to return. Again proceeding up the Niger, they reached the Fellatah town of Rabbah, after Timbuctoo the largest emporium on the Niger—being resorted to by natives of the different Negro countries, as well as by Arabs, and Tuaricks of the desert. The market was well supplied with native goods and horses; some little business was done by our merchant adven- turers; and Mr. OLDFIELD stepped at once into a first-rate prac- tice as a physician. But the King, it was supposed, threw obstacles in the way of dealing ; being anxious, like his brother of Fundah, to monopolize the goods without paying for them. A flaw in the machinery prevented the boat going further : the falling of the waters admonished them to return, unless they wished to remain for another season ; and, after calling at Attah, purchasing an island from the King, and leaving a coloured supercargo behind them, the travellers finally reached Fernando Po in safety.

The third expedition was made under the entire command of Mr. OLDFIELD. Lieutenant ALLEN, an officer employed by the Admiralty to survey the Niger, and to whom the company had given a passage, having finished his task, returned to England ; and LANDER was left to visit Cape Coast Castle and some other places, for cowries, in order to trade with, and to follow the steamer in a canoe; in doing which, he received a death wound in a skirmish with the natives. On this third occasion, no new towns were visited, nor was the river ascended so far as before : but, in despite of regal roguery, the trade carried on was more successful ; and the sketches of Negro life are more full and graphic. By this time the expedition was getting known, and had established some- thing like a "connexion." Mr. OLDFIELD got more accustomed to the African mode of dealing ; knew better the goods that were in demand; and, unlike Mr. LAIRD, had no grand mercantile notions or any prejudices to overcome, but sent a coloured man and some

"' trade-woman" be bad hired into the market to open a stall like the natives. Acting up to the thrifty proverb that " a rolling stone gathers no moss," he also remained longer in one place ; letting those who had ivory to dispose of come to him, instead of

making himself cheap by running after them.

The outward voyage from Sierra Leone to the mouth of the Nun contains many amusing and characteristic passages,—espe- cially the brief notice of Liberia : but we will pass them, as less germane to the expedition itself, and take our quotations from fresher matter ; commencing with some fragments descriptive of the climate, character, nod people of the lower part of the river.

• • thousand eosries am worth about Is.

The country on both sides of the river appeared to be one extensive swarop

covered with mangrove, cabbage, and palm-trees, and muse no doubt be v unhealthy. The fen-damp rose in the mornings cold and chrmmy to Me feeec. Mg, and in appearance more like the smoke of a damp wood-fire than any thing

I could compare it with. * * *

It was a subject of remark among us, seri occasioned some amusement, to, the different effects of heat on different constitutions. Sometimes, with ti.eee thermometer at 84, I felt cold in a blanket dress; and at other times, wheo it was 75, I was oppressed with the beat ; it appeared, however, to depend much

on the moist or dry state of the atmosphere. * I *

The natives of this part of the river appeared to be very unhealtisy. They were covered with scabs, ulcers, and guinea-worms, and all kinds of cataneoris eruptions, which I was inclined to ascribe to their mode of living. They sleeb generally in the open air, they drink vast quantities of spirits of the very won't description, and their principal diet consists of vai ious kinds of fish, from the alligator to ground-sharks. The whole country seem deluged with water, ma the miserable wretches that dwell in it are dependent on the Eboe country for their subsistence ; all their yarns, bananas, plantains, and cassada are

