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► Royal Navy ► 1841 Niger expedition ► BookAppendix (part 3) ◄►  Volume II

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A NARRATIVE
OF THE
EXPEDITION TO THE RIVER NIGER.

VOLUME I, APPENDIX (part 4).

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[Initial numbers of officers and crew]

STATEMENT of the Number of Officers and Crews of the Vessels comprising the Niger Expedition, when they commenced their Ascent of the Niger, August 20th, 1841.

* This number includes the interpreters, but not the men, women and children, belonging to the Model Farm, 21 of whom were in the 'Amelia,' and 2 in the 'Wilberforce.'

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Her Majesty's Steam-Vessel 'Albert'

List of European Officers and Crew, and of Coloured Men entered in England, belonging to Her Majesty's Steam-Vessel 'Albert' when she commenced her ascent of the Niger, August 20, 1841.

Officers
	Name	Rank
	H.D. Trotter	Captain
	E.G. Fishbourne	Lieutenant
*	D.H. Stenhouse	Lieutenant and Assistant-Surveyor; died 28th October, 1841, at Fernando Po
*	Geo. B. Harvey	Master; died 2nd October, 1841, on board the 'Wilberforce' at Fernando Po
†	Theodore Müller	Chaplain (Chaplain to the Commissioners, and Arabic Interpreter)
	J.O. McWilliam M.D.	Surgeon (Surgeon to the Commissioners)
*	James Woodhouse	Assistant-Surgeon; died 30th of October, 1841, at Fernando Po
*	F.D. Nightingale	Assistant-Surgeon (in 'Amelia'); died 17th of September, 1841, on board the 'Albert,' at the confluence
	William Bowden	Purser (Secretary to the Commissioners)
*	William C. Willie	Mate; died 18th of October, 1841, at Fernando Po
	James W. Fairholme	Mate (in 'Amelia')
	R.T. Saunders	Second Master
	W.R. Bush	Clerk
*	W.H. Wilmett	Clerk; died 5th of November, 1841, at Fernando Po
	Richard Mouat	Assistant-Clerk (extra Clerk to the Commissioners)
	William Merriman	Gunner
	John Langley	Engineer, 1st class
*	Albion Lodge	Engineer, 2nd class; drowned 8th of October, 1841, in the River Niger, when labouring under river fever
	James Brown	Engineer, 2nd class
Civilian
	Name	Rank
†	William Stanger, M.D.	Geologist and Explorer
Ship's Company (Europeans)
	Name	Rank
*	John Fuge	Captain of the forecastle (in 'Amelia'); died 29th of September, 1841, in River Niger
*	William M'Millan	Quarter-Master; died 27th of September, 1841, on board Her Majesty's brigantine 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension
	Robert Thomas	Stoker
	Henry Davey	Carpenter's mate
‡	John M'Clintock	Stoker; died 21st November, 1841, at Fernando Po
	Thomas Ashcroft	Quarter-Master
	James Haughton	Gunner's mate (in 'Amelia')
*	John Peglar	Armourer and stoker; died 6th September, 1841, in River Niger
*	Ellis Jones	Quarter-Master; died 26th September, 1841, on board Her Majesty's brigantine 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension
	Edward Capps	Captain's steward
	John Duncan	Master-at-arms
†	John Huxley	Sick-berth attendant
*	John Burgess	Quarter-Master; died 14th September, 1841, in the River Niger
	Thomas Ward	Gun-room steward
	Charles Loader	Caulker
*	Lewis Wolfe	Yeoman of signals; died 27th September, 1841, on board 'Soudan,' at Fernando Po
*	Robert Millward	Purser's steward; died 22nd October, 1841, at Fernando Po
†	Richard Lamb	Gentlemen's steward
*	James Robertson	Stoker; died 17th September, 1841, at the confluence
	William Vine	Blacksmith
	James May	Boatswain's mate
†	Archibald Yair	Sick-berth attendant
	James Worwood	Able seaman
*	George Powell	Cooper; died 11th September, 1841, in River Niger
*	George Symes	Captain of forecastle; died 2nd October, 1841, in River Niger
Marines
†	Charles Hodges	Serjeant
*	John Waller	Corporal (in 'Amelia'); died 26th September, 1841, on board Her Majesty's brigantine 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension
*	Henry Gibson	Private; died April, 1842, in Ascension Hospital
*	George Cole	Private; died 17th October, 1841, near Fernando Po
	James Barrett	Drummer
‡	Morgan Kinson	Private; died 6th November, 1841, at Fernando Po
	Benjamin Saunders	Private
	John Syms	Private
Sappers and Miners
	Tobias Edmunds	Corporal (lance serjeant)
	James Craig	Private (lance corporal)
	Daniel Carlton	Private
*	William Moffat	Private; (in 'Amelia,') died 26th September, 1841, on board Her Majesty's brigantine 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension

* Died from river fever or its effects
† Escaped the river fever
‡ Escaped the river fever, but died from the effects of climate on an impaired constitution

Coloured Men entered in England
Place born		Name	Rating
Guinea		William Oakley	Captain's cook
Calcutta		Emanuel Mandulee	Gun-room servant
West Indies	†	John Williams	Captain's servant
Bombay		William Underwood	Gun-room servant
Halifax		Richard Wilson	Engineer's servant
Gambia	†	William Guy	Able seaman
Kru Country	†	Jack Be-Off	Ordinary seaman
Gambia	†	Richard Harry	Boy
Sierra Leone	†	Andrew Williams	Able seaman
Jamaica		Edward Henderson	Sick-berth cook
Antigua	†	John Robertson	Stoker
	†	Thomas Johnson	Ordinary seaman
Eboe	†	James Graft	Stoker
Sierra Leone	†	James Carroll	Stoker

† Escaped the river fever

N.B.- The 'Albert' lost after leaving England, Samuel Johnson, Captain of the forecastle, and John William Bach, mathematical instrument maker; the former was killed at sea by falling from the fore-yard on the 3rd July, 1841; the latter died of fever (not of an endemical kind) at the mouth of the River Nun, on the 15th of August, 1841.

Her Majesty's Steam-Vessel 'Wilberforce'

List of European Officers and Crew, and of Coloured Men entered in England, belonging to Her Majesty's Steam-Vessel 'Wilberforce' when she commenced her ascent of the Niger, August 20, 1841.

Officers
	Name	Rank
	William Allen	Commander
†	James N. Strange	Lieutenant
	Henry C. Harston	Lieutenant (in 'Amelia')
	William Forster	Master
†	Morris Pritchett, M.D.	Surgeon
†	J.R.H. Thomson	Assistant-Surgeon
†	John Stirling	Assistant-Surgeon
*	Cyrus Wakeham	Purser; died 27th September, 1841, River Nun
	Henry C. Toby	Mate
	W.H.T. Green	Second Master and Assistant-Surveyor
‡	J.H.R. Webb	Clerk
	William Johnston	Engineer, 1st class
	Joseph Graystock	Engineer, 2nd class
	George Garritte	Engineer, 3rd class
Civilians
†	William Cook	Commissioner
	J.E. Terry	Chief Clerk to Commissioners
	William Simpson	Clerk to Commissioners
‡	Rev. J.F. Schön	Missionary, of the Church Missionary Society of England
*	Dr. F.R. Vogel	Botanist; died 17th December, 1841, Fernando Po
	C.G. Roscher	Miner and Geologist
	Lewis Frazer	Naturalist
	Alfred Carr	Superintendent of model farm (a West Indian of colour)
	John Ansell	Collector of Plants
Ship's Company (Europeans)
	Henry Collins	Blacksmith
*	Peter Fitzgerald	Stoker; died 2nd October, 1841, Fernando Po
	John Bailey	Cooper
	John Wilson	Captain's cook
	Richard Smythers	Gun-room steward
	Henry Hillier	Carpenter's mate
†	David Douglass	Gentlemen's steward
	F.J. Gurney	Gunner's mate
	James M'Cluskey	Stoker
†	Michael Walsh	Carpenter's crew
‡	John Waddington	Quarter-Master
	James Carr	Stoker
	George Crofts	Quarter-Master
	Absolam Delavante	Arabic interpreter
	William Funge	Able seaman
	Joseph Hopkins	Sail maker
	Edwin Hoskin	Purser's steward
	George Boys	Captain of the foretop
	William Ward	Captain of the forecastle
*	James Kneebone	Ordinary Seaman; died 11th September, 1841, River Niger
*	William Allford	Ordinary seaman; died 31st October, 1841
	Richard James	Ordinary seaman
	William Lucas	Boatswain's mate
Marines
*	George Cuthbertson	Serjeant; died 11th October, 1841, on board, off Prince's Island
	William Jones	Private
	Daniel Bloomfield	Private
	John Bealey, alias Veley	Private
	William Ford	Private
	John Osborne	Corporal
	Samuel Hill	Private
	Thomas Roberts	Private
	William Day	Private
Sappers and Miners
	William Martin	Second Corporal (Lance Serjeant)
	James Cotter	Private
*	William Rabling	Private; died 14th December, 1841, at the confluence
	Henry Rosemergy	Private

