William Allen's Narrative of the 1841 Niger expedition
William Allen's Narrative of the 1841 Niger expedition


Royal Navy1841 Niger expeditionBookList of Illustrations ◄►  Chapter I

A NARRATIVE
OF THE
EXPEDITION TO THE RIVER NIGER
.

CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME


Chapter I

Departure of the 'Wilberforce' from the Confluence - Increase of the sickness - Call at Abòh - Obi's apparent ingratitude - Simon Jonas the catechist turned tailor - African notion of gowns - Difficulty of procuring fuel - Melancholy thoughts - Boat lost by a singular accident - Repassing Louis Creek - Death of Mr. Wakeham - Indefatigable exertions of the Krumen - Proceed to Fernando Po - 'Soudan's' voyage down the river - Death of Messrs. Marshall and Waters - Preparations for voyage to Ascension - Doctor Vogel and Mr. Roscher left at Clarence Cove - Anxiety of some of the black settlers to be baptized - Mr. Beecroft offers his services to assist the 'Albert' - Remains of the former expedition - Departure of the 'Ethiope' and 'Soudan' - Reduced condition of the 'Wilberforce' - Death of Messrs. Harvey and Coleman.

Chapter II

The 'Wilberforce' leaves Fernando Po - Visits Prince's Island - Madame Ferreira - Island of St. Thomas - A Yankee skipper - llha das Rollas - Souffleurs - Variety of pigeons - Wild boars - Negro residents - Their superstitions - Watering place, St. Thomas - Monkey plum-tree - Annobone - Governor Tom Joe, his prerogatives - A noisy market afloat - Singular religious procession - Poverty of the inhabitants - Appearance of the town - Guinea-fowlshooting - Visit to the Mountain lake - Gothic arch of palm trees - Scarcity of fuel - Flying fish - Ascension - Its desolate look - Magnetic observations - Proceedings at that island - Arrival of Her Majesty's brig 'Buzzard' - Melancholy information respecting the 'Albert' - Reported murder of Mr. Carr, and attack on the settlers at the Model Farm.

Chapter III

'Soudan' dispatched from Fernando Po to the 'Albert's' assistance - Meet off the entrance to Nun River - Melancholy condition of the 'Albert's' crew - Doctor McWilliam's journal of proceeding above the Confluence - Kellebeh - Filatahs - Omeh, chief of Kakandah - Increasing sickness of the 'Albert's' crew - Gori market - Tribute exacted by the Filatahs - Native garrulity - A slave canoe captured - Price of slaves - History of a slave - Buddu - Kinami - Domestic slaves - Natives of Bushi - Ideas of a future state - Rogang, the Nufi chief - Egga - Form of the dwellings - Native fashion of painting the eyes - Religion of the Nufis - Dress - Price of a wife - Death of King Musa - Origin of the subjugation of the Nufi people - Zumozariki, an important chief - Vaccination - Captain Trotter attacked with the fever - Obliged to relinquish the further prosecution of the Expedition up the river.

Chapter IV

Rogang's opinion of the Model Farm - Illness of the engineers - Doctor Stanger volunteers to manage the engines - Village of Buddu - Kakanda, tributary to the Attàh of Iddah - Filatah exactions - The captured slaves belonging to the Chief of Muyè - Influence of medical men among the natives - Mallam doctors - Anxious to introduce vaccination - Native method of cupping - One of the officers jumps overboard in a paroxysm of fever - Saved by two Africans - Mr. Lodge, engineer, drowned - Sickness of all the Europeans employed at the Model Establishment - Their removal - Prices of provisions - Progress down the river - Doctor MacWilliam's trying position - Aduku's kind wishes - Increasing sickness of 'Albert's' crew, and death of Mr. Kingdon - King Obi somewhat redeems his character by assisting the 'Albert' - The Abòh chief judge frightened - Meet the 'Ethiope' - Anxious period for Doctors Mac Williams and Stanger - Tribute to Mr. Beecroft for his generous services - The 'Albert' reaches Fernando Po.

Chapter V

The 'Albert's' sick landed at Fernando Po - Death of Mr. Willie - Condition of the sick - Captain Trotter's sufferings - Doctor McWilliam attacked with river fever - Death of Commander Bird Allen - Tribute to his memory - Kru sympathy - An interesting scene - Death of Lieutenant Stenhouse - Further mortality - Departure of Mr. Carr for the Model Farm - Captain Trotter leaves for England - The smokes - Agreeable effects of tornadoes - Death of Doctor Vogel - His unwearied exertions and zeal in the cause of science - Kind attentions received by the Expedition from Mr. White and the other residents at Clarence - The 'Albert' leaves Clarence Cove for Ascension - Passage - A short account of the Niger fever - Modes of treatment - Quinine strongly recommended - Probable causes of the fever - Influence of diet.

Chapter VI

Consultation of the Commissioners respecting future operations - Decide on returning to the coast - Dispatches sent to Government by Lieut. Toby - The Rev. Theodore Müller returns to England - Further remarks on Ascension - The Blowhole, or Grampus Cavern - Natural volcanic arch - Turtle - The "Wide-awake" and "Gannet Fairs" - Magnetic term-days - The 'Wilberforce' leaves Ascension for the Bight of Biafra - Discoloration of the sea by confervae - Luminosity of sea; how connected with this appearance - Phosphorescent polypi - Revisit Cape Coast - Change in the plumage of some of the birds - Accra - Mr. Bannerman's hospitality - Comparison between Fantis and Ashantis - A runaway Bornù slave - Swamped in the surf - Fernando Po - Its appearance - Clarence Cove - Edeeyahs, or natives - Their physical characters - No traditionary evidence of their origin - Native towns and villages - Moral and social condition of the inhabitants - Manners and customs - Government - Religious superstitions - Festival at the planting of the yam - Observances on decease of any of the tribe - System of betrothal - Severe punishment for adultery - Mode of fishing - Land crabs - Native method of chanting - Palm-nut gatherers - Description of a hunt with the Edeeyahs - Bota-kimmo, or chanting priest.