m thence. • • • derived from •

The course of the Nun branch between the sea and Eboe is exceedingly se,. pentine; but its mean course from Eboe to the sea is south half-west by cm, Iii,,. Its breadth varies from thirty yards at the entrance, or Louis Creek, s, we named it, to one thousand or twelve hundred at Eboe, gradually widening as it nears ita parent stream. An astonishing number of branches of all aire, Row out of it, the larger ones all in a south-west direction ' • and on examiniog the chart, five large rivers, more or less navigable, will be found between the iltnin and the Nun rivers. The branches to the eastward are all of them being only navigable by canoes, and interiect the country in all dirertions, forming a labyrinth whose windings and extent we are fortunately not required to explore. The whole of this country within the influence of salt water ii covered by mangroves, and above the influence of the thin by a dense mass of vegetation, principally composed of varieties of the palm species. Its population is scanty, and confined to the banks of the principal streams, which from the force ot their current in some places throw up a bank of sufficient consistency to support the mud huto of the natives ; and wherever this is the case, the bud is crowned by a village containing from one hundred to one thousand inhabit. ants. The total population between Elme and the Boa on the line of the Na, branch dues not exceed four thousand adults, if so much. The women aid chidren are employed in collecting palm. oil; the men in trailing to Ibaso awl Eboe, kidnapping their neighbours, and driuking the worst dcscriptioa of spirits. The sovereignty of the river belongs to the most powerful for the time being. The chief of a village done hundred inhabitants may and does war with that of his neighbours on the opposite bank of three times the amount of population. But theirs are bloodless wars—a human being is too valuable to be shot ; he a caught and expires in the hold of some slave.ship, or, after the purgatory of voyage, becomes the blessed inhabitant of that negro paradise which, if we be. lieve a sugar-planter, is only to be found in a cane-plantation. The collection of palm-oil is lazily and indolently followed. The trouble of catching a man is trifling, that of manufacturing a ton of oil trilling still, but considerably more ; the price of both is about the same : can it be wondered it then, that the production of oil does not iucrease more rapidly? It is some matter of surprise to me that where there is such a brisk demand for slaves it ii manufactured tit all. The capture of a man partakes of the exhilarating nature of a bunt, while the collection of palm-oil is devoid of excitement, and becomes the sober tedium of business.

Passing the description of the towns and people on the first ascent of the Niger, arid the accounts of the deadly fever, we will jump at once to Fundah, and to tl.c "fetish" by which Mr. LAIRD contrived to frighten the King. Ills man, SAliSFIELD, bad been sent back to the boats ; null on his return, the potentate immediately paid the White men a visit, to see what fresh gob had arrived.

I gave him to understand that my people would not send any thing until I went to them myself, and that in the evening I intended to make a grand fen& to my god to know whether I should go or stay at Fundab. The King lid that was good, and that he would attend with all his priests, and sunonon the inhabitants to witness it. The fetish was to be tirade under a large tamarind. tree at the upper end of the street in which the court was wherein we redided. We made as much of this affair as we could, and pretended to go through sundry preparations iu order to impress eta the minds of these people an idea of its im- portance. In the evening I was carried out, about seven o'clock, and seated in the street opposite the tree, the King and his chief men close by, surrounding Sanfield and the Kroomen, who were holding the rockets and blue lights that we had brought out for the occasion. As a commencement of the proceeding, I took, paper and with a great solemnity fastened it to one of the rockets and gave it to Sarsfield ; we agreed that the signal fur firing the rockets and blue lights should be the discharge of my pistol. An immense crowd of natives was assembled to witness the ceremony of the White roan's fetish ; the wide street was filled, and the roofs of the houses and tops of the walls were crowded with spectator, all full of wonder and speculation as to what they were to see. Every thing being ready, I fired my pistol, and up flew four beautiful two. pound rockets, the discharge of which was immediately followed by the blaze of six blue lights, throwing a ghastly glare over the whole scene. The effect WAS perfectly electric; the natives had no idea of what was coming, and fled in all directions. The King, filled with terror, threw himself on the ground before me, and placing one of my feet on his head, entreated me to preserve biro from harm, and to inform him what was the decision of the Fates. It was now my turn to make use of the power which I was supposed to possess, and I replica that I should tell him presently, but that I must now return to my house with all my men. The farce hid heel sucecessful so far, and the artifice was only to be carried out to a successfsl issue. After keeping the King inn suspense about an hour, I sent word to him that I was ready to receive him, and that he himself was to come and see the result of the fetish. He came immediately, and as soon as he was seated I told him that I had sent for him to see whether I was to go or stay, and that my God would punish them in a manner of which they had no idea, if they presumed to break his commandments. I then took from my pocket a little compost and explained to him that if the needle in it pointed towards me as soon as it was placed on the ground, that I was to go from Fundah, and that if towards him that I was to stay, to all of which he attended with much reverence, I of course took care to know my position, and placing the compass on the ground the needle very properly turned towards me. This was sufficient, the thing was done' and the King was convinced that he should allow me to depart freely. I wished him to handle it, but he shrunk from it with terror, imagining that it was a living creature, and was glad to get out of my presence, after having pro: noised to give me horses or whatever I might want in the morning. We the greatest difficulty to preserve our gravity throughout this farce, and omen left to ourselves we enjoyed a hearty laugh at the success of our plan and the credulity of the King.

