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CYCLOPAEDIA OF MODERN TRAVEL: 
 
 A RECORD OF 
 
 ADVENTURE, EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY, 
 
 FOE THE PAST FIFTY YEARS: 
 
 C0MPR18IN0 
 
 NARRATIVES OP THE iMOST DISTINGUISHED TRAVELERS SINCE THE 
 BEOINNINCt Oi- THIS CENTURY : 
 
 PREPARED AND ARRANGED BY 
 
 BAYARD TAYLOR. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 CINCINNATI: 
 
 MOO HE, WILSTACH, KEYS& CO., 
 
 26 WEST FOURTH STREET. 
 
 ^PllINGI'IELD. MASS.: 
 
 C.O.CHAPIN. 
 
 1856. 
 
 ■1 
 
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 Entered, according to Act of Congress, In the year 1866, by 
 
 MOOEE, WIL8TACII, KEYS & CO., 
 
 In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of Ohio. 
 
 BtBOTROTTPaD BT 
 
 THOMAS B. SMITH, 
 
 FBINTBD BT 
 
 OVEREND & CO., 
 
i 
 
 !> 
 
 TO 
 
 ALEXANDER VOiN HUMBOLDT, 
 
 THE OLDEST AN1> THE MOST HENOWNED t>F LIVING TRAVELERS, 
 
 THIS CUMl'IflNlJIUM OK THE KKBULTS OV MOHKKN 
 XKAVKI, ANI» KXPliOBATION, 
 
 IS 
 
 ?(Iletocrjtttln Inscribeb. 
 
 
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PREFACE. 
 
 Tub present century is emphatically an ago of exploration and 
 discovery. At no period sinco the days of Columbus and Cortez 
 has the thirst for exploring now 'ir Is been more active and univer- 
 sal than now. One by one the out) t'sts of barbarism are stormed 
 and carried ; advanced parallels ive thrown up, and the besieging 
 lines of knowledge, which, whuu oncii established, can never be re- 
 taken, are gradually closing lound the yet unconquered mysteries 
 of the globe. Modern exploration is intelligent, and its results are 
 therefore positive and permanent. The traveler no longer wanders 
 bewildered in a cloud of fables, prepared to see marvels, and but too 
 ready to create them : ho tests every step of the way by the sure 
 light of science, and his pioneer trail becomes a plain and easy path 
 to those who follow. The pencil, the compass, the barometer, and 
 the sextant accompany him ; geology, botany, and ethnology are 
 his aids ; and by these helps and appliances, his single brain now 
 achieves results which it would once have required an armed force 
 to win. 
 
 In nuthing is this change more manifest than in the character 
 of the narratives of modern travelers, as contrasted with those of 
 the past three centuries. The old travelers had all the wonder and 
 the credulity of children, and were scarcely less naive and unembar- 
 rassed in the candor of their relations. They made their works a 
 complete confessional of their experiences ; they withheld no secrets 
 from their readers, and in their account of the customs of strange 
 races they frequently descended to details which the extreme deli- 
 cacy of modem taste would not allow. Their volumes are singular 
 compounds of personal experiences, historical episodes, statistics, 
 and reflections on the laws, religions, and habits of life of other 
 races of men, interwoven with many wonderful stories, and with 
 the most extraordinary conjectures and speculations. Their con- 
 
vm 
 
 PREFACE, 
 
 scientiousness in describing all which they saw, and their readiness 
 in believing all which they heard, have subjected most of them to 
 the charge of ex ';gge ration, if not of positive falsehood ; yet many 
 of their most extraordinary statements have been fully confirmed 
 in our own day, and there is scarcely a single instance where 
 any old traveler of repute has been convicted of willful fab- 
 rication. 
 
 The modern traveler, on the other hand, is characterized by 
 scepticism rather than credulity. He is much inoro interested in 
 solving some problem of physical geography, or in illustrating some 
 favorite scientific theory, than in tales of "gorgons, hydras, and 
 chimaeras dire." As the ends of the earth have been brought to- 
 gether, through the extension of commercial intercourse, and that 
 magnificent system of colonization which is the leading feature of 
 modern history, he is no longer obliged to masquerade in the dis- 
 guises of other races than his own, but bears about him the dis- 
 tinguishing stamp of his nationality. He is thus less truly a cos- 
 mopolite than his prototype of two centuries back, and while his 
 delineations of nature are in most cases as exact and faithful as 
 possible, he gives us less of that intrinsic human nature which lends 
 such a charm to the story of the latter. There are some exceptions, 
 it is true, the most remarkable of whom is M. Hue, who exhibits all 
 the simplicity and sincerity of the early Jesuit missionaries ; 
 and the reader can not help being impressed with the conviction 
 that he tells us nothing which he does not himself honestly 
 believe. 
 
 But in the accuracy of their observations the travelers of 
 modern times are pre-eminently distinguished. It is no longer the 
 testimony of a pair of eyes which is offered to us ; it is also the con- 
 firmation of instruments as unerring as natural laws, which photo- 
 graph for us the climate, the conformation, the scenery, and the 
 inhabitants of distant lands. Mountains have been measured and 
 the enormous abysses of the ocean sounded ; maps are no longer 
 an unmeaning plane surface, but the central plateaus of continents, 
 and the terraces of mountain ranges take their proportionate levels ; 
 coast-lines, which formerly displayed but the imperfect resemblance 
 of a child's attempt at drawing, have now the clear and certain 
 outline, the perfect profile of an artist's hand, and every feature in 
 the panorama of our globe is growing into new and beautiful dis- 
 tinctness. These vast results are exclusively the product of our 
 own day. Humboldt, the founder of Physical Geography, still 
 lives to rejoice over the discoveries of each successive year ; Agassiz, 
 who has arranged the geographical distribution of the animal king- 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IX 
 
 doms, and Maury, who has sketched the inequalities of the beds of 
 oceans, ascertained their currents, and organized the apparent chaos 
 of the winds, live among us ; while a host of co-workers, in all 
 parts of the world, are daily contributing materials toward the 
 perfection of those grand systems which attest the supremacy of 
 Man over the material universe, and the majesty of that Divine 
 Wisdom to which the order of creation moves. 
 
 A comparison of the maps which we now possess with those of 
 fifty years ago, will best illustrate the achievements of modern 
 exploration. Within that time all the principal features of the 
 geography of our own vast interior rc;j;ions have been accurately de- 
 termined ; the great fields of Central Asia have been traversed in 
 various directions, from Bokhara and the Oxus to the Chinese 
 Wall ; the half-known river systems of South America have been 
 explored and surveyed ; the icy continent around the Southern 
 Pole has been discovered ; the North- Western Passage, the ignis- 
 fatuus of nearly two centuries, is at last found ; the Dead Sea is 
 stripped of its fabulous terrors ; the course of the Niger is no longer 
 a myth, and the sublime secret of the Nile is almost wrested from 
 his keeping. The Mountains of the Moon, sought for through two 
 thousand years, have been beheld by a Caucasian eye ; an English 
 steamer has ascended the Chadda to the frontiers of the great king- 
 dom of Bomou ; Eyre, Leichhardt, and Sturt have penetrated the 
 wilderness of Australia ; the Russians have explored the frozen 
 shores of Northern ^Siberia, and descended from Irkoutsk to the 
 mouth of the Amoor ; the antiquated walls of Chinese prejudice 
 have been cracked, and are fast tumbling down ; and the canvas 
 screens which surrounded Japan have been cut by the sharp edge 
 of American enterprise. Such are the principal features in the 
 progress of modern discovery. What half-century, since the form 
 of the earth and the boundaries of its land and water were known, 
 can exhibit such a list of achievements ? 
 
 The desigTi of this book is to present a compact, yet as far as 
 possible, a complete and sat., factory, view of these results. So far 
 as I am aware, no work of the kind has yet been undertaken. 
 When it was proposed to me by the publishers, to whom the original 
 idea is due, I at once recognized its utility, and as the preparation 
 of it, though involving a considerable amount of labor, was con- 
 genial to my tastes and pursuits, I agreed to complete it previous 
 to setting out on a new series of travels. As it was the object of 
 the publishers to produce a work which should possess permanent 
 value as a book of reference, and yet be sufficiently popular in its 
 arrangement to interest the great mass of readers, who desire some- 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 thing more than a dry statement of facts, while its cost should not 
 place it beyond their reach, I decided to let each traveler tell his 
 own story, mainly, confining my own labors to the necessary con- 
 densation, and to the selection and arrangement of the different 
 narratives. 
 
 The limits prescribed to me rendered it impossible to include 
 under the head of " Travels," the many voyages of exploration 
 which have been made during this century, and which have con- 
 tributed so richly to its record of discoveries. Those of Ross, Parry, 
 Cecile, D' Urville, Wilkes, Beechy, and others, extending over 
 long periods of time, would have required much space in order to 
 present a complete summary of their results. I determined, there- 
 fore, to confine myself to the works of travel and exploration by 
 land, and even in this field the material was so rich that to have in- 
 cluded every traveler who has . attained some distinction since the 
 beginning of this century would have rendered necessary a much 
 more barren and encyclopfedical arrangement than I have thought 
 proper to adopt. The reader, who is interested in a traveler's 
 achievements, naturally desires to hear them told in his own lan- 
 guage and characteristic manner, and I preferred selecting the most 
 prominent narratives — those which are, in some measure, typical of 
 the various fields of exploration — and omitting those which are of 
 less importance, or the disclosures of which have been superseded 
 by later travelers. For the same reason, where the story of a man's 
 travels is the story of his life, I iiave given the article a biographical 
 character, as in the case of Burckhardt and Mungo Park. Alex- 
 ander von Humboldt, from the position ho occupies, justifies the 
 same departure from the original plan of the work. No com- 
 plete and connected account of his journeys has ever yet been 
 published. 
 
 My principal difficulty has thus been the very richness of the 
 materials at my disposal. I have taken great care to prevent the 
 work of compilation from beconung mutilation — to distinguish be- 
 tween that which is of limited or special importance, and that 
 which possesses general interest and value. I can not suppose that 
 I have always succeeded, and am prepared to hear my judgment 
 questioned on many points. The general usefulness of the work, 
 however, and the necessity for its preparation, may be conceded. 
 It contains fifty-five narratives, which, in their original form of 
 publication, embrace ninety volumes. Many of ih?, works, includ- 
 ing some of the greatest interest, have long been out of print ; 
 many have never been republished in this country ; and a few have 
 not been translated into English. Very few distinguished names 
 
PKEFACE. 
 
 XI 
 
 have been omitted. Most of the ground traversed by Sir Alexander 
 Burnes is covered by the narratives of Meyendorflf and Lieutenant 
 Wood ; I was prevented from describing the very interesting re- 
 searches of Stephens in Central America and Yucatan, by the fact 
 of their being copyright works ; and of Schomburgk's expensive 
 work on Guiana, there is not a copy in this country, to my knowl- 
 edge, and none to be procured at present. With these exceptions, 
 the list of travelers who have made important contributions to 
 our knowledge of other countries and other races, will be found 
 complete. 
 
 I have, of course, been obhged to omit all works which do not 
 in some degree partake of the characier of exploration, however 
 admirable in style or interesting in substance. There are also 
 some works of the greatest interest in the course of publication, 
 but which have not yet appeared. Foremost among these are the 
 travels of Dr. Barth in Central Africa, which probably exceed in 
 importance any previous labors in the same field. Dr. Krapf has 
 not yet given to the world his account of the great African snow 
 mountain of Kilimandjaro, which he discovered in the year 1S50. 
 Anderson's visit to the great lake Ngami, in Southern Africa, is on 
 the eve of publication, and Dr. Livingston, the discoverer of this 
 lake, is now on his return to Cape Town, from a dariug journey of 
 three years into the unknown interior. There is, therefore, the 
 greater necessity now, when scarcely a year passes over without 
 some interesting geographical discovery, of bringing together in a 
 convenient form all that has hitherto been done, as an introduc- 
 tion to and elucidation of what may be done hereafter. Of the 
 essential interest of the various narratives it is unnecessary to 
 speak. Many of them already constitute a portion of the hoi lehold 
 literature of the world, and are read wherever heroic endurance and 
 unflinching courage are held in esteem. 
 
 It was thought best to arrange the narratives in chronological 
 order, although this rule has not been adhered to in all cases. 
 Where there is a manifest connection between two or more separate 
 exploring journeys — as in the case of Denham, Clapperton, and 
 Lander — such connection has always been preserved. In some in- 
 stances, also, several disconnected journeys over prescribed routes or 
 in a special field of travel, have been grouped together under one 
 head. To have introduced geographical distinctions, in addition, 
 would have complicated the anangement and required a greater 
 expenditure of time than I have been able to devote to the work. 
 I have endeavored to do the best allowed by the time and space 
 at my disposal, and claim no further merit than that of the 
 
Xll 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 
 mosaic-worker who arranges in a symmetrical form the jewels placed 
 before him. 
 
 In nearly all instances the articles have been prepared from the 
 original editions of the various works. For reference to a few 
 volumes which I was unable to obtain, I am indebted to the Astor 
 and Society Libraries of this city. My friend, Mr. Barclay Pennock, 
 afforded me much assistance in translating from the French and 
 German, and in the abridgement of some of the narratives. The 
 cuts with which the work is illustrated have been taken in all 
 cases, from the original publications. The maps have been 
 specially prepared for the purpose, and will, it is believed, add 
 materially to the interest of the narratives to which they are 
 prefixed. 
 
 BAYARD TAYLOR. 
 
 New York, July. 1856. 
 
 i 
 
 I < 
 
 ' i 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Life and Travels op Alexander von Hcmboldt, .... 
 
 Youth and Education, 
 
 Voyage to America, 
 
 Travels on the Orinoco, 
 
 Voyages on the Rio Negro and Cassiquiare, .... 
 
 Eetura to Cumana, 
 
 Visit to Cuba 
 
 Travels among the Andes, 
 
 Visit to Mexico and return to Europe, 
 
 Publication of his Works, 
 
 Journey through Russia, Siberia, and Tartary, .... 
 
 Humboldt's Later Years, 
 
 MuNGO Park's Travels in Western Africa, . 
 
 Second Journey, 
 
 Lewis and Clarke's Journet to the Pacific Ocean, 
 
 Voyage up the Missouri, 
 
 Winter among the Mandans, 
 
 Journey across tho Rocky Mountains, 
 
 Voyage down Lewis and Columbia Rivers, .... 
 
 Winter on tho Pacific Coast, 
 
 The Return Journey, 
 
 Burckhardt's Travels in Syria, Africa, and Arabia, 
 
 Travels in Syria, 
 
 Discovery of Petra, 
 
 Travels in Nubia and Ethiopia, 
 
 Journey to Mecca and Medina, 
 
 Belzoni's Explorations in Egypt, 
 
 Cailliaud's Journey to the Libyan Oases, Ethiopia, and Sbnnaar, . 
 Franklin's Overland Journey to the Polar Sea, 
 
 Meyendorff's Journey to Bokhara 
 
 TiMKOvsKi's Journey from Siberia to Pekin, 
 
 Cochuane's Pedestrian Journey terougu Siberia 
 
 Golownin's Captivity in Japan, 
 
 De Lascaris's Secret Mission among the Bedouins, . . . , 
 Denham and Clapperton's Expedition to Central Africa, . 
 
 Reception in Bornou, 
 
 Denham's Military E'Toiuiiion to Mandara, .... 
 
 Tho Rainy Season in Bornou, 
 
 Excursions to Loggun and around Lake Tchad. 
 
 Clapperton's Journey to Sackatoo, 
 
 Return to Europe, 
 
 Clapperton's Second Journey to Sackatoo, 
 
 Return Journey of Richard Lander, 
 
 PAOB 
 
 19 
 19 
 23 
 33 
 60 
 66 
 69 
 60 
 11 
 73 
 76 
 87 
 
 93-3 
 
 118 
 
 129 
 
 129 
 
 138 
 
 142 
 
 160 
 
 169 
 
 175 
 
 197 
 
 197 
 
 206 
 
 207 
 
 218 
 
 228 
 
 245 
 
 289 
 
 323 
 
 349 
 
 383 
 
 411 
 
 439 
 
 463 
 
 469 
 
 478 
 
 487 
 
 491 
 
 497 
 
 502 
 
 506 
 
 518 
 
 
XIV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAOB 
 
 EXPLOnATIONS OP TirE NiOER, 523 
 
 Discoveries of Richard and John Lander, 623 
 
 Laird and Oldflold's Voyages on the Niger, -543 
 
 Narrative of Dr. Oldflold, 550 
 
 Allen and Thompson's Expedition, 553 
 
 MorPAT'8 Life in Southern Africa, 561 
 
 Stcbt's Explorations in Australia, 58i 
 
 Journey to the River Darling, 581 
 
 Voyage down the Momimbidgco and Murray Rivers, .... 58T 
 
 Back's Arctic Land Expedition, 696 
 
 Wellsted's Travels in Oman, 616 
 
 Explorations of the 'WniTE Nile, 628 
 
 Werno's Voyage 628 
 
 Dr. Knoblcchcr's Voyage, 642 
 
 Major Harris's Mission to Siioa, 649 
 
 Parkyns's Life in Abyssinia, 666 
 
 Wood's Journey to the Oxus 683 
 
 Fremont's I-Jxplorations op the Rocky Mountains and California, . , 697 
 
 Journey to tho Rocky Mountains, 697 
 
 Journey to Oregon and California, 706 
 
 Hue's Travels in Tartary, Tiiipet, and China, 727 
 
 Journey through Tartary and Thibet, 727 
 
 Residence at Lha-Ssa, 750 
 
 Journey from Llia-Ssa to Canton 754 
 
 Fortune's Journeys to the Tea-Countries op China 763 
 
 Journey to tho Green Tea Districts, 763 
 
 Journey to tho Bohea Mountains, 767 
 
 Recent Explorations in Australia, 773 
 
 Eyre's Journey, 773 
 
 Mitchell's Journey to Tropical Australia, 776 
 
 Loichhardt's Overland Journey to Port Essington, .... 786 
 
 Ltnoh's Exploration of the Dead Sea 795 
 
 Latard's Explorations at Nineveh and Babylon, 809 
 
 First Excavations at Niuovch, 809 
 
 Second Visit to Nineveh, 816 
 
 Explorations of Babylon, 822 
 
 Travels op Ida Ppeiffer, .827 
 
 Journey to Palestine, 827 
 
 Journey to Iceland, 834 
 
 First Journey around the World 838 
 
 Second Journey around tho World, 844 
 
 Explorations op the Amazon River, 861 
 
 Journey of Lieutenant Ilerndon, 851 
 
 Journey of Lieutenant Gibbon, 860 
 
 Richardson's Travels in the Sahara, 871 
 
 Richardson and Barth's Expedition to Central Aprica, .... 885 
 
 Dr. Barth's Journey to Adamowa, 895 
 
 Dr. Overweg's Exploration of Lake Tsad, 897 
 
 Explorations in 1851 and 1852 900 
 
 Explorations of Drs. Barth and Vogel, 903 
 
 Navigation of tho River Bonue, 905 
 
 Burton's Pilgrimage to Mecca, 909 
 
 Exploration op Loo-Choo, 916 
 
 Report of Bayard Taylor, 916 
 
N 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 XV 
 
 LIST OF MAPS. 
 
 
 JL. \J . 
 
 ■- XlM.ltLM.Kft 
 
 FAOE 
 
 South America, . 
 
 Illustrating Humboldt's Travels, 
 
 18 
 
 Western Afuioa, 
 
 i. 
 
 Mmgo Park's "... 
 
 92 
 
 Syria, etc 
 
 a 
 
 Burckluirdt's " ... 
 
 196 
 
 Ndbia and Ethiopia, 
 
 4i 
 
 GaiUimd's "... 
 
 244 
 
 Northekx America, 
 
 ({ 
 
 Franklin's " ... 
 
 288 
 
 Part of Siheria and Mongolia, 
 
 (i 
 
 Timkovski's and Cochrane's Travels, 
 
 348 
 
 Pabt of Africa, 
 
 it 
 
 Denham and Ghqiperton's " 
 
 4G2 
 
 The Niueu, .... 
 
 ii 
 
 Lander's Exiiloralions, . 
 
 C23 
 
 Eastern Aitstraija, 
 
 11 
 
 Sturt's "... 
 
 580 
 
 TaRTARY, TllIUET, AND CuiNA, 
 
 11 
 
 Hue's Travels, .... 
 
 726 
 
 Assyria, .... 
 
 11 
 
 Luyard's Explorations, 
 
 808 
 
 The Amazon, .... 
 
 i( 
 
 Ilerndon and Gibbon's Explorations, 
 
 850 
 
 Central Africa, . 
 
 11 
 
 Richardson and Earth's Expedition, 
 
 881 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Portraits of Distinguished Travelerr (Frontispiece) 
 
 Falls of Tequendama, ^2 
 
 The Volcano of Cotopaxi, g^ 
 
 ChIMBORAZO, gK 
 
 Sultan Ali's Tent at Benowm 201 
 
 Kamaha ,,g 
 
 ExcwATED Tomb at Petra, 227 
 
 Fort Enterprise, 293 
 
 WiLBERFORCE FALLb, 298 
 
 Lake Tcn.\D .»„ 
 
 Body-guard of the Shekh of Bornou 473 
 
 Arrival at Mora, in Mandara, 4qo 
 
 Lancer op the Sultan of Begharmi 434 
 
 African Forest, Ppe, 
 
 Scenery op the Lower Niger, 530 
 
 Abokko g3Y 
 
 Lander's Grave 552 
 
 Mouth op the Niger 554 
 
 Kino Obi and his Wives, 555 
 
 The Model Farm, .656 
 
XVI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Junction op toe Murray and toe Darling, ^t^[ 
 
 Anderson's Falls, .... ' „„ 
 ' 604 
 
 View Seaward from Montreal Island, •-.... gii 
 
 Scenery of Oman, 
 
 A Wandebino African Tribe, 
 
 Warriors of Suoa, ... 
 
 , ^ 660 
 
 Abyssinian Warriors, ... 
 
 , . ^ ' 670 
 
 An Abyssinian Lady op Fashion, .... „„„ 
 
 ' 121 
 
 Samdadcuiemba, ,. 
 
 The Hemp Palm ' Irr 
 
 Chinese Tea-Cakrieb ,.,.- 
 
 Bottle-tree of Australia, i-^g 
 
 Natives of Australia, ,.„„ 
 
 The Mound of Nimroud (Nineveh), ^oq 
 
 The Ruins of Babylon onn 
 
 Colossal Winged Lion, from Nineveh, 825 
 
 Illimani, Highest Peak of the Andes, 863 
 
 Descending the Rapids of the Madeira, 868 
 
 GhADAMES, gKo 
 
 The Wells of Mislau, g^i, 
 
 Ghat, ^^^ 
 
 The Demons' Palace 887 
 
LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Of 
 
 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT/ 
 
 SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA, MEXICO, 
 RUSSIA, SIBERIA, AND TARTARY. 
 
 YOUTH AND EDUCATION. 
 
 Alexander Von Humboldt, the oldest and most renowned of 
 hving travelers, was bom in Berlin, on the 14th of September, 1769 
 His youth was spent in the castle and park of Tegel, about nine miles 
 north-west of that city-an estate which his father, Major Von Hum- 
 boldt, purchased at the termination of the Seven Years' War when he 
 was appomted chamberlain to Frederic the Great. The poet Goethe 
 when he accompanied the Duke of Saxe-Weimar to Berlin, in the year 
 1778, visited Tegel, and there saw the Major's two sons, Wiihelm and 
 Alexander, who were then eight and ten years of age, but could scarcely 
 recognize m them, at that time, fiis future friends and co-workers in the 
 telds of hterature and natural science, 
 
 «o,-«!t?'"°^'''^r ".* *™^'^'"^ "*" ""^ '"°"°'' '**^" ^^""^ a traveler. His passion for 
 scientific investigation ,s, perhaps, even greater than his individual enjoyment of now 
 scenes and new experiences. Hence I have found it difficult to obtain the material 7r 
 a connected narrative of his travels and explorations. His " Personal Narrative " which 
 was written to supply this want, at the request of his friends, is a rich treasuiy of infer- 
 bevS 1 "°f "^^*?« comparatively little to the end in view, and does not extend 
 beyond his visit to Cuba, in the year 1801. The remaining portion I have been obliged 
 • nJrif Tt °k ?[/^fg"«°tary descriptions scattered through his otherworks. Klencke's 
 
 sukso?h^r , '°"T'''°'''^""' ""^'^ foraconcisestatementof the scientific re 
 suits of his travels, gives but the merest outline. The foUowing are the principal works 
 
 S^. r ''r '^'"'^ : ^^"'°°'*' ^*"^*^^« • • Hu'-^l'^f 8 " Views of NaZ^ 5ut 
 
 ^ ' HuI'Sldt '^rf"'::''' ^"'^^^'^^'^ "^^^ Spaln;- Humboldt's "JTW; ScM/- 
 
 UrLu r w' "r^r f*""""^' ^"'"''' "^"' ««* *»» ^^«^" «*«• (Journey to the 
 Ural); Klencke's "Life of Humboldt" «-- »jr w uie 
 
20 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 The brothers Humboldt were remarkably fortunate in the influencus 
 which surrounded them in curly life. The qucHtion of educational 
 reform was beginning to engage the attention of scholars and states* 
 men ; the ideas of Rousseau, which had penetrated into Ciermany, had 
 given rise to more rational and liberal plans for the instruction of youth. 
 The physical development of the scholar received its due share of atten- 
 tion, and the study of natural science was considered of no loss import- 
 ance than that of metaphysics and the classics. The first tutor employed 
 by Major Von Humboldt for his sons was Campo (afterwards distin- 
 guished as a critic and philologist), who had edited a (lernian edition 
 of Hobuison Crusoe, and had written several books for children, con- 
 taining imaginary narratives of travel and adventure. It is very prob- 
 able that these books, and the conversation of their author, first excited 
 the passion for travel in the mind of his youngest pupil. By him, and 
 the tutors Avho succeeded him, the boys were carefully instructed ac- 
 cording to their years, without doing violence to the individual bent of 
 their natures. They were allowed to i)ursuo different paths of study, 
 aiding and illustrating each other's progress by the mutual communica- 
 tion and discussion of what they had learned. Alexander soon began 
 to show his inclination for the study of nature. In his eleventh year ho 
 received lessons in botany, and thenceforth devoted himself with ardor 
 to that and kindred sciences. It was noticed, however, that his mind 
 was slow to retain what was taught him ; his body was weak, and not 
 until late in boyhood, after he had become more robust and vigorous, 
 did he awake to a full consciousness of his powers. 
 
 In the year 1786, the brothers entered the University of Frankfort- 
 on-thc-Oder, where they remained two years, and were then transferred 
 to that of Gottingen. Here Alexander, now in his nineteenth year, 
 made the acquaintance of Blumenbach, the celebrated natural historian, 
 and of George Forster, who, as naturalist, had accompanied Cook in his 
 voyage around the globe. Through the friendship of the latter, his 
 longing for exploration and scientific discovery was confirmed and 
 strengthened ; and ho acquired that love of civil liberty, those humane 
 and progressive ideas, which have made him, while the friend of mon- 
 archs, the most liberal of citizens. Of the admiration which he felt for 
 Forster, we have ample testimony in the second volume of " Cosmos," 
 where he pays an eloquent tribute to his genius. " All that can give 
 truth, hidividuality, and distinctiveness to the delineation of exotic 
 nature, is united in his works." 
 
 The brothers completed their studies in 1789. While Wilhelm, 
 whose talents fitted him for political life, paid a visit to Paris, Alexan- 
 der, in company with Forster, made his first scientific journey to the 
 Rhine, through Holland, and to England in the spring of 1790; and 
 this first experience became the subject of his first literary production. 
 It appeared in the same year, under the title of " Mineralogical Obser- 
 vations on some Basaltic Formations of the Rhine." After studying 
 
— I, 
 
 PLANS 1113 AMEllIUAN JOUUNEY. 
 
 21 
 
 . I 
 
 bock-kec|)injjj in u commorciftl iiistituto in Iliunburfj, ho roinoveil to 
 Freiburg, und bucuino u student in tlio mining academy, wliere he re- 
 mained until the spring of iVO'i, when he received tlio appointment of 
 Huperintondent of mines in Franconia, an otlice which Ite held for the 
 tliree following ycarH. During thia time he zealouHly ])ro8ocuted Iuh 
 mineralogical and botanical HtudicH, and made various experiments on 
 the physical and chemical laws of metallurgy. His mind, however, was 
 misalisiied with his position ; he was looking forward with impatience 
 to the opportunity of prosecuting his investigations in broa<ler and 
 fresher lields, and the plan of his great American journey, which a\t- 
 pears to have been first made during his intimacy with Forster, ]>rii- 
 scnted itself constantly to his imagination. In order to prepare himself 
 for an undertakhig of such magnitude, he made several visits to Swit- 
 zerland and the mountains of Silesia, besides an oilicial journey into 
 I'russian Poland. Thenceforth, this vision of transatlantic travel and 
 exploration became the ruling ahn of his life. lie thus refers to it in 
 the opening chapter of his " Personal Narrative :" — " From my earliest 
 youth, I felt an anient desire to travel into distant regions, seldom 
 visited by Europc:in8. This desire is characteristic of a period of our 
 existence when life appears an unlimited horizon, and when we find an 
 irresistible attraction in the impetuous agitation of the mind, and the 
 image of positive danger. Though educated in a country which has no 
 direct communication Avith either the East or the West Indies, living 
 amid mountains remote from coasts, and celebrated for their numerous 
 mines, I felt an hicreasing passion for the sea and distant expeditions. 
 Objects with wliich we are acquainted only by the animated narratives 
 of travelers have a peculiar charm ; hnagination wanders with delight 
 over that which is vague and undefined ; and the pleasures we are de- 
 prived of seem to possess a fascinating power, compared with which, all 
 we daily feel in the narrow circle of sedentary life appears insipid." 
 
 Resigning his office hi 1795, Humboldt visited Vienna, where ho 
 associated hhnself with the celebrated Freiesleben, and resumed the 
 study of botany. Ho also occupied himself with galvanism, then just 
 discovered, and planned a visit to the volcanic districts of Naples and 
 Sicily, which he was unable to carry out, on uccoimt of the war. The 
 death of his mother, and the disposition of the paternal estates, now 
 called him away from his studies, and it was not until 1797 that lie was 
 able to make serious preparations for his American journey. In order 
 to supply himself with ample means, he sold the large estate which ho 
 had inherited, and set aside the greater part of the proceeds for that 
 object. But he was yet to encounter delays and obstacles, which would 
 have exhausted the patience of a less enthusiastic person. The brothers 
 had long talked of a journey to Italy in company, and it was decided 
 to carry out this plan prior to Alexander's departure, but, on reaching 
 Vienna, their progress was stopped by the war between France and 
 Austria. Alexander spent the winter of 1797-8 in Salzburg, where he 
 
22 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 h 
 
 met with a gentleman who had visited Illyria and Greece, and who was 
 ardently desirous of making a journey to Egypt. The two enthusiasts 
 matured a plan of ascending the Nile as far as the Nubian frohtier, to 
 be followed by an exploration of Palestine and Syria ; but the political 
 aspects of Europe at this time prevented them from carrying it into 
 eflfect. In the spring, Humboldt, hearing that the French government 
 was fitting out an exploring expedition, to be dispatched to the southern 
 hemisphere, under the command of Captain Baudin, hastened to Paris, 
 whither his brother had j)roceeded, after the peace of Campo Formio. 
 Here he first met Avith M. Aime Bonpland, his future companion in 
 South America, who had been appointed one of the naturalists of the 
 expedition. They entered together on a course of preparatory study, 
 while Hiunboldt, at the same time, united with the celebrated Gay- 
 Lussac, in making experiments to determine the composition of the at- 
 mosphere. In addition to these labors, he found time to study the Arabic 
 language. His intellectual activity appears to have been truly remark- 
 able, and there was scarcely any branch of knowledge, which could even 
 remotely increase his qualifications for the great task before him, of 
 which he did not make himself master. 
 
 Baudin's expedition was given up, on account of the renewed prospect 
 of war. But the spirit of travel was now thoroughly implanted in Hum- 
 boldt's heart, and he at once set about forming new plans. Being offered 
 passage from Marseilles to Algiers, m a Swedish frigate, which was dis- 
 patched on a special mission to the latter country, he conceived the idea 
 of passing through Barbary to Egypt, and there joining the French 
 scientific mission, which accompanied the anny of Napoleon. He also 
 proposed to visit Mecca, if possible, and to extend his travels through 
 Persia to India. In these plans he was seconded by Bonpland, who 
 joined company with him, and in the autumn of 1798 they both pro- 
 ceeded to Marseilles, to await the arrival of the Swedish frigate. Here, 
 again, they were doomed to disappointment. After waiting two months, 
 they learned that the frigate had been injured in a storm on the coast 
 of Portugal, and would not ai'rive until the following spring. During a 
 visit to Toulon, Humboldt saw the frigate La JBoudeuse, which had 
 been commanded by Bougainville in his voyage around the world. He 
 says : " I can not describe the impression made x:pon my mind by the 
 sight of the vessel which had carried Commcrson to the islands of the 
 South Sea." Rather than remain inactive in Marseilles, the two friends 
 resolved to pass the winter in Spain. They proceeded, by way of Bar- 
 celona, to Mad. Id, making astronomical observations and barometrical 
 measurements on the road. On arriving at the capital, they found that 
 the accident to the Swedish frigate was the best fortune which could 
 have befallen them. The Saxon embassador informed Humboldt that 
 under the administration of the enlightened minister, Urquijo, he might 
 obtain permission to travel in Spanish America, a permission which, 
 through the jealousy of Spain, had hitherto been obtained with great 
 
 I 
 
 „.j 
 
DEPABTUBE FOR AMERICA. 
 
 23 
 
 difficulty, and always accompanied with restrictions, which greatly di- 
 minished its value. Humboldt thus relates the result of his application : 
 "I was presented at the court of Aranjuez in March, 1799, and the king 
 received me graciously. I explained to him the motives which led me 
 to undertake a voyage to the New World, and the Philippine Islands, 
 and I presented a memoir on the subject to the Secretary of State. Senor 
 de Urquijo supported my demand, and overcame every obstacle. I ob- 
 tained two passports, one from the first Secretary of State, the other from 
 the Council of the Indies. Never had so extensive a permission been 
 granted to any traveler, and never had any foreigner been honored with 
 mere confidence on the part of the Spanish government." 
 
 VOYAGE TO AMERICA. 
 
 Overflowing with joy at the unhoped-for realization of desires which 
 he had cherished for nine years, and full of the anticipation of adventure 
 and discovery in the New World, Humboldt left Madrid in May, 1799, 
 accompanied by Bonpland, and proceeded to Corunna, on the north- 
 western coast of Spain, where the corvette Pizarro, bound for Havaua 
 and Mexico, was lying. The captain was ordered, not only to receive 
 the travelers on board, and provide a safe place for their astronomical 
 instruments, but also to touch at the port of Orotava, m the Canaries, 
 and allow them time to ascend the peak of Teneriffe. Corunna was at 
 that time blockaded by an English fleet, owing to which cause the sail- 
 ing of the Pizarro was postponed from day to day, but in the beginning 
 of June a violent storm obliged the three hostile vessels to make flir tLfi 
 open sea, and on the fifth the corvette hoisted her anchors, and safely 
 slipped away. The moment so impatiently looked forward to, through 
 so many years, was come at last : after 3o much severe study, so much 
 devotion to his object, such rich and various preparation, Humboldt, 
 flow thirty years of age, entered on the magnificent task, which he con- 
 sidered the great work of his life, and the foundation of his fiune as a 
 man of science. No man was ever better prepared, both by nature and 
 by cultivation, for such an undertaking, or better deserved success by 
 the patience aud enthusiasm with which he overcame the obstacles in 
 the way of its accomplishment. But the beginnings of success are al- 
 ways clouded with doubt and uncertainty, and when the irrevocable step 
 had been taken, he experienced that sense of depression common to all 
 travelers on first setting out, and he thus wrote: "The moment of 
 leaving Europe for the first time, is attended with a solemn feeling. We 
 in vain summon to our minds the frequency of the communication be- 
 tween the two worlds ; we in vain reflect on the great facility with 
 which, from the improved state of naviga*ion, we traverse the Atlantic, 
 which, compared to the Pacific, is but a larger arm of the sea ; the senti- 
 ment we feel when we first imdertake so distant a voyage, is not the leas 
 
24 
 
 LIFB AND TRAVELS OF nUMBOLDT 
 
 accompanied by a deep emotion, unlike any other impression we have 
 hitherto felt. Separated from the objects of our dearest affections, enter- 
 ing in some sort on a new state of existence, we are forced to fall back 
 on our own thoughts, and we feel within ourselves a dreariness we have 
 never known before." The light of a fisher's hut at Sisarga, glimmering 
 like a star on the horizon, was his last glimpse of Europe. He and Bon- 
 pland leaned over the rail, watching it until it disappeared. *' Oh," he 
 exclaimed, years afterward, "these impressions will never be erased 
 from my memory ! How many recollections does not one bright spot, 
 shining unsteadily over the agitated waves in the darkness of night, and 
 pointing out the shores of our native earth, recall to the imagination !" 
 
 At sunset, on the 8th of June, the English fleet was seen from the 
 mast-head, and the course of the Pizarro was immediately altered. For 
 some days no lights were allowed on board after dark, for fear of de- 
 tection, and the travelers were obliged to use dark lanterns in consulting 
 the thermometer. Nothing could h£.ve surpassed the enthusiasm with 
 which they prosecuted their scientific in\ estigations. In Humboldt's 
 narrative, the romance of travel is whoUy lost sight of in the zeal of the 
 philosopher. No sooner had he left the land than he began to speculate 
 on the currents of the sea, and to measure their force and direction. He 
 fished up medusas, or sea-nettles, galvanized them, and tested their ca- 
 pacity to emit light; he was enchanted with the beauty of the nights, 
 but not too much so to make astronomical observations ; he admired the 
 brilliant azure of the tropical sky, and measured its intensity of color 
 with a cyanometer ; and when the island of Lancerote, one of the Cana- 
 ries, came in sight, he immediately took the an'-le of altitude of its 
 highest peak. So fa.r from being insensible to tL j influences of nature, 
 few travelers have enjoyed them with a keener zest, but his glance never 
 rests long upon a beautiful scene without going behind its outward 
 features, to speculate upon the geognostic laws which they illustrate. 
 His " Personal Narrative" is therefore a record of his scientific observa- 
 tions rather than of his individual experience and adventure. 
 
 On approaching the island of Teneriffe, the weather was so hazy 
 that the peak was invisible, greatly to Humboldt's disappointment. This 
 circumstance, however, proved to be very fortunate ; for after entering 
 the harbor of Santa Cruz, early on the morning of the 19th of June, the 
 mist cleared away, and the first rays of the sun which illuminated the 
 famous peak, revealed also four English vessels lying at anchor. Thus 
 narrowly did the travelers escape being carried back to Europe, at the 
 outset of their journey ! On account of the blockade, the captain gave 
 them notice that he could only remain four or five days, and they hast- 
 ened to the town of Orotava, where they procured guides to ascend the 
 peak. They first visited the celebrated dragon-tree, the trunk of which 
 they found to be forty-five feet in circumference, and the great ago of 
 which they could only conjecture. Humboldt considers it to be one of 
 the oldest inhabitants of our globe : " Its aspect," be says, " forcibly 
 
 I 
 
ASCENT OP TENERIFFE. 
 
 25 
 
 1 
 
 
 \\\ 
 
 exemplifies that eternal youth of nature, which is an inexhaustible source 
 of motion and of life." Leaving Orotava, Humboldt and his companion 
 took a stony road through a forest of chestnut-trees, continued their 
 ascent to an elevated plateau, called the Plain of Hetama (a flowering 
 shrub), and before night succeeded in reaching a kind of ca^ em, called 
 the English Halt, nearly ten thousand feet above the sea. Though in 
 the midst of summer, and under an African sky, they suffered much 
 from cold, the thermometer falling to 41°. Humboldt thus describes 
 their lodging-place. " Our guides made a large fire with the dry branches 
 of retama. Having neither tents nor cloaks, we lay down on some masses 
 of rock, and were singularly incommoded by the flame and smoke which 
 the wind drove toward us. We had attempted to form a kind of screen 
 with cloths tied together, but our inclosure took fire, which we did not 
 perceive till the greater part had been consumed by the flames. We 
 had never passed a night on a point so elevated, and we then little im- 
 agined that we should, one day, on the ridge of the Cordillera', inhabit 
 towns higher than the summit of the volcano we were to scale on the 
 morrow. A strong northerly wind chased the clouds ; the moon, at 
 intervals, shoeing through the vapors, exposed its disc on a firmament 
 of the darkest olue ; and the view of the volcano threw a majestic char- 
 acter over thu nocturnal scenery. Sometimes the peak was entirely hid- 
 den from our eyes by the fog, at other times it broke upon us in terrific 
 proximity ; and, like an enormous pyramid, threw its shadow over the 
 clouds rolling beneath our feet." At three o'clock in the morning they 
 lighted fir-torches, and started on their journey to the summit. They 
 reached the Malpays — a stony plain out of which rises the volcanic cone 
 — in time to witness the rising of the sun. By means of a telescope and 
 chronometer, Humboldt ascertained that the time which the disc occupied 
 in mounting above the horizon, was eight minutes and one second. He 
 was half an hour in scaling the cone, the height of which above the plain 
 is only five hundred and seventy feet, but finally reached the summit, 
 one thousand nine hundred and four toises — twelve thousand one hun- 
 dred and seventy-four feet — above the sea, at eight o'clock. Here, seated 
 on a block of lava, he overlooked a portion of the earth's surface, equal 
 in dimensions to one fourth of the kingdom of Spain. In the transpa- 
 rency of the air he could distinguish not only the houses, the saiis of 
 vessels, and the trunks of trees, far below, but even the differences of 
 color in the vegetation. " The volcano seemed to overwhelm with its 
 mass the island which serves as its base, as it shot up from the bosom of 
 the waters to a height three times loftier than the region where the 
 clouds float in summer. If its crater, half-extinguished for ages past, 
 shot forth flakes of fire like that of Stromboli in the ^olian Islands, the 
 Peak of Teneriffe, like a light-house, would serve to guide the mariner 
 in a circuit of more than two hundred and sixty leagues." 
 
 After having bottled some air for analysis, and collected some crystals 
 of sulphur, bedewed with sulphuric acid, which destroyed part of Hum- 
 
26 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 boldt's mineralogical journal, the travelers began their descent. The 
 cold and violent wind often obliged them to seek shelter under the rocks. 
 Their hands and faces were nearly frozen, while their boots were burned 
 by the hot ashes. The guides threw away their specimens, drv.nk their 
 wine, and broke their water-jars. They met with no further accident, 
 however, and before night reached Orotava. This ascent of the Peak 
 of Teneriffe, although it occupied but two days, was most important in 
 its results. The observations made by Humboldt gave him the first idea 
 of those researches into the geographical distribution of plants and an- 
 imals, which entitle Mm to rank as the founder of this branch of cos- 
 mography. He perceived that the inorganic forms of nature, such as 
 mountains and rocks, resemble each other in the most distant parts of 
 the world, while the organic forms -plants and animals — vary according 
 to climate, character of the soil, altiti'de above the sea, and other local 
 infiiiences. From observing the circlos of vegetation on Teneriffe — 
 rising from the cocoa-palm on the sea-bhore, through the regions of 
 chestnut, heath, and fir, to the fragrant re 'ama at the base of the crater 
 — he was led to renew his investigations on the slopes of the Andes. 
 
 On the 25th of June they sailed from Santa Cruz, and some days after- 
 ward passed through the Sargasso Sea — a part of the ocean covered with 
 immense beds of sea-weed, among which stems have been found eight 
 hundred feet in length, and which, floating on the surface, give the sea 
 the appearance of a vast inundated meadow. The appearance of the 
 nocturnal heavens, as the ship proceeded southward, excited anew the 
 enthusiasm of the travelers. " Nothing," writes Humboldt, " awakens 
 in the traveler a livelier remembrance of the immense distance by which 
 he is separated from his country, than the aspect of an unknown firma- 
 ment. A traveler needs not to be a botanist, to recognize the torrid 
 zone by the mere aspect of its vegetation. Without having acquired 
 any notions of astronomy, he feels he is not in Europe, when he sees the 
 immense constellation of the Ship, or the phosphorescent Clouds of 
 Magellan, arise on the horizon. The heavens and the earth — every 
 thing in the equinoctial regions — present an exotic character. We saw 
 distinctly for the first time the Southern Cross only on the night of 
 the 4th of July, in the sixteenth degree of latitude. It was strongly 
 inclined, and appeared from time to time between the clouds, the center 
 of which, furrowed by uncondensed lightnings, reflected a silvery light. 
 If a traveler may be permitted to speak of his personal emotions, I shall 
 add, that on that night I experienced the realization of one of the dreams 
 of my early youth. 
 
 "The two great stars which mark the summit and the foot of the 
 Cross, having nearly the same right ascension, it follows that the con- 
 stellation is almost perpendicular at the moment when it passes the me- 
 ridian. This circumstance is known to the people of every nation 
 situated beyond the tropics, or in the southern hemisphere. It has been 
 observed at what hour of the night, in different seasons, the Cross is 
 
 
II 
 
 DEATH ON BOARD. 
 
 27 
 
 erect or inclined. It is a timepiece which advarices very regularly nearly 
 four minutes a-day, and no other group of stars aflfords to the naked eye 
 an observation of time so easily made. How often have we heard our 
 guides exclaim in the savannahs of Venezuela, or in the desert extending 
 from Lima to Truxillo, " Midnight is past, the Cross begins to bend !" 
 How often those words reminded us of that affecting scene, where Paul 
 and Virginia, seated near the source of the river of Lataniers, conversed 
 together for the last time, and where the old man, at the sight of the 
 Southern Cross, warns them that it is time to separate." 
 
 The latter part of the voyage was not so fortunate as the first. A 
 malignant fever broke out, which grew more serious the nearer the ship 
 approached the Antilles. On the 12th of July, Humboldt, who had 
 taken observations of the latitude and longitude every day during the 
 voyage, predicted that land would be seen the next day before sunrise. 
 The pilots, who depended mostly on the log for their reckoning, laughed 
 at this, asserting that they would not make land for two or three days ; 
 but at six o'clock next morning, the welcome cry was given by a sailor 
 at the mast-head. The land proved to be the island of Tobago. The 
 next day a young Asturian, nineteen years of age, fell a victim to the 
 fever, and his death seems to have produced a painful impression upon 
 the mind of Humboldt, who thus describes the occurrence : " We were 
 assembled on the deck, absorbed in melancholy reflections. It was no 
 longer doubtful, that the fever which raged on board, had assumed with- 
 in the last few days a fatal aspect. Our eyes were fixed on a hilly and 
 desert coast, on which the moon, from time to time, shed her light 
 athwart the clouds. The sea, gently agitated, emitted a feeble phosphoric 
 light. Nothing was heard but the monotonous cry of a few large sea« 
 birds, flying toward the shore. A profound calm reigned over these 
 solitary regions, but this calm of nature was in discordance with the 
 painful feelings by which we were oppressed. About eight o'clock, the 
 dead man's knell was slowly tolled. At this lugubrious sound, the sail- 
 ors suspended their labors, and threw themselves on their knees to offer 
 a momentary prayer : an affecting ceremony, which brought to our rcr 
 membrance those times, when the primitive Christians all considered 
 themselves as members of the same family. All were united in one com- 
 mon sorrow for a misfortune which was felt to be common to all." 
 Many of the passengers, becoming alarmed, induced the captain to run 
 into Cumana, a port on the north-eastern shore of Venezuela, and there 
 land thorn, rather than continue their voyage in the Pizarro to Havana. 
 Among them were Humboldt and Bonpland, who decided to visit Vene* 
 zuela before proceeding to Mexico, and thus the epidemic which they 
 at first regarded as a misfortune, became the accidental cause of their 
 discoveries in the regions of the Orinoco. To the same circumstance 
 they were also indebted for the preservation of their health, for the yel- 
 low-fever was then prevailing in Havana, and many of the passengers 
 who remained on board of the Pizarro, fell victims to it after their arrival. 
 
"■ 
 
 28 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 "On the 16th of July, lYOO, at break of day," says Humboldt, "we 
 beheld a verdant coast, of picturesque aspect. The mountains of New 
 Andalusia, half vailed by mists, bounded the horizon to the south. The 
 city of Cumana and its castle appeared between groups of cocoa-trees. 
 We anchored in the port about nine in the morning, forty-one days after 
 our departure from Corunna ; the sick dragged themselves on deck to 
 enjoy the sight of a land which was to put an end to their suft'erings. 
 Our eyes were fixed on the groups of cocoa-trees which border the 
 river ; their trunks, more than sixty feet high, towered over every ob- 
 ject in the landscape. The plain was covered with the tul'ts of cassia, 
 caper, and those arborescent mimosas, M'hich, like the pine of Italy, 
 spread their branches in the form of an umbrella. The pinnated leaves 
 of the palms were conspicuous on the azure sky, the clearness of which 
 was unsulUed by any trace of vapor. The sun was ascending rapidly 
 toward the zenith. A dazzling hght was spread through the air, along 
 the whitish hills strewed with cylindrio cactuses, and over a sea ever 
 calm, the shores of which were peopled with pelicans, herons, and fla- 
 mingoes. The splendor of the day, the vivid coloring of the vegetable 
 world, the forms of the plants, the varied plumage of the birds, all were 
 Stamped with the grand character of nature in the equinoctial regions." 
 
 The captain of the Pizarro conducted the travelers to the Governor 
 of the province, Senor Emparan, who received them with great kind- 
 ness, and by the public consideration which he showed them, secured 
 them a favorable reception in all parts of Venezuela. To their great 
 astonishment, he asked them questions which denoted some scientific 
 knowledge, and Humboldt declares, in his delight at this circumstance, 
 " The name of his native country, pronounced on a distant shore, would 
 not have been more agreeable to the ear of a traveler, than those words 
 azote, oxyd of iron, and hygrometer, Avere to ours." The travelers hired 
 a spacious house, in a situation favorable for astronomical observa- 
 tions, and commenced their labors at once. " Overpowered at once by 
 a great number of objects, we were somewhat embarrassed how to lay 
 down a regular plan of study and observation. While every surround- 
 ing object was fitted to inspire in us the most lively interest, our phys- 
 ical and astronomical instruments in their turns excited strongly the 
 curiosity of the inhabitants. We had numerous visitors ; and m our 
 desire to satisfy persons who appeared so happy to see the spots of the 
 moon through Dollond's telescope, the absorption of two gases in a eu- 
 diometrical tube, or the effects of galvanism on the motions of a frog, 
 we were obUged to answer questions often obscure, and to repeat for 
 whole hours the same experiments." 
 
 Humboldt found relaxation from these annoyances in botanizing, and 
 in studying the manners and customs of the inhabitants. He was par- 
 ticularly interested in the gigantic varieties of cactus, which, planted 
 around the Spanish fortresses, formed an almost impenetrable chevaux- 
 de-frise, while the moats, for further defense, were filled with swarms of 
 
 
EXCURSIONS AROUND CUMANA. 
 
 29 
 
 t 
 
 alligators. Among the customs of tlio inhabitants of Cumana, ho de- 
 scribes the following : " The children pass a considerable part of their 
 lives in the water ; all the inhabitants, even the women of the most 
 opulent families, know how to swim ; and in a country where man is so 
 near the state of nature, one of the first questions asked on meeting in 
 the morning is, whether the water is cooler than it was on the preced- 
 ing evening. One of the modes of bathing is curious. We every evening 
 visited a family, in the suburb of the Guayquerias. In a fine moonlight 
 night, chairs M'ere placed in the water ; the men and women were lightly 
 clothed, as in some baths of the north of Europe ; and the family and 
 Btrangers, assembled in the river, ftassed some hours in s: loking cigars, 
 and in talking, according to the custom of the country, of the extreme 
 dryness of the season, of the abundant rains in the neighboring districts, 
 and particularly of the extravagances of which the ladies of Cumana 
 accuse those of the Caracas and the Havanna. The company were 
 tinder no apprehensions from the bavas, or small crocodiles, which are 
 now extremely scarce, and which approach men without attacking them." 
 Humboldt also directed his attention to the volcanic soil on which he 
 was liv^ing, and collected facts in relation to the earthquakes with which 
 Cumana was frequently visited, in order to ascertain whether the di. 
 rection and extent of the shocks was not regulated by some yet UU' 
 discovered law. 
 
 On the 1 9th of August, the trovelers embarked in a boat, on an ex- 
 cursion to the peninsula of Ar.aya, and those districts formerly celebrated 
 for the slave-trade and the pearl-fishery. They had now been two 
 months in the tropics, and found the nights so cold as to prevent them 
 from sleeping, although the thermometer did not fall below 70°. After 
 visiting the castle of Ar.ay.i, they were benighted on their way to an 
 Indian village. They were in a narrow path, with the sea on one side, 
 and a perpendicular precipice on the other ; the tide was rising rapidly, 
 but they insisted on stopping to observe the setting of Venus, in spite 
 of the terror of their guide. After wading for nearly an hour through 
 the water, they finally reached a hut where they were hospitably enter- 
 tained. 
 
 In the Indian village they found a Spanish shoemaker, who practiced 
 medicine among the natives, and who, after delivering a long discourse 
 on the vanity of human greatness, presented them with some small 
 pearls, with the request that they would note the circumstance on their 
 tablets. The next excursion made by Humboldt and Bonpland was to 
 the mission in the mountains inhabited by the Chaymas Indians, a dis- 
 trict filled with a wonderful animal and vegetable world, and a people 
 living in the most primitive condition. Here they first beheld the splen- 
 dors of tropical vegetation. Walking for hours under a roof of foliage, 
 through which the sky appeared of a deep indigo-blue, they saw the 
 hanging nests of the oriole, and heaid the screaming of parrots and 
 macaws. " When a traveler first penetrates into the forests of South 
 
w 
 
 80 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 America," says Humboldt, "he beholds nature under an ujiexpoctod 
 aspect. He feels at every step that he is not on the confines, but in 
 the center of the torrid zone ; not in one of the "West India Islands, 
 but on a vast continent where every thing is gigantic — mountains, 
 rivers, and the mass of vegetation. If he feel strongly the beauty of 
 picturesque scenery ho can scarcely define the various emotions Avhich 
 crowd upon his mind ; he can scarcely disthiguish what most excites his 
 admiration — the deep silence of those solitudes, the individual beauty 
 and contrast of forms, or that vigor and freshness of vegetable life whicli 
 characterize the cUmate of the tropics. It might bo said that the earth, 
 overloaded with plants, does not allow them space enough to unfold 
 themselves. The trunks of the trees are everywhere concealed under a 
 thick carpet of verdure; and if we carefully transplanted the orchidea), 
 peppers,, and the pothoses, nourished by a single American fig-tree, we 
 should cover a vast extent of ground. By this singular assemblage, the 
 forests, as well as the flanks of the rocks and mountains, enlarge the do- 
 mains of organic nature. The same parasitic vines which creep on the 
 ground, reach the tops of the trees, and pass from one to the other at 
 the height of more than a hundred feet." The travelers Avore kindly 
 received at the mission, although the old monk smiled sarcastically on 
 seeing their books and instruments, and obser\'ed that there was no sat- 
 isfaction in life equal to that of eating good beef. In the village of 
 Arenas, they noticed a curious physiological phenomenon, in the person 
 of a Spanish laborer, named Lozano, who had suckled a child with his 
 own milk. The mother having fallen sick, the father, to quiet the infant, 
 took it into his bed, and pressed it to his bosom. Lozano, then thirty- 
 two years of age, had never before remarked that ho had milk ; but the 
 irritation of the nipple, sucked by the child, caused the accumulation of 
 that liquid. The milk was thick and very sweet. The father, astonished 
 at the increased size of his breast, suckled his child two or three times a 
 day during five months. The travelers saw the certificate, which had 
 been dr.awn up on the spot, to attest this remarkable fixct. They were 
 assured that, during this suckling, the child had no other nourishment 
 than the milk of his father. 
 
 Humboldt and his friend continued their journey to the ravine of 
 Cnchivano, by a path infested with jaguars. From the caverns ui this 
 ravine smoke and flames are sometimes emitted. The inhabitants of 
 this district prophesied an increase of earthquakes and other disturb- 
 ances, from the appearance of these flames — prophecies which were 
 fully verified in the course of a fdw years. On the 12th of Septem- 
 ber, after climbing the hills, they reached the prmcipal mission of 
 Caripo, where they spent several calm and beautiful nights. " Nothing," 
 says Humboldt, " can be compared to the majestic tr.inquillity which 
 the aspect of the firmament presents in this solitary region. When 
 tracing with the eye, at night-fall, the meadows which bounded the hor- 
 izon, the plain covered with verdure and gently undulated, we thought 
 
THE GUACHARO CAVERN. 
 
 81 
 
 we beheld from afar, as in the deserts of the Orinoco, the surface of the 
 ocean supporting the starry vault of heaven. The tree under which we 
 were seated, the luminous insects flying in the air, the constellations 
 which shone in the south ; every object seemed to tell us how far we 
 were from our native land. If amid this exotic nature we heard from 
 the depth of the valley the tinkling of a bell, or the lowing of herds, the 
 remembrance of our country was awakened suddenly. The soimds were 
 like distant voices resounding from beyond the ocean, and with magical 
 power transporting us from one hemisphere to the otlier. Strange 
 mobility of the imagination of man, eternal source of our enjoyments 
 and our pains!" In the valley of Caripe, the travelers visited the 
 celebrated Guacharo Cavern, which had never been heard of in Europe. 
 The entrance is an arch eighty feet wide and seventy-two feet high, out 
 of which flows a small stream. The palms and arums on its banks were 
 found growing a hundred feet within the cave. When the light began 
 to fail, they heard the hoarse cries of the guacharo, a nocturnal bird, 
 which they fotmd to belong to a genus previously unknown. The plum- 
 age is of a dark bluish-gray, spotted with black, and the wings, when 
 spread, measure three feet and a half. Their food consists of nuts and 
 hard fruits, which they procure by night, retirhig into the cave on the 
 ajjproach of day. "It would be difficult to form an idea of the horrible 
 noise occasioned by thousands of these birds in the dark part of the cav- 
 ern. Their shrill and piercing cries strike upon the vaults of the rocks, 
 and are repeated by the subterranean echoes. The Indians showed us 
 the nests of the guacharos by fixing a torch to the end of a long pole. 
 The nests Avere fifty or sixty feet ivbove our heads, in holes in the shape 
 of funnels, with which the roof of the grotto is pierced like a sieve. The 
 noise increased as we advanced, and as the birds were scared by the 
 light of the torches of copal. When this noise ceased a few minutes 
 around us, we heard at a distance the plaintive cries of the birds roost' 
 ing in other ramifications of the cavern." 
 
 They only succeeded in penetrating to the distance of fifteen hundred 
 feet, as the Indians, who were timid and superstitious, refused to pro- 
 ceed further. Humboldt estimates the entire length of the cavern at 
 two thousand eight hundred feet, or a little more than half a mile. On 
 the 22d of September, having collected their specimens, they set out on 
 their return, crossing the mountain of Santa Maria, by a dangerous path 
 along the edges of precipices and through dense forests, where they 
 observed many varieties of monkeys. Humboldt remarked that these 
 animals seem the more depressed and melancholy the nearer they re- 
 semble man — that in proportion to the increase of their apparent reason- 
 ing faculties, their impetuous sprightliness diminishes. The travelers 
 finally arrived at the port of Cariaco, where a contagious fever had 
 broken out, and they, therefore, embarked speedily for Cumana, twelve 
 leagues distant. While studying the character of the Chaymas, and 
 other Indian tribes, on this journey, Humboldt noticed their habit of as- 
 
82 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 Benting to whatever is said to them — a habit which taught him to bo 
 cautious, thenceforth, i» accepting statements made by the natives. To 
 put an Indian alcalde to the proof, ho asked him one day, whether ho 
 did not think tlie little river of Caripe, which issues from the cavern of 
 the Guacharo, returned into it on the opposite side by some unknown 
 entrance, after having ascended the slope of the mountain. The Indian 
 seemed gravely to reflect on the subject, and then answered, by way of 
 supporting Humboldt's hypothesis: " How else, if it were not so, would 
 there always bo water in the bed of the river at the mouth of the 
 cavern ?" 
 
 The travelers decided to remain another month at Cumana, to pre- 
 pare for their intended journey to the Orinoco and the Rio Negro, and 
 to observe an eclipse of the sun, on the 27th of October. On the even- 
 ing preceding that day, however, they met with an adventure which 
 came near terminating their travels. They M'cre strolling along the 
 beach in the evening, when Humboldt, hearing some one walking be- 
 hind him, turned and saw a tall Zambo (mongrel negro and Indian), 
 who held over his head a great club of palm-tree wood. He thus de- 
 scribes what followed : " I avoided the stroke by leaping toward the 
 left ; but M. Bonpland, who walked on my rigat, was loss fortunate. He 
 did not see the Zambo so soon as I did, and received a stroke above 
 the temple, which leveled him with the groimd. "We were alone, with- 
 out arms, half a league from any habitation, on a vast plain bounded by 
 the Rca. The Zambo, instead of attacking me, moved ofl" slowly to pick 
 up M. Bonpland's hat, which, having somewhat deadened the violence 
 of the blow, had fallen off and lay at some distance. Alarmed at seeing 
 my companion on the ground, and for some moments senseless, I thought 
 of him only. I helped him to raise himself, and pain and anger doubled 
 his strength. We ran toward the Zambo, who, either from cowardice, 
 common enough in people of this caste, or because he perceived at a dis- 
 tance some men on the beach, did not wait for us, but ran off in the direc- 
 tion of a little thicket of cactus. He chanced to fall in running ; and M. 
 Bonpland, who reached him first, seized him roimd the body. The 
 Zambo drew a long knife ; and in this unequal struggle we should in- 
 fallibly have been wounded, if some Biscayan merchants had not come 
 to our assistance. The Znrabo again ran away and we pursued him 
 through the thomy cactuses. At length, tired out, he took shelter in a 
 cow-house, whence he sulll'red himself to be quietly led to prison. M. 
 Bonpland was seized with fever during the night ; but endowed with 
 great energy and fortitude, he continued his labors the next day. The 
 stroke of the club had extended to the top of his head, and he felt its 
 effect for the space of two or three montha during the stay we made at 
 Caracas." 
 
 After having observed the eclipse, Humboldt's attention was directed 
 to a reddish mii?t, which covered the sky for some minutes every even- 
 ing. Other remarkable phenomena soon followed : the mist grew denser, 
 
EARTHQUAKE— JOURNKY TO TIIK ORINOCO. 
 
 83 
 
 tho hot night air Avas inortoroua, tho Roa-broozoH fiiileil to blow, and tho 
 sky Avas colored like fire. On tho 4th of November, in tho aftenioon, 
 two violent shoeks of an earthquake occurred. Tho travelers wore 
 greatly impressed by thi.s new experience, but immediately arranged 
 their electrical apparatus, and commeiioed tlieir cxjjerimcnts. Hum- 
 boldt's remarks upon tho sensations produced by an oarth(juak(! aro 
 strikingly true, as every person who has felt the shock of one can testify. 
 He says : " From our infancy, tho idea of certain contrasts becomes fixed 
 in our minds : water appears to us an element that moves ; earth, a 
 motionless and inert mass. These itnpressions are tho result of daily 
 cxj)crienco ; they aro coimected with every thing that is transmitted to 
 us by the senses. When tho shock of an earth(iuako is felt, when tho 
 earth which wo had deemed so stable is shaken on its old foundations, 
 one instant sufliccs to destroy long-fixed illusions. It is like awakening 
 from a dream ; but a painful awakening. Wo feel that we have l)een 
 deceived by tho apparent stability of nature; we become observant of 
 tho least noise ; we mistrust for tho first time the soil we have so long 
 trod with confidence. But if tho shocks bo repeated, if they become 
 frofpient during several successive days, tho uncertainty quickly disap- 
 pears. Confidence easily springs up in tho human breast : on tho coasts 
 of Peru wo become accustomed to tho undulations of tho grotmd, as tho 
 sailor becomes accustomed to tho tossing of tho ship, caused by the 
 motion of the waves." 
 
 TRAVELS ON TUB ORINOCO. 
 
 On the 1 8th of November, the travelers left Cumana on a coasting 
 trip to Laguayra, intending to remain in Caracas until the end of tho 
 rainy season. They then proposed crossing the great plains, or llanos, 
 to the missions of tho Orinoco ; to ascend that river, south of its cata- 
 racts, and ascertain its reported connection with the Rio Negro — the 
 main northern tributary of the Amazon — by means of the Rio Cassiqui- 
 are ; and afterward to descend tho Orinoco to tho town of Angostura, 
 and recross tho plains to Cumana. This was a journey of nearly twenty- 
 five hundred miles, two thirds of which they would be obliged to make 
 in boats, through a country almost entirely unknown. The monks were 
 tho real masters of the Orinoco country, and no intercourse existed be- 
 tween their missions and tho cities on tho coast. Tho colonists painted in 
 threatening colors the dangers they would encounter, but nothing could 
 daunt the zeal and intrepidity of Humboldt and Bonpland. They received 
 every assistance from Senor Emparan, the governor, and derived much 
 valuable information from Fray Juan Gonzalez, a monk who had spent 
 several years at Esmeralda, on the upper Orinoco. On departing for Car- 
 acas they first realized how powerful an influence their first four months' 
 experience of tropical life and scenery had produced upon their minds. 
 " We quitted the shore of Cumana," says Iliimboldt, " as if it had long 
 
 3 
 
J 
 
 34 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF IIUMHOLDT. 
 
 been our lionic This was the first hind wo had troddou in a zont' toward 
 which my thi)iij;hts liail been directed from I'arlie.st youth. There is ii 
 jiowert'ul eharm in the impreMsion produced by the Hcent.'ry nnd climuto 
 of these regions ; and aller an abode of a tew months we seenu'd to have 
 lived tliero during a h>ng succession of years. In |iro|)orti(»n as impri'S- 
 sions are jM)werl'iiI ami new, tliey weaken antecedent impressions, and 
 tlieir force imparts to tlieni the character of (biration. I appeal to tlioso 
 who, mtjre sensible to the beauties of nature than to the charms of soci- 
 ety, have long resided in the torrid zone. How dear, how mcmorahlt^ 
 during life, is the land on which they fn-st disembarked ! A vague desire 
 to revisit that s])ot remains rooted in their minds to the most advanced 
 age. Cumana, and its dusty soil, are .still more frequently present to my 
 imagination than all the wonders of the Cordilleras, iieneath the bright 
 sky of the south, the light, and the m.igic of the aerial hues, eml)elli,sh a 
 land most destitute of vegetation. The sun does not merely enligliten, 
 it colors the objects, and wraps them in a thin vajjor, which, without 
 clhinging the transparency of the air, renders its tints more harmonious, 
 softens the effcicts of the light, and diffuses over nature a jjlacid calm, 
 which is reflected in our souls." 
 
 Keaching Laguayra on the 21st, Humboldt found the yellow fever 
 raging violently, and without h.ilting in the town, ascended to Ca- 
 racas, by the mountain roud, which he eomj)ares to the ])assage of the 
 St. Gothard, in Switzerland. In the latter city, at an elevation of 2,500 
 feet above the sea, he found a climate of jierjietual spring. lie took a 
 liouse in a quarter of the cily, which, during the great eartlujuake of 
 1812, Avas as completely destroyed as if a mine had been s])rung beneath. 
 Here the travelers remained two mouths, charmed \vith the society of 
 the i>lace, although the weather was unfavorable for their astronomical 
 observations. Tin,' nights were generally cloudy, and Humboldt resoited 
 to the tluatre, where, as there was no roof over the pit, he could watch, 
 as he sat in his box, fn* the appearance of Jui)iter. The only excursion 
 made during this residence Avas to the sumnxit of the Sill:i (saddle) of 
 Caracas, which none of the iiduibitants had over asiiended. Sixteen 
 persons offered to accompany the expedition, for the sake of novelty, 
 and the party started on the 22d of January, 1800, on a day Avhen, on 
 account of the low clouds, they cou'd calculate on a clear atmosphere. 
 Leaving the foot of the Silla in the morning, they found the path very 
 steep and iiitiguing. The ground Avas covered with short grass, which 
 afforded no firm footing, Avhilo thin Aapors arose from the forest, and 
 announced an ai)proaehing mist. Humboldt's companions lost courage 
 and showed some sign.s of beating a retreat, and the garrulity of the 
 accompanyhig negroes contrasted strongly Avith the taciturnity of 
 the Indians, Avho had been his guides among the Chaymas mountains. 
 They mocked the discouraged guides, and made themselves especially 
 merry at a young Capuchin friar, Avho Avas, at the same time, professor 
 of mathematics. When the company started, he imaguied that he Avould 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
I 
 
 ASCENT OF TIIK SILLA 1) K CARACAS. 
 
 85 
 
 snrpasH nil llicrcst in lioMiii'ss ami onduraiico ; lu' had even takon l»its 
 »)t' white jiaiK-r witii him, that he, as tlu> foremost ot'the t-limheiM, mii,'ht 
 throw tlit'in down to show tho way to the others. lie had also promised 
 the monks ot'iiis order to fire simie rockets troiii tl\e top ot' tho mount- 
 ain, in order to amiounco his siiceess to the iiiliahitaiits of Caracas. 
 JJut this l)uaster, eneiimhered in the ascent l>y his loni; <jfowii, soon lost 
 both his strength and courajjje, and stopped at a i)lantation, Mhenco ho 
 watched II\mil)oldt and tho others throiitj;h a telesc(^j)e. T!ie l»arfy 
 moved on towartl tho eastern part of tho Silla, which ti'rminatcM in two 
 ronnilod ju-aks. Tlieir joiu'iioy now hecame very lUnicult on account of 
 the ll)}jf, a!id tlio necessity of usini^ both hands atid foot in cHmhinuc tho 
 stoop and slij)pory ascent. At the liciglit of five thousand live hundred 
 feet, they M'l'ro siu'prised by tho sight of a palm forest, within which 
 Humboldt found a greater variety f)f plants in a small space, than in any 
 other part of tho world. After further clinibing, during which the mer- 
 cury sank to 51°, and they suffered fiuni the cold, they reached the hoi- 
 low between tho two jieaks, ciilled the "Saddle." The luxuriant vegita- 
 tion hero made it extrenu'ly difficult to find .i ])ath, which had to bo 
 hewn with knives and axes. A dense mist clung around them, and at 
 every step the danger was incurred of connng suddenly upon the brink 
 of the tromendous precipice, and falling .-^ix thousand feet into the sea. 
 They maile a halt, to await the arri^ al uf some negroes with provi- 
 sions, but the meal \v :a very sparing, as they had only olives and a little 
 bread. Even the guides had lost all courage, and Avoro with great difh'- 
 culty prevented from returning. It was now two o'clock in the after- 
 noon, and Humboldt determined to roacli the sununit of tho eastern 
 peak before sunset, and pass the night in tho liollow below. The ne- 
 groes vore sent back, Avith orders to meet him on the folloAving day, 
 with more satisfiictory provender than olives. Scarcely had thes(; j)ro- 
 parations been made, when tho east wind arose, dispersing tlie clouds 
 in less than two minutes. The two peaks of the Silla, covered only with 
 grass and low bushes, seemed astonishingly near. In order to reach 
 the highest peak, they were obliged to approacb the steep precipice 
 hanging over the sea, but the obstacles from vegetation decreased as 
 they ascended. In three quarters of an liour they stood upon the eastern 
 summit, eight thousand six hundred and thirty-two feet above tho sea, 
 which expanded before their eyes with a radius of a hundred miles. 
 The western peak hid from their view the city of Caracas, but the vast 
 extent of tropical forests, villages, coffee plantations, and tho silver 
 •windings of tho Guayra River, filled them ■with rapture. It has been 
 stated that in looking from the Silla over tho Carribean Sea, Humboldt 
 observed that rare and remarkable sight, the visible convexity of tho 
 earth, but this circumstance is not mentioned in his " Personal Nar- 
 rative," where he thus describes the view : " Following with tlio ryo tho 
 surface of the sea, which was smooth as glass, we were struck with the 
 progressive diminution of tho reflected light. Where the visual ray 
 
 I 
 
86 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 toiichod the l;i«t limit of that surface, the water was lost anioncf tlie 
 supciposc'd strata of air. This appearance lias something in it very 
 extraordinary. AVe expect to see the horizon level A\ith the eye ; but, 
 instead of distinguishing at this height a marked limit betwecHi the two 
 elements, the more distant strata of water seem to be transformed into 
 vapur, and mingled with the aerial ocean. I observed the same appear- 
 ance, not in one spot of the horizon alone, but on an extent of more than 
 a Inindrijd and sixty degrees, along the Pacific, when I found myself for 
 the lirst time on the pointed rock that commands the crater of Pichin- 
 cha; a volcano, the elevation of which exceeds that of Mont Blanc." At 
 half past four o'clock, having finished their scientific observations, the 
 travelers descended to the palm forest. They Avere botanizing w lien the 
 night overtook them ; the guides who carried the instruments went 
 away, one by one, to seek a deeping place among the rocks, and it was 
 not until nearly midnight that Humboldt and JBonpland, overcome with 
 hunger and fatigue, reached the lower valley. After a descent of six 
 hours, they again arrived at the plantation at the foot of the mountain. 
 The inhabitants of Caracas had witnessed their success through telescopes. 
 On the 7th of February, they commenced their journey into tlio 
 interior. Instead of proceeding directly acrjss the steppes, or llanos, to 
 the Orinoco River, they selected a longer route by way of the valley of 
 Aragua, and the hot springs of Mariara, to the Lake of Valencia; tlience 
 across the llanos to San Fernando, on the Apui'c liiver, and down thai, 
 river to the Orinoco. On their way to the Lake of Valencia, they 
 visited a tree called zamang, a variety of the mimosa, the boughs of 
 which formed a hemisphere five hundred and seventy-six feet in circum- 
 ference, and so regular that on measuring several diameters, Humboldt 
 foi.nd them to vary only ftum one hundred and eighty-six to one hundred 
 and ninety-two Icet. He considered this tree as old as the dragon-tree 
 of Teneritfe. It is held in such high regard that a inan, who cut off a 
 branch, was tried and condemned for the xct. In the colonies of Cura, 
 the travelers passed several days after the manner of the natives, taking 
 two baths, three meals, and three sleeps every twenty-four hours. After 
 visiting the hot springs of Mariara, they journeyed six days to the town 
 of New Valencia, traveling only by night, on account of the great heat. 
 At the hot springs of Trinchera, they were surprised to find arums and 
 fig-trees growing in water which had a temperature ^f 175°, From 
 Valencia they descended to Porto Cabello, on the coasi, where they 
 remained until the 1st of March, and then commenced their journey to 
 the jilains of the Orinoco. In the valley of Aragua, Humboldt first saw 
 the celebrated " cow-tree," the existence of which he had previously 
 doubted, and of which he gives the following beautif: 1 description : 
 " When incisions are made in the trunk of this tree, it y:elds abundance 
 of a glutinous milk, tolerably thick, devoid of al' acridity, and of an 
 agree-xble and balmy smell. It was offered to t'.s in the shell of a cala- 
 bash. We drank considerable quantities of it in the evening before wo 
 
t{ 
 
 I ! 
 
 1 1 
 
 DESCRIPTION OP TUE COW-TREE. 
 
 87 
 
 ■went to bed, and very early in the morning, without feeUng the least 
 injurious efl'cct. The glutinous character of this milk alone renders it a 
 little disagreeable. The negroes and the A-ee people who work in tlio 
 plantations drhik it, dipping into it their bread of maize or cassava. The 
 overseer Oi the farm told us that the negroes grow sensibly latter 
 during the season when the palo de vaca furnishes them with most milk. 
 This juice, exposed to the air, presents at its surface menibraues of a 
 strongly animalizcd substance, yellowi?li, stringy, and resembling cheese. 
 
 "j^ midst the gniat number of curious phenomena which I have ob- 
 served hi the course of my travels, I confess there are few that have 
 made so powerful an impression on me as the aspect of the cow-tree. 
 Whatever relates to milk or to corn, inspires an interest which is not 
 merely that of the physical knowledge of things, but is connected with 
 another order of ideas and sentiments. We can scarcely conceive how 
 the human race could exist without farinaceous substances, and without 
 that nourishing juice which the breast of the mother contains, and which 
 is aj)propriated to the long feebleness of the inflxnt. The amylaceous 
 matter of corn, the object of religious veneration among so many nations, 
 ancient and modern, is diffused in the seeds, and deposited in the roots 
 of vegetables ; milk, which serves as an aliment, appears to us exclusively 
 the produce of animal organization. Such are the impressions we have 
 received in our earliest infancy : such is also the source of that astonish- 
 ment created by the aspect of the tree just described. It is not here the 
 solemn shades of forests, the majestic course of rivers, the mountains 
 wrapped in etenial snow, that excite our emotion. A few drops of vege- 
 table juice recall to our minds all the powerfulness and the fecundity of 
 nature. On the barren flank of a rock grows a tree with coriaceous and 
 dry leaves. Its large woody roots can scarcely penetrate into the stone. 
 For several months of the year not a single fihoAver moistens its foliage. 
 Its branches appear dead and di-ied ; but when the trunk is pierced there 
 flows from it a sweet and nourishing milk. It is at the rising of the sun 
 that this vegetable fountain is most abundant. The negroes and natives 
 are then seen hastening from all quarters, furnished with large bowls to 
 receive the milk, which g'-ows yelIo\>,', and thickens at its surface. Some 
 empty their bowls under the tree itself, others carry the juice home to 
 their children." 
 
 In crossing the moimtain-range between the valley of Aragua and the 
 llanos, the travelers jjassed a night in the village of Guigue, whore they 
 lodged with an old sergeant, a native of Murcia, a man of a very original 
 character. To prove to them that he had studied amon^ the Jesuits, he 
 recited the history of the creation of the world in Latin. He knew the 
 names of Augustus, Tiberias, and Diocletian ; and while enjoying the 
 agreeable coolness of the nights in an enclosure planted with bananas, he 
 employed himself in reading all that I'clated to the courts of the Roman 
 emperors. He inquired of Humboldt with eamestness for a remedy for 
 the gout, from which he suffered severely. " I know," said he, " a Zam- 
 
 I 
 
S8 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT, 
 
 bo of Valencia, \\ho could cure mo ; but the Zambo ^\ ouUl expect to bo 
 treated with attentions which I can not pay to a m;;n of his color, and I 
 prefer remaining as I am." On the 9th of March they commenced their 
 jom-ney on the great plains. " The sun was almost at its zenith ; tho 
 "arlh, wherever it api)eared sterile and destitute of vegetation, was at 
 the temperature of 120". Not a breath of air was felt at the height at 
 which we Avere on our mules; yet, in the midst of this apparent calm, 
 Avhirls of dust incc^^jantly tvrose, driven on by those small currents of air 
 which glide only over the surface of the ground, and are occasioned by 
 the dilferenco of temperature between the naked sand and the spots cov- 
 ered with grass. All around us the jtlains seemed to ascend to the sky, 
 and the vast and ])rofound solitude appeared like an ocean covered with 
 sea-weed. On the horizon tho earth was confounded with tho sky. 
 Thi'oucih the dry mist and strata of vajior the trunks of jwlm-trees were 
 seen from athr, stripped of their foliage and their verdant summits, and 
 looking like tlio masts of a ship descried upon tho horizon. There is 
 something awful, as well as sad and gloomy, in the uniform aspect of 
 these steppes. p]very thing seems motionless ; scarcely does a small 
 cloud, jiassing across the zenith, and denoting the approach of the rairy 
 season, cast its sliadow on the (.'luth, i know not whether the first as- 
 pect of tho llanos excites Il'ss ;is;o;iis]nnent than that of the cham of tho 
 Andes. 
 
 "When, beneath the vertical rays of the bright and cloudless sun of 
 the tropics, the parched sward crumbles into dust, then the indi.rated 
 soil cracks and bursts as if rent asunder by some mighty earthcpiako. 
 And if, at such a time, two opposite currents of air, by conflict movhig 
 in rapid gyrations, come in contact with the earth, a singular spectacle 
 presents itself. Like f;runel-sha])ed clouds, their apexes touching tho 
 earth, the sands rise in vajiory form through the rarefied air in the elec- 
 trically-charged center of the whirling current, sweeping on like tho 
 rushing water-s])out, which strikes such terror hito the heart of the mar- 
 hier. A dim and sallow light gleams from the lowering sky over the 
 dreary plain. The hoiizon suddenly contracts, and the heart of the 
 traveler sinks with dismay as the wide steppe seems to close upon him 
 on all sides. The hot and dusty earth forms a cloudy vail which shrouds 
 the hea\ens from view, and increases tho stifling oppression of th'' atmos- 
 phere, Avhile the east wind, Avhen it blows over the long-heated soil, 
 inste.id of cooling, adds to the burning glow. Gradually, too, the pools 
 of water, which had been protected from evaporation l)y the now seared 
 foliage of the tan-palm, disappear. As in the icy north animals become 
 torpid from cold, so here the crocodile and the boa-constrictor lie wra{)t 
 in unbroken sleep, deeply biM'icd in the drie(l soil. Every whore tho 
 drought announces death, yet every whore the thirsting wanderer is 
 deluded by tho phantom of a nioving, xmdulating, watery surface, cre- 
 ated by the deeeittive play of the mirage. A narrow stratum separates 
 the ground fi-om the distant pahu-trees, which seem to hover alofl, owing 
 
} 
 
 ASPECTS OF THE LLANOS. 
 
 39 
 
 
 to the contact of currents of air having different degrees of heat and 
 therefore of density. Shrouded in dark clouds of dust, and tortured by 
 hunger and burning thirst, oxen and horses scour the plain, the on'^ bel- 
 lowing dismally, the other with out-stretched necks snuffing the wind, 
 in the endeavor to detect, by the moisture of the air, the vichiity of some 
 l)Ool of water not yet wholly evaporated. 
 