Chapter VII

Mr. Jamieson's settlement at Bassa-pu - Mr. Beecroft's knowledge of the native character - Gigantic trees - Botanical remarks - Monkeys - Squirrels - Birds - The spiny-tailed flying squirrel - The large blue plantain-eater - Sun-birds - Large snakes - The mason wasp -Krumen catching a turtle - New moon dances of the Africans -Bimbia - King William - Odd costume of that chief - His wives -Tribute paid in slaves - Royal displeasure - Avaricious demands -Fondness for strong liquors - King William's consequence - Mòndoleh - Yellow Nako, the Lord of the Isles - Voracity of the blue shark - Peculiar structures about the head - Supposed uses.

Chapter VIII

Cameroons - King Bell - The free Egbos - The palace - Native dwellings - Physical characteristics of the Duallas - Mode of arranging the hair - Human sacrifices - The Jibareh creek - Excursion up the Madiba ma Dualla - Pilot Glasgow - Appearance of the river - Prince Beppo - Wuri Island - Andámako - Wana Makembi - A welcome - Curiosity of the natives - Coffin applied to a singular purpose - A supper party - Opposition of the natives - Scenery - Fishing nets - Yabiàng river - Village of Kokki - An African wake - Names of the rivers - Geological features - Trade in palm oil - Causes operating against its advancement - Manufacture of grass cloths - King Aqua - Dangerous shallows.

Chapter IX

Bay of Amboises - Mongo ma-Lobah; probably the "Chariot of the Gods" of Hanno - An amusing chase - Abobbi, or Pirate Isle - Difficulty of the ascent - The inhabitants of the Amboises - Their language - Damèh - Mòndoleh - Geological formation - The Chief of the Woody Hill - The purple-crested plantain-eater - King Will - Royal displeasure - Bad bobs or palavers - Bimbia Island - Physical characteristics of the Bimbians - Superstition - Ideas of white doctors - Bimbian musical instruments and music - Return to Clarence Cove - Enquiries made as to the fate of Mr. Carr - Young Glorio - Edeeyah dance - Visit George's Bay - Natives - Topi or palm-wine - Edeeyah females - Mode of communicating by music -Glasgow and the drum.

Chapter X

Visit to Prince's Island - A Ride to Santa Anna - View up the Porto - Kru boat dance - New Case of Fever - Return to Clarence - Awaiting Orders - Instructions from England expected - Salubrity of the Bay of Amboises - Preparations to re-ascend the Niger - Captain Allen's proposed Plan of Operations - Timely arrival of H.M.S. vessel 'Kite' - The Expedition ordered to England - H.M.S. vessel 'Kite' ordered to take the crews home by Captain Allen - 'Wilberforce' sent up to the Model Farm with a few officers and a black crew - Visit to the grave of our companions - The 'Kite' sails for England - Captain Allen's illness - Arrival of the Expedition at Plymouth.

Chapter XI

Lieutenant Webb's Instructions - Re-enters the Niger - Altered appearance of the River - Force of the Current - Anchor off Abòh Creek - Visit to Obi - Inquiry relative to the fate of Mr. Carr. - Obi's pretended ignorance - King Boy's statement - The hostile town - The 'Wilberforce' gets aground - People encamped on the sand-banks - Calls off Iddah - The vessel grounds again - Present to the Attàh of the Eggarahs - Intricate navigation - Vessel strikes on a concealed reef - Dangerous position - The exertions of the crew - Amada Bue visits the 'Wilberforce' - Reaches the Model Farm - Importance of divisional compartments in iron vessels - Shimaboe, the Attàh's uncle - Lieutenant Webb endeavours to hold communication with the Filatahs - Agajah, Chief of Priapì - A Letter and Present sent to the King of Rabbah - The Model Farm abandoned - Lieutenant Webb's reasons for so doing - Departure from the Confluence - Sickly condition of the crew - Proceedings at Abòh - Obi's treacherous behaviour - Attempt to seize Lieutenant Webb - Mr. Carr's supposed fate.

Chapter XII

Communication of the Egyptians with the interior of Africa - Conquest of many tribes in the interior - Sabaco, an Ethiopian prince, reigns over Egypt - Immigration of Copts into Ethiopia - Some of their customs adopted by the Abyssinians - Analogies between many of the observances of Abyssinia and West African tribes - Religious rituals of the West Africans probably borrowed from the Egyptians- Orders of priesthood - Mysterious ceremonies associated with the priestly office - Secret religious societies of Africa - Offerings to the deities - Sacred animals - Customs connected with mourning for the dead - Yam festival, its apparent connexion with some Coptic ceremony - Various observances common to Egyptians, still met with among the West African tribes - Identity of design in many of their manufactures - Aggri beads found among several African tribes - Inferences to be deduced from all these circumstances.

Chapter XIII

The Slave Question Considered.


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