The King of Allah had originally been passed by the steam-

boats in their first ascents. HIS town was subsequently Mr. OLOYIIILD's grand emporium ; and his Majesty, in his moments of frankness, seems to have made some singular

REGAL CONFESSIONS.

Another iateresting subject of conversation tutned up respecting the veesels co their first arrival. Attah said that he did not see Mr. Lander when be eu p the river, though he WAS very desirous of seeing the White men and r eS;ps; but that Mr. Lauder, instead of giving him the preference, went up the river, and traded with the kings of Fundah and Cuttum.Curaffee. He told us that he was very angry when a slave, belonging to the King of Fonda)),

tam i

e into his dominions wearing a pink velvet tobe, which was tself king's cloth: the velvet had been procured from one of the vessels. The King of Fundah, he also said, had been presented with a beautiful sword ; and that one of his own subjects, going to Fundah, was addressed by a native of that place, who said, " There ; look at thi3 beautiful sword! ban the King of ldilah got such a sword as this? No ; man did not bring him a sword." Here then was the murder out ; and Attah had, since the steamer. were up the river, been exceedingly indignant that he was not traded with. It thus becomes a difficult matter to know who is to be trailed with and who is not. Attah also confessed that he had caused poison to be administered to poor old Pascoe. He accused Pascoe of being the sole cause of the vessels going up the river, and of giving all the best goods to the Kings of Fundah and Cuttum. Currsffee; and that he had been informed that one of his eunuchs beard Pascoe tell Mr. Lander, in the Houssa language, to get away directly, as the King of Iddah was no good, but a very bad man. Attah told me that his heart turned up against him—particularly against poor Pascoe, who, along with Braila's), another interpreter, had had poison administered to them. They had been both invited to partake of some foofoo by Alallain Catab at Addacundah. In consequence of the destruction of the town by the Felatahs at that time, the Mallam then resided on a sand-bank. Poor old Pascoe was very hungry, and ate heartily of the poisoned dish; but Braliam, fortunately suspecting some- thing, ate but little. Old Pascoe did not long survive his meal : he went on board his vessel, complained of his stomach, and shortly after expired. Mr. Lander always suspected the King of Iddah of having been the cause d Pascoe's death, and the deaths of the seven Kroonien ; who, it appeared, bad been too familiar with some of his women. He had also been informed that it was the intention of Attah, if he could get him into his power, to make him subservient to his seraglio by numbering him amongst his eunuchs. I was quite astonished at the open avowal of all these atrocities; but my surprise was somewhat lessened by my previour knowledge of this man. Human life, in the estimation of Attah, is valued as little as that of a fowl. I told him that he acted very wrongly in attaching blame either to Mr. Lander ce Pascoe; as Mr. Lander had been informed that he was a very cruel, capri- cious, and tyrannical man, and daily cutting people's heads off. Mr. Lander, I tlio told him, had been apprised of his intentions, and that both vessels were well armed, and prepared to resent any injury the king might attempt to inflict. 'reproached him with having sent some of his war canoes to Addacnodah to attack the vessels. To this lie replied, that what people had said of him was untrue; and that he had never sent his canoes to attack the ships.