 "The mule, more cautious and cunning, adopts another method of 
 allaying his thirst. There is a globular and articulated plant, the melo- 
 caJiis, which encloses under its prickly integument an aqueous pulp. 
 After carefully striking away the prickles Avith his forefeet, the mule 
 cautiously ventures to apply his hps to unbibe the cooling thistle juice. 
 But the draught from this living vegetable spring is not always im- 
 attended by danger, and these animals are often obser', ed to have been 
 lamed by the pimcture of the cactus thorn. Even if the burning heat 
 of day be succeeded by the cool fresluiess of the night, here always of 
 equal length, the wearied ox and horse enjoy no repose. Huge bats 
 now attack the animals during sleep, and vampyre-like suck their blood; 
 or, fastening on their backs, raise festering wounds, in which mosquitoes, 
 hijipobosces, a'.d a host of other stinging insects, burrow and nestle. 
 
 "When, after a long drought, the genial season of rain arrives, the 
 scene su<ldenly changes. T!ie deej) azure of the hitherto cloudless sky 
 assumos a lighter hue. Scarcely can the dark space in the constellation 
 of the Southern Cross be distinguished at night. The mild phosphor- 
 escence of the Alagollanic clouds tades away. Like some distant mount- 
 ain, a single cloud is seen rising jx-rpendifalarly on the southern horizon. 
 Misty vajjors collect and grulually oversiiread the heavens, while distant 
 thunder proclaims the approach of the vivifying rain Scarcely is the 
 surface of the earth moistened before the teeming steppe becomes 
 covered with a variety of grasses. Excited by ,ie power of light, the 
 herbaceous mimosa unfolds its dormant, drooping leaves, hailing, as it 
 were, the rising sun in chorus with the matin song of the birds and the 
 opening flowers of aquatic plants. Horses and oxen, buoyant with life 
 and enjoyment, roam over and crop the plains. The luxuriant grass 
 hides the beautifully spotted y ^tiai', who, lurking in safe concealment, 
 and carefully measuring the extent of the leap, darts, like the Asiatic 
 tiger, with a cat-like bound on his passing prey. At times, according to 
 the account of the natives, the humid clav on the banks of the morasses 
 is seen to rise slowly in l)road flakes. Accompanied by a violent noise, 
 as on the eruption of a small mud- volcano, the upheaved earth is hurled 
 high into the an-. Those who are fimiiliar with the phenomencm fly 
 from it ; for a cjiossal water-snake, or a mailed and scaly crocodile, 
 awakened from its trance by the first fall of rain, is about to burst from 
 his tomb. 
 
 " When the rivers bounding the plain to the south, as the Arauca, 
 the Apure, and the Payara, gradually overflow their banks, nature com- 
 pels those creatures to live as amphibious animals, which, during the first 
 
40 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 half of the year, were perishuig with thirst on the waterless and dusty 
 plain. A part of the steppe now presents the appearance of a vast in- 
 land sea. The mares retreat with their foals to the higher banks, which 
 project, like islands, above the spreading waters. Day by day tiie dry 
 surf'xce diminishes in extent. The cattle, crowded together, and de- 
 prived of pasturage, swim for hours about the inundated plain, seeking a 
 scanty nourishment from the flowering panicles of the grasses Avhich rise 
 abo\e the lurid and bubbling waters. Many foals are drowned, many 
 are seized by crocodiles, crushed by their serrated tails, and devoured. 
 Horses and oxen may not unfrequently be seen Avhich have escaped from 
 the fury of this blood-thirsty and gigantic lizard, bearing on their legs 
 the marks of its pointed teeth." 
 
 In traversing these vast plains, which were then parched with the 
 intensest heat, the travelers journeyed mostly by night, halting occa- 
 sionally at the 'mts of the herdsmen, who tended the horses and cattle 
 roambig over ' i te. Atler four or live days, they reached the 
 
 town of Calabozo, iace containing about five thousand inhabitants, 
 where they were hospitably entertained by the superintendent of the 
 royal plantations. In this remote spot they Avere greatly surprised to 
 find a tolerable electrical apparatus made by a native Spaniard, who had 
 never seen anything of the kind in his life. He had constructed it 
 entirely from the description given in Franklin's treatise, and was beside 
 himself with Joy at seeing the strangers arrive with the same machines, 
 and others, of which he had never even heard. During a stay of a few 
 days in Calabozo, Humboldt, after much dilHculty, succeeded in obtain- 
 ing some specimens of the (/i/m?iotus, or electrical eel. The Indians con- 
 ducted him to a large reservoir of slimy water, near a neighboring vil- 
 lage ; but it was not found possible to catch the eels with fishing-nets, 
 as they bi.ry themselves with great agility in the slime. He did not 
 wish to employ the barbasco root, Avhic^h stupefies them when thrown 
 into the water. The Indians then declared that they Avould be obliged 
 to " fish with horses," thirty of which they collected in a short time. 
 Humboldt, who had never heard of this extraordinary manner of fishing, 
 anxiously awaited the result, which he thus describes : " Tlu; noise oc- 
 casioned by the stamping of the horses drives the eels out of the slime 
 and irritates them ; they rise to the surface of the water, and crowd 
 under the bellies of the horses and mules. A contest between animals 
 of so different an organization presents a very striking spectacle. The 
 Indians, provided with harpoons and long slender reeds, surround the 
 pool closely ; and some climb up the trees, the branches of which extend 
 liorizontally over the surface of the water. By their Avild cries, and the 
 length of their reeds, they prevent the liorses from running away and 
 reaching the bank of the pool. The eels, stunned by the noise, defend 
 themselves by the repeated discharge of their electric batteries. For a 
 long interval they seem likely to prove victorious. Several horses sink 
 beneath the violence of the invisible strokes which they receive from all 
 
I 
 
 H 
 
 FISHING FOR ELECTRICAL EELS. 
 
 41 
 
 sides, in organs the most essential to life ; and stunned by the force and 
 frequency of the shocks, they disappear under the water. Others, ptuit- 
 ing, with mane erect, and haggard eyes expressing anguish and dismay, 
 raise tliemselves, and endeavor to flee from the storm by which tliey are 
 overtaken. They are driven back by the Indians into the middle of the 
 water ; but a smdl number succeed in eluding tlxe active vigilance of 
 the tisherinen. These regain the shore, stumbling at every step, and 
 stretch themselves on the sand, exhausted M'ith fatigue, and with Ihnbs 
 benumbed by the electric shocks of the gymnoti. 
 
 "In less than five minutes two of our horses were drowned. Tlic eel 
 being five feet long, and pressing itself against the belly of the horses, 
 makes a discharge along the whole extent of its electric organ. It at- 
 tacks at once the heart, the intestines, and the caeliac fold of the abdom- 
 inal nerves. It is natural that the effect felt by tho horses should be 
 more powerful than that produced upon man by the touch of the same 
 fish at only one of his extremities. The horses are probably not killed, 
 but only stunned. They are drowned from the impossibility of rismg 
 amid the prolonged struggle between the other horses and the eels. 
 
 " AVe liad little doubt that the fishing would terminate by killing suc- 
 cessively all the animals engaged ; but by degrees the impetuosity of this 
 unequal combat diminished, and the wearied gymnoti dispersed. They 
 require a long rest, and abundant nourishment, to repair the galvanic 
 force which they have lost by the repeated discharges. The horses and 
 mules recovered from their terror ; thoir manes no longer bristled, and 
 their eyes ceased to glare with fear. The Indians asserted that if the 
 horses were driven to the same water on two consecutive days, none 
 would die the second day. The eels now thnidly approached the shore, 
 where they were caught with little harpoons attached to long cords. If 
 the cords were perfectly dry, no shock was felt while hauling out tho 
 fish, but it was communicated through the wet cords. In a few minutes 
 five large eels Ave re caught, whicli were only slightly wounded, and sev- 
 eral others were obtained the same evening. Such is the remarkable 
 contest between horses and fish. That which constitutes the mvisible 
 but living weapon of these inhabitants of the water — that, which awak- 
 ened by the contact of moist and dissimilar particles, circulates through 
 all the organs of animals and plants — that which flashing amid the roar 
 of thunder illuminates the wide canopy of heaven — which binds iron to 
 iron, and directs the silent recurring course of tho magnetic needle — all, 
 like the varied hues of the refracted ray of light, flow from one common 
 source, and all blend together into one eternal all-pervading power. • 
 
 " The gymnotus is neither a charged conductor, nor a battery, nor an 
 electromotive apparatus, the shock of which is received every time they 
 are touched with one hand, or -when both hands are employed to form a 
 conducting circle between the opposite poles. The electric action of the 
 fish depends entirely on its will ; because it does not keep its electric 
 organs always charged, or Avhether by the secretion of some fluid, or by 
 
42 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 any other means alike mysterious to us, it be capable of directing the 
 action of its organs to an external object. We oilen tried, both insulated 
 and otherwise, to touch the fish, without feeling the least shock. When 
 M. I5on]iland held it by the heiul, or by the middle of the body, while I 
 held it by the tail, and, standing on the moist ground, did not take each 
 other's liand, one of us received shocks which the other did not feel. It 
 depends upon the gymnotus to direct it;^ action toward the jioint where 
 it finds itself most strongly irritated. The discharge is then made at one 
 point only, and not at the neighboring points. If two persons touch the 
 belly of the fish -with their fingers, at an inch distance, and press it 
 simultaneously, sometimes one, sojnctimea the other, -will receive tho 
 shock. It would be temerity to expose ourselves to the first shocks of 
 a very large and strongly irritated gymnotus. If by cliance a stroke be 
 received before the fish is wounded or wearied by long pursuit, tho pam 
 and numbness are so violent that it is impossible to describe the nature 
 of the fooling they excite. I do not remember having ever received 
 from the discharge of a large Leyden jar, a more dreadful shock than 
 that which I experienced by imprudently placing both my feet on a 
 gymnotus just taken out of the water. I was affected during the rest 
 of the day with a violent pain in the knees, and in almost every joint." 
 
 The travelers left Calabozo on the 24th of March, and continued 
 their journey over the desolate llanos. On tho way they found an In- 
 dian girl lying in the road, almost lifeless, and with her mouth and nos- 
 trils filled with sand. They restored her to consciousness and gave her 
 some wine and water, but she refused to accompany them, and wandered 
 off alonr. In three days they reached the Mission of San Fernando, on 
 tho Apure river, one of the principal tributaries of the Orhioco. Here 
 war. the cor^mencemtnt of their canoe voyages on the Apure, tho Orin- 
 oco, the Cassiquiare, a?^l tho ilio Negro, which lasted for three months. 
 During this journey they wore accompanied by Don Nicholas Soto, 
 brothcr-in-Iaw of the governor of the province. They hired a large 
 canoe, called a lancha by the natives. It had a cabin, covered with 
 palm-loaves, in the stern, and was managed by a pilot and four Indians. 
 Provision for a month — consisting of fowls, plaintains, and cassava bread, 
 to which the Capuchins added some Xercs A\'ine — was ])Iaced on board, 
 and a su]i]ily of fishing-tackle, ammunition, and some brandy for tho 
 Indians, laid in. Humboldt made notes of every thing which occurred 
 on the voyage, either during the day, or after the canoe had halted for 
 the night. Owing to this habit, his narrative has an unmistakable stamp 
 of truth and reality. They passed the last plantation on the second day, 
 and then entered a territory inhabited entirely by jaguars, crocodiles, 
 manati, or river-cows, and peoarries. The Apure, which qycw broader as 
 they descended, was bordered by dense forests, the trees of which were 
 full of monkeys and birds. The river abounded with fish and tortoises, 
 while huge crocodiles, often twenty feet in length, basked on the sand. 
 Notwithstandhig the numbers of these latter animals, the rainy season 
 
 } 
 
 H 
 
 
NIGHT IN THE TROPICAL J'ORESTS. 
 
 43 
 
 t 
 
 ji 
 
 hnd not yet comincncctl, and thousrvncls of thorn were still lying dormant 
 in the nuid of the plains. In those wildernesses, where man lives in con- 
 stant strife with nature, the conversation turns much upon the moans by 
 Avhic'h one can escape the pursuit of a tiijer, or a crocodile ; all prepare 
 themselves to encounter the danger. The crocodile loosens its hold 
 if the person seized thrusts his finger into its eyes, and the travelers 
 heard of several instances of escape in this manner. 
 
 Ilumholdt gives the following picturesque description of the noc- 
 turnal noises of animals hi the forests of the Apure : " Below the mission 
 of Santa Barbara de Arichuna we passed the night as usual in the open 
 air, on a sandy flat, on the bank of the Apure, skirted by the impene- 
 trable forest. We had some difticulty in finding dry wood to kindle the 
 fires Avith which it is here customary to surround the bivouac, as a safe- 
 guard against the attacks of the jaguar. The air was bland and solV, 
 and the moon shone brightly. Several crocodiles approached the bank ; 
 and I have observed that fire attracts these creatures as it does oiu" 
 crabs and many other aquatic animals. The oars of our boats were lixed 
 upright in the ground, to su])port our haunnocks. Deep stillness pre- 
 vailed, only broken at intervals by the blowing of the fresh-water dol 
 phins, which are peculiar to the river net-work of the Orinoco. After 
 eleven o'clock, such a noise began in the contiguous forest, that for the 
 renuiinder of the night all sleep was im]iossible. The wild cries of ani- 
 mals i-ung through the Avoods. Among the many voices which resound- 
 ed together, the Indians could only recognize those Avhich, nt\er short 
 pauses, Avere heard singly. There Avas the monotonous, plaintive cry 
 of the howling monkeys, the Avhining, flute-like notes of the small sapa- 
 jous, the grunting murmur of the striped nocturnal ape, the fitful roar 
 of tiie great tiger, the cougar, or maneless American lion, the peccary, 
 the sloth, and a host of parrots, parraquas, aiid other pheasant-like birds. 
 Whenever the tigers approached the edge of the forest, our dog, Avho 
 before had barked incessantly, canie howling to seek protection imder 
 the hanunocks. Sometimes the cry of the tiger resounded from the 
 branches of a tree, and Avas then ahvays accompanied by the plaintive 
 jiiping tones of tho apes, Avho were endeavoring to escape from the un- 
 Avonted pursuit. 
 
 " If one asks the Imlians why such a continuous noiso is heard on 
 certain nights, they answer, with a smile, that ' the animals are rejoicing 
 in the beautifid moonlight, rnd celebrating the return of the full moon.' 
 To me the scene appeared rather to be owing to an accidental, long 
 continued, and gradually increasing conflict among the animals. Thus, 
 for instance, the jaguar Avill pursue the peccaries and the tapirs, Avhich, 
 densely crowded together, burst through the barrier of tree-like shrubs 
 which opposes their flight. Terrified at the confusion, the monkeys on 
 the tops of the trees join their cries Avith those of the larger animals. 
 This arouses the tribes of birds who build their nostsin communities, and 
 suddenly the Avhole animal Avorld is in a state of commotion. Further 
 
44 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 exporicnco taught us, that it was by no means always the festival of 
 moonlight that disturbed the stillness of the forest ; for we observed 
 that the voices were loudest during violent storms of rain, or when the 
 thunder echoed, and the lightning flashed through the depths of tho 
 woods. The good-natured Franciscan monk who accompanied us through 
 the cataracts of Aturcs and Maypures to San Carlos, on the Rio Negro, 
 and to the Brazilian frontier, used to say, when apprehensive of a storm 
 at night, 'May heaven grant a quiet night both to ua and to tho wild 
 beasts of the forest !' " 
 
 The next dav, Humboldt was favored with another and even more 
 unwelcome experience. " While my companions were preparing din- 
 ner," he says, "I walked along the beach to get a near view of a group 
 of crocodiles sleeinng in the sun. Some little herons, white as snow, 
 walked along their backs, and even upon their heads, as if passing over 
 trunks of trees. The crocodiles were of a greenish gray, half covered 
 with dried mud ; from their color and immobility they might have been 
 taken for statues of bronze. This excursion had nearly proved fatal to 
 me, I had kept my eyes constantly turned toward the river; but, 
 while picking up some spangles of mica in tho sand, I discovered the 
 recent footsteps of a tiger, easily distinguishable from their form and 
 size. The animal had gone toward the forest, and turning my eyes on 
 that side, I found myself within eighty paces of a jaguar that was lying 
 under the thick foliage of a ceiba. No tiger had ever api)eared to mo 
 so large. There are accidents in life against Avhich we may seek in vain 
 to fortify our reason. I was extremely alarmed, yet sufficiently master 
 of myself and of my motions to enable me to follow the advice which 
 the Indians had so often given us as to bow wo ought to act in such 
 cases. I eontitmed to walk on without running, avoided moving my 
 arms, and I thought I observed that the jaguar's attention was fixed on 
 a herd of capybaras which Avas crossing the river. I then began to 
 return, making a large circuit toward the edge of the water. As tho 
 distance increased, I thought I might accelerate my pace. How often 
 ■was I tempted to look back, in order to assure myself that I was not 
 jnirsued ! Happily I yielded very tai'dily to this desire. Tlio jaguar 
 had remained motionless. I arrived at tho boat out of breath, and re- 
 lated my adventure to the Indians." 
 
 On the afternoon of the 4th of April, after a voyage of six days on 
 the Apure, they entered the Orinoco. An immense plain of water 
 stretched before them like a sea. White-topped waves, caused by a 
 wind blowing against the current, rose to the height of several feet. Tho 
 distant horizon was bounded by a zone of level forests. Humboldt found 
 the Apure, at the junction, to be one thousand two hundred feet in 
 breadth, and the Orinoco twelve thousand one hundred and eighty ; 
 during the rainy season the latter river attains a breadth of thirty-five 
 thousand feet, or nearly seven miles. Sailing up the Orinoco, they 
 touched at the port of Encaramada, where they first saw some specimens 
 
 I I 
 
J 
 
 FISHING FOR TURTLE'S EGGS. 
 
 45 
 
 of tlio nakctl Caribs. They were bound for a sandy island in the river, 
 celebrated for its fisheries of turtle's eggs. Humboldt and IJonpland 
 reached this island next day, and found there the missionary of Uruana, 
 who Avas greatly astonished at seeing them. After having admired their 
 instruments, ho gave them an exaggerated picture of tlio sufferings to 
 which thoy would bo necessarily exposed in ascending the Orinoco 
 beyond the cataracts. The object of their journey appeared to him 
 very my.sterious. " How is it possible to bnlicve," said he, "that you 
 have lefl your country, to come and bo devoured by mosquitoes on this 
 river, and to measure lands that are not your oaati ?" While halting at 
 the island, they witnessed the method of collecting turtle's eggs, and 
 extracting the oil. The turtle always lays its eggs at the time of the 
 lowest water, beginning at night, imme<i(iately after sunset. It digs a 
 pit two feet deep, and then commences the work, which frequently lasts 
 all night. There are such numbers that if one turtle finds a hole, whicrh 
 has not been filled up, from the haste of its owner on being surprised by 
 the sunrise, ho deposits a second layer of eggs over the top of the first. 
 The egg-gatherers investigate the situation and extent of these deposits 
 with a long pole, which, when pressed perpendicularly into the soil, re- 
 veals the looser sand below, on Avhich the eggs lie. The harvest is then 
 gathered in with methodical regularity. According to the number of In- 
 dian tribes, the soil is divided into certain districts, for the deposits of eggs 
 are found three feet deep, one hundred and twenty feet from the shore. 
 When they have sounded with the poles, the Indians dig up the soil 
 with their hand?, and break the eggs into wooden troughs filled Avith 
 water, after which they expose them to the rays of the sun until the 
 yellow, upper, oily part thickens. This oil is then skimmed off and 
 boiled, and if none of the eggs contain embryo tortoises, it is very pure 
 and of an agreeable flavor. A space on the shore, one hundred and t wenty 
 feet long, and thirty feet broad, gives one hundred jars of oil, and five 
 thousand eggs are required to fill a single jar. It is estimated that the 
 quantity of eggs taken from the island, amounts to thirty-three millions! 
 In the afternoon the travelers had a narrow escape from shipwreck. 
 The boat, struck by a violent gust of wind, Avas thrown on her beam 
 ends, and Avas only righted by the breaking of some cordage, and the 
 change of the Avind. All their plants and books were submerged, and 
 Humboldt saved his journal with difficulty. When at nightfall he 
 bivouacked on a sterile island in the stream, eating his evening meal in 
 the moonlight, seated on tortoise shells, he realized the great danger he 
 had escaped. He had only been on the Orinoco three days, and a 
 voyage of three months, involving far greater risks, Avas before him. 
 " There are moments in life," he Avrote, " in Avhich, without absolutely 
 despairing, the future seems very uncertain; one is more apt to indulge 
 in serious reflection, when, after having escaped a danger, he has need 
 of a strong emotion." While he meditated thus, lying upon a skin 
 
46 
 
 LIFE AND TIIAVKLS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 sproinl on tho grouml, the jiigimrs swam acrcss tho stream, and jh-owIl-iI 
 around )iim. 
 
 The next (lav tlicv passi'd tlio month of tho Arauoa riv.-r and tho 
 IMission of Uniaiia, a village of five Imndrcd inliahitants, most of wliom 
 lulonijfd to tho clay-eatini; Otoniao trihi,'. Beyond this ]»oint tho livor 
 became narrower and tho current stronger. Tliey continued to ascend 
 nndiT sail, but tho hi^di and woody j^rounds deprived them of wind. h\ 
 the strait of Daraguan, as it is called, where tho river is but a mile in 
 breadth, they found almost peri)endicular masses of gr.anite, seven him- 
 drt'd fi'i't hio;h. On the 9th of April they reaclu;d an Indian settlemenjt, 
 called Pararuma, where tlie pilot, who had conducted them from San 
 Fernando, and who was unaccjuainted with tho passage of the rapids of 
 tho Orinoco, refused to go further. Foittmately, they succeeded in 
 bridging an excellent canoe, to replace tho hincha, and Father Bernardo 
 Zeii, missionary of Atures, near tho cataract, offered to acomp.any them 
 to the frontiers of Brazil. Humboldt gives the following description of 
 their outfit and manner of voyaging : " The new canoe, intended for us 
 was, like all Indiim boats, a trunk of a tree lioUowed out i)artly by tho 
 hatchet and partly by lire. It was forty feet U)ng, and three broad. 
 Three persons could not sit in it side by side. These canoes are so 
 crank, and they reqiiire, from their instability, a cargo so eipialiy dis- 
 tributed, that when you want to rise for an instant, you niust warn the 
 rowers to lean to the opposite side. Without this precaution tlie water 
 would necessarily enter the side pressed down. It is difficult to form an 
 idea of the inconveniences that are suffered in such wretclied vessels. 
 To gain something in breadth, a sort of lattice-work had l)een constructed 
 on the stern Avith brandies of trees, that extended on each side beyond 
 tlie gunwale. Unfortunately, the tuldo, or roof of leaves, tiiat covered 
 this lattice-work, was so low that we were obliged to lie down, without 
 seeing any thing, or, if seated, to sit nearly double. The necessity of 
 carrying the canoe across the rapids, and even from one river to another ; 
 and tlie fear of giving too much hold to tho wind, by making the ttddo 
 liigher, render this construction necessary for vessels that go up toward 
 the Kio Xegro. The toldo was intended to cover four persons, lying on 
 the deck or lattice-work of brush-wood ; but our legs reached far beyond 
 it, and when it rained half our bodies were wet. Our couches consisted 
 of ox-hides or tiger-skins spread upon branches of trees, which were 
 painfidly felt through so thin a covering. The fore part of the boat was 
 filled Avith Indian rowers, furnished Avith paddles, three feet long, in tlie 
 form of spoons. They were all naked, seated two by two, and they 
 kej>t time in rowing Avith a surprising uniformity, singing songs of a sad 
 and monotonous character. The small cages containing our birds and 
 our monkeys — the nmnber of which augmented as we advanced — were 
 hung some to the toldo and others to the bow of the boat. This was 
 our traveling menagerie. Every night, Avhen we established our Avatch, 
 our collection of animals and our mstruments occupied the center ; around 
 
VOYAGE Ur Till!; ORINOCO. 
 
 47 
 
 I 
 
 those wore pliiooil first our Imminopks, then the litimmocks of the Imlians ; 
 ainl on the outside were tliu tires, wiiieh are tliouLjht indispensable against 
 the attaeks of the jaguar. Aboiit Hunri-(c the monkeys in our cages an- 
 swered the erics of the monkeys of the forest. 
 
 "In a eanoe not three feet wide, and so incuiubcred, there remained 
 no other jil.ice for the dried i)Iants, trunks, sextant, a dijtping-needle, and 
 the meteorological instriunents, tlian the space below the lattiee-work 
 of l)ran('hes, on which we were compelled to remain stretched the greater 
 part of the day. If we wished to take tlio least object out of a trunk, 
 or to use an instrument, it was necessary to row ashore and laud. To 
 these incoiu I'uiences were johied the torment of the moscniitocs Avhich 
 swarmed under the (olilo, and the heat radiated from the leaves of the 
 palm-trees, the upper surface tf which was continually exposed to the 
 solar rays. We attempted every instant, but always without success, to 
 amend our situation. While one of us hid himself under a sheet toward 
 off the insects, the other insisted on having green wood lighli'd beneath 
 the fofih, in the hope of d iving away the mosquitoes by the smoke. The 
 pauifiil sensations of the eyes, and the increase of heat, already stilling, 
 rendered both these contrivances alike impracticable. With some gayety 
 of temj»er, with feelings of mutual good-will, and with a vivid taste for 
 the majestic grandeiu- of tliese va^t valleys of rivers, travelers easily sujv 
 port evils that become habitual." 
 
 On the 10th of April they commenced their voyage in this n.'irrow 
 craft, slowly ascenduig the Orinuco. They were hospitably received at 
 the ^lission of Cariehana, and on the second day passed the mouth of 
 the 31ela, one of the largest tributaries of the Orinoco, with a volume of 
 water equal to that of the Danube. It is navigable as far as the foot of 
 the Andes of New Grenada, within twenty leagues of I>ogota, the cap- 
 ital. The Orinoco now began to rise, much to the surprise of the Indians, 
 as the rahiy sea^m had not yet fairly set in. On the l.'Uh, after passing 
 the rapids of Tabaje, they reached the Mission of San Borja, where they 
 found a munber of converted Guahibo Indians. The interest with Avhich 
 they examineil these creatures, ocasioned, singularly enough, the desertion 
 of the mission. The Guahibos of the forest persuaded their brethren that 
 the whites, on their return, would carry them off as slaves, and they all fled 
 into the woods. They had much difliculty in conversing with the difter- 
 ent tribes which they met with on the river, and were sometimes obliged 
 to employ several interpreters at the same time They were, however, 
 in no danger from hostile attacks, the Jesuits having subjugated the 
 natives by force of arms, before they administered their spiritual conso- 
 lations. One of these priests said to Humboldt, with great candor, " The 
 voice of the Gospel is heard only Avhero the Indians have also heard the 
 sound of fire-arms. By chastising the natives, we facilitate tlieir con- 
 version." 
 
 The river Orinoco, in its course from south to north, is crossed by a 
 chain of granite momitains. Twice confined ia its coui-se, it turbuleutly 
 
li 
 
 48 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVKLS OF HlTMBOLnT. 
 
 breaks on the rocks, which foriu Htcppcs and trajisvcrsc (lykoN. " Neither 
 till) tlill (if Tu<iiit'rulairja," says Humboldt, "nor the ir»:i<^iiilic('iit hcciics 
 of the CordillcruH, could weaken the impression i)ro(hu'ed upon my mind 
 by the firnt view of the rapids of Atures and of MaypurcH. VVhen the 
 spectator is so stationed tiiat the eye can at oneo take in tlu' h)nu: suci-es- 
 sion of cataracts, and the it)unensc sheet of foam and vapor ilhimined 1)y 
 the rays of the settinj^ sun, tlie whole river seems, as it were, suspended 
 over its bed." They reached the Mission of Atures, at tlie foot of the first 
 cataract, on the evening of Ai)ril 15. Duriiifj this day'H voyage they were 
 struck with the superntituraj silence of the tropical noonday; "Not a 
 breath of air moved the dust-like sand. The sim stood in \\w zenith; 
 and the eirulgenco of li^^ht poured upon tho river {jjave additional dis- 
 tinctness to tho red haze which vailed the distance. All the rocky 
 mounds and naked boulders were covered with largo, thick-scaled igua- 
 nas, gecko-lizards, and spotted salamanders. Motioidess, with uplitled 
 heads and widely-extended mouths, they seemed to inhale the heated air 
 Avith ecstasy. The larger animals at such times take refuge iji the deep 
 recesses of the i'orest, the birds nestle bc%U'ath the foliage of the trees, or 
 in the clefts of the rocks; but if hi this ajiparent stillness of nature M-e 
 listen closely for the faintest tones, we detect a dull, mullled sound, a 
 buzzing and humming of insects close to the eartli, in the lower strata 
 of the atmosi)herc. Every thing proclaims a world of active organic 
 forces. In every shrub, in tho cracked bark of trees, in the j)erforat(.'d 
 ground inhabited by hymenopterous insects, life is everywhere audibly 
 manifest. It is one of the many voices of nature revealed to the piouj 
 and susceptible spirit of man." They found the cataract of Atiuvs to be 
 a succession of rapids, extending over a distance of four or live miles, in 
 whicth the entire fall of the river was about thirty-two feet, presenting a 
 striking resemblance to tho cataracts of the Nile, while tho method of as- 
 cending them in canoes is almost precisely similar to that em[)I()y('d by the 
 Egyptians. When the dikes, or natural dams, are only two or three teet 
 liigh, the Indians venture to descend them in boats. In going up the river, 
 they swim on before, and if, after many vain efforts, they succeed in fix- 
 ing a rope to one of the points of rock that crown the dike, they then, 
 by means of that rope, draw the bark to the top of tho rapid. The bark, 
 during this arduous task, often fills with water ; at other times it is stovo 
 against the rocks, and the Indians, their bodies bruised and bleeding, 
 extricate themselves with difliculty from tho whirlpools, and reach, by 
 smnmiing, the nearest island. When the steppes or rocky barriers are 
 very high, and entirely bar tho river, light boats arc carried on shore, and 
 with the help of branches of trees placed under them to serve as rollers, 
 they are drawn as far as the place where the river again becomes nav- 
 igable. This operation is seldom necessary when the water is high. 
 
 After two days spent at Atures, Humboldt and Bonpland continued 
 their voyage, still accompanied by Don Nicholas Soto and Father Ber- 
 nardo Zca. They now began to suffer indescribable torments from the 
 
 
 i 
 
II 
 
 I ! 
 
 I 
 
 BUFFERINOa FROM MOSQUITOES. 
 
 49 
 
 mosiiuitocs and venomous flica by day, and tho zancudos (a species of 
 largo gnats) by night. Tlicso po-sts would bite through thick giirinciitH, 
 and could not bo driven away by smoke. They camo in such clouds 
 that tho mouths, cars, and noses of tho travelers were fdlcd with them. 
 Their hands were swollen and covered with liard, painful blotches, and 
 they were at last able to tell tho tirao of day by tho regularity with 
 which the different varieties of stinging insects made their visitations. 
 On tho upper Orinoco, tho principal topic of conversation, both among 
 tho natives and tho missionaries, is mosquitoes. Tho usual salutations 
 are: "How did you find tho gnats during the night?" "How are you 
 off for mosquitoes to-day ?" which rcmhided Humboldt of an ancient 
 Chinese manner of greeting: "Have you been incommoded in tho night 
 by serpents?" " The lower strata of air," ho writes, " from tho surface 
 of the ground to tho height of fifteen or twenty feet, are absolutely filled 
 with venomous insects. If in an obscure spot, for instance in tho grottos 
 of tho cataracts formed by superincumbent blocks of granite, you direct 
 your eyes toward tho opening enlightened by the sun, you seo clouds of 
 mosquitoes more or less thick. I doubt whet her there be a country upon 
 earth, M'hero man is exposed to more cruel torments in tho rainy season. 
 Having passed the fifth degree of latitude, you are somewhat less stung ; 
 but on the upper Orinoco tho stiii'^s arc more painful, because the heat 
 and the absolute want of wind lender tho air more burning and more 
 irritating in its contact with the skin. ' How comfortable must people 
 be in the moon !' said a Salivo Indian to Father Gumilla ; ' she looks so 
 beautiful and so clear, that she must be free from mosquitoes.' These 
 words, which denote the infancy of a people, are very remarkable. The 
 satellite of the earth appears to all savage nations th'j abode of the bless- 
 ed, the country of abundance. Tho Esquimaux, who counts among his 
 riches a plank or trunk of a tree, thrown by tho currents on a coast 
 destitute of vegetation, sees in the moon plains covered with forests ; 
 the Indian of the forests of Orinoco there beholds open savannahs, where 
 the inhabitants are never stung by mosquitoes." 
 
 Two more days brought them to the great cataract, or rapid of May- 
 piu'es, which they reached after night, in the midst of a violent rain. 
 Father Zea lighted torches of copal, and conducted them to the mission, 
 where they remained while the Indians dragged the canoe up the rapids. 
 At the northern end of tho principal cataract, which has a fall of nine 
 feet perpendicular, there is a lofty rock called Keri, so named from a 
 luminous white spot, in which the Indians perceive a remarkable similar- 
 ity to tho moon. Humboldt was not able to climb the rock, but sup- 
 posed the white spot to be an immense piece of quartz in the dark 
 granite. On an opposite rock, the Indians showed a similar disc, which 
 they called Camosi, and worshiped as an image of the sun. The best 
 view of the cataract, is from the rock of Manimi, a granite lidge near 
 the mission of Maypures. " We often visited this mountain," says Hum- 
 boldt, "for we were never weary of gazing on the astonishing spectade. 
 
 4 
 
50 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS or HUMBOLDT. 
 
 \ 
 
 From the summit of the rock is descried a sheet of foam, extending tlie 
 length of a whole mile. Enormous masses of stone, black as iron, issue 
 from its bosom. Some arc grouped in pairs, like basaltic hills ; others 
 resemble towers, fortified castles, and ruined buildings. Their gloomy 
 tint contrasts witii the silvery splendor of the foam. Every rock, every 
 islet is covered with * igorous trees, collected in clusters. As far as the 
 eye can reach, a thick vapor is suspended over the river, and through 
 this whitish fog the tops of the lolly palm-trees shoot up. Such is the 
 character of the landscape discovc/ed fi'om the top of the mountain of 
 Manimi, which no traveler has yet described. Tho calm of the atmos- 
 phere, and the tumultuous movement of tho waters, produce a contrast 
 peculiar to this zone. Here no breath of wind ever agitates the foliage, 
 no cloud vails the splendor of the azure vault of heaven ; a great mass 
 of light is diffused in the air, on the earth 8tre\vn witlx plants with glossy 
 leaves, and on the bed of the river, which extends as for as tho eye can 
 reach. When the rays of the glowing evening sun are refracted in the 
 humid atmosphere, an exquisite optical illusion is produced. Colored 
 bows appear, vanish, and re-appear, while the ethereal picture dances, 
 like an ignis fatuus, with every motion of the sportive breeze. In the 
 blue distance the eye rests on the mountain chain of Cunavanii, a far- 
 stretching range of hills which terminates abruptly in a sharply truncated 
 cone. We saw this conical hill, called by the Indians Calitamini, glow- 
 ing at sunset as if in crimson flames. This appearance daily returns. No 
 one has ever been in the immediate noighborliood of this mountain. 
 Possibly its dazzling brightness is produced by the reflecting surface of 
 decomposing talc, or mica schist." 
 
 VOYAGES ON THE RIO NEGRO AND CASSIQUIARE. 
 
 On the 21 St of April, they re-embarked in their narrow canoes, 
 which had suffered considerable damage by striking against the rocks. 
 The rainy season had now fairly set in ; there were heavy showers al- 
 most daily, and as the wind never bloAvs in these regions, they suffered 
 terribly from mosquitoes. They made good progress, however, and on 
 the night of the 24th entered the Guaviare, the largest tributary of the 
 Orinoco, then the Atabapo, which flows into it from the south, near its 
 junction with the former river, and reached the mission of San Fer- 
 nando. Humboldt now found himself on tho spot where he could be 
 enabled to verify the celebrated bifurcation of the Orinoco, which had 
 been previously doubted by geographers. The upper Orinoco, near 
 the mission of Esmeralda, divides itself into two parts, one of which, 
 flowing westward, receives the Guaviare and other tribntaries, and con- 
 tinues its way to the Caribbean Sea ; the other, turning southAvard, 
 forms a branch of the Rio Negro, and mingles its waters with those of 
 the Amazon. This extraordinary geographical feature, the only instance 
 
 
PLAN OF FURTHER EXPLORATION. 
 
 61 
 
 of the kind on a large scale, was first satisfactorily established by Hum> 
 boldt's explorations. The mission of San Fernando do Atabapo was the 
 threshold of the comparatively unknown region which he was to pene- 
 trate. " During the night," he says, " we had left, almost unporccived, 
 the waters of the Orinoco ; and at sunrise found ourselves as if trans- 
 ported to a new country, on the banks of a river, the name of which we 
 had scarcely ever heard pronounced, and which was to conduct us, by 
 the portage of Pimichin, to the Rio Negro, on the frontiers of Brazil. 
 • You will go up,' said the president of the missions, who resides at San 
 Fernando, ' first the Atabapo, then the Temi, and finally, the Tuamini. 
 When the force of the current of " black waters " hinders you from ad- 
 vancing, you will be conducted out of the bed of the river through 
 forests, M'hich you will find inundated. Two monks only are settled in 
 those desert places, between the Orinoco and the Rio Negro; but at 
 Javita you will be furaished with the means of having your canoe drawn 
 over land in the course of four days to the rivulet of Pimichin. If it be 
 not broken to pieces you will descend the Rio Negro without any ob- 
 stacle as far as the little fort of San Carlos ; you will go up the Cassi- 
 quiare (from south to north), and then return to San Fernando in a 
 month, descending the upper Orinoco from east to west.' Such Avas 
 the plan traced for our passage, and we carried it into effect without 
 danger, though not without some suffering, in the space of thkty-three 
 days." 
 
 After resting a day at the misc: jU, they commenced their voyage up 
 the Atabapo, the water of which was of a much darker hue and purer 
 quality than that of the Orinoco. The banks were entirely concealed 
 by the dense growth of palms and other trees. In order to shorten the 
 journey, the Indians left the main bed of the river and took narrow 
 channels (occasioned by the rains), which led directly through the 
 forests. The foliage was so dense that no ray of sunlight cou?d pene- 
 trate it, and they were often obliged to hew with knives a passage for 
 the canoe. On the 30th of May, they left the Atabapo, and entered a 
 branch called the Temi. Near the junction of the two rivers stands a 
 granite mound, called the " Mother's Rock," on account of a touching 
 history which it commemorates. Three yeara previous, the missionary 
 at San Fernando had undertaken a < ostile expedition among the Indiana 
 for the purpose of capturing souls. Among other prisoners taken was a 
 woman who was surprised alone in a hut, her husband having gone off 
 on a hunting expedition, accompanied by the children. After being 
 carried to San Fernando, the desire to see her children induced her to 
 attempt an escape. She fled repeatedly, but was as often caught and 
 brought back, and violently flogged, without effect. It was then deter- 
 mined to send her to the distant missions on the Rio Negro, whence it 
 Avould be impossible for her to return. While the canoe was passing up 
 the Atabapo, she flung herself into the stream and was thrown ashore at 
 the foot of the rock. Again she escaped into the woods, but was again 
 
52 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 l< 
 
 caught, brought back to the rock, and most cruelly beaten. She was 
 then taken to the n».lssion of Javita and closely confined, but in spite of 
 her wounds she tov^k advantage of a dark and stormy night to unfasten 
 with her teeth the cords which bound her and again fled in search of her 
 children. For four days and nights she wandered through a trackless 
 forest, then inundated and swarming with \'enomous reptiles. She swam 
 the swollen rivers ; her flesh was torn with thorns and spiky leaves ; her 
 only food was the large black ants which she caught ; but after this 
 incredible labor she reached her children, only to be torn away from 
 them shortly afterward, for the last time. The missionaries threw her 
 into a cell, where she refused all nourishment in her despair, and thus 
 died. Humboldt exclaims, after relating this story : " If man scarcely 
 leaves a trace of his existence in this wildei'ness, the name of this rock, 
 an imperishable monument of nature, will remain as a memorial of the 
 moral perversity of our age, of the contrast between the virtue of the 
 savage and the barbarism of civilized man !" 
 
 On the 1st of May they left the river Temi, and advanced a short 
 distance up one of its branches, the Tuaraini, to the mission of Javita, 
 the commencement of the portage of five miles through the forests to 
 the rivulet of Pimichin, which flows into the Rio Negro. They were 
 detained five days by the transportation of the canoe. Twenty-three 
 Indians were employed in dragging it, using the branches of trees as 
 rollers. The travelers employed the time in botanizing, and in collecting 
 information concerning the Indian tribes. "When the portage was per- 
 formed — happily without injury to the canoe — they proceeded on foot to 
 the Pimichin, through a forest swarming with venomous vipers. On the 
 6th of May they embarked on the Pimichin, and in five hours afterward 
 entered the Rio Negro. Their perseverance was at last rewarded. 
 " We had now been confined thirty-six days in a narrow boat, so un- 
 steady that it would "avc been overturned by any person rising impru- 
 dently from his seat, without warning the rowers. We had suffered 
 severely from the sting of insects, but we had stood the insalubrity of 
 the climate ; we had passed without accident the great number of water- 
 falls and bars, which impede the navigation of the rivers, and often ren- 
 der it more dangerous than long voyages by sea. After all we had 
 endured, it may be conceived that wo felt no little satisfaction in having 
 reached the tributary streams of the Amazon, having passed the isthmus 
 that separates two great systems of rivers, and in being sure of having 
 fulfilled the most important object of our journey, namely, to determine 
 astronomically the course of that arm of the Orinoco which falls into the 
 Rio Negro, and of which the existence has been alternately proved and 
 denied during half a century. In proportion as we draw near to an 
 object we have long had in view, its interest seems to augment. The 
 uninhabited banks of the Cassiquiare, covered with forests, without me- 
 morials of times past, then occupied my imagination, as do now the 
 banks of the Euphrates, or the Oxus, celebrated in the annals of civil- 
 
VOYAGE ON THE CASSIQUIARE. 
 
 53 
 
 ized nations. In that interior part of the New Continent one may almost 
 accustom one's self to regard men as not being essential to ^he order of 
 nature. The earth is loaded with plants, and nothing impedes their free 
 <ievelopment. An immense layer of mold manifests the uninterrupted 
 taction of organic powers. Crocodiles and boas are masters of the river ; 
 the jaguar, the peccary, the dante, and the monkeys traverse the forest 
 without fear and without danger ; there they dwell as in an ancdent inher- 
 itance. This aspect of animated nature, in which man is nothing, has 
 something in it strange and sad. Here, in a fertile country, adorned 
 with eternal verdure, we seek in vain the traces of the power of man ; 
 we seem to be transported into a world different from that which gave 
 us birth. These impressions are the more powerful in proportion as they 
 are of long duration." 
 
 After a voyage of only two days down the rapid current of the Rio 
 Negro, passing the Missions of Maroa and Davipe, the travclprs reached 
 San Carlos, the last Spanish station, and the termination of their travels 
 southward. Here there was a small military post, and the command- 
 ant received them with great hospitality. From San Carlos the mouth 
 of the Amazon could have been reached in the same time as that of the 
 Orinoco, and Humboldt was for a moment temjyted to continue his jour- 
 ney. It was very fortunate that he did not carry this idea into effect. 
 The government of Brazil had heard of his travels, and through a spirit 
 of jealous suspicion, had given orders to its agents to seize the travelers, 
 with their histruments, journals, etc., in case they crossed the frontier, 
 and forward tlicm to Lisbon. On thi' 10th, Humboldt and Bonpland 
 started on tlieir return, Soto and Father Zea would have preferred re- 
 turning by the same route tluv li;ul come, but the former, anxious to 
 explore the Cassiquiare — tin 'nnvo branch of the liio Nogni — per- 
 suaded them to acquiesce in tlai plan Th( \ found the two rivns, at 
 their junction, nearly equal in breadth ; t' current of the Cassicpiiare, 
 however, was very strong — sometimes eight miles an h ur — and their 
 progress was slow. At one of the missions on its banks he obtixined 
 positive information of the cannibal habits of the native tribes. The 
 priest inU)rmod him that one of the native chiefs, a few years bel'oro, had 
 carefully fattened and then eaten one of his own wi- i s. Infanticide is 
 also very common, and when an Indian woman bears twins one of them 
 is instantly killed, because they consider it a vile thing for a human being 
 to bring forth more than one, like an opossum or pecr:ir\ fhc travel- 
 ers spent ten nights on the Cassiquiare, tormented with >, mosquitoes, 
 and ants. The passage became more troublesome in juoportion as they 
 approached the Orinoco. "The luxuriance of the vegetation increases 
 in a manner of which it is diflicult even for those acquainted with the 
 aspect of the forests between the tropics, to form an idea. There is no 
 longer a bank : a palisade of tufted trees forms the margin of the river. 
 You see a canal twelve hundred feet broad, bordered by two enormous 
 walls, clothed with parasitic vines and foliage. We often tried to land, 
 
64 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 but without success. Toward sunset we would sail along for an hour 
 seeking to discover, not an opening (since none exists), but a spot less 
 wooded, where our Indians by means of the hatchet and manual labor, 
 could clear space enough for a resting-place for twelve or thirteen per- 
 sons. It was impossible to pass the night in the canoe ; the mosquitoes, 
 which tormented us during the day, accumulated toward evening beneath 
 the tuldo covered with palm-leaves, which served to shelter us from the 
 rain. Our hands and faces had never before been so much swelled. 
 Fatuer Zea, who had till then boasted of having in his missions of the 
 cataracts the largest and fiercest mosquitoes, at length gradually acknowl- 
 edged that the sting of the insects of the Cassiquiare was the most pain- 
 ful he had ever felt. We experienced great difficulty, amid a thick 
 forest, in finding wood to make a fire, the branches of the trees being 
 so full of sap that they would scarcely burn. The view of the river, and 
 the hum of the insects, were a little monotonous ; but some remains of 
 our natural cheerfulness enabled us to find sources of relief during our 
 wearisome passage. We discovered, that by eating small portions of 
 dry cacao ground with sugar, and drinking a large quantity of the river 
 water, we succeeded in appeasing our appetite for several hours. The 
 ants and the mosquitoes troubled us more than the humidity and the 
 want of food. Noth withstanding the privations to which we were ex- 
 posed during our excursions in the Cordilleras, the navigation on the 
 Cassiquiare has always appeared to us the most painful part of our trav- 
 els in America." 
 
 I 
 
 RETURN TO CUMANA. 
 
 They reached the Orinoco on the 21st of May, and proceeded three 
 miles up the stream, to the missionary station of Esmeralda. At the 
 bifurcation of the river rises the granite mountain of Duida, eight thou- 
 sand feet high, which forms a splendid feature in the landscape. During 
 a stay of two days at Esmeralda, Humboldt had an opportunity of wit- 
 nessing the preparation of the celebrated curare poison, which is ob- 
 tained from the juice and bark of a particular plant, highly concentrated 
 by boiling and filtration. WhcTi it comes in contact with the blood it 
 is immediately fatal, and no remedy for it has yet been discovered ; but 
 it may be swallowed not only with safety, but with great advantage, in 
 cases of gastric derangement. It is prepared by a skillful Indian, who 
 has the title of " poison-master." While Humboldt was witnessing the 
 process, the master, who had a wounded finger, incautiously allowed 
 some of the poison to touch it. He instantly fell to the groimd, as if 
 stunned, but the poison was fortunately in a diluted state, and the man's 
 life was saved by the application of muriate of 80(' i, Humboldt him- 
 self had also a narrow escape from a similar fate. The poison ran out of 
 a bottle which was badly stopped, and saturated his stockings. He per- 
 
THE CAVERN OF ATARUIPB. 
 
 65 
 
 ceived the glutinous feeling as he was ahout to put them on, and as his 
 feet were covered with sores from the bites of insects, such an act would 
 have been certain death. When the travelers left Esmeralda, they were 
 in a very weak and languid condition, caused by the torments of insects, 
 bad food, and confinement in the narrow and damp canoe. After spend- 
 ing another night at the junction (or rather disjunction), of the Cassi- 
 quiare, they floated with the current, the river being free from shoals, 
 and in thirty-five hours reached the mission of Santa Barbara, a distance 
 of nearly a hundred and fifty miles. On the 27th, they aiTived at the 
 mission of San Fernando de Atabapo, which they had left more than a 
 month before. They remained but a day to rest, and then floated, in 
 seventeen hours, to the cataract of Maypures, where they were obliged 
 to wait two days for the passage of their canoe. Another day brought 
 them to the cataract of Atures. Here they landed before sunset, on 
 the eastern bank of the Orinoco, in order to visit the cavern of Ata- 
 ruipe, which is the place of sepulture of an extinct nation. 
 
 Humboldt thus describes his visit to this remarkabb o?.v.j : "The 
 surrounding scenery has a grand and solemn character, which seems to 
 mark it as a national burial-place. With difliculty, and not without 
 danger of being precipitated into the depths below, we clambered a steep 
 and perfectly bare granite rock, ^.n whose smooth surface it would bo 
 hardly possible to keep one's footing were it not for large crystals of 
 feldspar, which, defying the action of weather, project an inch or more 
 from the mass. On gaining the summit, d, wide prospect of the sur- 
 rounding country astonishes the beholder. From the foaming bed of 
 the river rise hills richly crowned with woods, while beyond its western 
 bank the eye rests on the boundless savannah of the Meta. On the hor- 
 izon loom like threatening clouds the mountains of Uniama. Such is 
 the distant view ; but immediately around all is desolate and contracted. 
 In the deep ravines of the valley moves no living thing save where the 
 vulture and the whirring goat-sucker wing their lonely way, their heavy 
 shadows gleaming fitfully past the barren rock. The caldron-shaped 
 valley is encompassed by mountains, whose rounded summits bear huge 
 granite boulders, measuring from forty to more than fifty feet in diam- 
 eter. They appear poised on only a single point of the surface, as if 
 tile slightest shock of the earth would hurl them down. The further 
 side of this rocky valley is thickly wooded. It is in this shady spot that 
 the cave of the Ataruipe is situated ; properly speaking, hovrover, it ia 
 not a cave, but a vault formed by a far projecting and overhanging cliff, 
 — a kind of bay hollowed out by the waters when formerly at this high 
 level. This spot is the grave of an extinct tribe. We counted about 
 six hundred well-preserved skeletons, placed in as many baskets, formed 
 of the stalks of palm-leaves. These baskets, called by the Indians ma- 
 pireSy arc a kind of square sack varying in size according to the age of 
 the deceased. Even new-bom children have each their own mapire. 
 These skeletons are so perfect, that not a rib or a finger is wanting. 
 
66 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF UUMUOLDT. 
 
 (luring several 
 
 "The Indians assured nio that the corpso was burl 
 months in a moist earth, which gradually destroyed the llosh ; and that 
 after being disinterred, any particles of flesh still adhering to the bones 
 were scraped oif with sharp stones. This practice is still continued 
 among many tribes of Guiana. Besides these baskets, or mapires, we 
 saw many in-ns of half-burned clay, which appear to contain the bones of 
 wliole families. The largest of these urns are upward of three feet in 
 height, and nearly six feet in length, of an elegant oval form, and green- 
 ish color ; with handles shaped like crocodiles and serpents, and the rims 
 bordered Avith flowing scrolls and labyrinthine figures. These ornaments 
 are precisely similar to those which cover the walls of the Mexican 
 palace at Mitla. They are found in every clime and every stage of 
 human culture — among the Greeks and Romans, no less than on the 
 shields of Otaheitans, and other South Sea islanders — in all regions 
 where a rhythmical repetition of regular forms delights the eye. The 
 causes of tliese resemblances, as I have explained elsewhere, are rather 
 to be referred to psychical conditions, and to the inner nature of our 
 mental qualifications, than as affording evidence in favor of a common 
 origin and the ancient intercourse of nations. 
 
 " Our interpreters could give us no certain information regarding the 
 age of these vessels; but that of the skeletons did not in general appear 
 to exceed a hundred years. There is a legend among the Guareke 
 Indians, that the brave Atures, when closely pursued by the cannibal 
 Caribs, took refuge on the rocks of the cataracts — a mournful place of 
 abode — in which this oppressed race perished, together with its language ! 
 In the most inaccessible portion of the rapid, other graves of the same 
 character are met with ; indeed it is probable that the last descendants 
 of the Atures did not become extinct until a much more rcceat period. 
 There still lives, and it is a singular fact, an old parrot in Maypurcs which 
 can not be understood, because, as the natives assert, it speaks the lan- 
 guage of the Atures ! 
 
 " We left the cave at nightfall, after having collected, to the extreme 
 annoyance of our Indian guides, several skulls and the perfect skeleton 
 of an aged man. One of these skulls has been delineated by Blumen- 
 bach in his admirable craniological work; but the skeleton, together 
 with a large portion of our natural history collections, especially the 
 entomological, was lost by shipwreck off the coast of Africa on the same 
 occasion when our friend and former traveling companion, the young 
 Franciscan monk, Juan Gonzalez, lost his life. As if with a presentiment 
 of this painful loss, w'e turned from the grave of a departed race Avith 
 feelings of deep emotion. It was one of those clear and delicious cool 
 nights so frequent beneath the tropics. The moon stood high in the 
 zenith, encircled by a halo of colored rings, her rays gilding the margins 
 of the mist, which in well defined outline hovered like clouds above the 
 foaming flood. Innumerable insects poured their red phosphorescent 
 light over the herb-covered surface, which glowed with living fire, aa 
 
 •J 
 
THE OTOMAC INDIANS. 
 
 57 
 
 though the starry canopy of ho.ivcn h:»(l sunk upon tho grassy plain. 
 Climbing bignonia, fragrant vanillas, arul golden-tlowercd banisterias, 
 adorned the entrance of the cave, wliile the rustling palm-leaves Avaved 
 over the resting-place of the dead. Thus pass away the generations of 
 men ! — thus perish the records of the glory of nations I Yet when every 
 emanation of the human mind has faded — when in the storms of time 
 the monuments of man's creative art arc scattered to the dust — an ever 
 new life springs from the bosom of the earth. Unceasingly prolific na- 
 ture unfolds her germs, regardless though sinful man, ever at war with 
 hunself, tramples beneath his foot the ripening fruit !" 
 
 After taking leave of the good monk, Father Zea, Avho was ill and 
 remained at the mission, Humboldt and Bonpland ventured to pass tho 
 last half of the cataract of Atures in the laden boat. They landed 
 several times on the rocks which connect tho single islands by abrupt 
 dikes ; sometimes the waves dashed over these dikes, and sometimes 
 found an outlet through stibterrancan channels. The travelers crept 
 into one of the caverns under the rocks ; its damp walls were covered 
 with confervas, which they gathered, while overhead the torrent fell with 
 a fearful noise. As the Indians had left them in the middle of the rapid 
 to circumnavigate a small islan<l in the canoe, they were obliged to spend 
 some time on the rock in a violent storm. The night had already set in, 
 and thoir situation without shelter was dismal in the extreme. The lit- 
 tle monkeys, which they had carried with them for months in wicker 
 baskets, attracted the crocodiles by their cries, thus refuting tho assertion 
 of the Indians that these animals are never seen in the rapids. After a 
 long time the canoe arrived at the foot of the island, having safely accom- 
 plished the passage ; they rc-shipped their ii\!<truments and collections, 
 and were soon afloat on the broad waters of the lower Orinoco. On tho 
 7th of June they reached the Mission of Uruana, inhabited by the Oto- 
 macs — a tribe of Indians who arc noted for their habit of eating dirt. 
 They select an unctuous kind of clay, which they make into cakes and 
 bake in the fire. They arc very fond of this diet, which, during tho 
 height of the rainy season, constitutes their principal food. Notwith- 
 standing it contains little or no nutritive (juality, these Indians are robust 
 and healthy. It is sujiposed that they use the oil of turtles' eggs, and 
 the fat of the crocodile, in connection Avith it. They arc a turbulent 
 and pjssionatc people, and strongly addicted to the use of palm-wine and 
 other intoxicating drhiks. They also throw themselves into a peculiar 
 state of intoxication by the use of a powder called niopo, made from the 
 seeds of a species of acacia, and inhaled through tho forked bono of a 
 bird, the extremities of which arc applied to the nostrils. Tho powder is 
 so stimulating that the smallest portion of it occasions violent sneezing in 
 those unaccustomed to its use. 
 
 A further voyage of nine days, without particular incident, brought 
 the travelers to Angostura, the capital of Spanish Guiana, where they 
 arrived on the ICth of June. Humboldt thus describes his feelings, 
 
68 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 on this return to civilization : '' It would bo difficult for mc to express 
 
 the satisfaction wo felt on 
 
 landing at 
 
 Anfiostura. The inconveniences 
 
 endured at sea in small vessels are trivial in comparison Avith those that 
 are suffered undar a burning sky, surrounded by swarms of mosquitoes, 
 and lying stretched in a canoe, without the possibility of taking the 
 least bodily exercise. In seventy-five days we had performed a passage 
 of five hundred leagues — twenty to a degree — on the five great rivers, 
 Apuro, Orinoco, Atabapo, Rio Negro, and Cassiquiare ; and in this vast 
 extent Ave had found but a very small number of inhabited places. Com- 
 ing from an almost desert country, Ave Avere struck Avith the bustle of 
 the town, though it contained only six thousand inhabitants. We 
 admired the conveniences AA'hich industry and commerce furnish to civil- 
 ized man. Humble dwellings appeared to us magnificent ; and every 
 person Avith Avhom we conversed, seemed to be endoAved Avith superior 
 intelligence. Long privations give a value to the smallest enjoyments ; 
 and I can not express the pleasure Ave felt, Avhen we saAV for the first time 
 wheaten bread on the governor's table." 
 
 Soon after their arrival, they Avere both attacked Avith fever on the 
 same day, and Bonpland's condition became so serious that his recovery 
 Avas almost desimired of. This misfortune detained them at Angostura 
 until the 10th of July, Avhen they crossed the Orinoco for the last time 
 and commenced their journey across the llanos to Ncav Barcelona. Their 
 collections of plants and geological specimens greatly augmented their 
 baggage, owing to Avhich circumstance they Averc obliged to travel very 
 sloAvly. The heat Avas excessive, and as there AA'as no Avind, they found 
 the journey A'cry toilsome. At the end of the third day they reached 
 the Slission of Carl, the inhabitants of Avhich belonged to the ancient 
 Carib tribe Avhich Columbus found on this coast. They are a very tall 
 race, many of them being six feet in height. Their features are more 
 regular, Avith a more intelligent expression, than those of the other Indian 
 tribes. The men are more clothed than the women, AA'ho are almost 
 naked, the AA-ant of clothing being much less important than the absentVi 
 of red paint on their bodies. They asked Humboldt for pins, Avhich thojr 
 immediately stuck into their lower lips. Leaving the mission, six more 
 days brought the travelers in sight of the mountain-chain of Cumana 
 — AvhIch divides the llanos from the Caribbean Sea — rising like a cloud 
 in the distance. On the 23d of July they reached Ncav Barcelona, ex- 
 hausted by the hot sand-winds of the plains. Bonpland soon regained 
 his health and activity, but Humboldt experienced an attack of ty- 
 phus fever, Avhich was then prevalent, and Avas unable to travel for a 
 month. 
 
 Anxious to reach Cumana, in order to avail themselves of the first 
 opportunity that might offer for a passage to Vera Cruz, they hired an 
 open boat, which was employed in the contraband trade Avith Trinidad, 
 and for that reason imagined they had nothing to fear from the English 
 cruisers. They shipped their instruments, plant', and monkeys, and set 
 
LAST VISIT TO CUUANA. 
 
 59 
 
 sail ; but had not gone far before they came in sight of an armed boat, 
 which hailed them, and fired at them simultaneously. It belonged to a 
 Halifax privateer, and among the passengers was a Prussian sailor, from 
 whom Humboldt heard his native language, for the first time since his 
 departure. He protested against the seizure, but without effect ; they 
 were carried on board the privateer, and the captain declared their boat 
 to be a lawful prize. At this juncture, an English sloop-of-war, the 
 Hawk^ which was cruising in those seas, hove in sight and ordered the 
 privateer to lay to. A midshipman was sent on board, who, on learning 
 the difficulty, took Humboldt with him on board the sloop. The cap- 
 tain of the latter, Gamier, who had voyaged with Vancouver, and was a 
 man of considerable intelligence, had heard of Humboldt's expedition 
 through the English newspapers. He introduced him to his officers, 
 some of whom had accompanied Lord Macartney to China, gave him his 
 own state-room for the night, ordered the boat to be given up, and sent 
 the travelers on their way in the mornin j. Before noon they saw the 
 fortress of Cumana, strikirgly relieved, from its whiteness, against the 
 dark curtain of the inland mountains. " We gazed with interest on the 
 shore," says Humboldt, " where we first gathered plants in America, and 
 where, some months later, M. Bonpland had been in such danger. 
 Among the cactuses, that rise in columns twenty feet high, appear the 
 Indian huts of the Guaykerias. Every part of the Ifindscape was familiar 
 to us ; the forest of cactus, the scattered huts, and that enormous ceiba, 
 beneath which we loved to bathe at the approach of night. Our friends 
 at Cumana came out to meet us : men of all castes, whom our frequent 
 herborizations had brought into contact with us, expressed the greater 
 joy at sight of us, as a report that we had perished on thQ bauka of the 
 Orinoco had been current for several months." 
 
 VISIT TO CUBA. 
 
 They waited at Cumana for the arrival of the packet from Corunna 
 to Vera Cruz ; but the strictness of the English blockade was such that 
 they were detained two months and a half. As no packet arrived, and 
 an American vessel was about to leave New Barcelona for Cuba, they 
 determined to take passage in her, and on the 16th of November, after 
 a stay of sixteen months in Venezuela, bade a final adieu to their friends 
 at Cumana. They beheld with emotion the silver disc of the full moon 
 illuminating the cocoa-trees on the banks of the Manzanares, for the last 
 time, but the 'breeze was strong, and in six hours they had reached New 
 Barcelona. The American vessel sailed on the evening of November 
 24th, and aftfer a very tempestuotis passage of twenty-five days, reached 
 Havana on t^e 19th of December. Humboldt made astronomical observ- 
 ations during the passage, whenever it was possible, and tested the ac- 
 curacy of th^i position of the ree& and islands which they passed. His 
 
60 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 approach to the sliorcs of Culjuwas announced by tlio ilclicious uronmtic 
 odors wliich blew IVoni oil" tlio land.* The travelers were the gue.sts of 
 Count O'Reilly and Sefior Cuesta during their stay at Havana, which 
 was about three months. They employed their tinn until the end of 
 February, in makmg observations in and around the 'ity, and in the 
 neighboring plains of Guines. Abotit the end of February, having com- 
 jileted the obsenations they proposed making at the northern cxtrcniity 
 of the torrid zone, they were on the point of embarking for Vera Cruz, 
 intending to cross Mexico, sail to the Philippine Islands, and return to 
 Europe by way of India and Persiii, when a rumor (which afterward 
 proved false) concerning the French expedition of Captain Baudin, in- 
 duced them to change their plans. It was stated that this expedition 
 had departed from France, bound for the coast of Chili and Peru, whcnco 
 it would sail for Australia. 
 
 TRAVELS AMOXiJ THE ANDES. 
 
 The projects which Humboldt had formed before leaving Paris were 
 instantly revived. IIo determined to sail to Carthageiia, cross the isth- 
 mus to the Pacific, and await Baudiu's arrival hi Lima or Valparaiso. 
 B\it it was first necessary to forward to Europe hia large collection of 
 objects of natural history. " Bonpland and I," he says, " resolved in- 
 stantly to divide our hcrbals into three portions, to avoid exposing to 
 the risks of a long voyage the objects we ha<l obtained Avith so much 
 difficulty on the banks of the Orinoco, the Atabapo, and the Kio Negro. 
 We sent one collection by way of England to Germany, another by way 
 of Cadiz to France, and a third remained at Havana. We liad reason 
 to congratulate ourselves on this foresight : each collection contained 
 nearly the same species, and no precautions were neglected to have the 
 cases, if taken by English or French vessels, remitted to Sir Joseph 
 Banks, or to the professors of natural history at the Museum at Paris. 
 It happened fortunately that the manuscripts which I at first intended to 
 send with the collection to Cadiz were not intrusted to our much 
 esteemed friend and fellow-traveler. Fray Juan Gonzalez, who Iiad fol- 
 lowed us to Havana with the view of returning to Spain. IIo left the 
 island of Cuba soon after us, but the vessel in which he sailed foundered 
 on the coast of Africa, and the cargo and crew were all lost. By this 
 event we lost some of the duplicates of our hcrbals, and what was more 
 important, all the insects which M. Bonpland had, •with great difficulty, 
 collected during our voyage to the Orhioco and the Rio Negro. By a 
 singular fatality we remained two years in the Spanish colonies without 
 receiving a single letter from Europe ; and those which arrived in the 
 three following years made no mention of wliat Ave had transmitted. 
 
 * In approachinf; Cuba from the north in July, 1849, we were met several miles from 
 shore by the same fragrant land wind, freighted with the balma of the tropics. — B, T. 
 
 
VOYAGE TO CARTUAOENA. 
 
 61 
 
 The reader may imagine my uneasiness for the fate of a journal which 
 contained astronomical observations, and barometrical measurements, of 
 which I had not made any copy, filter having visited New Grenada, 
 Peru, and Mexico, and just when I '.vas preparing to leave the New Con- 
 tinent, I happened, at a public library of Philadelphia, to cast my cyea 
 on a scientific publication, in which I found these words : * Arrival of M. 
 de Humboldt^s manuscripts at his brother's house in Paris, by way of 
 Spain !' I could scarcely suppress an exclamation of joy." 
 
 They experienced some difficulty in obtainiiijjj passage to Carthagena, 
 but finally chartered a Spanish sloop lying at Batabano, on the southern 
 shore of the island, and set sail on the 0th of March, 1801. The cabin 
 was merely a hold for provii^lons, and they were obliged to live on deck, 
 where the thermometer stood at 90° in the shade. " Luckily these in- 
 conveniences lasted only twenty days," says Humboldt, with the resigna- 
 tion of a genuine traveler. Coasting along the southern shore, in five 
 days they reached Trinidad de Cuba, where they were treated with much 
 distinction by the Governor. A grand party was assembled to entertain 
 them in the ovoning, and an ecclesiastic, habited in velvet, notwithstand- 
 ing the heat, declaimed a sonnet, celebrathig their voyage on the Ori- 
 noco. They sot sail the next day, and after a rough passage of sixteen 
 days, again reached the South American continent, at the mouth of the 
 river Sinu, which the captain entered to shelter his frail vessel from the 
 storms. This was at that time an almost imvisited region, and the bo- 
 tanical zeal of the travelers led them into a situation of great danger. 
 Having rowed ashore to collect plants by moonlight they would have 
 fallen into an ambuscade of naked men, armed and laden with chains — 
 — probably escaped criminals — if they had not retreated cautiously to 
 the vessel. On the 30th of March they reached Carthagena, where, 
 after consultation with the authorities, they were persuaded to give up 
 their intention of crossing the isthmus to Panama, and to choose instead 
 the route to Guayaquil, by way of Bogota and Quito. This change of 
 direction gave Humboldt occasion to trace the map of the Rio Magda- 
 lena. to determine astronomically the position of eighty points situated 
 in the inland country between Carthagena, Popayan, and the upper val- 
 ley of the Amazon and Lima, to discover the error in the longitude of 
 Quito, to collect several thousand new plants, and to observe, on a vast 
 scale, the relation between the rocks of syenitic porphyry and trachyte 
 and the active fire of volcanoes. 
 
 The travelers remained six days at Carthagena, making preparations 
 for their journey. During this time, Humboldt visited the remarkable 
 air-volcanoes of Turbaco, lying in the midst of palm-groves, near the 
 Indian village of the same name. These volcanoes consist of eighteen 
 or twenty cones of gray mud, a few yards in height, with miniature 
 craters filled with water at the top. Every few minutes a strong jet or 
 exhalation of azotic gas takes place, accompanied with a loud, snorting 
 sound. In ascending the Magdalena, Bonpland explored the rich botan- 
 
62 
 
 LIFB AND TRAVELS OF UUUOOLDT. 
 
 ical treasures of tho shore, while Humboldt drew ii cluut of the river 
 district, in Hpito of tho opprcsuivo cliumte, an<l tlio tortures of tho nioit* 
 quitoes. At the town of Honda, they loll tlie river, and proceeded on 
 mules to Bogota, having been thirty-livp days on the journey. In tho 
 latter place the travelers remained until September, occupying them- 
 selves with botanical and geograpliical researches, and with excursions 
 to tho many interesting spots in tJ.o vicinity. Tho most striking of 
 these was the cascade of Tequendama, which Humboldt considers one 
 of tho most beautiful in the AVorld. " The sCenery comprises every thing 
 which can render a view eminently picturesque : the cascade is not tho 
 highest in tho wprld, but thoru is no other which combines so groat a 
 
 
 
 
 • .) I i 
 
 ^-^'i.'U, 
 
 rXLLS or TEQUXKDAHA. 
 
 height with such a mass of water. Tho river is half the breadth of the 
 Seine, at Paris, and precipitates itself, in two bounds, a depth of five 
 hundred and seventy feet. In approaching the cascade, one sees around 
 him oaks and other trees which recall the vegetation of Europe ; then 
 all at once he beholds, as from a tower, the palm, the banana, and the 
 sugar-cane at his feet. Owing to this circumstance, the inhabitants of 
 Bogota say that the river of Tequendama leaps at one bound from a cold 
 to a hot climate. The appearance of the tropical vegetation at the bot- 
 tom Sf the ravine is the more interesting to them, as they live on a table- 
 land where the thermometer often descends to the freezing-point. The 
 Bolitude of the place, the richness of the vegetation, and the frightful 
 roar of the waters, make the foot of the cascade of Tequendama one of 
 the wildest and most savage scenes among the Cordilleras. 
 
THE PASS OP QUINI'U. 
 
 63 
 
 or 
 m 
 
 10 
 
 Il- 
 ls 
 
 f 
 e 
 
 g 
 
 9 
 
 ■ 
 
 Leaving Bojjota toward the cnil of September, IIumbolcH and Hon- 
 plnnd started on their journey to Quito, by way of Popayaii. They 
 crossed the central chain of the Andes, by the remarkable pass of (Juin- 
 diu, the liigliest point of winch is eleven thousand three hundred 
 feet above the sea. The mountain of Quindiu is covered with uniidmb- 
 ited forests, and can not be passed in less than twelve days. Travelers 
 are obliged to carry I'rovisions for a month, because it oflen happens 
 that a sudden swelling of the mountain torrents prevents them from 
 either going backward or forward. The jjath in many places is a ravine, 
 or crevasse, so narrow as b.ircly to allow the passage of the oxen which 
 carry the baggage. The light of day can scarcely penetrate to the bot- 
 tom, and the obscurity is increased by the thick vegetation overhead. 
 If the traveler meets with any of these laden animals in such a jilaee, ho 
 must cither retrace his stops, or seize hold of a stout root and draw him- 
 self up out of their reach. The rich inhabitants aro transported on tho 
 backs of men, who aro called carffueros, and follow this business for a 
 livelihood. Like horses, they aro selected according to their strength, 
 their surcncss of foot, nnd their easy gait. ' Th«y carrya isort of chair, 
 strapped to the shoulders, in wbi(^ the traveler sits, lobkilijc* 'backward, 
 aud easily accomplish a journey trf eight or nine honra' a day. Like 
 horses, also, their backs often become sore imder tho saddle, and they 
 run the same risk of being abandoned on the road if they fall sick ; but 
 they are, nevertheless, cheerful and attached to their business, which is 
 not looked upon as degrading. . Humboldt and Donpland Avould not 
 consent to use this method of transportation, but traveled on foot, bare- 
 footed, at the head of their caravan of twelve oxen, who carried their 
 instruments and collections. The pr*b .vas in a tenacious clayey soil, 
 which made walking very tatiguing, added to Avhich the oxen have tho 
 habit of stepping always in the same tracks, so that they gradually form 
 a succession of deep holes, which aro soon filled up with soft mud, in 
 which the traveler sinks to his knees. It was in the rainy season, and 
 they found the journey exceedingly laborious and fatiguing. The In- 
 dians carried with them packages of the leaves of a species of banana, 
 covered with a rcMnous varnish, which is impervious to moisture. With 
 these and some poles cut in the woods they constructed a tent every 
 night, so that the tnavelers were always certain of a dry lodging-place. 
 They finally re.iched tho valley of tho Cauca, which they ascended to 
 Popayan, visited tho snowy volcanoes of Purace and Sotara, and con- 
 tinued their journey, by v. ay of tho town of Pasto, to Quito, wlwro they 
 arrived on tho 6th of January, 1802, nearly four months after leaving 
 Bogota. 
 
 Humboldt soon recovered from the hardships of tho journey, in the 
 bracing and equable climate of Quito, and remained for nearly nine 
 months, employed in his geological and botanical studies ; his sense for 
 natural beauty and subl'me landscapes finding al-undant food for grati- 
 fication in tho splendid landscapes of the plain of Quito, with its views 
 
64 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 
 I 
 
 1 1 
 
 of the snowy cones of the Andes. Those grand conical peaks, then sup- 
 posed to bo the highest in tlie world, tempted him to attempt the ascent 
 of their almost inaccessible sides. Ho climbed to the snow-lino of Goto- 
 
 
 THE VOLCANO OF COTOPAXI. 
 
 paxi, the highest volcano in the world, which, in the year 1738, throw up 
 a pillar of flame a mile in height, and made its bellowings heard at the 
 distance of five hundred miles. Finding it impossible to leach the sum- 
 mit, he next tried the volcano of Pichincha, lying nearer Quito, and after 
 two unsuccessful attemi-tj reached the crater on the 2<^th of May. Ho 
 did not find it filled with snow, as Condamine and Bougcr had done 
 nearly seventy years before, but inflamed and preparing for an eruption, 
 a circumstance which, on his return to Quito, filled the inhabitants with 
 alarm. While on the simimit of this volcano, Humboldt cuine near 
 losing his life. While attempting to cross a deep chasm, the fragile 
 bridge of snow gave way under him, and he was only saved by the 
 presence of mind of an Indian, who held him on the brink, at the im- 
 minent risk of losing his own balance. 
 
 After having surmounted Pichincha, which is about fifteen thousand 
 four hundred feet above the sea, and obtained an equpl elevation on the 
 side of Cotopaxi, Humboldt determined to mako .it. attempt to scale 
 Chimborazo, which was then believed to be the highest peak of the 
 Andes.* Accompanied by Bonpland and a young Spanish naturalist, 
 
 * It has bocu sinco ascertained that Sorata and Illimani, in Bolivia, and tlic pcalc of 
 Aconcagua, in Ciiili, are Iiighcr than Chimborazo, all of thorn having an altitude of over 
 twenty-three thousand feot 
 
ASCENT OF THE CHIMBORAZO. 
 
 65 
 
 4 1 
 
 Don Carlos de Montufar, he proceeded to the table-land of Tapia, nine 
 thousand four hundred and thirty-four feet above the le\el of the Pacific 
 Ocean, and on the 22d of June commenced the expedition to Chimbor- 
 azo. They followed the plain, slowly ascending, to the Indian village 
 of Calpi, at the foot of the mountain, where they halted for the night. 
 The next morning they started early, and began the ascent. They de- 
 termined to climb the mountain from the south-south-eastern side, and 
 the Indians who acted as guides — although few of themhadevtu* reached 
 the limit of the eternal snow — also gave this route the preference. The 
 base of Chimborazo consists of great plains, rising like terraces one 
 above the other. They first crossed the llano of Luisa, and then, after 
 a gradual ascent of about a mile, reached that of Sisgun, twelve thousand 
 four hundred and thirty feet above the sea. Hero, on the level floor of 
 the plain, Humboldt wished to make a trigonometrical measurement, in 
 order to ascertain t'le height of the summit, for which purpose he had 
 brought along his sextants and other instruments; but the peak was 
 shrouded m dense clouds. They then continued ascending to the little 
 lake of Yana-Cocha, which is a circular basin of not more than one hundred 
 and thirty feet in diameter. The sky became more and more obscured, 
 but they had occasional glimpses of the head of Chimborazo through the 
 openings of the clouds. Much snow had fallen during the previous night, 
 and they were obliged to leave their mules at this point, which is con- 
 siderably below the line of perpetual snow. The barometer showed that 
 they had attained a height of fourteen thousand three hundred and fifty 
 feet. A short distance above Yana-Cocha, the grass began to disappear, 
 and they reached a region of naked augite rocks, wliich rose in colunuis 
 to the height of fifty or sixty feet, and at a distance resembled trees or 
 masts. Following these rocky pillars through the fields of snow, they 
 finally reached a narrow ridge, or comb, running directly toward the 
 summit, by which alone it Avas possible to advance ; for the snow was so 
 soft and yielding that they did aot dare to walk upon it. 
 
 The path became more and more steep and narrow. The guides all 
 left them, except one, at the height of sixteen thous.and five hundred 
 and twenty-five feet : neither threats nor persuasions would induce them 
 to go further. They then remained alone — Humboldt, Bonpland, Carlo? 
 de Montufar, and a mestizo from the neighboring village of San Juan. 
 With great labor and perseverance they continued to ascend, though 
 they were enveloped in thick mist. The rocky comb, which the natives 
 appropriately called a " knife-blade," was in many places not more than 
 eight or ten niches broad. On the left wjis a declivity of snow, covered 
 with a glassy coating of ice, while on the right they looked mto a chasm 
 a thousand feet deep, with immense masses of naked rock at the bottom. 
 Nevertheless, they were obliged to incline their bodies to this side, for 
 the snowy pitch on the left seemed even more dangerous, because there 
 ■was no possibility of either arresting their descent, or of preventing them 
 fi'om sinkuig deep in the loose snows. The difficidty of ascending was 
 
 5 
 
1 
 
 I 
 
 6Q 
 
 LIFK AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 
 now increased by the brittle, disintegrated character of the rock. In 
 some places they were obliged to crawl painfully on their hands and feet, 
 which, wounded by the sharp edges, nxarked their path with their own 
 blood. They marched in single file, carefully testing the stability of the 
 rock us they proceeded — a very necessary operation, as many of the 
 masses were lying loose on the brink. Their previous experience in 
 climbing Pichincha, Cotopaxi, and Antisana here proved to be of great 
 servji*, besides teaching them how best to husband their fast diminish- 
 ing strength. As the summit was almost constantly hidden from view, 
 they became very desirous of knowing how much remained to be as- 
 cended, and Humboldt opened the barometer at a pomt where the comb 
 was broad enough to allow two persons to sit side by side. The mercury 
 uidicated a height of eighteen thousand three hundred and eighty feet, 
 or about two hundred feet higher than they had ascended, three months 
 previously, on the cone of Antisana, by climbing a very similar ledge. 
 They were a little disappointed at finding themselves still so far from the 
 point of their ambition. The temperature of the air was 37°, and that 
 of the earth 42°. 
 
 After another hour of cautious climbing, the rocky comb became lesa 
 steep, but the mist was thicker than ever. They now began, one after 
 another, to suflor from the extreme rarefaction of the air. The tendency 
 to vomit, combined with vertigo, was much more disagreeable than the 
 difliculty of breathing. Their lips and gums bled profusely, and their 
 eyelids and eyeballc were injected with blood. The mestizo suffered 
 more than the r Uiers. They were by no means alarmed at these symp- 
 toms, which they had experienced during former ascents. Humboldt, 
 in fact, had once fallen senseless near the summit of Pichincha, and re- 
 mained in that condition for some time, until found by his guide. The 
 belts of cloud finally parted, although the air was quite still, and they 
 suddenly saw, apparently quite near at hand, the great dome of Chimbo- 
 razo. It was a grand and solemn spectacle. The hope of soon standing 
 upon its topmost pinnacle invigorated their strength anew. The ledge 
 became a little broader, and they went forward with more security for 
 a few minutes, when all at once a chasm, four hundred feet deep and sixty 
 feet broad, yawned across their path. They distinctly saw beyond the 
 chasm, the same ledge going forward in the same direction, but the gulf 
 was not to be passed. They were stopped by an insurmoimtable obstacle, 
 in full view of their goal. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and they 
 were benumbed with cold, although the temperature was no lower than 
 29°. The barometer indicated a height of nineteen thousand two hun- 
 dred and thirty feet above the sea, and, according to Humboldt's calcu- 
 lation, thirteen hundred below the summit. This was the highest point to 
 which any human being had ever ascended on the sides of the mount- 
 ains. It has only been surpassed a single time since then, when Boussin- 
 gault and Colonel Hall, in JDeoeiubor, 1831, reached an elevation of 
 
T 
 
 DESCENT OF CHIMBOUAZO. 
 
 67 
 
 about nineteen thousand six hundred feet on the side of Chiniborazo, by 
 taking another path than that which Humboldt had chosen. 
 
 -'if- 
 
 '^i^^^ Z^***^^:^^' '^ 
 
 
 ov.'.-^- 
 
 GHIHBOBAZO. 
 
 As the weather became more and more thick and unfavorabK\ thoy 
 commenced returning by means of the same narrow ridge which had 
 enabled them to ascend. They only halted long enough to collect speci- 
 mens of the rock, foreseeing that they would afterward in Europe fre- 
 qontly be asked for " a small piece of Chimborazo." A violent storm of 
 hail overtook them, but fortunately changed into snow as they desccMidcd 
 into a lower atmosphere. The storm became so dense that before they 
 reached the spot where their mules had been left, the rocks were covered 
 to the depth of several inches. The Indian guides were in great anxiety 
 on their account, but before dark they reached the Indian village of C'alpi, 
 and were liospitably entertahied by the priest. For several days aftii'- 
 ward Chimborazo stood clear against the sky, unobscured by a sjjcck of 
 vapor, but the cluusm which barred their path seemed impassable, and no 
 second attempt was made. 
 