* Died from river fever or its effects
† Escaped the river fever
‡ Died on the second ascent of 'Wilberforce' under Lieut. Webb

Coloured Men entered in England
Place born		Name	Rating
Barbadoes	†	John Garner	Captain's steward
St. John's, America	‡	James Case	Able seaman
Gambia	‡	John Dennis	Able seaman
Jamaica	†	William Scott	Ship's cook
Haussa	†	James Peters	Ordinary seaman
Jamaica	‡	William Jackson	Engineer's servant
Cape Coast	†	Lewis Asasa	Ordinary seaman

† Escaped the river fever
The fever with which these men were attacked in the river assumed the character of intermittent: they had previously had remittent fever on the coast before entering the river.

N.B.- The 'Wilberforce' lost, after leaving England, John Morley, carpenter's mate, and Henry Halbert, able seaman, (a coloured man;) the former was drowned at St. Vincent, Cape de Verde Islands, on the 10th of June, 1841; the latter died on the coast of fever on the 23rd of July, 1841. Another coloured man, David Wright, seaman, died of apoplexy on the 22nd July, 1841.

Her Majesty's Steam-Vessel 'Soudan'

List of European Officers and Crew, and of Coloured Men entered in England, who were on board Her Majesty's Steam-Vessel 'Soudan' when she commenced her ascent of the Niger on the 20th August, 1841.

Officers
	Name	Rank
*	Bird Allen	Commander; died 25th October, 1841 Fernando Po
	William Ellis	Lieutenant
	John Belam	Master
*	W.B. Marshall	Surgeon; died 21st September, 1841, River Nun
*	H.C. Collman	Assistant-Surgeon; died 6th October, 1841, Fernando Po
	W.H. Webb	Mate
	F.W. Sidney	Mate and Assistant-Surveyor
*	Nicolas Waters	Clerk in charge of provisions; died 22nd September,1841, River Niger
*	William Kingdon	Assistant Clerk and Schoolmaster; died 13th of October, 1841, River Niger
	G.V. Gustaffson	Engineer, 1st class
	William Johnson	Engineer, 2nd class
Ship's Company (Europeans)
*	Christopher Bigley	Stoker; died 2nd October, 1841, Fernando Po
	John Perram	Stoker
	William Strain	Gentlemen's steward
*	John Kirrens	Stoker; died 27th September, 1841, Her Majesty's brigantine 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension
*	John Whittaker	Quarter-Master [died 29th September, 1841 in 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension; not given here]
*	Charles Levinge	Captain's steward; died 9th September, 1841, River Niger
	John Davis	Captain's coxwain
*	William M'Lackland	Sailmaker; died 24th November,1841, in 'Warree,' on passage to England
	Cornelius Trower	Stoker
*	John Young	Quarter-Master; died 27th September, 1841, Her Majesty's brigantine 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension
*	James Thomas	Carpenter's crew; died 21st September, 1841, River Niger
	John Straman	Able seaman
	John Wood	Gunner's mate
	Henry Dennis	Boatswain's mate
*	James Hill	Gun-room steward; died 25th September, 1841, Her Majesty's brigantine 'Dolphin,' on passage to Ascension
Marines
	Hugh Isaacs	Corporal
	Richard Pitham	Gunner, Royal Marine Artillery
	John Hibberd	Private
	Philip Tyack	Private

* Died from river fever or its effects.

Coloured Men entered in England
Place born		Name	Rating
Dominique, West Indies		John Gray	Sick-berth attendant
Tortola, West Indies		Michael King	Purser's steward
Gambia, Africa	*	George Lee	Able seaman
St. Thomas, Africa	†	James Vaux	Able seaman

* Escaped the river fever.
† Had remittent fever in the river, but not of the same kind as attacked the Europeans.

N.B.- The 'Soudan' lost, after leaving England, Richard Edwards, Purser's steward (a coloured man) who was drowned at sea 20th May, 1841.

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ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES

[not reproduced here]

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VITAL STATISTICS OF THE EXPEDITION AT ITS CLOSE

Statistical Account of the Cases of Fever that actually occurred on board H.M.S. Albert, (including Amelia tender and Model Farm), Wilberforce, and Soudan, while the vessels were in the Niger: showing also where the deaths took place*.