Notwithstanding all this, and some other instances of African decision, the King appears to have been a person of good natural disposition, but spoiled by royalty awl the habits of his tribe. Except in a strong wish to drive hard bargains, and an occasional cutting off el heads for slight peccadilloes, affairs went on smoothly, till, in an evil hour, he listened to a proposal from one GABBItEDUCCO, who advised bins to attack the s!eamer, murder its mew, and seize its cargo. This was betrayed to Mr. OLD- FIELD, b) a friend at court ; and it was agreed that a messenger should be sent to the King, stating " that the White man had looked into the book," and discovered the wicked proposals that had been made. This gave rise to diplomatic discussions; and at last the Queen made her appearance to heal the breach.

The Queen seemed reserved, and appeared to have much to say, but did not know how to commence ; but at last she said, with respect to Gubbreducco, that she would swear that she knew nothing whatever of his going to the King her brother to induce him to make an attack upon the ship. She asked several times for the book of Common Prayer (our Allah's book) ; but I told her that I believed that she was ignorant of the matter ; and that an affair of such bn- portance, and ofa nature so disgraceful, would never have been intrusted to her ; said moreover, that after what I had heard, I could place no more confidence in their oaths, when the King had broken the oath made by him, the Mallam, and Abboka on their own book the Koran, as well as upon my Prayer-Book. I likewise told her that it was the duty of the King, when such a proposal was made to him by Gabbreduceo, to have secured him and sent him to me, and I would have punished him : that the King had not sent any yams or messengers as he was wont to do, which I looked upou as neglectful and inattentive ; and that when Gabbreducco should come with his canoes to make his intended at- tack, I would set fire to Iddah and all the towns around it (at the same pointing up to the towns.) Moreover, I told her that, if any thing happened to the vessel, a man-of. war would come and destroy all the territories of Attah : that I was quite prepared ; and, come when he would, he should meet with a warm reception.

The Queen told me that Attah was very angry with Gabbreduco for making war Ju-ju so soon after her brother's death.

The Mean] assured me that the King iutruated him with all secrets, and he bad beard nothing of the intention% of Gabbreducco; that he was the King's dare, mid could not carry on such designs without the assistance of the King's peop'e. I told hint that, afier signing the agreement with the King, to attempt any thing of the kind against me, who had made them such valuable presents, tad had been on terms of such intimacy with them, was the most enormous aime they could possibly commit. With respect to the Alallains, I had always considered them as a body of respectable and intelligent men ; but when I saw me so aged violate the agreement without remonstrating with the King against such treachery, I did not think that theme was a good and upright man in the hole country. The Queen told me that she had brought a tooth for sale ; but I told her that the goods were at the bottom of the ship, and I could not tiade then. Abboka said that the Queen and he were both hungry ; and therefore pee- vided sonic goat's flesh and some y nuns, and they went into the cabin ; where Abboka pointed out the immense quardity of eanister•shot, which was pur- posely lelt on the table, and certainly had a very formidable appearance •' at which the Queen appeared afraid, but nevertheless made a very hearty meal. Abboka still maintained that the report lespecting Gabhreducco was arise; said if he did not oppose his designs lie must die, at the same time putting a sword to his throat. He had promised, he mid, to protect the White men, and he most certainly would do so. The Queen and her retinue remained a considerable time on board ; and on their departure, Abboka desired no to fire a few guns, which I immediately complied with. The Queen was very much alarmed, and at the same time bay friendly. She refused to chink any rum unless assured of my friendship. We had written, and indeed put in type, some observations on the causes of this expedition's failure, the commercial capabilitiee of the Niger, and the means by which Mr. LAIRD proposes to develop them ; but the length to which this notice has extended %isms us to stop here for the present.