 During his residen«re in Quito, Humboldt received intelligence that the 
 expedition mider Captain Jiaudin had sailed to New Zealand, intending 
 to pass homeward aroimd the Cape of Good IIopo, and would, therefore, 
 not touch Chili or I'cru. His plan of visiting the Philippine Islands and 
 India was frustrated by this news, but he immediately formed a new 
 plan of travel. Leaving Quito he followed the chain of the Andes, by 
 
68 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 Avay of Assuay, Cuenoa and Loxa, to the upper valley of the Amazon. 
 This journey, which was very fatiguing and hazardous, was made still 
 more difficult by the scientific instruments and the collections of plants 
 and minerals which the travelers carried with them. On the road to 
 Assuay, Humboldt found in the plain of Cafiar, nearly sixteen thousand feet 
 above the sea, the remains of the ancient road of the Incas, which is sup- 
 posed to have led from Quito to Cuzco. It is paved with blocks of por- 
 jihyry, and appeared to be fully equal to any of the ancient Roman high- 
 ways. In Assuay and Cafiar ho found many other very interesting relics 
 of the native Peruvian dynasty, but none which gave such an impression 
 of its power and civilization as these roads. Near Loxa Humboldt visited 
 the cinchona woods, which yield the " Peruvian bark," or quinine. " At 
 that time," he says, " none of this valuable product found its way into 
 conuncrce ; all that was obtained Avas shipped at Payta, a port of the 
 Pacific, and conveyed round Cape Horn to Cadiz, for the use of the 
 Spanish court. To procure the small supply of eleven thousand Spanish 
 pounds, no less than eight hundred or nine hundred cinchona-trees were 
 cut doAvn every year. The older and thicker stems are becoming more 
 and more scarce ; but, such is the hixuriance of growth that the yoimger 
 trees, which now sujiply the demand, though measuring only six inches in 
 diameter, frequently attain the height of from fifty-three to sixty-four 
 feet. This beautiful tree, which is adomed with leaves five inches long 
 and two broad, seems, when growing in the thick woods, as if striving 
 to rise above its neighbors. The upper branches spread out, and when 
 agitated by the wind the leaves have a peculiar reddish color and glist- 
 ening appearance which is distinguishable at a great distance." 
 
 In descending to the valley of the Amazon, in the province of Jaen de 
 Bracamoros, the travelers were obliged to ford the Rio de Guancabamba 
 no less than twenty-seven times. The current was so strong that the 
 heavily-laden mules, eighteen or twenty in number, were in continual 
 danger of being carried away ; and Humboldt and Bonpland suffered 
 the greatest suspense and anxiety until the dangerous road was passed. 
 In the lower part of the same river, they noticed a novel post for the 
 conveyance of letters. The ofllcial communications from the Pacific 
 coast to the valley of the Amazon are dispatched by a swimming courier, 
 usually a young Indian, M'ho Is at home in the water. The few letters of 
 Avhifh he is the bearer he carefully wraps in a large cotton handkerchief, 
 A\liich he rolls around his head in the form of a turban. On arriving at 
 those parts of the rivers in which there are falls or rapids, he lands and 
 goes by a circuitous route through the woods. When wearied by long- 
 oontinued swimming, ho rests by throwing one arm on a plank of li/»ht 
 wood. Sometimes he takes a friend along to bear him company. Many 
 of the wild Indian tribes who dwell on the shores of the upper Amazon, 
 perform their journeys in a similar manner. On one occasion Humboldt 
 saw the heads of thirty or forty individuals, men, women and children, 
 as they floated down the river. On approaching the basin of the Amazon 
 
DESCENDANTS OF THE INCAS. 
 
 69 
 
 he was delighted with the beauty of the scenery and the hixurianoe of 
 the vegetation. The orange-treea grew to the height of sixty or seventy 
 feet. 
 
 The travelers descended the Rive"* Chamaya on rafts, to its confluence 
 with the Amazon, at the narrows of Rentama. They found the latter 
 river to he fourteen hundred feet in breadth, at this point. After seven- 
 teen days spent in the hot valley of the Amazon, they ascended the Andes 
 to the table-land of Caxamarca, stopping on the way to visit the famous 
 r^Ilver mines of Gualgoyoc. They took up their temporary abode in the 
 vicinity of the mines in the little mountain town of Micuipampa, situated 
 at an elevation of twelve thousand feet abore the sea, and where, though 
 only 6° 43' from the equator, water freezes withui doors, at night, during 
 a great part of the year. This wilderness, almost devoid of vegetation, 
 is inhabited by three or four thousand persons, who are supplied with 
 articles of food from the warm valleys, as they themselves can grow 
 nothing but some kinds of cabbage and salad. Here, as in all the i.iining 
 towns of Peru, enmd drives the richer inhabitants, who, however, are 
 not the best informed class, to the dangerous diversions of cards and 
 dice. The consequence is, that the wealth thus quickly won is still more 
 quickly spent. Here one is continually reminded of the anecdote re- 
 lated of one of the soldiers of Pizarro's army, who complainetl that he 
 had lost, in one night's play, " a large piece of the sun," meaning a plate 
 of gold which he had obtained at the plunder of the temple of Cuzco. 
 
 Passing over a succession of paramos, or mountain deserts, where 
 they were severely bruised by hail-storms, the travelers at last saw be- 
 neath them the fertile valley of Caxamarca, its extent of one hundred 
 square miles M'atered by the windings of a beautiful little river. In the 
 ancient town, the capital of the unfortunate Inea Atahuallpa, there are 
 many interesting remains of its former rulers. Some vestiges of the 
 Inca's palace and fortress are still to be seen, although most of the orig- 
 inal Peruvian buildings have been toni down to furnish material for the 
 dwellings of their conquerors. In the town jail, which is erected on the 
 ruins of Atahuallpa's palace, the room is still shown in which he was con- 
 fined until the day of liis execution (August 29, 1533), and the natives 
 even point out a mark on the wall, as indicating the height which his 
 golden ransom reached. " Descendants of the Inca," says Humboldt, 
 ♦' still dwell in Caxamarca, amid the dreary architectural ruins of de- 
 parted splendor. These descendants are the family of the Indian Ca- 
 cique, or, as he is called in the Quichua language, the Curaca Astorpilca. 
 They live in great poverty, but nevertheless contented, and resigned to 
 their hard and unmerited fate. Their descent from Atahuallpa, through 
 the female line, has never been a doubtful question in Caxamarca; but 
 traces of beard would seem to indicate some admixture of Spanish blood. 
 The son of the Cacique Astorpilca, an amiable and interesting youth of 
 seventeen, conducted us over the ruins of the ancient palace. Though 
 living in the utmost poverty, his imagination was filled m ith visions of 
 

 70 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 the subterranean splendor and the golden treasnroa wliicli, he assured us, 
 lay hidden beneath the heaps of rubbish over which wo were treading, 
 lie told us that one of his ancestors once blindfolded the eyes of his wife, 
 and then, through many intricate passages cut in the rock, led her down 
 into the subteiTanean gardens of the Inca. There the lady beheld, skill- 
 fully imitated in the purest gold, trees laden with loaves and fruit, with 
 birds perched on their branches. Among other things she saAV Atahuall- 
 pa's golden sedan-chair, which had been so long searched for in vain, and 
 Avhich is alleged to have been sunk in the basin at the Baths of Pulta- 
 marca. The husband commanded his wife not to touch any of these en- 
 chanted treasures, reminding her that the period fixed for the restoration 
 of the empire of the Incas had not yet arrived, and that whosoever 
 should touch any of the treasures would perish the same night. 
 
 " The son of Astorpilca assured rae that underground, a little to the 
 right of the spot on which I then stood, there was a large datura-tree, 
 or guanto, in full flower, exquisitely made of gold wire and plates of 
 gold, and that its branches overspread the Inca's chair. The morbid 
 faith with which the youth asserted his belief in this fabulous story, 
 made a profound and melancholy impression on me. These illusions are 
 cherished among the people here, as affording them consolation amid 
 great privation and earthly suffering. I s^d to the lad, ' Since you and 
 your parents so firmly believe in the existence of these gardens, do you 
 not, in your poverty, sometimes feel a wish to dig for the treasures that 
 lie so near you ?' The young Peruvian's answer was so simple and so 
 expressive of the quiet resignation peculiar to the aboriginal inhabitants 
 of the country, that I noted it down in Spanish in my journal. *Such a 
 desire,' said he, ' never comes to us. My father says that it would bo 
 sinful. If we had the golden branches, with all their golden fruits, our 
 white neighbors would hate us and injure us. We have a little field and 
 good wheat.' Few of my readers will, I trust, be displeased that I have 
 recalled here the words of young Astorpilca and his golden dreams." 
 
 After a stay of five or six days in Caxamarca, the travelers started 
 for Truxillo, on the Pacific coast. Crossing the valley of the Magdalena, 
 they ascended a steep wall of rock, five thousand feet high, from the 
 summit of which the guides assured them, they would behold the Pacific 
 Ocean. But a thick mist overhung the plain, and obscured the distant 
 coast. They beheld only variously-shaped masses of rock, now rising 
 like islands above the waving sea of mist, and now vanishing. "The 
 desire which we feel to behold certain objects," says Humboldt, "is not 
 excited solely by their grandeur, their beauty, or their importance. In 
 proportion as the fulfillment of a wish may have appeared improbable, 
 its realization affords the greater pleasure. The traveler enjoys, in 
 anticipation, the happy moment when he shall first behold the constella- 
 tion of the Cross, and the Magellanic clouds circling over the south 
 polo; when ho shall come in sight of the snow of the Chimborazo, and 
 of the column of smoke ascending from the volcano of Quito; when, for 
 
 9 
 
 I 
 
I 
 
 1 
 
 FIRST SIGHT OP THE PACIFIC. 
 
 71 
 
 the first time, he shall gaze on a grove of treo-fems, or on the wide ex- 
 panse of the Pacific Ocean. The days on which such wishes are fulfilled 
 mark epochs in life, and create indelible impressions; exciting feelings 
 which require not to be accounted for by any process of reasoning. The 
 longing wish I felt to behold the Pacific from the lofty ridges of the 
 Andes, was mingled mth recollections of the interest with which, as a 
 boy, I had dwelt on the narrative of the adventurous expedition of 
 Vasco Nunez de Balboa. That happy man, whose track Pizarro fol- 
 lowed, was the first to behold, from the heights of Quarequa, on the 
 isthmus of Panama, the eastern part of the great " South Sea." The 
 reedy shores of the Caspian, viewed from the point whence I first be- 
 held them, viz., from the Delta formed by the mouths of the Volga, 
 cannot certainly be called picturesque, yet the delight I felt on first 
 beholding them, was enhanced by the recollection that, in my very 
 earliest childhood, I had been taught to observe, on the map, the form 
 of the Asiatic inland sea. The impressions aroused within us in early 
 childhood, or excited by the accidental circumstances of life frequently, 
 in aft;er years, take a graver direction, and become stimulants to scien- 
 tific labors and great enterprises. 
 
 *' After passing over many undulations of ground, on tho rugged 
 motmtain ridges, we at length reached the highest point of the Alto de 
 Guangamarca. The sky, which had so long been obscured, now sud- 
 denly brightened. A sharp south-west breeze dispersed the vail of mist; 
 and the dark blue canopy of heaven was seen between the narrow lines 
 of the highest feathery clouds. The whole western declivity of the 
 Cordilleras, covered with huge blocks of quartz thirteen or fifteen feet 
 long ; and the plains of Chala and Molinos, as far as the sea coast near 
 Tnixillo, lay extended before our eyes, with a wonderful effect of ap- 
 parent proximity. We now, for the first time, commanded a view of 
 the Pacific. We saw it distinctly ; reflecting along the line of the coast 
 an immense mass of light, and rising in immeasurable expanse until 
 bounded by the clearly defined horizon. The delight which my com- 
 panions, Bonpland and Carlos Montufar, shared with me in viewing this 
 prospect, caused us to forget to open the barometer on the Alto de 
 Guangamarca. According to a calculation which we made at a place 
 somewhat lower down, the point at which we first gained a view of 
 the ocean must have been at no greater an elevation than between 
 nine thousand three hundred and eighty and nine thousand six hun- 
 dred feet.'* 
 
 VISIT TO MEXICO, AND RETURN TO EUROPE. 
 
 After reaching Tnixillo, on the coast, the travelers proceeded south- 
 ward over the barren and sandy tracts bordering the sea, to Lima, where 
 they remained for some time, in order to observe the transit of Mercury. 
 
72 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 Humboldt was especially fortunate in having a clear day for this pur- 
 pose, at a time when fogs are prevalent in Lima. At the beginning of 
 January, 1803, they took passage for Acapulco in the Spanish frigate 
 Atalanta. On arriving at Guayaquil, they discovered that the volcano 
 of Cotopaxi had suddenly burst into violent eruption, its explosions, 
 resembling discharges of artillery, being distinctly heard at the former 
 place, which was at least a hundred and fifty miles distant. The erupticu 
 was first announced to the inhabitants of Quito by the sudden disaj)- 
 pearance of the snow from the crater of Cotopaxi, owing to the increase 
 of internal heat. They immediately made preparations to revisit thti 
 volcano, but had not proceeded far before they were recalled by the 
 news that the frigate was obliged to set sail immediately. After a 
 voyage of thirty days, they arrived safely at Acapulco, where they re- 
 mained for some weeks before commencing their journey to the capital. 
 We have very few details of Humboldt's personal experiences and ad- 
 ventures in Mexico. His work on " New Spain" consists of an account 
 of the political condition of the country, its statistics, its physical geogra- 
 phy, its natural history and geology. At the time of its publication it 
 was by for the most complete and accurate description of Mexico which 
 had ever appeared, and in some respects has not been superseded by 
 later works. On reaching Acapulco, Humboldt had intended to remain 
 but a few months in Mexico, and then return to Europe, because his 
 instruments appeared to have sufiered, and he found it impossible to 
 correct them. But he was so much pleased with the climate and scenery, 
 and so fascinated by the new fields of investigation opened to him, that 
 it was a year before he was willing to depart. 
 
 Toward the close of winter, the travelers left Acapulco, and proceed- 
 ed, by way of Chilpanzingo and Cuemavaca to the capital, where they 
 occupied themselves for some time in studpng the interesting antiquities 
 of the Aztecs. Humboldt was one of the first scholars who called atten- 
 tion to these remarkable relics, and a great portion of his " Vuea dea Cor- 
 diUeres''* is taken up with dissertations in regard to tliem. In Mexico he 
 succeeded in borrowing astronomical instruments, with which he ascer- 
 tained the exact longitude of the place, which had been incorrectly given. 
 He also vLsited the fomous mines of Moran and Real del Monte, examined 
 the Desagua^ an immense artificial drain of the valley of Mexico, the 
 pyramids of Teotihuacan, and other interesting objects in the vicinity. 
 In July he proceeded northward, still accompanied by Bonpland, to the 
 celebrated mining town of Guanajuato, where he devoted two months 
 to geognostic studies, especially to the detection of ores, and then trav- 
 eled southward through the valley of the Rio Santiago, to Valladolid 
 (now Morelia) the capital of the province of Michoacan. He was greatly 
 charmed with the little lake of Paacuaro, and the scenery in its vicinity, 
 which, he declared. Mould alone repay the traveler for his voyage across 
 the ocean. H's interest in the phenomena of volcanoes led him to the 
 plains of Jorullo, near the Pacific Ocean, whore, in the year 1769, a volca- 
 
 I 
 
I 
 
 VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 73 
 
 nic cone, sixteen hundred feet high, was formed in a single night, on a spot 
 which had previously been perfectly level. The plaui surrounding this 
 volcano is covered with several thousand diminutive basaltic cones, which 
 exhale a thick vapor through their vent-holes and communicate an insv'i)- 
 portable heat to the surrounding air. Owing to this cause, the neighbor- 
 hood is very unhealthy, but the travelers were not deterred from threading 
 the Tartarean labyrinth, and ascending the volcano, by climbing over the 
 jagged surfaces of the streams of lava. They even descended a distance 
 of two hundred and fifty feet into the cone, which is constantly burning. 
 In January, 1804, Ilumboldt and Uonpland took a final leuve of the 
 city of Mexico, and started (»n a tour among the Cordilleras, along the 
 eastern border of the table-land. Tlio fomier ascertained, by trigono- 
 metrical measurement, the height of the snowy peaks of Popocatapetl 
 and Iztaccihuatl, and examined the pyramid of Cholula. He made a 
 barometrical survey of the road from Mexico to Vera Cruz, which, in the 
 district between Perote and Jalapa — then an almost impenetrable forest 
 of oak and fir-trees — was thrice repeated, enabling him to locate the 
 route for the fine post-road which has since been constructed. The 
 travelers also ascended the peak of Cofre de Perote, and measured, by 
 trigonometry, the height of Orizaba.* Reaching Vera Cruz, they were 
 fortunate enough to escape the yellow-fever, which was then raging 
 there, and to obtain a passage for Havana in a Spanish frigate. At the 
 latter place they took possession of the important collections which had 
 been left there three years previously, and after a stay of nearly two 
 months, took passage for Philadelphia in an American vessel. They had 
 a violent storm, which lasted seven days, in the Bahama Channel, but 
 reached their destination safely after a voyage of thirty-two days. As 
 Humboldt remained but six or seven weeks in the United States, devot- 
 ing his time principally to the study of their political condition, he has 
 published no accotmt of his visit. He traveled to Washington, which 
 was then a mere village, but which, nevertheless, he thought, would 
 grow into a more imposing city than Mexico. He associated with the 
 scientific society of Philadelphia, which was at that time deservedly 
 celebrated ; he visited New York, and finally, in July, 1 804, sailed for 
 Bordeaux, where he arrived in the following month, having been absent 
 from Europe more than five years. 
 
 PUBLICATION OP HIS WORKS. - 
 
 This journey, planned with so much zeal and courage, prosecuted 
 with BO much perseverance and industry, and carried on to so triumph- 
 
 o This mountain waa ascended for the first time by a party of American officers dur- 
 ing the late war. They found, by barometrical measurement, tliat its height had been 
 slightly under-estimated by Humboldt, and that it was, in reality, between two and three 
 hundred feet liigher than Poiwcatapetl, hitherto considered the highest mountain on the 
 North American Continent. 
 
^ 
 
 74 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 ant a completion, protlucod a great Hcnsation in the sciontifio world. In 
 the words of Professor Klencke, " It was not only unexampled as the 
 execution of the most magnificent undertaking of a German eitizen ; it 
 was not only perfectly disinterested, and a sacrifice made solely to the 
 interests of science; people admired not alone the courageous determin- 
 ation, the persevering force, the industry, the intellectual caj)acities and 
 inquiring ; .ilent of Ilumboldt'a personality, but the gradually revealed 
 results of his journey to the equinoctial regions of the new continent 
 became of such universal importance in all branches of human science 
 and commerce, in its influence on a new system of science; even — nay, 
 also on the political improvements of the country traversed — that 
 Humboldt was hailed in Europe as a second Columbus." Wilhelm von 
 Humboldt was at the time residing in Rome, but his wife was in Paris 
 with her children. A report had reached Europe that the travelers had 
 fallen victims to the yellow-fever previous to their departure from Havana, 
 and this report was very generally believed. The dispatch, which brought 
 the intelligence of their arrival at Bordeaux to the National Institute of 
 France, was immediately forwarded by the secretary to Madam von 
 Humboldt, whose surprise and joy on meeting -with her brother-in-law 
 was equal to his own on seeing her so much sooner than he had anticipated. 
 On reaching Paris, Humboldt immediately -^et about arranging his col- 
 lections, and preparing the materials he hu gathered for the publication 
 of a grand scientific work. He was still assisted by his friend Bonpland, 
 and by the sympathy and encour.igement of all the savans of the capital, 
 among whom were Cuvier, Gay-Lussac, Arago, and Laplace. 
 
 In the spring of 1805 he accompanied his sister-in-law to Rome, and 
 spent part of the ensuing summer at Albano, with his brother Wilhelm. 
 Their society was at that time still further enriched by the presence of 
 Madame de Stael, Schlegcl, and Sismondi. An anticipated eruption of 
 Vesu\'ius led him to Naples, in company with Gay.Lussac, and he was 
 fortunate in being able to witness the grand outbreak of the 12th of Au- 
 gust. Afler completing his observations he proceeded to Berlin, and 
 did not return to Paris until 180 V, when he established himself there per- 
 manently, to superintend the publication of his works. But the fruits 
 of his journey were so considerable, so varied, and entering into so many 
 spheres of science, his studies and collections were so exciting for further 
 research and comparison, that he witS obliged to unite with other schol- 
 ars, and allow them to complete, in a more especial manner, the various 
 branches of his undertaking. "The most eminent men of the age," says 
 Klencke, " considered it an honor to be engaged as fellow-laborers in 
 this gigantic work ; they emulated each other in the sterling value of 
 the contents, and the most accurate adaptation of the material afforded 
 them. Artists and artisans strove to make the artistic contributions — 
 the atlas, the landscapes, the typographical execution — as perfect and 
 brilliant as possible." The work was originally written in French, and 
 portions of it have not yet been translated into the author's native Ian- 
 
 
ADVENTURES OP BONPLANT, 
 
 76 
 
 lounge. It \b rather a series of detached works, treat ing of special 
 branches of science, thuii a ninp,]v. connected work, a. d some idea of the 
 magnitude of the undertaking may be obtahied from xha fact that at the 
 end of forty years from tlio publication of the first portion, it was not 
 complete. Indeed, it may still be considered as incomplete, although 
 incomparably the grandest work of the kind which has ever apj)eared. 
 In 1844, the cost of a single copy of the folio edition was about $2,000, 
 and thf printing, paper, and copper-plates alone had occasioned an ex- 
 penditure of fl 00,000, much of which was contributed by Iluiuboldt from 
 his own private resources. 
 
 In the year 1810 he visited \nenna, where liis brother Wilhelm was 
 residing as Prussian embassador. Although but four or live volumes of 
 his work were published, he had already conceived the idea of making a 
 second great journey to Central Asia and Thibet. The Russian minister, 
 Romanzow, had proposed to him to accompany a mission which was to 
 proceed through Independent Tartary to Cashgar, on the western fron- 
 tier of Thibet, and he at once accepted the offer. This plan, which was 
 to be put in execution in the year 1812, mc-L wliii an unexpected obstacle 
 in the war between Russia and France. Although his proposed journey 
 was frustrated for the time, ho did not relinquish the hope of carrying it 
 out at some future day ; and with this view, after his return to Paris, 
 occupied himself for some years with the study of the Persian language, 
 so that he might, at his own expense, proceed to India by way of Tehe- 
 ran and Herat. He gained so accurate a knowledge of the structure of 
 the Asiatic mountain chains from literary s >urce8 that he was able to give 
 critical judgments on the explorers who had traveled to the Himalaya 
 mountains. The French government had, in the interests of science, 
 proffered its assistance to the execution of this plan, and even the King 
 of Prussia, wlien he was at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818, granted Humboldt 
 an annual sum of 12,000 thalers ($8,500) and the expense of preparing 
 the expedition for the journey to Asia ; but, for some reason or other, 
 which has not been explained, the plan was never • ".rried out. 
 
 In the year 1818, Humboldt and Bonpland, after sharing each other's 
 fortunes for twenty years, separated forever. The latter, who had been 
 appointed superintendent of the gardens at Malmaisonby Napoleon, be- 
 came weary of France after the downfall of the empire, and accepted an 
 appointment as Professor of Natural History at Buenos Ayres. After 
 his departure from Europe nothing was heard of him for a long time, but 
 the news came at last that he had been seized by the orders of Francia, 
 the Dictator of Paraguay, while visiting an Indian colony on the shores 
 of the river Parana. Francia was incensed at Bonpland for his efforts to 
 establish the tea culture within the Brazilian territories, for the tea-plant 
 is peculiar to Paraguay, and forma one of the staple productions of the 
 country. Bonpland was not deprived of his personal liberty, and was 
 allowed to practice as a physician. When the news of this outrage 
 reached Humboldt, he was unremitting in his endeavors to enlist the in- 
 
76 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 I 
 
 fluonce of tho govcmmentH of Franco and Spain in Bonplantl'H favor; 
 but Paraguay wiw entirely boyond their reach. After a detention of niii > 
 ycafH, Bonpland was released and retunied to DuenoH Ayres.* 
 
 Arter his visit to England in 1818, and his consultations with tho King 
 of I'rusHia at Aix-Ia-Chapelle, in October and November of the samo 
 year, Humboldt retunied to I'aris, where ho remained until 1822, when 
 III! again joincMl the king at Verona, and accompanied him on his journey 
 to N'euice, Rome, and Naples. They also returned together to Berlin, 
 where Humboldt spent some months with his brother. lie did not, 
 however, take up liis permanent residence in Berlin until ]May, 1827, con- 
 tenting himself with un annual visit to Paris, to Buperintend the progress 
 of his great work. In the autunm of tho wime year, at the suggestion of 
 his brother, Sehlegel, and in fact, of all tlm scholars antl naturalists of 
 Berlin, ho consented to give a course of public lectures on physical cos- 
 mograjihy. Tho character of these lectures and tho sensation they pro- 
 ducetl, is thus described by Professor Klen<'ke : — " As ho had before done 
 in Paris, in the French language, IIumboMt now, in his native tongue, 
 gave the rich fruits of his researches to tho public, in a course of lectures 
 delivered before a select but numerous assemblage. He enchanted his 
 hearers by the peculiar force of his intellectual clearness, by his eloquence, 
 the genuineness and warmth of his feelings, and the inexhaustible novelty 
 of his subject. He stood before them as a convincuig, uispiring teacher, 
 who, like an artist, disj)layed tho wonderful pictures of a newly-explored 
 world to their view. This course of sixty-ono lectures, commenced on 
 the ;Ul of November, and concluded on the 26th of April, 1828, was, as 
 it were, the first sketch of tho " Kosmos," published subsequently as tho 
 compact result of his life and studies. When some of tho first lectures 
 had been delivered, tho press of people from all ranks was so great that 
 Humboldt was literally forced to give a repetition of tho first course, 
 adapted for a more general public, nearly cotemporary with the othe;.s, 
 in the large hall of the Musical Academy. These popular lectures were 
 eagerly visited by the highest and most learned persons in the capital. 
 The king, the royal family, the court, the highest lords and ladies, at- 
 tended regularly and listened with the people, who showed their pride 
 in the celebrated man by their enthusiastic admiration." 
 
 JOURNEY THROUGH RUSSIA, SIBERIA, AND TARTARY. 
 
 Humboldt was urged to publish these lectures, and prepared to com- 
 ply, but his plans were unexpectedly changed. The illness and death of 
 his sister-in-law drew him away from his studies for a time, but the sub- 
 
 * Bonpland appears to have voluntarily returned to Paraguay soon afterward, and 
 to have devoted himself to establishing plantations. Ho never relinquished the idea of 
 returning to Europe, but lingered year alter year, and flaally died there, quite recently, 
 at a very advanced age. 
 
VISIT TO THK UnAL MOUNTAINS. 
 
 77 
 
 
 jcct whloh floon rlcmnruled nil of his ntteiition was llio renewal of the 
 former i»hui of a ^raiul floientitic exploration of Central Asia, The 
 original plan, whicli vas warmly encouraged by tlio governmentB of 
 Franco ami PruHsia, had been entirely given up, ifter Humboldt had 
 cheriHlu'd it for yearn. IJut in December, 182V, the Emperor Nicholas 
 invited him to make an extended exploration of the mining districts of 
 the ITral mountains, the territories bordering on China and Tartary, and 
 the shores of the Casjtian Sea, at tho exi)enso of the Itussian govern- 
 ment. Humboldt accepted tho offer with joy, btit asked leave to post- 
 pone the preparation for tlu* journey until ho had comi)leted the public 
 lectures on which ho was at that time engaged. The emperor granted 
 his recpiest, and left hin» at liberty to choose the localities ho was to ex- 
 plore, and to prosecute tho journey in such a manner as would best 
 advance the interests of science, always eonsiderhig the advantages 
 Avhich the llussian government might draw from a, development of tho 
 mining capabilities of the country, as merely of secondary importance. 
 
 In the year 1828, tho preparations for tho jr u"ney were made, ))lan3 
 were laid, and arrangements entered into with other naturalists, whom 
 he was allowed to select as his companions. Ho comtiuuiioated with 
 Gustav Uoso and G. Ehrenberg, two naturalists living in Berlin, who 
 consented to accompany him on his projected expedition. Each of tho 
 three travelers had a special branch of activity allotted to him. Hum- 
 boldt undertook tho observations on magnetism, tho results of geograph- 
 ical astronomy, and the general preparation of tho geognostic and 
 j)hysical plan of north-western Asia. G. Rose was to make the chemical 
 analyses of minerals, and keep tho traveling diary, while the botanical 
 and zoological labors fell to Ehrenberg's share. 
 
 On the 12th of April, 1829, tho threo travelers left Berlin for St. 
 Petersburg, where they arrived on the 1st v^f May. Tho Russian Min- 
 ister of Finance, Count Cancrin, had made ample arrangements for their 
 comfort and security, and for facilitating their expedition. Carriages 
 were prepared, a courier was selected, horses were engaged to be held 
 in readiness at the stations along tho route, houses were everywhere to 
 be placed at their disposal, and military escorts provided, where prox- 
 imity to the frontiers made their protection necessary. A Russian 
 mining officer, Menschenin, afterward Inspector of Mines, was appointed 
 as Humboldt's constant companion, to give him every information in 
 regard to ways and localities, and to levy tho necessary assistance from 
 the Russian authorities. 
 
 Thus prepared, and fnniished with all the comforts of Russian hos- 
 pitality, they left St. Petersburg on the 20th of May, and proceeded 
 rapidly over the broad highway to Moscow. After a few days spent 
 here in making barometrical observations, and in examining the geolog- 
 ical productions of the country, they continued their journey toward 
 tho Ural, advancing more slowly over the indifferent roads of the marshy 
 lands that occupy a portion of that level region. They arrived at Nish- 
 
78 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 ni (Lower) Novgorod, on the Volga, by the last of May. Here they 
 met with Count Poller, the i)roprietor of some mining estates in the 
 Ural, who was traveling thither Avith a few scientific gentlemen, and 
 who accordingly accompanied them into that region. They embarked 
 on the Volga and reached Kasan on the 4th of June. Kasan was for 
 three centuries the seat of an independent Tartar Khanate, which was 
 overturned in 1552. The suburbs of the town were still uihabited by 
 Tartars, whose Medscheds or temples were visited by the travelers. On 
 entering the sacred edifices the guides took otf their slippers, although 
 they permitted the visitors to wear their boots. From Kasan they 
 made an excui-sion down the Volga to the interestuig ruins of Bulgar, 
 the capital of the ancient Bulgaria, Avhich flourished from the seventh to 
 the thirteenth centui-y. As they approached the modern village, the 
 whole population came forth to meet them in groups of men, women, 
 and children, and the oldest inhabitants, who led the groups, offered 
 bread and salt to Humboldt, in token of reverence, according to the 
 Russian custom. Tlie walls of a few edifices, two towers, and several 
 tombstones bearuig monumental uiscriptions in Turkish, Arabic, and 
 Armenian, which mostly dated from the year 623 of the Hedjira, or, 
 A. 1). 1220, were the principal remains which the travelers found of the 
 ancient capital. Many silver and copper coins, copper rings, and trink- 
 ets, were still found among the rubbish. The tombs of Tartar saints 
 were still objects of pilgrhuages for the faithful. A Tartar Mollah was 
 performing his devotions among the rains, by repeating a form of prayer 
 and frequently bowing his body, without allowing the presence of the 
 travelers to disturb liira. As the ruins were some distance apart, he 
 availed himself of a seat in their carriage, and rode with them to all the 
 ruins, always arranging it so that he had performed his devotional exer- 
 cises before they were through with their examinations. At Kasan they 
 witnessed a rural festival of the Tartars, called the Saban, which is cele- 
 brated annually after seed-time. The sports consisted in wrestling, run- 
 n ig, and horse-racing. 
 
 Leaving Kasan on the 9th, they passed through a district inhabited 
 by v,he Wotjaks, a branch of the Finnish family, who had embraced the 
 Christian religion, aud adopted the Kussian language, while they still 
 retaiiiod their primitive costumes. The Avomen wore high caps, made 
 of birch-bark covered with blue cloth, and hung with silver coins and 
 red fringes. They spent the 12th at Werchne (L^pper) Mulinsk, on 
 Count Poller's estate, where he entertained them hospitably, after which 
 he accompanied them on their expedition beyond Jekatharinenburg. 
 When they came to the valleys in the outskirts of the Ural, on the 14th 
 of June, they were delighted with the sudden appearance of spring. 
 Three weeks before, they had left the Neva in ice, and now ail the 
 plants were in full bloom, covering the ground ■« ith a profusion of rare 
 and beautiful flowers. On the 15th, they arrived at Jekatharinenburg, 
 utuated among the mountains on the Asiatic side of the Ural ridge, in 
 
WISSOKAJA GORA. 
 
 79 
 
 i 
 
 
 one of the richest mineral regions of the continent. They visited Scha- 
 browski, Beresowsk, and other gold mines m the ncinity, the rich copper 
 mines of Gumeschewskoi, and then extended their excursions northward 
 as far as Nishni Tagilsk, into a district abounding in gold, platina, cop- 
 per, iron, and precious stones. Nislmi Tagilsk, with a surrounduig 
 tract of eight thousand square versts, is a possession of the Demidoff 
 family, and is scarcely surpassed by any place in the world in the rich- 
 ness and variety of mineral productions in its immediate vicuiity. Near 
 the town is the celebrated mountain of magnetic iron, called Wissokaja 
 Gora, whose excellent ores supply numerous furnaces, while copper of a 
 supciior quality is found in large quantities, and rich fields of gold and 
 ptatina abound, the latter far surpassing in richness all others in the 
 Ural mountains. Near ti.c imperial iron works of Kuschwinsk, they 
 visited another remarkable mountain of magnetic iron, called Gora Bla- 
 godat (the Blessed Moimtain), which was discovered to the early Rus- 
 sian settlers by a Wogul named Tschumpkui. For this act he was 
 burned alive upon the mountain by his countrymen, the primitive inhab- 
 itants. A monument stands on the sunuuit, erected to his memory by 
 the lIuKsiaus. 
 
 Humboldt's attention had already been called to the remarkable 
 analogy in the grouping of minenUs m various parts of the world, and 
 now he was struck with the resemblance of this region to the gold and 
 platina districts of Brazil, which also produce diamonds. This idea of 
 the association of minerals awakened in him the strongest hope of dis- 
 covering diamonds in the Ural mountains, and on every occasion of 
 gold and platina washing, the sand was microscopically examined in this 
 hope. In this manner they found many minerals heretofore unknown 
 in the Ural mountains, among them crystals which in Brazil are found 
 with tliamonds, althoiij^^h they were not successful in the mam object of 
 theii- search. Humboldt's theory was confirmed, however, during his 
 sojourn in this region, for diamonds were found by Count Poller, hi 
 the vicinity of Bittersk, a few days after he parted from him, and in 
 a little while others were discovered in various places in the northern 
 Ural. 
 
 On the Ist of July they left Kuschwinsk, and proceeded by tlie iron 
 works of Nishni Turinsk to the copper mines of Bogoslowsk. Here the 
 mountains were higher, and the side-branches, extending at right angles 
 from the main ridge, spread over a wider extent of territory. The forests 
 Yicvi}. dense, and the indifferent roads, which render this region compara- 
 tive!;.' inaccessible, greatly huidered them in their investigations. The 
 country was rich in plants and flowers, as well as in minerals, and the 
 luxuriant growth of juicy vegetation produced myriads of stinging gnats 
 and mosquitoes, which greatly annoyed the travelers. The inhabitants 
 protect themselves from those pests by a net sprinkled with birch-bark 
 tea, or by the smoke of decayed wood, or fungi, which they carry ignited 
 in small earthen vessels upon their backs. 
 
80 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 The scenery around Bogoslowsk was maj^iuticoiit, Ovit the broad 
 plaui, lying eastward, the view was almost unbouiid»'d ; while on the west 
 and north the mountahis rose in majestic grandeur. The principal range 
 was forty or tifty miles uistant, and its snow-covered jeaks stood out in 
 bold relief above tin dark forests of pine and fir which novcred the uiter- 
 vening heights. They visited the mines of copper, iron, and gold in this 
 district, and returned by Mursinsk, rich in precious istones, to Jekathar- 
 iiienberg, where they arrived on the 11th, after an absence of sixteen 
 days. In a week they had prepared and arranged the mass of materials 
 they had collected, when they set out for Tobolsk, and reacheil that city 
 on the 21 St. 
 
 Tobolsk had been the eastern limit of the expedition in Humboldt's 
 original plan; but the ease and promptness witli which they had accom- 
 plished the journey in the northern Ural, induced him to extend the 
 journey to the Altai, that he might become acipiainted with these im- 
 portant mountains by personal observation. The plan being approved by 
 the authorities, they completed their arrangements, and in two days 
 were again upon the road. Tiie intervening region consists mostly of 
 steppes, which, although triuersed by a i'vw roads, upon which villages 
 are here and there established at the stations, are generally barren and 
 uncultivated. They ascende<l thelrstyschtoTatnytakaja, then crossed 
 over in a south-easterly direction to the waters of the On., and contin- 
 ued their route eastwardly, near its banks, across the fearful steppe of 
 Barabinski. This great steppe, which embraces the whole sj)ace between 
 the rivers Irstysch and Obi, is not dry and arid, as the steppes are usually 
 supposed to be, but ■well suppUed with lakes, marshes, and Howing 
 streams. Many of the lakes contain salt water, and the earth itself is 
 in some places impregnated with salt. Here and there a spot of rich 
 vegetation ai)pears, and occasii»nally a ibw poplars or birch-trees relievo 
 the monotonous level. Over the marshy ground the road wi»s frequently 
 bridged in long courses, but as these imjtrovements were in a bad con- 
 dition, the traveling upon them was very tedious. Another annoyance 
 was even less endurable than this; they were attacked by swarms of 
 stinging gnats and flies, which preyed upon them unceasingly. This 
 vexing pest, with the jolting of the carriage, occasioned a serious loss to 
 Humboldt in the breaking of a large baronieter, though its jdace was 
 partially supplied by a lighter one. At Kainsk, in the middle of the 
 steppe, they received the alarming intelligence that the Siberian pesti- 
 lence w IS raging in all the villages befS^re them on the way to Tomsk. 
 This teirible disease prevails at first among the cattle, and from them 
 extends to human beings, especially upon the j)laiiis, never among the 
 mountana. The travelers held a consultation, and iis it was impractica- 
 ble to nach the Altai region by any (tther route, if they should retrace 
 their steps, at least within tlie limits of their plan, they resolved, at all 
 hazards, to continue their journey, wth the precaution — as the disease was 
 represented to be contagious — to avoid all contact with the peasants 
 
THE FRONTIERS OF CHINA. 
 
 81 
 
 i» 
 
 •vo 
 itly 
 :'on- 
 
 iice 
 
 This 
 
 (^ to 
 
 I was 
 
 the 
 
 Insk. 
 hciu 
 
 the 
 Itica- 
 Iriice 
 all 
 
 was 
 lants 
 
 amonf whom it prevailed. There wore many deaths in the villages 
 throu!?h which they passed; in Karganskaja six jtersons ha'd died on the 
 day boibrc their arrival, and in the same village live hundred horses had 
 already perished, so that the expedition had difficulty in procuring the 
 number requisite for their conveyance. In every village a small hospital 
 was established ; and on the outskirts of each, Urea of dry turf and 
 materials aftbrduig abundance of smoke, wore kindled to purify the 
 atmos])here. As they approached the Obi, atid letl the steppe behind 
 them, all traces of the disease disappeared. Crossing the Obi at Bergsk, 
 they proceeded in a southerly direction, and reached Barnaul on the 
 morning of August 2d, having traveled one thousand luilos since leaving 
 Tobolsk. 
 
 The city of Barnaul, on the Obi, although on the borders of the 
 stepi)e, is the central point ff the Altaian mining interests, being the seat 
 of the controlliiig autlioritics of the whole region, ;in(l the location of the 
 p'incipal smelting furnaces. The most important jM-oduct of the Altiii 
 is silver, ol wliich the yield i^ greater than that of any other part of the 
 continent. For more than a half contm'y before lliimboldt's visit, the 
 average atum.'il product was nearly seventy thousand marks, or forty 
 thousand pom (is. In the same time the mines yielded four himdred and 
 eighty tliousand pounds of copper, and about eight hundred thousand 
 pounds of lead aimualiy. Although the (piantity of silver produced by 
 the Altai is so great, the ore from wlileh it is obtained is very poor, 
 yielding an a. eragc of only four per cent., while the average product of 
 the ^lexiean ores ranges from eighteen to twenty-live jkm* cent. 
 
 Leaving IJarnaul on the 4th, Humboldt and his companions proceed- 
 ed to carry out the plan he had projeeterl of an extensive tour through 
 the mining regions. (loing southward they crossed the stepj)e of Pla- 
 towsknja to the upper districts of the Obi, where they visited the rich 
 silver niiih s of Smejewskaja (lora, of liiddersk and its vicinity, and 
 the extensive ].arpliyry works of Kolyvansk. The Smejewskaja (lora, 
 or Serpent IMountain — so called from the great number of serpents 
 fomid upon it, when it was lirst discovered — consists almost entirely of 
 ores, of \shich the most important is silver. Copper, lead, zinc, and 
 iron are also produced in considerable quantities. On the llith of 
 August, they had advanced as far as I'stkamenogorsk, a fortress on the 
 Irtvseh, toward the frontiers of Chinese Alonijolia. llore thev had an 
 opportunity of witnessing the admirable military exercises of the Cos- 
 sacks, who were stationed at this post. L(>:i\ ing their baggage at this 
 place, they continued their to i to the gold and silver mines of Syr- 
 iinowsk, tm the south-western side of tli<i Cholsun and Katunja ranges of 
 the Altai n, untains. Beyimd Syriinowsk the travelers had distant views 
 of thes(f nioimtains. Thirty miles distant rose the numerous peaks of 
 the Stolbrowucha, already covered with snow, and furtlier eastward, 
 closing the long vista of the valley of Beresowska, stood the imtroddcn 
 wninmit of Bjolucha, tho loftiest peak of the Altai. The view of these 
 
 
 
82 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 snow-covered mountains awakened in Humboldt and his companions a 
 desire to penetrate further into that interesting region, but the lateness 
 of the season and the plans already laid, warned them to desist. 
 
 They Avere now so near the boundary of China, that Humboldt wished 
 to pass over to Bati, or Khonimaihtkhii, the nearest Chuiose-Mongol- 
 ian post, situated on the Irtysch, below Lake Saissan. He had made 
 known his wishes at Buchtarminsk, the upper Russian post on the river, 
 and a Cossack had been sent thither to announce his visit. When they 
 arrived, they found two tents prepared for them, Avhich they occupied 
 during their stay. There were two stations at this post, one on the left 
 bank of the river, occupied by Mongolian troops, the other on the right, 
 by Chinese ; both commanded by Chinese officers. They lived in the 
 small round tents, or Jurtcn^ of the Khirgises, which were irregularly 
 disposed. Humboldt iirst visited the commander of the Chinese, who 
 came out before his tent to meet thei i, followed by two attendants. He 
 was a young man, tall and thin, rvore a blue silk coat which reiiched to 
 the ankles, and carried several peacock feathers in liis cap, denoting his 
 rank. After a ceremonious introduction, questions and answers were 
 exchanged tlirough the interpreters, by Avhich they learned that he was 
 directly from Pekin, that he had made the journey in four months on 
 horseback, and that the commanilei's were changed every three years. 
 After a similar visit to the commanding officer of the Mongolians, who 
 was less communicative, they visited the temple, a small, square, wooden 
 building, containing an altar opposite the door, and the picture of an 
 idol of the Buddhistic worship hanging upon the wall above the altar. 
 A wall stood between the door and the river, near which was another 
 altar with burning coals upon it. On returning to their tents they re- 
 ceived a visit from the first commander and his attendants, who took 
 out their pipes and began to smoke, after inviting their hosts to do like- 
 wise. Gifts were ceremoniously exchanged, when Humboldt received 
 some Chinese books. The officer expressed great delight when Hum- 
 boldt told him ho had a brother who was interested in the Clunese lan- 
 guage, to wlum ho would take them. These books, which are in the 
 royal library at Berlin, contain a historical romance in four volumes, 
 called >S((n/citefshI, the subject of which is the history of the three khig- 
 doms, into which China was divided aft.er the I/an dynastj', and which 
 Avas the subject of tlio literary dispute between Klaproth and Professor 
 Neumann ol'jMunich. The troops consisted of eighty men. They wore 
 long coats of diffijrent colors, and they were very dirty, and very lean. 
 Tliey greatly admired the corpulency of one of Humboldt's com])any. 
 A few camels were seen about ine jj .''■- n flock of goats, and souicbheep 
 with enormous tails. 
 
 The return to (Jstkamenogorsk was highly interesting to Hnmboldt 
 for its geological value, and was suggestive of new researches; for as he 
 was sailing down the Irtysch he saw on the secluded shores of these 
 waters, over a surface of more than sixteen thousand feet, immense rocka 
 
 I 
 
SALT WORKS OF ILEZK. 
 
 83 
 
 of granite lying horizontally and in layers, and resting on clay slate, 
 whose layers were partly perpendicular, partly at an angle of eighty-five 
 dcrees. This was a highly important fact for Humboldt in his theory 
 of the formation of granite. 
 
 Their next route was down the Irtysch and westward across the 
 steppe of Ischim, to the southern portion of the Ural chain, passing along 
 the frontiers of the Middle Horde of Khirgises, a nomadic tribe inhabit- 
 ing the steppes between the Irtysch and the Ural river. A lino of 
 military posts, consisting of small villages more or less fortified, at inter- 
 vals of twenty or thirty versts, and garrisoned by Cossacks, is establish- 
 ed along the whole boundary, from the Chinese frontier to the Caspian 
 Sea. Humboldt and his companions left Ustkamcnogorsk under a mili- 
 tary escort of Cossncks, Avhich was relieved from post to post, and pass- 
 ing through Semipolatinsk, a place of considerable importance in the 
 caravan trade with middle Asia, they followed the course of the Irtysch 
 as far as Omsk, where they arrived on the 25th. After remaining here 
 two days, in which they visited the Cossack, military, and Asiatic 
 schools, and made their usual observations, they left the river and cross- 
 ed the steppe by way of Petropaulowsk and the trading town of Troitsk, 
 and came to Miask on the 3d of September. 
 
 Miask is a mining city of considerable importance, situated in the 
 most productive mineral district of the southern Ural range. Here they 
 spent two weeks, making frequent excursions to the gold washings and 
 the mines of the vicinity, to the Ilmen mountains, and to the mines 
 around Slatoust. Then proceeding southward to the head waters of the 
 Uri, they climbed the Auschkul mountain, riiid examined several mines 
 in its neighborhood. On the way thither, tliey passed some deserted 
 villages of the Bashkirs, the owners spending the summer in a nomadic 
 life, and returning to their houses for the winter only. At Orsk, on the 
 Ural at the junction of the Or, Humboldt stopped to examine the ex- 
 tensive quarries of green jasper near that place. On contiiunng his jour- 
 ney he was furnished with a guard of Cossacks as a defense against the 
 Khirgises, for that portion of the line, between Orsk and Orenburg, Avas 
 considered the most dangerous on the whole frontier. On the 2 1st they 
 came to Oi-enburg, the capital of the district, the main fortress on the 
 line, and the center of a flourishirg caravan trade to various ])laces in 
 middle Asia. What most interested Humboldt in the vicinity of Oren- 
 burg, was the great salt works of Ilezk, on the steppe between th • Ural 
 and the Ilek, forty-live miles south of the city. In the absence )t" the 
 Governor-General, the travelers were entertained by IMajor-Cieneral 
 Gens, whose knowledge of the geograi)hy and politcal condition of mid- 
 dle Asia, greatly interested Humboldt. He liad a fund of information 
 obtained from caravans and from personal observation. In order to 
 gratify Humboldt's desire to see more of the Khirgises, he sent a "mes- 
 sage to the nearest sultan, requesting him to come with his subjects into 
 the neighborhood, and exhibit their skill in some of their accustomed 
 
84 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVKLS OP HUMBOLDT. 
 
 ;<■ 
 
 games and sports. Accordingly a largo number appeared, and raised 
 their tents a lew versts from the city, atler which the sultan came in per- 
 son to visit Humboldt and General Gens. 
 
 As they drove to the encampment, they had occasion to admire the 
 skill of the Khirgiscs, many of whom rode around the carriage at full 
 gallop, resting with their hands upon the horses' backs and their feet in 
 the air. Having arrived at the tents they Avere first introduced to the 
 sultan's wives, who were seated in a row in his tent, and then the sports 
 began. The first was horse-racing. The participants rode off to a place 
 isevcn versts distant, whence they were to ride back to the tents as their 
 goal. Meanwhile other {;amcs were introduced. Two Khirgises en- 
 tered a circle, formed by the spectators, to wrf ^le. Casting off" their 
 outer garments, each threw his leathern girdle over the other, and 
 thus they struggled to throw each other to the ground. The victor 
 remained in the ring until thrown by a new antagonist. One distin- 
 guished himself by throwing six in succession, but was vanquished by 
 the seventh. Then a large kettle was brought out, half filled with boiled 
 groats. Into this General Gens threw a silver ruble, which the Khirgises 
 attempted to take out with their teeth. When several rubles had been 
 successively picked out in this manner, and a still greater number of 
 Khirgises had ludicrously besmeared their heads and shoulders in vain, 
 the sport was changed, and now the musicians appeared. The first were 
 men, who begun to sing in long-drawn tones, frightfully distorting their 
 faces the while. There was no trace of melody in their song, although 
 they were themselves so enraptured with it that itM\as almost impossible 
 to persuade them to stop. When they had finished, a female, completely 
 vailed, entered the circle, and sang in the same manner as the men. 
 Then two others entered and sang a duet, standing with their faces close 
 together, and raising their vails so that they could see each other, and 
 also .allow the spectators to obtain a side view, which they did not seem 
 to lake amiss. They were interrupted by the intelligence that the 
 horscinc^n were coming, whereupon the spectators gave way, aided by 
 the whips of the overseers. A boy won the prize, which Avas a gold em- 
 broidered cloiik, the others receiving smaller presents. Foot-racing was 
 the next performance. From the starting-point to the tent Avas about 
 a mile, which the winner ran tlirough in the short sj)ace of three minutes. 
 Here the first prize Avas a silver ruble, the rc:,t Aver»- pieces of cotton 
 cloth .and smaller presents. When the sports were ended the travelers 
 returned to the city, and prej)ared for their departure on the morroAV,' 
 
 On leaA-ing Orcnbui-g, they resolved to pass urouinl to the northward 
 of the great sandy steppe of Uynpeski, wliich lies between the Ural and 
 the Volgji, and is inhabited by Avandering tribes of Cossacks, Khirgises 
 of the Inner Horde, and Calinucks; but as Humboldt Avished to seo 
 Uraftk, the chief city of the Uralian Cossacks, they first descended the 
 Ural to that place. They arrived on the 27th, and remained a day to 
 autunanal fishincr, and other industrial operations of " 
 
 ^o» 
 
 peopJ 
 
ARRIVAL AT ASTRACHAN. 
 
 85 
 
 
 
 Tlio prosperity of the Cossacks of the Ural (or Jaik), ia mainly owing 
 to the productive fisheries of the Ural river, wliich, next to military 
 occupations, furnish their chief employment; pasturage and agriculture 
 being but secondary. From Uralsk the travelers turned north-east- 
 wardly across the mountain steppe of Obschtschcfi Syrt, to IJusuluk, 
 thence westwardly to the Volga at Samara. In this region Humboldt 
 found numerous sulphur springs, and waters impregnated with asphaltcs 
 and Avith salt ; while in many jilaces sidphur is obtained from the earth 
 in largo quantities. As they descended the Volga, they pjissed through 
 a number of German colonies on the banks of the river, above and below 
 Saratoff. From Dubowka they made an excureion to the largo salt-lako 
 of Elton — called Allan Nor, the Golden Lake, by the Cossacks — situated 
 in the steppe, seventy mileu eastward of the Volga, and celebrated for 
 its extensive manutactorics of salt. While examining the waters of tho 
 lake, they found largo quantities of insects of various kinds, and even 
 birds, which, having fallen into the lake, were avcU preserved, and fi"om 
 these Ehrenberg made a good collection of the faima of the region. 
 
 Further down the river, at Sarepta, thoy found a colony of Moravian 
 brethren, established in 1705, wlio carrietl on a considerable traffic, in 
 their own manufactures, with tho Cossacks. In tho lower districts of tho 
 Volga they li-equcntly passed tho kihitkas of tho Calmucks, and met tho 
 people with their herds of horses, sheep and camels. They also passed 
 one of the temples, in the entrance of which a number of long sticks 
 stood upright with written prayers Glistened upon them. Tiio prayers of 
 tho Calmucks are all written in the Tliibetan language, which is always 
 used by the priests in tlieir rrligioi s rites, although it is quite unintelli- 
 gible to the people. They ai" usua'ly written on long strips of cotton 
 cloth, which arc Ihstencd to long s icks that thoy may bo easily agitated, 
 for the prayers are not read or repeated by the priests in their worship, 
 but waved as ilags by tho wind, as the Cahnucks believe that tho mov- 
 ing of the written j)rayer8 is just as eifectual as repeating them. By 
 these fluttering prayers and the noisy music that proceeded from tho 
 temple, tho travelers knew that the Cossacks were at worship within, 
 and, having a desire to see them, they entered. Upon the altar stood 
 gilded ligurcs of their idols, while glaring pictures of idols hung 
 upon lb'- walls. Several basins containing fruit, water, dried flesh, 
 cheese and other offerings, Avere placed before the altar. Between tho 
 door and tin altar six priest., sat (ace to face upon the floor, the lama or 
 chief priest being nearest tlic altar, the r/iHonr/s or inferior priests moro 
 remote. They Avero playing upon a variety of instruments, producing 
 the strange noise Avhich was heard without. Tho music, or I'ather the 
 frightful uproar, alternaliMl with a song of like character. At length tho 
 lama arose, the music ceased, and the priests then spoke to the travelera, 
 whom they had not belhre heeded. 
 
 Humboldt was received with great honor at Astrachan. When ho 
 arrived, at the ferry on the aflernoou of October 12th, a steamboat, sent 
 
86 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP HUMBOLDT, 
 
 by the Governor-General Ossipoff, was waiting for liim and hia compan- 
 ions, and amid tl»T firing of cannon they crossed to the city, where a 
 large crowd was drav/n together by these unusual preparations. Tliey 
 were conveyed by four-iiorse carriages to the spacious apartments allotted 
 them, where, on the morrow, Humboldt was waited upon by the digni- 
 taries of the place and the deputies of all the various nations represented 
 in the motley population of Astrachan. They were presented by the 
 governor-general in tlio order of rank. First came the burgomaster, 
 with the ciders of the mercantile profession, who, according to the Rus- 
 sian custom, brought the tokens of homage, but instead of common bread 
 and salt, it Avas a pound-cake, ornamented with the best fruits of Astra- 
 chan — with grapes, large plums, pears and apples — and salt. Next came 
 the nobles and the olTicers of the garrison, and then the deputies of tho 
 Armenians, Persians, Hindoos, Tartars, and others. 
 
 Tho travelers found much to interest them in Astrachan, in its diversi- 
 fied population, in tho bazaars of the various nations and their places of 
 worship. In one of the temples a fakir sat crouching on the floor with his 
 chin resting upon his knees, between which tho long white board reached 
 down to the groimd. He had no clothing but a sheepskin thrown loosely 
 about him, and had boon sitting thus for fifteen years. 
 
 Humboldt obtained a steamboat and proceeded with his companions 
 to the mouths of tho Volga and tho Caspian Sea, in order to analyze its 
 waters, to make barometrical measurements, and to obtain specimens of 
 tho fish. When they had thus seen the most remarkable objects of As- 
 trachan, and completed their scientific labors, they proceeded to visit the 
 remarkable Calmuck prince, Sored Dschab, whom Humboldt desired to 
 see. As he resided near the Volga, fifty miles .above tho city, they made 
 all propagations for their journey, and sot off from Astrachan on the 21st 
 of October. The prince sent a largo cavalcade and carriages to the land- 
 ing, supposing that Iliimboldt traveled in greater state, and received them 
 with great honor at ais residence, where he entertained them hospitably. 
 He conducted them to his temple where religious services were per- 
 formed, showed them Lis horses, his orchard and gardens, and the 
 distilleries where brandy is manufactured from mare's milk. At his resi- 
 dence they also met with Dschangir, tho young Khan of the Inner^ 
 Horde of Khirgises. Leaving their Calmuck host they hastened to con- 
 tinue their homeward journey, for tho weather was cold and winter was 
 fast approaching. On the next day the country was covered with 
 snow. 
 
 Retracing their course along the Volga as far as Zarizyn, they then 
 crossed over to tho Don, where Humboldt made his last barometrical 
 observation, having reference to the relative height of the Caspian Sea, 
 after which they proceeded by Woronesch, Tula and Moscow, to St. Pe- 
 torsburgh, where Humboldt's obligations to the government and court 
 detained him four weeks. The party finally arrived at Berlin on tho 
 28th of December, 1829. Humboldt had been absent on this expedition 
 
 I 
 
MISSION TO PARIS. 
 
 87 
 
 eif'ht months and a half, during wliich he had traveled a distance of be- 
 tween eleven and twelve thousand miles. 
 
 This journey, like the American one, was of great importance to the 
 science of physical geography. Its results were published in three 
 works, of which each of the travelers undertook to compose one. Hum- 
 boldt's " Fragments of Asiatic Geology and Climatology" was the first 
 to appear. It treats especially of the mountain ridges and volcanoes of 
 Central Asia, and serves to establish Humboldt's theory, that the vol- 
 canic activity of the earth is continually decreasing. Bctoro this journey 
 there existed many erroneous notions of the geography of the interior 
 of Asia, the connection of the mountain chains, and the character of tho 
 b>, il and climate, and Humboldt's work, together with his '■''Ade Cen- 
 trale'''* (first published in Paris in 1843), threw an entirely now light 
 upon all this region. Another very important result followed this ex- 
 pedition. In many parts of Siberia 'lumboldt left cardiilly compared 
 thermometers, in the hands of competent and intelligent j)ersons, and 
 awakened tho taste for these measurements and comparative experi- 
 ments, especially among the Russian mining Kuperintendents of tho Ural 
 mountains. In addition to this, at his suggestion, tho Imperial Academy 
 of St. Petersburg, with the emperor's concurrence, established at dif- 
 ferent points, throughout the entire extent of tho Russian empire, a 
 regular system of observations on the daily changes in the state of tho 
 barometer, thermometer, and hygrometer, on the temperature of tho 
 soil, the direction of tho wind, and the moisture of tho atmosphere. 
 During the twelve years which elapsed between the publication of his 
 "Asiatic Fragments" (1831), and his "Central Asia" (1813), Humboldt 
 was in constant communication with Russia, and was regularly furnished 
 with tho results of the svstem of observation which he had instituted. 
 Notwithstanding the varied and iinportant contributions to physical 
 science which he was thus enabled to aftbrd, he felt that ho was not 
 compensated for the relinquishment of his long-cherished plan of visiting 
 Persia, Thibet, and India. Now, in his old age, ho declares that ho 
 regrets nothing bo much as that ho did not carry out tho project, Avhcn 
 it was first made. 
 
 HUMBOLDT'S LATKR TEARS. 
 
 In September, 1830, Humboldt Avas sent to Paris by Frederic Wil- 
 liam HI., with the diplomatic mission to acknowledge Louis Philippe 
 and the new dynasty. He was also sent a second time in February, 
 1831, and on his return the following autumn, appears to have visited 
 Weimar, and spent a few hours with Goethe, who was then in his eighty- 
 first year, and whose death occurred in less than six months afterward. 
 In the year 1 835 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his brother, 
 who died on the 8th of April, and whose literary executor he became. 
 
88 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HUMBOLDT. 
 
 Thenceforth he resiilccl mostly in IJcrlin, devoting himself entirely to 
 Bcicncc, and to the ai rangemont, revision, and publication of Iiiu brotli- 
 cr'a manuscripts. Ilia ^Vsialic works occuj)ied the principal part of his 
 time, and occasioned an extensive corrosj)ondenco with hi.s friends in 
 liussia and Paris, besides which he superintended the labors of others 
 who worked under his direction. In tho year 1810, he jtidilished u dis- 
 sertation on his ascent of Chhnborazo, and on the mean elevation of tho 
 different continents, and also recomnieneed the work, which had been 
 interrupted in 18:18 — his universal physical descripliun of the world un- 
 der the title of ''Kosmos," whith he now continued on a more extended 
 plan. In January, 1812, the Kuig, Frederic William IV., sunnnoni'd 
 him from these labors, with tho connnand to accompany the court to 
 London, to attend the christening of the I'rinco of Wales. In England 
 he was treated with distinguished honor. After their return to Uerlin, 
 tho king instituted a peace class of tho Order of ]\Icrit (Ibunded by 
 Frederic the (Jreat only as a military order), for the purpose of decorat- 
 ing the greatest scholars and artists, as a 8ynd)ol of roysd favor. Tho 
 number was lunited to thirty, and Humboldt, as the greatest living 
 scholar, was apiiointed (irand Chancellor of the order. 
 
 Since 18-12, Humboldt has remained in JJerlin, devoting all the timo 
 which he can spare from his attendance at court to tho prepanition and 
 publication of his "Koamos," which he leaves behind him as his last and 
 richest scientitic legacy to the world. Ho presents a nunarkable picture 
 of Iiale, active, and productive old age. I'ossesscd of that elaslie tem- 
 perament which resists the elfects of elimato and physical hardship, and 
 which is totally independent of the laws of stature or muscular strength, 
 his faculties seem scarcely less vigorous than in tho prime of life, while 
 his interest in the progress of scientillc investigation and discovery, is as 
 lively as ever. Professor Klcncke, in his biography of Humboldt, writ- 
 ten in the year 1849, gives the following description of the grand old 
 veteran, .is ho then appeared : 
 
 " HumboMt now lives wlierever liis royal friend lives. There arc 
 apartments for him in lierlin, I'otsdam, in all tho royal palaces, and not 
 a day passes that he docs not see tho king. In spite of his eighty-one 
 years, he works unweariedly in those hours which arc not occupied by 
 the court ; ho is active and punctual in his immense correspondence, 
 ind answers every letter of the humblest scholar with the most amiable 
 aifability. The inhabitants of Uerlin and Potsdam all know him per- 
 sonall), and show him as much honor as they show the king. With a 
 slow but firm step, a thoughtful liead, rather bent forward, whoso 
 features arc benevolent with a dignified expression of noblo calmness, 
 either looking down or politely responding to tho greetings of the 
 passers-by with kindness and without pride ; in a simple dress, frequently 
 holding a pamphlet m his hand, resting on his back, so he wanders 
 through the streets of Berlin, alone and unostentatiously, a noble picture 
 of a blade of wheat bending beneath the weight of its numerous rich 
 
le 
 
 PRESENT POSITION. 
 
 89 
 
 golden cars. Wliorcvcr ho appears lio is rcoclved with tokens of uni- 
 versal cstocni. TIiosc who pass, timidly step aside for fear of distmhiiig 
 hiiU in liis lhoii;;chts ; even the worlvinLj num looks respcetfuUy aller iiitn, 
 uikI says to Ills neighbor : 'There goes Humboldt!' And whoever has 
 had the happiness of eonversing with him, never forgets the foree of his 
 lucid, simple, natural, and unatleeted conversation, for in every thing he 
 Bays, depth an<l learning, clearness and unbouiuled knowledge, are 
 revealed without any of the pride of learning, the stiff jtedantry and 
 preeiscncss of many (Jerman men of science. IlumboUlt has evidently 
 been educated in the highest society; his manner is dignified, open, un- 
 affected, and frank ; \w has Hved with all nations, and adopted and 
 united in himself the advantages of all." 
 
 Tliis picture is true at the present day, when h\x years have been 
 added to his venerable ago. 1 le is still in correspondence with acien- 
 tilic men in all parts of the world, and frc(|uently reads their letters 
 aloud at the table of the king. He is erpially alive to the political 
 aspects of the different nations, and suffers no circumstance of their 
 material development to escape his attention. Though the friend and 
 equal of a king, he is thoroughly liberal and progressive in his ideas, and 
 there are few grander instances of individual independence on record, 
 than the fact of liis voting the liberal ticket at the polls in Berlin, in the 
 year 1855. Few men have lived more fortunate lives than he: few have 
 ever lefl behind them a n()l)ler monument of industry, zeal and genius. 
 Humboldt has been especially favored by I'rovidencc, from his very 
 cradle, irnlike the majority of distinguished men, he was not obliged to 
 contend with poverty or adverse circumstances; he never know that 
 physical and spiritual prostration which springs from the impatience of 
 unacknowledged powers. And it is his highest merit that with worldly 
 circumstances so fa\orable, he did nt)t give way to the charms and in- 
 dulgences of his aristocratic jiosition, that ho did not fall into the ego- 
 tism of high birth, nor the pride of idleness, but in all periods of his life 
 followed the true impulses of his natiu-e, and made himself the self- 
 eacrideing servant of science, for the good of mankind. Rejecting all 
 the comforts Avhich ho inherited, and the distinguished society into 
 which he was thrown, ho cheerfully sacrificed his property, and sub- 
 jected himself to the greatest dangers and privations in his endeavors to 
 investigate the phenomena of nature, and obtain a knowledge of the 
 laws which govern the world. 
 
 May the growing and stUl brightening orb of hia life be rotmdcd to 
 a century of years I 
 
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 "1 
 
MUNGO PARK'S 
 
 TRAVELS IN WESTERN AFRICA 
 
 MuNGO Park, one of the first and bravest of the many travelers who 
 have devoted themselves to the exploration of the course of the river 
 Niger, Avas born on the 10th of September, 1771, at Fowlshiels, on the 
 banks of the Yarrow, in Scotland. His father was a farmer, who was 
 blessed with thirteen other children, but was fortunately able to give 
 young Mungo a tolerable education, and to apprentice him to a surgeon 
 at Selkirk, in his fifteenth year. In 1789, Park entered the University 
 of Edinburg, and applied himself with great assiduity to the studies 
 connected with his profession. His summer vacations, during gne of 
 which he made a tour to the Highlands, were devoted to botany. 
 
 After having completed his education he removed to London, hoping 
 to establish himself there in business as a surgeon. Through his brother- 
 in-law, Mr. Dickson, he had the good fortune to become acquainted with 
 Sir Joseph Banks, the patron of so many travelers, and through whose 
 recommendation he was appointed surgeon to the ship Worcester, an 
 East Indiaman.* In this capacity he made a voyage to Bcneoolen, in 
 Sumatra, and on his return communicated a paper to the "Linnsean 
 Transictions," containing descriptions of eight new fishes of that island. 
 About this time the African Association, of which Sir Jose^i^ Banks was 
 a very active and zealous member, was desirous of engaging a person 
 to replace Mrjor Ilonghton, who, it was feared, had fallen a saux See to 
 the climate, or perished in some contest with the natives. Park at once 
 ofiered Ids services, which, after some deli' eration, were accepted, and 
 the Association fitted him out in the most liberal manner. On the 2 2d 
 of May, 1795, he sailed from Portsmouth ir the hrig JEndeavor. His 
 instructions, he says, were very plain and concise. He was directed, on 
 his arrival in Africa, " to pass on to the river Niger, either by the way 
 
 * The Eurgeon attached to the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Madras, in 
 which I sailed from Southampton to Gibraltar, in November, 1862, was Dr. Mungo Park, 
 a nephew of the traveler.— B. T. 
 
i 
 
 94 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNGO PARK. 
 
 of Bambouk or by such other route as should bo found most, convenient ; 
 that I should ascertain the course, and, if possible, the rise and termina- 
 tion of the river ; that I should use my utmost exertions to visit tho 
 principal towns or cities in its neighborhood, particularly Timbuctoo and 
 Iloussa ; and that I should afterward be at liberty to return to Europe, 
 either by the way of the Gambia, or by such other route as under all tho 
 then existing circumstances of my situation and prospects should appear 
 to me to be most advisable." 
 
 On the 21st of June, after a voyage of thirty days, he arrived at Jil- 
 lifica, a town on the northern bank of the Gambia, in the kingdom of 
 Barra, From this place, after a stay of two days, he proceeded up the 
 Gambia, in the waters of which were found j^rodigious numbers of fish 
 of unknown species, together with alligators and hippopotami, who' c 
 teeth furnish excellent ivory. Park, having quitted tho Endeavor at 
 Jonkakonda, proceeded thence by land, and reaching Pisania, a small 
 British factory in the King of Yam's dominions, on the 5th of July took 
 up his residence at the house of Dr. Laidlcy, until ho should bo able to 
 prosecute his journey into the interior. 
 
 His first care was to render himself master of the Mandingo language, 
 which in that part of Africa is in general use, and to collect from every 
 source within his power information respecting the countries he was 
 about to visit. In the language his progress deiiended on his own appli- 
 cation ; but he soon found that little or no reliance could be jilaced on 
 the accounts of the interior furnished liim by the natives, who, on tho 
 most material points, were frequently in direct contradiction with each 
 other. His anxiety to examine and judge for himself was therefore in- 
 creased. However, besides that the rainy season, which had now com- 
 menced, rendered traveling impracticable, another equally insuperable 
 bar to the speedy prosecution of his journey quickly presented itself. 
 In observing on the 31st of July an eclipse of the moon, ho imprudently 
 exposed himself to the night dew, and next day he found himself at- 
 tacked bj' fever and delirium, the commencement of an illness that with 
 a very trifling intermission confined him during two months within 
 doors. 
 
 Having been disappointed in his expectations of proceeding with a 
 slave caravan toward Bambarra, Park departed from Pisania on the 2d 
 of December, 11^5. He had been provided with a negro sci-vant, named 
 Johnson, who had been many years in Great Britain, and understood 
 both the English and Mandingo languages; and with a negro boy, 
 named Demba, the property of Dr. Laidley, who, as the highest induce- 
 ment of good behavior, promised him his freedom on his return. Be- 
 sides these Park was accompanied by four other persons, who, though 
 independent of his control, were made to understand that their safe re- 
 turn to the countries on the Gambia would depend on our traveler's 
 preservation. Eis equipment was by no means magnificent : a horse for 
 himself, two asses for his servants, provisions for two days, a small assort- 
 
at- 
 
 2d 
 
 led 
 
 lood 
 
 Joy, 
 
 liice- 
 
 IBc- 
 
 igh 
 
 re- 
 
 ler's 
 
 for 
 |ort« 
 
 I 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE INTERIOR. 
 
 95 
 
 ment of beads, amber, and tobacco, a few changes of linen and other 
 apparel, an umbrella, a pocket sextant, a magnetic compass, a ther- 
 mometer, two fowUng-pieces, two pair of pistols, and some other small 
 articles. His friends at Pisania accompanied him during the iii two 
 days, and then, dismissing him on his way, took their leave, sc etly 
 persuaded that they Avould never see him more. 
 
 He had scarcely lost sight of his Europeaji friends, and ridden off 
 musing and somewhat melancholy into the woods, when a body of black 
 people presented themselves in a clamorous manner before him, demand- 
 ing custom dues, in default of which they threatened to carry him before 
 their king. To escape from this honor, which might have proved a 
 costly one, Park presented them with a little tobacco, upon which they 
 were contented, and he was allowed to proceed. On reaching Medina, 
 the capital of Woolli, he judged it prudent to present himself at the 
 king's levee, when the benevolent old chief not only granted him i)er- 
 mission to traverse his dominions, but assured him that ho would offer 
 up prayers for his safety, partly to secure which he furnished hhn with a 
 trusty guide. 
 
 Having safely reached the frontiers of the Woolli dominions. Park dis- 
 missed his guide ; and being about to enter a country interspersed Avith 
 deserts, in Avhich water is frequently not to be procured, he hired three 
 negroes, experienced elephant-hunters, who were at once to serve as 
 guides and w.ater-bearcrs. While he was preparing to depart, however, 
 one of these negroes, who had all received apart of their pay in advance, 
 made his escape ; and lest the remaining two should bo disposed to fol- 
 low his example, he immediately gave orders to fill their calabashes with 
 water, and struck off into the wilderness, just as the sun was ai)pearing 
 above the horizon. After crossing the first desert, they reached Talika, 
 the frontier town of Bondou toward Woolli, where Park engaged a 
 kind of custom-house officer to accompany him for a trifling present to 
 Fatteconda, the residence of the king. On liis arrival at Fattceonda 
 he was received by the black chief with much apparent kindness, though 
 Major Houghton, ho had heard, in his passage through the country, had 
 been both insulted and plundered by this same man. It is true the king was 
 so completely captivated by Park's best blue coat and gilt buttons, that 
 he could not resist the temptation to beg it ; but ho endeavored in some 
 measure to remunerate him for the loss by a present of five drachms of 
 gold, and by altogether abstaining from examining his baggage, or exact- 
 ing any other present than what was voluntarily bestowed. 
 
 The territories of these petty African chiefs, who are complaisantly de- 
 nominated kings, arc exceedingly limited in extent. Your road con- 
 ducts you to-day through one kingdom, to-morrow through another, 
 and the next day through a third ; which, of all those circurastances 
 that obstruct the movements of the traveler in Africa, is, perhaps, the 
 most vexatious and the most difficult to overcome ; as the rapacity of 
 'the first chiefs who lie in his way deprives him of the power of satisfying 
 
96 
 
 LIFR AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 the equal rnpiicity of the remainder. Ilenco, Park traveled in a perpet- 
 ual st ato o'' captivity. Ho was never, unless when far removed Irom hu- 
 man society by woods or deserts, completely master of his own actions, or 
 sufficiently respected to render it possible for him to contemplate the 
 superior classes, even of these savages, from a proper level. 
 
 Park left Fattcconda on the 23d of December. " In the afternoon," 
 says ho, " my iellow-travclers informed me, that as this was the bound- 
 ary between Jiondou and Kajaaga, and dangerous for travelers, it 
 would be necessary to continue our journey by night, luitil we should 
 reach a more hospitable part of the country. I agreed to the pro- 
 j)osal, and hired two men for guides through the woods, and as soon as 
 the people of the village were gone to sleep (the moon shining bright) 
 Me set out. The stillness of the air, the howhng of the wild beasts, and 
 the deep solitude of the forest made the scene solemn and impressive. 
 Not a word was uttered by any of us but in a whisper ; all Averc atten- 
 tive, and every one anxious to show his sagacity by pointing out to me 
 the wolves and hyenas as they glided like shadows from one thicket to 
 another. Toward morning we arrived at a village called Ivimmoo, when 
 our guides awakened one of their acquaintance, and Ave stopped to give 
 our asses some corn, and roast a few ground-nuts for ourselves. At day- 
 light we resumed our journey, and in the afternoon arrived at Joag in 
 the kingdom of Kajaaga." 
 
 On arriving at Joag Park — who had taken up liis residence at the 
 house of the dooty, or chief man of the town, a rigid but hospitable Mo- 
 hammedan — was favored Avith an opportunity of observing the genuine 
 character of the negro. " The same evening," says he, " Madiboo, the 
 bushreen Avho had a(!Companied me from Plsania, Avent to pay a visit to 
 his father and mother, Avho dAvelt at a neighboring toAvn called Drama- 
 net. He AA'as joined by my other attendant, the blacksmith ; and as soon 
 as it Avas dark, I AA'as invited to see the sports of the inhabitants, it bemg 
 their custom, on the arrival of strangers, to Avelcome them by diversions 
 of diiTercnt kinds. I found a great crowd surrounding a party Avhowerc 
 dancing by the light of some large fires to the music of four drums, Avhich 
 Avere boat Avith great exactness and uniformity. The dances, however, 
 consisted more in wanton gestures than in muscular exertion or gracefa^ 
 altitudes. 
 
 At Joag, Avhile preparing to advance on his journey, he was suddenly 
 honored Avith a visit from the king's son, accompanied by a troop of 
 horse, avIio, pretending that by entering his father's dominions he had 
 forfeited the Avhole of his property, insisted upon examining his merchan- 
 dise, of Avhich he seized upon the moiety. Of the remnant that remained, 
 particularly a little amber and a few beads, which he had succeeded in 
 concealing, he Avas now so fearful of producing any portion, even for the 
 purchase of food, lest he should once more aAA'aken the cupidity of the 
 authorities, that both he and his attendants determined on combating 
 hunger for the day, " and Avait some opportunity of purchasing or beg- 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 AFRICAN CUSTOMS. 
 
 97 
 
 gmtf provisions." In tliis cxtroniity, while ho was sitting down chewing 
 Htr.aws, .1 ti'nialo shavo, Avho observed him in passing by, was moved with 
 compassion, and presented him with a quantity of grouml-mUs, which 
 was a very seasonable supply. Scarcely had the old woman left him. be- 
 fore he received information that the nephew of the Kuig of Kasson, who 
 liad been sent by his uncle on an embassy to the King of Kajaaga, .and 
 was now returning to his own country, w.as about to pay him a visit. 
 lie came accordingly, .and iipon Park's representing to him his situation 
 and distresses, kindly oft'ered to be his guide and protector as tiir ijs Kas- 
 son. With him, therefore, our traveler now continued his route to the 
 banks of the Senegal, upon crossing which, his royal guide, who, like 
 other guides, required a present for his services, informed liuu they were 
 in his uncle's doniinions, and in complete p.afety. 
 
 Safe or not safe, however, Park soon found that the stranger .and the 
 tr.aveler were nowhere beyond the reacli of extortion. Half of tlu; llttlo 
 property which had escaped the fangs of the Kajaaga i)eople, Avas here 
 taken from him. Ho Avas then permitted to depart. Among the honest 
 negroes Avith Avhom he Jiad set out from Pis.ania, on the (lambia, there 
 Avas a blacksmith from the interior, Avho, having amassed some little 
 money npon the coast, was noAV returning to spend the remainder of his 
 days in his native land. Shortly after quitting Teesee, the last place 
 AA'here our traveler had submitted to legal robbery, he and his compan- 
 ions came within sight of the blacksmith's village. The news of his re- 
 turn, had, it seems, preceded him. His brother, accompanied by a sing- 
 ing-man, came forth to w(tlcomo the Avanderer home, and brought along 
 AA'ith him a horse, that the blacksmith " might enter his native town in a 
 dignified manner." Park and his companions Avere desired to put a good 
 charge of poAA'der into their guns. The singing-man led the way ; the 
 two brothers followed ; aiid the cav.alcade Avas quickly johied by a con- 
 siderable number of the inhabitants, Avho, by extravagant gestures and 
 songs of triumph, testified their joy at the return of their toAA'nsman. 
 " AVhen avo arrived at the blacksmith's place of residence, avo dismounted, 
 and fired our muskets. The meeting betAveen him and his relations Avas 
 A'ery tender ; for these rude children of nature, freed from restiaint, dis- 
 play their emotions hi the strongest and most expressive manner. Amid 
 these transports, the blacksmith's aged mother was led forth, leaning 
 npon a staff. Every one made Avay for her ; and she stretched out her 
 hand to bid her son Avelcome. Being totally blind, she stroked his 
 hands, .and .arms, .and face Avith gre.at care, and seemed highly delighted 
 that her latter days were blessed by his return, and that her ears once 
 more heard the music of his voice. From this interview, I AV.as con- 
 vhiced, that AA'hatever difference there is between the Negro .and Euro- 
 pean in the conformation of the nose, and the color of their skin, there is 
 none in the genuine sympathies and characteristic feelings of our com- 
 mon natui'o. 
 
 " During the tumult of these congratulations, I had seated myself 
 
98 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNOO PARK. 
 
 P 
 
 It 
 
 I ^ 
 
 I 
 
 apart, by the side of ono of the huts, bcinj? unwilling to intorrnpt the 
 flow of filial and parental tundornoss ; and t!io attention of the company 
 was 80 entirely taken up with the blacksmith, that I believe none of liis 
 friends had observed me. When all the people present had seated them- 
 selves, the blacksmith was desired by his lather to give some accoxmt of 
 his adventures ; and silence being commanded ho began ; and sStv.r re- 
 peatedly thanking God for the success that liad attended him, ri'lated 
 every material occurrence that had happened to him from his leaving 
 Kassou to his arrival at the Gambia ; his employment and success in 
 those parts ; and the dangers he had escaped in returning to his native 
 country. In the latter part of his narration, he had frequent occasion to 
 mention me ; and after many strong expressions concerning my kindness 
 to him, he pointed to the place where I sat, and exclaimed, Aj/ille ibi 
 siring (see him sitting there). In a moment all eyes were turned upon 
 me. I appeared like a being dropped from the clouds ; every one was 
 surprised that they had not observed me before ; and a few women and 
 children expressed great uneasiness at being so near a 'inan of such an 
 uncommon appearance. By degrees, however, their apprehensions sub- 
 sided, and when the blacksmith assured them I was perfectly inoffensive, 
 some of them ventured so far as to examine the texture of my clothes; 
 but many of them were still very suspicious, and when by accident I 
 happened to move myself, or look at the young children, their mothers 
 would scamper off with them with the greatest precipitation. In a few 
 hours, however, they all became reconciled to me." 
 
 With those honest people Park remained during the whole of that 
 day and the next, and then, accompanied by the worthy blacksmith, who 
 declared that he would not quit him duiing his stay in that part of the 
 country, set forward toward Kooniakary. On his arrival at this city he 
 obtained an audience of the king, a fine old man, who, for his conduct 
 both in peace and war, was greatly beloved by his subjects. His beha- 
 vior toward the stranger was not inconsistent with his character. He 
 informed him with apparent regret, that the direct route to Bambarra 
 was about to be closed by war ; but, after vainly advising his guest to 
 retrace his footsteps, added, that there yet remained some hopes of 
 peace, respecting the validity of which ho should be able to pronounce 
 an opinion in the course of four or five days. In the mean while he in- 
 vited Park to remain in the neighborhood. 
 