H.M.S. Albert, including Amelia Tenders and Model Farm. Albert in the river 64 days.
Number of officers, white seamen, marines, and sappers	62†
Of whom were attacked with fever in the Niger	55, or 1 in 1.127
Died on board the Albert	9
" Wilberforce	9
" Soudan	1
" Dolphin	4
" Merchant ship Warree	1
Died at Fernando Po Sick Quarters	6
" Royal Naval Hospital, Ascension	1=23
Ratio of deaths in total number victualled	1 in 2.696
" in number of cases	1 in 2.391
Men of colour of various nations entered in England	15‡
" attacked with fever in Niger	6, or 1 in 2.500
Blacks entered on the coast	76
" attacked with fever in river	0

* These Tables are wholly irrespective of the ships to which the officers, seamen, &c., belonged. They are intended to denote on board of what ships they were first seized with fever: and in what ships, or where the deaths took place. Without some plan of this nature, it would be impossible to convey a clear idea of the vital statistics of the expedition; seeing that at the Confluence the distribution of the crews of the squadron was considerably changed.

† Adding Captain B. Allen, Mr. Webb, mate, and William McLauchlan, sailmaker, of Soudan, who joined before the Albert left the Confluence to proceed upwards, and were taken ill immediately afterwards: also Mr. Kingdon, schoolmaster, and Mr. Ansell, collector, who were received on board in a dangerous state from fever, when the Albert was at the Confluence on her way out of the river, and deducting Lieut. Fishbourne.

‡ Adding one received at Confluence when the Albert was descending the river.

H.M.S. Wilberforce; in the River 45 days.
Number of officers, white seamen, marines, and sappers	56*
Of whom were attacked with fever in the Niger	48, or 1 in 1.666
Died on board the Wilberforce	6
" at Fernando Po Sick Quarters	1=7
Ratio of deaths in total number victualled	1 in 8.000
" in number of cases	1 in 6.857
Men of colour of various nations entered in England	7†
" attacked with fever in Niger	3, or 1 in 2.500
Blacks entered on the coast	39

H.M.S. Soudan; in the River 40 days.
Number of officers, white seamen, marines, and sappers	27‡
Of whom were attacked with fever in Niger	27, or 1 in 1.000
Died on board the Soudan	5
" Wilberforce	1
" Dolphin	4=10
Ratio of deaths in total number victualled	1 in 2.700
Men of colour of various nations entered in England	3
" attacked with fever in Niger	2, or 1 in 1.500
Blacks entered on the coast	18
" attacked with fever in river	0

* Deducing Mr. Ansell.

† Deducing the officer of colour received on board Albert at Model Farm.

‡ Including Lieut. Fishbourne, who joined at the Confluence, before descending the river.

Statistical Summary deduced from the above Tables	Albert &c.	Wilberforce	Soudan	Total
Total number of whites	62	56	27	145
Cases of fever among ditto	55	48	27	*130
Deaths among ditto	23	7	10	40
Number of blacks	91	46	21	158
Cases of fever	6	3	2	11
H.M.S. Wilberforce on her return to the Coast in 1842
Died of fever				1
Wilberforce's Second Voyage up the Niger in July, 1842
Number of whites on board				8
Number attacked with fever				7, or 1 in 1.140
Deaths in number on board from after-effects				2, or 1 in 4.000
Ditto in number of cases				1 in 3.500

*

Names of those who escaped the Fever in the Niger. Albert: William Stanger, M.D., geologist, suffered afterwards from intermittent in England. Theodore Muller, Chaplain, left the river at the Confluence. Charles Hodges, Serjeant, Marines, was frequently unwell afterwards from head-ach, but was a good deal relieved by ulcers breaking out in the legs. Morgan Kinson, P. Marine, died of gastritis at Fernando Po. John Huxley, sick-berth attendant, had a severe fever seven weeks after leaving the river at Fernando Po. William Lamb, mid-steward, ditto, ditto. Archibald Yair, sick-berth attendant, left at the Confluence in Soudan, and was quite well throughout. Wilberforce. William Cook, Commissioner, left the river in Wilberforce. James N. Stange, Lieutenant (now Commander), ditto, ditto. Morris Pritchett, M.D., Surgeon, ditto, ditto. James F. Schon, Chaplain, ascended to Egga in Albert. T.R.H. Thomson, Assistant-Surgeon (now Surgeon), left the river in Soudan. Suffered much from intermittent fever on his return to England. John Stirling, Assistant-Surgeon, left the river in the Soudan. Walsh, carpenter's crew, left the river in the Wilberforce. Douglas, mid-steward, ditto, ditto.

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RETURN OF THE TOTAL MORTALITY, stated under the respective Ships to which the Officers, Seamen, Marines, &c. belong, from the time the Expedition left England to its completion.