 On the 1st of February, 1796, the king's messenger returned from 
 the contiguous kingdom of Kaarta, bringing intelligence that the Bam- 
 barra army had not yet entered the country, and that it was possible the 
 traveler might be enabled to traverse it before the invasion should take 
 place. Accordingly, being provided with two guides by the king, Park 
 took leave of his friend the blacksmith, and set forward on his dangerous 
 journey. The country, at all times thickly peopled, now swarmed with 
 fugitives, whom the fear of the Bambarrans had terrified from their 
 homes. The scenery in many places was romantically wild. " On com- 
 
ADVENTURE WITH TWO NATIVES. 
 
 09 
 
 from 
 Bam- 
 le the 
 take 
 Park 
 eroua 
 with 
 theur 
 com- 
 
 ing in sight of tho mountains of Footailo, wo traveled," says Park, " with 
 grout difiiculty down a stony and abrupt precipice, and odiitinued our 
 way in the bed of a dried river-course, where the trees meeting over our 
 heads, made the place dark and cool. In a little time wo reached the 
 bottom of this romantic glen ; and about ten o'clock emerged from be- 
 tween two rocky hills, and found ourselves on the level and sandy plains 
 of Kaarta. At noon we arrived at a korree, or watering-place, where, 
 for a fow strings of beads, I purchased as much milk and corn-meal as 
 we could eat ; and indeed provisions are here so cheap, and the shep- 
 herds live in such affluence, that they seldom ask any return for what 
 refreshment a traveler receives from them." 
 
 From this place, havuig prevailed upon his landlord, a IVIohammoihxn 
 negro, to accompany him as a guide to Kemmoo, Park set Ibrward on 
 the 11th of February. lie observes, "We had no sooner got into a 
 dark and lonely part of the first wood, than he made a sign lor us to 
 stop ; and taking hold of a hollow piece of bamboo that hung as an 
 amulet round his neck, whistled very loud three times. I confess I was 
 somewhat startled, thinking it was a signal for some of his companions 
 to come and attack us ; but he assured me it was done merely Avith a 
 view to ascertain what success we were likely to meet with on our pres- 
 ent journey. He then dismounted, laid his spear across the road, and 
 having said a number of short prayers, concluded with three loud Avhis- 
 tles ; after which he listened for some time, as if in expectation of an 
 answer, and receiving none, told us we might proceed without fear, for 
 there was no danger." 
 
 Adventures now ai)pcared to crowd upon the party. Tlie country 
 through which their road lay being thickly sprinkled with wild fruit-trees, 
 they amused themselves, as they rode slowly along, with picking and eat- 
 ing the fruit, "In this pursuit," says Park, "I had wandered a little 
 from my people, and being uncertain whether they were before or behind 
 me, I hastened to a rising groimd to look about me. As I was proceed- 
 ing toward this eminence, two negro horsemen, armed with muskets, 
 came galloping from among the bushes. On seeing them I made a full 
 stop ; the horsemen did the same ; and all three of us seemed equally 
 surprised and confounded at this interview. As I approached them their 
 fears increased, and one of them, after casting on me a look of horror, 
 rode oflf at full speed ; the other, in a panic of fear, put his hand over his 
 eyes, and continued muttering prayers until his horse, seemingly without 
 his rider's knowledge, co. veyed him slowly after his companion. About 
 a mile to the westward they fell in with my attendants, to whom they 
 related a frightful story. It seems their fears had dressed me in the 
 flowing robes of a tremendous spirit ; and one of them aflirmed, that 
 when I made my appearance, a cold blast of wind came pouring down 
 upon him from the sky, like so much cold water." 
 
 Shortly after this they arrived at the capital of Kaarta, where he was 
 an object of such extraordinary curiosity to the populace — ^the majority 
 
100 
 
 LIKE AMD TRAVELS OF MUNOO PARK. 
 
 ol' uliom had never l)e(()n' ween a Mliite man — that lliev luiivt lori'ildy 
 iiitii his hut, crowd atler crowd. Those who inid heheld the iiioiistor 
 gave way to tliose who liad not, until, as he ohserves, the hut was lllled 
 and eiM|)tii'il thirteen dillercnt times. Here he found that the war with 
 Jiauiliarra hail actually connneiu'ed ; that all conimunicatiou lii'tween the 
 countries had consc(jUcntly ceased; and that, if it was liis (h'termination 
 to ))ersevere, it wouUl be necessary to take a circuitous route through 
 the Moorish kiii;^(h»ni of liudaiuar. The ])eoi»le of Kaarla were ^foham- 
 niedaus; hut instead of the line sonorous voice of tiie nnie/ziu, liy wliich 
 the liiithful are elsewhere summoned to their devotions, the hour of 
 prayer was hvn' aiuu)Uiiced by the beating of drums, and blowing 
 througli large elt>iihant's teeth, hollowed out in such a manner as to 
 resendile l)ugle-horns. The sound of thes(> horns Park thought meloiii- 
 ous, and approacliing nearer to the human v«.>ice than any other ailifuial 
 souiul. IJeing very desirous to depart from the seat of war, he presented 
 his horse-j)istoIs and holsters to the king; and on i)ressing ti> be dis- 
 missed, received in return an escort of eight horsemen to conduct him to 
 Jarra. Three of the king's sons, with two liuntlred liorscmon, kindly im- 
 dertook to accomjiauy him a little way on his journey. 
 
 On his arrival at Jarra, in the kingdom o[' Ludainar, he dispatched a 
 messenger to Ali who was then encamped near IJeuowm, solicit iug permis- 
 sion to pass nnmolosted through liis territories; and having waited four- 
 t(>en days for his reply, a slave at length arrived from the chief, aflirming 
 that he had been instructi'd to conduct the traveler in safety as far as 
 Goomba. Ilis negro, Johnson, iiere refused to follow him any further, 
 and signified his intention of j)ushing back Avithout delay to Gambia ; 
 upon which Park, fearful of the success of his enterprise, intrusted him 
 with a copy of his Journal, reserving another for himself, directing him 
 to deliver the i)apers to the English on the coast. A portion of his bag- 
 gage and apparel he committed to the care of a slave-merchant at Jarra, 
 who was kiu)wn to Dr. Laidley. lie then departed, with his slaved)oy, 
 accomjianied by the chief^s messenger. On the road he was robbed once 
 more by the floors, avIio added insult to violence ; and Avhen ho was 
 nearly jterishing from thirst, beat away his faithful slave from the wells, 
 without permitting him to draw water. 
 
 However, after much fatigue and extraordinary privations, thoy 
 arrived in Ali's camp at llenowm, where Park Avas inunediately sur- 
 rounded by croAvds of fanatical i\roors, attracted partly from curiosity, 
 partly from a desire to vent their fierce zeal against a Christian. " My 
 arrival," says ho, " was no sooner observed than the people, Avho dreAV 
 AA\atcr at the Avells, threw doAvn their buckets ; those in the tents mounted 
 theii- horses, and men, women, and children came rniming or galloping 
 toAvard me. I soon found myself sui-roundcd by sucli a crowd, that I 
 could scarcely move; one pulled my clothes, another took oft' my hat; 
 a third stopped me to examine my Avaistcoat buttons, and a fourth called 
 out ' La illah il, allah, Mohammed rossool allah (there is no God but 
 
SULTAN ALTS CAMP. 
 
 101 
 
 sjj liim 
 
 biig- 
 
 iirra, 
 
 >-l)oy, 
 
 once 
 
 Avas 
 
 ■wells, 
 
 they 
 Bur- 
 losity, 
 "My 
 drcAV 
 iinted 
 oping 
 hat I 
 
 hut ; 
 
 ailed 
 
 [ but 
 
 B U L T A N A L i S TENT A T B B N () \V M . 
 
 AH now, with the base idea of insulting an unprotected stranger, 
 ordered a wild boar to be brought in, -which he signified his desire that 
 Park should kill and eat. This, well knowing their religious prejudices, 
 he, of course, refused to do ; upon which the boys A\ho led in the boar 
 Avere commanded to let it loose upon him, the Moors supposing that 
 there exists an inveterate feud between pigs and Christians, and that it 
 Avould immediately run upon and gore him. The bi^ar, however, was 
 more magnjuiimous. Scorning to attack a defenseless foreigner, he no 
 sooner found himself at liberty than, brandishing liis tusks at the natives, 
 he rushed at them indiscriminately, and then, to complete their conster- 
 nation, took shelter imder the very couch upon Avhich the tyrant was sit- 
 ting. This bold j)roceeding of the unclean beast dissolved the assembly, 
 and the traveler was led away to the tent of a slave, ui front of which. 
 
 God, .ind Mohammod is liis ])rophet), and signHicd, in a threatening 
 maimer, that I must r-peat those words. W'v n.-iched at length ihc 
 king's tent, where we foimd a great nundjer of people, men, wonu'n, and 
 children, assembled. Ali was silting on a black leathe.ii cushion, clip- 
 ping a il'W hairs from his upper lip — a female attendant holding up a j 
 looking-glass bi'Tore him. lie appeared to be an old man of the Arab 
 caste, with a long white bearil, and he had a sullen ami indignant aspect. ' 
 He Nurvt'yed me with attention, and iiiipiired of the floors if I could ' 
 speak Aruliie ; and being answered in the negative, he appeared much 
 surprised, and contimuul silent. The surrounding attendants, anil particu- 
 larly the ladii's, were abundantly nu)re inipiisitive ; thi'y asked a thousand 
 questions, inspected every part of my apparel, searched my pockets, and 
 obliged me to unbutton my waistcoat and disjilay the whiteness of my 
 skin ; they even counted my toes and ilngors, as if they doubted whether 
 I was in truth a human behig." 
 
 

 102 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNGO PARK. 
 
 not being permitted to enter, he received a little food. Here he like- 
 Avise passed the night, lying upon the sand, surrounded by the curious 
 multitude. Next day, a Ijut, constructed with corn-stalks, was given to 
 him, but the boar, which liad been recaptured, was tied to a stake in 
 the end of it, as his fittest companion. 
 
 By degrees, however, the Moors began to conceive that the Christian 
 might, in one way or another, be rendered useful, but could thmk of no 
 better employment for him than that of a barber. In this capacity he 
 made hia first attempt, in the royal presence, on the head of the yoimg 
 prince of Ludamar. This dignified oflice he had no great desire to mo- 
 nopolize, and his unskillfulness in performing the operation, for he almost 
 at the outset made an incision in the young prince's head, quickly re- 
 duced him once more to the rank of a common mortal. Ali seemed by 
 no means desirous, however, of dispensing altogether with his services, 
 wishing, perhaps, to preserve him fi"om the same motives which induce 
 us to preserve a wild beast; and, therefore, to render his escape the 
 more impracticable, took possession of the whole of his baggage, includ- 
 ing his gold, amber, watch, and one of his pocket compasses, the other 
 he had fortunately buried in the sand composing the floor of his hut. 
 The gold and amber were highly gratifying to Moorish avarice, but the 
 pocket compass soon became an object of superstitious curiosity. " Ali 
 was very desirous to be informed why that small piece of iron, the needle, 
 always pointed to the Great Desert, and I found myself somewhat puz- 
 zled to answer the question. To have pleaded my ignorance would have 
 created a suspicion that I wished to conceal the real truth from him ; I 
 therefore told him that my mother resided far beyond the sands of Sa- 
 hara, and that while she was alive the piece of iron would always point 
 that way, and serve as a guide to conduct me to her ; and that if she was 
 dead it would point to her grave. Ali now looked at the compass with 
 redoubled amazement, turned it round and round repeatedly, but ob- 
 serving that it always pointed the same way, he took it up with great 
 caution and returned it to me, manifesting that he thought there was 
 something of magic in it, and that he was afraid of keei)ing so danger- 
 ous an instrument in his possession." 
 
 It now began to be debated between Ali and hia advisers what should 
 be done with their prisoner. Their decisions were very dissimilar. Some 
 were of opinion that he should be put to death, others that he should 
 merely lose his right hand, while a third party thought that his eyes 
 ought to be put out. Ali himself, however, determined that matters 
 should remain as they were until his queen Fatima, then in the north, 
 had seen him. Meanwhile all these reports were related to our traveler, 
 and tended not a little to distress and agitate his mind. His demand to 
 be permitted to depart was formally refiised. The acomnulated horrors 
 of his situation, united with the want of food and sleep, at length brought 
 on a fever, by which his life was endangered. But his persecution fi-om 
 the Moors did not therefore cease. They plucked his cloak from him, 
 
 Jr 
 
 1 ' 1 • » » « 
 
 vr / 
 
Some 
 
 
 i eyes 
 
 
 altera 
 
 
 lorth, 
 
 
 veler, 
 
 
 ndto 
 
 
 )rrors 
 
 
 )ught 
 
 
 from 
 
 
 
 
 him, 
 
 1 
 
 MOORISH TYRANNY. 
 
 103 
 
 they overwhehned him with insult8, they tortured him like some fero- 
 cious animal, for their amusement, and when, to escape from this detest- 
 able thraldom, he crawled away to a short distance from the camp, he 
 was forced back by menaces and violence. 
 
 At length, after more than a month's detention at Benowm, he was 
 commanded to follow Ali to the northern encampment of Bubaker, on 
 the skirts of the Great Desert, and on the way endured the extreiaity 
 of himger, thirst, and fatigue. Upon arriving at Bubaker, he was shown 
 as a strange animal to Fatima, who, though far from being exempt from 
 the Moorish prejudices agauist a Christian, or in any remai-kable degree 
 disposed to humanity, still treated him with somewhat greater lenity 
 than the lest of the Moors; and, upon the departure of her husband for 
 Jarra, not only obtained him permission to join the party, but prevailed 
 upon the tyrant to restore him his horse, saddle, and bridle, together 
 with a part of his apparel. His faithful black boy, Demba, however, 
 was taken from him, notwithstanding his animated remonstrances to Ali, 
 who, upon his pressing the point rather warmly, only replied, that if he 
 did not instantly mount his horse and depart he should share the fate of 
 his slave. " There is sometliing in the frown of a tyrant," says Park, 
 " which rouses the most secret emotions ot the heart. I could not sup- 
 press my feelings, and for once entertained an indignant wish to rid the 
 world of such a iixonster. Poor Demba was not less affected than my- 
 self; he had formed a strong attachment toward me, and had a cheer- 
 fulness of disposition which often beguiled the tedious hours of captivity. 
 He Mas likewise a proficient in the Bambarra tongue, and promised, on 
 that account, to be of great use to me in future. But it was in vain to 
 expect any thing favorable to humanity from a people who are strangers 
 to its dictates. So, having shaken hands with this unfortunate boy, and 
 blended my teara with his, assuring him, however, I Avould do my best 
 to redeem him, I saw him led off by three of All's slaves toward the 
 camp of Bubaker." 
 
 Upon his arrival at Jarra, where he was shortly afterward transferred 
 by Ali to tyrants of a lower grade, his condition, far from being im- 
 proved, was only rendered the more intolerable. The city itself, more- 
 over, Avas in a state of the utmost confusion. Male' *ents from Kaarta 
 having taken refuge there, had recently made an incursion into their 
 native country, carried off a large quantity of plunder, and thus drawn 
 the vengeance of their king against the city. All those who had reason 
 to dread his rewentment were now, therefore, preparing to fly into Bam- 
 barra ; and Park, whose route lay in the same direction, became exceed- 
 ingly desirous of effecting his escape from the Moors, that he might seize 
 upon this fortimate occasion of fulfilling the object of his mission. 
 " Their departure," says he, speaking of the black fugitives, " was very 
 affectbg : the women and children crying, the men suUen and dejected, 
 and all of them looking back with regret on their native to^vn ; and on 
 the wells and rocks beyond which their ambition had never tempted 
 
104 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. 
 
 them to stray, and where they had laid all their plans of future happiness, 
 all of which they were now forced to abandon, and to seek shelter among 
 strangers." 
 
 Hoping to escape in this confused throng, he mounted his horse, and 
 taking a bag of corn before him, rode slowly off along with the towns- 
 people. On their arrival at Queira, a village at no great distance from 
 the city. Park began to flatter himself that he had really eluded the 
 vigilance of his persecutors, but before the agreeable idea had got a firm 
 footing in his mind, he saw All's chief slave, accompanied by four Moors, 
 ari'ive, and take up their lodgings with the dooty. Johnson, Park's 
 interpreter (who had been seized by All's order before ho could leave 
 Jarra), suspecting the design of this visit, sent two boys to overhear 
 their conversation, by which means he learned that it was their intention 
 to carry Park back to Bubaker. Upon this he at once came to the des- 
 perate resolution to effect that very night his deliverance from his pur- 
 suers, or to perish in the attempt. Johnson, who applauded this deter- 
 mination, but wanted the courage to imitate it, was nevertheless exceed- 
 ingly Avell disposed to aid in effecting his master's escape. He therefore 
 undertook to keep watch upon the movements of the enemy, while Park 
 was preparing for flight. About midnight he got all his api)arel in readi- 
 ness, which consisted of two shirts, two pair of trousers, two pocket- 
 handkerchiefs, an upper and under waistcoat, a liat, a pair of half boots, 
 and a cloak. Besides these things he had not in his possession a single 
 bead or any other article with which to purchase food for himseltj or 
 provender for his horse. " About daybreak, Johnson, who had been 
 listening to the Moors all night, came," says he, " and whispered to me 
 that they were all asleep. The awful crisis was now arrived when I was 
 again either to taste the blessings of freedom, or languish out my days 
 m captivity. A cold sweat moistened my forehead as T thought of the 
 dreadful alteniative, and reflected that one way or the other, my fiite 
 must be decided m the course of the ensuing day. But to deliberate 
 was to lose the only chance of escaping. So taking up my bundle, I 
 stepped gently over the negroes who were sleephig in the open air, and, 
 havuig mounted my horse, I bade Johnson farewell, desiring him to take 
 particular care of my papers I had intrusted him with, and uiform my 
 friends in Gambia that he had left me in good health on my way to Bam- 
 barra. I proceeded with great caution, surveying each bush, and fre- 
 quently listening and looking behind me for the Moorish horsemen, until 
 I was about a mile from the town, when I was surprised to find myself 
 in the neighborhood of a korree, belonging to the Moors. The shepherds 
 followed me for about a mile, hooting and throwing stones after me ; 
 and when I was out of their reach, and had begun to indulge the pleas- 
 ing hope of escaping, I was again greatly alarmed to hear somebody 
 halloo behind me, and, looking back, I saw three Moors on horseback 
 coming after me at full speed, whooping and brandishing their double- 
 barrel guns. I knew it was hi vain to think of escaping, and therefore 
 
days 
 f the 
 
 fate 
 crate 
 lie, I 
 
 and, 
 take 
 
 my 
 
 >am- 
 
 fre- 
 
 J until 
 
 [yself 
 
 lerds 
 
 me; 
 jleas- 
 )dy 
 [back 
 luble- 
 
 sforo 
 
 I 
 
 PROSPECT OF DEATH. 
 
 105 
 
 turned back and met them, when two of them caught hold of my bridle, 
 one on each side, and the third, presenting his musket, told me I must 
 go back to Ali." 
 
 It soon ai)i)eared, however, that these gentlemen were merely private 
 robbers, who were fearful that their master had not sufficiently pillaged 
 the stranger; for, after examimng his bundle, and plundering hun of his 
 cloak, they bade him begone, and follow them no further. Too happy 
 to be rid of the villahis at any rate, he immediately struck into the woods 
 and continued his journey. His joy at thus escaping from the Moors 
 was quickly damped by the consideration that he must very soon be in 
 want of both food and water, neither of which could he procure without 
 approaching villages or wells, where he would almost inevitably en- 
 counter his old enemies. Ho therefore pushed on with all the vigor of 
 which he was possessed, in the hope of reaching some to\\'n or village 
 of the kingdom of Bambarra. But he already began to experience tho 
 tortures of thirst ; his mouth was parched and inflamed ; a sudden 
 dimness, accompanied by symptoms of fainting, would frequently come 
 over his eyes ; and as his horse also Avas exceedingly fatigued, he began 
 to apprehend that he should perish of thirst. Some shrubs, the leaves 
 of which he chewed to relieve the burning pain in his mouth and throat, 
 were all found to be bitter and of no service. " A little before sunset, 
 having reached the top of a gentle rising," soys Park, "I climbed a 
 high tree, from the topmost branches of which I cast a melancholy look 
 over the barren Avilderness, but without discovering the most distant 
 trace of a human dwelling. The same dismal uniformity of slirubs and 
 sand everywhere presented itself, and the horizon was level and uninter- 
 rupted as that of the sea. 
 
 " Descending from the tree, I found my horse devouring the stubble 
 and brushwood with great avidity ; and as I was now too faint to at- 
 tempt walking, and my horse too much fatigued to carry me, I thought 
 it but an act of humanity, and perhaps the last I should ever have it in 
 my power to perform, to take off liis bridle and let him shift for him- 
 self; in doing which, I was affected with sickness and giddiness ; and, 
 flilling upon the sand, felt as if the hour of death was fast approaching. 
 Here then (thought I), after a short but ineffectual struggle, terminate 
 all my hopes of beuig useful in my day and generation — ^here must the 
 short sjjun of my life come to an end. I cast, as I believed, a last look 
 on the surrounding scene, and while I reflected on the awful change that 
 was about to take place, this world and its enjoyments seemed to vanish 
 from my recollection. Nature, however, at length resumed its func- 
 tions ; and on recovcrhig my senses I found myself stretched upon the 
 sand, with the bridle still in my hand, and the sun just sinkmg behind 
 the tri'cs. I now summoned all my resolution, and determined to make 
 another effort to prolong my existence : and, as the evening was some- 
 what cool, I resolved to travel as far as my limbs would carry me, in 
 hopes of reaching (my only resource) a waterhig-place. With this view 
 
106 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. 
 
 I put the bridle upon my horse, and driving him before me, went slowly 
 along for about an hour, when I perceived some lightning from the 
 north-east — a most delightful sight, for it promised rain. The darkness 
 and lightnmg increased very rapidly; and in less than an hour I heard 
 the wind roaring behind the bushes. I had already opened my mouth 
 to receive the refreshing drops which I expected : but I was instantly 
 covered with a cloud of sand, driven with such force by the wind as to 
 give a very disagreeable sensation to ray face and arms; and I was 
 obliged to mount my horse and stop under a bush to prevent being suf- 
 focated. The sand continued to fly for near an hour in amazing quan- 
 tities, after which I again set forward, and traveled with difficulty until 
 ten o'clock. About this time I was agreeably surprised by some very 
 vivid flashes of lightning, followed by a few heavy drops of rain. In a 
 little time the sand ceased to fly, and I alighted and spread out all my 
 clean clothes to collect the rain, which at length I saw would certainly 
 fall. For more than an hour it rained plentifully, and I quenched my 
 thirst by wringing and sucking my clothes. 
 
 "There being no moon, it was remarkably dark; so that I was 
 obliged to lead my horse, and direct my way by the compass, which the 
 lightning enabled me to observe. In this manner I traveled with toler- 
 able expedition until past midnight ; when the lightning became more 
 distant, and I was under the necessity of groping along, to the no small 
 danger of my hands and eyes. About two o'clock my horse started at 
 something ; and, looking around, I was not a little surprised to see a light 
 at a short 'listance among the trees, and supposing it to be a to^vn, I 
 groped Jilong the sand in hopes of finding corn-stalks, cotton, or other 
 appearances of cultivation, but found none. As I approached, I per- 
 ceived a number of other lights in different places, and began to suspect 
 that I had fallen upon a party of Moors. However, in my present 
 situation, I was resolved to see who they were, if I could do it vnth 
 safety. I accordingly led my horse cautiously toward the light, and 
 heard by the lowing of the cattle, and the clamorous tongues of the 
 herdsmen, that it was a watering-place, and most likely belonged to the 
 Moors. Delightful as the sound of the human voice was to me, I re- 
 solved once more to strike into the woods, and rather run the risk of 
 perishmg with hunger, than irust myself again in their hands; but 
 being still thirsty, and dreading the approach of the burning day, I 
 thought it prudent to search for the wells, which I expected to find at 
 no great distance. In this pursuit I inadvertently approached so near 
 one of the tents as to be perceived by a woman, who immediately 
 screamed out. The people came running to her assistance from some of 
 the neighboring tents, and passed so V3ry near me that I thought I was 
 discovered, and hastened again into the woods. 
 
 " About a mile from this place I heard a loud and confused noise, 
 somewhere to the right of my course, and in a short time was happy to 
 find it was the croaking of frogs, which was heavenly music to my ears. 
 
APPROACH TO THE NIGER. 
 
 107 
 
 near 
 ately 
 ne of 
 was 
 
 loise, 
 )y to 
 I ears. 
 
 I followed tlie soimd, and at daybreak arrived at some shallow muddy 
 pools, so full of frngB that it was difficult to discern the water. The 
 noise they made frightened my horee, and I was obliged to keep them 
 quiet by beating the water with a branch until he had drunk. Having 
 here quenched my thirst, I ascended a tree, and the morning being clear, 
 I soon perceived the smoke of the watering-place which I had passed in 
 the night, and observed another pillar of smoke, east-south-east, distant 
 twelve or fourteen miles." 
 
 Toward this column of smoke, which, as he was informed, arose from 
 a Foulah village, he now directed his course ; but on arriving at the 
 place, was inhospitably driven from every door, except that of an old 
 woman, who kindly received him into her dwelling, and furnished him 
 with food for himself, and with provender for his horse. Even here, 
 however, the influence of Ali pursued him like his evil genius. The 
 people who had collected round him while he was eating, began, as he 
 clearly discovered from their expressions, to form the design of canying 
 him back once more to Benowm or Bubaker. He therefore hastened 
 his departure, and having wandered among the woods all day, passed 
 the night under a tree. In this way he continued his journey, some- 
 times meeting with hospitality, but more frequently avoiding the dwell- 
 ings of man, and subsisting upon the wild produce of the woods, and the 
 water of a few pools, to which the croaking of the frogs directed him. 
 
 At length he entered the kingdom of Bambarra, where he found the 
 people more hospitable in proportion as they were more opulent than 
 their neighbors. Cultivation was here carried on in a spirited manner, 
 and on an extensive scale, and " hunger," as the natives expressed it, 
 " was never known." The country itself was beautiful, intersected on 
 all sides by rivulets, which, after a rain-storm, were swelled into rapid 
 streams. Park's horse was now so attenuated by fatigue that it appeared 
 like a mere skeleton, T^hich the traveler, fearing to mount, drove before 
 him, as if to scare away the crows. The Bambarrans, whose hospitable 
 disposition was accompanied by but little delicacy, were infinitely 
 amused at this droll spectacle. Taking him for a Moor, they supposed 
 from his appearance that he must be one of those religious mendicants 
 who, having performed the pilgrimage to the holy cities, thenceforward 
 consider themselves fully entitled to subsist vpon the labors of their in- 
 dustrious co-religionists. " ' He has been at Mecca,' said one ; ' you may 
 sc" +^at by his clothes.* Another asked il' my horse was sick ; a third 
 wished to purchase it, &c. So that I believe the very slaves were 
 ashamed to be seen in my company." 
 
 However, in spite of all this laughter and ridicule, he proceeded on 
 his way, and at length had the satisfiiction to be informed that on the 
 morrow he should see the Niger, denominated Jbliba, or the " Great 
 Water," by the natives. Next morning, the 21st of July, after passing 
 through several large villages, he saw the smoke ascend over Sego, the 
 capital of Bambarra, and felt elate with joy at the thought of drawing 
 
108 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. 
 
 near so important an object of his mission. " As we ai)proachcd the 
 town," says Park, "I Avas fortunate enough to overtake the fugitive 
 Kaartuns, to whose khidness I had been so much uidebted in my 
 journey through Bambarra. They readily agreed to introduce me to 
 the king, and we rode together through some marshy ground, where, 
 as I anxiously looked around for the river, one of them called out Geo 
 affiUl (see the water) ; and, looking forward, I saw Avith infinite pleas- 
 ure the great object of my mission — the long sought-for, majestic Niger, 
 glittering in the morning sun, as broad as the Thames at Westminster, 
 and flowing slowly to the eastward. I hastened to the brhik, and, 
 having drunk of the water, Ufted up my fervent thanks in prayer to 
 the Great Ruler of all things for having thus far croAvned my endeavors 
 with success." 
 
 Scgo, the capital of Bambarra, consisted of four distinct towns, two 
 on the northern, and two on the southern bank of the Niger. The king 
 at this period resided on the southern bank, while Park had arrived on 
 the o])posite side. The communication between the different quarters 
 of the city was kept up by means of large canoes, which were con- 
 stantly passing and repassing ; notwithstanding which, so great was the 
 pressure of passengers, that Park was compelled to wait upward of two 
 hours before he could obtain even a chance of being ferried over. 
 Meanwhile, the prospect before him was novel and striking in the 
 highest degree. "The view of this extensive city," he observes, " the 
 numerous canoes on the river, the crowded population, and the cul- 
 tivated state of the surrounding country formed altogether a prospect 
 of civilization and magnificence which I little expected to find in the 
 bosom of Africa." 
 
 While he was thus waiting for a passage, the news was conveyed to 
 Mansong that a white man was on the banks of the river coming to see 
 him. The king, who seems to have been alarmed at this intelligence, 
 immediately dispatched a messenger, Avho was directed to inform the 
 stranger that he would not be admitted into the royal presence until 
 the purport of his mission was made known ; and that in the mean 
 while, he was prohibited from passmg the river. He was likewise told 
 that the king desired him to seek lodgings in one of the villages in the 
 vicinity of the capital. As there was no alternative, he at once set out 
 for the village, where, to his great mortification, he found that no per- 
 son would admit him into a house. " I was regarded with astonish- 
 ment and fear," he observes, "and was obliged to sit all day without 
 victuals ui the shade of a tree ; and the night threatened to be very 
 uncomfortable, for the wind rose, and there was great appearance of a 
 heavy rain ; and the wild beasts were so very numerous in the neighbor- 
 hood, that I should have been under the necessity of climbing "n a 
 tree, and resting among the branches. About sunset, however, as I was 
 preparing to pass the night in this manner, and had turned my horse 
 loose that he might graze at liberty, a woman returnuig from the labors 
 
NATIVE HOSPITALITY. 
 
 109 
 
 see 
 jnce, 
 the 
 intil 
 leau 
 I told 
 the 
 out 
 |pcr- 
 lish- 
 hout 
 »'ery 
 lof a 
 Ibor- 
 |ip a 
 was 
 lorse 
 jors 
 
 of the field, stopped to observe me, and perceiving that I was weary 
 and dejected, inquired into my situation, which I brietly explained to 
 her ; whereupon, with looks of great compassion, she took up my siuldle 
 and bridle, and told mo to follow licr. Having conducted me into her 
 hut, she lighted up a lamp, spread a mat upon the floor, and told mo I 
 might remain there for the night. Finding that I Avas very hungry, .she said 
 she would procure me something to eat ; she accordingly wont out, and 
 returned in a short time with a very fine fish, which, having caused to 
 be half broiled xipon some embers, she gave me for supper. The rites 
 of hospitality being thus performed toward a stranger in distress, my 
 worthy benellictress, pointing to the mat, ah ^ telling mo I might sleep 
 there without apprehension, called to the female part of her family, who 
 had stood gazing on me all the while in fixed astonishment, to resume 
 their task of spinning cotton, in which they continued to employ them- 
 selves a great part of the night. They lightened their labor by songs, 
 one of which was composed extempore, for I was myself the subject of 
 it ; it was sung by one of the young women, the rest joining in a sort of 
 chorus. The air was sweet and plaintive, and the words literally trans- 
 lated Avero these : ' The winds roared, and the rains fell ; the poor wliite 
 man, faint and Aveary, came and sat under our tree ; ho has no mother 
 to bring him milk, no Avifo to grind his corn.' Chorus : ' Let us pity 
 the Avhite man, no mother has he,' tfcc. Trifling as this recital may ap- 
 pear to the reader, to a person in my situation the circumstance AA^as 
 aftecting in the highest degree. I Avas so o]>pressed by such imex- 
 pected kindness that sleep fled my eyes. In the morning I presented 
 my compassionate landlady Avith tAvo of the four brass l^uttons Avhich 
 remained on my Avaistcoat, tho only recompense I could make her." 
 
 Although Mansong refused to admit the traveler into liis presence, 
 and seemed at first to neglect him, it poon appeared that his conduct did 
 not arise from any churlish or inhospitable feelings; for Avhih; he per- 
 sisted in his refusal to see him, and signified his pleasure that he should 
 fortliAAith depart from the city, he sent him a present of five thousand 
 cowries, arid a guide to Sansanding. Park immediately obeyed the royal 
 command, and learned from the conversation of his guide on the Avay, 
 that the king's motives for thus dl missing him Avithout an audience Avcre 
 at once prudent and liberal, since he feared that by the least show of 
 favor he should excite the jealousy of tho Moorish inhabitants, from 
 Avhose inveterate malice ho might be unable to protect him. 
 
 With his guide he proceeded to Sansanding, Avherc he Avas hospitably 
 received by the dooty, and Avould, as the king's stranger, have enjoyed 
 much quiet and consideration, had he not the misfortune to meet Avith 
 some of his old enemies, the Moors, who insisted on conducting him to 
 the mosque, and converting him into a Mohammedan at once. IIoav- 
 cver, the dooty, by exerting his authority, freed him from these fimatics, 
 and ordered a slieep to be killed, and part of it dressed for his supper. 
 "About midnight, Avhcn the Moors had Icfl me," says Park, "he paid 
 
110 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF MUNGO PARK. 
 
 me a visit, and vnth much earnestness desired me to write him a saphie, 
 (cliarm). 'If a Moor's saphie is good,' said this hospitable old man, 'a 
 white man's must needs be better.' I readily furnished him with one 
 possessed of all the virtues I could concentrate, for it contained the 
 Lord's l*rayer. The pen with which it was Avritten was made of a reed, 
 a little charcoal and gum-water made very tolerable ink, and a thin 
 board answered the purpose of paper." 
 
 From Sansanding he departed early in the morning, before the Moors 
 were stirring. The road now lay through the woods, and the guide, 
 who understood the dangers of the way, moved forward with the great- 
 est circumspection, frequently stopping and looking under the bushes. 
 Upon observing this. Park inquired the reason, and was told that the 
 lions were very plentiful in that part of the country, and often .attacked 
 travelers in the woods. While they were conversing on this subject. 
 Park discovered a giraffe at a little distance. " Shortly after this," says 
 he, " as wo were crossing a large open plain, where there were a few 
 scattered bushes, my guide, who was a little way before me, wheeled his 
 horse round in a moment, calling out something in the Foulah language 
 which I did not understand. I mquired in Mandingo what he meant. 
 ' Wara bilU billi' (a very large lion) ! said he, and made signs for me to 
 ride away. But my horse was too much fatigued ; so we rode slowly 
 past the bush from which the animal had given us the alarm. Not see- 
 ing any thing myself however, I thought my guide had been mistaken, 
 when the Foulah suddenly put his hand to his mouth, exclaiming, ' God 
 preserve us,' and to my greo,t surprise I then perceived a large red lion, 
 at a short distance from the bush, with his head couched between his 
 fore-paws. I expected he would instantly spring upon me, and instinct- 
 ively pulled my feet from my stirrups to throw myself on the gi'ound, 
 that my horse might become the victim rather than myself. But it is 
 probable the lion was not himgry ; for he quietly sufi'ered us to pass, 
 though we were fairly within his reach." 
 
 About sunset they arrived at Moodiboo, " a delightful village on the 
 banks of the Niger, conmianding a view of the river for many miles, 
 both to the east and west. The small green islands, the peaceful retreat 
 of some industrious Foulahs, whose cattle were here secure from the at- 
 tacks of wild beasts, .and the majestic breadth of the river, which is here 
 much larger than at Sego, render the situation one of the most enchant- 
 ing in the world." Park was now so worn out with fatigue and suffer- 
 ing, that his landlord, fearing he might die in his house, hurried him 
 away though he was scarcely able to walk, and his horse still less able to 
 carry him. In fact, they had not proceeded far before the poor beast 
 fell down, and could no more be made to rise ; so that, taking off his 
 saddle and bridle, our traveler with extreme reluctance abandoned him 
 to his fate, and began to toil along on foot after his guide. In this way 
 they reached Kea, a small fishing village on the Niger, where Park em- 
 
the 
 Ics, 
 fctreat 
 [a at- 
 hcre 
 Ihant- 
 luffer- 
 him 
 J)leto 
 Ibeast 
 his 
 him 
 way 
 em- 
 
 
 DECIDES ON RETURNING. 
 
 Ill 
 
 barked in a fishennnn's canoe which was goin^ ilown the stream, while 
 the guide returned to Scgo. 
 
 Ill this canoe he reached Moorzan, Avhence ho was conveyed across 
 the river to Silla, a large town on the opposite shore. It was with great 
 difficulty that lie here olitained adni'ssion into the strangers' room of 
 the dooty's house, a damp, uncomlbr,ablo place, where he had a severe 
 paroxysm of fever during the night. Here his resolution and energy, of 
 which no traveler possessed a larger share, began at length to fail. No 
 hope of success remained. He therefore, with extreme sorrow and 
 anguish of mind, determined on returning. His own simple and manly 
 account of the matter can not fail to impress even the most insensible 
 with veneration for a degree of courage and intrepidity amounting to 
 heroism. " Worn down by sickness, exhausted by hvmger and fatigue, 
 half-naked, and without any article of value by which I might procure 
 provisions, clothes, or lodging, I began," says Park, " to reflect seriously 
 on my situation. I was now convinced by pauiful experience, that the 
 obstacles to my further progress were insurmountable. The tropical 
 rains had already set in with all their violence ; the rice-grounds and 
 swamps were already overtiowed ; and, in a few days more, traveling of 
 every kind except by water would be completely obstructed. The cow- 
 ries which remained of the King of Bambarra's present were not suffici- 
 ent to liire a canoe for any great distance ; and I had but little hopes of 
 subsisting by charity in a country where the Moors have such influence. 
 But, above all, I perceived I was advancing more and more within the 
 power of those merciless fanatics ; and from my reception both at Sego 
 and Sansanding, I was apprehensive that, in attempting to reai h even 
 Jenne — imless under the protection of some man of consequence among 
 them, which I had no means of obtaining — I should sacrifice my life to 
 no purpose ; for my discoveries would perish with me. The prospect 
 either way was gloomy. In returning to the Gambia, a journey on foot 
 of many hundred miles presented itself to my contemplation, through 
 regions and countries unknown. Nevertheless, this seemed to me the 
 only alternative ; for I saw inevitable desti-uction in attempting to pro- 
 ceed to the eastward. With this conviction on ray mind, I hope my 
 readers will acknowledge I did right in going no further. I had made 
 every exertion, to execute my mission in its fullest extent, which prudence 
 could justify. Had there been the most distant prospect of a successful 
 termination, neither the unavoidable hardshijjs of the journey nor the 
 dangers of a second captivity should have forced me to desist. This, 
 hovrevcr, necessity compelled me to do." 
 
 When he had come to this resolution, he thought it incumbent upon 
 him, before he left Silla, to collect whatever information might be within 
 his reach respecting the further course of the Niger, and the situation 
 and extent of the various kingdoms in its vicinity. Subsequent travelers 
 have solved the problem, the honor of ezpMning which was denied to 
 Park. We now know that this great river, after flo>^g to a consider- 
 
112 
 
 LIPK AND TRAVELS OP MUNOO PARK. 
 
 al»lo flistfincc castwanl of Timbuctoo, mjikcs a bend to flic soutb, nnd, 
 uftar pursuing n soutb-wosterly course, liills into the Atiiuitio Oi-cjin on 
 tbo coast of lionin. 
 
 On tbe 30tl» of July bo commenced liis return westward, by tbo pamo 
 route througb Avhieli bo bad reacbed Silla. In a i'cw (biys bo recovered 
 his borse, wbicb liad in sonio measure regauicd its streuglb, tiiougb it was 
 still too weak to bo ri(blen. Tbo rainy season baving luiw set in, tbo 
 wliolo of tbo plain coiuitry Avas quickly inundated ; so tliat be was often 
 in danger of losing bis way while traversing savainiahs many miU'S in 
 extent, knee-deep in water. In several places bo waded breast-deep 
 across tbo swamjis. Tho huts of the villages in which he passed the 
 night, ];cing undermined or softened by the rain, often fell in ; and tbo 
 noise of their fall sometimes kept liini awake, expecting that liis own 
 might be the next. His situation Avas now even worse than during his 
 progress eastward. A report had been Avidely cireulat(-d that ho Avas a 
 spy, in consequence of Avbich lie Avas in some places civilly refused ad- 
 mittance into the towns, in others repulsed from the gates Avith violence; 
 so that he now appeared inevitably doomed to perish Avith lumger. 
 However, Avhen tbe fatal hour seemed at band, some cliaritalile being 
 always ai)peared Avith a poor but seasonable supply, such, perhaps, as a 
 little raAv corn, Avbieb prolonged his life, and supplied him Avith strength 
 to achieve his memoi-ablc journey. "On tho evening of the 15111 of 
 August, I arrived," says Park, "at a small village called Song, tho surly 
 inhabitants of Avliich Avould not receive me, nor so nmeh as permit me to 
 enter the gate ; but as lions Avcre very numerous in this neighborhood, 
 and I had frequently in tbe course of the day seen the imi^ression of their 
 feet npon the road, I resolved to stay in the vicinity of the village. Hav- 
 ing collected some grass for my horse, I accordingly lay down under a 
 tree by the gate. About ten o'clock I heard tho 1k)11ow roar of a lion at 
 no great distance, and attempted to open the gate ; but tho people from 
 Avithin told mo that no person must attempt to enter Avithout the dooty's 
 permission. I begged them to inform tho dooty that a lion AA'as a]>])roach- 
 ing the village, and I hoped he Avould allow me to come Avithin the gato. 
 I Avaited for an answer to this message with great anxiety ; for the lion 
 kept i)roA\ding round the village, and once advanced so near nie that I 
 heard him rustling among the grass, and climbed a tree fur safety. 
 About midnight the dooty Avith some of his people opened tho gate, and 
 desired mo to come in. They Avere convinced, they said, I Avas not a 
 Moor ; for no Moor ever Avaitcd so long at the gate of a village, Avithout 
 cursing the inhabitants." 
 
 The history of this journey now becomes nothing more than a repeti- 
 tion of similar sufferings. Hunger, fatigue, and depression of spirits at- 
 tack tho traveler by turns. Nothing, hoAA'cver, subdues his courage. 
 Obstacle iafter obstacle yields to his persevering intrepidity, and he pushes 
 forAvard Avith invincible ardor toAvard the coast. In one place, at the re- 
 quest of a native who had groAvn opulent by industrious application to 
 
ENCOUNTER WITH ROBBERS, 
 
 113 
 
 sxato. 
 lion 
 
 lat I 
 safety. 
 
 ?, and 
 
 not a 
 ithout 
 
 'cpeti- 
 •its at- 
 iirago. 
 mshes 
 he re- 
 ion to 
 
 commerce, ho wrote charms for a good supper ; and, fmding the con- 
 trivance productive, continued the practice next day for small presents 
 of various kinds. On other occasions, where superstition did not come 
 to his aid, humanity interposed, and snatched him from starvation. At 
 Bamraakoo he was hospitably treated, even by a Moor, who, having 
 traveled to Rio Grande, had conversed with Christians, and conceived a 
 favorable idea of their character. The rains had now increased the Ni- 
 ger to a vast size, and rendered impassable almost every road ; but, as 
 our traveler's finances had long been exhausted, he found himself com- 
 pelled to proceed, the charity of the natives not extending so far as to 
 the maintaming of a stranger for several months. The ordinary roads 
 being obstructed by the rains, the only practicable route, >vild, dreary, 
 and desolate, lay over sterile, rocky mountains, which, it was feared, a 
 horse could not pass. 
 
 Finding that a singing-man was about to proceed by this road to 
 Sibidooloo, Park placed himself under his guidance, and quitted Bamma- 
 koo. He had not proceeded far, however, before his companion, finding; 
 that he had taken the wrong path, escaped among the rocks, and left 
 him to find his way as he best might. He soon arrived at a village, 
 where he was entertained with hospitality, and where he passed the 
 night. Next day, as he was quietly pursuing his course, a troop of peas- 
 ants presented themselves, whom he at first took for elephant-hunters, 
 but who very shortly proved themselves to be banditti. Pretending to 
 arrest him in the name of the King of the Foulahs, they commanded him 
 to follow them, until, having reached a dark, lonely part of a wood, one 
 of them exclaimed ui the Mandingo language, " This place will do !" and 
 immediately snatched his hat from his head. " Though I was by no 
 means free from apprehension," says Park, " yet I was resolved to show 
 as few signs of fear as possible ; and therefore told them, that unless my 
 hat was returned to me I should proceed no further. But before I had 
 time to receive an answer another drew a knife, and, seizing upon a 
 metal button which remained upon my waistcoat, cut it off, and put it 
 into his pocket. Their intentions were now obvious ; and I thought that 
 the easier they were pennitted to rob me of every thmg, the less I had 
 to fear. I therefore allowed them to search my pockets without resist- 
 ance, and examine every part of my apparel, which they did with the 
 most scrupulous exactness. But, observing that I had one waistcoat 
 under another, they insisted that I should cast them both off; and at 
 last, to make sure work, stripped me quite naked. Even my half-boots, 
 though the sole of one of them was tied on to my foot with a broken bridle- 
 rein, were minutely inspected. While they were examining the plunder, 
 I begged them with great earnestness to return my pocket-compass ; but 
 when I pointed it out to them, as it was lying on the ground, one of the 
 banditti, thinking I was about to take it up, cocked his musket, and 
 swore he would lay me dead upon the spot if I presumed to put my hand 
 upon it. After this, some of them went away with my horse, and the 
 
114 
 
 LIFE AND THAVELS OP MUNOO PARK. 
 
 rc'inaindor stooil considering whether they nhonld h'ftvo me quite nnkcd, 
 or allow ine Hometliing to shelter nic from the sun. Humanity at laHt 
 l)revaikMl ; they returned me the worst of the two Bhirta and a pair of 
 trowscr- ; and, as they went awny, one of them threw back my hat, in 
 the crown of wiiich I kejit my memorandums ; and this was probably 
 the reason why they did not wish to keep it." 
 
 This was the most terrible misfortune that had hitherto befallen him, 
 and at first his mind appeared to sink under the united influence of grief 
 anri terror. For awhile he sat in sullen dejection, half-persuaded that ho 
 had no alternative but to lie down and perish. Presently, however, a 
 relianee upon Providence succeeded this extreme dejection, and his mind 
 gradually regained its tone : — " I was, indeed, a stranger," lie thought, 
 " in a strange land ; yet I was still under the j)rotccting eye of that 
 Providence who has condescended to call himself the strangc^r's friend. 
 At this moment, jjaintid as my reflections were, the extraordinary beauty 
 of a small moss in fructification irresistibly caught my eye. I mention 
 this to show from what trifling circumstances the mind will sometimes 
 derive consolation ; lor though the whole plant was not larger than the 
 top of one of my Angers, I could not contemplate the delicate conforma- 
 tion of its roots, leaves, and capsule, Avithout admiration. Can that 
 being, thought I, who planted, watered, and brought to perfection, in 
 this obscure part of the world, a thing which appears of ro small unport- 
 ance, look with unconcern upon the situation and sufterings of creatures 
 formed alter his own image ? Surely not ! Reflections like these would 
 not allow me to des[)air ; I started up, and, disregarding both danger and 
 iatigue, traveled forward, assured that relief was at hand ; and I was 
 not disappointed." 
 
 On arriving at Sibidooloo, Park related to the mansa, or chief of the 
 town, the misfortune which had befallen him. This humane and excel- 
 lent iiian, having heard him patiently to an end, took the pipe from his 
 mouth, and tossing up tlie sleeve of his coat with an indignant air, " Sit 
 down," said he, " you shall have every thing restored to you ; I have 
 sworn it." He then took the necessary measures for the recovery of the 
 traveler's property, and invited him to partake of his hospitable fare un- 
 til this should have been efltcted. After spending a few days at this 
 place, without hearing any news of his horse or other property, our trav- 
 eler removed to a distant village, where ho remained until the whole 
 was discovered and restored to him, with the exceptior of his pocket- 
 compass, which had been broken to pieces. Having nothing else to be- 
 stow upon his hospitable landlords, he gave his horse to one, and his sad- 
 dle and bridle to the other : and then taking his leave, proceeded on foot 
 to Kamalia, where he arrived on the 16th of September. At this town, 
 romantically situated at the foot of a lofty mountaui, he found a slave- 
 merchant, who, intending to descend to the coast with a small caravan 
 in the beginning of the dry season, offered the travelvii an asylum until 
 he should set out. Conceiving that it would be impossible to proceed 
 
RETURN TOWARDS THE COAST. 
 
 115 
 
 duiiriR Uic rains, Piirk nccoptorl liis kind propoanl, and promised in rv 
 turn to give him the price of a slave upon their arrival on the coast. 
 Hero a fever, wliich hud for some time menaced him, munitested itHolf 
 with great vioUuice, and continued to torment him during the whole 
 season of the rains. His landlord, meanwhile, exerted himself to keep 
 U|) his hopes, and having by some means or ant)tlier obtained possession 
 of an English Common l*i'ayer Hook, he communicated the use of it to 
 Park, who was thus enabled to 1)eguile the gloomy hours of his solitude 
 and sickness. At length the rains became less frequent, and the fever 
 abated, so that he could luovo out and enjoy tho fresh air in the fields. 
 
 
 K A M A L I A. 
 
 On the 19th of April, after Park had remained seven months iit Ka- 
 mali.a, Karfa, the filave-merchant, having collected his slaves, and com- 
 pleted all necessary preparations, set out toM'ard the coast, taking the 
 traveler, to whom his behavior had always been marked by the greatest 
 kindness, along with him. Their road led them across the Jallonka 
 wilderness, where the sufferings of every member of the caravan, and 
 more particularly of the slaves, were most exquisite ; but affliction was 
 far from having taught them commiseration, for a fine young female 
 slave, fainting from fatigue, had no sooner signified her inability to go 
 on, than the universal ciy of the caravan was, " Cut her throat, cut her 
 throat." By the interposition of Karfa her life was spared, but she was 
 abandoned on tlie road, where she was, no doubt, soon devoured by 
 wild beasts. At length, afler a long, toilsome journey, Karfa succeeded 
 
^ 
 
 i 
 
 M I 
 
 
 I 
 
 L S^ ' 
 
 116 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNGO PARK. 
 
 in fulfilling his promise, und conducted Park safe to Pisania, which he 
 reached on the 10th of June, and where the good old man was over- 
 whelmed with the gratitude of his guest. Park now took his passage 
 in an American vessel, and on arriving in the West Indies, quitted this 
 ship for a packet bound for Falmouth, where he arrived on the 22d of 
 December, 1797, after an absence of two years and seven mouths. 
 
 Immediately on his landing, he hastened to London, where he arrived 
 before daylight on the morning of Christmas day. It being too early 
 an hour to call on his brother-in-law, Mr. Dickson, he strolled about for 
 some time in the neighboring streets. At length, finding one of the 
 entrances into the gardens of the British Museum accidentally open, he 
 went in and walked about there for some time. It happened that Mr. 
 Dickson, who had the care of those gardens, went there early that morn- 
 ing on some trifling business. "What must have been his emotions on 
 beholding, at that extraordinary time and place, the vision, as it must 
 at first have appeared, of his long-lost friend, the object of so many 
 anxious reflections, and whom he had long numbered Avith the dead. 
 
 He was now received "vvith distinguished honor by the African Asso- 
 ciation, and the various literary men whom he met with in London. In 
 the mean time his travels, which the Association permitted him to pub- 
 lish on his own account, were announced ; and both during his stay in 
 London, and the visit which he p?id to his friends in Scotland, all his 
 leisure hours were devoted to the compiling and arranging of the mate- 
 rials for the work. It appeared in the spring of 1799, and immediately 
 acquired that degree of popularity which it has ever since maintained. 
 
 Soon after the publication of his travels, which became at once ex- 
 ceedingly popular and profitable. Park again returned to Scotland, where, 
 on the 2d of August, 1799, he married one of the daughters of Mr. An- 
 derson, of Selkirk, with whom he had served his apprenticeship. For 
 the two following years he resided on the farm at Fowlshiels with his 
 mother and one of his brothers. He then removed to the town of Pee- 
 bles, where he resumed the practice of his profession, and in a short time 
 acquired a good share of the business of the place. His kindness and 
 charity greatly endeared him to the poor of the district, though he was 
 considered haughty and reserved by strangers, who were apt to annoy 
 him with their questions. He soon began to tire, however, of the ob- 
 scure life of a country surgeon ; the fascination of Africa was upon him, 
 and he longed to return to the scene of his dangers and sufferings. 
 When one of his relatives, a short time before his departure on his sec- 
 «»nd expedition, expostulated *vith him on his rashness and imprudence, 
 he replied that a few inglorious winters of coimtry practice at Peebles 
 was a risk as great, and would tend as effectually to shorten life, as his 
 proposed journey. The British government twice offered him the com- 
 mand of an expedition to explore the interior of Austraha, which he 
 declined. After the preliminaries of peace with France had been signed, 
 in October, 1801, Sir Joseph Banks wrote to him informing him that the 
 
PREPARATION FOR THE SECOND EXPEDITION. 117 
 
 African Association intend t^d reviving their project for an exploration of 
 th . Niger, and that, in case government should enter into the plan, he 
 would be recommended as the most proper person to carry it into ex- 
 ecution. Park remained in suspense for two years, when Lord Ilobart, 
 who was then connected with the Colonial Department, made him a 
 formal proposal on the part of the government. He accepted at once, 
 and in December, 1803, left Scotland with the expectation of soon em- 
 barking for Africa. 
 
 On account of political changes the expedition was given up, after 
 several of the troops destined for the service had already been embarked 
 at Portsmouth. Park was informed that nothing could be done until 
 the following Septeraber, and was recommended to study the Arabic 
 language in the mean time, and to exercise himself in taking astronomi- 
 cal observations. He employed a native of Mogador as a teacher, and 
 returned to Scotland, where he remained duidng the spring and summer 
 of 1804. Sir Walter Scott was at that time residing near Fowlshiels, 
 and the traveler and author soon became friends. Scott relates that, 
 calling upon Park one day and not finding him at home, he walked in 
 search of him along the banks of the Yarrow. In a short time he found 
 him employed in plunging large stones into the river, and attentively 
 witching the bubbles as they rose to the surface. On beini^ asked why 
 he persevered so long in this singular amusement. Park answered : " This 
 was the manner in which I used to ascertain the depth of a river in 
 Africa, before I ventured to cross it, judging whether the attempt would 
 be safe by the time which the bubbles of air took to ascend." 
 
 On leaving Fowlshiels for the last time in September, 1804, Park 
 was extr(?mely affected, and would not venture to trust his OAvn feelings 
 or those of his family, with a formal parting. He left them, as if with 
 the intention of returning, alleging that he had particular business at 
 Edinburg, whence ho sent them his last farewell. Scott describes, in 
 feeling terms, the manner of his last parting with his iriend. Just be- 
 fore quitting Fowlsh?els, Park paid him a visit and slept at his house. 
 The next morning, Scott accompanied him part of the way on his return, 
 and they rode together over the \^-ild chain of pastoral hills which divide 
 the Tweed fiom the Yarrow. Park talked much of his new African 
 expedition, and mentioned his determination of going straight from 
 Edinburg, without returning to taki leave of his family. They were 
 then on the top of a lofty hill which overlooked the course of the Yar- 
 row, and the autumnal mist, which floated heavily and slowly down the 
 valley beneath them, presented to Scott's imagination a striking emblem 
 of the troubled and uncertain prospect which Park's undertaking af- 
 forded. He endeavored to present its dangers to his friend's mind, but 
 Park had a ready answer for every thing. Thus discussing the plan, 
 they came to a road where it had been agreed they should separate. A 
 small ditch divided the moor from the road : in going ove" it. Park's 
 horse stumbled, and nearly fell. *' I am afraid, Mungo, that is a bad 
 
% 
 
 118 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNGO PARK. 
 
 omen," said Scott ; to which Park answered, smiling : " I^reits (omens) 
 follov/^ those who look for thera," With this proverbial saying, and 
 afraid of a formal adieu, he rode away and was speedily out of sight. 
 
 At the close of the year 1804, after much delay and uncertainty, 
 the expeditiou was; finally determined on, and Park received from Lord 
 Camden his appoi itment as its chief conductor. " For the better en- 
 abling you to execute this service," says his lordship, " his majesty has 
 granted you the brevet commission of captain in Africa, and has also 
 granted a similar commission of lieutenant to Mr. Alexander Anderson, 
 whom you have recommended as a proper person to accompany you. 
 Mr. Scott has also been selected to attend you as draughtsman. You 
 are hereby empowered to enlist with you for this expedition any num- 
 ber you think proper of the garrison at Goree, not exceeding forty- 
 five, which the commandant of that island will be ordered to place 
 under your command, giving them such bounties or encouragement as 
 may be necessary to induce them cheerfully to join with you in the ex- 
 pedition." 
 
 Five thousand pounds were at the same time placed at Park's dis- 
 posal, and further directions gi\ en him respecting the course and line 
 of conduct he was expected to pursue. With these instructions Park 
 and his companions proceeded to Portsmouth, where they were joined 
 by four or fiv3 artificers, appointed for the service from the dock-yards. 
 They sailed on the 30th of January, 1805, and after touching at St. 
 Jago, one of the Cape de Verde Islands, to purchase asses, reached Go- 
 ree on the 28th of March. Double pay was oifeied to the soldiers 
 during the expedition, with a discharge on their return, and these in- 
 ducen->ents were so great that the whole garrison volunteered. Thirty- 
 five were chosen, and placed under the command of Lieutenant Martyn 
 of the royal artillery corps, who had also volunteered for the service. 
 The expedition now being organized, left Goree on the 6th of April, 
 the soldiers cheering loudly and joyously as they jumped into the boats. 
 
 On arriving at Kayee, a small town on the Gambia River, Park en- 
 gaged a Mandingo priest, named Isaaco, who Avas also a traveling 
 merchant, and much accustomed to long inland journeys, to serve as 
 guide to his caravan. On the 27th of April, he left Kayee, and arrived 
 in two days at Pisania, from whence he had set out for the interior of 
 Africa nearly ten years before. Some of the practical difficulties of the 
 march had become very apparent during this short Journey, since he 
 found it necessary to halt at Pisania six days, to procure additional 
 beasts of burden. He soon found, also, that the coldiers, whose appear- 
 ance had pleased him so much at Goree, were physically inferior to the 
 work required of them, while in sobriety, steadiness, and good discipline, 
 they were sadly deficient. Finally very thing was arranged, and they 
 left Pisania on the 4th of May. The jjarty consisted of Park, his 
 brother-in-law Anderson, to whom a lieutenant's commission was given ; 
 Lieutenant Martyn ; George Scott, draughtsman ; forty soldiers, sailors, 
 
I* 
 
 1 
 
 AN ATTACK OF BEES. 
 
 119 
 
 and carpenters, and Isaaco, the guide. They had much trouble with the 
 asses, at the start ; some lay down, others kicked off their loads, and it 
 became necessary to increase their number still further. They passed 
 Medina, the capital of the kingdom of Woolli, and advanced slowly cast- 
 ward — much too slowly, in fact, for the rainy season was fast approach- 
 ing, and Park was anxious to reach the Niger before the intervening 
 rivers should become impassable. 
 
 At Bady, a tOAvn on the interior frontier of Woolli, they were led 
 into a quarrel with the faranba, or chief of the town, respecting the 
 amount of duties to be paid by their caravan, in which, though the con- 
 duct of the African was rude and peremptory, the travelers were clearly 
 in the wrong. A few days after this affUir the caravan had an adventure 
 with a new species of enemy. On the 24th of May they reached a place 
 which they denominated Bee's Creek, where they halted with the in- 
 tention of encamping there. " We had no sooner unloaded the asses at 
 the creek," says Park, " than some of Isaaco's people, being in search of 
 honey, unfortunately disturbed a large swarm of bees near where the 
 coffle had halted. The bees came out in immense numbers, and attacked 
 men and beasts at the same time. Luckily, most of the asses were loose, 
 and galloped up the valley ; but the horses and people were very much 
 stung, and obliged to scamper in all directions. The fire which had been 
 kindled for cooking, having been deserted, spread and set fire to the 
 bamboos ; and our baggage had like to have been burned. In fact, for 
 half an hour the bees seemed to have put an end to our journey. In 
 the evening, when the bees became less troublesome, and we could 
 venture to collect our cattle, we found that many of them were very 
 much stung and swelled about the head. Three asses were missing ; 
 one died in the evening and one next morning, and we were compelled 
 to leave one at Sibikillin ; in all six : besides which, our guide lost his 
 horse, and many of the people were very much stung about the face 
 and hands." 
 
 About the middle of June the rains began to set in, accompanied 
 by violent tornadoes. The earth was quickly covered with water. The 
 soldiers were affected with vomiting, or with an irresistible inclination 
 to sleep. Park himself was affected in a similar manner during the 
 storm, and, notwithstanding that he used every exertion to keep away 
 heaviness, at length fell asleep on the damp ground. The soldiers did 
 the same thing. In the morning twelve of them were sick. In this 
 vicinity he saw many pits, from which gold was obtained in large quan- 
 tities by washing. As the caravan proceeded, many of the soldiers 
 growing delirious, or too weak to continue the march, were left behind 
 to the care of the natives; while others died on the road, or were 
 drowned in the rivers. Some, still more unfortunate if possible, were 
 lost in the woods, where they were no doubt devoured by wild beasts. 
 Meanwhile the natives, who imagined that the caravan contained pro- 
 digious wealth, hung upon their march, plundered them at every turn, 
 
120 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MT'NGO PARK. 
 
 and as often as they appeared too weak to resist, endeavored to extort 
 presents from them. 
 
 The condition of the men now became desperate. Day after day 
 some poor wretch was abandoned to his fate, some in one way, some in 
 another. One example of this kind may serve for the whole. "Three 
 miles east of the village of Koombandi," says Park, " William Alston, 
 one of the seamen whom I received from his majesty's ship Squirrel, 
 became so faint that he fell from his ass, and allowed the ass to rim 
 away. Set him on my horse, but found he could not sit without hold- 
 ing him. Replaced him on the tj:", but he still tumbled off. Put him 
 again on the horse, and made one man hold hira upright while I led the 
 horse ; but, as he made no exertion to hold himc <3lf erect, it was impos- 
 sible to keep him on the horse, and after repeatci' tumbles he begged 
 to be left in the woods till morning. I left a loaa >d pistol with him, 
 and put some cartridges into the crown of his hat." The next day this 
 man came up with the company, entirely naked, having been plundered 
 by the natives. His health appeared to improve for some days, but he 
 afterward grew worse again, and died before reaching the Niger. 
 
 In crossing the Wondu the caravan was nearly deprived of its guide 
 in the following manner. " Our guide, Isaacc, was very active in push- 
 ing the asses into the water, and shoving along the canoe ; but as he 
 was afr; id that we could not have them all carried over in the course 
 of the day, he attempted to drive six of the asses across the river further 
 down, where the water was shallower. When he had reached thr middle 
 of the river, a crocodile rose close to him, and instantly seizing him by 
 the left thigh, pulled him under water. With wonderful presence of 
 mind he felt the head of the animal, and thrust his finger into its eyes, 
 on which it quitted its hold, and Isaaco attempted to reach the further 
 shore, calling loudly for a knife. But the crocodile returned and seized 
 him by the other thigh, and again pulled him under water ; he had re- 
 course to the same expedient, and thrust his fingers into its eyes with 
 such violence that it again quitted him ; when it arose, flounced about 
 on the surface of the water as if stupid, and then swam down the middle 
 of the river. Isaaco proceeded to the other side, bleeding very much." 
 
 This event retarded for several days the march of the caravan. Be- 
 sides, Park himself was attacked with fever, and their provisions, more- 
 over, were now reduced to so low an ebb, that upon examination it was 
 found that no more than rice for two days remained in their possession. 
 This deficiency was, therefore, to be immediately supplied. Two per- 
 sons were sent away with an ass to a distant, village for rice, and in the 
 mean time Park devoted his attentions to the wounds of the guide. The 
 audacity of the native thieves was extraordinary. In ascending an emi- 
 nence two miles from Maniakono, Park himself was robbed in a very 
 characteristic manner : — " As I was holding my musket carelessly in my 
 hand, and looking around," says he, " two of Numma's sons came up to 
 me ; one of them requested me to give him some snuff; at this instant 
 
DEATHS OF THE SOLDIERS. 
 
 121 
 
 the other (called Woosaba), coming up behind me, snatched the musket 
 from my hand, and ran off with it. I instantly sprung from the saddle 
 and followed him with my sword, calling to Mr. Anderson to ride back, 
 and tell some of the people to look after my horse. Mr. Anderson got 
 within musket-shot of him ; but, seeing it was Numma's son, had sorue 
 doubts about shooting him, and called to me if he should fire. Luckily 
 I did not hear him, or I might possibly have recovered my musket at 
 the risk of a long palaver, and perhaps the loss of half our baggage. The 
 thief accordingly made his escape among the rocks ; and when I returned 
 to my horse, I found the other of the royal descendants had stolen my 
 coat." 
 
 Their condit'on was now exceedingly distressing. From the 10th of 
 June, when the rainy season set in, the entries in Park's journal are truly 
 heart-rending. On the 20th of July he writes : " Francis Beedle, one of 
 the soldiers, was evidently dying, and having in vain attempted to carry 
 him over the river, I was forced to leave him on the west bank. In the 
 morning one of the soldiers crossed the bridge, and found Beedle expir- 
 ing. Did not stop to bury him, the sun being high ; but set out imme- 
 diately. About half-past ten came to Mr. Scott lying by the side of the 
 road, so very sick that he could not walk. Shortly after, Mr. Martyn 
 laid down in the same state." On the 27th, five men were left behind ; 
 on the 30th, he writes : " Was under the necessity of leaving William 
 Allen, sick. I regretted much leaving this man ; he had naturally a 
 cheerful disposition ; and he used often to beguile the watches of the 
 night with the songs of our dear native land." On the 10th of August 
 four more men lagged behind, and were never heard of again ; on the 
 12th, two more, and Mr. Anderson appeared to be dying. Park halted 
 with him under a tree, watching his fluttering pulse, until his strength 
 appeared to return. He then placed hun upon his own horse, and pushed 
 forward toward their proposed resting-place, leading the horse by the 
 bridle. " We had not proceeded above a mile," says Park, " before we 
 heard on our left a noise very much like the barking of a large mastiff, 
 but ending in a hiss like the fuff* of a cat. I thought it must be some 
 large monkey ; and was observing to Mr. Anderson, ' What a bouncing 
 fellow that must be,' when we heard another bark nearer to us, and 
 presently a third still nearer, accompanied with a growl. I now sus- 
 pected some wild beast i.ieant to attack us, but could not conjecture of 
 Avhat species it Avas likely to be. We had not proceeded a hundred 
 yards further, when, coming to an opening in the bushes, I was not a 
 little surprised to see three lions coming toward us. They were not bo 
 red as the lion I had formerly seen in Bambarra, but of a dusky color, 
 Uke that of an ass. They were very large, and came bounding over the 
 long grass, not one after another, but all abreast of each other. I was 
 afraid, if I allowed them to come too near us, and my piece should miss 
 
 * Fuff is an expressive Scotch word, applicable in its original sense to the exploeive 
 noise which a cat makes in fljring at a dog. < 
 
122 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNGO PARK. 
 
 fire, that wc should all be devoured by them. I therefore let go the bri- 
 dle, and walked ibrward to meet them. Aa soon as they were within 
 a long shot of me, I fired at the center one. I do not think I hit him ; 
 but they all stopped, looked at each other, and then bounded away a few 
 paces, when one of them stopped and looked back at me. I was too busy 
 in loading my piece to observe their motions as they went away, and 
 was very happy to see the last of them march slowly off" among the 
 bushes. We had not proceeded above half a mile further when we heard 
 another bark and growl close to us among the bushes. This was, doubt- 
 less, one of the lions before seen ; and I was afraid they would follow ua 
 till dark, when they would have too many opportunities of springing on 
 us unawares. We however heard no more of them." 
 
 At length, from the brow of a hill. Park had once more the satisfac- 
 tion of beholding the Niger, rolling its immense stream along the plain. 
 It was the 19th of August, 1805, one hundred and five days after starting 
 from Pisania. But he was in no mood of mind to triumph at the sight. 
 The majority of his companions had fallen on the way; of thirty-four sol- 
 diers and four carpenters who left the Gambia, only six soldiers and one 
 carpenter reached the Niger. With this miserable remnant of his origi- 
 nal force he descended the hill, and pitched his tents near the town of 
 Bambakoo. After a day or two he advanced to Marraboo to await the 
 answer of the King of Bambarra. On the 2d of September he writes : 
 "Ever since my arrival at Marraboo I had been subject to attacks of the 
 dysentery ; and as I found that my strength was failing very fast, I re- 
 solved to charge myself with mercury. I accordingly took calomel till 
 it affected my mouth to such a degree that I could not speak or sleep 
 for six days. The salivation put an immediate stop to the dysentery, 
 which hau proved fatal to so many of the soldiers." On the 6th one of his 
 remaining men died, two others at Samee on the 24th, and yet two more 
 at Sansanding on the 2d of October. At Bambakoo some of the party 
 embarked in canoes on the Niger, while others proceeded by land to the 
 neighborhood of Sego, which they reached on the 19th of September. 
 Mansong was still King of Bambarra ; and being highly gratified with 
 their presents, not only gave them permission to build a boat on the Ni- 
 ger at whatever town they pleased, but engaged to protect, as far as his 
 power extended, the trade of the whites in the interior. Park selected 
 Sansanding as the place most eligible for building the boat, and removed 
 thither as quickly as possible. Here immediately on his arrival he opened 
 a shop, exhibiting a choice assortment of European goods, which sold so 
 well among the natives that his success excited the envy of the Jenne 
 people, the Moors, and the other merchants of the place, who offered 
 Mansong merchandise to a much greater value than the presents made 
 him by Park, if he would either kill the strangers or drive them out of 
 '.he country. Mansong, however, rejected the offer. " From the 8th to 
 the 16th nothing of consequence occurred ; I found my shop every day 
 more and more crowded with customers ; and such was my run of busi- 
 
LAST LETTERS AND EMBARKATION. 
 
 128 
 
 ness, that I was sometimes forced to employ three tellers at once to 
 count my cash. I turned one market-day twenty-five thousand seven 
 hundred and fifty-six pieces of money (cowries)." 
 
 Park now received intelligence of the death of Mr. Scott, who had 
 been left behind near Barabakoo. Mansong very soon convinced the 
 traveler that he understood the art of receiving presents much better 
 than that of returning them ; for upon being requested to furnish a canoe 
 in which the mission, noAV reduced to a very small number, might em- 
 bark on the Xiger, he sent one after another several half-rotten barks ; 
 two of which Park, seeing no hope of getting better, was at length com- 
 pelled to acc(!pt, and with these he constructed what he termed a 
 schooner. Shortly after this ho lost his brother-in-law Anderson, upon 
 whose death " I felt myself," says he, " as if left a second time lonely and 
 friendless amid the wilds of Africa." Dreary and perilous as was his 
 position, however, he still determined to persevere. His companions 
 were now reduced to four, Lieutenant Martyn and three soldiers, one of 
 Avhom was deranged in his mind ; yet with this wretched remnant of a 
 detachment which, it must be confessed, had been thus thinned, or rather 
 annihilated, by his own ill management and want of foresight, he pur- 
 posed following the course of the Niger to its termination, whether that 
 should prove to be in some great lake or inland sea, or, as he rather be- 
 lieved, in the Atliintio Ocean. '• And this voyage," says one of his biogra- 
 phers, " one of the most formidable ever attempted, was to be imdertaken 
 in a crazy and ill-appointed vessel, manned by a few negroes and a few 
 Europeans !" 
 
 On the 16th of November, having completed all the necessary pre- 
 parations for his voyage, our traveler put the finishing hand to his jour- 
 nal ; and in the interval, between that and his embarkation, which seems 
 to have taken place on the 19th, wrote several letters to England. His 
 letter to Lord Camden contained the following characteristic passage : 
 " I am afraid that your Lordship will be apt to consider matters as in a 
 very hopeless state ; but I assure you I am for from desponding. With 
 the assistance of one of the soldiers I have changed a large canoe into a 
 tolerably good schooner, on board of which I this day hoisted the Brit- 
 ish flag, and shall set sail to the east with the fixed resolution to discover 
 the termination of the Niger, or perish in the attempt. I have heard 
 nothing that I can depend on respecting the remote course of this mighty 
 stream ; but I am more and more inclined to think that it can end no- 
 where but ill the sea. My dear friend Mr. Anderson, and likewise Mr. 
 Scott, are both dead ; but though all the Europeans who are with me 
 should die, and though I were myself half dead, I would still persevere ; 
 and if I could not succeed in the object of my journey, I would at last 
 die on the Niger." 
 
 These letters, together with his journal, were then delivered to hia 
 guide, Isaaco, by whom they were conveyed to Gambia, from whence 
 they were transmitted to England ; after which nothing certain or au- 
 
124 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNGO PARK. 
 
 thentic can be said to have been heard either of Park or the ei^ifldition. 
 In 1806, however, vague accoimts of the death of Park and his compan- 
 ions were brought to the British settlement on the coast by the native 
 traders from the interior ; but several years elapsed without any further 
 intelligence beuig obtained. At length, in 1810, Colonel Maxwell, gov- 
 ernor of Senegal, dispatched Park's guide, Isaaco, into the interior, for 
 the purpose of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of the reports which 
 prevailed, and, should they prove correct, of collecting information re- 
 specting the place and manner of the catastrophe. 
 
 After an absence of one year and eight months, Isaaco returned to 
 Senegal, and delivered to the governor a journal of his proceedings, 
 including a narrative which he had received from Aniadi Fatouma, the 
 guide M'ho had accompanied Park from Sansanding down the Niger. 
 The particulars of Isaaco's adventures it is altogether unnecessary to 
 describe. He found Amadi Fatouma at Medina, a village distant a few 
 hours from Sansanding. On seeing Isaaco, and hearing the name of 
 Park, he began to weep, and his first words were, " They are all dead." 
 The recollection of the melancholy transaction appeared to affect him in 
 an extraordinary manner, and it was with the utmost reluctance that ho 
 at length consented to recall to memory an event which he seemed pe- 
 culiarly desirous of delivering over to oblivion. However, upon the 
 pressing entreaties of Isaaco, he narrated circumstantially what had 
 taken place. Upon leaving Sansanding, there were, he said, nine persons 
 in the canoe. Park, Martyn, three other white men, three slaves, and 
 myself as their guide and interpreter. They had proceeded but a very 
 little way down the river before they were pursued and attacked by the 
 Africans, in canoes, particularly in passing Timbuctoo, Avhere a great 
 number of the natives were killed. Shortly after passing Goroumo, they 
 lost one white man by sickness. They were now, therefore, reduced to 
 eight ; but as each person had always fifteen muskets loaded and ready 
 for action, they were still formidable to their enemies. 
 
 As Park had laid in a considerable quantity of provisions previous to 
 his leaving Sansanding, he was enabled to proceed for several days with- 
 out stopping at any place, which is the only circumstance that can ac- 
 count for his passing in safety through the country of so many hostile 
 nations. At length, however, their wants compelled them to have some 
 communication with the shore. "We came," says Amadi Fatouma, 
 " near a small island, and saw some of the natives. I was sent on shore 
 to buy some milk. When I got among them I saw two canoes go on 
 board to sell fi*esh provisions, such as fowls, rice, etc. One of the natives 
 wanted to kill me, and at last he took hold of me and said I was his pris- 
 oner. Mr. Park, seeing what was passing on shore, suspected the truth. 
 He stopped the two canoes and people, telling the latter that if they 
 should kill me, or keep me prisoner on shore, he would kill them all and 
 carry their canoes away with him. Those on shore, suspecting Mr. 
 Park's intentions, sent me off in another canoe on board. They were 
 
AMADI FATOUMA'S JOURNAL. 
 
 125 
 
 then released, after which wo bought some provisions from them and 
 made them some presents. A short time after our departure twenty 
 canoes came after us from the same place. On coming near they liailed, 
 and said, ' Amadi Fatouma, how can you pass through our country with- 
 giving us any thing ?' I mentioned what tliey had said to Mr. Park, and 
 he gave them a few grains of amber and some trinkets, and they went 
 back peaceably. On coming to a narrow part of the river, we saw on 
 the shore a great many men sitting down ; coming nearer to them they 
 stood up ; we presented our muskets at them, which made them run off 
 into the interior. A little further on we came to a very difficult passage. 
 The rocks had barred the river, but three passages were still open be- 
 tween them. On coming near one of them wo discovered the same 
 people again, standing on the top of a large rock, which caused great 
 uneasiness to us, especially to me, and I seriously promised never to pass 
 there again without makmg considcable charitable donations to the poor. 
 We returned and went to a pass of less danger, where we passed unmo- 
 lested. 
 
 "We came-to before Carraassee, and gave the chief one piece of baft. 
 We went on and anchored before Gourman. Mr. Park sent me on shore 
 with forty thousand cowries to buy provisions. I went and bought rice, 
 onions, fowls, milk, etc., and departed late in the evening. The chief 
 of the village sent a canoe after us to let us know of a large army en- 
 camped on the top of a very high mountain waiting for us, and that 
 we had better return or be on our guard. We immediately came to an 
 anchor, and spent there the rest of the day and all the night. We 
 started in the morning. On jjassing the above-mentioned mountain we 
 saw the army, composed of Mooi's, with horses and camels, but without 
 any fire-arras. As they said nothing to us we passed on quietly, and 
 entered the country of Ilaoussa, and came to an anchor. Mr. Park said 
 to me, ' Now, Amadi, you are at the end of your journey ; I engaged 
 you to conduct me here ; you are going to leave me ; but before you go 
 you must give me the names of the necessaries of life, etc., m the lan- 
 guage of the countries through which I am going to pass ;' to which I 
 agreed, and wc spent two days together about it without landing. Dur- 
 ing our voyage I was the only one who had landed. We departed, and 
 arrived at Yaour. I was sent on shore the next morning with a musket 
 and a saber to carry to the chief of the village ; also with three pieces 
 of white baft for distribution. I went and gave the chief his present ; I 
 also gave one to Alhagi, one to Alhagi-biron, and the other to a person 
 whose name I forget ; all Marabous. The chief gave us a bullock, a 
 sheep, three jars of honey, and four men's loads of rice. Mr. Park gave 
 me seven thousand cowries, and ordered me to buy provisions, which I 
 did. He told me to go to the chief and give him five silver rings, some 
 powder and flints, and tell him that these presents were given to the king 
 by the white men, who were taking leave of him before they went away. 
 After the chief received these things, he inquired if the white men in- 
 
126 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP MUNOO PARK. 
 
 tended to come back. Mr. Park, being informed of tliis inquiry, replied 
 that ho could not return any more. Mr. l*ark had paid mo for my voy- 
 age before we left Sansanding. I said to him, * I agreed to carry you 
 into the kingdom of Haoussa ; wo are now in Ilaoussa. I have fulfilled 
 my engagement with you ; I am therefore going to leave you here and 
 return.' " 
 
 On the next day Park departed, leaving the guide at the village of 
 Yaour, whore ho was put in irons by an order from the king, from a 8U]> 
 position that ho had aided the white men in defrauding him of the cus- 
 tomary presents, which the chief of Yaour had in fact received, but 
 retained for himself. " Tho next morning, early," continues the guide, 
 " the king sent an army to a village called Boussa, near tho river-side. 
 There is before this village a rock across the whole breadth of tho river. 
 One part of the rock is very high ; there is a large opeiung in that rock 
 in the form of a door, which is tho only passage for the water to pass 
 through; the tide current is hero very strong. This army went and 
 took possession of the top of this opening. Mr. Park came there after 
 the army had posted itself; ho nevertheless attempted to pass. Tho 
 people began to attack him, throwing lances, pikes, arrows, and stones. 
 Mr, Park defended himself for a long time ; two of his slaves at the 
 stern of the canoo were killed ; tliey threw every thing they had in tho 
 canoe into th(j river, and kept firing ; but being overpowered by num- 
 bers, and fatigued, and unable to keep the canoe against the current, and 
 no probability of escaping, Mr. Park took hold of one of tho white men 
 and jumped into the water; Mr. Martin did the same, and they were 
 drowned in the stream in attempting to escape. The only slave remain- 
 ing in the boat, seeing tho natives persist in throwing weapons at tho 
 canoe without ceasing, stood up and said to them, ' Stop throwing now, 
 you see nothing in the canoe, and nobody but myself; therefore cease. 
 Take mo and the canoe, but don't kill me.' They took possession of 
 the canoe and tho man, and carried them to the king. 
 
 " I was kept in irons three months ; the king released me, and gave 
 me a slave (woman). I immediately went to the slave taken in tho 
 canoe, who told me in what manner Mr. Park and all of them had died, 
 and what I have related above. I asked him if he was sure nothing had 
 been found in the canoo after its capture ; ho said nothing remained in 
 the canoe but himself and a sword-belt. I asked him where the sword- 
 belt was ; he said the king took it, and bad made a girth for his horso 
 with it." 
 
 Such is the narrative of Amadi Fatouma; and the informal ion since 
 obtained in the country by Captain Clapperton corroborates almost 
 every important circumstance which it describes. It appears, however, 
 that certain books — whether printed or manuscript does not appear — 
 were found in Park's canoe, some of which were still in the possession 
 of the chief of Yaour when Clapperton made his inquiries; but the wily 
 African, who no doubt expected a valuable present for these relics, 
 
HIS PROBABLE PATE. 
 
 127 
 
 rcfusccl to deliver them to the traveler's messenger, and Clapperton him- 
 self, for Bomc reason or anotiicr not stated, neglected to visit the chief 
 in person. It should be remarked, that the Africans M'ho were ques- 
 tioned by Clapperton seemed all exceedingly desirous of exculpating 
 their countrymen, perhaps their own friends and relations, from the 
 ch'irgc of having murdered Park and his companions: according to one 
 narrator, the canoo was caught between two rocks, where the river, 
 being obstructed in its course, rushed through its narrow channel with 
 prodigous rapidity. Hero the travelers, in attempting to disembark, 
 Averc drowned in the sight of an immense multitude who had assembled 
 to see them pass, and were too timid to attack or assist them. On an- 
 other occasion, however, the same person confessed that his countrymen 
 did indeed discharge their arrows at the travelers, but not until they 
 had been fired upon from the canoe. But the sheriff of Bokliary, whoso 
 letter was found among the MSS. of Clapperton, asserts that the inhabi- 
 tants of IJoussa went out against the whito men in great numbers, and 
 attacked them during three successive days ; after which Park and Mar- 
 tyn, who from this account would appear to have been the only Euro- 
 pean survi ,'ors, threw their pajjcrs and baggage into the water, and leap- 
 ing in after them were drowned in the stream. This melancholy event 
 appears to h.ave occurred between three and four months after the de- 
 parture of the expedition from Snnsanding, or about the Istof March, 1800. 
 
 Park possessed in a high degree the qualities necessary for a success- 
 ful traveler: intrepidity, enthusiasm, perseverance, veracity, and pru- 
 dence, all of which were admirably illustr.ated by his first journey. Few 
 men have ])as«ed through circumstances so trying, with equal nerve and 
 selt-possession ; but it is to be doubted whether these merits were 
 equally conspicuous during his second expedition. Half of the men, 
 whose lives were sacrificed to his haste and impatience, might have given 
 his party suflicient strength to carry him through the territory of Houssa 
 and the hostile tribes beyond, and assured alike his safety and his tri- 
 umph. But the blame of his failure, no doubt, rests mainly upon the 
 British government, through whoso procrastination he Avas kept for two 
 years in a state of painful suspense, and finally delayed in his prepara- 
 tions, until the favorable season for traveling had nearly passed. 
 
 In person Park was tall, being about six feet high, and perfectly well 
 proportioned. His countenance and whole appearance were highly 
 interesting ; his frame active and robust, fitted for great exertions and 
 the endurance of extreme hardships. His constitution had suffered con- 
 siderably from the effects of his first journey into Africa, but seems 
 afterward to have been restored to its original vigor, of which his last 
 expedition afforded the most abundant proofs. In all the relations of 
 private life he appears to have been highly exemplary. To the more 
 gentle and amiable parts of his character the most certain of all testimo- 
 nies may be found in the warm attachment of his friends, and in the fond 
 and affectionate recollections of every branch of his family. 
 
1! 
 
LEWIS AND CLARKE'S 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
 
 VOYAGE UP THE MISSOURI. 
 
 On the acquisition of Louisiana, in the year 1803, tho attention of the 
 government of the United States was directed toward exploring and im- 
 proving the new territory. Accordingly, in tho summer of the same 
 year, an expedition was planned by President Jefferson for the i)uri)oso 
 of discovering the course and sources of the Missouri River, and the most 
 convenient water-communication thence to the Pacific Ocean. His pri- 
 vate secretary. Captain Meriwether Lewis, and Captain William Clarke, 
 both officers of tho army of the United States, were associated in the 
 command of this enterprise. After receiving tho requisite instructions, 
 Captain Lewis left the seat of government, and being joined by Captain 
 Clarke at Louisville, proceeded to St. Louis, where they arrived in the 
 month of December. Their original intention was to pass the winter 
 at La Charette, then tho highest settlement on the Missouri, but tho 
 Spanish commandant of tho province, not having received an official ac- 
 count of its transfer to tho United States, was obliged, by the general 
 policy of his government, to prevent strangers from passing through the 
 Spanish territory. 
 
 They therefore encamped at the mouth of Wood River, on tho east- 
 em side of the Mississippi, out of his jurisdiction, where they passed the 
 winter in disciplining the men, and making the necessary preparations 
 for setting out early in the spring, before which the cession was officially 
 announced. The party consisted of nine young men from Kentucky, 
 fourteen soldiers of the United States Army who volunteered their serv- 
 ices, two French watermen, an interpreter and hunter, and a black serv- 
 ant belonging to Captain Clarke. AH these, except the last, were en- 
 listed to serve as privates during the expedition, and three sergeants 
 were appointed from among them by the captains. In addition to 
 these were engaged a corporal and six soldiers, and nine watermen to 
 accompany the expedition aa far as the Mandan nation, in order to assist 
 
130 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 in carrying the stores, or repelling an attack, which was most to be ap- 
 prehended between Wood River and that tribe. The party was to em- 
 bark on board of three boats ; the first was a keel-boat fifty-five feet long, 
 drawing three feet of water, carrying one large squaresail and twenty- 
 two oars ; a deck of ten feet in the bow and stern formed a forecastle and 
 cabin, while the middle was covered by lockers, which might be raised 
 so as to form a breast-Avork in case of attack. This was accompanied 
 by two perioqucs or open boats, one of six and the other of seven oars. 
 Two Iiorses were at the same time to be led along the bank of the river 
 for the purpose of bringing home game, or hunting, in case of scarcity. 
 
 All the preparations being completed, they left their encampment on 
 "Wood River, opposite the mouth of the Missouri, on the 14th of May, 
 1804, and on the 16th arrived at St. Charles, situated on the north bank 
 of the ]Mis..?ouri, twenty-one miles from its mouth. This was then a town 
 of about four hundred and fifty inhabitants, chiefly the descendants of 
 the French of Canada. Here they remained a few days waiting for Cap- 
 tain Lewis, who had been detained by business at St. Louie. When he 
 arrived, they again set sail, on the afternoon of Monday the 21st, but 
 were prevented by wind and rain from going more than three miles, 
 when they encamped upon an island. 
 
 Two miles above their next camp, they passed a settlement of thirty or 
 forty families from the United Scates, and further on, at the foot of clifis 
 three hundred feet high, they saw a large cave called the Tavern by the 
 traders, Vi'ho had painted in it some images that commanded the homage 
 of the Indiana. On the 24th they passed some difficult rapids where, be- 
 tween the dangerd of the falling banks on the one hand, and the con- 
 stantly changing sand-bars on the other, they came near capsizing their 
 boat. On the evening of the next day (25th), they stopped for the night 
 near the small village of La Charette, about seventy miles from the mouth 
 of the river. It consisted of seven small houses, and as many poor fami- 
 lies, who had fixed themselves here for the convenience of trade, and 
 formed the last establishment of whites on the Missouii. They were 
 again detained a day on the 31st at their encampment on the Grindstone 
 Creek, by the high west wind and rain. In the afternoon a boat came down 
 from the Osage River, bringing a letter from a messenger sent to the 
 Osage nation on the Arkansas River, which mentioned that the letter 
 announcing the cession of Louisiana was committed to the flames ; that 
 the Indians would not believe that the Americans were owners of tha^ 
 country, and disregarded St. Louis and its supplies. 
 
 On the 5th of June they met two French traders, descending on a 
 raft from their winter quarters, eighty leagues up the Kanzas River, 
 where they had caught great quantities of beaver, but had lost much of 
 their game by fires from the prairies. Soon afterward they passed LittI o 
 Manitou Creek, which was named from a strange figure resemblbg the 
 bust of a man, with the horns of a stag, painted on a. projecting rock, 
 and probably reprtjenting some spirit or deity. On the 7th they 
 
FIRST INDIAN COUNCILS. 
 
 131 
 
 passed Big Manitou Creek, near which was a limestone rock inlaid with 
 flint of various colors and covered with uncouth paintings of animals, and 
 inscriptions. They landed to examine it, but found the place mfested 
 with rattlesnakes, of which they killed three. Meeting two rafts from 
 the Sioux nation, loaded with furs and buffalo-tallow, they engaged oue 
 of the party, a Mr. Durion, who had lived more than twenty years with the 
 Sioux, and was high in their confidence, to accompany them thither. 
 
 They continued to advance but slowly, their progress being greatly 
 impeded by the numerous rolling sandbanks, the strong current and 
 frequent head-winds, while t' e dangers of the navigation were increased 
 on the one hand by the sunken trees, on the other by the falling in of 
 the banks. They reached the Kanzas River on the 26th, and encamped 
 on the low point above its mouth, where they remained two days and 
 made the necessary observations, recruited the party, and repaired the 
 boat. They reached the mouth of the Platte on the evening of July 
 2i8t, and having found, at the distance of ten miles above its junction, 
 a high and shaded situation, they encamped there, intending to make 
 the requisite observations as well as to send for the neighboring tribes, 
 for the purpose of making known the recent change in the government, 
 and the wish of the United States to cultivate their friendship. 
 
 Having completed the object of their stay, they set sail on the 2'7th, 
 and on the 30th again encamped to await the arrival of the Indians. 
 On the evening of August 2d, a band of Ottoways and Missouris ap- 
 peared, and next morning the Indians, with their six chiefs, were assem- 
 bled under an awniii;^, formed with the main-sail, in the presence of all 
 the party, paraded for the occasion. A speech was then made, an- 
 nouncing to them the change of government, with promise of protection, 
 and advice as to their future conduct. All the six chiefs replied, each. 
 in turn, according to rank. They expressed their joy at the change in 
 the government, and their desire to be recommended to their great 
 father (the President), that they might obtain trade and necessaries. 
 They wanted arms for hunting and for defense, and asked for mediation 
 between them and the Mahas, with whom they were then at war. " We 
 promised to do so," says Captain Clarke, " and wished so'ue of them to 
 accompany us to that nation, which they declined, for fear of being 
 killed by them. We then proceeded to distribute our presents. The 
 grand chief of the nation not being of the party, we sent him a flag, a 
 medal, and some ornaments for clothing. To the six chiefs who were 
 present, we gave a medal of the second grade to one Ottoway chief, 
 and one Missouri chief; a medal of the third grade to two inferior 
 chiefs of each nation — the customary mode of recognizing a chief being 
 to place a medal around his neck, which is considered among his tribe 
 as a proof of his consideration abroad. Each of these medals was accom- 
 panied by a present of paint, garters, and cloth ornaments of dress ; 
 and to this we added a canister of powder, a bottle of whiskey, and a 
 few presents to the whole, which appeared to make thorn perfectly satis- 
 
h 
 
 132 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLAR:'.] 
 
 lied. The air-gun, too, was fired, and astonished them greatly. The 
 absent grand chief was an Ottowny, named Weahrushhah, which in 
 English degenerates into Little Thief. The two principal chieftains 
 present were Sbangotongo, or Big Horse, and Wethea, or Hospitality; 
 also Shosguean, or White Horse, an Ottoway ; the first was an Ottoway, 
 the second a Missouri. Tlie incidents just related induced us to give 
 this place the name of the Counnl Bluff; the situation of it is exceed- 
 ingly favorable for a fort and trading factory, as the soil is well calculated 
 for bricks, and there is an abundance of wood in the neighborhood, and 
 the air being pure and healthy. The ceremonies of the council being 
 concluded, we set sail in the afternoon, and encamped at the distance of 
 five miles, where we found the mosquitoes very troublesome." 
 
 The small-pox had sadly scourged the Indians of this region. The 
 Mahas, once a warlike and powerful people, had been wasted away by 
 the disease, and in their frenzy they had burned their villages ; some 
 had even put to death their wives and children, probably to save them 
 from the affliction, and all had gone off to some better country. The 
 messengers of the expedition called the Indians to another council, and 
 they met further up the river on the 18th and lOth, when the com- 
 manders made speeches, and distributed medals and presents, as at 
 Council Bluff. Next morning the Indians left tliem ; they set sail, and 
 soon afterward came to under some bluffs on the north side of the river. 
 " Here," says Captain Clarke, " v, e had the misfortune to lose one of 
 our sergeants, Charles Floyd. lie was seized with a bilious colic, and all 
 our care and attention were ineffectual to relieve him. He was buried 
 on the top of the bluff with the honors due to a brave soldier, and the 
 ])lace of his intemient marked by a cedar post, on Avhich his name and 
 the day of his death were inscribed. About a mile beyond this place, 
 to which w6 gave his name, is a small river about thirty yards wide, on 
 the north, which we called Floyd's Iliver, where we encamped." 
 
 On the 25th of August, Captains Lewis and Clarke, with ten men, 
 went to see an object deemed extraordinary among all the neighboring 
 Indians. This was a large mound in the midst of the plain, nine miles 
 northward from the mouth of the Whitestone River. " The base of the 
 mound is a regular parallelogram, the longest side being about three 
 hundred yards, the shorter sixty or seventy. From the longest side it 
 rises Avith a steep ascent from the north ainl south to the height of sixty- 
 five or seventy feet, leaving on the top a level plain of twelve feet in 
 breadth and ninety in length. The noi'th and south extremities are con- 
 nected by two oval borders, which serve as new bases, and divide the 
 whole side into three sttop but regular gradations from the plain. The 
 only thing chiiracteristic in this hill is its extreme symmetry, and this, 
 together with its being totally detached frrm the other hills, which are 
 at the distance of eight or nine miles, would induce the belief that it 
 was artificial : but, as the earth, and the loose pebbles which compose il , 
 are arranged exactly like the steep grounds on the borders of the creek, 
 
 i 
 
y 
 
 'J 
 
 MEETING WITH THE SIOUX. 
 
 133 
 
 we concluded from this similarity of texture that it might bo natural. 
 But the Indians have made it a great article of their superstition. It is 
 called the mountain of Little People, or Little Spirits, and they believe 
 that it is the abode of little devils, in the human form, of about eighteen 
 inches high, and of remarkably large heads ; they are armed with sharp 
 arrows, with which they are very skillful, and are always on the watch to 
 kill those who have the hardihood to approach their residence. The tra- 
 dition is, that many have suffered from these little evil spirits, and among 
 others three Maha Indians fell a sacrifice to them a few years since. This 
 has inspired all the neighboring nations, Sioux, Mahas, and Ottoways, 
 with such terror that no consideration could tempt them to visit the hill. 
 We saw none of these wicked little spirits, nor any place for them, ex- 
 cept some small holes scattered over the top. We were happy enough 
 to escape their vengeance, though we remained some time on the mound 
 to enjoy the delightful prospect of the plain, which spreads itself out till 
 the eye rests upon the hills in the north-west at a great distance, and 
 those of the north-east still further on, enlivened by large herds of buffalo 
 feeding at a distance." As they returned they gathered delicious plums, 
 grapes, and blue currants, on the barks of the creek, and on reaching 
 their encampment sei the prairies ca fire, to warn the Sioux of their ap- 
 proach. 
 
 On the 27th, they met with a few Indians at the mouth of the James 
 lliver, Avho informed them that a large body of Sioux were encamped in 
 the neighborhood. Sergeant Pryor was accordingly dispatched to them 
 ■with an invitation to meet Lewis and Clarke at a spot above the river. 
 The latter encamped next day under Calumet Bluff, on the south side, 
 to await the arrival of the Sioux. The 29th was spent in repairing ? 
 pcrioque that had been disabled, and other necessary occupations, when 
 at four o'clock in the afternoon Sergeant Pryor and his party arrived on 
 the opposite side, attended by five chiefs, and about seventy men and 
 boys. Some presents were given, and a confe :uce appointed for the 
 mor' r; .■^. Sergeant Pryor reported that on reaching their village, twelve 
 mi ;; distant, he was met by a party with a buffalo iobe, ua which they 
 d ■ .-.r-'i lo carry their visitors, an honor which they declined, informing 
 tjiv^! Li'ijr'.^ that they were not the commanders oi the boats. As a 
 great n ■.it ^f respect they were then presented with a fat dog, already 
 cooked, of which they partook heartily, and found it well flavored. The 
 chiefs and warriors were received on the 30tn, under a large oak-tree, 
 when Captan T \s is delivered a speech, with the usual ad^vice and coun- 
 sel tor their future conduct. They then acknowledged the chiefs by medals 
 and presents, .md smoked with them t^c- pipe of peace, after which the 
 latter retired to hold a council concerning the answer which they were 
 t-i make on the morrow. The young people exercised their bows and 
 liii'oivs in shooting at marks for beads, and in the evening the whole 
 pw~ ■ y ^anced until a late hour. In the morning they met, and the chiefs 
 sat down in a row, with pipes of peace, highly ornamented, and all 
 
134 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 pointed toward the seats of Captains Lewis and Clarke. When the 
 latter were seated, the grand chief^ Weucha, or Shake Hand, arose and 
 spoke at some length, approving what had been said, and promising to 
 follow the advice. He promised to make peace between the tribes then 
 at war, and ended by requesting material aid for their people and their 
 ■wives. He was followed by the other chiefs and a warrior, who, in 
 shorter speeches, repeated or seconded his views. " All these harangues 
 concluded by describing the distress of the nation. They begged us to 
 have pity on them ; to send them traders ; that they wanted powder and 
 ball ; and seemed anxious that we should supply them with some of their 
 great father's milk, the name by which they distinguished ardent spirits. 
 "We prevailed on Mr. Durion to remain here and accompany as many of 
 the Sioux chiefs as he could collect down to the seat of government." 
 These Indians were the Yanktons, a tribe of the great nation of Sioux. 
 
 They set forward on the 1st of September. On the 2d they passed 
 some extensive mounds and w "s of earth, the first remains of the kind 
 they had an oppoitunity of exa.j They consisted of a citadel and 
 
 walls more than a mile in length, ■ ne southern banks of the river, 
 and a circular fortress nearly opposite, on Bonhomme Island. On the 
 morning of September 11th they saw a man on horseback coming down 
 the river toward them, and were much pleased to find it was George 
 Shannon, one of their party, for whose safety they had been very uneasy. 
 Their tw^o horses having strayed away on the 26th of August, he was 
 sent to search for them. "When he had found them he attempted to re- 
 join the party, but seeing some other tracks, probably those of Indians, 
 ho concluded that they w?re ahead and had been for sixteen days follow- 
 ing the bank of the river before them. During the first four days he 
 had exhausted his bullets, and was then nearly starved, being obliged to 
 subsist for twelve days on a few grapes and a rabbit which he had killed 
 by making use of a hard piece of stick for a ball. One of his horses 
 gave out and was left behind ; the other he kept as a last resource for 
 food. Despairing of overtaking the expedition, he was returning down 
 the river in hopes of meeting some other boat, and W!is on the point of 
 killing his horse, when he was so fortunate as to join his companions. 
 
 In another week they reached the Great Bend, and dispatched two 
 men with their remaining horse across the neck to hunt thei-e, and await 
 their arrival. In the following night they were alarmed by the sinking 
 of the bank on which they were encamped. They leaped into their boats 
 and pushed off" in time to save them, and presently the whole ground 
 of their encampment sank also. They formed a second camp for the 
 rest of the night, and at daylight proceeded on to the throat of the 
 Great Bend. A man whom they had dispatched to step off the distance 
 across the Bend, made it two thousand yards ; the circuit is thirty miles. 
 On the evening of the 24th, they encamped near a river which they 
 called the Teton, from a tribe inhabiting its borders. Here they raised 
 a flag-staff and an awning in the moniing, and with all the party parading 
 
ASSAULT or THE TETONS. 
 
 185 
 
 under arms, awaited the Indians, who had been summoned to a council. 
 The chiefs and warriors from a camp two miles up the river, met them, 
 the speeches were delivered, and they went through the ceremony of 
 acknowledging the chiefs by giving them the usual presents, according 
 to rank. They then invited them on board, showed them the boat, air- 
 gun, and such curiosities as might amuse them, but after giving them a 
 quarter of a glass of whiskey, it was with much difficulty that they could 
 get rid of them. " They at last accompanied Captain Clarke on shore 
 in a perioque with five men ; but it seems they had formed a d( sign to 
 stop us ; for no sooner had the party landed than three of the Indians 
 seized the cable of the perioque, and one of the soldiers of the chief put 
 his arm around the mast ; the second chief, who affected intoxication, 
 then said that we should not go on, that they had not received presents 
 enough from us. Captain Clarke told him that he would not be pre- 
 vented from going on ; that we were not squaws, but warriors ; that 
 we were sent by our great father, who could in a moment exterminate 
 them. The chief replied that he, too, had warriors, and was proceeding 
 to offer personal violence to Captain Clarke, who immediately drew his 
 sword, and made a signal to the boat to prepare for action. The In- 
 dians who surrounded him drew their arrows from their quivers and 
 were bending their bows, when the swivel in the boat was instantly 
 pointed toward them, and twelve of our most determined men jumped 
 into the perioque, and joined Captain Clarke. This movement made 
 an impression on them, for the grand chief ordered the young men away 
 from the perioque, and they withdrew and held a short council with the 
 warriors. Being unwilling to irritate them. Captain Clarke then went 
 forward and offered his hand to the first and second chiefs, who refused 
 to take it. He then turned from them and got into the perioque, but 
 had not gone more than ten paces when both the chiefs and two of the 
 warriors waded in after him, and he brought them on board. We then 
 proceeded on for a mile and anchored off a willow island, which from 
 the circumstances that had just occurred, we called Bad-humored 
 Island." Having thus inspired the Indians with fear, they desired to 
 cultivate their acquaintance, and accordingly on the next day they 
 drew up to the shore where a crowd of men, women, and children 
 were waiting to receive them. Captain Lewis went on shore and re- 
 mained several hours, and finding their disposition friendly, resolved 
 to remain during the night, and attend a dance which the Indians 
 were preparing for them. Captains Lewis and Clarke were received 
 Oil landing by ten well-dressed young men, who took them up on a 
 robe highly decorated, sind carried them to the council-house where 
 they were placed on a dressed buffalo skin by the side of the grand 
 chief. He was surrounded by a circle of about seventy men, before 
 whom were placed the Spanish and American flags, and the pipe of 
 peace. A large fire, at which they were cooking provisions, was near, 
 and a quantity of buffalo meat, as a present. When they were seated, 
 
136 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 an old man spoke, approving what the white men had done, and im- 
 ploring pity on their own unfortimate situation. Lewis and Clarke re- 
 plied with assurances of protection ; then the !?reat chief arose and 
 delivered a harangue, after which with great solemnity he took some of 
 the most delicate parts of the dog, which was cooked for the festival, 
 and held it to the flag by way of sacrifice. This done, he held up 
 the pipe of peace, first pomting it upward, then to the fear quarters of 
 the globe, and then to the earth, made a short speech, lighted the pipe, 
 and presented it to the guests. They ate and smoked until dark, 
 when every thing was cleared away for the dance, a largo fire being 
 made in the center, to give light and warmth to the ball-room. The 
 musicians played upon a sort of tambourine and made a jingling noise 
 with a long stick to which the hoofs of deer and goats were hung ; 
 thb third instrument was a small skin bag with pebbles in it : these, 
 with a few singers, made up the band. The women came forward highly 
 decorated, some with poles bearing the scalps of their enemies, others 
 with guns, spears, and other trophies taken in war by their husbands, 
 brothers, or connections. Tliey danced toward each other till they met 
 in the center, when the rattles were shaken, and all shouted and re- 
 turned to their places. In the pauses of the dance a man of the com- 
 pany would come forward and recite, in a low, guttural tone, some 
 little story or incident, either warlike or ludicrous. This was taken up 
 by the orchestra and dancers, Avho repeated it in a higher strain and 
 danced to it. Sometimes the women raised their voices, when the 
 orchestra ceased, and made a music leas intolerable than the men. The 
 dances of the men, ah> ays separate from the women, were conducted 
 in nearly the same way. The harmony of the entertainment came near 
 being disturbed by one oi the musicians, who, thinking he had not 
 received a due share of the tobacco distributed during the evening, 
 put himself into a passion, broke one of the drums, threw two of them 
 hito the fire, and left the band. The drums were taken out of the 
 fire ; a buffiilo robe held in one hand and beaten with the other, by 
 scAcral of the company, supplied the place of the lost tambourine, 
 and no notice was taken of the offensive conduct of the man. The 
 white guests retired at twelve o'clock, accompanied by four chiefs, two 
 of whom spent the night on board. 
 
 While on shore they saw fifty prisoners, women and children, who 
 had been taken in a late battle with the Mahas, on which occasion the 
 Sioux had killed seventy-five men. They gave them a variety of small 
 articles and interceded for them with the chiefs, who promised to 
 restore them and live in peace with the Mahas. The tribe they saw this 
 day were a part of the great Sioux nation, known by the name of Teton 
 Okandandas. While with them, the travelers witnessed a quarrel be- 
 tween two squaM's, which was suddenly stopped by the appearance of 
 a man, at whose approach every one seemed terrified and ran away. 
 He took the squaws and without any ceremony whipped them severely. 
 
A NEGRO CURIOSITY. 
 
 137 
 
 Tliis was an officer whose duty was to keep the peace. The whole in- 
 terior police of the village was confided to two or three such officers, 
 who were named by the chicf^ and remained in power a few days, imtil 
 a successor was appointed. They were always on the watch to keep 
 tranquillity during the day, and guard the camp in the night. Their 
 power, though of short duration, was supreme, and in the suppression of 
 any riot no resistance was suffered. In general they accompanied the 
 person of the chief, and when ordered to any duty, however dangerous, 
 made it a point of honor rather to die than refuse obedience. It was 
 thus when they attempted to stop Lewis and Clarke on the day before. 
 The chief having ordered one of these men to take possession of the 
 boat, he immediately put his arms around the mast, and no force ex- 
 cept the command of the chief would have induced him to release 
 his hold. 
 
 They spent the next day with other Indians of the nation, who enter- 
 tained them in a similar manner ; but when they were preparing to set 
 out, some difficulties arose from a misunderstanding with the people, 
 either from jealousy or the hope of obtaining presents. By decided 
 measures and the distribution of tobacco, the natives were appeased, 
 and the expedition set forward on the 28th. As they sailed up the river 
 they wore frequently accosted by Indians, who asked them to land, and 
 begged for tobacco and other presents, but they had no further inter- 
 course) with them ixntil they came in the vicinity of the Ricaras, on the 
 8th of October. Here they halted a few days, visited the Indians at 
 their villages, and received them in council. The usual ceremonies were 
 here performed, speeches made, chiefs acknowledged by distinguished 
 presents, and curiosities exhibited to astonish the natives. " The object 
 that appeared to astonish the Indians most, was Captain Clarke's servant, 
 York, a remarkably stout, strong negro. They had never seen a being 
 of that color, and therefore flocked around him to examine the extra- 
 ordinary monster. By way of amusement, he told them that he had 
 once been a wild animal, and had been caught and tamed by his master ; 
 and to conA ince them, showed them feats of strength, which, added to 
 his looks, made him more terrible than we ■wished him to be." " On 
 our side," says Captain Clarke, " we were gratified at discovering that 
 these Ricaras made use of no spirituous liquors of any kind ; the example 
 of the traders who bring it to thom, so far from tempting, has, in fact, 
 disgusted them. Supposing that it was as agreeable to then: as to the 
 other Indians, wo had at first offered them whiskey, but they refused it 
 with this sensible remark, that they were surprised that their father 
 should present to thom a liquor whivh would make them fools." 
 
 On the 13th they continued their journey. During the day they 
 passed a strttam to which they gave the name of Stone Idol Creek, for 
 they learned that a few miles back from the Missouri there were two 
 stones resenil)ling himaan figures, and a third like a dog ; all which were 
 objects of great veneration among the Ricaras. "Their history would 
 
138 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 adorn the ' Metamorphoses' of Ovid. A young man was deeply enamored 
 with a girl whose parents refused their consent to the marriage. Tho 
 youth went out into tho fields to mourn his misfortunes ; a sympathy 
 of feeling led the lady to the same spot ; and the faithful dog would 
 not ceaso to follow his master. After wandering together and having 
 nothing but gr.'ipes to subsist on, they were ut last converted into stone, 
 which, beginnhig at the feet, gradually invaded tho nobler parts, leaving 
 nothing unchanged but a bunch of grapes which the female holds in 
 her hands unto this day." These stones were sacred objects to the 
 Ricaras, who made some propitiatory offering whenever thoy passed them. 
 They saw another object of Ricara superstition on the 2l8t — a largo 
 oak-tree, standing alone on tho open prairie, which, having withstood 
 fires that had consumed every thing around, Avas possessed of extraor- 
 dinary powers in the belief of tho Indians. One of their ceremonies 
 was to make a hole in the skin of the neck, through which a string was 
 passed, and the other end tied to the body of the tree ; and after re- 
 maining in this way for some time, they fancied they became braver. 
 The Ricara chief told them of a large rock in tho neighborhood, on tho 
 Chisshetaw, which was held in great veneration, and consulted by parties 
 for their own or their nation's destinies ; these they probably found in 
 some sort of figures or paiutiugs >vith which it was covered. 
 
 "WINTER AMONG THE MANDANS. 
 
 The party now approached tho region of the Mandans, passed many 
 of their deserted villages, and on the 24th met one of their grand 
 chiefs, who was on a hunting excursion. lie met his enemy, the Ricara 
 chief, who had accompanied the expedition, with great ceremony and 
 apparent cordiality, and smoked with him. The latter afterward went 
 with the Mandans to their camp. On the 26th thoy encamped near the 
 first village of the Mandans, who came down in crowds to see them as 
 soon as they landed. Among the visitors was the son of the grand 
 chief, who had his two little fingers cut off at the second joints. On 
 inquiring into this accident, they found it was customary to express grief 
 at the death of relations by some corporeal suffering, and that tho usual 
 mode was to lose two joints of the little fingers, or sometimes the other 
 fingers. On the two following days they visited several villages', and 
 went up the river a short distance in searcli of a convenient spot for a 
 winter fort, but the timber was too scarce and small for their purpose. 
 The council assembled on the 29th. A number of chiefs of the Man- 
 dans, the Minnetarces, and the Ahnahaways, were present. The forces 
 of the expedition were all paraded, and tho council opened by a discharge 
 from the o^ivel of the boat. Tho Indians were addressed, .as heretofore, 
 with advice intermingled with assurances of friendship and trade, and 
 toward the end of the speech the subject of the Ricara chief was intro- 
 
THEY ENCAMP FOR THE WINTER. 
 
 139 
 
 duced, with whom they were recommended to make a firm peace. To 
 this tliey seemed well disposed, and smoked with him amicably. Pres- 
 ents were then distributed with great ceremony : one chief of each town 
 was acknowledged by a gift of a flag, a medal with the likeness of the 
 President, a uniform coat, hat, and feather ; to the second chiefs they 
 gave a medal representujg some domestic animals and a loom ; to the 
 third chiefs, medals with the impressions of a farmer sowing grain. A 
 variety of other presents were distributed, but none seemed to give 
 more satisfaction than an iron corn-mill which they gave to the Mandans. 
 The council was concluded by a shot from the swivel, after Avhich the air- 
 gun was fired for their amusement. In the evening the prairie took fire, 
 either by accident or design, and burned with great fury, the whole plain 
 being enveloped in flames. So rapid was its progress, that a man and 
 woman were burned to death before they could reach a place of safety, 
 and several others were badly injured or narrowly escaped destruction. 
 A half-breed boy escaped unhurt in the midst of the flames, and his 
 safety was ascribed to the great medicine spirit, who had preserved him 
 on account of his being white. But a much more natural cause was the 
 presence of mind of his mother, who, seeing no hopes of carrying off her 
 son, threw him on the ground, covered him with the fresh hide of a 
 bufialo, and then escaped herself from the flames. As soon as the fire 
 had passed she returned and found him untouched, the skin havhig pre- 
 vented the flame from reaching the grass on which he lay. 
 
 On the 31st Captain Clarke had an interview mth the grand chief of 
 the Mandans, who expressed his faith in what had been said, hoped they 
 would enjoy peace, and promised to send his second chief with some 
 warriors to the Ricaras with their chief, to smoke with that nation. He 
 added that he would go and see his great father, the President. The 
 chiefs of the other villages manifested the same amicable disposition, and 
 the Kicaree chieftain set out on his return Avith a Mandan chief and sev- 
 eral Minnetaree and Mandan warriors. 
 
 HaAdng found a suitable wintering-place three miles below, they en- 
 camped there, and on the 3d of November they began the building of 
 their cabins. Some Frenchmen who were herfi built a perioque to de- 
 scend to St. Louis, and Lewis and Clarke engaged the services of a Cana- 
 dian Frenchman, who had been with the Chayenne Lidians on the Black 
 River. Mr. Jessaume, their interpreter, also came down with his squaw 
 and children to live at the camp. In the evening they received a visit 
 from Kagohami, or Little Raven, one of the chiefs who attended the 
 council, whose wife accompanied him, bi'inging about sixty weight of 
 dried meat, a robe, and a pot of meal. Other Indians visited them, and 
 frequently brought them presents, during the building of their cabins. 
 These were completed and picketed by the 20th, when they moved into 
 them, and named the place Fort Mandan. There were five villages in 
 the neighborhood, the residence of three distinct nations, who had been 
 at the council. Captain Lewis made an excursion to them in a few days, 
 
140 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 and found them all well disposed and very kind, except a principal chief 
 of one of the upper villages, named Mahpahpapara[»!issat()o, or Horned 
 Weasel, who made use of the civilized indecorum of refusing to be seen, 
 and when Captain Lewis called he was told the chief was not at home. 
 
 They passed the winter very comfortably at the fort, liiuliiig sufficient 
 employment in hunting, visiting, and cultivating the friendship of the 
 Indians ; although in these excursions they fre([uently suffered from tho 
 cold, which Avas sometimes very intense. On the 10th of December tho 
 hunters saw largo herds of buffalo crossing tho river on the ice. The 
 mercury stood at 11° below zero, and tho next moniing it was 21° belu.v. 
 When the party returned in the evening, many of them were frostbitten. 
 On tho 12th the thermometer indicated 38° below zero, and at sunrise 
 on the 17th it was 45° below. 
 
 On Christmas day the party fired three platoons before day. They 
 had told the Indians not to visit them, as it was one of their great medi- 
 cine days; so the men remained at home and amused themselves in 
 various ways, particularly in dancing, in which they took great pleasure. 
 Tlie American flag was hoisted for the first time in the fort ; the best 
 provisions they had were brought out, and this, with a little brandy, 
 enabled them to pass the day in great festivity. 
 
 On the morning of the new year, 1805, the men were permitted to 
 go up with their music to the first village, where they delighted the 
 whole tribe with their dances, particularly with the movements of one 
 of the Frenchmen, who danced on his head. In return they i^resented 
 the dancers with several buffalo robes and quantities of corn. This at- 
 tention was shown to the village because they had conceived the whites 
 to be wanting in regard for them, and had begun to circulate invidious 
 comparisons between them and the northern traders ; all these, however, 
 they declared to Captain Clarke, who visited them in the course of the 
 morning, were made in jest. The Indians likewise performed various 
 dances at their villages during the winter. 
 
 On the 9th of January, the mercury at 21° below zero. Captain 
 Clarke, with three or four men, accompanied Kagohami and a party of 
 Indians to hunt. They were incommoded by snow and high Avinds, and 
 several of the Indians came back nearly frozen. Next morning the mer- 
 cury stood at 40° below zero, and they were uneasy for one of the men, 
 who was still missing. He came back, however, as they were sending 
 out a party in search of him, having made a fire and kept himself warm 
 through the night. An Indian boy came in soon after. He had slept 
 in the snow with no covering but his moccasins and leggings, and a buf- 
 falo robe, and had his feet frozen. A missing Indian also returned, and 
 although his dress was thin, and he had slept on the snow without fire, 
 he had not suffered the slightest inconvenience. They oflen had occa- 
 sion to observe how well the Indians endured the rigors of the season. 
 A more pleasing reflection occurred at seeing the warm interest which 
 the situation of these two persons had excited in the village. Tlie boy 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 
 
 141 
 
 » 
 
 had bt'on a prisoner and adopted from charity, yet tho father'a distress 
 proved that ho felt for liim tho tenderest atVcctioii. Tho man was a per- 
 bon of no tUatiuction, yet tlio wholo village was full of anxiety for hia 
 safety. 
 
 Toward tho middle of January nearly one half of the Mandan nation 
 passed down tho river to hunt for several days. In these excursions, 
 men, women, and children, with their dogs, all leave tho village together, 
 and after finding a spot convenient to the game, fix their tents. All the 
 family bear their part in tho labor, and the game is equally divided 
 among tho families of tho tribe. On the 9th of March tho grand chief 
 of the Minnetarees, who was absent on their arrival, visited them. Ho 
 was received with great attention, two guns were fired in honor of his 
 arrival, tho curiositios were shown to him, and presents bestowed upon 
 him. In the course of conversation ho observed that eomo foolish 
 young men of his nation had told him there was a person among them 
 quite black, and he wished to know if it could bo true. They assured 
 him that it was true, and sent for York. Tlio chief was much surprised 
 at his appearance ; ho examined him closely, dpitt'.ng on his finger and 
 rubbing the skin in order to wash off the paint ; nor was it until the 
 negro uncovered his head and showed his hair, that tho chief could bo 
 persuaded he was not a painted white man. 
 
 On the approach of spring, Lewis and Clarke began to make prepara- 
 tions for their departure. Canoes were built and hauled down to the 
 river, and the boats were all finally launched on tho 1st of April. While 
 they were loading their boats on the 6th, they were visited by a number 
 of Mandans. They brought information of a party of Ilicaras on the 
 other side of tho river. An interpreter was sent to learn the rc:.son of 
 their coming; he returned next morning with a Ricara chief, who 
 brought a letter from Mr. Tabeau, stating the wish of tho grand chief 
 of the Ilicaras to visit the President, and requesting permission for him- 
 se''" ind four men to join the returning boat of the expedition. This 
 be'.ig granted, ho said he was sent with ten warriors by his nation, to 
 arrange their settling near the Mandans and Minnetarees, whom they 
 wished to join ; that he considered all the neighboring nations friendly, 
 except the Sioux, whoso persecution they could no longer withstand, and 
 whom they hoped to repel by uniting with the tribes in this quarter. 
 He added, that the Ilicaras intended to live in peace with all nations, 
 and requested Lewis and Clarke to speak in their favor with tho Assv i- 
 boin Indians. This they promised, and assured him of the Presidcu„ i 
 protection. They then gave him a medal, a certificate, and some pres- 
 ents, with which he departed for the Mandan village, well satisfied with 
 his reception. 
 
142 TRAVELB OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 JOUUNKY ACROSS THK ROOKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Having mii<lo nil their arrangements, they left the fort on tlio after- 
 noon of April 7th. The party now consisted of thirty-two persons. 
 Besides Captains Lewis and Clarke, there were Sergeants John Ordway, 
 Nathaniel Pryor, and Patrick Gass. The interpreters wore Georgo 
 Drewyer and Toussaint Cha])onoau. The witb of Chaboneau .^Iso ac- 
 companied them with her young child, and they lioped she would be use- 
 ful us an interpreter among the Snuko Indians. She was herself one of 
 that tribe, but had been taken in war by the ]Mumetarees, by whom she 
 was sold as a slave to Chaboneau, who brought her up and afterward 
 married her. One of the Mandans likewise embarked with them, in 
 order to go to the Snake Indians and obtain a peace with them for his 
 countrymen. All this party, with tho baggage, was stowed in six small 
 canoes and two largo perioques. At the same time that they took their 
 departure, their barge, manned with seven soldiers, two Frenchmen, and 
 Mr. Gravelines as pilot, sailed for tho United States, loaded with their 
 presents and dispatches. 
 
 On the 9th they came to a hunting party of Minnctarces, who had 
 prepared a park or inclosure, and were waiting the return of the ante- 
 lope. In the region they passed through on tho two following days they 
 saw on tho surface of the earth large quantities of a white substanae 
 which tasted like a mixture of common salt with Glauber salts. It ap- 
 peared on the sides of the hills, and even on tho banks of tho rivers, as 
 well as on the sand bars. Many of the streams which came from the 
 foot of tho hills were so strongly impregnated with this substance 
 that tho water had an unpleasant tasto and a purgative effect. On the 
 20th of April, at noon, they encamped at tho junction of the Missouri 
 and Yellowstone Rivers. As tho river was crooked and the wind adverse 
 Captain Lewis had left tho boats the day before and proceeded overland 
 to find tho Yellowstone and make the necessary observations, so as to 
 be enabled to continue tho expedition without delay. He pursued his 
 route along the foot of the hills, which he ascended for the distance of 
 eight miles. From these the wide plains, watered by the Missouri and 
 the Yellowstone, spread themselves before the eye, occasionally varied 
 Avith the wood of the banks, enlivened by the irregular windings of the 
 two rivers, and animated by vast herds of buffalo, deer, elk, and ^ite- 
 lope. Above tho Yellowstone the hills were higher and rougher, and 
 the wild animals more numerous. A small river which they passed on 
 the 3d of May they called Porcupine River, from the unusual number of 
 porcupines near it. A quarter of a mile beyond this they passed another 
 on the opposite side, to which, on account of its distance from the mouth 
 of the Missouri, they gave the name of Two-thousand-mile creek. On 
 the 5th Captain Clarke and a hunter met the largest brown bear they 
 had ever seen. When they fired he did not attempt to attack, but fled 
 
ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. 
 
 148 
 
 
 with a trcmondouH roar, and such was liis tenacity of Hfo that, although 
 ho had Ave balh through his hings, and fivo other woutid.s, ho Hwaro 
 more than half across the river to a sand-bar, and survived twenty min- 
 utes. He weighed between tivo and six hundred pounds, and measured 
 eight feet seven inches from the noso to the extremity of the hind feet. 
 On the Hth six hunters attacked another which they discovered lying in 
 tho open grounds, at a Uttlo distance from the river. Coming unper- 
 ceived upon him, four of them fired, and each lodged a ball in his body. 
 Tho furious animal sprang up and ran open-mouthed upon them. As he 
 approached, tho two lumters, who had reserved fire, gave him two 
 wounds, one of which, breaking his shoulder, retarded him a moment, 
 but before they could reload, ho Avas so near that they were obliged to 
 run to tho river. Two jumped into tho canoe, tho other four separated, 
 and conce.'iling themselves in tho willows, fired as fast as each could re- 
 load. They struck him several times, but instead of weakening the 
 monster, each shot seemed only to direct him to the hiuiter, till at last 
 ho pursued two of them so closely that they threw aside their guns and 
 pouches, and jumped down a perpendicular bank of twenty feet into tho 
 river. The bear sprang after them, and was within two feet of the hind- 
 most when one of the hunters on shore shot him in the head and finally 
 killed liim. They dragged him to tho shore, and found that eight balls 
 had passed through him in different directions. The be •!• being old, they 
 took the skin only, and rejoined the party at tho camp, who had mean- 
 while been terrified by an accident of a different kind. This was the 
 narrow escape of a canoo containing all their papers, instruments, medi- 
 cine, and almost every other article indispensable to the success of tho 
 enterprise. Tho canoe being under sail, Avas struck by a sudden squall 
 of wind which turned her considerably. Tho man at the helm, instead 
 of putting her before tho wind, luffed her up into it. The wind was so 
 high that it forced the br.ice of tho squaresail out of tho hand of tho 
 man who was attending it, and instantly upset tho canoe, which would 
 have been turned bottom upward but for the resistance of tho awning. 
 Such was the confusion on board, and the waves ran so high, that it was 
 half a minute before she righted, and then nearly full of water ; but by 
 bailing she was kept from sinking until they rowed ashore. Here they 
 remained until the articles were dried and repacked, and again embarked 
 on the afternoon of the 16th. 
 
 On Sunday, the 26th of May, after ascending tho highest summits of 
 the hills on the north side of tho river, " Captain Lewis first caught a 
 distant view of tho Rocky Mountains, the object of all our hopes, and 
 the reward of all our ambition. On both sides of the river, and at no 
 great distance from it, the mountains followed its course ; above these, 
 at the distance of fifty miles from us, an irregular range of mountains 
 spread themselves from west to north-west from his position. To the 
 north of these a few elevated points, the most remarkable of which bore 
 north 65° west, appeared above tho horizon, and as the sun shone on the 
 
144 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 snows of their summits, be obtained a clear and satisflictory view of tbose 
 mountains wbich close on the Missouri the passage to the; Pacific." 
 
 In Jie night of the 28th they were alarmed by a new sort of enemy, 
 A buffalo swam over from the opposite side and clambered oa er one of 
 the canoos to the shore ; then taking fright he ran full speed up the bank 
 toward the fires, and passed within eighteen inches of the heads of some 
 of the men before the sentinel could make him change his course : still 
 more alarmed, ho ran down between four fires and within a few inches of 
 the heads of a second row of men, and would have broken into the lodge 
 if the barking of the dog had not stopped him. He suddenly turned to 
 the right, and was out of sight in a moment, leaving them all in confu- 
 sion, every one seizing his rifle .ind inquiring the cause of the alarm. 
 On learning what had happened, they were rejoiced at suffering no more 
 injury than the damage to some guns in the canoe whii^h the buffalo 
 crossed. Next day they passed a precipice about one hundred and twenty 
 feet high, under which lay scattered the fragments of at least a hundred 
 carcases of buffaloes. They had been chased down the precipice in a 
 way very common on the Missouri, by which vast herds are destroyed. 
 The mode of hunting is, to select one of the most acjive young men, who 
 is disguised by a buftalo skin, Mith the head and ears so arranged as to 
 deceive the buffalo ; thus dressed he fixes himself at a convenient dis- 
 tance between a herd and the river precipices. Meanwhile his compan- 
 ions show themselves in the rear and side of the herd ; they instantly 
 take the aliirm and run toward the Indian decoy, who leads them on at 
 full speed toward the river, then suddenly securing himself in some knoAvn 
 crevice of the cliff, leaves the herd on the brink of the precipice. It is 
 then in vain for the foremost to retreat or even stop ; they are pressed 
 on by the hindmost rank, who, seeing no danger but from tlie hunters, 
 goad on L .se before them until the whole are hurled down and the 
 shore is stre^\*n with their dead bodies. Sometimes in this perilous se- 
 duotion the Indian is himself either trodden under foot by the rapid 
 movements of the buffaloes, or, missing his footing in the cliff, is urged 
 down the precipice by the fiilling herd. 
 
 In the npper course of the Missouri, the rapidity of the current and 
 the numerous rocks rendered the navigation difficult, and often danger- 
 ous. They had frequently to depend on towing, and as the lines were 
 mostly of elk-skin, slender and M'orn, the boats sometimes narrowly es- 
 caped destruction, while the men on the banks suffered great hardships. 
 In some places the banks were slippery and the mud so adhesive that 
 they could not wear their moccasins ; often they had to Avade in deep 
 water, and sometimes to walk over the sharp fragments of rocks which 
 had fiiUen from the hills. As they advanced, the cliffs became higher 
 and more abrupt. Sometimes they rose in perpendicular walls and tur- 
 rets, which at a distance resembled long ranges of buildings and col- 
 mniis variously sculptured and supporting elegant galleries, while the 
 parapets were adorned with statuary. On a nearer approach they repre- 
 
 L 
 
A PERILOUS SITUATION. 
 
 146 
 
 sented every fonn of picturesque ruins ; columns, some with pedestals 
 and capitals entire, others mutilated and prostrate, others rising pyramid- 
 ally over each other until they terminated in a sharp point. These were 
 varied by niches, alcoves, and the customary appearances of desolated 
 magnificence. As they advanced there seemed to bo no end to this vis- 
 ionary encaantment. 
 
 On the 3d of June they encamped in the morning on a point formed 
 by the junction of a large river with the Missouri. Here they were at a 
 loss to know which was the Ahmateahza, or Missouri, therefore they dis- 
 patched a party in a canoe up each of the streams, to ascertain the com- 
 parative body of water, and sent out companies to discover from the ris- 
 ing grounds the bearings of the two rivers. Meanwhile they ascended 
 the high grounds in the fork, whence they saw a range of lofty mount- 
 ains in the south-west, partially covered with snow, and far beyond them 
 a still higher range completely snow-clad, reaching off to the north-west, 
 where their glittering tops were blended with the horizon. The direc- 
 tion of the rivers was soon lost in the extent of the plain. On their re- 
 turn they found the north branch to be two hundred yards wide, and 
 the south three hundred and seventy-two. The characteristics of the 
 north fork so nearly resembled those of the Missouri, that almost all the 
 party believed it to be the true course, while the same circumstances in- 
 duced Captains Lewis and Clarke to think otherwise — that it passed 
 through the low grounds of the open plain in the north, and did not 
 come down from the mountains. 
 
 The reports of the parties were far from deciding the question, there- 
 fore Lewis und Clarke set out on the 4th, each to ascend one of the 
 rivers for a day and a half, or more, if necessary. Captain Lewis pur- 
 sued the north fork for two days, when finding its direction too far 
 northward for their route to the Pacific, he began to retrace his steps 
 on the afternoon of the 6th. A storm of wind and rain which pre- 
 vailed, made their returning route extremely unpleasant. The surface 
 of the ground was saturated with water, and so slippery that it was 
 almost impossible to walk over the bluifs which tliey hafl passed in 
 ascending the river. In advancing along the side of one of these bluffs, 
 at a narrow pass. Captain Lewis slipped, and but for a fortunate re- 
 covery by means of his espontoon, wotild have been precipitated into 
 the river over a precipice of about ninety feet. He hatl ; ^st reached a 
 spot, where, by the assistance of his espontoon, ho could stand with toler- 
 able safety, when he heard a voice behind him (iry on I, "Good God! 
 captain, what shall I do ?" He turned instantly, and found it was a man 
 named Windsor, who had lost his foothold about the middle of the 
 narrow pass, and had slipped down to the very verge of the precipice, 
 where he lay with his right arm and leg over the brink, while with the 
 other arm and leg he was with difficulty holding on to keep himself 
 from being dashed to pieces below. 
 
 Captain Lewis instantly perceived his dreadful situation, and stifling 
 
 10 
 
146 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 his alarm, calmly told him that he was in no danger ; that he should 
 take his knife out of his belt Avith the right hand, and dig a hole in the 
 side of the bluff for his right foot. With great presence of mind he 
 did this, and then raised himself on his knees. ITicn taking off his 
 moccasins he came forward on his hands and knees, holding the knife 
 in one hand and his rifle in the other, and thus crawled to a secure spot. 
 The men who had not attempted this passage, returned and waded the 
 river at the foot of the bluff, where they found the water breast high. 
 Thus they continued down the river, sometimes in mud, sometimes up 
 to their arms in water, and when it became too deep to wade, they cut 
 foot-holds with their knives in the sides of the banks. At night they 
 encamped in an old Indian lodge of sticks, which afforded them dry 
 shelter, and they slept comfortably on some willow boughs. They reach- 
 ed the camp on the evening of the 8th, and foimd Captain Clarke sind 
 the party very anxious for their safety. Captain Lewis, being persuaded 
 that this was not the main stream, nor one which it would be advisable 
 to ascend, gave it the name of Maria's River. 
 
 Captain Clarke's party ascended the south branch. Near the camp 
 on the evening of the 4th, a white bear attacked one of the men, whose 
 gun happening to be wet, would not go off; he instantly made toward 
 a tree, 'but was so closely pursued that in climbing he struck the bear 
 with his foot. The bear not being able to climb, waited till he should 
 be forced to come down ; and as the rest of the party were separated 
 from him by a perpendicular cliff which they could not descend, it was 
 not in their power to give him any assistance : but finally the bear was 
 frightened by their cries and firing, and released him. Next day they 
 followed the river several miles, until Captain Clarke was satisfied it 
 Avas their true route, when they turned back and reached the camp 
 on the evening of the 6th. Although Lewis and Clarke were com- 
 pletely satisfied by their observations, .11 the rest of the party were of a 
 contrary opinion. In order therefore that iinthing might be omitted 
 which could prevent an error, it was agreed that one of them should 
 ascend the southern branch by land, until he reached either the falls 
 or the riountains. Meanwhile, to lighten their burdens, they deter- 
 mined to deposit here one of the perioques and all the heavy baggage 
 they could possibly spare from the boats. 
 
 Captain Lewis and his party set out on the 11th. As there were 
 many deep ravines extending back from the shore which made the 
 traveling difllcult near the river, they sometimes left it in its windings, 
 but on the 13th, being fearful of passing the falls, they changed their 
 course toward the river. They had proceeded thus awhile, when 
 their ears Avere greeted with the sound of fivlling Avater. Directing 
 their steps toward it they reached the fivlls at noon, having traveled 
 seven miles since hearing the sound. Captain Lewis hastened to de- 
 scend the steep banks, which were two hundred feet high, and seating 
 himself on a rock before the falls, enjoyed the sublime spectacle which 
 
THE PALLS OP THE MISSOURI. 
 
 147 
 
 Bincc the creation had been lavishhig its magnificence upon tne desert, 
 unknown to civilization. "The river is three hundred yards wide at 
 the fall, and is pressed in by perpendicular clifis which rise about one 
 hundred feet. The fall itself is eighty feet, forming on one side an 
 unbroken sheet one hundred yards in length, wliile the remaining part, 
 which precij)itates itself in a more rapid current, is broken by irregular 
 rocks below, and forms a splendid prospect of white foam, two thousand 
 feet in length. This spray is dissipated into a thousand shapes, some- 
 times flying up in columns of fifteen or twenty feet, which are then 
 oppressed by larger masses of the white foam, on all which the sun 
 scatters the brightest colors of the rainbow. Below this fall the river 
 is for three miles one continued succession of rapids and cascades, over- 
 hung with perpendicular bluffs, from one hundred and fifty to two 
 hundred feet high." 
 
 Next morning a man was dispatched to Captain Clarke with an ac- 
 count of the discovery of the falls, and Captain Lewis proceeded to 
 examine the rapids alone. After passLig a series of rapids and small 
 cascades he reached, at the distance of five miles, a second fall of nine- 
 teen feet. While viewing it he heard a loud roar above, and crossing 
 over the point of a hill for a few hundred yards, he saw the whole Mis- 
 souri, here a quarter of a mile wide, precipitated in an even, iniuiter- 
 rupted sheet to the perpendicular depth of fifty feet, whence, dashing 
 against the rocky bottom, it rushes rapidly down, leaving behind it a 
 spray of the purest foam across the river. The scene was singularly 
 beautiful, without the wild, irregular sublimity of the lower falls. The 
 eye had scarcely been regaled with this charming prospect win ii, at the 
 distance of half a mile. Captain LcAvis observed another of a similar 
 kind. Hastening thither he found a cascade stretching nr-ross the river 
 with a descent of fourteen feet, though the perpendicu; 'toh was only 
 six feet. This too in any other neighborhood would ha\ bti-u an (ob- 
 ject of great magnificence, but after what he had just seen it bocume 
 of secondary interest ; his curiosity being however awakened, he de- 
 termined to go on, even should night overtake him, to the head of the 
 falls. The river was a constant succession of rapids and small cascades, 
 at every one of which the bhiffa became lower, or the bed of the river 
 more on a level with the plains. At the distance of two and a half miles 
 he arrived at another cataract of twenty-six feet, where the river was six. 
 hundred yards Mide. Just above this was a cascade of about five feet, 
 beyond which, as far as could bo discerned, the velocity of the Avater 
 seemed to abate. 
 
 Captain Lewis now ascended the hill which was behind him, and saw 
 from its top a beautiful plain extending fi-om the river to the base of the 
 snow-mountains in the south and south-west. Along this wide level 
 coimtry the Missouri pursued its \vinding course, filled with water to its 
 even and grassy banks ; while, about four miles above, it was joined by a^ 
 large river flowing from the north-west, through a valley three miles in 
 
148 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 Midth, and distinguislied by the timber which adorned its shores. He 
 then descended the hill, and directed his course toward the river falling 
 in from the west. He soon met a herd of at least a thousand buffaloes, and 
 being desirous of providing for supper, shot one of them. The animal im- 
 nit'diattly began to bleed, and the Captain, who had forgotten to reload 
 his rifle, was intensely watching to see him fivll, when he beheld a large 
 brown L^'ar which was stealing upon him un perceived, and was already 
 M-ithin twenty steps. In the first moment of surprise he lifted his rifle, 
 but remembering inslantly that it was not charged, and that he had not 
 time to reload, he felt that there was no safety but in flight. It was in the 
 open level plain, not a bush or tree within three hundred yards, the bank 
 of the river sloping and not more than three feet high, so that there was 
 no possible mode of concealment. He therefore thought of retreating in 
 a (]uick walk, as fast as the bear advanced, toward the nearest tree ; but 
 as soon as he turned, the bear ran, open mouth, and at full speed upon 
 him. Captain Lewis ran about eighty yards, but finding that the animal 
 gained on him fast, it flashed on his mind that by getting into the water 
 to such a dei)th that the bear would be obliged to attack him swimming, 
 there was still some chance of his life. He therefore turned short, 
 plunged into the river about waist deep, and facing about, presented the 
 point of his espontoon. The bear came to the water's edge within 
 twenty feet of him, but as soon as he put himself in this posture of de- 
 fense, he se . med frightened, and wheeling about, retreated with as much 
 precipitation as he had pursued. Very glad to be released from this 
 danger. Captain Lewis returned to the shore, and observed him run with 
 great speed, sometimes looking back as if he expected to be pursued, till 
 he reached the woods. He could not conceive the cause of the sudden 
 alarm of the bear, but congratulating himself on his escape when he saw 
 his own track torn to pieces by the furious animal, he learned from the 
 whole adventure never to suffer his rifle to be a moment unloaded. The 
 river to which he directed his steps he found to be the Medicine River 
 of the Indians, mentioned as emptying itself into the Missouri, just above 
 the falls. He set out in the evening to retrace his steps to the camp, 
 twelve miles distant, and, aft'.r fresh encounters with wild beasts, came 
 late at night to his party, who were anxious for his safety. 
 
 C ^Jtain Clarke and his party arrived in the boats at the rapids on 
 the 15th, where they were joined next day by Caitain Lewis. They 
 then proceeded to examine the ground for a portage, to deposit a por- 
 tion of their goods and baggage, and to prepare carriages for the trans- 
 portation of the boats with the remainder. The portage was about fif- 
 teen miles. The men were loaded as heavily as their strength would 
 permit, and the prickly pear and the sharp points of earth formed by the 
 buffalo during the late rains made the crossing really painful. Some 
 were limping from the soreness of their feot, others scarcely able to stand 
 from the heat and fatigue. They were obliged to halt and rest fre- 
 
 r 
 
ENTERING THE KOOKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 149 
 
 on 
 ley 
 [)or- 
 ivns- 
 
 fif- 
 luld 
 Ithe 
 tme 
 find 
 Ifre- 
 
 quently, and at almost every stopping-place they would fall asleep in an 
 instant ; still they went on with great cheerfulness. 
 
 On the 29th, Captain Clarke, accompanied by his servant, York, 
 Chaboneau and his wife and child, proceeded to the falls to make further 
 observations. On his arrival he observed a very dark cloud rising in 
 the west, which threatened rain. He took shelter in a deep ravine, 
 where some shelving rocks kept off the rain. The shower increased, 
 and presently a torrent of rain and hail descended. The rain fell in a 
 solid mass, and instantly collecting in the ravine came rolling down hi a 
 dreadfiU current, carrying the mud and rocks, and every thing that 
 opposed it. Captain Clarke fortunately saw the danger a moment be- 
 fore it reached them, and sprang up the steep bluff with his gun and 
 shot-pouch in one hand, pushing the Indian woman with her cliild before 
 him. Her husband, too, had seized her hand, but was so tcrriticd that 
 but for Captain Clarke they would all have been lost. So instantaneous 
 was the rise of the water, that before he had reached his gun and began 
 to ascend the bank, the water was up to his waist, and he could scarcely 
 get up faster than it rose, till it reached the height of fifteen feet, with 
 a furious current that would have swept them into the river just above 
 the Great Falls, down which they must inevitably have been precipitated. 
 He now relinquished his intention of going up the river, and retui-ned 
 to the camp. 
 
 Finally, after unheard-of toil and privations, the various parties had 
 arrived at the camp above the falls and transported all the baggage 
 thither by the 1st of July. Here some days were spent in building a 
 boat, and calking it with a composition of charcoal, with beeswax and 
 buffalo-tallow, instead of tar, which they could not obtain ; but on the 
 9th, when it was lanched and loaded, it leaked so that they were 
 obliged to abandon it. Captain Clarke, with a party of workmen, then 
 went to some timber on the river, eight miles above, where they con- 
 structed some canoes. The expedition proceeded by land and by water 
 to join them, and on the 15th of July they embarked all their baggage 
 on board of eight canoes, and set out on their jouniey. On the 19th 
 they w Uit through a grand mountain-pass, which they called the Gates 
 of the Rocky Mountains. For nearly six miles the rocks rise perpen- 
 dicularly from the water's edge to the height of nearly twelve hundred 
 feet. Being anxious to meet with the Slioshonees or Snake Indians, and 
 fearful lest they should hear of the expedition and retreat to the mount- 
 ains, Captain Clarke frequently went on by land in advance. On the 
 25th he arrived at the three forks of the Missouri, and finding that the 
 north branch, though not largest, contained more water than the middle 
 one, and bore more to the westward, he determined to ascend it. There- 
 fore leaving a note for Captain Lewis, he went up the stream twenty-fivo 
 miles ; when Chaboneau being unable to proceed further, the party en- 
 camped, all of them much fatigued, their feet blistered, and wounded 
 by the prickly pear. Captain Clarke proceeded next day to the top of 
 
150 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 a mountain twelve miles further, whence he had an extensive view of 
 the rivcx- valley upward, but saw no fresh signs of Indians. He then re- 
 turned to Chaboneau, pursued his route across to the middle branch, 
 and descending it, met with Captam Lewis at the forks on the 27th. 
 Captain Lewis had first arrived at the south-eastern branch, which he 
 ascended a short distance, and named Gallatin's River, in honor of the 
 Secretary of the Treasury. He then proceeded to the confluence of the 
 other branches, where he found Captain Clarke's note, and encamped 
 on the south-west fork to await him. He arrived much exhausted with 
 fatigue, and with fever and chills, occasioned by drinking cold water 
 from a spring in the heat of the day. Finding it difficult to decide which 
 of the two streams was the larger, or the real Missouri, they were induced 
 to discontinue the name, and gave to the south-west branch the name of 
 Jeflferson, in honor of the President of the United States and the pro- 
 jector of the enterprise; and called the middle branch Madison, after the 
 Secretary of State. 
 
 Captain Clarke being much restored by the 30th, they began to 
 ascend the Jefferson River. On the 1st of August Captain Lewis left 
 the party, with Sergeant Gass, Chaboneau, and Drcwyer, to go on in 
 advance in search of the SLoshonces. In a few days he came to forks 
 in the river, and finding the right one to be rapid and obstructed, while 
 the other was more turbid, and seemed to flow from an opening in the 
 mountains, he left a note recommending the latter to Captain Clarke, 
 and then continued his course along the more rapid branch. This ho 
 followed for more than a day when, coming to the mountains, he ob- 
 tained an extensive view of the surrounding region. From the general 
 course of the southern stream, as well as the gap by which it intersects 
 the mountains, he decided to make it their future route. He then crossed 
 over to the other branch, and descended toward the forks, where he 
 found the party in the boats returning from the stream he had lately 
 left. They had reached the forks on the afternoon of the 5th, but un- 
 luckily Captain Lewis's note had been left on a green pole, which the 
 beavers had cut down and carried off, with the note, an accident which 
 deprived them of all information as to the character of the two branches ; 
 and as the north-west fork was most in their direction, and contained as 
 much water, they ascended it. They found it extremely rapid, and its 
 waters so scattered, that they proceeded Avith difficulty. Next morning 
 they had been joined by Drewyer, who had gone out in search of deer, 
 and who informed them of the state of the two rivers, and of Captain 
 Lewis's note. They accordingly descended to the fork, when they met 
 with Captain Lewis. This north-west branch they called Wisdom 
 River. 
 
 On the Tth they continued their journey up the Jefferson. Im- 
 mediately after breakfast on the 9th, Captain Lewis took Drewyer, 
 Shields, and McNeal, and slinging their knapsacks, they set out with a 
 resolution to meet some nation of Indians before they returned, however 
 
 I 
 
SNAKE INDIANS— THE DIVIDING RIDOE. 
 
 151 
 
 long they might be separated from the party. They followed the river 
 by an Indian road until they entered the mountains next day, and came 
 to two nearly equal branches. Finding the best road on the right fork, 
 Captain Lewis concluded to follow it, and left a note to that effect for 
 Captain Clarke. 
 
 They had gone but a few miles on the morning of the 11th, when 
 they were delighted to see a man on horseback, at the distance of two 
 miles, coming down to meet them. On examining him with the glass, 
 Cai>tain Lewis saw that he was of a different nation from any Indians 
 they had hitherto met. He was armed with a bow and quiver of ar- 
 rows ; mounted on an elegant horse, without a saddle, while a small 
 string attached to the under jaw answered as a bridle. Convinced that 
 he was a Shoshonee, and knowing how much of their success depended 
 on the friendly offices of that nation, Captain Lewis was anxious to a|i- 
 pi'oach without alarming him, and endeavor to convince him that he 
 was a white man. He therefore proceeded on at his usual pace. When 
 they were within a mile of each other the Indian suddenly stopped ; 
 Lewis followed his example, took his blanket from his knapsack, and hold- 
 ing it with both hands at the two comers, threw it above his head, and 
 unfolded it us he brought it to the ground, as if in the act of spreading 
 it. This signal is the universal sign of friendship among the Indians on 
 the Missouri and Rocky Mountains. As usual. Captain Lewis repeated 
 this signal three times ; still the Indian kept his position, and looked 
 with an air of suspicion on Drewyer and Shields, who Avere now advancing 
 on each side. Lewis then took from his pack some beads, a looking-glass, 
 and a few trinkets, which he had brought for the purpose, and advanced 
 unarmed toward the Indian. He rcmauied awhile, then turned his horse 
 and began to move off slowly. Captain Lewis then called out *' Tabba 
 bone !" (" white man"), but the Indian kept his eye on Drewyer and 
 Shields, who were still thoughtlessly advancing, till Lewis made a signal 
 to them to halt. Then the Indian waited for Captain Lewis, who still 
 came nearer, repeating the words " tabba bone," and holding up the trin- 
 kets, at the same time stripping up his sleeve to show the color of his 
 skin. He thus advanced within a hundred paces, but as Shields, who 
 had not observed the signal, was still approaching, the Indian suddenly 
 turned his horse, and leaping the creek, disappeared in an instant. 
 Though sadly disappointed. Captain Lewis determined to make some use 
 of the incident. He therefore set off with his men to follow the track, 
 hoping it might lead them t > a body of the nation. They now fixed a 
 small flag of the United Sta.es on a pole, which was carried as a signal 
 of their friendly intentions, should the Indians see them approaching. 
 Thus pursuing their journey, they came, on the 12th, to a plain Indian 
 road which led directly on toward the mountain. The stream gradually 
 became smaller, till, after going a few miles, it had so greatly diminished 
 in width, that one of the men, in a fit of enthusiasm, with one foot on 
 each side of the river, thanked God that he had lived to bestride the 
 
152 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 Missouri. As they went along, their ho})Cs of soon seeing the waters 
 of the Columbia arose akuost to painful anxiety, when, atlcr four miles 
 from the last abrupt turn of the river, they reached a small gap formed 
 by the high mountains, which recede on each side, leavmg room for the 
 Indian road. " From the foot of one of the lowest of these mountains, 
 which rises with a gentle ascent of about half a mile, issues the remotest 
 water of the Missoxu-i. They had now reached the hidden sources of 
 ithat river, wliich had never yet been seen by civilized man ; and as they 
 quenched their thirst at the chaste and icy fountain — as they sat down 
 by the bnnk of that little rivulet, which yielded its modest tribute to the 
 parent ocean — they felt themselves rewarded for all their labors and all 
 their dilKcultics. They left reluctantly this uiteresting spot, and pursuing 
 the Indian road through the uiterval of the liills, arrived at the top of a 
 ridge, from which they saw high mountains, partially covered with snow, 
 l^-ing still further west. The ridge on which they stood formed the di- 
 viding line between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They 
 followed a descent much steeper than that on the eastern side, and at 
 the distance of three quarters of a nxile, reached a fine, bold creek of 
 cold water, rmming to the M'estward. They stopped to taste, for the first 
 time, the waters of the Columbia." 
 
 Next day, as they were pursuing their journey westward through an 
 open, broken country, they perceived two women, a man, and two dogs 
 on an eminence a mile before them. The strangers seemed at first to 
 await them, and Captain Lewis approached, unfurling the flag and call- 
 uig " Tabha hone!'''' But the females first retreated behind the hill, 
 and when Lewis came near the man went ofi' also, and they had all dis- 
 appeared when he reached the top of the hill. They had gone about a 
 mile further, when they suddenly came upon three female Indians from 
 whom they had been concealed mitil they were within thirty paces of 
 each other. A young woman flod, the other two, an elderly woman 
 and a little girl, seeing the strangers too near for them to escape, sat 
 on the ground, holding dioynx their heads as if reconciled to the death 
 which they supposed awaited them. Captain Lewis put down his rifle, 
 and advancing, took the woman by the hand, raised her, and repeated 
 the words " tabba bone !" at the same tune baring his ami to prove that 
 he was a white man, for his hands and face had become, by exposure, as 
 dark as their own. She appeared at once relieved, and Captain Le\*TS 
 gave them some beads, pewter mirrors, paint, and other trinkets, as well 
 as to their companions, who had hastened back when called, and he 
 pauited their cheeks with vermilion, a ceremony which among the Sho- 
 shonees, is emblematic of peace. Afterward, at his request, they con- 
 ducted the party toward the Indian camp. 
 
 In this way they had marched two miles, when they met a troop of 
 nearly sixty warriors, well mounted, riding at full speed toward them. 
 Captain Lewis put down his gun and went forward with the flag. The 
 chief spoke to the women, who explained and showed exultingly the 
 
RECBPTION BY THE SHOSHONEES. 
 
 168 
 
 presents they had recuived, and then the chief and two warriors leaped 
 from their horses, came up to Captain Lewis, and embraced liim with 
 great cordiality, at * he same time applyuig their left cheek to his, and 
 frequently vociferating " Ah hi e I ah hi e /" " I am umch pleased ; I am 
 much rejoiced." The whole body of warriors now came forward, and 
 the men received the caresses, and the grease and paint, of their new 
 friends. After this fraternal embrace, Captain Lewis lighted a pipe and 
 offered it to the Indians, who now seated themselves in a circle around 
 the party. But before they accepted this mark of friendship, they pulled 
 off their moccasins, a custom which indicates the satrred sincerity of their 
 professions when they smoke with a stranger, and imprecates on them- 
 selves the misery of going barefoot forever if they are faithless to their 
 words, a penalty by no means light to those who roam over the thorny 
 plains of their country. It is not unworthy to remark the analogy 
 which some of the customs of these children of the wihlerness bear to 
 those recorded in Holy Writ. After a few pipes were smoked and some 
 presents distributed. Captain Lewis stated the friendly object of their 
 visit, and gave the flag to the chief as an emble.a of peace, aftei: which 
 they proceeded to the Indian camp. There a council was held, in which 
 the captain more fully explained the purposes of his visit, and distributed 
 the few aiticles he had left to the wondering crowd which had assembled 
 to see the first white men. Hero he learned that an alarm had been 
 given, and the warriors he had met in the morning were coming dowu 
 to attack the supposed enemy. 
 
 In order to give time for the boats to reach the forks of the river, 
 Captain Lewis remained a while, and obtained all the information ho 
 could collect in regard to the country. On the 14tli, his men went out 
 with the Indians to hunt, but as they were unsuccessful he made a little 
 paste with flour, which, with some berries, formed a palatable repast. 
 Havhjg secured the goodwill of the chief, he informed him of the ap- 
 proach of his companions, and induced him to go down with horses to 
 assist in transporting their merchandise. On the morning of the 16th, 
 he began to feel the inconveniences of hunger, and found that his whole 
 stock of provisions consisted of two pounds of flour. This was divided, 
 and one half boiled with the berries into a sort of pudding ; and after 
 presenting a large share to the chief, he and his men breakfasted on the 
 remainder. Caineahwait, the chief, was delighted with this new dish ; he 
 examined the flour, and asked if it was made of roots ; the process of 
 preparing it was explauied, and he said it was the best thing he had 
 eaten for a long time. Captain Lewis now endeavored to hasten the 
 departure of the Indians, who, although urged by the chief, were still 
 reluctant, having heard that he was in league with their enemies, the 
 Pahkees. Finally, by appearing to doubt their courage, he succeeded 
 in enlisting a few, with whom he smoked a pipe and set off immediately. 
 Their departure spread a gloom over the village, yet they had not gone 
 fax when they were joined by others, and before they had reached the 
 
154 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 spring where they had encamped on the 12th, all the men of the nation, 
 and a number of the women, had overtaken them. Here they halted an 
 hour to let the horses graze, and at sunaet cucam{)ed at the upper end 
 of the valley. 
 
 Next morning Captain Lewis sent two hunters ahead to procure pro- 
 visions, at the same time requesting Cameahwait to jtrevent his young 
 men from going out, lest by their noise they might .alarm the game, but 
 this immediately revived their suspicions. They believed these men 
 were sent forward to apprize the enemy of their (doming, and small j)ar- 
 ties of Indians went out on each side of the valley, under pretense of 
 hunting, but in re.ality to watch the movements of the two men ; while 
 a considerable number, alarmed, went home. An hour afterward they 
 saw one of the spies coming back .it full speed across the plain ; the chief 
 stopped and seemed uneasy, the rest were moved Avith fresh suspicions, 
 and C.iptain Lewis himself was disconcerted ; but the young Indian had 
 scarcely breath to say a few words as he came up, when the whole troop 
 dashed forward as fast as their horses could carry them ; and Captain 
 Lewis, astonished, was borne along nearly a mile before ho learned, with 
 great satisfaction, that it was all caused by the announcement that one 
 of the white men had killed a deer. When they reached the place 
 where Drewyer had thrown its intestines, they all dismounted in con- 
 fusion, and ran tumbling over each other like famished dogs, each tear- 
 ing away whatever part he could, and beginning to eat it. When the 
 deer Avas skinned Captain Lewis reserved one quiirter and gave the rest 
 to the Indians, who devoured nearly the whole of it without cooking. 
 Two more deer were brought in, and these scenes repeated, imtil the 
 Indians seemed completely satisfied and in good humor. At ler.gth, as 
 they were approaching the place Avhere they were to see the white men, 
 the chief placed ornaments around the necks of Lewis and his party, 
 evidently to disguise the white men. Seeing this, Captain Lewis, to 
 inspire them with confidence, put his cocked hat and feather on the head 
 of the chief; the men followed his example, and the change seemed very 
 agreeable to the Indians. 
 
 To guard against disappointment. Captain Lewis explained the possi- 
 bility of his companions not having reached the forks, in consequence of 
 the difficulty of navigation ; and to the disappointment of both parties, 
 on coming within two miles of the forks, no canoes were to be seen. 
 Uneasy lest at this moment he should be abandoned and all his liopes 
 of obtaining aid from the Indians destroyed, he gave the chief his gun, 
 telling him that if the enemies of his nation were in the bushes he might 
 defend himself Avith it ; that for his own part he was not afraid to die, 
 and that the chief might shoot hira as soon as they discovered themselves 
 betrayed. As they went on. Captain Lewis sent a man with an Indian 
 for the notes he had left;, which he pretended to be from his companion, 
 sent forward by agreement, to let him know where the boats were ; that 
 they were just below the mountains, coming slowly against the current. 
 
 i 
 
AN INDIAN RECOGNITION. 
 
 156 
 
 The chief iiiul the groiitcr psirt of the Indiiiiis wore satisfied ; they spent 
 the night here, aiul in the morning Drewycr and an Indian were dis- 
 patched down the river in quest of the boats. They had been gone two 
 hours wlien a straggiujg Indian came in with a report th:>> ho had seen 
 the white men, who were only a short distance below, and were coming 
 on. Tlie Indiana were all transported with joy, and the chief, in the 
 warmth of his satisfaction, renewed his embrace of Captahi Lewis, who 
 was quite as much delighted as the Indians themselves. 
 
 Meanwhile the party in the boats had been ascending the multiplied 
 windings of the river by a slow and toilsome progress, and on the night 
 of the 16th were encamped only four miles, by land, below the forks, 
 although the distance was ten miles by Avater. On setting out in the morn- 
 ing, Captain Clarke, with Chaboneau and his wife, v, alked on shore, but 
 they had not gone more than a mile before Cuptain Clarke saw Saca- 
 jawea (Caboncau's wife) who was ahead with her husband, begin to 
 dance and show every mark of the most extravagant joy, turning round 
 to him and pointing to several Indians, whom he now saw advancing on 
 horseback, sucking her fingers at the same time, to indicate that they 
 were of her native tribe. As they came near he saw Drewyer among 
 them, dressed like an Indian, from whom he learned the situation of the 
 party. While the boats were making the circuit he went toward the 
 forks with the Indians, who sang aloud as they went along, with the 
 greatest appearance of delight. Th.ey soon drew near the camp, and 
 just as they reached it a woman made her way through the crowd, to- 
 ward Sacajawea, and recognizing each other they embraced with the 
 most tender affection. They had been companions in childhood, had 
 been taken prisoners in the same battle, and shared the rigors of their 
 captivity, till one of them had escaped from the Minnetarecs. Captain 
 Clarke was received by the chief, who, after embracing him, conducted 
 him to a tent of willows, seated him on a white robe, and tied in his hair 
 six small shells resembling pearls, an ornament highly valued by these 
 people. The moccasins of the whole party were then taken off, and 
 after much ceremony the smoking began. When the conference was 
 opened, Sacajawea was senc for; she came into the tent, sat down, and 
 was beginning to interpret, when in the person of Cameahwait she recog- 
 nized her brother. She instantly jumped up, and ran and embraced him, 
 throwing over him a blanket and weeping profusely ; the chief himself 
 was also moved. After some conversation between them she resumed 
 her seat and attempted to interpret for the parties, but her new situation 
 seemed to overpower her, and she was frequently interrupted by her 
 tears. After the council was finished, the unfortunate woman learned 
 that all her family were dead except two brothers, one of whom was 
 absent, and a son of her eldest sister, a small boy, who was immediately 
 adopted by lier. 
 
 When the canoes arrived the baggage was taken out and an awning 
 erected, under which a treaty was held. Here they made arrangements 
 
156 
 
 TRAVKLS OF LKWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 with tho IndiuiiH for liorHes in order to proceed with n» little delay 08 
 poHKibk', i)roinisin;; them aini)lo remuneration for every servico they 
 ehoiild render. The eonferenee havin/j ended Hatisfactorily, the presents 
 were distributed. To C'ameahwait they jjfave u hiiiuU nu-dal with tho 
 likeness of President Jefterson, and on tho reverse a figure of hands 
 clasped with a pipe and tomahawk ; to this was adde<l u uniform coat, a 
 shirt, a pair of starlet leggings, a earrot of tobaeeo, and some small arti- 
 cles. Each of the other ehiets received a small medal struck during 
 Washington's administration, a shirt, handkerchief, leggings, a knife, and 
 Bome tobacco. JMcdals were also gi\ en to two young warriors, who wero 
 promising youths and very much respected in tho tribe. These honor- 
 ary girts were followed by presents of paint, njoecasins, awls, knives, 
 beads, and looking-glasses. A plentiful meal of Indian corn, of which 
 the hull was taken off by being boiled in lye, was also distributed ; and 
 as it was tho first they had ever tasted, they wero very much pleased 
 with it. They had indeed abundant sources of surprise in all they saw ; 
 the appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, the canoes, tho 
 strange looks of tho negro, and the sagacity of tho dog ; all in turn 
 shared their admiration, which was raised to astonishment by a shot 
 from the air-gun. This oj)eration was instantly (lonsidered as a great 
 medicine^ by which they, as well as tho other Indians, mean something 
 emanating directly from the Great Spirit, or produced by his uivisiblo 
 and incomprehensible agency. 
 
 Lewis and Clarke next consulted as to their future operations. The 
 Indians had represented that the river below them was rocky, rapid, and 
 BO closely confined between high mountains, that it was impossible to 
 pass down it, either by land or water, to the great lake. It was there- 
 fore agreed that Captain Clarke should set off in tho morning with eleven 
 men, go by the Indian camp, and leave Chaboneau and his wife to has- 
 ten the collection of horses, then lead his men down the river, and if ho 
 found it navigable and the timber in sufficient quantity, begin to build 
 canoes. Before setting out on the 18th, they exposed a few articles to 
 barter for horses, and soon obtained three good ones, for which they 
 gave some clothing, knives, and other Bmall articles, the whole of whicli 
 did not cost more than twenty dollars. A fourth was purchased by the 
 men for an old check shirt, a pair of old leggings, and a knife. Captain 
 Clarke arrived at the camp on the 20th, where he succeeded in engaging 
 an intelligent old man as a guide. After pursuuig his route for a few 
 days ho began to perceive that tho Indians had not exaggerated. Tho 
 mountains wero rocky, and so high that it seemed almost impossible to 
 cross them with horses ; their road lay over the sharp fragments of rocks 
 which had fallen from the steep cliffs, and wero strewed in heaps for 
 miles together ; yet the horses, unshod, traveled across them as fast as 
 the men. These difliculties increased until on the 2.'Jd he reached a small 
 meadow, below which tho whole current of the river beat .igainst a solid 
 wall of rock perfectly inaccessible to horses. Leaving tho horses aud tho 
 
DREWTER'S ADVENTURE. 
 
 157 
 
 greater j)art of the men hero, ho procoodiid with his guide, clambering 
 over iinnicnso roel«» and along the sides of lolly prcoipiees which bor- 
 deri'd the river, until at the distanco of twelve miles ho reached a small 
 meadow. Thus far the river m'us one continued rapid, along which even 
 the empty canoes must bo let down with cords, and then at the great 
 risk both of the canoes and the men, while the transportation of the bag- 
 gage over the steep mountains would liavo to bo done by men. Still 
 Captain Clarke continued his route, and at length ascended a higli an<l 
 steep point of a moimtain, from which the guide now pointed out where 
 the river broke through the mountains, about twenty miles distant. The 
 view was terminated by a lofty mouuvain, which WiW perfectly covered with 
 snow. Toward this formidable barrier the river went directly on, and 
 there it was, as the guide observed, that the dilHculties and dangers, of 
 which they had spoken, commenced. Captain Clarke was now con- 
 vinced of the impracticability of this route ; ho therefore hastened to re- 
 turn, and after rejoining his men next evening they retraced their steps 
 to the Indian camp, where they arrived on the 26th. As game was 
 8( ! roe in this region they found a precarious subsistence, and suffered 
 from a scarcity of food, the Indians being able to supply them with little 
 else than a pittance offish. Therefore, while awaiting the arrival of Cap- 
 tain Lewis and his party, they made all possible preparations for their 
 departure, especially in preparing pack-saddles for the horses which Lewis 
 had purchased. 
 