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DR. STANGER'S GEOLOGICAL REPORT
TO THE
AFRICAN CIVILIZATION SOCIETY.

[illustration: Geological Section]

In the following notes, scanty in consequence of the unfortunate circumstances under which the country was visited, I beg leave to communicate to the Society, the geological phenomena which came under my notice, during the exploration of 340 miles of the river Niger, from the mouth of the Nun branch of that river to Egga.

The Delta, a flat tract, composed of clay and sand, in some places containing mica and much vegetable matter, extends 120 miles up to Eboe. The banks in this part are elevated only a few feet above the level of the river, and the country in the interior is swampy. Within the reach of the tidal waters, mangrove trees abound and a few palms, but beyond this point, the surface is covered with dense forests of the Bombax, and other large trees. From the mineral character of the soil of this part, I prognosticated granite would be found in the upper part of the river.

From Eboe to lldah, a distance of 100 miles, there is a gradual rise of country, and the land is higher on the sides of the river, but still very swampy, and the soil of the same character as in the Delta. There are no hard rocks in this part of the country, the cliffs of Iddah being the first which occur. These cliffs are 185 feet high, (barometrical measurement,) and are composed of sandstone, the strata of which are for the most part horizontal, but occasionally dip at an angle of 3° S.E. {Along the west coast of Africa, at Accra, and perhaps Sierra Leone and Monrovia, is a sandstone of the same character, which at Accra is horizontally stratified, and may possibly be connected with the same rock as that observed on the banks of the Niger.}

From Adda-Kudda up the river, as far as examined, the sandstone. The sandstone is fine granite, and composed of transparent particles of white quartz. The upper beds are highly ferruginous. The strata are cut through by joints running in all directions. In a cave north-east of Iddah, the sandstone occurs in horizontal strata, and shows well the appearance of false stratification, being cut across diagonally and very regularly by numerous parallel lines, having the appearance shown in the section A; between the diagonal lines, there is a thin layer of peroxide of iron

After very careful examination, only one obscure fossil, having some resemblance to a Pollicipes, was detected in the sandstone. The cliffs of Iddah are formed by the outcrop of a ridge of hills running N.E. and S.W.

From Iddah to Kirri, the country is composed of the same sandstone, which is more or less ferruginous in places, and which forms elevated table-lands, bounded by cliffs and masses of debris.

At Kirri, mica slate occurs, dipping at an angle of 85° west. Thess strata on the right bank stand up in high masses, having the appearance of leaning walls. Opposite Kirri, in the bed of the river, is the "Bird rock," which is a mass of white quartz evidently embedded in the mica slate. From Kirri to Adda-Kudda, the hills are granite, on the south side of which the mica slate rests, but the point of junction from the river could not be seen. These hills, which have been called the "Kong Mountains," do not attain a height of more than 1200 feet, of which Mount Soracte appears to be the highest. Beaufort Island is of granite, much decomposed on the surface, which is rough from the projection of felspar crystals. This granite contains little mica, and is composed of felspar and quartz, with a small quantity of hornblende. The blocks of granite are piled one upon another like masonry, and the soil between them is a rich loam. At Okaze, the granite is large crystalline, and contains very beautiful opalescent felspar.

At Adda-Kudda, the granite is mixed up and complicated with gneiss, which generally dips at an angle of 60° to the south. The granite forms veins running into the gneiss in all directions. and in some places the granite contains embedded masses of gneiss. From Adda-Kudda up the river, as far as examined, the sandstone occurred in horizontal strata as before, but generally more highly ferruginous.

At Stirling Hill, the peroxide of iron occurs in great abundance, in form of "pea-iron ore," of a very beautiful character.

Mount Patteh, which is 1160 feet high, is the commencement of the table-land "on the north side of the granite," which appears to be the character of the country above this place.

From the preceding facts the following conclusions may be drawn:

The granite is the central axis, mica slate and gneiss occurring on each side and dipping at great angles.

The sandstone lies unconformably on the mica slate and gneiss, as shown in the ideal section of the river.

The phenomena observed indicate three geological periods.
1st. The eruption of granite and elevation of mica slate and gneiss.
2nd. The deposition of the sandstone unconformably on the flanks of the mica slate and granite.
3rd. The upraising of the whole country, and the cutting through of the granite and the sandstone; the destruction of which at a more recent period, would afford the materials for the formation of the Delta, such as we now find composing it.

(Signed) WM. STANGER.

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Top↑Appendix (part 3) ◄►  Volume II 

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