 Cuptain Lewis and his party, who wore left with the Indians at the 
 forks of the Jefferson on the 1 8th, spent a few days in making ready to 
 tran^nort the baggage. Saddles were made, some of the baggage was 
 Tniried, the boats sunk in the stream, and by the 24th all the prejjara- 
 tioiis were made for their departure. Meanwhile the hunt..: nad been 
 out as usual, but the game was so scarce that they were obliged to en- 
 croach on their stock of provisions. One night Drewyer returned late 
 with a fawn and a quantity of Indian plunder, which he had taken by 
 way of reprisal. While hunting in the morning, ho came suddenly upon 
 an Indian camp, at which were an old man, three women, a young man 
 and a boy. As they showed no surprise ho rode up to them, and turn- 
 ing his horse loose to graze, sat down and began to converse with them 
 by signs. Tney had just finished a repast of some roots, and in a little 
 while they collected their horses and began to saddle them. Drewyer, 
 having rested, went to catch his horse, forgetting at the moment to take 
 up his rifle. He had scarcely gone more than fifty paces when the In- 
 dians mounted their horses, the young man snalJied up the rifle, and 
 leaving all their baggage they set off at full speed toward the moimtain 
 passes. Drewyer instantly pursued them. After nmning ten miles, the 
 horses of the women bogar. to give out, and as they raised dreadful cries, 
 the yoimg man slackened his pace, and began to ride round them. Drew- 
 yer persuaded the women that ho did not mean to hurt them, and they 
 stopped ; and when he asked the young man for his rifle, the only part 
 
158 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 of the answer lie understood was " Palikce," the name by which they 
 call their enemies, the Minnetarees. While they were thus engaged in 
 talking, Drewyer watched his opportunity, and seeing the Indian off his 
 guard, galloped up to him and seized his rifle. The Indian struggled for 
 some time, but finding Drewyer too strong for him, had the presence of 
 mind to open the fan and let the priming fall out ; then loosing his hold, 
 he gave his horse the whip and escaped at full speed, leaving the women 
 at the mercy of the conqueror. Drewyer then returned, and finding 
 their baggage, brought it to camp Avith him. 
 
 From some Indians who arrived they purchased three horses, by giv- 
 ing for each an ax, a knife, a handkerchief, and a little paint. For a 
 mule they were obliged to add a second knife, a shirt, a handkerchief, 
 and a pair of leggings. They now loaded eleven horses and a mule, 
 ur '^ »>'acuig the rest on the shoulders of the Indian women, left the 
 camp at noon on the 24th. They were all on foot except Sacajawta, for 
 whom her husband had purchased a hor? ;. An Indian had the polite- 
 ness to ofter Captain Lewis one of his horses to ride, which he accepted, 
 in order better to direct the march of the party. On the morning of 
 the 2Gth they reached the fountain of the Missouri and passed over the 
 dividing ridge, and in the evenuig arrived at the encampment. Here 
 they found a rjte from Captain Clarke, apprising them that there were 
 no liopes of a passage by water, and suggesthig the route by the north 
 as the most practicable. Captain Clarke joined them on the 29th, and 
 tlicy resumed the purchase of horses. Tlie prices had risen meanwhile, 
 so that one horse cost a pistol, one hundred balls, some powder, and a 
 knife ; another was changed for a musket ; and in this way they obtained 
 twenty-nine. The horses were young and vigorous, but poor, and worn 
 ■with the roughness of the Shoshonee saddle. They were therefore anx- 
 ious to obtain one at least for each man, to carry the baggage, or the 
 man himself, or in the last resource to serve as food ; but they were 
 unable to suj)ply all. 
 
 On the 30th they loaded their horses •■.:.d took leave of the Shosho- 
 necs, accompanied by the old guide, his four sons, and another Indian. 
 They descended the river by the road which Clarke had previously pur- 
 sued until the 1st of September, when they .arned to the north-west 
 across the hills. Next day the Indians all left them except the guide, 
 and the road they were following turned eastward toward the Missouri. 
 They had therefore to cut their way with much difliculty up the west 
 branch of the creek they were following. The road led over the steep 
 and rocky side of the hills, and the thickets were ulmost impenetrable; 
 the horses frequently fell down the sides of the hills, and some gave out 
 exhausted with fatigue. On the 4th they crossed a high ' mntain, which 
 formed the dividing ridge between the waters of the creek they had brop 
 ascending, and those running north and west. Every tlriig was. iVozen, 
 and the ground was covered with snow, which had fallen the night be- 
 fore. They presently came to a stream flowing westward, Avhich they 
 
HARDSHIPS OP THE JOURNEY. 
 
 159 
 
 bst 
 
 est 
 
 Ich 
 
 ley 
 
 descended to its junction with a river from the east. Here they found 
 a large encampment of Indians, who received them with great cordial- 
 ity. They smoked with them, remained a few days, exchanged presents, 
 and trafficked for horses. These Indians were called Ootlashoots, and 
 represented themselves as one band of the Tushepaws, a numerous peo- 
 ple residing on the head waters of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers. 
 They seemed kindly and friendly, and willingly shared the berries and 
 fruits which formed their only stock of provisions. Their only wealth 
 was their horses, which were very fine and so numerous that this party 
 had with them at least five hundred. To this river they gave the name 
 of Clarke, as they had that of Lewis to the one they had lately left, 
 each from the first white man who had \ isited its Avaters. Resuming 
 their journey, they came on the 9th to a large streatn flowing in from 
 the west, where they halted a day to make observations and collect pro- 
 visions, as they were here to leave the river, and the mountain region 
 through which they had to pass was without game. Next day one of 
 the hunters returned with three Indians whom he had mt)t up the creek, 
 one of whom they persuaded to go with them. They ascended the course 
 of the creek, and after a rugged and difficult passage over the mountain, 
 came on the 14th to the Kooskooskee River. Their whole stock of ani- 
 mal food being exhausted, they killed a colt, on which they made a hearty 
 supper, and from this incident they gave the name of Colt-killed Creek 
 to a stream near by. They then left the ri\-er and took the mountains 
 on the right, where the timber was fallen and the ascent so steep that 
 they had to wind in every direction. The horses frequently slipped, 
 and one, which was loaded with a desk and small trunk, rolled over and 
 over for forty yards till his fall was stopped by a tree. The desk was 
 broken, but the poor animal escaped without much injury. Provision 
 was also very scarce; they found only a few pheasants, and on the 
 11th. they killed another colt. This want of provisions, the extreme 
 fatigue to which they were subjected, and the dreary prospect before 
 them, began to dispirit the men ; Captain Clarke therefore set out with six 
 hunters on the 18th, intending to go on ahead and find something for the 
 support of the party. The region they passed through was rugged and 
 barren until the 20th, when they descended the last of the Rocky Mount- 
 ains and reached the level country. They had proceeded a few miles on 
 the plain when they saw three boys, who ran and hid in the grass. Cap- 
 tain Clarke, leaving his horse and gun with the men, soon relieved the 
 apprehensions of the boys, and sent them forward to the village with pres- 
 ents of small pieces of ribbon. Presently a man came out very cau- 
 tiously to meet the party, and conducted them to a large tent in the vil- 
 lage, where all the inhabitants gathered round to view, with a mixture 
 of fear and pleasure, these wonderful strangers. This spacious tent was 
 the residence of the great chief, who had gone, with all the warriors, to 
 atta^^k some of their enemies to the south-west, leaving but a few men to 
 guard the women and children. They cntertiuncd their guests with a 
 
160 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 Bumpttious feast ; the latter returned the kindness by a few small pres- 
 ents, and then went on with one of the chiefs to a second village, two 
 miles distant. Here the party was treated with great kindness, and passed 
 the night. 
 
 The inhabitants of these villages called themselves Chopunnish, or 
 Pierced-nose. The chief drew a chart of the river, and explained that 
 a greater chief than himself, who governed this village, and was called 
 Twisted Hair, was now fishing at the distance of half a day's ride down 
 the river. The hunters not being able to kill any thing. Captain Clarke 
 bought as much dried sahnon, roots, and berries as he could obtain with 
 the few articles he chanced to have in his pockets, and having sent 
 them back to Captain Lewis, he went on toward the camp of the Twist- 
 ed Hair. He arrived at midnight, and giving him a medal they smoked 
 together till one o'clock. The chief seemed cheerful and sincere, and 
 on the next day he accompanied Captain Clarke back to the village 
 where they arrived at sunset ; they then walked up to the second vil- 
 lage where the main party with Captain Lewis had just arrived. Next 
 moniing, the 23d, the chiefs and warriors were all assembled, and Lewis 
 and Clarke explained to them whence they came, the objects of their 
 visit, and their pacific intentions toward all the Lidians. This was con- 
 veyed by signs, but seemed to give perfect satisfaction. They then 
 gave medals and additional presents to the chiefs, and delivered a flag 
 and handkerchief for the grand chief on his return. They purchased a 
 quantity of fish, berries, and roots, and in the afternoon went on to the 
 second village, where they continued their purchases. 
 
 On the 24th, they sent back Colter in search of horses lost in the 
 mountains, and having collected the rest, set out for the river by the 
 route already passed by Captain i^larke. They now felt the conse- 
 quences of eating heartily after their late privations : many of them 
 were taken very ill ; Captain Lewis could scarcely sit on his horse, while 
 others had to be put on horseback, and some, from extreme weakness 
 and pain, were forced to lie down by the road-side for some time. At 
 sunset they reached the island where they had first met the Twisted 
 Hair, and where some hunters had been left on the 22d. The latter 
 had been unsuccessful, and two of them were sick. The party en- 
 camped on an island a little below, and administered to the sick. 
 
 VOYAGE DOWN LEWIS AND COLUMBIA RIVERS. 
 
 Having resolved to go down to some spot suitable for building 
 canoes, they set out early on the 20th, and encamped five miles below, 
 opposite the forks of the river. But the men were so weak that several 
 were taken siok in coming down, the weather being oppressively hot. 
 Next day they prepared to make five canoes ; but few of the men, how- 
 ever, were able to work, and some of them were taken ill. The hunt- 
 
 I r 
 
 h 
 
 ( r 
 ifi 
 
LEWIS RIVER— INDIAN BATHS. 
 
 161 
 
 ers, too, returned without any game, and seriously indisposed, so that 
 nearly the whole party was ill. Colter returned with one of the horses 
 and brought half a deer, which was very nourishing to the invalids. At 
 length those first attacked began to recover, and all who were able to 
 work were busied at the canoes. Meanwhile it became necessary to dis- 
 pose of the horses. They were therefore collected to the number of 
 thirty-eight, and being branded and marked, were delivered to three 
 Indians, the brothers and son of a chief who was going with them down 
 the river, who, having each received a knife and some small articles, 
 agreed to take good care of the horses till the return of the expedition. 
 The saddles were buried near the river, and with them a canister of 
 powder and a bag of balls. 
 
 On Monday, the ^th of October, the canoes were lanched and 
 loaded, the oars fixed, and every preparation made for setting out, but 
 when all was ready, the two chiefs who had promised to accompany 
 them were not to be found, and at the same time they missed a pipe- 
 tomahawk. They therefore proceeded without them. Below the forks 
 the river was called the Kooskooskee ; it was a clear, rapid stream, with 
 a number of shoals and difficult places. They passed, in the course of 
 the day, ten rapids, in descending which one of the canoes struck a rock 
 and sprung a leak. Next day, as they were passing the last of fifteen 
 rapids, which they had been fortunate enough to escape, one of the 
 canoes struck, and immediately filled and sunk. The men, several of 
 whom could not swim, climg to the boai till a canoe could be unloaded, 
 when with the assistance of an Indian boat they were all brought to 
 shore. All the goods were so wet that they had to halt for the night, 
 and spread them out to dry. The old Shoshonce guide with his son 
 deserted them on the 9th, and was seen running up the river, without 
 having given notice of his design, or even received his pay. Without 
 serious accident they passed many rapids below and reached the junction 
 of the Kooskooskee with the Lewis, on the evening of the 10th. They 
 stopped for breakfast next morning at a large encampment of Indians a 
 few miles below, where they traded for a stock of provisions. While 
 the traffic was going on, they observed a vapor bath, different firom 
 those they had previously seen. " It was a hollow square six or eight 
 feet deep, formed in the river bank, and completely covered, except an 
 opening al)out two feet wide at the top. The bathers descend by this 
 hole, taking with them a number of jugs of water ; and, after being 
 seated around the room, throw the water on the stones until the steam 
 becomes of a temperature sufficiently high fo • their purposes. The 
 baths of the Indians of the Rocky Mountains are of different sizes, the 
 most common being made of mud and sticks like an oven, but the mode 
 of raising the steam is exactly the same. Among both these nations it 
 is very uncommon for a man to bathe alone ; he is generally accom- 
 panied by one, or sometimes by several of his acquaintances ; indeed it 
 is so essentially a social amusement that to decline going in to bathe 
 
 11 
 
162 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 when invited by a friend is one of the highest indignities that can be 
 offered him." 
 
 In Lewis River they likewise encountered frequent rapids, which 
 sometimes injured their boats, and endangered their safety. In descend- 
 ing one of these a boat was driven crosswise against a rock in the middle 
 of the current. The crew attempted to get her off, but the waves 
 dashed over her and she soon filled. They got out on the rock and 
 held her above water, with great exertion, until another canoe was un- 
 loaded and sent to her relief, but they could not prevent a great deal of 
 baggage from floating down the stream. As soon as she was lightened 
 she was hurried down the channel, leaving the crew on the rock. They 
 were brought off by the rest of the party, and the canoe itself and 
 nearly all that had been washed overboard, was recovered. 
 
 On the 16th they reached the Columbia, and halted above the point 
 of junction to confer with the Indians, who had collected in great num- 
 bers to receive them. A chief who had passed them en horseback a few 
 days before, and who appeared to be a man of influence, harangued the 
 Indians on the occasion. After smoking with the latter, they formed 
 a camp and had the fires prepared, " when a chief came from the Indian 
 camp, about a mile and a quarter up the Columbia River, at the head 
 of nearly two hundred men. They formed a regular procession, keeping 
 time to the noise, rather than music, of their drums, which they accom- 
 panied with their voices. As they advanced they formed a semicircle 
 around us, and continued singing for some time. We then smoked with 
 them all, and communicated, as well as we could by signs, our friendly 
 intentions toward all nations, and our joy at finding ourselves surrounded 
 by our children." Medals and presents were then distributed, as usual, 
 to the chiefs. " After they had dispersed, we proceeded to purchase 
 provisions, and were enabled to collect seven dogs, to which some of the 
 Indians added small presents of fish, and one of them gave us twenty 
 pounds of fat dried horse-flesh." Next day they were occupied in mak- 
 ing the necessary observations and measuring the rivers. During this 
 tune, the principal chief came down with several of his warriors, and 
 smoked with the party. They were also visited by several men and 
 women who offered dogs and fish for sale, but as the fish was out of 
 season, they contented themselves with purchasing all the dogs they 
 could obtain. 
 
 These Indians called themselves Sokulks. In their language, as well 
 as in dress and general appearance, tlioy resembled the Chopunnish of 
 the Kooskooskee and Lewis Rivers. " The most striking difference be- 
 tween them is among the females, the Sokulk women being more inclined 
 to corpulency than any we have yet seen. Their stature is low, their 
 faces broad, and their heads flattened in such a manner that the fore- 
 head is in a straight line from the nose to the crown of the head. 
 Their eyes are of a dirty sable ; their hair is coarse and black, ,ind 
 braided without ornament of any kind. Instead of wearing, as do the 
 
CLARKE SURPRISES THE INDIANS. 
 
 163 
 
 id 
 Ind 
 lof 
 icy 
 
 Irc- 
 
 lad. 
 
 Ind 
 
 tho 
 
 Ghopunnish, long leathern shirts, highly dbcorated with beads and shells, 
 the Sokulk females have no other covering than a piece of leather 
 drawn around the hips." 
 
 In the course of the day Captain Clarke ascended the Columbia a few 
 miles in a small canoe. Opposite some rapids, five miles above, he found 
 a fishing-place, consisting of three mat-houses. Here were great quanti- 
 ties of salmon drying upon scaffolds ; and, indeed, from the inouth of tho 
 river upward he saw immense numbers of dead salmon strewed along 
 the shore or floating on the surface of the river, whose waters were so 
 clear that the salmon could be seen swimming in it at the depth of 
 fifteen or twenty feet. The Indians, who had collected on the banks to 
 view him, now joined him in eighteen canoes and accompanied him up 
 the river. 
 
 On the 18th a numerous council was lield with Indians who came in ; 
 then, having completed the purposes of their stay, they purchased forty 
 dogs for provisions and proceeded down the river. Coming to some 
 dangerous rapids on the 19th, several of the party landed to lighten tho 
 boats. While walking ahead, Captain Clarke ascended a cliff about 
 two hundred feet above the water, from which he saw that the country 
 on both sides of the river, immediately below the cliffs, was low, and 
 spread itself in a level plain to a great distance on all sides. To the 
 west, at the distance of about one hundred and fifty miles, was a very 
 high mountain covered with snow, which, from its direction and appear- 
 ance, he supposed to be the Mount St. Helen's laid down, by Vancouver 
 as visible from the mouth of the Columbia. There ■was also another 
 mountain of a conical form, whose top was covered with snow, in a south- 
 west direction. As Captain Clarke came to the lower end of the rapid 
 before any others, except one of the small canoes, he sat do^vn on a rock 
 to wait for them, and seeing a crane fly across the river, shot it, and it 
 fell near him. Several Indians had been before this passing on the op- 
 posite side toward the rapids, and some few Avho passed nearly in front 
 of him, being cither alarmed at his appearance or the report of the gun, 
 fled to their houses. Captain Clarke was afi-aid that these people had 
 not yet heard that the white men were coming, and therefore, in order 
 to allay their uneasiness before the whole party should arrive, he got 
 into the small canoe with three men, and rowed over toward the houses. 
 While crossing, he shot a duck, which fell into the water. As he ap- 
 proached, no person was to be seen except three men on the plains, and 
 they too fled as he came near the shore. He landed before five houses 
 close to each other, but no one appeared, and the doors, which were of 
 mat, were closed. He went toward one of them with a pipe in his 
 hand, and pushing aside the mat, entered the lodge, where he found 
 thirty-two persons, chiefly men and women, with a few children, all in 
 the greatest constemation ; some hanging do^vn their heads, others 
 crying and wrin{r'.'.i their hands. He went up to them all and shook 
 hands with ther> .: the most friendly manner ; but their apprehensions, 
 
164 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 which had for a moment subsided, revived on his taking out a burn- 
 ing-glass, as there was no roof to the house, and lighting his pipe. Ho 
 then offered it to several of the men, and distributed among tho women 
 and children a few small truikets which he oarriod about with him, and 
 gradually restored some tranquillity among them. Ho then left this 
 house, and directing each of tho men to go into a house, went himself 
 into a second. Hero he found the inhabitants more terrified than those 
 ho had first seen, but ho succeeded in pacifying them, and then visited 
 the other houses, where the men had been equally successful. 
 
 After leaving tho houses ho went out to sit on a rock, and beckoned 
 to some of the men to come and smoke with him ; but none of them 
 ventured to join him till tho canoes arrived with tho two chiefs, who im- 
 mediately explained to them the pacific intentions of the strangers. Soon 
 afterward tho interpreter's wife landed, and her presence dissipated all 
 doubts, since in that country no woman ever accompanies a war-party ; 
 they therefore all came out and seemed perfectly reconciled. They told 
 tho two chiefs that they knew the strangers were not men, for they had 
 seen them fall from the clouds. In fact, unpcrceived by them, Captam 
 Clarke had shot the white crane, which they had seen fall just before ho 
 appeared to their eyes. The duck which he had killed also fell close by 
 him, and as there were a few clouds flying over at the moment, they 
 connected tho fall of the birds with his sudden appearance, and believed 
 that he had liimself dropped from the clouds ; the noise of tho rifle, which 
 they had never heard before, being considered merely as a soiuid to an- 
 nounce so extraordhiary an event. This belief was strengthened when 
 on entering the room he brought down fire from the heavens by means 
 of his buniing-glass. They were soon satisfactorily convinced that the 
 strangers were only mortals, and after one of the chiefs had explained 
 their history and objects, they all smoked together in great harmony. 
 
 On the 22d they came to the Great Falls of tho Columbia, at tho 
 head of which they unloaded all the canoes and took the baggage over 
 by land to the foot of the rapids. In this transportation they were 
 greatly assisted by tho Indians living on the banks of the river, who car- 
 ried some of the heavy articles on their horses. For their sen'ices, how- 
 ever, they repaid themselves so adroitly that the travelers had to secure 
 the camp against their pilfering. Next day they brought do^vn their 
 canoes by the plan adopted by the Indians. Crossing the river, they 
 hauled them over a point of land on the south side, so as to avoid a per- 
 pendicular fiill of twenty feet. At the distance of a quarter of a mile 
 they I'cached tho water and embarked. Having thus descended for a 
 mile, theyreachedapitchof the river, which, divided by two large rocks, 
 descends with great rapidity down a fall of eight feet. As the boats 
 could not be navigated doA\Ti this steep descent, they were obliged to 
 land and let them down as slowly as possible by strong ropes of elk-skin. 
 They all passed in safety except one, which being loosed by the breaking 
 of the ropes, was swept down, but was recovered by the Indians below. 
 
 u 
 
 h 
 
 u 
 
 di 
 
 in 
 
 vi 
 
 ki 
 
 fe. 
 
 tic 
 
THE FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA. 
 
 165 
 
 g 
 
 They were viMted that day by a great number of Indians, both from 
 above and below the fells, and toward evening they were informed by 
 one of the chiefs who aocompanicd them, that he had overheard that the 
 Indians below intended to attack the party as it passed down the river. 
 Being always ready for any attempt of that sort, they only re-examined 
 their arms and increased the ammmiition to one hundred rounds. The 
 chiefs, however, were nut so much at ease, and when at night they saw 
 the Indians depart earlier than usual, th y were very much alarmed. 
 Next morning the Indians approached with apparent caution, and be- 
 haved with more than usual reserve. The two chiefs, by whom these 
 circumstances were not unobserved, now expressed their wish to return 
 home, saying that they could no longer be of any service, and that they 
 could not understand the language of the people below the Falls ; that 
 the two tribes had been at war with each other, and the Indians would 
 certainly kill them. " We endeavored to quiet their fears, and requested 
 them to stay two nights longer, in which time we would see the Indians 
 below and make a peace between t> \q two nations. They replied that 
 they were anxious to return and see their horses ; we insisted on their 
 remaining with us, not only in hopes of bringing about an accommoda- 
 tion between them and their enemies, but because they might be able to 
 detect any hostile designs agaip;:' ..s, and also assist us in passing the 
 next falls, which arc not far o.T, ^nd represented as very difficult. They 
 at length consentert ' ;> stay two nights longer.'* 
 
 Three miles ' »w, the river widens into a large basin, at the extremity 
 of which a hi^li 'jL*(.k rock, rising perpendicularly from the right shore, 
 seemed to rim wholly across the river. So totally did it appear to stop 
 the passage, that as they approached they coutd not see where the river 
 escaped, except that the current was drawn with more than usual veloc- 
 ity to the left of the rock, where there was a great roaring. Climbing 
 the rock, they saw that the whole river swept through a channel of 
 forty-five yards wide, in which the water was thro%vn into whirls, and 
 swelled and boiled in every part with the wildest agitation. But as it 
 was impossible to carry the boats over this high rock, and as the chief 
 danger was not from rocks, but from great waves and whirlpools, they 
 resolved to try the passage in the boats. With great care they passed 
 safely through, much to the astonishment of the Indians who had col- 
 lected on the top of the rock to see them. This narrow passage contin- 
 ued for half a ndle, when the river again enlarged to the width of two 
 hundred yards. Presently they came to other rapids, which looked so 
 unpromising that they unloaded the most valuable articles and sent them 
 down by land, with all the men who could not swim. They descended 
 in safety, and encamped in the evening, two miles below, near an Indian 
 village at the second fells. The inhabitants received them with great 
 kindness, vi^sits were exchanged, and an apparent reconciliation was e^ 
 fected betwaen them and the two chiefi who accompanied the ezpedi> 
 tion. 
 
166 
 
 TRAVBLS OP LEWIS AND CLARKK. 
 
 Tho Indinns roprcsontcd tlio narrows as most diingcrous ; but nn the 
 portage of the large canoca wm iinpracticablo, tii'jy Hcnt Muinu of tho 
 party forward next morning with tlio l)«'at Htores, fixoil others on tho 
 rocks to assist Avith ropes the canoes that niiglit meet with any diftituilty, 
 and began the descent, in tho j)resenco of great mnnbers of IndianH, 
 who had eoiU'cted to witness the exploit. The channel for three miles 
 was worn through a hard, rough black rock from fitly to a lumdrod 
 yards wide, in which tho water swells and boils in a tremendous manner. 
 At half a mile they got through the worst without serious accident, then 
 reloading tho cjmoes they piussed down the remainder of tho channel 
 very well, except that one of the b«>.'its w:i8 nearly lost by striking against 
 a rock. Tho Indians designate these falls by tho word Thnm^ which 
 they pronounce so as to m.-tke it represent the sound of n distant catar- 
 act. Below tho channel they landed to smoke with a chief whom thoy 
 saw, who had been absent when they passed his village above. Ho was 
 a bold-looking man, of pleasing appearance, about fitly years of age, and 
 dressed in a war-jacket, a cap, leggings, and moccasins. They presented 
 him with a medal and other small articles, and he gave them some moat, 
 of which he had but littlo ; for on his route he had ha<l a battle with a 
 war party of tlic Tow.-ihnahiooks. Here they met with their old chiefs, 
 who had walked on to the village below, to smoke a pipe of friendship 
 on the renewal of peace. These chii'fs had each brought a horse, intend- 
 ing to go home, and now tho travelers smoked a ]>arting pipe with their 
 two faithful friends, who had accompanied them from tho head of tho 
 river. 
 
 They encamped that evening, the 25th, on a high rock, where thoy 
 remained two days to make observations, to dry their wot cargoes, and 
 to hold conferences with the Indians. Six men wore sent out to collect 
 rosin to pitch tho canoes, which, by being frequently hauled over rocks, 
 had become leaky. Many Indians came ; sonic, from hunting excursions, 
 brought presents of doer's flesh and small white cakes made of roots. 
 Lewis and Clarke bestowed tho usual medals and presents, and being 
 anxious to insure a friendly reception on their return, treated them with 
 great kindness. These attentions wcro not lost on the Indians, who 
 appeared well pleased with them. At night a firo was made in the mid- 
 dle of the camp, and as tho Indians sat round it, tho men danced to tho 
 music of the violin, which so delighted them that several resolved to 
 remain all night ; the rest crossed the river. Having dried their goods 
 they set out on the 28th, and on tho day following stopped at the resi- 
 dence of the principal chief of the Chilluckittequaw nation, who inhab- 
 ited this region. He proved to be the same witli whom tho two chiefs 
 had made peace at tho village above. After tho exchange of presents 
 the chief showed them some curiosities, and then directed his wife to 
 hand him his medicine-bag, from which he brought out fourteen fore- 
 fingers, which ho said had once belonged to t'ao same number of his 
 enemies, whom ho had killed in fighting with tho nations to the south- 
 
FIRST VIKW OP TIIK PACIFIO. 
 
 167 
 
 
 caHt. Tliio bag was about two foct in lungth, containing roots, pouniiud 
 dirt, utc, whicli tho Indians only know how to uppreciuto. It is hus- 
 pi'iidod in tlio mid<llo of tlio lodgo, and it is supjmsud to bo u Hpt'cios of 
 sacrilogc to bo touched by any but tho owner. It is an object of relig- 
 ious fear, and it is, from its sanctity, the safest plucu to deposit their 
 mediUs and more valuable articles. 
 
 Hy the last of October they reached tho Lower Falls of tho Columbia, 
 where they held a conference with tho Indians wlio cunie in from a 
 neighboring village, and then mudo i)roparations for a portage on the 
 1st of Novcmbi-r. They then carried their small canoo and all tho 
 baggage across tho slippery rocks to tho foot of tho shoot, afler which 
 tho (bur large canoes were brought down by slipping them along pohis, 
 placed from one rock to another, and in some places by partially using 
 streams that escaped alongside tho river. Tlireo of tliem, however, were 
 HO injured that the men were obliged to stop nt the end of the shoot to 
 n'pair them. A mile and a half below, they passed another bad rapid, 
 and HO ditticult was the navigation of this day, that wh(!n they encamped 
 for the night they had made but seven miles from the head of the shoot. 
 In the morning they found it necessary to unload once more, and send 
 the baggage, with those who could not swim, around a dangerous rapid. 
 TliiM was the last descent of the Columbia ; below it they came to tide- 
 water, and the river began to grow wide. 
 
 In passing along they frequently met Indians ascending the river in 
 canoes; some of these canoes bore the figure of a bear in tho bow, and 
 that of a man in the stern, both made of painted wood and nearly as 
 largo as life. They also held continual intercourse with tho natives on 
 the shore, who were usually kind and friendly, but occasionally mani- 
 fested a disposition to [»ilfer. They encountered much rainy weather in 
 the lower stages of their journey,, so that their clothing was continually 
 wet, and the baggage much injured. On tho Vth, they stopped to pur- 
 chase some food and beaver skins at a village situated at the foot of the 
 high hills on tho right, behind two small islands. " Opposite to these 
 islands the hills on tho lefl retire, and the river widens into a kind of 
 bay crowded with islands. Wo had not gone fiir from this village when 
 the fog cleared off, and wo enjoyed the delightful prospect of the ocean: 
 that ocean, tho object of all our labors, tho reward of all our anxieties. 
 This cheering view exhilarated tho spirits of all tho party, who were 
 still more delighted on hearing the distant roar of tho breakers." I'liey 
 went on with great cheerfulness, but the shore was so bold and rocky on 
 the right that they could find no spot fit for an encampment, and after 
 having gone thirty-foiir miles during the day, they spread their mats on 
 the ground and passed the night in the rain. It rained hi the morning ; 
 having changed their wet clothing of tho day before, they set forward 
 at a late hour, but when they had reached a point eight miles in ad- 
 vance, the waves r.in so high, and dashed the canoes about so much that 
 Beveral of the men became sea-sick, and they were compelled to land. 
 
168 
 
 TBAYBLS OF LEWIS AND OLAREB. 
 
 The situation was extremely uncomfortable, the high hills jutted in so 
 closely that there was not room to lie level, nor to secure their baggage 
 free from the tide, but the waves were increasing at every moment so 
 much that they could not move from the spot in safety. They therefore 
 fixed themselves on the beach left by the ebb-tide, and having raised the 
 baggage on poles, spent a disagreeable night. It rauied the whole of 
 the next day ; the tide set in, accompanied by a high wuid from the 
 south, which shifted and blev almost a gale from the sea. The im- 
 mense waves now broke over i>e place where they were encamped, and 
 the large trees, some of them five or six feet thick, which had lodged at 
 the point, were drifted over their camp, and the utmost vigilance of 
 every man could scarcely save the canoes from being crushed to pieces. 
 They remamed in the water, and drenched with rain during the rest of 
 the day ; their only food being some dried fish, and some rain-water, 
 which they caught. Yet, though wet and cold, and some of them sick 
 from using the salt-water, the men were still cheerful and full of anxiety 
 to see more of the ocean. 
 
 On the 10th they were enabled to proceed, but at the distance of 
 ten miles the wind arose, and the heavy sea forced them to seek a place 
 of safety. They made another attempt when the tide fell, but were 
 obliged to put to shore a mile below. They encamped on some drift- 
 logs, with the hills rising steep above their heads to the height of five 
 hundred feet. Every thuig was thoroughly wet with the rain, which 
 did not cease dui'ing the night, in the course of which the i o reached 
 the logs, and set them afloat. Next day the wind was still high, and 
 drove the waves against the shore with great fury ; the rain, too, fell in 
 torrents, and not only drenched them to the skin, but loosened the stones 
 on the hill-sides, which then came rolling down upon them. In this 
 comfortless situation they remained all day, with nothing but dried fish 
 to satisfy their hunger ; the canoes in one place at the mercy of the 
 waves; the baggage in another; and all the men scattered on floating 
 logs, or sheltering themselves in the crevices of the rocks, and hill-sides. 
 At three o'clock on the morning of the 12th, a tremendous gale of wind 
 arose accompanied with lightning, thunder, and hail. In a few hours it 
 abated, but a violent rain soon began, and lasted all day. Their situa- 
 tion now became much more dangerous, for the waves were driven with 
 fury against the rocks and trees which till now had afibrded them a 
 refuge ; they therefore took advantage of the low tide and moved half 
 a mile to the mouth of a small brook which had been hidden by the 
 bushes and drift-wood. Here they were safer, if not more comfortable. 
 On the 1 4th, three men were sent to try if they could double the point 
 and find some safer harbor. One of them returned next day with in- 
 formation that at no great distance there was a beautiful sand-beach, 
 and a good harbor. Captain Lewis then set out to examine more mi- 
 nutely the lower part of the bay. On the 15th the weather was fair, and 
 enabled them to dry their bedding and examine their baggage. The 
 
 pre 
 sin 
 
THE MOUTH OF THE OOLUMBIA. 
 
 169 
 
 rain, which had continued for the last ten days without an interval of 
 more than two hours, had completely wet all their merchandise, and 
 spoiled some of their fish, destroyed the robes, and rotted nearly one 
 half of their few remaining articles of clothing, particularly the leather 
 dresses. About three o'clock the wind fell, and they instantly loaded 
 the canoes, and left the miserable spot to which they hod been confined 
 the last six days. 
 
 At the sand-beach below, they met Shannon, who had been sent back 
 by Captain Lewis to meet them. The day Shannon had set out in his 
 canoe, he and Ins comrade went on till they met a party of twelve In- 
 dians, who, having never heard of the expedition, did not know where 
 they came from ; they, however, behaved with so much civility, and 
 seemed so anxious that the men should go with them toward the sea, 
 that their suspicions were excited, and they declined going on. The 
 Indians, however, would not leave them, and the men being confirmed 
 in their suspicions, and fearful that if they went into the woods to sleep, 
 they would be cut to pieces in the night, thought it best to remain 
 in the midst of the Indians ; they therefore made a fire, and after 
 talking with them to a late hour, lay ^own with their rifles under their 
 heads. On awaking in the morning they found the Indians had stolen 
 and hidden their guns. Having demanded them in vain, Shannon seized 
 a club and was about assaulting one of the Indians whom he suspected 
 of being the thief, when another Indian began to load a fowling-piece 
 with the intention of shooting him. He therefore stopped, and explained 
 by signs that if they did not give up the guns, a large party would 
 come down the river before the sun rose to such a height, and put 
 every one of them to death. Fortunately Captain Lewis and his party 
 appeared at this time and the terrified Indians immediately brought 
 the guns. 
 
 WINTER ON THE PACIFIC COAST. 
 
 " Saturday y November 16. — ^The morning was clear and beautiful. 
 We therefore put out all our baggage to dry, and sent several of the 
 party to hunt. Our camp is in full view of the ocean, on the bay laid 
 down by Vancouver, which was distinguished by the name of Haley's 
 Bay, from a trader who visits the Indians here, and is a great favorite 
 among them." Captam Lewis returned on the 1 7th, after having coasted 
 down Haley's Bay to Cape Disappointment, and some distance to the 
 north along the sea-coast. He was followed by several Chinnooks, 
 among whom were the principal chief and his family. "They made us 
 a present of a boiled root, very much like the common liquorice in taste 
 and size, called culwhamo; in return, we gave double the value of their 
 present, and now learned the danger of accepting any thing from them, 
 smce no return, even if ten times the value of their gift, can satisfy 
 
170 
 
 TRATBLS OF LEWIS AND OLARKK. 
 
 tliem." Captain Clarke afterward traveled by land around tho coast, 
 and cliinlicd Capo Disappointment. Tliin is a circular knob, risiuf:^, with 
 n Btccp ascent, one hundred and fifty feet above the water, and connected 
 to the main land by a neck of low ground, two or three hundred yards 
 wide. 
 
 lie rt'tumod to tho camp on tho 20th, and foimd a number of C'hin- 
 nooks, with whom they held a council. Next day they were visited by 
 various bands of tho neighborhood, and a chief from the (J rand Kapids, 
 with whom they exchanged articles of trade. After these Indians wero 
 gone they were surprised at u visit of a difl'erent kind : "An old woman, 
 the wife of a Chinnook chief, came with six young women, her datight- 
 ers and nieces, and having deliberately encamped near us, proceeded to 
 cultivate an intimacy between our men and her fair wards." 
 
 Having examined tho coast, it became necessary to decide on the spot 
 for their winter quarters. As they would lu-ive to rely chiefly on their 
 arms for subsistence, they Avere guided in their choice by the abundance 
 of g.imo which any particuliir place might oHcr. Tho Indians said tho 
 country on tho opposite side of tho bay was better supplied with elk, 
 an animal larger and more easily killed than the deer, tho latter being 
 most numerous at some distance up the river. Tho climate hero was 
 milder than above tho first range of mountains ; tho Indians went thinly 
 clad, and said they had but little snow. Tho weather had indeed been 
 very warm ginco their arrival, sometimes disagreeably so ; and dressed, 
 as they wero, altogether in leather, tho cold would bo very unpleasant, 
 if not injurious. Tho neighborhood of tho sea was further recommended 
 by tho facility of supplying themselves with salt, and tho hope of meet- 
 ing some of tho trading vessels, which might be expected in about three 
 months, and from which they might secure a fresh supply of trinkets 
 for their route homeward. These considerations induced them to visit 
 the opposite side of tho bay ; and if there was an appearance of much 
 game, to establish themselves there during tho winter. Accordingly, on 
 the 25th they left their place of encampment, but the wind being too 
 high they kept along near the shore toward their former camp, and on 
 the following day crossed over to the south side of the Columbia, After 
 going a few miles along tho shore they entered a channel which separates 
 the main land from a large, low island, and stopped at a village of tho 
 Cathlamah tribe. Hero they procured some elk meat, and after dining 
 on fresh fish and roots, which they bought at an enormous price, they 
 coasted along tho river toward the south. On the 2Tth they encamped 
 on a pebbly beach, connecting with tho main land a remarkable peninsular 
 knob, which they called Point William. For a week past tho weather had 
 been almost incessantly wet, and it had rained hard tho whole of this 
 day ; *' it continued all night, and in the morning began more violently, 
 attended with a high wind from the south-west. It was now impossible 
 to proceed on so rough a sea. Wo therefore sent several men to hunt, 
 and the rest of us remained during tho day in a situation the most cheer- 
 
TUET ENCAMP FOR THE WINTER. 
 
 171 
 
 on 
 
 leas and unconifortablo. On this littlo neck of latid wo wcro exposed, 
 with a niiaurublu covering which did not deHorvu the name of shelter, to 
 the violence of the winds ; all our bedding and Btores, as well an our 
 bodicM, were completely wet, our clothes rotting with constant exposure, 
 and no food except the dried fiah brought from the Falls, to which wo 
 were again reduced. The hunters all returned hungry and drenched 
 >vith rain, having seen neither deer nor elk, and the swan and brant too 
 shy to be approached. At noon the wind shitled to the north-west and 
 blow with such tremendous fury that many trees wcro blown down 
 near us." 
 
 The disagreeable diet of pounded fish and B.ilt w.iter occasioned so 
 much sickness among the men that it became absolutely necessary to 
 vary it. Captain Lewis took a canoe on the 20th, and went down the 
 bay with five men, to hunt elk, and other parties went out by land. On 
 the 3d of December an elk was brought into camp, the first they had 
 killed west of the Uocky Mountains, and atler their meager faro it formed 
 a most nourishing food. In the afternoon of the 6th they were rejoiced 
 at the return of Captain Lewis, for whoso safety they had begun to be 
 very uneasy. lie came in a canoe with three of his men, the other two 
 being left to guard six elk and five deer which they had killed. lie had 
 examined the coast, and found a river a short distance below, on which 
 they might encamp during the winter, with a sufticiency of elk for their 
 subsistence within reach. This information was very satisfiictory, and 
 they decided on going thither as soon as they could move from the point. 
 This they were enabled to do on the 7th, although the tide was against 
 them and the waves still very high. On reaching the south side of 
 Meriwether's Bay, which they named from Captain Lewis, they ascended 
 the river Netul for three miles, to the first point of highland on its 
 western bank, and formed their camp in a thick grovo of lofty pines, 
 about two hundred yards from the water, and thirty feet above the level 
 of the high tides. This seemed the most eligible spot for their wuuer 
 establishment. In order, therefore, to find a place for making salt, and 
 to examine the country further, Captain Clarke set out Avith five men, 
 taking a south-western course through thick pine forests and much 
 swampy land, toward the sea. For shelter the first night they stretched 
 the skin of an elk they had killed, but rose in the morning perfectly wet 
 with the rain. Proceeding westward, they had much difficulty in mak- 
 ing their way over streams and swamps, and at length met with three 
 Indians, who invited them to their village on the sea-coast. They went 
 thither, and Captain Clarke was received with much attention. As soon 
 as he entered, clean mats were spread, and fish, berries, and roots set 
 before him on small, neat platters of rushes. After ho had eaten, the 
 men of the other houses came and smoked with him. They all appeared 
 much neater in their persons and diet than Indians generally are, and 
 frequently washed their hands and faces, a ceremony by no means fre- 
 quent elsewhere. 
 
172 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND OLAEKE. 
 
 As the captain was walking on the shore next day, one of the Indians 
 asked him to shoot a duck about thirty steps distant. He did so, and 
 having accidentally shot off its head, the bird was brought to the village 
 by the Indians, all of whom came round in astonishment. They exam- 
 ined the duck, the musket, and the very small buDat, and then exclaimed : 
 " Cloiich musket, wake, commatax muskeV* (" A good musket, do not 
 understand this kind of musket"). They now placed before him their 
 best roots, fish, and syrup, after which he made a few purchases and re- 
 turned to the camp through a heavy rain. The whole party had been 
 occupied during his absence in cutting down trees to make huts, and in 
 hunting. 
 
 On the 11th of December C<"ptain Clarke says: "The rain continued 
 last night and the whole of this day. We were, however, all employed 
 in putting up our winter cabins, which we are anxious to finish, as sev- 
 eral of the men are beginning to suffer from the excessive dampness ; 
 four of them have violent colds, one has a dysentery, another has tumors 
 on his legs, and two have been injured by dislocation and straining their 
 limbs," The work went on notwithstanding the rain, and by the 14th 
 they had finished the walls of the huts and completed a house for pro- 
 visions. The constant rains had spoiled their last supply of elk, but the 
 sick were recovering, although scarcely a man had been dry for a great 
 many days. The hunters were so fortunate as to kill eighteen elk, and 
 on the 15th Captain Clarke set out with sixteen men, who were dis- 
 patched for the game in small parties, each man returning with the quar- 
 ter of an animal. In bringing the third and last load, nearly half the 
 men missed their way and did not return till after night, and five did not 
 find their way till next morning. The rain had poured do'.vn upon them 
 all night, as it had upon their comrades in the camp, but in addition to 
 this they had been without fire, and drenched and cold as they were, 
 they presented a most distressing sight when they came in. At length 
 the building was completed, and they moved into their huts on the 24th. 
 Meanwhile, however, their 8 took of meat was completely spoiled by the 
 incessant rains, and pounded fish became again their chief dependence. 
 
 " Wednesday, L.'. We were awaked at daylight by a discharge of 
 fire-arras, which was followed by a song from the men, as a compliment 
 to us on the return of Christmas, which we have always been accustomed 
 to observe as a day of rejoicin p After breakfast we divided our re- 
 maining stock of toba'ico, which amounted to twelve carrots, into two 
 parts, one of which we distributed among such of the party as made use 
 of it, making a present of:*, handkerchief to the others. The remainder 
 of the day was passed in good spirits, though there was nothing in our 
 situation to excite much gayety. The rain confined us to the house, 
 and our only luxuries in honor of the season, were some poor elk, so 
 much spoiled that we ate it through mere necessity, a few roots, and 
 some spoiled pounded fish." 
 
 December 30. " We enjoyed the fairest and most pleasant weather 
 
THE SALT CAMP. 
 
 173 
 
 Lher 
 
 since our arrival ; the sun having shono at intervals, and there being 
 only three showers in the course of the day. By sunset we had com- 
 pleted the fortilication, and now announced to the Indians that every 
 day, at that hour, the gates would bo closed, and they must leave the 
 fort, and not enter it till sunrise. The Wahkiacums, who had remained 
 with us, and who are very forward in their deportment, complied very 
 reluctantly with this order ; but bemg excluded from our houses, formed 
 a camp near us." 
 
 " Wednesday , January 1, 1806. — ^We were awaked at an early hour 
 by a discharge of a volley of smad arms, to salute the New Year. This 
 is the only mode of doing honor to the day which our situation permits, 
 for though we have reason to be gayer than we were at Christmas, our only 
 dainties are the boiled elk and Wappatoo roots, enlivened by draughts 
 of pure water." One uy a neighboring chief, with a party of Clatsops, 
 brought for sale, besides roots and berries, three dogs and some flesh 
 blubber. "Having been so long accustomed to ilvo on the flesh of 
 dogs, the greater part of us have acquired a fondness for it, and our 
 original aversion for it is overcome, by reflecting that while we sub- 
 sisted on that food we were fatter, stronger, and in general enjoyed bet- 
 ter health than at any period since leaving the buffalo coxmtry eastward 
 of the mountains." The blubber had been obtained from the Killa- 
 mucks, a neighboring nation on the sea-coast to the south, near one of 
 whose villages a whale had recently been stranded. 
 
 Two of the men who had been dispatched to make salt, returned on 
 the 1 5th. They had carefully examined the coast, but it was not ur til 
 the fifth day after their departure that they discovered a convenient sit- 
 uation for its manufacture. At length they formed an establishment 
 about fifteen miles south-west of the fort, near some scattered houses of 
 the Clatst.>p ivnd Killamuck nations, where they had erected a comforta- 
 ble camp and had killed a stock of provisions. The Indians had treated 
 them very kindly, and made them a present of the blubber of the whale, 
 some of which the men brought home. The aj pearance of the whale 
 seemed to be a matter of importance to all the neighboring Indians, and 
 in the hope of procuring some of it, a parcel of merchandise Avas pre- 
 pared, and a party of men held in readiness to set out from the fort in 
 the morning. As soon as this resolution was known, Chaboncau ami his 
 wife requested that they might be permitted to accompany the party. 
 Tl)e poor woman stated very earnestly that she had traveled a great way 
 ^vith them to see the great water, yet she had never been down to the 
 coast, and now that this monstrous fish was also to be seen, it seemed 
 hard that she should not be permitted to see either the ocean or the whale. 
 So reasonable a request couid not be denied ; they were therefore suf- 
 fered to accompany Captain Clarke. 
 
 Having reached the salt-makers' camp, " we persuaded a young In- 
 dian, by a present of a file and a promise of some other articles, to guide 
 us to the spot where the whale lay. He led us for two and a half miles 
 
174 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 over the round slippery stones at the foot of a high hill projecting into 
 the sea, and then suddenly stopping, explained by signs that we must 
 cross th3 mountain. This promised to be a most laborious undertaking, 
 for the side is nearly perpendicular and the top lost in clouds. He, how- 
 ever, followed an Indian path which wound along as much as possible, 
 but still the ascent was so st .'ep that at one place we drew ourselves for 
 about a hundred feet by means of bushes and roots. At length, after 
 two hours' labor, Ave reached the top of the ^aountain, where we looked 
 down with astonishment on the prodigious height of ton or twelve hun- 
 dred feet which wo had ascended. We proceeded by a bad road till 
 night, when we encamped on a small run : we wcro all much fatigued, 
 but the weather was pleasant, and for the first time since our arrival 
 here an entire day has passed without rain. On the 8th we set out early 
 and proceeded to the top of the mountain, the highest point of uliich is 
 an open spot facing the ocean. It is situated about thirty miles south- 
 east of Cape Disappointment, and projects nearly two and a half miles into 
 the sea. Here one of the most delightful views in nature presents itself. 
 Immediately in front is the ocean, which breaks with fury on the coast, 
 from tlic rocks of Cape Disappointment, as far as the eye can discern, to 
 the north-west, and against the high lands and irregular piles of rock 
 which diversify the shore to the south-east. To this boisterous scene 
 the Columbia, with its tributary waters, widening into bays as it aj)- 
 proaclies the ocean, and studded on both sides with the Chimook and 
 Clatsop villages, forms a charming contrast ; while immediately beneath 
 our foot are stretched the rich prairies, enlivened by three beautiful 
 streams, which conduct the eye to small lakes at the foot of the hills. 
 We stopped to enjoy the romantic view from this place, which we dis- 
 tinguished by the name of Clarke's Point of View, and then followed our 
 guide down the mountain." 
 
 The whale had been placed between two Killamuck villages, and 
 nothinjj; more remained than the skeleton, which they found to be one 
 hundred and five feet in length. The natives were all busied in boiling 
 the blubber and preserving the oil. These they parted with reluctantly, 
 and at such high prices that Captain Clarke's whole stock of mereliandiso 
 was exhausted in the ])ur(;hase of three hundred pounds of blubber and 
 a few gallons of oil. With these he set out to return, and encamped on 
 the other side of the creek, which he called Ecola, or Whale Creek, 
 Here they were joined by the men of the village, who gave all the infor- 
 mation they possessed relative to their country. While smoking with 
 the Indians, Captain Clarke was surprised about ten o'clock by a loud 
 shrill outcry from the opposite village ; on hearing which all thct Indiana 
 started up to cross the creek, and the guide informed hini ♦hat some one 
 had been killed. On examination, one of the men was found to be ab- 
 sent, and a guard dispatc hed, who met him crossing the creek m great 
 haste. An Indian beloni jing to another band, who hapi)ened to be with 
 the Killaraucks that eve ling, had treated him with much kindness, and 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR RETURN. 
 
 175 
 
 walked arm in arm with him to a tent where he found a Chinnook squaw 
 who was an old acquaintance. From the com ^rsulion and manner of 
 the stranger, this woman discovered that his object was to murder the 
 white man for the sake of the few articles on his person ; and when he 
 rose and pressed the man to go to another tent, where they would find 
 something better to eat, she held M'Neal by the blanket. Not knowing 
 her object, he freed himself from her, and was going on with his pre- 
 tended friend, when she ran out and gave the shriek which brougnt the 
 men of the village over. The stranger escaped before M'Neal knew 
 what had occasioned the alarm. 
 
 " The month of February and the greater part of March was passed 
 in the same manner. Every day, parties as large as we could spare 
 them from our other occupations, were sent out to hunt, and we were 
 thus enabled to command some days' provision in advance. It consisted 
 chiefly of deer and elk ; the first is very lean, and the flesh by no means 
 as good as that of the elk, which is our chief dependence." In March 
 the elk became scarce and lean, and they made use of fish whenever 
 they could catch them, or purchase them from the Ind. ins ; but as they 
 were too poor to indulge very largely in these luxuries, their diet was 
 by no moans pleasant, and '.o the siok, especially, was unwholesome. 
 During the greater part of this month, five or six of the men were sick, 
 the general complaint being a bad cold and fever, something like an 
 influenza. 
 
 THE RETURN JOURNEY. 
 
 " Many reasons had determined us to remain at Fort Clatsop till the 
 Ist of April. Besides the want of fuel on the Columbian plains, and the 
 impracticability of passing the mountains before the beginning of June, 
 we wore anxious to see some of tlic foroign traders, from whom, by moans 
 of our ample letters of credit, we might have recruited our exhausted 
 Btoros of merchandise. About the middle of March, however, we be- 
 came seriously alarmed for the want of food ; the elk, our chief depend- 
 onco, had at length deserted their usual haunts in our neighborhood, 
 and retr«>ated to the mountains. We were too poor to purchase other 
 food from the Indians, so that we were sometimes reduced, notwith- 
 standing all the exertions of our hunters, to a single day's provisions in 
 iidvance. The mr-n, too, whom the constant rains and continomont had 
 rendered unhealthy, might, we hoped, be benefited by leaving the coast 
 and n-mmiing the exercise of traveling. Wo therefore determined to 
 leave Fort Clatsop, ascend the river slowly, consume the month of March 
 in the woody country where wo hope to find subsistenco, and in this 
 ^\ay reach the plains about the Ist of April, before which time it will be 
 impossible to attempt crossing them : for this purpose we i>ogan our pre- 
 parations. During the winter we had been very industrious in dressing 
 skins, so that we had now a suflicio/i quantity of clothing, besides be- 
 
176 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 tween throo and four hundred pair of moccasins. But the whole stock 
 of goods on which we are to depend, either for the purchase of horses 
 or of food, during the long tour of nearly four thousand mihis, is so much 
 diminished that it might all bo tied in two handkerchiefs. We have, in 
 fact, nothing but six blue robes, one of scarlet, a coat and hat of United 
 States artillery uniform, five robes made of our largo flag, and a few old 
 clothes trimmed with ribbon. Our chief dependence, therefore, must be 
 on our guns, which, fortunately for us, are all in good order, as we had 
 taken the precaution of bruigmg a number of extra locks, and one of 
 our luon proved to be an excellent artist in that way. The powder had 
 been secured in leaden canisters, and though on many occasions they 
 had been under water, it remained perfectly dry, and we now found our- 
 selves in possession of one hundred and forty pounds of powder, and 
 twice that quantity of lead, a stock quite sufficient for the route home- 
 ward, 
 
 " Afler much trafficking, we at last succeeded in purchasing a canoe 
 for a uniform coat and half a carrot of tobacco, and took a canoe from 
 the Clatsops as a reprisal for some elk they had stolen from us in the 
 winter. We were now ready to leave Fort Clatsop, but the rain prevented 
 us for several days from calking the canoes, and we were forced to wait 
 for culm weather before wo could attempt to pass Point William. In the 
 mean time we were visited by many of our neighbors, for the purpose 
 of taking leave of us. The Clatsop Comowool has been the most kind 
 and hospitable of all the Intlians in this qviarter ; we therefore gave him 
 a certificate of the kindness and attention which we have received from 
 him, and added a more substantial proof of our gratitude, the gifl of all 
 our houses and furniture. To the Chinnook chief, Delashelwit, we gave 
 a certificate of the same kind. We also circulated among the natives 
 several papers, ono of which we also posted up in the fort, to the follow- 
 ing effect : 
 
 " ' The object of this last is, that through the medium of some civil- 
 ized person, wbo may see the same, it maybe made known to the world, 
 that the party consisting of the persons whose names are hereunto an- 
 nexed, and who were sent out by the government of the United States 
 to explore the ulterior of the rontinent of North America, did penetrate 
 the same by the way of the Missouri and Columbia Kivers, to the dis- 
 charge of th<! latter into the Pacific Ocean, where they arrived on the 
 lull day of November, 1805, and departed the 23d day of March, 1800, 
 on their return to the United States, by the same route by which they 
 had come out.' 
 
 " Sunday, March 23d, 1806, the canoes were loaded, and at one 
 o'clock in the aflernoon we took a final leave of Fort Clatsop. The wind 
 was still high, but the alternative of remainintr without jirovisions was 
 so unpleasant that we hoped to be able to double Poi. ^ "'tVilliam." Hav- 
 ing passed the point in safety, they proceeded up the river without any 
 hinderance 'uatil the 1st of April, when they learned from some Indians 
 
civil- 
 rvorld, 
 to an- 
 Stiitcs 
 ctrate 
 e dis- 
 n the 
 1800, 
 . tUoy 
 
 lit one 
 wind 
 
 lis was 
 Ilav- 
 
 kit any 
 
 Indians 
 
 CAPTAIN CLARKE'S SORCERY. 
 
 177 
 
 descending tlie river that there was a gresit scar«:ity of provisions ui the 
 neighborhood of the Great Rapids. Tiiey accordingly, decided to re- 
 main at tlieir present encampment, near the month of the Quicksand 
 River, until tliey had collected jneat enough to last them to the C'hoppun- 
 nish nation, with whom they had left their liorses. Parties were accord- 
 ingly sent out to hunt, and in a week they had collected and dried a 
 sufficient quantity of meat for their purpose. 
 
 Meanwhile they heard of a large river which empties into the Ht)uth 
 side of the Columbia a few miles below, and Captain Clarke set out on 
 the 2d, witJi one of his informants as guide, to search for it. Proceed- 
 ing down the south side of the river a few hours, he landed at a house 
 which was recognized as the only remains of a village of twenty-four 
 straw-huts which they had seen the preceding fall. Along the shore 
 were great rmmbers of small (lanoes for gathering wappatoo, left by the 
 Shahalas, wlio visit the place annually, and the inhabitants of the house 
 belonged to a tribe of the same nation. On entering one of the aj)art- 
 mcnts, Captain Clarke offered several articles in exchange for wappatoo, 
 but they appeared sullen and ill-humored, and refused to give him any. 
 He therefore sat down by the fire, opposite to the men, and taking a 
 poit-tire match from his pocket, threw a small piece of it into the flame; 
 at the same time he took his pocket compass, and by means of a magnet 
 whi<^h liaj)pcned to be in his inkhoni, made the needle turn round very 
 briskly. The match now took fire and burned violently, on which the 
 Indians, terrified at this strange exhibition, immediately brought a 
 quantity of wappatoo and laid it at his feet, begging him to put out 
 the bad fire ; while an old woman continued to speak with great ^ehe- 
 mence, as if praying and imploring protection. Having received the 
 roots, Captain Clarke put up the compass, and as the match went out 
 of it.si'lf, trantpiiHity was restored, though the women and children still 
 took refuge in their beds, and behind the men. He now paid for what 
 he had used, and after lighting his pipe, and smoking with them, he 
 continued down the river. He found the mouth of a large rivei-, called 
 Multnomah by the Indians, which a cluster of islands had concealed 
 from tli',">i in their passage down and up the Columbia. From its 
 entrance Mount St. Helen's bore north. Mount Hood due east, and Cap- 
 tain Clarke now discovered to the south-east a mountain which he had 
 not before seen, and to which he gave the name of Mount Jefferson. 
 Like St. Helen's, its figure was a regular cone, and it appeared to be of 
 eqtial height with that mountain. He entered the Multnomah which lie 
 ascended several miles, and found to be a fine navigable river, held 
 some intercourse with the natives on its banks, and returned to the 
 camp oti the evening of the Ud. 
 
 On the 0th they continued their journey and reached the first rapids. 
 During the whole <l;iy they )>.ass<'d along under high, steep, and rocky 
 sides of the mountains, which at length closed in on each side of the 
 river, forming stupendous precijuces, covered with fir and white cedar. 
 
 12 
 
178 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 Down lliosc lioijrhts frequently descend the most boautiful cascades, one 
 ofwliich. !i larije creek, throws itself over a pcritendicular rock three 
 liundri'd feet above the water, while other smaller streams precijjitate 
 themselves from a still greater elevation, and, evaitorating in a mist, 
 again collect and form a second cascade before they reach the bottom 
 of the rt)cks. 
 
 Xi'xt <lay the preparations were made for a portage, which was be- 
 gun on the 11th, by nearly the whole party, who dragged four of the 
 canoes to the head of the rapids with great difficulty and labor. A 
 guard consisting of the sick and lame, remained with Captai;i Lewis to 
 j)rotcct Ihe baggage. They had found the AVahcIcllahs to be great 
 thieves, and were con% inced that nothing l)ut their numbers saved them 
 from attack. Those peoj)le crowded about them as they wen; taking up 
 the boats, and in several instances seemed very ill disposed. Shields, 
 one of the men, had stopped to purchase a dog, and being separated 
 from the rest of the party, two Indians pushed him out of the road and 
 attemj)ted to take the dog from him. He had no weapon but a long 
 kiiil'e, with which he immediately attacked them both, hoping to kill 
 them before they had time to draw their arrows, but as soon as they 
 saw his design they fled into the woods. Socm afterward it M'as found 
 that the WahclcHahs had carried otf Captain Ticwis's dog to their village 
 below, ami three men well armed were instantly dispatched in pursuit 
 of them, v.ith orders to fire if there Avas the slightest resistance or hesi- 
 tation. At the distance of two miles they came in siglit of the thieves, 
 who, finding themselves jjursued, left the dog and made off. The In- 
 <lians Mere now all ordered out of the camp, and told that whoever stole 
 any baggage, or insulted the men, should be instantly shot. During 
 the day they Aver visited by a chief of the Wahclellahs Avho seemed 
 very Avell disposed and mortified at the behavior of the Indians, which, 
 he sai<l, was chiefly owing to two very bad men belonging to the 
 tribe. 
 
 A jjcrioquc^ was lost in the rapids, and to replace it, Captain Lewis 
 jirocured, on the i:Uh, two small eanoes, in (j.vchange for two robes and 
 f!»ur elk-skins. They also purchased, with deer-skins, three dogs, an 
 animal which hud now become a fiivorite food, as it was found to be a 
 strong, healthy diet, , (referable to lean dear or elk, and nnich superior 
 to horse flesh in any state. In the evening he Joined the other boats, 
 which had advanced a fo.w miles, and they resumed their journey next 
 morning. On the isth, they mad<! a j)ortage of seven jiaces over the 
 rock at the next rapids, then drew up tlu; boats, reloaded, and at the 
 disl.'ince of five miles reached the basin at the foot of the long narrinvs. 
 Captain Clarke had meanwhile 1»een out to ](rocure horses, and having 
 obtained f<)ur, they transported their merchandise over the portage on 
 the 10th, and encamped near the Skilloot' village above the rapl<ls. 
 
 "The whol(! village was filled with rejoicing to-dr'y at having caught 
 a single salmon, which w;is considered as the harbinger of vast quantities 
 
 and 
 and 
 
 of 
 
 visit 
 and 
 Won 
 theii 
 
10 
 
 Ig 
 
 he 
 
 an 
 
 )e a , 
 I'ior 
 ats, 
 
 oxt 
 
 tlic 
 
 the 
 
 )\VS. 
 
 i'ing 
 on 
 
 KTht 
 Sties 
 
 A DISAGREEABLE TRIBE. 
 
 179 
 
 in four or five days. In order t:» hasten their arrival, the Indians, aecord- 
 ing to custom, dressed the fisli and cut it into small pieces, one of which 
 was given to each child in the village. In the g«)od humor excited hy 
 this (HTurrence they parted, though reluctantly, with four other horses, 
 for which we gave them two kettles, reserving only a singhi small one 
 for a mess of eight men. Unluckily, however, we lost one of the horsi-s 
 by the negligence of the j)erson to whose charge ho was committed." 
 
 On the morning of the '21st the canoes were dispatdied to the Knc.'- 
 shur village at the (trand Falls, whither Captain Clarke had jireceih-il 
 them in order to barter for horses. The rest of the party were detained 
 in searching for a horse that had broken loose in the night. In the 
 mean time the Indians, who were always on the alert, stole a tomahawk, 
 which was not recovered, though several of them were searched. An- 
 other fellow was detected in carrying f)tf a piece of iron, and kicrked one 
 of camp. Cai)tain Lewis then, addressing the Indians, declared that he 
 was not afraid to fight them, for, if he chose, ho might instantly put 
 them to death and burn their village ; that he did not wish to treat them 
 ill if they did not steal ; and that although if he knew who had the 
 tomahawk he would take away the horses of the thieves, yet he would 
 rather lose the ])roperty altogether than take the horse of an innocent 
 man. The chiefs were present at this harangue, hung tlu'ir hiads, ar.d 
 made no reply. At ten o'clock the men returned with tht^ liorse, and 
 they left these disagreeal)le people. They found Cajitain Clarke at the 
 Eneeshur village, aiid being here joined by the canoes and baggage 
 across the portage, they proceeded ."« short distance above tho town, 
 where they dined on some dogs, and then set forwanl. j^Tliey encamped 
 near a village at the Rock Rapids on the 2'U\, and having .'sseinbled tho 
 warriors and smoked Avith them, they entertained thoin \\"th the violin 
 and a dance by the men. The Indians returned l! .> co" ijiHment in a 
 dance that was new to the travelers, and then retire 1, pro nising to bar- 
 ter horses in the morning. Three horses were then puiv'*"ased, and three 
 more hired of a Chopunnish Indian who was to accompany tlie expedi- 
 tion with his funily. They also j>romised to lake the canoi-s in exch.ango 
 for horses, but finding the white men had resolved to go by land, they 
 refused to give any thing, in hopes tliey would be forced to leave them. 
 Disgusted at this conduct, tho men began to split them in pieces, on 
 which the Indians gave several strands of hea<ls lor each canoe. Hav- 
 ing now a sufficient number of horses, they proceeded wholly by land. 
 
 As they advanced up the rh er, they found the inhabitants more kind 
 and hospitable. After a long march on the liVth, they had (■iu\".mped 
 and were cooking some jerked nie:i\ when they wito Joined by a party 
 of Wollawollahs, .among whom was a chief na>neil Yelh j)t, who had 
 visited them in October. He was nnich ])leased at seeitig th.om again, 
 and invited them to remain at his village three or four days, when he 
 would supply them with food and furnish horses for the journey. After 
 their late experience this kind oflTor was truly acceptable, and they went 
 
180 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 with him to his village six miles above, and twelve luilos bolow the mouth 
 of Lewis's River. Yellept then harangued his people on the virtues of 
 hospitality, and set them an example by bringing an arnit'ul of wood 
 and a platter of roasted mullets. They immediately began by furnishing 
 an abundunee of the only fuel they use, tiie stems of plants. The trav- 
 elers then purchased four dogs, on which they supped heartily, liavuig 
 been on short allowance for two days past. 
 
 The Indians infonned them of a route opposite their village to the 
 mouth of the Kooskooskee, much shorter than that by Lewis's River, and 
 passing over a level, watered country, abounding in deer and anttilopo. 
 As there were no houses on this road, they thought it prudent to lay in 
 a stock of provisions, and accordingly, next morning, purchased ten dogs. 
 Meanwhile Y"llept presented a fine white horse to Captain Clarke, ex- 
 pressing a wish to have a kettle ; but on being told that they had dis- 
 posed of the last one they could spare, he said he would be content with 
 any present they should make in return. Captain Clarke therefore gave 
 his sword, for which the chief had before expressed a desire, adding 
 one hundred balls, some powder, and other articles, with which he ap- 
 peared perfectly satisfied. Fortunately there was here a Shoshonee 
 prisoner, from the south of the Multnomah, who spoke the same language 
 as the Shoshonee woman Sacajawea, and by their means Lewis and 
 Clarke were able to ex])lain themselves intelligibly to the Indians. The 
 latter were inspired with confidence, and soon brought several sick per- 
 sons requiring assistance. They splintered the arm of one, and admin- 
 istered remedies for various diseases ; but their most valuable medicine 
 was eye-water, which was greatly needed : the complaint of the eyes, 
 occasioned by living on the water, and increased by the fine sand of the 
 plains, being now universal. 
 
 On the 29th, they crossed the river in the 'canoes of Yellept. In the 
 course of the day they gavo small medals to two inferior chiefs, each of 
 whom made them a present of a fine horso. They were in a poor con- 
 dition to make an adequate acknowledgment for this kindness, but gave 
 several article?, among which was a i)».stol, and several rounds of ammu- 
 nition. They felt indeed that they hi«.d been treated by these people 
 with an unusurj degree of kindnes?. They finally took leave of this 
 honest, Avorthy tribe, and, accompanied by a guide and the Chopim- 
 nish family, set off across an open sandy plain, on the 30th. They had 
 now twenty-three horses, many of them young and excellent animals, 
 but the greater part afflicted with sore backs. The Indians in general 
 are cruel masters ; they ride very hard, and as the saddles are badly 
 constructed it is almost impossible to avoid 'bounding the back, yet they 
 continue to ride when the poor creatures are scarified in a dreadful 
 manner. 
 
 They reached Lewis's River a few miles above the Kooskooskee, on 
 the 4th of May, and next day continued their journey up the latter 
 river. As they proceedeil they fi-equently met old' acquaintances of last 
 
 jocti 
 him 
 in a 
 '1 j)Ja 
 distal 
 their 
 soroe 
 empt( 
 
MEETING WITH TWISTED HAIR. 
 
 181 
 
 year, and always found that their kindness had not been bestowed on 
 the natives in vain. On the 6th, an Indian gave Captain Chirke a very 
 elegant gray mare, for which all he requested was a phial of eye-water. 
 In the autumn, at the mouth of the Chopunnish Ilivor, a man with pain 
 in his knee was brought to thera for relief He was, to appearance, 
 recovered from his disorder, though ho had not walked for some time. 
 But that they might not be disappointed, Captain Clarko, with much 
 ceremony, washed and rubbed his soro limb, and gave him some vol- 
 atile liniment to continue the operation, which caused, or rather did not 
 prevent, his recovery. The man gratefully circulated their praises, and 
 their fame as physicians was increased by the efficiency of some eyc;- 
 water which they gave them at the same time. This new resource of 
 obtaining subsistence was not unwelcome, now, when their stock of 
 merchandise was very m* ih reduced. So great Wiis the fame of their 
 medical skill, th.at when they encamped that evening at Colter's Creek, 
 they soon had nearly fifty patients. A chief brought his wife with an 
 abscess in her back, which Cajjtain Clarke opened and drosscc? and then 
 distributed medicines to others. Next day the woman declared she had 
 slept better than at any time since her illness. She was therefore dressod 
 a second time, and her husband, according to promise, brought thent 
 a horse which they immediately killed. Their practice now increased 
 so long as they remained. When they had gone a few miles further 
 an Indian l)rought them two canisters of powder, which his dog had 
 found. They recognized them as the same they had buried last fall, 
 and as he had kept them safely, and had honesty enough to return 
 them, they rewarded him as Avell as they could. 
 
 In crossing the plain they saw that the Rocky Mountains were still 
 covered with snow, which the Indians informed them was so deep that 
 they would not be able to pass before the 1st of June, and some 
 placed the time later. As they were very desirous of reaching the 
 pliiins of the Missouri, if for no other reason than that of once more 
 enjoying a good meal, this intelligence was most unwelcome, and 
 gave no relish to the remainder of the horse killed at Colter's Creek, 
 which formed their supper, and part of which had already been their 
 dinner. 
 
 On the 8th, they met with the Twisted Hair, the chief to whom 
 they had confided their horses, and part of their saddles, but as he 
 received them with great coldness they formed very unfavorable con- 
 jectures. They soon found that a violent quarrel had arisen between 
 him and Neeshnepahkeeook, the Cutnose, who now addressed each other 
 in a loud, angry manner. They interposed, and all Went forward to 
 a ])lace of encampment ; the two chiefs forming separate camps, at a 
 distance from each other. Anxious to reconcile the chiefs, and recover 
 their property, they desired a Shoshonee, who had been with the party 
 some days, to interpret while they attempted a mediation ; but he per- 
 emptorily refused to speak a word, for fear of meddling in a private 
 
182 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 quarrel wlicro l»o h;i»l uo right to inturfcrc. Tin' TwiHlcd Hair wan 
 iitU'rwunl invited to coint' uiitl Kiiioko >vilii iIk'Mi. lie accH'ptfd thu 
 invitation, mu\ intorniud thoni tliat hv liad, acconlin^ ti) |ir<>nii8o, coU 
 li'ctt'd tlie horsi'H, and taken eharjje of tiieni ; I nit tliat Neeshneitah- 
 keeook, and Tunnachcniootoolt (the Cutnose, and Brokenarni), who liad 
 been on a war ])arty against the Shosijonees, returned, and becoming 
 jealous because the horses were conKded to his care, were constantly 
 (juarreling with him. At length, unwilling to live in perjietual ilis|)utu 
 with the two chiefs, he had given up the care ol' the horses, which had 
 consequently become much scattered. lie a(hled that in the 8|iring tho 
 earth had fallen away and exposed the saddles, some c»f wliidi had 
 probably been lost, but that he had buried them hi another dtjuisit. 
 Next day he brought hi about half the satldles, and some powder and 
 lead which was buried at the same place ; and soon afterward the In- 
 dians brought in about tw(;nty-one of the horses, the greater part of 
 which were in excellent order, though some had not y«'t recovered from 
 hard usage. The Cutnose and Twis^ted Hair seemed now perfectly re- 
 conciled, and both slept in the house of the lormer. The jiarty set tor- 
 ward next mornhig, and hi the atYi-rnoon arrivid at the house of Uroken- 
 arni, where they were received with due form under a flag which they 
 had given him. In the evening the people brought them a large supply 
 of routs, for which they thanked them, but remarked that they werenf)t 
 accustomed to live on roots alone, and therefore jtroposed to exchaiigo 
 a good horse, which was ! 'an, for one that ^^ils fatter, which they might 
 kill. Thi3 chief said that his peoi>le had an abundaiute of young horses, 
 and that if their guests were disjiosed to use that food, they might have 
 as many as they wanted. .Accordingly they soon gave them two fat 
 young horses, without asking any thing in return. 
 
 During their stay they wei'o visited by several Indians, and on tho 
 11th, finding some of the ]>rincipal chiefs of the Chopunnish nation pres- 
 ent, they took the opport\uiity to explain the intentions of the govern- 
 ment. They drew a map of the relati\ e situation of the country on a 
 mat with a piece of coal, then detaile«l the nature and power of the 
 American nation, its desire to preserve harmony between all its red 
 brethrtn, and its hiteiition of establishing trading houses for their relief 
 and support. "It was not without difficulty, nor till nearly half the day 
 was 8i»i'nt, that we were able to convey all this information to the Cho- 
 punnish, much of which might have bei'n lost or distorted in the circuit- 
 ous rout(! through a variety of languages: for bi the first place, we spoke 
 hi English to one of our men, who translated it into French to Chabo- 
 neau ; he interpreted it to his wife in the IVIinnetaree language, and she 
 then i)Ut it into Shoshonee, and the young Shoshonee prisoner explained 
 it to the Chopunnish in their own dialect. iVt last we succeeded in com- 
 municating the impression they wished, and then adjourned the council; 
 after which we amused them by showing the wonders of the compass, 
 the spy -glass, the magnet, the watch, and air-gim, each of which attracted 
 
 t!i 
 of 
 th 
 gar 
 
 
rillENDLY COUNCILS. 
 
 183 
 
 Its share of attontion. Tlioy waid that afliT wv had \v{\ the ^Mhiiu'tancrt 
 last aiitiiiiui thrco j'onn^ ('li(>[)unnish had pmc over to that nation, wiio 
 had mentioned our visit, and the extraordinsiry artieles we liad with us, 
 but they liad plaeed no conli(U'nee in it till now." 
 
 Next day the cliief's and warriors held a eounoil to decide on their 
 answer, and the result was that tliey resolved to follow the advice of the 
 white men. 
 
 The principal chief, Tuiuiacliemootoolt, then took a »|nanlity >>\' flour 
 of roots, and thickened the soup which his peopU; were »'ookini^, and 
 makin<j; known the determiiuition of the chiefs, invited all wlio atj;reed 
 to the jM'oceedin^fs of the council to come ami eat, while those wlio dis- 
 sented M'ould abstain from tlu; feast. Meanwhile the W()nieii, probably 
 uneasy at the prospect of this new connection with stranj^ers, tore their 
 liair and wrunj; their liands with the ^.neatest appearance of distress, 
 liut the concludinj^ appeal (»f the orator elfeclually slopped the mouth 
 of every malcontent , the proceedintjs uere ratified, and the nmsh d(s 
 voured with the most zt'alous unanimity. The chiefs and warriors tlien 
 came in a l)ody to Lewis and Clarke, and at their instance two y«)un^ 
 nu'i» iiresented each of them Avith a fine liorse. The latter then ^avo 
 tlajis and presents to the «'hiefsand the two ynuiij^ n)en, atler which the 
 chiefs invited them to their tent to receive their aiiswer, but slated iilso 
 that many of tlu'ir people were thi'ii waitini? in ureat pain for medical 
 assistance, Captain Clarke, who was the favorite pliysician, therefore 
 went to visit the sick, while Captain Lewis attended the council. 
 
 The meetini^ was opened by an aj^ed chief, who delivered a lonj^ 
 speecli in aitprobation of the ailvice they had received, expressinjf their 
 desire to be at jteace with all their neighbors. They liad fou<;ht with the 
 Shoshonees, becaus(( the latter had slain lliiir messint^ers of peace; but 
 now, hav"'<<^ aven<jfed the insult, they would receive tliem as friends. 
 They would send some of their younjjj men with the exj^editioji if they 
 would efb'cta peace with the Indians f)n the iMissouri, and then the whole 
 nation would go over next summer. They had not yi't decith'd to send 
 a chief with the white men to their country, but woidd let them know 
 helbre they left. The wliites might depend on their attachment and 
 their best services, tor though poor, their hearts were good. Captain 
 Lewis replied .at s(mu' length. They a[)peared highly gratified, and aflor 
 smoking the pipe, made him a i)resent of another fat horse for food. lie 
 in turn gave Brokenarm a phial of eye-water for all who would apply to 
 him, and j)romised to fill it again ; .it whicih liberality the chief was 
 much pleased. To Twisted Hair, who had collected six more horses, ho 
 gave a gun, a hundred balls, and two potuids of powder, ]>romising the 
 ' same (juantity when they received the ri'mainder of their horses. In 
 the course of the day three more were brought in, and a fresh exchange 
 of small jn-esents put the Indian < in excellent humor. Having settled all 
 their afVairs, the Indians se^'uiat en into two parties, and began to play the 
 game of hiding a bone for ^taket of beads and other ornaments. 
 
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184 
 
 TRAVELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 On the 14th, Lewis and Clarke transported all their baggage and 
 Bwam their horscH across the river, and formed their camp a short dis- 
 tance belovv, on a spot recommended by the Indians. As they were to 
 pass some time in this neighborhood, while waiting for the snow on the 
 mountains to melt, they sent out a number of hunters in diiferent direc- 
 tions ; the rest, who were well, were employed in completing the camp. 
 They secured the baggage with a shelter of grass, and made a kind of 
 tent of part of an old sail, while the men formed very comfortable huts 
 of willow-poles and grass. In a few days it rained, and the flimsy cover- 
 ing of Lewis and Clarke so leaked that they were in water most of the 
 time, and, what was more unlucky, their chronometer became wet and 
 rusted. The men built a canoe, for which the Indians promised a horse 
 when they should set out. The hunters brought nothing but a sandhill 
 crane, and, as they usually met with ill success, the last morsel of meat 
 was eaten. As there was now little hope of procuring a stock of dried 
 meat, they made a division of all the merchandise, so as to enable the 
 men to purchase a store of roots and bread for the mountains. On par- 
 celing out the stores, the stock of each man was found to consist of only 
 one awl, and one knitting-pin, half an ounce of vermilion, two needles, 
 a few skeins of thread, and about a yard of ribbon — but slender means 
 of bartering for a subsistence, but the men had been now so much accus- 
 tomed to privations, that neither the want of meat nor the scanty funds 
 of the pfi rty, excited the least anxiety among them. 
 
 " Besides administering medical relief to the Indians," says the nar- 
 rative, " we are obliged to devote much of our time to the care of our 
 own invalids. The child of Sacajawea is very unwell ; and with one of 
 the men we have ^'"ntured an experiment of a very robust nature. He 
 has been for some tune sick, but has now recovered his flesh, eats heart- 
 ily, and digests well, but has so great a weakness in the loins that he 
 can not walk, nor even sit upright without extreme pain. After we had 
 in vain exhausted the resources of our art, one of the hunters mentioned 
 that he had known persons in similar situations restored by violent 
 sweats, and at the request of the patient we permitted the remedy to be 
 applied. For this purpose a hole, about four feet deep and three in 
 fliameter, w^as dug in the earth, and heated well by a large fire in the 
 bottt)m of it. The fire was then taken out, and an arch formed over the 
 whole by means of willow-poles, and covered with several blankets, so 
 as to make a perfect awning. The patient, being stripped naked, was 
 seated under this on a bench, with a piece of board for his feet, and with 
 a jug of water we sprinkled the bottom and sides of the hole, so as to 
 keep up as hot a steam as he could bear. After remaining twenty min- 
 utes in this situation he was taken out, immediately plunged twice in ' 
 cold water, and brought back to the hole, where he resumed the vapor 
 bath. During all this time he drank copiously of a strong infusion of 
 horse-muit, which was used as a substitute for the seneca-root, which our 
 uiformafit said he had seen employed on these occasions, but of which 
 
THE VAPOR CURE, 
 
 185 
 
 there is none in tl *8 country. At the end of three quarters of an hour 
 he was again withdrawn from the hole, carefully wrapped, and suffered 
 to cool gradually. The next morning he walked about, and Avas nearly 
 free from pain. 
 
 " An Indian was brought in to-day who had lost the use of his limbs, 
 and for whose recovery the natives seemed '> ery anxious, as he is a chief 
 of considerable rank among them. His situation is beyond the reach of 
 our skill." On the 25th, they attempted to sweat him, but found ho was 
 too weak, and hud io desist. The Indians who accompanied him were 
 so anxious for his safety that they still remained, and on the 27th had 
 the operation of sweating again attempted. The hole was therefore 
 enlarged, and the father of the chief went in with him and held him in a 
 proper position. " We could not produce as complete a perspiration as 
 we desired, and after he was taken out he complained of suffering con- 
 siderable pain, which we relieved with a few drops of laudanum, and 
 then he rested well. Next morning he was able to use his arms, felt 
 better than he had for many months, and sat up during the greater part 
 of the day. * * * 29th. The Indian chief is still rapidly recovering, 
 and for the first time during the last twelve months, had strength enough 
 to wash his face. We had intended to repeat his sweating to-day, but 
 as the weather was cloudy, with occasional rain, we declined it. This 
 operation, though violent, seems highly efficacious; for our ovm man, 
 on whom the experiment was first made, is recovering his strength very 
 fast, and the restoration of the chief is wonderful." He continued to 
 improve, and on the following day, after a violent sweating, was able to 
 move one of his legs, and thighs, and some of his toes ; the fingers and 
 arms behig almost entirely restored to their former strength. 
 
 On the 1st of June their stock of merchandise was completely ex- 
 hausted, and as yet they had no adequate supplies for the mountains. 
 Being anxious to provide against the cold and hunger which they had 
 to encounter on the passage, they created a new fund by cutting off the 
 buttons from their clothes, preparing eye-water, and adding some small 
 articles that had been in use. With this cargo two men set out on the 
 2d to trade, and brought home three bushels of roots and some bread, 
 which, in their situation, was as important as the return of an East In- 
 dia ship. Another party returned from Lewis's River with roots and 
 salmon, but the distance was so great that most of the fish was nearly 
 spoiled. Tliey continued hunting in the neighborhood, and by their own 
 exertions and trading with the Indians., succeeded in procuring as much 
 bread and roots, besides other food, as would enable them to subsist dur- 
 ing the passage of the mountains. 
 
 On the 10th, they collected their horses and set out for the Quamash 
 Flats, where they intended to hunt for a few days before proceeding to 
 the mountains. In this they were not very successful ; therefore, on the 
 morning of the 13th, they collected their straggling horses and proceeded. 
 On the l^th they found themselves enveloped in snow, from twelve to 
 
186 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 fifteen fi'ct deep, even on the south side of the mountain. Tlie air \va3 
 keen luid cold, no vestige of vegetation was to be seen, and their hands 
 and feet were bennnilted. The snow bore their horses, and rendered the 
 traveling llir easier than it was during tlieir outward journey. But it 
 would require five days to jjass over, tlie danger of missing tlie way was 
 great, and during this time there wouUl be no elianee of finding either 
 grass or un<lerwood for the lujrses. Tiiey tlierefbre decided to venture 
 no furtlier. The baggage and provisions, togetlier witli instrmnents 
 and papers, were deposited on seaftbMs and earefully eovered. They 
 then set out at one o'cloek, and retraeing their steps, eneaniped on Hun- 
 gry Creek, at a s])ot .vhere they found some scanty grass. In the hope 
 of procuring a guide they went back to tlie Flats on the iJlst, and in the 
 evening found themselves at their old encaniinucnt, where the hunters 
 had killed a deer for supper. Next day all the hmiters were out, and 
 brought in eight deer anil three bear. 
 
 Having obtained guides, they set out at an early hour on the 24th, 
 on a second attempt to cross the mountains. Pursuing their former 
 route, they arrived at Hungry Creek on the evening of the L'uth, and 
 next morning began once more to ascend the ridge of mountains. On 
 reaching the top, they found their deposit perfectly untouched. The 
 snow had melted nearly four feet since the seventeenth. They arranged 
 their baggage, took a hasty meal, and hastened on, as they hail a long 
 ride before reaching a spot where there was grass for the h(jrses. They 
 contiimed their route along the mountaiu-ridge, where sometimes they 
 were so completely inclosed by mountains that, although they had once 
 passed them, they would have despaired of findhig their way out through 
 tlie snow, but for the Indians. The marks on the trees, which had been 
 their chief di'pcndence, were fewer and more indistinct than they had 
 supposed; but their guides traversed this tiackless region with a kind of 
 histiiictive sagacity ; they never hesitated, were never embarrassed ; yet 
 so undeviating was their stej), that wherever the snow had disai)peared, 
 for even a few paces, they found the sunnner road. On the 'Jiith, the 
 ridge they had been fallowing lor several days terminated, and, leaving 
 the snows, they descended to the main branch of the Kooskooskee. 
 
 "«uly 1. — AVe had now made one hmulred and fifty-six miles from the 
 Quaina^h Flats to the mouth of Traveler's Ui-st Creek. This being the 
 l)oint where we proposed to separate, it was resolved to remain a day or 
 two in order to refresh oursels es and the horses. "We now formed the 
 following plan of operations : Cai)tain Lewis, with nine men, is to pursue 
 the mo ■*, direct route U) the falls of the ^Missouri, where three of his i)arty 
 are to prepare carriagc-s for transporting the baggag<^ and canoes across 
 the portage. With the remainhig six he will asccjul Maria's River to 
 explore tlie country, and ascertain whether any luaiich of it reaches as 
 far north as the latitude of fifty degrees, after which he will descend that 
 river to its mouth. The rest of the men will accompany Captaui Clarke 
 to the head of Jefferson River, which Sergeant Ordway and a party of 
 
TUE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 187 
 
 a, 
 
 10 
 
 or 
 ;he 
 5ue 
 
 to 
 
 US 
 
 |\at 
 
 i-kc 
 
 of 
 
 nine men will dcscenil with <he canoes and other articles deposited there. 
 Captain Clarke's party, which will then be reduced to ten, will jjroceed 
 to the Yellowstone, at its nearest approacli to the three forks of the Mis- 
 souri. There he will build canoes, and go down that river with seven of 
 his party, and wait at its mouth till the rest of the party join him. Ser- 
 geant Pryor, with two others, Avill then take the horses by land to the 
 Mandans. From that nation he is to go to the British posts on the As- 
 sinlhoin, with a letter to Mr. Ileiny, to procure his endeavors to prevail 
 on some of the Sioux ch'efs to accompany him to the city of Washing- 
 ton." 
 
 " July .T. — All our preparations being completed, wo saddled our 
 horses, and the two parties who had been so long companions, now sepa- 
 rated, with an anxious hope of soon meeting, after each had accomplished 
 the j>urpose of its destination." 
 
 Captain Lewis proceeded down Clarke's River to the mouth of the 
 Cokalahishkit, or, " River of the Road to Butfaloes," by which they as- 
 cended to the dividing ridge, and reached the Missouri at Whitebear Is- 
 land, above the tails, on the 11th of July. They crossed over, and on 
 the 13th formed a camp at their old station, near the head of the White- 
 bear Island. On opening the deposit, tliey found the bearskins entirely 
 destroyed by the water which, during a flood, had ])enetrated to them. 
 All the specimens of plants wore lost ; the chart of the iMissouri, how- 
 ever, still remained unhurt, and several articles contained hi trunks and 
 boxes had suffered but little injury. They jjroceeded to make prepara- 
 tions lor transporting the ailit'les, and on tlie 15th sent M'Neal to exam- 
 ine the deposit at the lower end of the portage. lie returned at night, 
 however, Avithout having reached the place. Near Willow Run he ap- 
 proached a thicket in which was a white bear, which he did not discover 
 until he was within ten feet of him. Ilis horse started, and wheeling 
 suddenly around, throw him almost immediately under the bear, lie 
 started up instantly, and as the bear was rising up to attack him, struck 
 it on the head with the butt of his musket. The bloAV was so violent 
 that it broke the musket and knocked the bear to the ground, and before 
 he recovered, M'Neal sprang up u willow-tree, where he remained closui)' 
 guarci. d by the hvar until late in the afternoon. The beast then went 
 off, and M'Neal, being released, cnmo down, and having found his horso, 
 which had strayed two miles away, returned to camp. 
 
 Leavhig Sergeant Gass with two men and foui- hoi es to assist in car- 
 rying the effects over the portage. Captain Lewis, with Drewyer and tho 
 two Fields, jiroceeded, with six horses, toward the sources of Maria's 
 River,. After a week's travel they halted at a place ten miles from the 
 foot of the Rocky Mountains, whence they could trace the river to its 
 egress from the mountains, and as this was to the south of west, they 
 concluded they had reached its most northern point. They therefore 
 remained here to make observations. The weather was cloudy, and afler 
 waiting a few days in vum, they mounted their horses ou tho 26th, and 
 
188 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 set out on their return. They had proceeded several miles, and Drew- 
 yer had gone forward on the other side of the river, when Captain Lewis, 
 who, with his party, had ascended the hills hy the river's side, saw, at 
 the distance of a mile, about thirty horses, half of whirh were saddled ; 
 on an eminence above them several Indians were looking down toward 
 the river, probably at Drewyer. He feared some evil design, but re- 
 solved to make the best of the situation, and advanced in a friendly 
 manner. Their attention was so engaged ujjon Drewyer that t.iey did 
 not at first see the approaching party ; when they did they were alarmed, 
 and ran about in confusion. Afterward they collected as if to await them. 
 An Indian mounted and rode at full speed toward them, but after halt- 
 ing for some time he hastened back to his companions. The whole party 
 then descended the hill and rode toward them. When tliey came near, 
 all the Indians but one stopped. Captain Lewis ordered the two men 
 to halt, while he advanced and shook hands with the Indian, and then 
 with his companions. They now all came up, and the Indians proposed 
 to smoke. Captain Lewis found, by signs, that they were Minnetarees 
 of the north, and that there were three chiefs in the party. Though he 
 did not believe them, yet he thought bc.^t to please them, and he gave 
 to one a flag, to another a medal, and to a third a handkerchief. Tliey 
 seemed well satisfied, and now recovered from their alarm, while Lewis's 
 party were equally satisfied that the Indians, only eight in number, were 
 joined by no more of their companions. Being joined by Drewyer, 
 they proceeded to the river, and all encamped together in an Indian 
 tent of buffalo skins, where,' by means of Drewyer, the evening was 
 spent in convei-sation with the Indians. 
 
 In the morning the Latter watched their opportunity and made off 
 with the rifles of the party. As soon as Fields, who was on guard, per- 
 ceived them, he called his brother, and pursued the one who had taken 
 both their rifles. In their scuflie he stabbed the Indian, and he fell. 
 Drew'yer, being awake, wrested his gun from the fellow who seized it, 
 and Captain Lewis, awakened by the noise, reached to seize his gun, but 
 finding it gone, drew a pistol and follow^ed the Indian who was running 
 off with it. He ordered him to lay it dowTi, which was done just as the 
 others wei'e about to shoot him. Captain Lewis forbid them, but find- 
 ing that the Indians were now driving off the horses, he sent three of 
 them in pursuit, with orders to fire on the thieves, while he pursued 
 the fellow who had stolen his gun, and another Indian, who were driving 
 away the horses on the other side. He pressed them so closely that they 
 left twelve of their own horses, but still made off with one of Lewis's. 
 As they entered a niche in the bluffs. Captain Lewis called out, as he 
 did several times before, that unless they gave up the horse he would 
 shoot them. As he raised his gun one jumped behind a rock, and Cap- 
 tain Lewis shot the other. He fell, but rising a little, fired, and then 
 crawled behind a rock. Lewis, who was bare-headed, felt the wind of 
 his ball ; not having his shot-pouch, he now thought it most prudent to 
 
A RACK FOR LIFE. 
 
 189 
 
 retire. The other men puraixed the Indians until two of tliem swam the 
 river, and two climbed the hills, and then returned with four horses. In 
 the contest they lost one horse, but gained four of the Indians', besides 
 which they found in the camp four shields, two bows with quivers, and 
 one of their guns, which they took with them, as well as the flag they 
 had given to the Indians, but left the medal around the neck of the dead 
 man to inform the tribe who they were. 
 
 As there was no time to lose, they ascended the river-hill and set off 
 across the level plauis toward the south-east, over which they pushed 
 their horses with all possible speed. Fortunately the Indian horses were 
 good, and the road smooth, so that when they halted at three o'clock 
 they had made, by estimate, sixty-three miles. They rested an hour and 
 a halt^ and then rode seventeen miles further, when, as night came on, 
 they killed a buffalo, and again stopped for two hours. The moon gave 
 light enough to show the route, and they continued along through im- 
 mense herds of bufftilo for twenty miles, when, almost exhausted, they 
 halted at two in the morning. At day-light they awoke, sore and 
 scarcely able to stand, but as their own lives, as well as those of their 
 companions, depended on their passing forward, they moimted their 
 horses and set off". At the distance of twelve miles they came near the 
 Missouri, when they heard a noise like the report of a gun. They 
 quickened their pace for eight miles further, when they heard distinctly 
 the noise of several rifles from the river. They hurried to the bank and 
 saw with joy their friends coming down the stream. Turning loose their 
 horses, they embarked with their baggage, and all proceeded down to 
 the spot where they had deposited some goods. Most of the articles 
 were injured, but they took what was worth preserving, and immediately 
 proceeded to the Point, where the deposits Avere found in good order. 
 Here they were fortunately joined by Gass and Willard from the Falls, 
 and proceedmg dowii the river together, they encamped fifteen miles be- 
 low. Sergeant Ordway's party, which had left the mouth of Madison 
 River on the 13th, had descended in safety to the Whitebear Islands, 
 where they arrived on the 19th, and after collecting the baggage, left the 
 Falls on the 2Vth in a perioque and five canoes, while Sergeant Gass and 
 Willard set out at the same time by land with the horses, and thus for- 
 tunately the three parties met at the same time. 
 
 On the 29th the united party proceeded with the aid of a strong cur- 
 rent, and reached the mouth of the Yellowstone on the lih of August, 
 where they found a note from Captain Clarke, stating that he would 
 wait for them a few miles below. Not t>ieeting with him next day, they 
 landed, and began to calk and repair their canoes, and also to repair 
 some skins for clothing ; for since leaving the Rocky Mountains, they 
 had not had leisure to make clothes, and the greater part of the men 
 were almost naked. On the 11th they went forward rapidly, hoping to 
 reach the Burned Hills by noon, in order to ascertain the latittide, but ar- 
 riving too late, Captain Lewis went ■with Cruzatte in pursuit of a herd 
 
190 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 of oik wliicli tlioy H.'iw. K;icli of them sliot an flk, then rclondiMl and 
 took (litU'iviit foiitt's iti |iiirsiiit of the jj;:iiii(', wlioii just as Capttii:! Lowis 
 was takiiii? aim at an elk, a ball struck liiiii, jiassliig lliroii<;li tlio lotl 
 tliigli aii<l ura/.iiij^ tlic rij^lit. r>uiiig drosscrl in brown leather, lie tliouglit 
 Crnzattc! liad shot Iiim in nilstako for an elk. I lo ealled several times, 
 but seeing nothing and receiving no answer, lie concluded the shot must 
 be from an Indian, and therefore math) toward the boat, calling out to 
 Cruziitto to retreat, as there wore Indiaris in llu^ Aviilows. lie then or- 
 dered the men to arms, spying that he was woiuided by the Indians, and 
 bach' them follow him to relieve Cru/.atte. They went forward tuitil his 
 wound became so painful that ho could go no further. lie then ordered 
 the men to proceed, and if ovt'rpowered by numbers, to retreat toward 
 tlie lioats, keeping u]> ti lire; then limping b.ack to the boat, he prepared 
 liimsi'lf whh his ritle, a pistol, and the air-gun, to sell his life dearly in 
 case the men should be overeoine. In this stat(> of anxiety he remained 
 about twenty minutes, when the party returned with Cruzatto, and re- 
 ported that no Indians were to be seen in the neighborhood. Cruzatto 
 was now much alarmed, and declared ho liad shot at an elk after Captain 
 Lewis had left him, but disclaimed every idea of having intentionally 
 wouiuled his oflicer. There was no doubt that he was the one Avho gave 
 the wound, but .'is it seemed wholly accidental, and he had always con- 
 ducted himself with propriety, no further notice was taken of it. The 
 wound was dressed, and thougli It bled profusely, yet as the ball had 
 touched neither bt)nc nor artery, they hoped it would not prove flital. 
 They then went on till evening, when, as Cajitain Lewis had a high 
 fever, and could not be removed without great difficulty, lie remained 
 on boai-d during th(> night. Next morning they proceeded with all pos- 
 sible expedition, and soon afterward called at a camp of two Illinois trad- 
 ers, wlio said they had seen Captain Clarke the day before. While 
 they halted, th<'y wore overtaken by two hunters who had been missing 
 since the fkl, and whoso absence excited much uneasiness. After mak- 
 ing some presents to the traders they Avent forward, .and at one o'clock 
 joined their friends and companions under Captain Clarke. 
 
 On taking leave of Captain Lewis and the Indians on tho 3d of July, 
 the other division, consisting of Captain Clarke, with fifteen men and 
 fifty horses, sot out in a southern direction through the valley of Clarke's 
 River. During the next day, they halted at an early hour to do honor 
 to the Ijirth-day of their country's independence. " The festival was not 
 very si»lendid, for it consisted of a mush made of roots and a saddle of 
 venison, nor had we any thing to tempt us to prolong it." On the 6th 
 they left the last year's tr.ail and crossed over tho dividing ridgo to the 
 waters of Wisdom River, and on tho 8th arrived at tho forks of the Jef- 
 ferson, where they had deposited their merchandise in August. " Most 
 of the men were in the habit of chewing tobacco, and such was their ea- 
 gerness to procure it, after so long a privation, that they scarcely took 
 the saddles from their horses before they ran to the cave, and were do- 
 
DESCENT OF THE YELLOWSTONE. 
 
 191 
 
 'g 
 
 id 
 or 
 
 liglitcil !it being ablo to vcsiuno tliw fhsciniiting iiuliilgonoc. Tliis was 
 one of the siverost privations we liavo cncouiitcrcil. Soiiio ot'tlio mon, 
 Avhoso tomahawks wore so constructLMl as to answer the piirjtosc of pipt'S, 
 broku the Iiainllcsof tlu'su iiistruincMits, and after cntting tlieiii into small 
 fragments, eliewed them ; tho wood having, by livtpient smoking, be- 
 come strongly imiirognatod with tlie taste of that plant.'' They found 
 every thing safe, thongh some of tho goods were a little damp. 
 
 The canoes were raised, and tlu; preparations for the journey all nuulo 
 by the 10th, when Captain Clarke divided his men into two bands, the 
 one to descend the river with the baggage, and the other to ))roceed 
 with him on horseback to the Yellowstone. After breakfast they set out, 
 and at tho distance of fifteen miles the two parties stopped to dine, when 
 Cai)tain Clarke, finding that the river became wider and deeper, and 
 that the cnioes could advance more rapidly than the horses, determined 
 to go himself by water, leaving Sergeant Pryor with six men to bring 
 on the horses. They reached the entrance of Madison IJiver at noon on 
 the inth, wh(!ro Sergeant Pryor had arrived with the horses an hour be- 
 fore. The horses were then driven across Madison and (Jallatin llivers, 
 and tho whole party lialted to dine and imload the canoes below the 
 mouth of the latter. Here the two parties separated ; Sergeant Ordway 
 with nine men set out in si.v canoes to descend the river, while Captain 
 Clarke with the remaining ten, and the wife and child of Chaboneau, 
 were to proceed by land with fifty horses to Yellowstone Itiver. 
 
 They set out at five in the aflernoon from the Forks of the Missouii, 
 in a direction nearly eastward. On the 15th, they pursued a buffalo 
 road over a low gap in the mountain, to the heads of the eastern fork 
 of Gallatin River, where they reached the dividing ridge of the waters 
 of the ^Missouri and the Yellowstone ; and on descending the ridge, 
 they struck one of the streams of the latter liver. Nine miles from the 
 top of the riilge they reached the Yellowstone itself, about a mile and 
 a half from where it issues from the Rocky INIountains. They pursued 
 their journey down the banks of the river until the 20th, whev Captain 
 Clarke determined to make two canoes, w'hich, being lashed together, 
 might convey the party (hjwn the river, while a few men should lead 
 the liorses to the 3Iandan nation. The horses were turned out to rest 
 for a few days, l)ut in the morning twenty-four of them were missing, 
 and although the search for them was ccmtinued for several days, they 
 were not seen afterward. One day a piece of robe and a moccasin wei-e 
 found not fiir from the camp, and it became evident that tho Indians had 
 stolen tho liorses. 
 
 At length the canoes were finished and lashed together, and every 
 thing being prepared, the parties set out on the 24th. Sergeant Pryor 
 was directed, with Shannon and Windsor, to take the horses to the 
 Mandans, and if Mr. Henry Avas on the Assiniboin River, to go thither 
 and deliver liim a letter, the object of which was to prevail on the most 
 distinguished chiefs of the Sioux to accompany him to Washington. 
 
192 
 
 TltAYELS OF LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 Caj)tain Clarke embarked on the little flotilla, ami proceeiled very 
 steadily down the river. 
 
 At 2 o'clock on the 3d of August, they reached the junction of the 
 Yellowstone with the Missotiri, and formed a camp on the point M'here 
 they hail encamped on the 26th of April, 1805. The canoes were 
 noAv unloaded, and the baggage exposed to dry, as many of the articles 
 were w et, and some of them spoiled. Next day they found their camp 
 absolutely uninhabitable in consequence of the multitude of mos(piitoes; 
 the meti could not work in preparing skins for clothing, nor hunt in the 
 timbered low grounds ; in short, there was no mode of escape except 
 by going on the sandbars in the river, where, if the wind blew, the 
 insects did not venture ; but when there was no wind, and particularly 
 at night, they could hardly be endured. Captain Clarke therefore 
 determined to seek better quarters, and leaving a note on a pole at 
 the confluence of the two rivers, proceeded down the Missouri. 
 
 On the 8th, they were joined by Sergeant Pryor, with Shannon, 
 Hall, and "NVilscm, but without the horses. These had been stolen from 
 them by the Indians on the second night after they had left Captain 
 Clarke. In the morning they had pursued the tracks five miles, when 
 they divided into two parties. They followed the larger party five miles 
 further, till they lost all hope of overtaking the Indians, and returned 
 to camp; and packing the baggage on their backs pursued a north- 
 east course toward the Yellowstone. Having reached the river, they 
 descended it in two skin canoes, which they made for the occasion. 
 
 In i)roceeding further down the river, Captain Clarke had stopped 
 with Dickson and Hancock, two Illinois traders, on the 11th. The party 
 continued slowly to descend, when, on the 12th, one of the skin canoes 
 was by accident pierced with a small hole, and while they stopped to 
 mend it, they were overjoyed at seeing Captain Lewis's boats heave in 
 sight about noon. But they wore alarmed on seeing the boats reach 
 the shore without Captain Lewis, who, they learned, had been wounded 
 the day before, and was then lying in the perioque. AlYcr attending 
 to his wound they remained here a while, and were overtaken by their 
 two men, accompanied by Dickson and Hancock, who wished to go 
 with tiiem as far as the Mandans. The whole party being now happily 
 re-iinited, they all embarked together. 
 
 On the 14th, they approached the grand village of the Minnetarees, 
 vchere the natives collected to view them as they i>assed. They fired a 
 blunderbuss several times by way of salute, and soon afterward landed 
 near the village of the Mahahas, or Shoe Indians, and were received 
 by a crowd of people who came to welcome their return. 
 
 " In the evening we were applied to by one of our men, Colter, who 
 was desirous of joining the two trappers who had accompanied us, and 
 who now proposed an expedition up the river, in which they were to 
 find traps, and give him a share of the profits. The oflTer was a very 
 advantageous one, and as he had always performed his duty, and his 
 
 JacJ 
 
 oft) 
 
 had [ 
 
 islar 
 
 tain I 
 
 cainjj 
 
 Stat( 
 
 from I 
 
 I provi 
 abunJ 
 
 I soreni 
 posec 
 
RETURN TO CIVILIZATION. 
 
 198 
 
 services might bo (lispenaoil with, wo agret'tl thiit lie might go, proviUeJ 
 none of the rest would usk, or expeet ii similar inclulgenee. To this they 
 cheerfully answered that they wialied Colter every auccess, and would 
 not apply for Uberty to separate before we reached St. Louis. Wc 
 therefore suj)plied him, as did his comrades also, with powder and lead, 
 and a variety of articles which might be useful to him, and ho letl us 
 the next day. The example of this man shows how easily men may bo 
 weaned from the habits of a civilized life to the ruder but scarcely 
 less fascinating maaners of the woods." 
 
 On the IGth the principal chiefs of the Minetarecs came down to bid 
 them farewell, as none of them could be prevailed on to go with tho 
 party. This induced Chaboneau, the interpreter, with his wife and 
 child, to leave, as he could be no longer useful, and having no acquaint- 
 ance in the United States nor means of making a livelihood thei'e, ho 
 preferred remaining among the Indians. This man had been very serv- 
 iceable to the expedition, and his wife particularly useful among the 
 Shoshonees. She had borne with admirable patience the liitiguo of the 
 long journey, encumbered with an infant who was yet only nineteen 
 months old. They therefore paid him his wages and dropped down to 
 the village of the chief Jiigwhite, who was to accompany them with his 
 wife and son. All the chiefs accompanied them on shore, to take leave 
 of him. They found him surrounded by his friends, who sat in a circle 
 smoking, while the women were crying. lie innnediately sent his wife 
 and son, with their baggage, on board, then, after distributing among 
 his friends some powder and ))all, and smoking with tlie white men, 
 went with them to the river side. The Avhole village crowded about 
 tlicm, and many of the people wept aloud at the departure of their 
 chief. 
 
 On the 3d of September they were delighted by hearing the first 
 news from their country, from a trader who had lately passed through 
 St. Louis, and with whom they encamped for the night. Near tho Little 
 Sioux lliver, on the 0th, they met a tradhig boat of St. Louis, with 
 several men on their way to trade with the Ytuiktons at the river 
 Jacques. They obtained of them a gallon of whiskey, and gave each 
 of the party a dram, which was the first spirituous liquor any of them 
 had tasted since the 4th of July, 1805. On the IVth they passed the 
 island of the Little Osage village. Thii'ty miles below they met a Cap- 
 tain M'Clellan, lately of the Unitcu States Army, with whom they en- 
 camped, lie informed them that the general opinion in the United 
 States was that they were lost ; tho last accounts which had been heard 
 from them being from the Mandan villages. 
 
 At length, as the hunters were not very successful, their stock of 
 provisions became very low, though it was partially supplied by an 
 abundance of papaws ; several of the party were also attacked with a 
 soreness of the eyes, whicli was extremely painful, particularly when ex- 
 posed to the light. Three of the men were so much affected by it j*j *' 
 
 13 
 
194 
 
 TRAVELS OP LEWIS AND CLARKE. 
 
 bo unable to row ; they tliercforo turned two of tho boats adrift on tho 
 loth, and dintributed the men among the other canoes. 
 
 " iSaturdui/, September 20th. Near the moiith of tho (lasconado, 
 where wo arrived at noon, we met five Frenchmen on their way to tho 
 Great Osage village. As we moved along rapidly, we Haw on the l)anks 
 some cows feeding, and tho whole party almost involuntarily raised a 
 shout of joy at seeing this image of civiHzation and domestic life. Soon 
 after we reached tho littlo French village of La Charette, which wo 
 saluted with a discharge of four guns and three liearty cheers. They 
 were all cfjually surprised and pleased at our arrival, for they had long 
 since abandoned all hope of over seehig us return. Next morning wo 
 proceeded, and as several settlements had been made during our ab- 
 sence, we were refreshed with tlic sight of men and cattle along the 
 banks. At length, after coming forty-eight miles, we saluted, with heart- 
 felt satisfaction, tho village of St. Charles, and on landing were treated 
 with tho greatest hospitality and kuidness by all tho inhabitants of tho 
 place. 
 
 '■'■Tuesday^ 23d. Descended to tho Mississippi, and round to St. 
 Louis, where wo arrived at twelve o'clock, and having fired a s... cc, 
 went on shore and received tho heartiest and moat hospitable welcome 
 from the whole village." 
 
^ykrdii^ 
 
 (jC^O N a_f P 'i * fO.ACkCGBA^MY- NtW-VQUH. | 
 
BURCKHARDT'S TRAVELS 
 
 IN SYRIA, AFRICA, AND ARABIA 
 
 TRAVELS IN SYRIA. 
 
 John Lewis Burckhardt, the most prominent among onental 
 travelers, the discoverer of the city of Petra, and the first Christian trav- 
 eler who visited Mecca and Medina, was a Swiss, descended from an 
 eminent family of Basle. He was bom at Lausanne, on the Lake of 
 Geneva, in the year 11^ \ He was the eighth child of John Rodolph 
 Burckhardt, a gentleman of wealth and intelligence, whose prospects in 
 life were early blighted by his adherence to the Austrian faction, during 
 the troubles in Switzerland, consequent upon the French Revolution. 
 He was at one time tried for his life, and was obliged to fly from Basle 
 in order to save his family from total ruin. The future traveler natu- 
 rally grew up with a detestation of the French rule, and it was his boy- 
 ish desire to serve in the armies of some nation at war with France. It 
 was his fortune, however, to be destined for a far more useful and heroic 
 career. 
 
 Burckhardt's studies were, from various causes, conducted in the 
 manner best calculated to create and nourish restless and adventurous 
 habits. Having received the first rudiments of his education in his 
 father's house, he was removed to a school at Neufchatel, '-'' 3re he re- 
 mained two years. At the age of sixteen he was entered as a student 
 at the university of Leipzig ; from whence, after four years' residence, 
 he proceeded to Gottingen, where he continued another year. He then 
 returned to his parents. The natural firmness and consistency of his 
 character, of which his countenance was strikingly expressive, still taught 
 him to keep alive his hatred to the French ; but no continental nation 
 had preserved itself wholly free from the influence of this people ; and 
 therefore, rejecting an ofler which was made him by one of the petty 
 courts of Germany, desirous of numbering him among its diplomatic 
 body, he turned his thoughts toward England, his fiither having formerly 
 served in a Swiss corps, in English pay. Accordingly, having provided 
 
198 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF BUROKHARDT. 
 
 himself with letters of introduction to several persons of distinction, 
 among which was one from Professor Blnmcnbach to Sir Joseph Banks, 
 he set out for London, where ho arrived in tlie month of July, 1806. 
 
 This step was the \nvot upon which tlio whole circle of his short life 
 was destined to turn. His introduction to Sir Joseph Banks, who had 
 long been an active member of the African Association, almost necessarily 
 brought him into contact witli several other individuals connected with 
 that celebrated society ; and conversations Avith these persons, whoso 
 enthusiasm was xmbounded, naturally begot in Burckhardt a correspond- 
 ing warmth, and transformed him, from a Quixotic crusader against the 
 French, into an ardent, ambitious traveler. 
 
 Upon Burckhardt's desire to travel for the African Association being 
 communicated to Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Hamilton, then acting sec- 
 retary to that body, strong representations of the dangers to be en- 
 countered in the execution of the plan were made to the youthful aspi- 
 rant ; " but," says one of his biographers, " such representations, which 
 are a delusive kind of peace-offering placed for form's sake on the altar 
 of conscience, are seldom sincerely designed to effect their apparent pur- 
 pose ; and the actors in the farce, for the most part, experience extreme 
 chagrin should they find their eloquence prove successful." 
 
 His offer, Avhich was laid before the association at the general meet- 
 ing of May, 1808, was willingly accepted ; and he immediately com- 
 menced all those preparations which Avere necessary to the proper 
 accomplishment of his undertaking. He employed himself diligently in 
 the study of the Arabic language both in London and Cambridge, as 
 well as in acquiring a knowledge of several branches of science, such as 
 chemistry, astronomy, mineralogy, medicine, and surgery : he likewise 
 allowed his beard to grow, assumed the oriental dress, " and in the in- 
 tervals of his studies exercised himself by long journeys on foot, bare- 
 headed, in the heat of the sun, sleeping upon the ground, and living upon 
 vegetables and water." 
 
 On the 25th of January, 1809, he received his instructions, by which 
 he was directed to proceed in the first instance to Syria, where, it was 
 supposed, lie might complete his knowledge of the Arabic, and acquire 
 oriental habits and manners at a distance from the scene of his researches, 
 and where he was not Ukely to meet with any individuals who might 
 afterward recognize him at an inconvenient moment. After spending 
 two years in Syria, he was instructed to proceed to Cairo, to accompany 
 the Arab caravan to Mourzuk, in Fezzan, by the same route traversed 
 by the unfortunate Hornemann, and to make that place the point of his 
 departure for the interior of Africa. 
 
 Burckhardt sailed from Cowes on the 2d of March, 1 809, in a merchant- 
 ship, proceeded to the Mediterranean, and arrived at Malta in the middle 
 of April. During his stay at this place he completed his equipment in 
 the oriental manner and assumed the character of an Indian Moham- 
 medan merchant, bearing dispatches from the East India Company to 
 
VOYAGE TO SYRIA. 
 
 199 
 
 le 
 In 
 
 Mr. Barker, British consul, and the Company's agent at Aleppo. Mean- 
 while ho carefully avoided all intercourse with such persons from Bar- 
 bary as happened to be in the island ; and when he met parties of them 
 in the street, as he often did, the salaam aleikoom (peace be with you !) 
 given and returned, was all that passed between them. There was at 
 this time a Swiss regiment in the English service at Malta, to many of 
 the officers of Avhich Burckhardt was personally known. To be recog- 
 nized by these gentlemen would at once have proved fatal to his assumed 
 character ; he therefore ai)peared in public cautiously, and but seldom ; 
 but had at length the satisfaction of finding that his disguise was so com- 
 plete as to enable him to pass unknown and unnoticed. 
 
 He entered into arrangements with a Greek respecting his passage 
 from Malta to Cyprus; but on the very morning of his expected depart- 
 ure he received information that the owner of the ship had directed the 
 captahi to proceed to Tripoli. His baggago was in consequence trans- 
 ferred to another ship, said to be bound to the same island ; " but the 
 very moment I was embarking," says Burckhardt, " the new captain told 
 me that he was not quite sure whether he should touch at Cyprus, his 
 ship being properly bound for Acre. I had now the option to wait at 
 Malta, ])erhaps another month or two, for an opportunity for Cyprus or 
 the coast of Syria, or to run the chance of disembarking at a place where 
 there was no person whatever to whom I could apply for advice or pro- 
 tection. Luckily an Arab of Acre, then at Malta, happened to be known 
 to Mr. Barker, jr. ; in half an hour's time a letter from a merchant at 
 Acre, with another in case of need for the pasha, were procured, .ind I 
 embarked and sailed the same morning in the hope of finding, when ar- 
 rived at Acre, a passage for Trijjoli (Syria), or for Latakia. However, 
 we were no sooner out of sight of the island than it was made known to 
 me that the real destination of the ship was the coast of Caramania, that 
 the captain had orders to touch first at the port of Satalia, then at that 
 of Tarsus ; and that if grain could not be purchased at an advantageous 
 price at either of these places, in that case on'y he was to proceed to 
 Acre. My remonstrances with the captain would have been vain ; noth- 
 ing was left to mo but to cultivate his good graces and those of my 
 fellow-travelers, as the progress of my journey must depend greatly 
 upon their good offices. The passengers consisted, to my astonishment, 
 of a rich Tripoline merchant, who owned part of the ship, two other 
 Tripolines, and two negro slaves. I introduced myself among them as 
 an Indian Mohammed.an merchant, who had been from early years in 
 England, .and was noAv on his way home ; and I had the good fortune to 
 make my story credible enough to the j)assengers, as well as to the ship's 
 company. During the course of our voyage niimerous questions were 
 put to mo relative to India, its inhabitants .and its language, which I 
 answore<l as well as I could. Wliencver I was .asked for a specimen of 
 the Hindoo language, I answered in the worst dialect of the Swiss Ger- 
 man, almost unintelligible even to a German, and which, in its guttural 
 
200 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF BURCKHARDT. 
 
 sounds, may fairly rival the harshest utterance of Arabic. Every even- 
 ing we assembled upon deck to enjoy the coolin.c; sea-breeze and to smoke 
 our pij)es. While one of the sailors was amusing his companions with 
 Btory-telling, I was called upon to relate to ray companions the wonders 
 of the furthest east — of the Great Mogul and the riches of his court — 
 of the widows in Hindostan burning themselves — of the Chinese, their 
 wall, and great porcelain tower," etc. 
 
 They sailed along the southern coast of Candia, saw Rhodes at a great 
 distance, and arrived in a few days at Satalia, in Caramania. Here the 
 plague, it was found, was raging in the town ; but this circumstance did 
 not prevent the Tripoline merchant from landing and disposing of his 
 merchandise, nor the captain from receiving him again on board. When 
 their business with this town was completed, they again set sail, and af- 
 ter coasting for three days along the shore of Caramania, arrived in the 
 roads of Mersin, from whence Burckhardt and several of his companions 
 proceeded by land on an excursion to Tarsus. Finding here a ship bound 
 for the coast of Syria, the traveler left the Maltese vessel in order to pro- 
 ceed by this new conveyance : " In taking leave of the Tripoline," says 
 he, " I took off my sash, a sort of red cambric shawl, of Glasgow manu- 
 facture, which he had always much admired, thinking it to be Indian 
 stuff, and presented it to him as a keepsake or reward for his good serv- 
 ices. He immediately unloosened his turban, and twisted the shawl in 
 its stead around his head : making me many professions of friendship, 
 and assurinrj me of his hospitality, if ever the chance of mercantile pur- 
 suits shor.id again engage me to visit the Mediterranean, and perhaps 
 Tripoli, in Barbary." 
 
 Burckhardt reached the coast of Syria at that point where the Aasi, 
 the ancient Orontes, falls into the sea ; and immediately prepared to de- 
 part for Aleppo M-ith a caravan. Having been intrusted with several 
 chests for the British consul at Aleppo, his baggage appeared considera- 
 ble, and he was consequently sent for by the aga, who expected a hand- 
 some present for permitting it to pass. When questioned by this officer 
 respecting the contents of the chests, he replied that he was entirely ig- 
 norant of the matter, but suspectc^ that among other things there was a 
 sort of Frank drink, called beer, with various kinds of eatables. The aga 
 now sent an officer to examine them. A bottle of beer having been bro- 
 ken in loading, " the man tasted it by putting his finger into the liquor, 
 and found it abominably bitter ; such was his report to the aga. As a 
 sample of the ertables, he produced a pot ito which he had takim out of 
 one of the barrels, and that noble root etcitcd general lautrlitor in the 
 room. 'It is well worth while,' they said, 'to send such stuff to such a 
 distance.' The aga tasted of the raw potato, and spitting it out again, 
 swore at the Frank's stomach which could bear such food." The mean 
 opinion to which these specimens gave rise, inclined the aga to be con- 
 tent with the trifling sum of ten piasters, which he probably thought 
 more than the value of a whole ship's cargo of potatoes and beer. 
 
RESIDENCE AT ALEPPO. 
 
 201 
 
 Upon the arrival of tb.. caravan at Antioch, Burckhardt, desirous of 
 studying the manners of all ranks of men, took up his quarters in the khan 
 of the muleteers, where, from a suspicion that he was a Frank in dis- 
 guise, he was subjected to numerous indignities. The aga'.' dragoman, 
 some wretched Frenchman, or Piedmontese, being sent by his master to 
 discover the truth, and failing to effect his purpose by any other means, 
 determined, as a last resource, on pulling him by the beard, and at the 
 same time asked him familiarly why he had suffered such a thing to grow ? 
 To this Burckhardt replied by striking him on the face, which turned 
 the laugh against the poor dragoman, and was an argument so peculiarly 
 Moharamedam, that it seems to have convinced the bystanders of the 
 truth of his assertions. 
 
 After a delay of four days he continued his journey with the cara- 
 van, witlj the motley members of which he was compelled to maintain 
 ail unceasing struggle in defense of his assumed character ; a circum- 
 stance which proves one of two things, either that the Sonnees of the 
 west have by intercourse with Europeans been rendered more acute 
 in discovering impostors, than the Sheeahs of Afghanistan and northern 
 Persia, or that Burckhai'dt was hitherto somewhat unskillful in his move, 
 ments. On his arrival at Aleppo, he determined, in pursuance of th.« 
 advice of Mr. Barker, to put off his Mohammedan disguise, though he 
 still retained the Turkish dress ; and with the aid of an able master, 
 recommenced the study of the Arabic, both literal and vulgar. He 
 was attacked, however, shortly after his arrival, by a strong inflam- 
 matory fever, which lasted a fortnight ; it was occasioned, as he con- 
 jectured, by the want of sleep, of which blessing he had been deprived 
 by the prodigious colonies of fleas which had established themselves in 
 his garments during his stay at the khan of Antioch. When this sea- 
 soning was over, his health appeared to be improved, and he found the 
 climate finer, and more salubrious than he had expected. 
 
 During his stay in this city, which was a very protracted one, Burck- 
 hardt labored assiduously in fitting himself for the honorable perform- 
 ance of the task he had undertaken. His Arabic studies were uninter- 
 rupted. Besides seizing eagerly on every opportunity of improving 
 himself by conversation with the natives, he labored at an attempt to 
 transform " Robinson Crusoe" into an Arabian tale. He moreover suc- 
 ceeded in m ' '^g the acquaintance of several shekhs, and other literary 
 men, who honored him occasionally with a visit ; a favor, he says, which 
 he owed principally to Mr. Wilkins's " Arabic and Persian Dictionary." 
 The ordinary lexicons of the country being very defective, the learned 
 Turks were often obliged to have recourse to Wilkins, whose learning 
 and exactness sometimes compelled them to exclaim, " How wonder- 
 ful that a Frank should know more of our language than our first 
 ulemas !" 
 
 In the month of July, 1810, Burckhardt departed from Aleppo under 
 the protection of an Arab shekh, of the Aneyzeh tribe, who undertook 
 
202 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF BURCKHAltDT. 
 
 to escort him to Palmyra, and tlionco through tlio Ilauran to Damascus, 
 On the way they were attacked, while the shckh was absent at a wator- 
 ing-placc, by hostile Arabs, by whom our traveler was robbed of his 
 watch and compass ; after which he pushed on into the desert to rejoin 
 the chief. Contrary to the well-known faith of tho Arabs, this man 
 transferred to another the protection of his guest, thereby exposing him 
 to be robbed a second time, at Palmyra, where the bandit in authority, 
 finding that he had no money, contented himself with seizing upon his 
 saddle. Returning from these ruins, he found at Yebrud a letter from 
 the shekh, forbidding him to proceed toward the Ilauran, because, as 
 tho writer asserted, the invasion of the Wahabees had rendered that 
 portion of the country unsafe, even to himself and his Arabs. In con- 
 sequence of this fraudulent conduct of the shekh, for the excuse was a 
 fiction, he found himself necessitated to take the road to Damascus ; 
 disappointed in part, but upon the whole well satisfied with having be- 
 held those magniiicent ruins in the desert Avhich have charmed so many 
 strangers, and with having at the same time enjoyed so many occasions 
 of observing the Bedouins under their own tents, where ho was every- 
 where received with hosjatality and kindness. 
 
 After proceeding southward to the territory of the Druses, and 
 Mount Ilermon, he returned to Damascus ; whence, afler a short stay, 
 he made an excursion into the Ilauran, the patrimony of Abraham, 
 which four years before had been in jjart visited by Dr. Seetzen, pre- 
 vious to his tour round the Dead Sea. " During a fatiguing journey 
 of twenty-six days," says Burckhardt, " I explored this country as far 
 as five days' journey to the south and south-east of Damascus ; I went 
 over the whole of the Jebel Ilauran, or mountain of the Druses, who 
 have in these parts a settlement of about twenty villages ; I passed 
 Bozra, a place mentioned in the books of Moses, and not to be con- 
 founded with Boostra ; I then entered the desert to the south-east of it, 
 and returned afterward to Damascus through the rocky district on the 
 foot of the Jebel Ilauran, called El Leja. At every step I found ves- 
 tiges of ancient cities; saw the remains of many tem{)les, public edifices, 
 and Greek churches ; met at Shohbe Avith a well-preserved amphi- 
 theatre, at other places with numbers of still standing columns, and 
 had opportunities of cop}ing many Greek inscriptions, which may servo 
 to throw some light upon the history of this almost forgotten corner. 
 The inscriptions are, for the greater part, of the lower empire, but some 
 of the most elegant ruins have their inscriptions dated from the reigns 
 of Trajan, and M. Am-elius. The Ilauran, Avith its adjacent districts, is 
 the spring and summer rendezvous of most of the Arab tribes, who in- 
 habit in Avinter-time the great Syrian desert, called by them El Ha .- 
 mad. They approach the cultivated lands in search of grass, water, 
 and corn, of which last they buy up in the Ilauran their yearly pro- 
 vision." 
 
 Having to a certain extent satisfied his '^uriosity respecting this ob- 
 
EXCURSION INTO THE SYRIAN DESERT. 
 
 203 
 
 Bcure region, he returned by way of llonis and Ilamah toward Aleppo, 
 where lie arrived on the New-year'n day of 1811. lie now meditated 
 an excursion into the desert towmd the Euphrates, but was for some 
 time prevented from putting his design in execution by the troubled 
 state of the country, two powerful Arab tribes, the one inimical, the 
 other friendly to the Aleppines, having been for many months at war 
 with each other. Burckhardt at length succeeded, however, in placing 
 himself under the protection of the Shekh of Sukhne, and set out to- 
 ward the desert ; but his own account of this journey "'as lost, and all 
 that can now be known of it is to bo gathered from a letter from Mr. 
 Barker, the former celebrated British consul at Aleppo. " One lumdred 
 and twenty, or one hundred and fifty miles below the ruins of Membi- 
 geh, in the Zor," says this gentleman, "there is a tract on the banks of 
 the Eui)hrates possessed by a tribe of very savage Arabs. Not far from 
 them is the village of Sukhne, at the distance of five days from Aleppo, 
 and of twelve hours from Palmyra, in the road which Zenobia in her 
 fiiglit took to gam the Euphrates. The people of Sukhne are sedentary 
 Arabs, of a breed half F'ellah and half Bedouin. They bring to Aleppo 
 alkali and ostrich feathers. It was upon one of these visits of the Shekh 
 of Sukhne to Aleppo, that Burckhardt, after some negotiation, resolved 
 to accept the protection of the shekh, who undertook, upon their arrival 
 at his village, to place him under the protection of a Bedouin of sufli- 
 cient influence to procure him a safe passage through the tribes of the 
 country which he wished to explore. Burckhardt had reason to be 
 satisfied both with the Shekh of Sukhne, and with the Arab whom he 
 procured as an escort, except that, in the end, the protection of the lat- 
 ler proved insufticient. The consequence was that poor Burckhardt was 
 stripped to the skin, and he returned to Sukhne, his body blistered with 
 the rays of the sun, and without having accomplished any of the objects 
 of his journey. It was in this excursion to the desert that Burck- 
 hardt had so hard a struggle with an Arab lady, who took a fancy to 
 the only garment which the delicacy or compassion of the men had 
 left him," 
 
 After his return from this imfortunate jo imey, Burckhardt was de- 
 layed for a considerable time at Aleppo by incessant rains ; but at length, 
 on the 14th of February, he bade this city a final adieu, and hastened 
 once more to Damascus. He was desirous, before quitting Syria, of 
 performing another journey in the Hauran. This he completed, and 
 having transmitted to England an account of his discoveries in this ex- 
 traordinary region, he departed on the 18th of June for the Dead Sea. 
 Having reached Nazareth, " I met here," says he, " a couple of pettj 
 mei'chants from Szalt, a castle in the mountains of Balka, which I had 
 not been able to see during my late tour, and which lies on the road I 
 had pointed out to myself for passing into the Egyptian deserts. I 
 joined their caravan ; after eight hours' march, we descended into the 
 valley of the Jordan, called El Ghor, near Bysan ; crossed the river, and 
 
204 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF BDRO^HARDT. 
 
 continued along its verdant banks for about ton hours, until wo reached 
 the river Zerka, near the place where it empties itself into the Jordan. 
 Turning then to our left, wo ascended the eastern chain, formerly part of 
 the district of Balka, and arrived at Szalt, two long days' journey from 
 Nazareth. The inhabitants of Szalt are entirely independent of the 
 Turkish government ; they cultivate the ground for a considerable dis- 
 tance round their habitations, and part of them live the whole year in 
 tents, to watch their harvests and to pasture their cattle. Many ruined 
 places and mountains in the district of Balka preserve the names of the 
 Old Testament, and elucidate the topography of the province that fell 
 to the share of the tribes of Gad and lieuben. Szalt is at present the 
 only inhabited place in the Balka, but numerous Arab tribes pasture 
 there their camels and sheep. I visited from thence the ruins of Am&n, 
 or Philadelphia, five hours and a half distant from Szalt. They are sit- 
 uated in a valley on both sides of a rivulet, which empties itself into 
 the Zerka. A large amphitheater is the most remarkable of these ruins, 
 which are much decayed, and in every respect inferior to those of Jerash. 
 At four or five hours south-east of Aman are the ruins of Om Erresas 
 and El Kotif, which I could not see, but which, according to report, are 
 more considerable than those of Philadelphia. The want of communi- 
 cation between Szalt and the southern countries delayed my departure 
 for upward of a week. I found at last a guide, and we reached Kerek 
 in two days and a half, after having passed the deep beds of the torrents 
 El Wale and El Mojeb, Avhich I suppose to be the Nahaliel and Arnon. 
 The Mojeb divides the district of Balka from that of Kerek, as it for- 
 merly divided the Moabites from the Amorites. To the south of the 
 wild torrent Mojeb I found the considerable ruins of Rabbah Moab ; 
 and, three hours' distance from them, the town of Kerek, situated at 
 about twelve hours' distance to the east of the southern extremity of 
 the Dead Sea. * * * 
 
 " The treachery of the Shekh of Kerek, to whom I had been par- 
 ticularly recommended by a grandee of Damascus, obliged me to stay 
 at Kerek above twenty days. After having annoyed me in different 
 ways, he permitted me to accompany him southward, as he had himself 
 business in the mountains of Djebal, a district which is divided from that 
 of Kerek by the deep bed of the torrent El Ahhsa, or El Kahary, eight 
 hours' distance from Kerek. We remained for ten days in the villages 
 to the north and south of El Ansa, which are inhabited by Arabs, who 
 have become cultivators, and who sell the produce of their fields to the 
 Bedouins. The shekh, having finished his business, left me at Beszeyra, 
 a village about sixteen hours' south of Kerek, to shift for myself, after 
 having maliciously recommended me to the care of a Bedouin, with 
 whose character he must have been acquainted, and who nearly stripped 
 me of the remainder of my money. I encountered here many difficul- 
 ties, was obliged to walk from one encampment to another, until I found 
 at last a Bedouin who engaged to carry me co Egypt. In his company 
 
APPROACH TO PETRA. 
 
 205 
 
 I continued southward, in the mountains of Shera, which are divided 
 to the north from Djebal by the broad valley called Ghoseyr, at about 
 five hours' distance from Beszeyra. The chief place in Djebal is Tafyle, 
 and in Shera the castlo of iShobak." 
 
 DISCOVERY OF PETRA. 
 
 " The valley of Ghor is continued to the south of the Dead Sea ; at 
 about sixteen hours' distance from tho extremity of the Dead Sea its 
 name is changed into that of Araba, and it runs in almost a straight line, 
 declining somewhat to the west, as far as Akaba, at the extremity of the 
 eastern branch of the Red Sea. The existence of this valley appears to 
 have been unknown to ancient as well as modern geographers, although 
 it is a very remarkable feature in the geography of Syria and Arabia 
 Petroea, and is still more interestinfc for its productions. In this valley 
 the manna is still found ; it drops from the sprigs of several trees, but 
 principally from the Gharrab. It is collected by the Arabs, who make 
 cakes of it, and who eat it with butter ; they call it Assal Beyrook, or 
 the honey of Beyrook. Indigo, gum-arabic, and the silk-tree, called 
 Asheyr, whose fruit incloses a white silky substance, of which the Arabs 
 twist their matches, grow in this valley." 
 
 In this valley, about two long days' journey north-east of Akaba, is 
 a small rivulet, near the banks of which Burckhardt discovered the ruins 
 of a city, which he rightly conjectured to be those of Petra, the capital 
 of Arabia Petra;a. No other European traveler had ever visited the 
 spot, though few places in Western Asia are more curious or deserving 
 of examination. The difficulties and dangers of reaching Pctra, a city 
 which had been lost to the world for fifteen hundred years, are thus 
 described by the traveler : " I was particularly desirous of visiting Wady 
 Moussa, of the antiquities of which I had heard the country people 
 speak in terms of great admiration, and from thence I had hoped to 
 cross the desert in a straight line to Cairo ; but my guide was afraid of 
 the hazards of a journey through the desert, and insisted upon ray tak- 
 ing the road to Akaba, the ancient Ezion-geber, at the extremity of the 
 eastern branch of the Red Sea, where, he said, we might join some 
 caravans, and continue our route toward Egypt. I wished, on the con- 
 trary, to avoid Akaba, as I knew that the Pasha of Egypt kept there 
 a numerous garrison to watch the movements of the Wahabees and of 
 his rival the Pasha of Damascus. A person, therefore, like myself, com- 
 mg from the latter place, without any papers to show who I was, or why 
 I had ttvken that circuitous route, would certainly have roused the sus- 
 picions of the officer commanding at Akaba, and the consequences might 
 have been dangerous to me among the savage soldiery of that garrison. 
 The road from Shobak to Akaba lies to the east of Wady Moussa, and 
 to have quitted it out of mere curiosity to see the Wady would have 
 
206 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKIIARDT. 
 
 looked Rtispicious in the eyes of the Arabs : T therefore ])reteml(ul to have 
 made a vow to slaughter a goat in honor of Ilaroun (Aaron), whose tomb 
 I knew was fiitiiated at the extremity of the valley, and by this Htrata- 
 gem I thought that I should have the means of seeing the valley on my 
 way to the tomb. To this my guide had nothing to oppose ; the dread 
 of drawing down upon himseltj by resistance, the wrath of Ilaroun, 
 completely silenced him. 
 
 " I hired a guide at Eldjy, to conduct mo to Ilaroun's tomb, and paid 
 liim with a pair of old horse-shoes. He carried the goat, and gave me 
 a skin of water to carry, as ho knew there was no water in the wady 
 below. In following the rivulet of Eldjy westward, the valley soon nar- 
 rows again, and it is here that the antiquities of Wady Moussa (Petra) 
 begin. Of these I regret that I am not able to give a very complete 
 account ; but I knew well the character of the people aroimd me. I 
 was without protection in the midst of a desert, where no traveler had 
 ever before been seen, and a close examination of these works of the 
 infidels, as they are called, would have excited suspicions that I was a 
 magician in search of treasures. I should at least have been detained 
 and prevented from prosecuting my journey to Egypt, and in all proba- 
 bility should have been stripped of the little money which I possessed, 
 and, what was infinitely more valuable to me, of my journal. Future 
 travelers may visit the spot under the protection of an armed force ; the 
 inhabitants will become more accustomed to the researches of strangers, 
 and the antiquities of Wady Moussa will then be found to rank among 
 the most curious remains of ancient art." 
 
 Burckhardt gives as careful a description as his memory afforded 
 of the -wonders of the valley — the hundreds of sepulchral chambers, 
 adorned with Grecian sculpture, excavated in the red sand-stone rocks 
 flanking the valley — of the mausolea, some in the Egyptian style, 
 with obelisks, some in the chaste architecture of the Greeks — and 
 especially of the Khasneh, or "Treasury of Pharaoh," an excavated 
 edifice of wonderful beauty ; but his account has been superseded by 
 the more complete and elaborate descriptions of Laborde and other late 
 travelers, and need not be quoted entire. " Near the west end of Wady 
 Moussa," he continues, " are the remains of a stately edifice, of which 
 ])art of the wall is still standing; the inhabitants call it Kasr Bint 
 Faraoun^ or the palace of Pharaoh's daughter. In my way I had en- 
 tered several sepulchres, to the surprise of my guide, but when he saw 
 me turn out of the foot-path toward the Kasr, he exclaimed : ' I see now 
 clearly that you are an infidel, who have some particular business among 
 the ruins of the city of your forefathers ; but depend upon it that we 
 shall not suffer you to take out a single para of all the treasures hidden 
 therein, for they are in our territory, and belong to us.' I replied that 
 it was mere curiosity which prompted me to look at the ancient works, 
 and that I had no other view in coming there than to sacrifice to 
 Haroun ; but he was not easily persuaded, and I did not think it prudent 
 
TUB SAORIPICK TO AATON. 
 
 207 
 
 to irritate him by too close an inspcetion of the palace, as it might havo 
 led him to declare, on our return, hin belief that I had found treasures, 
 which might have led to a search of my person, and to the detection of 
 my journal, which would most certainly havo been taken from me, as a 
 book of magic. It was of no avail to tell them to follow me, and seo 
 whether I searched for money. Their reply was, ' Of course you will not 
 dare to take it out before us, but we know that if yo\i are a skillful magi- 
 cian you will order it to follow you through the air to whatever i)laco 
 you please.' 
 
 " The sun had already set when wo arrived on the plain. It was too 
 late to reach the tomb, and I was excessively fatigued ; I therefore hast- 
 ened to kill the goat in sigiit of the tomb, at a spot where I found a 
 number of heaps of stones, jjlaccd there in token of as many sacrilices in 
 honor of that saint. While I was in the act of slaying the animal, my 
 guide exclaimed aloud: ' O Ilaroun, look upon us ! it is for you we slaugh- 
 ter this victim. O Ilarotm, bo content with our good intentions, for it 
 is but a lean goat. O Ilaroun, smooth our paths ; and praise be to the 
 Lord of all creatures !' This ho repeated several times, atler which ho 
 covered the blood that had fallen to the ground with a heap of stones ; 
 we then dressed the best part of the flesh ibr our supper, as expeditiously 
 as possible, for the guide was afr.aid of the fire being seen, and of its 
 attracting tliither some robbers." 
 
 In proceeding further toward Akaba, Burckhardt encountered a small 
 party of Arabs who were conductitig a few camels for sale to Cairo, and 
 uniting himself to this little caravan, performed the remainder of tho 
 journey ui their company. "We crossed the valley of Araba," says he, 
 " ascended on tho other side of it the barren mountains of Beyane, and 
 entered tho desert called El Tib, which ia the most barren and horrid 
 tract of country I have ever seen ; black flints cover the chalky or sandy 
 ground, which ia most places is without any vegetation. The treo 
 which produces the gum-arabic grows in some spots ; and the tamarisk 
 is met with hero and there ; but the scarcity of water forbids much 
 extent of vegetation, and the hungry camels are obliged to go in tho 
 evening for whoU; hours out of the road in order to find some withered 
 shrubs ujjon which to feed. During ten days' forced marches wo 
 passed only four sjjrings or wells, of which one only, at about eight hours 
 east of Suez, was of sweet water. The others were brackish and sul- 
 phureous. We passed at a short distance to the north of Suez, and 
 arrived at Cairo by the pilgrim road." 
 
 TRAVELS IN NUBIA AND ETHIOPIA. 
 
 On his arrival at Cairo, Burckhardt's first employment was to draw 
 up a detailed account of his journey through Arabia Petrsea : he then 
 turned his attention to the means pf fulfilling the great design uf his mis- 
 
203 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BUROKHARDT. 
 
 Hion; but no opportunity of penetrating into the interior of Africa occur- 
 ring, he inidertook, in order to fill up the uiterval thuH ercuted, ajourney 
 into Nubia. During liis residence at Cairo, and on his journey up the 
 Nile to Assouan, lie beheld the principal ruins of Egypt. His i)repara- 
 tions for tho Nubian excursion were soon made. He purchased two 
 dromedaries, one for himself and tho other for his guide, for about twen- 
 ty-two pounds; provided himself with letters of recommendation, and a 
 firman from tho pasha ; and leaving hia servant and baggage at Assouan, 
 set out witli his guide on tho 14th of February, 181M, carrying along 
 with him nothing but his gun, a saber, a pistol, a provision-bag, and a 
 woolen -mantle, which served by day for a carpet, and for a covering 
 during the night. 
 
 Their road lay along the eastern bank of tho Nile; they passed 
 I'hiloD, and then pushed on with rapidity toward Derr, the capital of 
 Lower Nubia. Tho Mameluke chiefs, Avith their desperate followers, 
 were at this period roaming about Nubia, indulging their imaginations 
 in vain projects for tho recovery of Egypt. Every person coming from 
 tho north Avas of course an object of curiosity, if not of suspicion, to 
 these baflled soldiers, as it was possible ho might be the bearer of tidings 
 of events upon the results of which their fite depended. Such was tho 
 state of thhigs when Burckhardt entered Nubia. 
 
 Burckhardt arrived at Derr on the 1st of March, and, to his surprise, 
 found two Mameluko beys at the palace of the governor. IIo had reck- 
 oned upon their utter disappearance, and had intended, imder these cir- 
 cumstances, to represent himself as the secret agent of the Pasha of 
 Egypt ; but learning, upon inquiry, that the pasha and his enemies were 
 regarded with nearly equal dread by the Nubian pruices, he changed hia 
 resolution, and professed to be guided in his notions by no other motive 
 than pleasure. Ignorant persons find it hard to conceive that men 
 can expose themselves to difiiculties and dangers from an enthusiasm 
 for knowledge, or can find pleasure in encountering hardships and fa- 
 tigue; however, a concurrence of fortunate circumstances extorted from 
 the governor a permission to proceed, and accordingly, having provided 
 himself with provisions for the road, Burckhardt departed ibr Sukkot. 
 
 His guide on the present occasion was an old Arab of the Ababdeh 
 tribe. The branch of the Ababdeh to which this man, whose name was 
 JMohamuKHl, belonged, feed their flocks on the uninhabited eastern banks 
 of the river, and on its numerous islands, as far soiith as Dongola. 
 Though poor, they refuse to bestow their daughters, who are famed for 
 their beauty, m marriage on the rich Nubians, and have thus preserved 
 the purity of their race. They are, moreover, an honest and hospitable 
 race, and during his journeys in Nubia, Burckhardt was constantly re- 
 ceived and treated with kindness by these simple people.* 
 
 In pursuing his course up the Nile, he passed a d».-' at Ibreem, a town 
 
 * During my travels in Africa I had coniuderable intercourse with the Ababdebs, and 
 flill/ eoncur in fiurckbardt's opinion of their honesty and kindness. — B. T. 
 
UAKINO GRAVES. 
 
 209 
 
 inliiibltcfl by Turks, wl>cro, though quarrols ami bloodshed woro (ro(iuont, 
 property w;w more Hccure tliaii in any other town he had visited in the 
 eastern world ; the corn was left all night in the Held, and the eattle on 
 the brinks of tl^e river, lui watched, and even the greater part of the 
 household furniture remained nil night under thepaltn-trees aroinid their 
 dwellmgs. Indeed, thell hero was quite unknown. Proceeding a shoit dis- 
 tance to the south of this town, he dismounted from his dromedary, and 
 directing his giiido to continue his route to the next village, struck oflf 
 into a narrow Ibotpath along the lofty, precipitous shores of the river. 
 Pursuing this mountaiti-track, he arrived at an ancient temple hewn aut 
 of the rock, in as perfect a state of preservation as when first finished. 
 Sepulchral chambers and mystic sculptures, the usual accomj)animent8 
 of Egyptian temples, were found here. 
 
 The reception which the traveler and his guide met with at the 
 Nubian villages was ;,'enerally hospitable ; as soon as they alighted, a 
 mat WHS spread for them upon the ground, just before the door of the 
 house, which none but intimate friends are permitted to enter ; dhourra 
 bread, milk, and sometimes dates were placed before the strangers, and 
 their host, if earnestly pressed, sat down with them. Straw, when [tlen- 
 tiful, was Mkewise given to their camels ; and when the host di'sired to 
 be [larticularly hospitable, a breakfast of hot milk and bread was served 
 up before their departure in the morning. 
 
 At length, on the Cth of March, they arrived on a sandy plain, 
 sprinkled with rocky points, which thrust up their heads through the 
 sand that concealed their bases. Here they encamped in the evening 
 near one of the islands which are formed by the river. The noise of the 
 cataract was heard in the night, at about half an liour's distance. The 
 place is very romantic : when the inundation subsides, many small lakes 
 are left among the rocks ; and the banks of these, overgrown with large 
 tamarisks, have a picturesque appearance amid the black and green 
 rocks ; tlie lakes and pools thus formed cover a space of upward of two 
 miles ui breadth. 
 
 The Arabs who servo as guides through those wild districts, "liave 
 devised," says Burckhardt, **a singular mode of extorting small presents 
 from the traveler : they alight at certain spots, and beg a present ; If it 
 Is refused, they collect a heap of sand, and mould it into the form of 
 a diminutive tomb, and then placing a stone at each of its extremities, 
 they apprize the traveler that his tomb Is made ; meaning that hencefor- 
 ward there will be no security for him in this rocky wilderness. Most 
 persons pay a trlHlng contribution rather than have their graves made 
 before their eyes ; there were, however, several tombs of this description 
 dispersed over the plaui. Being satisfied with my guide, I gave him one 
 plaster, with which he was content." At the next rocky pass, however, 
 the guide repeated the process, whereupon Burckhardt dismounted, and 
 making another tomb, told him it was intended for his own sepulchre ; 
 for that, as they were brethren. It was but just they should be burled to- 
 
IL;f| 
 
 210 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKHARDT. 
 
 gether. At this, tho guide began to laugh ; they then mutually de- 
 Btroyed each other's labors, and in riding along, the latter exclaimed, from 
 the Koran, " No mortal knows the spot upon earth where his grave shall 
 be digged." 
 
 On his arrival in the territory of Sukkot, he presented to the gover- 
 nor tho letter of which he was the bearer ; and received from tliis old 
 savage a scrap of paper, containing an introduction to his eon, who was 
 the chief of the southern part of the district. Here the guide, who had 
 been granted him at Derr, reached the extremity of his commission, and 
 announced his mtention of returning from thence ; four piasters, how- 
 ever, overcame his determination, and he agreed to proceed to Mahass : 
 " If Hassan Kashif," said he, " upbraids me, I shall tell him that you rode 
 on, notwithstanding my exhortations, and that I did not think it honora- 
 ble fo leave you alone." An admirable custom prevails in this and every 
 other part of Nubia : water-jars are placed under a low roof at short dis- 
 tances by the roadside, where the traveler may always quench his thirst ; 
 and every village pays a small monthly sum to some person to fill those 
 jars morning and evening. The same thing is practiced upon a much 
 larger scale in Upper Egypt and in Asia Minor. 
 
 Upon Burckhardt's reaching the Mahass territory, he suddenly found 
 himself in the midst of the worst description of savages. The governor, 
 a ferocious black, received him in a hut, furiously intoxicated, and sur- 
 rounded by numerous followers in the same condition. In the midst of 
 their drunken mirth they called for their muskets, anu amused them- 
 selves with firing in the hut. Burckhardt every moment expected that 
 a random ball would put an end to his travels ; but the palm wine at 
 length extended the whole of this atrocious rabble upon the ground, 
 and next morning, when sleep had somewhat restored the tone of the 
 governor's senses, he found time to question the traveler respecting the 
 motives of his visit. The story which he related to them was not be- 
 lieved. " You are an agent of Mohammed," said they ; " but at Mahass 
 we spit at Mohammed All's beard, and cut off the heads of those who 
 are enemies to the Mamelukes."* These suspicions, although they pro- 
 duced no immediate injury to his personal safety, entirely put a stop to 
 his progress further south ; for he was now within two days and a half 
 of the limits of Dongola, where the Mamelukes were lords paramount, 
 and to enter their territories with the character of an agent of Moham- 
 med Ali, would be to court certain death. He therefore turned his face 
 toward the north, and traveled with all possible celerity along the east- 
 em bank of the Nile, until he arrived at Kolbe, where he swam across the 
 
 * Thirty-nine yeara later, in the springf of 1852, T passed alone through the countries 
 of Dongola, Mahass and Sukkot, with tho most perfect security. The King of Mahasa 
 even embraced mo affectionately at parting. This contrast shows how readily the suspi- 
 cion Bf d mistrust which the first travelers generally have to encounter, on entering a new 
 country, gives place to confidence and kindness. — B. T. 
 
 ■f*rt 
 
 
EETURN TO BGTPT. 
 
 211 
 
 aally de- 
 led, from 
 rave shall 
 
 ,he gover- 
 t this old 
 , who was 
 , who had 
 ission, and 
 sters, how- 
 ;o Mahass : 
 ,t you rode 
 : it honora- 
 s and every 
 it short dis- | 
 I his thirst ; 1 
 to fill those I 
 pon a much i 
 
 Idcnly found 
 ic governor, j 
 ed, and sur- l 
 the midst of I 
 nused them- i 
 spected that [ 
 palm wine at ! 
 the ground, , 
 ! tone of the ! 
 ispecting the ; 
 I was not be- i 
 lilt at Mahass | 
 of those who j 
 gh they pro- j 
 put a stop to I 
 ys and a half 
 3 paramount, 
 it of Mohara- 
 irned his face 
 long the east- 
 am across the 
 
 gh the countries 
 
 King of Maliaaa 
 
 •eadily the auspi- 
 
 ^n entering a new 
 
 river, holding by his camel's tail vnth one hand, and urging on the beast 
 with the jther. 
 
 Burckhardt now descended the Nile to Abou-Simbel, the vast rocky 
 temple of which he supposed to be of extremely ancient date. Ha here 
 found four colossal statues of enormous magnitude, which had been 
 hewn out of the rock, on the face of an elevated cliff, with their backs 
 adhering to the precipice. The fine sand of the desert had been blown 
 up into mounds against the rock, and covered two of these statues al- 
 most entirely ; the rest ro«e somewhat above the surface. The faces of 
 these colossal statues are turned toward the north, " The head, which 
 is above the surface," says he, " has a most expressive youthful counte- 
 nance, approaching nearer to the Grecian model of beauty than that of 
 any ancient Egyptian figure I have seen ; indeed, were it not for a thin, 
 oblong beard, it might well pass for a head of Pallas." 
 
 From Abou-Simbel he continued his journey to Derr, where he parted 
 with his guide, who, on taking his leave, begged as a present the 
 mellaye, or cloak, which the traveler usually wore. To this request 
 Burckhardt replied, " May God smooth your path !" — a phrase usually 
 addressed to beggars Avhen they are civilly told to be gone. "No," 
 said ti.e Arab, who had often employed this phrase when he desired to 
 elude the ijuestions of the traveler, " for once I will beg you to smooth 
 it." " So," says Burckhardt, " I gave him the mellaye, and a small pres- 
 ent in money ; and am confident that Abou Saad will never forget me." 
 
 On his return to Assouan, Burckhardt's first care was to repair, by re- 
 pose, the inroads which fatigue had made upon his constitution. He 
 then repaired to Esne, where he established his head-quarters. It being 
 his policy to excite but little attention, he very seldom went into com- 
 pany, dressed meanly, and reduced his expenditure to the lowest possible 
 sum. The cheapness of provisions was incredible. His whole expendi- 
 ture for himself, his f-ervant, his dromedary, and his ass, not exceeding 
 thirty-five cents per day, while his horse cost him no more than thirty 
 cents per month. 
 
 Here he remained until the 9,(1 of March, 1814, when he joined him- 
 self, as a petty trader, to another caravan, which was proceeding fi-om 
 Deraou to Berber. The caravan, consisting of about fifty merchants, 
 with their slaves and beasts, moved under the protection of about thirty 
 Ababdeh Arabs, who, though no heroes or philosophers, were not re- 
 markably deficient either in courage or humanity. Burckhardt, on this 
 occasion, possessed no command over his own movements. Ho traveled, 
 halted, ate, slept, in obedience to the fantasy of the caravan-leaders, who 
 were ignorant, however, that the humble trader, whom they regarded 
 at most Avith compassion, was at that moment forming reflections and 
 bringing observations to maturity, which were destined to aflfbct the 
 opinion entertained by the civilized world of their character and pursuits. 
 Meanwhile the mercliants, who were chiefly engaged in the debasing 
 traffic of slaves, and, as may be supposed, cherished no respect for any 
 
212 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKIIARDT. 
 
 thing but riches, and the power which richea commands, looked upon 
 their hu'.ublu companion with unditsguiscd contempt. They constantly 
 treated him with contumely, though he proiessed a belief in the same 
 law and the same prophets ; plundered his water-skins, or obstructed his 
 filling them at l' '3 wells, thus exposing him to the danger of perishing 
 of thirst ; circulated in the towns where they stopped the report that he 
 was a spj ; and, in short, put in practice every art which their malice 
 could conceive iu order to disgust him with the trade, and thus free 
 themselves from a new competitor. 
 
 At the end of a week's journey the caravan arrived at the celebrated 
 wells of El Ilaimar, in the vicinity of which they found the tomb of a 
 Mameluke chief, who died on this spot. "His companions, having 
 inclosed the naked corpse within low walls of loose stones, had covered 
 it over with a large block. The dryness of the air had preserved the 
 corpse in the most perfect state. Looking at it through the interstices 
 of the stones which cnveioped it, it appeared to me a more perfect 
 munmiy than any I had seen in Egypt. The mouth was wide open, and 
 our guide related that the man had died for want of watei, although so 
 near the wells." Next day they jinssed Wady OUaky, a fine valley ex- 
 tending east and west from the Nile to the Red Sea. Here were numer- 
 ous trees and excellent pasture, advantages which caused it to be re- 
 garded with peculiar veneration by the Bedouins ; and every man, as he 
 traversed it on his ass or camel, took a handful of dhourra and threw it 
 on the ground as a kind of pious offering to the good genius of the 
 Wady. On the following day, in crossuig Wady El Towashy, or the 
 Valley of the Eunuch, Burckhardt saw the tomb of that Mahomet Tow- 
 ash who.ie body was found on the sands by Bruce three days at^ "ir he 
 had been murdered by his guides. 
 
 Burckhardt gives the following account of the impositions and hard- 
 ships which he was obliged to endure in the course of this journey : " I 
 was often driven from the coolest and most comfortable berth into the 
 burning sun, and generally passed the midday hours in great distress ; 
 for beside the exposure to heat, I had to cook my dinner, a service which 
 I could never prevail upon any of my companions, even the poorest serv- 
 ants, to perform for me, though I offered to let them share my homely 
 Ihrc. In the evening the same labor occurred again, when fatigued by 
 the day's journey, during which I always walked for four or five hours, 
 in order to spare my ass, and when I was in the utmost need of repose. 
 Hunger, however, always prevailed over fatigue, and I was obliged to 
 tetch and cut wood, to ligiit a fire, to cook, to feed the ass, and finally 
 to make coffee, a cup of which, presented to my Daraou companions, 
 who were extremely eager to obtain it, was the only means I possessed 
 of keeping them in tolerable good-humor, A good night's rest, however, 
 always repaired my strength, and I was never in better health and 
 spirits than during this journey, although its fatigues were certamly very 
 great, and much beyond my expectation. The common dish of all t)<o 
 
 day, 
 
 calltH 
 
 clear 
 
 reflect 
 
 a shee 
 
 howev 
 
 water 
 
 to the 
 
SCARCITY OP WATER. 
 
 213 
 
 travelers at noon was fctyro, which is flour mixed np with water into a 
 liquid paste, and tlun baked upon the sadj, or iron plate ; butter is then 
 poured over it, or honey, or sometimes a sauce is maile of butter and 
 dried barayo. In the evening some lentils are boiled, or some broad is 
 baked with salt, cither upon the sadj or in ashes, and a sauce of bamye, 
 or onion, poured over lentils, or upon the bread, after it has been crum- 
 bled into small pieces. Early in the morning evciy one eats a piece of 
 dry biscuit, with ^ome raw onions or dates." 
 
 On the 14th of March, on arriving at the Wady el Nabeh, they found 
 the celebrated wells of that valley insuflicient to supply the caravan until 
 they should reach the i ocks of Shigre, and as no water was anywhere 
 to be found in the interveniafr space, they were I'cduce.l to the greatest 
 perplexity. " Upon such occasions as these," says BurckLardt, " every 
 man gives his opinion : and mine wu?, that we should kill our thirty-five 
 asses, which required a daily supply of at least fifteen Avater-skins, that 
 we should load the camels to the utmost of their strength Avith Avater, 
 and strike out a straight way through the desert toward Berber, Avith- 
 out touching at Shigre ; in this m;:nnerwe might perform the journey in 
 five forced marches." This plan the Arabs refused to follow. They 
 repaired their water-skins and their sandals, refreshed ti;emselves Avith 
 bathing in the cool wells, and then set out. But " it was rot Avithout 
 great apprehension," says our traA'cler, " that I departed from tl.'js place. 
 Our camels and asses carried water for three or four days only, and I 
 saw no possibility of cscaj)ing from the dreadful eflTects of a want of 
 Avator. In order to keep my ass m good spirits, I took off" the two small 
 water-skins Avith Avhich I had hitherto lo.aded him, and paid one of the 
 Ababdehs four dollars to carry four small water-skins as far as Berber ; 
 for I thought that if the ass could carry me, I might bear thirst for two 
 days at least, but that if he should break doAVH, I should certainly not 
 he able to walk one whole day Avithout water in this hot season of the 
 year." 
 
 Notwithstanding all these difficulties and sufferings, Bui'ckhardt con- 
 Bidei'cd the Nubian desert, at least as far south as Shigre, far less ter- 
 rible than that of Syria or Tyh. Trees and water are much more fre- 
 quent, and though it is intersected in various directions by mountains 
 of naked rock, the more desolate and awful appearance which it acquires 
 from this circumstance is, in a great measure, compensated for by its 
 consequent grandeur and variety. " Here," says he, " during the Avhole 
 day's march, Ave were surrounded on all sides by lakes of the mirage, 
 called by the Arabs Serab. Its color was of the purest azure, and so 
 clear that the shadows of the mountains that bordered the horizon were 
 reflected on it with the greatest precision, and the delusion of its being 
 a sheet of Avator was thus rendered still more perfect." This appearance, 
 however, only served to heighten the terrors which the scarcity of real 
 water excited. Every man now began to attach the greatest importance 
 to the small stock he possessed. Burckhardt, who possessed but two 
 
214 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKHARDT. 
 
 draughts, drank the half of it at once, reserving the remainder for the 
 next day ; but, observing the general scarcity, shared the dejection of 
 his companions. At length, their condition having become nearly des- 
 perate, they adopted the course recommended by the Ababdeh uhie^ 
 and dis[)atched ten or twelve of their companions, mounted on as many 
 camels, to the nearest part of the Nile, which was not more than five or 
 six hours distant ; but as its banks were inhabited by fierce tribes, noth- 
 ing but the fear of instant death could have forced them to this step. 
 They timed their march in such a manner, that they would reach the 
 banks of the ri\ er by night ; when they were directed to select some 
 uninhabited spot, and having there loaded their camels, to return with 
 all speed. " We passed the evening,'' says Burckhai it, " in the greatest 
 anxiety, for if the camels should not return, we had livtle hopes of escape 
 either from thirst or from the sword of our enemies, \"'ho, if they had 
 once got sight of our camels, would have followed vheir footsteps 
 through the desert, and would certainly have discovered us." Many 
 of my companions came in the course of the evening to bt'g some water 
 of me, but I had well hidden my treasure, and answered them by show- 
 ing my empty skins. We remained the greater part of the night in 
 silent and sullen expectation of the result of our desperate mission. At 
 length, about three o'clock in the morning, we heard the distant halloo- 
 ings of our companions ; and soon after refreshed ourselves with copious 
 draughts of the delicious water of the Nile." 
 
 This was the last of their sufferings on this route ; on the J3d of 
 March, they entered on a plain with a slight slope toward the river, 
 which was felt at more than two hours' distance by the greater moisture 
 of the air. The Arabs exclaimed, " God be praised, we again smell the 
 Nile !" and about ten o'clock at night, the caravan entered the town of 
 Ankheyreh, or El Mekheyref, the capital of the country of Berber. 
 Burckhardt's residence at this place was nothing but one continued 
 series of annoyances. The principal delight of the whole population, 
 among whom drunkenness and debauchery were scarcely accounted 
 vices, seemed to consist in deluding and plundering travelers, who on 
 all the envenomed soil of Africa could scarcely be exposed to more irri- 
 tating insults or extortion than on this spot. 
 
 The caravan, now reduced to about two thirds of its original number, 
 several of the merchants having returned to Egypt, while others re- 
 mained at Berber to dispose of their goods, again put itself in motion on 
 the Tth of April. Burckhardt, who had hitherto attached himself to the 
 merchant portion of the party, several of whoin, previous to their leaving 
 Egypt, had received benefits at his hands, was here driven by abuse and 
 contumely to take refuge among the Ababdehs, who not only willingly 
 received him as their companion, but exercised their influence, on more 
 than one occasion, to protect him from violence. Pursuing a southerly 
 direction for three days, they arrived at the town of Damer, which, 
 under the government of a number of religious men, had attained a very 
 
ADVENTURE AT DAMER. 
 
 215 
 
 high pitch of prosperity. Their sanctity, indeed, was considerably aided 
 by their skill in magic, which, as Burckhardt was credibly informed, 
 was so great that, on one occasion, the Faky el Kebir, or Great Fakeer, 
 caused a lamb to bleat m the stomach of the thief who had stolen, and 
 afterward eaten it. As Burckhardt needed a few measures of dhourra 
 for his ass, and found it impracticable to purchase less than a dollar's 
 worth, which would have been more than he could carry, ho was un- 
 der the necessity of imitating his companions, and went from house to 
 house with some "tringa of beads in his hands, offering them for sale 
 at about four handfuls of dhourra for each bead. " I gained at this 
 rate," says he, "about sixty per cent, above the prime cost, and had at 
 the same time an opportunity of entering many private houses. I re- 
 peated these walks every day during our stay. One afternoon, while 
 crying my beads for sale, I was accosted by a faky, who asked mo if I 
 could read. On my answering in the affirmative, he desired me to fol- 
 low him to a place where, he said, I might expect to got a good dinner. 
 He then led me to a house where I found a great number of people, 
 collected to celebrate the memory of some relative lately deceased. 
 Several fakies were reading the Koran in a low tone of voice, A great 
 faky afterward came in, whose arrival was the signal for reciting the 
 Koran in loud songs, in the manner customary in the East, in which I 
 joined them. This was continued for about half an hour, until dinner 
 was brought in, which was very plentiful, as a cow had been killed upon 
 the occasion. After a hearty meal, we recommenced our reading. One 
 of the shekhs produced a basketful of white pebbles, over which several 
 prayers were read. These pebbles were destined to be strewed over 
 the tomb of the deceased in the manner which I had often observed 
 upon tombs freshly made. Upon my inquiries respecting this custom, 
 which I confessed to have never before seen practiced in any Moham- 
 medan country, the faky answered that it was a mere meritorious action: 
 that there was no absolute necessity for it : but that it was thought that 
 the soul of the deceased, when hereafter visiting the tomb, might be 
 glad to find these pebbles, in order to use them as beads in addressing 
 Its prayers to the Creator. When the reading was over, the women be- 
 gan to sing and howl. I then left the room, and on taking my depart- 
 ure my kind host put some bones '^f roasted meat in my hand to servo 
 for my supper." 
 
 In proceeding from this place to Shendy the caravan was accom- 
 panied by several fakies, whose presence was found to be a sufficient 
 protection against the Nubian Bedouins. They reached Shendy on the 
 17th of April, and this being, next to Sennaar and Kobbe, the largest 
 town in eastern Soudan, they remained here a whole month, during 
 which time Burckhardt enjoyed an ample opportunity of collecting mate- 
 rials for an account of this and the neighboring countries. Crocodiles are 
 numerous in this part of the Nile. They are much dreaded by the in- 
 habitants, who, when rapturing to its banks for water or to wash their 
 
216 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKHARDT. 
 
 linen, are in constant fear of these creatures. Burckhardt ate of the 
 crocodile's flesh, which he found of a dirty white color, not unlike young 
 veal, Avith a slight fishy smell. 
 
 At Shendy Burckhardt abandoned all idea of proceeding further 
 south ; and, in order to procure himself some little civility from his former 
 companions, circulated the report that he intended to return directly to 
 Egypt, where, by describing to the pasha their conduct toward him 
 during the journey, he might do them considerable injury. This strata- 
 gem succeeded. Tlieir civility and affected friendship now surpassed 
 their former insolence. In the meanwhile, understanding that a caravan 
 was about to sot out for Souakin on the Red Sea, our traveler prevailed 
 on the Ababdeh chief to hitroduce and recommend him as his own friend 
 to its leader. Hero he disposed of his merchandise, and purchased a 
 slave-boy to attend upon him on the road ; and having laid in the neces- 
 sary quantity of provisions, joined the Souakin caravan, and departed 
 from ShcTidy on the 1 7th of May. " Afl-er all my accounts were settled," 
 says he, " I had four dollars left ; but the smallness of the sum occasioned 
 mo no uneasiness, for I calculated on selling my camel on the coast for 
 as much as would defray the expenses of my voyage to Jidda, and I had 
 a letter of credit on that place for a considerable sum, which I had pro- 
 cured at Caii'o." 
 
 The road now traversed by the caravan crossed the Atbara, the As- 
 taboras of the ancients, on the banks of which they found numerous 
 groves of trees and the most luxuriant vegetation. At the sight of 
 this the imagination even of the slave-dealers was touched with enthu- 
 siasm ; and in alluding to the dreary track over which they had traveled, 
 one of them exclaimed, " After death comes i)aradiso !" " There was s^ 
 greater v; lety of natural vegetation hero than I had seen anywhere on 
 the banks of the Nile, in Egypt. I observed different species of the 
 mimosa, doom-trees of the largest size, Avhose luxuriant clusters of fruit 
 excited the wishes of the slaves, the nebek-tree, with its fruit ripe ; the 
 allobe, of the size of the nebek, besides a great number of others un- 
 known to me ; to these may be added an abundance of wild herbage, 
 growing on a rich, fat soil similar to that of Egyjit, The trees were in- 
 habited by great numbers of the feathered tribe, whose song- travelers 
 in Egypt very rarely hear. I saw no birds with rich plumage, but ob- 
 served small ones of several different kinds. Some sweet notes struck 
 my ears, which I had never before heard, and the amorous cooings of 
 the turtle-dove were unceasing. Wo hastened to the river and eagerly 
 descended its low banks to allay our thirst. Several camels, at the sight 
 of the water, broke the halters by which they were led, and in rushing 
 or stumbling down the banks threw off their loads, and occasioned great 
 clamor and disorder." 
 
 In the vicinity of Goz Rajeb, on the Atbara, Burckhardt saw on the 
 summit of a hill the ruins of a huge fabric of ancient times, but was de- 
 terred from visiting it by the assertion of hia companions that it was the 
 
JOURNEY TUROUOn TAKKA. 
 
 217 
 
 haunt of banditti. On the 5th of June, while the caravan halted at an 
 encampment of the Hadendoa Bedouins, Burckhardt beheld the eftccts 
 of a desert storm : *' Toward evening we were visited by another hur- 
 ricane, the most tremendous I ever remember to have Avitnesscd. A 
 dark blue cloud first appeared, extending to about 25° above the hori- 
 zon ; as it ai)proached nearer and increased in height, it assumed an 
 ash-gray color, with a tinge of yellow, striking every person in the cara- 
 van who had not been accustomed to such phenomena with amazement 
 at its magnificent and terrific appearance ; as the cloud approached still 
 nearer the yellow tinge became more general, Avhile the horizon presented 
 the brightest azure. At last it burst upon us in its rapid course, and in- 
 volved us in darkness and confusion ; nothing could be distinguished at 
 the distance of fi\ c or six feet ; our eyes were filled with dust ; our tem- 
 porary sheds were blown down at the first gust, and many of the more 
 firmly fixed tents of the Hadendoa followed ; the largest withstood for 
 a time the eflects of the blast, but were at last obliged to yield, and the 
 whole camp was leveled with the ground. In the mean time the terri- 
 fied camels arose, broke the cords by which they were fastened, and en- 
 deavored to escape from the destruction which appeared to threaten 
 them ; thus adding not a little to our embarrassment. After blowing 
 about half an hour with incessant violence, the wind suddenly abated, 
 and Avhen the atmosphere became clear, the tremendous cloud was seen 
 continuing its havoc to the north-west." 
 
 Next day they reached Takka, a district famous for its fertility, where 
 hares, gazelles, wolves, giraffes, and lions, as large, it was said, as cows, 
 were found in the woods. Hence, after a stay of several days, they de- 
 parted lor Souakin, and after a not unpleasant journey through a wild, 
 picturesque country, approached the termination of their toils. On the 
 morning of the last day they started before sunrise. "The eastern 
 hills," says Burckhardt, " terminate in this latitude ; and the sun was 
 just rising beyond them when we descried its reflection at an immense 
 distance in the sea, affording a pleasing sight to every individual in the 
 caravan, but most of all to me." The whole of the route, from Shendy 
 to Souakin, had never before been traversed by a European. At length, 
 on the 26th of June, they reached Souakin, and pitched their little sheds 
 at about twenty minutes' walk from the town. Next day they were 
 visited by the emir, who, understanding that our traveler's camel was 
 an excellent animal, determined on taking it as a part of the caravan 
 dues; upon which Burckhardt insisted upon referring their difference 
 to the Turkish custom-house officer. His wishes were quickly complied 
 with, but the aga, instead of interfering to protect the stranger, imme- 
 diately conceived the idea of uniting with the emir in seizing upon the 
 whole of his property; and, therefore, pretending to regard him as a 
 Mameluke spy, began at once to overwhelm him with abuse. To all 
 this Burckhardt returned no reply, but requested the aga to inform him 
 whether the emir was entitled to his camel. " Not only thy camel," re- 
 
 L 
 
218 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKHARDT. 
 
 plied the Turk, " but thy whole baggage must be taken and 8carched. 
 We shall render a good account of them to the ])a8ha, depend upon it. 
 You shall not impose upon us, you rascal ; and you may be thankful if 
 we do not cut off your head !" The traveler protested that he was noth- 
 ing but an unfortunate merchant, and endeavored, by a submissive de- 
 portment, to pacify his anger ; but " he began cursing and swearing in 
 Turkish," says Burckhardt, " and then calling an old cripple, to whom he 
 had given the title of waly, or police officer, ho ordered him to tie my 
 hands, to put me in prison, and to bring my slave and baggage into his 
 presence. I now thought it high time to produce my firmans, which I 
 drew from a secret pocket in my thaboot ; one of them was written in 
 Turkish, upon a piece of paper two feet and a half in length, and one 
 foot in breadth, and was sealed with the great seal of Mohammed Ali ; 
 the other, a smaller one, was written in Arabic, and bore the seal of 
 Ibrahim Pasha, his son, in which Ibrahim termed me ' Our man, Ibrahim, 
 the Syrian.' When Yemak saw the firmans unfolded, he became com- 
 pletely stupefied, and the persons present looked at me with amazement. 
 The aga could read the Arabic only, but he kissed them both, put them 
 to his forehead, and then protested to me, in the most submissive terms, 
 that it was the good of the public service alone that had led him to treat 
 mo as he had done, and for which ho begged me a thousand pardons. 
 Nothing more was said about the emir's right to my camel, and he de- 
 clared that I should pay no duty for my slave, though he was entitled 
 to it." 
 
 Burckhardt now disposed of his camel, and took his passage to Jidda 
 in one of the country vessels. After tossing about the Red Sea for 
 nearly a fortnight, visiting Mekouar, and several points of the African 
 coast, he arrived at Jidda on the 18th of July, 1814. His first care now 
 was to present his letter of credit, which, being of an old date, he was 
 refused payment, though the merchant oflFered him a lodging at his 
 house. This he accepted, but removed two days afterward to a public 
 khan, where he was attacked by a fever, in which he lay delirious for 
 several days. His recovery from this violent disorder, which he attributed 
 to his indulging in the fine fruits of the Jidda market, seems to have 
 been chiefly owing to the kindness of a Greek captain, who, having been 
 his fellow-passenger from Souakin, attended him during one of his lucid 
 intei-vals, and, at his own request, procured a barber, who bled him 
 copiously. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MECCA AND MEDINA. 
 
 At Jidda Burckhardt was reduced to the hard necessity of parting 
 with his slave, for whom he obtained forty-eight dollars, of which thirty- 
 two were profit. With this money he dressed himself in the guise of a 
 reduced Egyptian gentleman, and determined to remain in the Hedjaz 
 until the time of the pilgrimage in the following November. However, 
 
VISIT TO MOHAMMED ALL 
 
 219 
 
 as his funds were fur too low to enable him to live imlcponrlontly until 
 that period, he began to turn his thoughts toward inuiuial labor ; but 
 first determined upon trying the effect of a direct application to Moham- 
 med All, then at Tayf. Ho accordingly wrote to his highness's Arme- 
 nian physician, who was likewise atTayf with hi i master, requesting him 
 to learn from the pasha whether he would accept a bill upon Burck- 
 hardt's correspondent at Cairo, and order his treasurer at Jidda to pay 
 the amount of it. Before the result of this application could be known, 
 he received an invitivtion to the house of Toossoon Pasha's physician, who, 
 on being acquainted vnih the state of his finances, kindly offered him the 
 sum of three thousand piasters (about $150) for a bill upon Cairo pay- 
 able at sight. Mohammed Ali, to whom his condition was accidentally 
 made known, immediately dispatched a messenger with two dromeda- 
 ries, an order for five hundred piasters, and a request that he would repair 
 immediately with the messenger to Taj i. With this invitation, which 
 was, in fact, equivalent to a command, he thought it necessary to com- 
 ply, and accordingly set off on the same afternoon (24th August) for the 
 interior of the Hedjaz. 
 
 They were accompanied during the first portion of the way by about 
 twenty camel-drivers of the tribe of Harb, who were carrying money to 
 Mecca for the pasha's treasury. The road at first lay over a barren 
 sandy plain, ascending slightly as it receded from the sea ; it then en- 
 tered the narrow gorges of a mountainous country, where they overtook 
 a caravan of pilgrims, who were accompanying a quantity of goods and 
 provisions destined for the army. The pasha, who, no doubt, suspected 
 the sincerity of Burckhardt's creed, had given orders to the guide to con- 
 duct him by a by-road to Tayf, which lay to the north of Mecca : " Just 
 before we left Hadda," says Burckhardt, " ray guide, who knew nothing 
 further respecting me than that I had business with the pasha at Tay^ 
 that I performed all the outward observances of a Moslem pilgrim, and 
 that I had been liberal to him before our departure, asked me the reason 
 of his having been ordered to take me by the northern road. I replied 
 that it was probably thought shorter than the other. ' That is a mistake,* 
 he replied ; *■ the Mecca road is quite as short, and much safer ; and if you 
 have no objection we will proceed by it.' This was just what I wished, 
 though I had taken care not to betray any anxiety on the subject ; and 
 we accordingly followed the great road, in company with the other trav- 
 elers." 
 
 On this occasion, however, Burckhardt saw but little of the sacred 
 city, as the guide, who had no curiosity to gratify, hurried through the 
 streets without allowing him time for observation. Continuing their 
 journey, therefore, toward the east, they arrived, on the 2Vth of August, 
 at Ras el Kora, where they passed the night. " This," says the traveler, 
 " is the most'bcautiful spot in the Hedjaz, and more picturesque and de- 
 lightful than any spot I had seen since my departure from Lebanon, in 
 Syria. The top of Jebel Kora is flat, but large masses of granite lie scat- 
 
220 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKIIARDT. 
 
 torcd over it, tho surflico of which, like that of the granite rocks near the 
 second cataract of the Nile, is bhickenoil by tho sun. Several small rivu- 
 lets descend from this peak, and ii-rigate th<^ plaiti, which is covered with 
 verdant fields and large shady trees, on the side of the granite rocks. 
 To those who have only known tho dreary and scorching sands of tho 
 lower country of the Iledjaz, this scone is as surprising as the keen air 
 which blows here is refreshing. Many of the fruit-trees of Europe are 
 found here ; figs, apricots, peaches, apples, the Egyptian sycamore, al- 
 monds, pomegranates ; but particularly vines, the j)ro(luce of which is of 
 the best quality. After having passed through this delightfid district 
 for about half an hour, just as the sun was rising, Avhen every leaf and 
 blade of grass was covered with a balmy dew, and every tree and shrub 
 diffused a fragrance as delicious to the smell as was the landscape to tho 
 eye, I halted near the largest of the rivulets, which, although not more 
 thaii two paces across, nourishes npon its banks a green alpine turf, 
 such as the mighty Nile, with all its luxuriance, can never produce in 
 Egfijt." 
 
 Upon reaching Tayf^ he caused his arrival to be made known to the 
 pasha,who, upon learning his desire to visit the Holy Cities, exprossed a 
 wish to SCO him late in the evening at his public residence, and observed 
 to the Kadi of Mecca, who happened to bo present, " It is not the beard 
 alone which proves a man to be a true Moslem ; but you are a better 
 judge in such -natters than I am." Our traveler, on learning these par- 
 ticulars, affected to be much hurt by tho j)asha'8 suspicions, and let the 
 physician, who was the bearer of the message, know that he should not 
 go to the pasha's public audience unless he was received as a Turk. 
 When the physician delivered this message, Mohammed Ali smiled, and 
 said that he was w^elcome, whether Turk or not. On this occasion he 
 was closely catechized by two experienced teachers of the Moslem faith, 
 who declared to the pasha that he was not only a true Mussulman, but 
 one of great learning and piety. The audience passed off well. But 
 Burckhardt clearly discovered that he was regarded as a spy of the En- 
 glish government ; that his conduct was narrowly watched ; and that, in 
 being made the guest of the physician, he was a kind of prisoner, whose 
 words and actions were reported to the pasha. This was by no means 
 an agreeable position. He therefore determined to be delivered from it ; 
 and, in order to effect his purpose, adopted the most prudent plan that 
 could have been imagined : he rendered himself so troublesome and ex- 
 pensive to his host, that the latter, in order to be freed from him, repre- 
 sented him in the most favorable light to Mohammed Ali, and contrived 
 to obtain him permission to spend the last days of the Ramadan at Mecca. 
 
 Accordingly, on the 7th of September, Burckhardt departed in com- 
 pany with the Kadi for the Holy City. On passing Wady Mohram, he 
 assumed the ihram, the dress worn by all pilgrims during the Hadji, and 
 consisting of two pieces of linen, woolen, or cotton cloth, one of which is 
 wrapped round the loins, while the other is thrown over the neck and 
 
RESIDENCE AT MECCA. 
 
 221 
 
 Bhoiildcrs, 80 as to loavo part of tlio right arm bare. In this dress ho 
 arrived at Mecca, on the 0tli of September ; and, as the law enjoins, pro- 
 ceeded immediately to visit the temple, before he had attended to any 
 worldly concern whatever. The ceremonies practiced on this occasion 
 are long and tedious. Ilavuig completed these jierformances, he hired 
 a ready-furnished lodging in the house of a metowwuf, or guide to tho 
 holy places ; who, while the poor Iladji was occupied with his devotions, 
 employed his spare moments industriously in stealing whatever he could 
 from his traveling-sack. 
 
 Being desirous of complethig his traveling equipments before the 
 commencement of tho Iladj (pilgrhnago), Burckhardt proceeded to Jidda, 
 where such things are more easily procured than at Mecca, and again 
 returned about tho middle of October, with a slave-boy whom he pur- 
 chased. He hired apartments in an unfrequented part of tho city, 
 where he enjoyed the advantage of several large trees growing before 
 his windows, " tho verdure of which," says he, " among the barren and 
 sunburnt rocks of Mcc{;a, was to me more exhilarating than the finest 
 landscape could have been under different circumstances." The princi- 
 pal curiosity of Mecca is the belt tillah, or House of God, a species of 
 quadrangle, in the center of which stands the Kaaba, " an oblong mass- 
 ive structure, eighteen paces in length, fourteen in breadth, and from 
 thirty-five to forty feet in height. It is constructed of tho gray Mecca 
 stone, in large blocks of different sizes, joined together in a very rough 
 manner, and with bad cement." " At the north-east corner of the 
 Kaaba, near the door, is the famous ' Black Stone ;» it forms a part of 
 the sharp angle of the building at four or five feet above the ground. 
 It is an irregular oval of about seven inches in diameter, with an undu- 
 lating surface, composed of about a dozen smaller stones of diflferent 
 sizes and shapes, well joined together with a small quantity of cement, 
 and perfectly smoothed. It looks as if the Mhole had been broken into 
 many pieces by a violent blow, and then united again. It is very diffi- 
 cult to determine accurately the quality of this stone, which has been 
 worn to its present surface by the millions of touches and kisses it has 
 received. It appeared to me like a lava, containing several small extra- 
 neous particles, of a whitish and of a yellowish substance. Its color is 
 noAV a deep reddish bro>\Ti, ai)proachuig to black. It is surrounded on 
 all sides by a border, composed of a substance which I took to be a 
 close cement of pitch and gravel, of a similar, but not quite the same, 
 brownish color. This border serves to suppoit its detached pieces. It 
 is two or three inches in breadth, and rises a little above the surface 
 of the stone. Both the border and the stone itself are encircled by a 
 silver band, broader below than above, and on the two sides, witli a 
 considerable swelling below, as if a part of the stone ^vere hidden under 
 it. The lower part of the border is studded with silver nails." 
 
 On the 21st of November, 1814, the approach of the Syrian caravan 
 was announced by a messenger, whose horse dropped down dead tho 
 
222 
 
 LIFR AND TRAVELS OP BURCKHARDT. 
 
 moment ho dismounted. Sisvcnil other porsniis followed in about two 
 hourH JifVer ; and during the night the main body, with the Pasha of 
 Dumaseus at its head, enmo up, aad encainpcil in the plain of Shekh 
 Mahmoud. Next morning the E|,'yptian caravan likewise arrived ; and 
 nt the same time Mohannned Ali, who desired to he present at the Iladj, 
 appeared unexpectedly at Mecca, dressed in an ihram composed of two 
 magnificent shawls of Cashmere. All the ha«lj5s residing in the city now 
 assumed the ihram, with tiio usual eeremomes, at their own lodgings, 
 jirj'paratory to their setting out for Mount Arafat, and at noon lieard a 
 short sermon in the mosque. 
 
 The city was now full of movement and activity ; all the jtilgrims 
 were preparing to set out for Arafat, some running hither and thither in 
 search vt' lodgings, others visiting the markc^ts or the Kaaba. Many 
 Meccans, engaged in petty trafllc, were hastening to establish them- 
 selves on the mountain, for the accommodation of the pilgrims. Camel- 
 drivers led their beasts through tlie streets, offering them to the pilgrims 
 for hire. On the 24th of November the Syrian caravan, with the Mah- 
 mal, or sacred camel, in front, passed in procession through the city. 
 The majority of the pilgrims rode in a species of palanqtiin, placed upon 
 their camels ; but the Pasha of Damascus, and other grandees, were 
 moimted in splendid litters, which were borne by two camels. The 
 heads of these picturesque animals were decorated M-ith feath(?rs, tassels, 
 and bells. Crowds of people of all classes lined the streets, and greeted 
 the [lilgrims as they pasiccl with loud acclamations and praise. The 
 martial music of the pasha, twelve finely-caparisoned horses led in front 
 of his palanquin, and the ri<!h litters in which his women rode, particu- 
 larly attracted attention. The Egyptian caravan followed soon after, 
 and, consisting entirely of military pilgrims in the splendid Turkish cos- 
 tume, w.as no less admiied than its predecessor. Both continued, with- 
 out stopping, their maroh to Arafat, and were almost immediately fol- 
 lowed by the other pilgrims in the city, and by far the greater proportion 
 of the population of Mocca and Jidda, among whom Burckhardt likewise 
 proceeded to the sacred hill. 
 
 He reached the camp about three liours after sunset. The pilgrims 
 were still wandering ubout the plaui, and among the tents, in search of 
 their companions, or of their resting-place, and many did not .arrive until 
 midnight. Numberless fires glimmered upon the dark plain to the ex- 
 tent of several miles ; and high and brilliant clusters of lamps marked 
 the different places of encampment of Mohammed Ali, Soleyman Pasha, 
 and the Emir el IIa<lj of the Egyptian cat.T.van. Few slept : " the de- 
 votees set up praying, and their loud chani5« were particularly distin- 
 guished on the sido of the Syrian encampment. The merry Meccans 
 formed themselves into parties, singing jovial songs, accompanied by 
 clapping of hands ; and the coffee-houses scattered over the plain were 
 crowded all night with customers. The night was dark and cold. I 
 had formed a resting-place for myself by means of a large carpet tied 
 
CEUKMONIES AT MOUNT ARAFAT. 
 
 228 
 
 . 
 
 to tho back of a MoccairH t(!nt ; and having walked about for tbo greater 
 part of the night, I had just disjwscd myself to Hlcep, when two guns, 
 lired by tho Syrian and Kgyptiaii Iladj, announced tho approacliing 
 dawn of the day of pilgrimage, and Hummoned the faithful to prepare 
 for their morning prayers." 
 
 The scene which, on tho unfolding of the dawn, presented itself to 
 tho eye of the traveler, was ono of the most extraordinary upon earth. 
 " Every pilgrim issued from his tent to walk over the plains, and take a 
 view of the busy crowds assembled tlu're. Long streets of tents, fitted 
 up as bazaars, furnished all kinds of provisions. The Syrian and Egyjv 
 tian cavalry were exercised by their chiefs early in the morning, while 
 thousands of camels were seen feeding upon th« dry shrubs of the plain 
 all round the camp." IJurckhardt now ascended tho summit of Arafat, 
 whence he could enjoy a distant view of the whole, tho mountain being 
 an isolated mass of granite, reaching to the height of two hundred feet 
 above th(! level of the plain. From this point ho counted about three 
 thousand tents, but the far greater number were, like himself, without 
 tents. Twenty or twenty-fivo thousand camels were dis])ersed, in sej)- 
 arato groups, over the plain ; and the number of pilgrims of both sexes, 
 and of all classes, could not amount to less than seventy thousand. 
 " The Syrian 1 ladj Avas encamped on the south and south-west side of 
 the mountain ; tho Egyptian on tho south-cast. Around the house of 
 tho Sherif, Yahya himself was encamped with his Bedouin troops, an;! 
 in its neighborhood were all the Iledjaz people. Mohammed AH, and 
 Soloyman, Pasha of Damascus, as well as severpi of their officers, had 
 very handsome tents ; but the most magnificent of sill was that of the 
 wile of Mohammed Ali, tho mother of Toossoon Pasha and Ibrahim 
 Pasha, wlio had lately arrived at Cairo for tho Iladj, with a truly royal 
 equipage, five hundred camels being necessary to transport her baggage 
 from Jidda to Mecca. Her tent was in fact an cncamianent, consisting 
 of a dozen tents of different sizes, inhabited by her women ; the whole 
 inclosed by a wall of linen cloth, eight hundred paces in circuit, the 
 single entrance to which was guarded by eunuchs in splendid dresses. 
 Ardund this inclosurc were pitched the tents of tho men who formed her 
 numerous suite. The beautiful embroidery on the exterior of this linen 
 palace, with tho various colors displayed in every part of it, constituted 
 an object which reminded me of some descriptions in the Arabian Tales 
 of the Thousand and One Nights." 
 
 Among the prodigious crowd were persons from every comer of the 
 Mohammedan world. Burckhardt counted forty different languages, 
 and did not doubt that there were many more. About three o'clock in 
 the afternoon, the pilgrims, quitting their tents, which were immediately 
 struck, and mounting their camels, pressed forward toward Mount Ara- 
 fet, and covered its sides from top to bottom. The preacher now took 
 his stand upon the platform on the mountain, and began to address the 
 multitude. The hearing of the sermon, which lasts till sunset, constitutes 
 
224 
 
 LIPK AND TRAVELS OF BtRCKUARDT. 
 
 the holy ceremony of the Iladj, and M'ithout being present at it, and at 
 least apiicaring to hear, no pilgrim is entitled to the name of hadj!. " The 
 two pashas, with their whole cavalry drawn up in two squadrons beliind 
 them, took their post in the rear of the deep line of camels of the hadjis, 
 to whioli those of the people of the Hcdjaz were also joined : and here 
 they waited in solemn and respectful silence the conclusion of the sermon. 
 Further vcmoved from the preacher was the Sherif Yahya, with his small 
 i)ody of soldiers, distinguished by several green standards carried before 
 him. The two Muhmals, or holy camels, which carry on their backs the 
 high structure that serves as the banner of their respective cai'avans, 
 made way with difficulty through the ranks of camels that encircled the 
 southern and eastern sides of the hill, opposite to the preacher, and took 
 their station, surrounded by their guards, directly under the platform ia 
 front of him. The preacher, or khatyb, who is usually the Kadi of Mecca, 
 was mounted upon a finely-caparisoned camel, which had been led up the 
 stops ; it being traditionally said that Mohammed was always seated 
 when he addressed his followers, a p)'f>,ctice in which he was imitated by 
 all the caliphs who came to the Hadj, and who from henco addressed 
 their subjects in person. The Turkish gentleman of Constantinople, 
 however, unused to camel-riding, could not keep his seat so well 
 as the hardy Bedouin prophet ; and the camel becoming unruly, he was 
 soon (ibligod to alight from it. Ho read his sermon from a book in 
 Arabic, which he held in his hands. At intervals of every four or five 
 niinutos he paused, and stretched forth his arms to implore blessings from 
 above ; whi'e the assembled multitudes around and before him waved 
 the skirts oi' their ihrams over their heads, and rent the air with shov.ts 
 of Libi')/A\ Allah, huma Lebei/Jc ! — " Here we are at thy biddmg, O God !" 
 During the wavhigs of the ihrams, the sides of the mountain, thickly 
 crowded as it Ava by the people in their white garments, had the appear- 
 ance of a cataract of water ; while tbe green umbrellas, Avith which seve- 
 ral thousand hajjis, sitting on their camels below, were provided, bore 
 soma resemblance to a verdant plain." 
 
 Uurckhardt was present at all the remaining ceremonies of the Iladj, 
 and after observing whatever was Avorthy of examhiation both at Mecca 
 and Jidda, he johiod a small caravan of pilgrims Avho A\'cre going to visit 
 the tomb of the prophet, and set out for Medina on tlie 15th of January, 
 1815. During this journey he imprudently advanced before the caravan, 
 and was attacked by live Bedouins, from whom he Avas quickly delivered, 
 howc'A er, by the approach of his companions. They reached Medina o.. 
 the 28tli of January. The ceremonies practiced in this city were much 
 less tedious than those at Mecca, and did not occupy him more than a 
 quarter of an hour. Here, shortly after his arrival, he Avas attacked by 
 an intermittent fever, accompanied by extraordinary despondency. His 
 condition, indeed, Avas well calculated to inspire gloomy thoughts ; foi 
 he had no society, and but cue book, which Avas, however, as he obsc.'vcs, 
 
VISIT TO MEDINA. 
 
 225 
 
 worth a whole shelf full of others. This was a pocket edition of Milton, 
 which he had borrowed from an English ship at Jidda. 
 
 Medina, it is well known, is chiefly mdebted to the tomb of Moham- 
 med for its celebrity. This mausoleum, which stands on the south-east- 
 ern corner of the principal mosque, is protected from the too near ap- 
 proach of visitors by an iron railing, painted green, about two thirds the 
 height of the pillars of the colonnade which runs round the interior of 
 the mosque. " The railing is of good workmanship, in imitation of fili- 
 gree, and is interwoven with open-worked inscriptions of yellow bronzo, 
 supposed by the vulgar to be of god, and of so close a texture, that no 
 view can be obtained of the interior except by several small windows 
 about six inches square, which are placed in the four sides of the railing, 
 about five feet above the ground." On the south side, where are the two 
 principal windows, before which the devout stand when praying, the rail- 
 ing is plated with silver, and the common inscription — " There is no (>od 
 but God, the Evident Truth" — is wrought in silver letters round the 
 windows. The tomb itself, as well as that of Abu Bekr and Omar, which 
 stand close to it, is couceulcd from the public gaze by a curtain of rich 
 silk brocade of various colors, interwoven with silver flowers and ara- 
 besques, with inscriptions in characters of gold running across the midst 
 of it, Uke that of the covering of the Kaaba. Behind this curtain, which, 
 according to the historian of the city, was formerly changed every six 
 years, and is now renewed by the Porte whenever the old one is decayed, 
 or when a new gultan ascends the throne, none but the chief eunuchs, 
 the attendants of the mosque, are permitted to enter. This holy sanc- 
 tu?ry once se/ved, as the temple of Delphi did among the Greeks, as the 
 public treasury of the nation. Here the money, jewels, and other pre- 
 cious articles of the people of the Hedjaz were kept in chests, or sus- 
 pended on silken ropes. Among these was a copy of the Koran in Kufic 
 characters ; a brilUant star set ui diamonds and pearls, which was sus- 
 pended directly over the prophet's tomb ; with all sorts of vessels set 
 with jewels, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and other ornaments, sent as 
 presents from all parts of the empire. Most of these articles were car- 
 ried away by the Wahabees Avhen they sacked and plundered the sacred 
 cities. 
 
 On the 21st of April, 1815, Burckhardt quitted Medina with a small 
 caravan bound for Yembo, on the sea-coast. His mind was still exceed- 
 ingly depressed by the weak state of his body ; and his gayety and ani- 
 mal spirits, which had supported him through so many arduous scenes, 
 appear to have deserted him at last. Upon his arrival at Yembo, de- 
 jected and melancholy, to add to his despondency, he found the plague 
 raging in the city. The air, night and day, was filled with the pierc- 
 ing cries of those who had been bereaved of the objects of thoir affec- 
 tion ; yet, as no vessel was ready to sail for Egypt, he was constrained 
 to remain daring eighteen days in the midst of the dyhig and the dead, 
 continually exposed to infection through tLe heedlessness and the irapru- 
 
 15 
 
226 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BURCKHARDT. 
 
 dence of his slave. At length, however, he procured a passage in an 
 open boat bound for Cosseir, many of the passengers in which were sick 
 of a disease which appeared to be the plague, though only two of them 
 died. After remaining twenty days on .joard, he was, at his own re- 
 quest, put on shore in the harbor of Sherin, at the entrance of the Gulf 
 of Akaba, where he agreed with some Bedouins to transport him and his 
 slave to Tor and Suez. Learning on the way, however, that the plague 
 ■was at Suez, he remained at a vilhige in the vicinity of the former place, 
 Avhere the enjoyment of tranquillity and a bracing mountain air soon re- 
 stored his strength, and enabled him, though still enfeebled, to pursue 
 his journey to Cairo, where he arrived on the 24th of June, after an ab- 
 sence of nearly two years and a half. As his health was not yet com- 
 pletely recovered, he undertook a journey into Lower Egypt during the 
 following winter, which, as he seems to have believed, restored his con- 
 Btitution to its former tone. 
 
 His time was now entirely occupied in writing the journal of his 
 Nubian and Arabian travels, and in the necessary care of his health, 
 which, notwithstanding his sanguine expectation to the contrary, was 
 still in a somewhat equivocal state. In the spring of 1816, the plague 
 again broke out at Cairo, and Burckhardt, to avoid the infection, imder- 
 took a journey to Mount Sinai, intending to remain among the Bedouins 
 until the pestilence should be over. During this excursion he traced 
 the course of the eastern branch of the Red Sea to within sight of 
 Akaba, which he was prevented by circumstances from visiting. On 
 his return to Cairo, he united with Mr. Salt in famishing Belzoni with 
 money for transporting the head of Memnon from Goomeh to Alex- 
 andria. The scheme, it would seem, originated with Burckhardt and 
 Salt, to whom, therefore, the British Museum is chiefly indebted for the 
 possession of that remarkable specimen of ancient art. 
 
 On the 4th of October, 1817, Burckhardt, who had so long waited 
 in vain for an opportunity of penetrating with a Moggrebin caravan to 
 IHmbuctoo, by way of Fezzan, was attacked with violent dysentery. 
 The best medical advice which an eminent English physician (Doctor 
 Richardson), then at Cairo, could afford was found unavailing. The 
 disease prevailed, and on the 15th of the same month the able, adven- 
 turous, and lamented traveler breathed his last at the early age of thirty- 
 three years. As he had lived while in the East as a Mussulman, the 
 Turks, he foresaw, would claim his body, " and perhaps," said he to Mr. 
 Salt, who was present at his death-bed, " you had better let them." — 
 "The funeral, as he desired," says this gentleman, "was Mohammedan, 
 conducted with all proper regard to the respectable rank which he had 
 held in the eyes of the natives." This was honorable to his Cairo 
 friends ; and to those who are interested in the history of his manly 
 career it is gratifying to discover how highly ho was valued. His re- 
 mains, unmarked by any memorial, lie somewhere in the Moslem bury- 
 ing-grcund on the eastern side of Cairo, where another traveler of equal 
 
HIS GRAVE. 
 
 courage, enthusiasm, and ener^ T«i, t :, , ^^^ 
 
 than t^venty years before h^^^nt r ^f/^*'-^^^ buried more 
 walked in Ms steps, and many of f;"'^^'"•«''bardt'8 death, others have 
 much difficulty and peril, aS^w iSL'Jr.n' ""' ''''''^ ^''^^ 
 ha. surpassed him i" prudence TdTnt^^^^^ *T'"^' ^»* "« «-« 
 -ch romantic interest, or productive of S^'ri^h r^ ""' * ^^ ^^" 
 
m 
 
 T] 
 
 Roma 
 
 previc 
 
 order, 
 
 his an( 
 
 part oi 
 
 decidei 
 
 ticiilarl 
 
 atterw.i 
 
 of Roir 
 
 life whi 
 
 came a 
 
 time wa 
 
 i seJfobse 
 
 I mittance 
 
 have be€ 
 
 short tin 
 
 Inth( 
 
 married. 
 
 feats of J 
 
 manly inc 
 
 hy these i 
 
 iJy, or of 
 
 gain whicl 
 
 Having re 
 
 desire of ^ 
 
 him, travel 
 
 been durin 
 
 sidered van 
 
 be turned t 
 
B E LZ ONTS 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN EGYPT. 
 
 This enterprising traveler and explorer, descended from a respectable 
 Roman family, was bom at Padua, whither his relations had many years 
 previously removed. Being designed by his parents for some monastic 
 order, he was at a very early age sent to Rome, the original abode of 
 his ancestors, where he received his education, and spent the greater 
 part of his youth. Here the sciences would appear to have obtained a 
 decided preference in his mind, over every other branch of study ; par- 
 ticularly hydraulics, to which he owed much of the reputation which he 
 afterward acquired in the world. The invasion of Italy, and the capture 
 of Rome by the French, disturbed the peaceful but insignificant plan of 
 life which he had traced out for himself. Instead of a monk he be- 
 came a traveler. Departing from Rome in the year 1800, he for some 
 time Avandered about the Continent, deriving his subsistence, as he him- 
 self observes, from liis own knowledge and industry, and occasional re- 
 mittances from his family, who, though by no means wealthy, seem to 
 have been generously disposed to afford him a support, whidi he, in a 
 short time, no less generously refused to accept. 
 
 In the year 1803 he arrived in England, where he not long afterward 
 married. In that country he supported himself by performing in public 
 feats of prodigious strength, and by scientific exhibitions ; still, with a 
 manly independence, preferring the gaining of a precarious subsistence 
 by these means to the idea of draining the slender resources of his fam- 
 ily, or of resorting to those more easy but less reputable sources of 
 gain which too frequently employ the talents of foreigners in England. 
 Having remained nine years in Great Britmn, Belzoni conceived the 
 desire of visiting the south of Europe ; and, taking his wife along with 
 Lira, traveled through Portugal, Spain, and Malta. It seems to have 
 been during this part of his travels that he learned, from what he con- 
 sidered unexceptionable authority, that his scientific knowledge might 
 be turned to good account in Egypt, where an hydraulic machine would 
 
230 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF BELZONI. 
 
 be of the greatest utility in irrigating the fields, which need water only 
 to make them produce at any season of the y ear. 
 
 He accordingly took his passage on board oi' u ship boimd for Egypt, 
 and arrived in the harbor of Alexandria on the 9th of June, 1815. The 
 plague, he learned, was then prevailing in the city, but gradually de- 
 creasing in malignity. St. John's day, the 24th of June, was likewise 
 at hand, on which it usually ceases entirely, through the interference, 
 as the vulgar believe, of the saint, but in reality from the intense heat 
 of the sun, which has by that time exhaled the miasmata which are the 
 immediate cause of the plague. Belzoni, who was accompanied by his 
 wife and a young Irish lad, named Curtain, landed, notwithstanding the 
 disease ; and having remained secluded in the caravanserai, until after 
 ihe 24th, set off for Cairo. On reaching that city, where he meant to 
 make an offer of his services to the pasha, to whose principal interpreter 
 he brought letters of recommendation, he obtained lodgings in an old 
 house of vast size and ruinous condition. Though antiquities, as he ob- 
 serves;, were not at that time his object, he could not refrain from visit- 
 ing the Pyramids. He accordingly accompanied an English gentleman 
 to the spot, where they passed the night, and long before dawn had 
 ascended the summit of the highest pile, to behold the sun rise over the 
 land of Egypt. 
 
 " The scene here," says h*, " is majestic and grand, far beyond de- 
 scription : a mist over the plains of Egypt formed a vail, which ascended 
 and vanished gradually as the sun rose, and unvailed to the view that 
 beautiful land, once the site of Memphis. The distant view of the 
 smaller pyramids on the south marked the extension of that vast capital, 
 while the solemn endlees spectac.'e of the desert on the west inspired us 
 with reverence for the all-powerf'-l Creator. The fertile lands on the 
 north, with the serpentine course of the Nile, descending toward the sea ; 
 the rich appearance of Cairo and its minarets, at the foot of the Mokat- 
 tam mountain, on the east ; the beautiful plain which extends from the 
 Pyramids to that city ; the Nile, which flows magnificently through the 
 center of the Sacred Valley ; and the thick groves of palm-trees under 
 our eyes, altogether formed a scene of which a very imperfect ide^ can 
 be given by the most elaborate description." 
 
 A few days after his return to Cairo he was to have been presented 
 to the pasha, but on the way to the citadel was attacked and wounded 
 by a Turkish soldier in such a manner that he was compelled to defer 
 his presentation for thirty days. Mohammed Ali had not at that time 
 properly established his power ; for, when informed of the injury which 
 had been inflicted on his guest, he only observed that such accidents 
 were not to be prevented in cities filled with troops. This point was 
 very soon made still clearer. In a few days the soldiers burst out into 
 open rebellion, pillaged the inhabitants, committed every description of 
 atrocity, and pursued his highness himself into his castle, where they 
 for some time held him besieged. When this storm had blown over, 
 
REMOVAL OF THB HBAD 07 MBMNON. 
 
 281 
 
 Belzoni, whose hydraulic project was highly approved of by the pasha, 
 commenced the construction of his machine in the gardens of the latter, 
 at Shoobra, three miles from Cairo. As iMohammed Ali was not bigot- 
 edly attached to oriental fashions, he freely permitted Belzoni to be 
 witness of his amusements, which he was sometimes even called upon 
 to multiply. Durmg his stay at Shoobra, business frequently required 
 his presence at Cairo, where, on one occasion, he naiTowly escaped 
 being shot by a Turkish soldier. The ruffian having struck him in the 
 street, he returned the blow ; upon which the Turk drew his pistol, 
 fired at him, singed his hair, and killed one of his own comrades who 
 happened to be standing behind the traveler. The man was next day 
 apprehended by the pasha, and never more heard of. When the hy- 
 draulic machine was completed, its power was made trial of in the pres- 
 ence of Mohammed Ali, who, perceiving that as an innovation it was 
 regarded with extraordinary dislike by the Turkish and Arabic cultiva- 
 tors, abandoned the project altogether, ■without even remunerating the 
 traveler for the loss of time and money which he had incurred. 
 
 Notwithstanding these circumstances, Belzoni found, upon calcula- 
 tion, that his finances would still enable him to ascend the Nile as 
 far as Assouan ; and was about to proceed up the country when Burck- 
 hardt and Mr. Salt, who had previously discussed the point together, 
 determined upon the removal of the colossal head of young Meninon to 
 England, for the purpose of being presented to the British Museum ; 
 and requested Belzoni, as one of the fittest persons that could bo found, 
 to undertake the task. The expenses Burckhardt and Mr. Salt were to 
 defray between them. A report was, it seems, circulated even during 
 the lifetime of Belzoni, and previous to the publication of his travels, 
 that in this affair he was merely the paid agent of Mr. Salt (for, as a 
 professed Mohammedan, Burckhardt did not choose to appear). This, 
 however, was clearly not the case. In a letter addressed to the African 
 Association, dated Cairo, February 20th, 1817, Burckhardt says, "You 
 will be pleased to hear that the colossal head from Thebes has at last, 
 after many difficulties, safely arrived at Alexandria. Mr. Belzoni, who 
 offered himself to undertake this commission, has executed it with great 
 spirit, intelligence, and perseverance. The head is waiting now at 
 Alexandria for a proper conveyance to Malta. Mr. Salt and myself 
 have borne the expenses jointly ; and the trouble of the undcrtakiu-^ 
 has devolved upon Mr. Belzoni, whose name I wish to be mentioned, if 
 ever ours shall, on this occasion, because he was actuated by public 
 spirit fully as much as ourselves." 
 
 Few things are more interiisting in themselves, or less captivating in 
 description, than a search after antiquities. Belzoni, after visiting Her- 
 montis and Dendera, arrived at Thebes, which, from the time of Strabo 
 to the present moment, has excited the wonder and admiration of eveiy 
 traveler who has beheld it. " It is absolutely impossible," says Belzoni, 
 " to imagine the scene displayed, without seeing it. The most sublime 
 
282 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF BELZONI. 
 
 ideas that can bo formed from tho most magnificent specimens of our 
 present architecture would give a very incorrect picture of these ruins ; 
 for such is the difference, not only in magnitude, but in form, propor- 
 tion, and construction, that even tho pencil can convey but a faint idea 
 of the whole. It appeared to mo like entering a city of giants, who, 
 aller a long conflict, were all destroyed, leaving tho rums of their va- 
 rious temples as tho only proof of their existence." 
 
 After a brief examination of these mighty ruins, ho crossed to tho 
 westei-n bank of the Nile, where, amid tho vast remains of tho Mem- 
 nonium, was the colossal head which ho was to remove. He found it, 
 he says, near the remains of its body and chair, with its face upward, 
 and apparently smiling on him at the thought of being taken to En- 
 gland. The implements which he had brought from Cairo were suffi- 
 ciently simple: fourteen poles, eight of which were employed in making 
 a sort of car to lay the bust on, four ropes of palm-leaves, and four rol- 
 lers, without tackle of any sort. Their boat lying too far to be used 
 as a lodgiUj^ every night, they established themselves in tho Memnon- 
 ium, where, as the traveler remarks, they were handsomely lodged in a 
 small hut formed of stones. Mrs. Belzoni seems, in fact, to have been 
 as enterprising and romantic as her husband, and made no difficulty 
 about the rudeness of their accommodation. It is not necessary to give 
 a detailed account of his laborious exertions, or those of the Arabs in 
 conveying the head to the Nile. It will be sufficient to state, that after 
 incredible toil and perseverance, it was at length brought to the edge 
 of the stream on the 12th of August, 1816. 
 
 This object being effijcted, he made an excursion to the sepulchral ex- 
 cavations in the mountain of Goorneh, celebrated for the quantity of 
 mummies which they contain. Into this vast labyrinth he entered with 
 two Arabs and his interpreter. They were in search of a sarcophagus 
 which Avas said to have been discovered by Drovetti, the French Con- 
 sul at Alexandria ; but, in roaming about amid the dreary passages, lost 
 their way, which, without extraordinary good fortune, might have been 
 the first step to losing their lives. In laboring to find a passage out, 
 they came to a small aperture, through which the interpreter and one of 
 the Arabs passed easily, but Belzoni, who was a very large man, found 
 it too small. " One of the Arabs, however, succeeded, as did my inter- 
 preter ; and it was then agreed," says he, " that I and the other Arab 
 •should wait till their return. They proceeded evidently to a great dis- 
 tance, for the light disappeared, and only a murmuring sound from their 
 voices could be distinguished as they went on. After a few moments I 
 heard a loud noise, and the interpreter distinctly crying, ' O mon Dieu ! 
 O mon Dieu ! je suis perdu !' after which a profound silence ensued. I 
 asked my Arab whether he had ever been in that place. He replied, 
 ' Neve'- ' I could not conceive what could have happened, and thought 
 the best plan was to return to procure help from the other Arabs. Ac- 
 cordingly, I told my man to show me the way out again ; but, staring 
 
JOURNEY INTO NUBIA, 
 
 283 
 
 at me like an idiot, he said ho did not know the road. I called re- 
 peatedly to the interpreter, but received no answer. I watched a long 
 time, but no one returned, and my situation was no very pleasant 
 one." 
 
 At length, however, by dint of laborious perseverance, they issued 
 into the upper air ; and as the sarcophagus, which they had discovered, 
 could not at that moment bo removed, Belzoni conceived the design of 
 making a small excursion into Nubia. Accordingly, ho proceeded up 
 the river to Assouan, where, after much altercation, he procured a fresh 
 boat to carry him to the second cataract. He admired, in passing, the 
 beautiful island of Phila;, rich in the ruins of antiquity. On the next day 
 several natives, armed with spears and shields of crocodile skins, came in 
 boats to attack them on the river ; but observing them, Mrs. Belzoni and 
 all, to be armed with pistols, very prudently retired. At Derr, the capi- 
 tal of Lower Nubia, he purchased, with a small looking-glass, permission 
 to continue his voyage. Previous to this, many of the people of the 
 country had never enjoyed the gi'atification of contemplating the reflec- 
 tion of their own countenances. On arriving at Abou-Simbel, he saw, 
 with amazement, the great rock-temple noticed by Burckhardt. He im- 
 mediately conceived the design of clearing away tho sand which ob- 
 structed the entrance into the temple, and made the proposal to the vil- 
 lagers, promising, in order to excite them to the task, a present in 
 money ; but soon found that he had at length arrived in a region where 
 money had ceased to be omnipotent. The people stared at his piasters 
 as they would have stared at a letter in an unknown language, and in- 
 (luircd who would give them any thing for such small bits of metal as 
 those ? However, ho by degrees succeeded in convincing them that 
 money possessed over civilized men, and all who came within their in- 
 flnenco, a mysterious power which they could not resist. This seemed 
 at first to produce a good effect ; but the love of money once excited, 
 they knew not where to stop ; and their avarice, which he had reckoned 
 his best ally, soon exhausted his means, so that before ho had half com- 
 pleted his undertaking ho was compelled to desist, and continue his voy- 
 age up the Nile to the second cataract. 
 
 Having gratified his curiosity with a glance at these celebrated spots, 
 Belzoni returned to Assouan, and from thence proceeded to Thebes, 
 where he immediately put in train the measures necessary for conveying 
 down the river the Memnon's head, and various other antiquities. Tho 
 obstacles which were thrown in his way by the obstinacy of the natives, 
 and the intrigues of Drovetti, and other collectors of antiquities, were 
 numerous, and highly disgraceful to their originators. Nevertheless, on 
 the 17th of November, 1816, he succeeded in placing the head on board of 
 a boat, in which he set sail on the 21st for Cairo, where he arrived on 
 the 15th of December, after a voyage of twenty-four days. 
 
 From Cairo, Belzoni proceeded with the bust do^vn the Nile to Ro- 
 setta and Alexandria ; from whence, aftv-r having placed his charge in 
 
234 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BELZONI. 
 
 the pftsha's warehouses, he quickly returned, for the ])urpo8o of proceed, 
 ing on a Hecond voyatje up the Nile. It was on this occasion that ho had 
 the good fortune to become known to JNIr. Briggs, with whom he re- 
 turned to Cairo. Captain Caviglia had at this i)oriod commenced his re- 
 searches in the interior of the first pyramid of Ghizch, but was about to 
 discontinue them for lack of means, when Mr. Briggs imuiificently en- 
 gaged to furnish funds for the purpose, in which ho was seconded by 
 Mr. Salt. It was proposed by this latter gentleman that Bulzoni should 
 join Captain Caviglia in his researches ; but the traveler, with conunenda- 
 ble ambition, preferred some undertaking in which all the credit should 
 redound to himself; and, having left his Avifo at the house of a friend at 
 Cairo, ho once more ascended the Nile, accompanied by Mr. Beechey, 
 to whom he had been introduced at Alexandria. 
 
 At Eraramoun, Belzoni obtained intelligence that two agents of M. 
 Drovetti were hurrying on toward Thebes, in the hope of forestalling him 
 in the purchase of antiquities ; upon which he hired two asses, and, leaving 
 Mr. Beechey to come up slowly with the boat, hurried otf by night. On 
 reaching the ruins, after an incredibly fatiguing journey of five days, he 
 found that, although the agents were not arrived, Mr. Salt's neglect, in 
 not paving the way with a liandsome present, had so completely irritated 
 the bey, that he had appropriated to M. Drovetti the very ground upon 
 which Belzoni had commenced his excavations during his first journey. 
 Into the details of these quarrels, which continued to rage during Bel- 
 zoni's residence in Egypt, it is not necessary to enter. 
 
 The most interesting transaction, perhaps, in which Belzoni was any- 
 where engaged, was his visit to the Necropolis of Thebes, in the mount- 
 ain of Goorneh. This is a tract of about two miles in length, at the 
 foot of the Libyan ridge. Every part of those rocks is scooped out into 
 a sepulcher, wliich, however close it may be to other sepulchral cham- 
 bers, has rarely any interior communication with them. It is impossible, 
 as Belzoni observes, to convey by description an adequate idea of these 
 subterraneous abodes and their inhabitants. No other sepulchers in the 
 world resemble them. There are no excavations or mines that can be 
 compared with those astonishing places, which, when once seen, forever 
 after haunt the imagination, hke a glimpse of the regions beyond the 
 grave. Few travelers see more of these catacombs than the exterior 
 chambers, from which the dead have been removed. In the interior 
 sepulchers the air is suffocating, and frequently causes fainting. Tlie 
 dust of decayed mummies, which is so fine that it quickly penetrates in 
 vast quantities to the lungs, and causes a difticulty of respiration ; the 
 strong effluvia of decomposed bodies ; the dark, dismal, lonesome aspect 
 of the place ; — every thing tends to discourage the intruder. Belzoni 
 was not, however, to be deterred. In describing the difliculties which 
 he here encountered, he observes, " In some places there is not more 
 than the vacancy of a foot left, which you must contrive to pass through 
 in a creeping posture, like a snail, on pointed and keen stones that cut 
 
BESEABCHES IN THE TOMBS, 
 
 286 
 
 lO 
 3t 
 11 
 
 like glasa. After getting through these passages, some of them two or 
 three hundred yards long, you generally find a more commodious place, 
 perhaps high enough to sit. But what a place of rest I surrounded by 
 bodies, by heaps of mummies, in all directions, which, previous to my 
 behig ftccustomed to the sight, impressed me Avith horror. The black- 
 ness of the wall ; the faint light given by the candles or torches for want 
 of air; the dift'erent objects that were around me seeming to converse 
 with each other ; and the Arabs with the candles or torches iti their 
 hands, naked and covered with dust, themselves resembling living mum- 
 mies — absolutely formed a scene that can not bo described. In such a 
 situation I found myself several times, and often returned exhausted 
 and fainting, till at last I became inured to it, and indifferent to what I 
 Buffered except from the dust, which never failed to choke my throat 
 and nose ; and though fortunately I am destitute of the sense of smell- 
 ing, I could taste that the mummies were rather unpleasant to swallow. 
 After the exertion of entering into such a place, through a passage of 
 fifty, a hundred, three hundred, or perhaps six Y imdred yards, nearly 
 overcome, I sought a resting-place, found one, and coiitrived to sit ; but 
 when my weight bore on the body of an Egyptian, it crushed it like a 
 bandbox. I naturally had recourse to my hands to sustain my weight, 
 but they found no better support ; so that I sank altogether among the 
 broken mummies, with a crash of bones, rags, and wooden cases, which 
 raised such a dust as kept me motionless for a quarter of an hour, wait- 
 ing till it subsided again. I could not move from the place, however, 
 without increasing it, and every step I took crushed a mummy in some 
 part or other. Once I was conducted from such a place to another re- 
 sembling it, through a passage of about twenty feet in length, and no 
 wider than that the body could be forced through. It was choked with 
 mummies, and I could not pass without putting my face in contact vidth 
 that of some decayed Egyptian ; but as the passage inclined downward, 
 my ow' veight helped me on. However, I could not help being cov- 
 ered AV' ch bones, legs, arms and heads, rolling from above. Thus I pro- 
 ceeded from one cave to another, all full of mummies, piled up in various 
 ways, some standing, some lying, and some on their heads. The pur- 
 pose of my researches was to rob the Egyptians of their papyri, of which 
 I found a few hidden in their breasts, under their arms, and in the space 
 above the knees, or on the legs, and covered by the numerous folds of 
 cloth that envelop the mummy." 
 
 Belzoni continued indefatigably making new researches both at 
 Goomeh and Karnak, but was at length put to flight by the machina- 
 tions of the French, who had succeeded in gaining over to their party 
 the bey of the province. He then resolved once more to ascend the 
 Nile to Abou-Simbel, and was fortunate enough to meet with two En- 
 glish travelers. Captains Irby and Mangles, who were desirous of per- 
 forming the same voyage. They hired a boat between them at Philse, 
 and setting out together in high spirits, visited the second cataract, and 
 
286 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF BELZONI. 
 
 thon returned to Abou-Simbel. Hero the wrong-headedness and qnar- 
 rclsomo di^poHition of the Nubiann considurably obstructed their labors 
 in oloiiring awny the entrance to the temple. But at length, having dis- 
 miHsed the native laborers, and undertaken the task themselves, they 
 Huccecded, and enjoyed the satisfaction of beholding one of the most 
 perfect and beautiful rock-temples in the world.* 
 
 * " About two hours after midnight, I was awakened iVom a deep sleep by the shock 
 or tlio boat striking the shore. I opened my eyes and saw, as I lay, without moving my 
 lioacl, a huge wiill of rock before me, ogainst which six enormous statues leaned as they 
 looked Oom deep niches cut in its ft-ont Their solemn faces were touched by the moon, 
 wiiioh shone full on the cliff, and only their feet were wrapped in shadow. The lines of 
 doop-eut liioroglyphica over the portal of this rocky temple wore also filled with shadow 
 and painted legibly on the gray, moonlit rock. Below them yawned the door — a square 
 of couiplcto darkness. A little to the loll, over a long drift of sand that sloped fVom the 
 summit of tiio cliff nearly to the water's edge, peered the mitered head of a statue of still 
 more colossal proportions. I gazed on this broad, dim, and wonderful picture for a mo- 
 ment, 80 awed by its majesty that I did not ask myself whero or what it was. This is 
 somo grand Egyptian dream, was my first thought, and 1 closed my eyes for a few sec- 
 onds, to see whether it would vanish. But it stood fast and silent as ever, and I knew it 
 to bo Abou-Simbel. My servants all slept, and the rais and boys noiselessly moored the 
 boat to tiiu shore, and then lay down and slept also. Still I lay, and the great statues 
 looked fiolemly down upon me, and the moon painted their kingly nomons and banners 
 with yet darker distinctness on the gray rock. Tho river mado no sound below, the long 
 grass stirred not a blade at tho foot of the crags, and the slopes of sand were white and 
 dumb as snow. I lay in too deep a repose for thought, and was not then conscious how 
 grateful was such a silence in Nature, while the moon held up that picture before me. It 
 might have been two minutes or twenty, before the current slowly swung the stern of 
 the boat around, and the picture as slowly shifted from my view, leaving instead the 
 Southern Cross in its shrine of stars. 
 
 " The front of tho great temple is not parallel to that of tho other, nor does it face the 
 river, which hero flows in a north-oast course. Tho line of tho cliff is broken between the 
 two, so that the figures of the great Remeses, seated on each side of tho door, look to the 
 cast, the direction of the lino of the face being nearly north. Through tho gap in front, 
 tlie sands luivo poured down from the Desert behind, almost wholly filling up tho space 
 between tho two cliffs; and though s'nce the temple was first opened, by Belzoni, in 
 1817, it has been cleared nearly to the ba^e more than once, the rapid accumulation of 
 sand has again almost closed tho entrance. The southern colossus is only buried about 
 half way to tho kneo, but of the two northern ones there is little else to be seen except 
 tho heads. Obscured as is the effect of this grand front, it is still without parallel in the 
 world. I had not thought it possible that in statues of such enormous magnitude there 
 could bo such singular beauty of expression. Tho face of Romeses, the same in each, is 
 undoubtedly a portrait, as it resembles the faces of the statues in the interior, and those 
 of the King in other places. Besides, there is an individuality in some of the features 
 which is too marked to represent any general typo of the Egyptian head. The fullness 
 of the drooping eyelid, which yet does not cover the large, oblong Egyptian eye ; the 
 nose, at first slightly inclining to the aquiline, but curving to tho round, broad nostrils; 
 the generous breadth of tho calm lips, and the placid, serene expression of the face, are 
 worthy of tho conqueror of Africa and tho builder of Karnak and Medeonet Abou. 
 
 "Tho great doorway of tho temple is so choked up with sand that I was obliged to 
 creep in on my knees. Tho sun by this time had risen exactly to the only point where it 
 can illumine the interior, and the rays, taking a more yellow hue ft-om the rock and sand 
 on which they fell, shone down the long drift between the double row of colossal statueSi 
 
THE TEMPLE OF ABOU-SIMBAL. 
 
 237 
 
 Having completed thin laboriouH operation, Bolzoni returned to hh 
 old station at Thcbus, whore ho continued his rescnrchcH in the valley 
 of tho Tombs of tho KmgH. Here, among other rctnarkablo nntiquitien, 
 ho discovered ono relic of tho ancient world, which certainly appears to 
 rank among tho most beautiful that havo ever been exhumed. '■'■ It is,*' 
 Bays ho, " a sarcophagus of tho finest oriental alabaster, nine feet fivu 
 inches long, and throe foot seven inches wide. Its thickness is only two 
 inches, and it is transparent when a light is placed in.side it. It is mi- 
 nutely sculptured within and without with several hundred figures 
 wliich do not exceed two inches in height, and represent, as I suppose, 
 tho whole of tho funeral procession and ceremonies relating to the de- 
 ceased, imited with several emblems, etc. I can not give an adequate 
 
 ond lighted up tho ontranco to the second hall of tho tomplo. I aat down in tho sand, 
 awed and half fVightoned by the singular nppoaranco of tho place, Tho sunshine, fulling 
 obliquely on tho sonds, atruck a dim reflection against tiio sculptured roof) and oven 
 lighted up tho furthest reccssoa of tho grand hall suflSciontly to show its imposing dimen- 
 sions. Eight square pillars — four on either side of tho central aisle — soom to uphold tho 
 roof, and on their inner sides, facing each other, aro eight statutes of tho king. Tlio fea- 
 tures of all are preserved, and havo something of tho graco and serenity, though not tho 
 majesty of tho great statues outside. They look into each other's eyes, with an eternal 
 question on their fixed countenances, but none can give answer. There was something 
 so stem and strange in these eight faces, that I felt a shudder of fear creep over me. Tho 
 strong arms are all crossed on their breasts, and tho hand hold various sa< : d and rogal 
 symbols, conspicuous among which is something resembling a flail, which ouo sees often 
 in Egyptian sculpture. I thought of a marvelous story I onco read, in which a genie, 
 armed with a brazen flail, stands at the entrance of an enchanted caatlo, crusliing with the 
 'roko of his terrible weapon all who como to seek tho treasure within. For a moment 
 .ae childish faith in the supernatural was as strong as over, and I looked at tlio gloomy 
 ontranco beyond, wishing to outer, but foaring tho stony flails of the terrible Remesi on 
 either hand. Tho faces were onco partially colored, ind tho black eyeball, still remaining 
 on the blank eye of stone, gives them an expression of stupor, of death-in-lifo, which ac- 
 counted to me for the nervous shock I experienced on entering. 
 
 " There is nothing in Egypt which can be likened to tho great temple of Abou-Simbel. 
 Kamak is grander, but its grandeur is human. This belongs rather to the superhuman 
 fancies of the East — tho halls of the Afrites— or to tho realm of the dethroned Titans, of 
 early Greek mythology. This impression is not diminished, on passing tho second hall 
 and corridor, and entering the adytum, or sacred chamber of tho templo. Thero tho gran- 
 ite altar yet stands in the center, before the undestroyed figures of the god.s, who, seated 
 side by side, calmly await tho offerings of their worshipers. Tho peculiar individuality 
 of each deity is strikingly shown in these largo statues, and their attitude is much less 
 constrained than in tho sitting statues in tlio tombs of Thobca. Tlicso look as if they could 
 rise, if they would. The walls aro covered with sculptures of them and of thecontemplar 
 deities, in tho grand, bold stylo of tho ago of Remcses. Sorao visitors had left a supply 
 of dry palm branches near the entrance, and of these I niado torches, which blazed and 
 crackled fiercely, flaring with a rich red light on the sculptured and painted walls. There 
 was sufficient to enable me to examine all the smaller chambers, of which there aro eight 
 or nine, cut laterally into the rock, without any attempt at symmetry of form, or regularity 
 of arrangement Several of them have scats running around three sides, exactly like tho 
 divans in modem Egyptian houses. They were probably designed for the apartments of 
 priests or servants connected with the temple." — ^Batard Tatlob's " Journey to Central 
 Africa.'' 
 
238 
 
 MPB AND TRAVELS OF BBLZONI. 
 
 idea of this beautiful and Invaluable piece of antiquity, and can only say, 
 that nothing has been brought into Europe from Egypt that can be com- 
 pared *o it. The cover was not there ; it had been taken out and 
 broken into several pieces." 
 
 Of the tomb in which this extraordinary monument was foimd a 
 model wa3 many yp^rs afterward exhibited in London, and so exceed- 
 ingly well executed was the representation, that had it not been for the 
 crowds of visitors, one might easily have imagined one's self in the sep- 
 ulchers of the Egyptian kings. The original tomb at Thebes, which 
 was first opened by Belzoni, bears his name to this day. It had been 
 entered and plundered, probably during the Romsia occupation, but 
 again closed in so careful a manner, that it had remained undiscovered 
 for nearly two thousand years. Belzoni wanted but one thing to ren- 
 der him one of the greatest antiquarian collectors in the world : this one 
 thuig was money. From the lack of this, many of his most arduouo 
 and well-planned enterprises came to nothing. 
 
 From Thebes, with which he was now as familiar as he was with 
 London, he some time after this proceeded to Cairo. He had by this 
 time acquired quite a passion for excavations, tomb-opening, and all those 
 other pursuits by which travelers aim at diving into the mysteries of 
 Egyptian manners and arts ; and reflecting upon the success of Captain 
 Caviglia in descending into the well of the Great Pyramid, the project 
 of attempting the opening of the second occurred to him. There is not 
 space to describe the difficulties which he encountered and overcame in 
 the execution of this design. His labors were incessant ; his expenses 
 considerable ; but, at length, after success had frequently appeared hope- 
 less, the entrance to the interior chambers was foimd. " After thirty 
 days' exertion," says he, " I had the pleasure of finding myself in the 
 way to thi central chamber of one of the two great pyramids of Egypt, 
 which hav.. long been the admiration of beholders !" 
 
 This object having been happily effected, Belzoni again set out for 
 Thebes. There he was made acquainted with the history of a pretended 
 discovery, which became a motive for a journey to the coast of the Red 
 Sea. The history of this expedition is given in a v cry f«w words by a 
 writer in the Quarterly Review. " A French mineralogist, of the name 
 of Cailliaud, had accompanied some Arab soldiers sent by the pasha of 
 Egypt in search of emeralds among the mountains between the Nile and 
 the Red Sea. On their return, Calliaud gave out that in this expedition 
 he had discovered the ancient city of the Ptolemies, the celebrated Ber- 
 nico, the great emporium of Europe and the Indies, of which he gave a 
 magnificent description. Mr. Belzoni, doubtful of the accuracy of the 
 story, set out from Edfoo, with one of the former party, to visit the 
 supposed Bernice ; where, instead of the ruins of eight hundred houses 
 and three temples, as stated by M. Calliaud, he could find no more than 
 eighty seven scattered houses, or rather cells ; the greater number of 
 which did not exceed ten feet sqttare^ built with unhewn stones, and 
 
JOURNEY TO THE OASIS. 
 
 289 
 
 without cement ; and the only appearance of a temple was a niche in a 
 rock, without inscription or sculpture of any kind ; there was no land 
 for cultivation, nor any water within twenty-four miles ; no communica- 
 tion Avith the sea but by a rough road over the mountains, of twenty- 
 four miles; and the shore was so covered with projecting rocks for 
 twenty or thirty miles on each side, that there was no security even for 
 the smallest bo its, much less for ships trading to India. These, there- 
 fore, he was quite certain, could not be the remains of Bemice. 
 
 As, however, the site of this celebrated city had been fully described 
 by the ancient writers, Mr. Belzoni determined to prosecute his research- 
 es ; and at the end of twenty days he discovered, close to the shore, the 
 extensive ruins of an ancient city near the Cape Lepte Extrema, the Ras 
 el Anf (Cape Nose) of the present day ; the projection of which forms 
 an ample bay (now named Foul Bay), having at the bottom an excel- 
 lent harbor for vessels of small burden. These ruins, which are beyond 
 dispute those of the celebrated emporium founded by Ptolemy Phila- 
 delphus, were four days' journey from the rude cells of the quarrymen 
 or miners, which Mr. Cailliaud is stated to have so strangely mistaken 
 for the magnificent vestiges of the ancient Bemice. Several wells of 
 bitter water were found among the ruuis ; and between them and the 
 mountains was an extensive plain fit for cultivation. The remains of 
 more than three thousand houses were counted, about the center of 
 which were those of a temple with sculptured figures and hieroglyph- 
 ics." 
 
 Having made this discovery, he again returned to the valley of the 
 Nile, where he was for some time occupied in the removal of various 
 antiquities. He then descended to the sea-coast, and on the 20th of 
 April, 1819, set out from Rosetta, on an excursion to the district of 
 Fayoiun, and the Oasis of Jupiter Ammon. After roaming about the 
 shores of Lake Moeris for some time, for he had no leisure for making 
 researches, he visited the ruins of Arconde, consisting of a few granite 
 columns, and fragments, and mounds of burned bricks. He then pre- 
 pared to cross the desert to the Oasis, which was an affair of some diffi- 
 culty. Nevertheless, he at length succeeded in completing his prepara- 
 tions, and commenced his journey, accompanied by a Bedouin guide, 
 and three or four other persons. Even here, in the desert, ruins of 
 Egyptian edifices, beautifully sculptured with hieroglyphics, were found. 
 The scone at first lay among low rocks, sandy hills, and barre:; "^alleys, 
 which were gradually exchanged for a plain of sand, as level n^ the sea, 
 and thickly strewed with brown and black pebbles. They continued 
 during five days their journey over this dreary waste, at the end of 
 which time they perceived the rocks of the Oasis, and beheld two crows 
 coming, as it were, to meet them. In the afternoon they entered the 
 valley, which is surrounded by high rocks, and forms in the midst a 
 spacious plain, about twelve or fourteen miles long, and about six in 
 breadth. "There is only a very small portion of the valley cultivated 
 
240 
 
 LIFE AND TRAVELS OP BBLZONI, 
 
 on the opposite side to that which wo reached, and it can only be dis- 
 tinguished by the woods of palm-trees which cover it. The rest of the 
 valley is wholly covered with tracts of sand, but it is evident it has once 
 been cultivated everywhere. Many tracts of land are of a clayey sub- 
 stance, which could be brought into use even now. There are several 
 small hills scattered about, some with a natural spring at the top, and 
 covered with rushes and small plants. We advanced toward a forest 
 of date-trees, and before evening we reached within a mile of a village 
 named Zaboo, all of us exceedingly thirsty : here we observed some 
 cultivation, several beds of rice and some sunt-trees, etc. Before the 
 camels arrived, they scented the water at a distance ; and as they had 
 not drank since they left Rejan, they set off at full gallop, and did not 
 stop till they reached a rivulet, which was quite sweet, although the soil 
 was almost impregnated with salt. I observed hqre a great many wild 
 birds, particularly wild ducks, in greater abundance than any other." 
 
 The first man who perceived them after their entrance into the val- 
 ley e>anced a disposition to shoot Belzoni ; but, upon the explanation of 
 the Bedouin guide, consented to conduct them to the village. " We 
 advanced," says the traveler, " and entered a lane ; and as we penetrated 
 further, we entered a most beautiful place, full of dates, intermixed with 
 other trees, some in blossom and others in fruit ; there were apricots, 
 figs, almonds, plums, and some grapes. The apricots were in greater 
 abundance than the rest, and the figs were very tine. The soil was 
 covered with verdure of grass and rice, and the whole formed a most 
 pleasing recess, particularly after the barren scenes of the desert." 
 
 His reception at this village was equivocal: there being several 
 shekhs, each of whom made pretensions to authority. Some were dis- 
 posed to treat him kindly, while others, more morose, kept at a dis- 
 tance ; but a few cups of coffee, judiciously distributed, and followed by a 
 sheep boiled in rice, reconciled the whole ; although they next morning, 
 when they were again hungry, relaj^ jd into their former rude manners. 
 Like all other ignorant people, they supposed that he must necessarily 
 be in search of treasure, and for some time refused to conduct him to 
 the ruins of which he was in search; but upon being assured that 
 whatever treasures might be discovered should liiU to their share, while 
 all be stipulated for were a few stones, they consented to accompany 
 him. The ruins, which he supposed to be those of the temple of 
 Jupiter Ammon, now served, he found, as a basement for nearly a 
 whole A'illage, in the vicinity of which he discovered, as ho thought, the 
 famous " Fountain of the Sun," which is warm at midnight and cold at 
 noon.* This is a well of sixty feet deep by eight square, which, over- 
 
 • In both these suppositions, Belzoni was mistaken. The Oasis which ho visited was 
 not that of Jupiter Ammou, now known under the name of Siwah, but was in reality 
 the Oasis I^irna, or Little Oasis, called by the Arabs the Wah El-Bahryeh (Northern 
 Oasis). The Temple of Jupiter Ammon, and the Fountain of the Sun, are to bo found 
 in the Oasis Siwah, which is sevm or eight days journey north- west of the latter. 
 
HIS DEATH. 
 
 241 
 
 in tlio atmo,ph(.re. ^ '" 8«»'«i- or less degree of heat 
 
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C A I LLI A U D'S 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE LIBYAN OASES, 
 ETHIOPIA, AND SENNAAR. 
 
 Frederic Cailliaud, the first modem traveler who made a com- 
 plete exploration of the rums of Ethiopia, was a native of Nantes. His 
 taste for archaeology and for the natiiral sciences led him to travel, and 
 on visiting Egypt he found so much to interest and fascinate him, that 
 he remained four years. Early in 1816 he ascended the Nile a? far as 
 Wady Haifa, at the second cataract, following in the steps of Burck- 
 hardt, and preceding Belzoni by a few months. He also visited the 
 Great Oasis in the Libyan Desert, west of Thebes, and crossed from 
 the Nile to the Red Sea, where he discovered ruins which he sup- 
 posed to be those of Berenice — a mistake afterward corrected by 
 Belzoni. 
 
 Returning to France in February, 1819, after an absence of nine 
 years, Cailliaud immediately applied to the French government, to be 
 again dispatched to Egypt for the purpose of making more extensive 
 explorations. His application was warmly seconded by the French 
 Institute, and in two months he received the appointment, and his 
 instructions from the Minister of the Interior. After passing a month 
 with his parents at Nantes, he set out for Marseilles, accompanied by 
 M. Letorzec, a cadet of the French navy, who desired to accompany 
 him. Embarking on the 10th of September, he landed at Alexandria 
 on the 1st of October, after a ve;y stormy passage. His plan was, 
 first to penetrate to the Oasis of Siwah, or Jupiter Ammon, in the Lib- 
 yan Desert, a spot which few trivelers had ever reached, and which 
 none had ever thoroughly explored. The failure of a recent attempt 
 did not discourage him : he proceeded to Cairo, and after visiting some 
 new mummy pits which had been opened at Sakkara, made his prepara- 
 tions and set out on the Ist of November, accompanied by Letorzec, 
 and Ismail, a French Mameluke. 
 
 Ascending the Nile to Benisonef Cailliaud proceeded to the district 
 
246 
 
 OAILLIAUD'8 JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 of the Fyooni, lying a day's journey to the wost, antl was ho fortunate 
 as to find the governor, who liad just returned from a successful foray 
 amoug some rebellious desert tribes. The latter sent for an Arab chief 
 named Koroom, and an inhabitant of Siwah, named Youssei^ who hap- 
 pened to be in the Fyoom, and requested them to conduct Cailliaud to 
 the Oasis. They made serious objections to the plan, but finally yielded, 
 on condition that the travelers would neither write nor draw, clothe 
 themselves .as Egypti.ans, and assume the character of natives of Cairo. 
 The governor of the Fyoom gave Cailliaud a letter to the chiefs of 
 Siwah, in which ho declared that the traveler was sent by Mohammed 
 Ali, and should be treated with the same resj)ect which they owed to 
 the pasha. The camels were brought, and aftcu- halting two days at the 
 encampment of Koroom, they commenced their march into the desert. 
 " The two eldest daughters of Shekh Koroom," says Cailliaud, " accom- 
 panied us for half a league, wishing us all sorts of benedictions, for the 
 success of our journey. I saw them collei^t the dust from the places' 
 where the feet of the Arabs who accompanied us had left their imprint ; 
 this dust they placed in a takia, or small Arab cap, which they held in 
 the hand. I was told that this was done to preserve us from accidents ; 
 that they were required to collect some dust from the steps of each man 
 and each camel ; that, on returning to their tent, they would make a 
 little hole in the top of the cap, and suspend it, in the manner of an 
 hour-glass ; and that they would consult it every day to notice the dura- 
 tion of our absence, and calculate the time of our return." 
 
 At a village called El Gharak, on the borders of the desert, they 
 were joined by a caravan of inhabitants of the Fyoom, Avith one hun- 
 dred camels, bound for Siwah. Some of the native merchants refused 
 to go, through the fear of being compromised by the presence of Cail- 
 liaud's party. The travelers were obliged to relinquish the idea of taking 
 meridian altitudes, and could not make the least observation, even by 
 the barometer, except by stealth. They were also extu'edingly circum- 
 spect in their conversation, taking care to make no remark which might 
 excite the suspicion of the Arabs. In two days they arrived at a 
 mountain called Rayan el Kasr, at the foot of which, in a little valley, 
 they found a curious well. "The principal spring is a fimnel-shaped 
 hole, two feet in diameter at the bottom. Shekh Koroom descended 
 into this hole, and plunged into the center a stout piece of wood, which 
 he moved around in the clay, opening a i)assage for the water, which 
 instantly began to rise. The shekh then placed his legs in the orifice, 
 and by twisting himself^ succeeded in thrusting his body down to the 
 ann-pits. Another man mounted on his shoulders to retain him there, 
 and when the latter quitted his hold the shekh was thrown out of the 
 water by the force of the spring, which is very abundant. The Arabs 
 have the habit of crying aloud during this operation, which appears to 
 them miraculous : they pretend that without doing so, the water would 
 not come." 
 
 grove 
 proac 
 permis 
 by nui 
 
APPROAOU TO SIWAH. 
 
 247 
 
 Tho caravan continued ita march over plains of sand, alterntiting 
 with hard tracts co .ercd with agates, and occasionally tho rcinuuis of 
 petrified forests, among which Cuilliaud found tlio trimk of a syesinioro 
 eleven feet in circumference and fifteen feet in lf!nf;th. As they ai)- 
 proachcd Siwah the earth became covered with a crystalization of salt, 
 iorming vast incrusted plauis. Finally, on tho fifteenth day, they saw 
 in the distance a valley fertile in palms and acacias, in the midst of which 
 was a village tributary to Siwah, and distant from it about twenty 
 leagues. Tho village, called El-Garah, was built on tho summit of a 
 steep rock, and appeared to consist partly of the remains of ancient 
 edifices. A curious superstition prevails in this place. A former shekh 
 predicted that the inhabitants of the village — men, women, and children 
 — would never exceed forty. The people declared that the number had 
 sometimes a little exceeded that limit, but that the balance was always 
 speedily restored by the death of the surplus population. When a child 
 13 born, they expect a death among the older inhabitants, to make room 
 for it. Cailliaud was not allowed to enter the village on the first day, 
 and on climbing the rock tho next morning, tho people cried " Chris- 
 tian !" — whence he knew that some of the Arabs of the caravan had bs- 
 trayed his true character. Youssef of Siwah finally declared that tho 
 traveler would instantly write to Mohammed AH, wlio was his friend, if 
 they did not admit him, whereupon they allowed him to enter, and 
 presented him with some fine dates. 
 
 " On the night of December 8," says Cailliaud, " Shekh Koroom and 
 Youssef came into my tent, and said to me with a very mysterious air, 
 that now was the moment to make use of my sorcery in order to mod- 
 erate the anger of the people of Siwah. ' I have had several occasions,' 
 said Koroom, ' of kno>viijg how experienced are the Christians in this 
 art. Signor Belzoni, whom I conducted to the Little Oasis, finding 
 liiraself annoyed by the inhabitants and by a caravan of Siwah which o\^• 
 posed his researches, suddenly began to write mysterious notes ; and 
 immediately those who designed to injure him, humiliated themselves 
 before him and kissed his hands, which proved his great power !' I was 
 at first tempted to convince him of his error, but I reflected that in or- 
 der to encourage him to serve me, I ought, on the contrary, to assure 
 him that I was as skillful as Belzoni, and he might depend on the success 
 of my magical arts." On the evening of the 9th, they discovered in the 
 west the palm-groves of Siwah, and encamped near an old well. Koroom 
 and Youssef set out by night to announce their approach to the shekhs, 
 and Cailliaud was so excited with anxiety and expectation, that he found 
 it impossible to sleep. 
 
 " After marching three hours, the next morning, we reached the firat 
 grove of date-palms, and the Arabs fired a volley to signaHze our ap- 
 proach. Youssef came to rae, crying otit with joy that we had obtained 
 permission to enter the oasis. We proceeded onward by paths shaded 
 by numerous pahn-groves ; olive, pomegranate, peach, apricot, and fig- 
 
248 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 trees enriched the landacapo. The frcshnesa of the verdure is preserved 
 by tanks and abundant springs ; brooks flow in all directions. These 
 gardens appeared to us delicious, and the happiness of having been able 
 to pciiietrato into this district, separated from the world by a hundred 
 leagues of sand, enchanted mo. Evei j' step brought me nearer to a spot 
 almost unknown, and perhaps to the long-sought temple of Jupiter Am- 
 mon. Youssef presented me to three chiefs, who saluted mo after the 
 manner of the country. They made us encamp in a couit under the 
 walls of the town, near a place M'hero dates were exposed for sale. The 
 windows of the houses were crowded with women, curious to see us. 
 Tlio people came in croAvds around our tent ; there was an excitement 
 in all Siwah. In order to disperse the assembly, the shekhs were obliged 
 to prohibit tho inhabitants of the place, Youssef excepted, from ap- 
 l)roaching us, under penalty of a fine of a hundred and sixty baskets 
 of dates. A much more severe fine was imposed on those who a<ldre8sed 
 insulting remarks to us. This circumstance gave rac an opportunity of 
 judging of the power of the sheklis over tho people, for the latter re- 
 tired suddenly, and wo remained entirely isolated." 
 
 Soon afterward Cailliaud was called before a grand council of tho 
 shekhs and people, and asked by what authority he came. He replied 
 that ho was sent by Mohammed Ali. They then demanded the firman, 
 which he had not been able to procure, as the Pasha was absent in Nu- 
 bia ; but he had an old firman, given to him for the purpose of visiting 
 Souakui, on the Red Sea, which he presented. The only shekh who 
 could read, understood " Souakin" to mean " Siwah," and ridictiled the 
 secretaries of Cairo, who could not 8]wll the name correctly. The final 
 decision of the council w.is that the traveler should be j)ermitted to see 
 the antiquities of the oasis, and on the third day he was furnished Avith 
 a guide. lie was first conducted to the Mountahi of the Dead, a small 
 hill of lunestone, hollowed out with the sepulchers of the ancient inhab- 
 itants. Two leagues west of tho town he found the remains of a 
 building, apparently of the Lower Empire, another hill of catacombs, 
 and a beautiful little Roman temple, of the Doric order, in a good state 
 of preservation. Near the latter, on tho plain, were the remains of 
 houses, broken columns, and heaps of cut stones, indicating a former 
 town or fortress. Tho Arabs called the place beled er-Hoom, or the 
 Greek town. 
 
 Cailliaud now solicited the chiefs to allow him to visit the ruins of 
 Om Beydah, tho most important of all, wliich he conjectured to be 
 those of the temple of Jupiter Ammon. He tried both entreaties and 
 presents, but they refused, giving as a reason that his presence there 
 would cause the great fountain to dry up. They stated that immediately 
 after the visit of Browne and Ilomeraann to Om Beydah, the fountain 
 became dry. The inhabitants were struck with terror, and attributed 
 the circumstance to the fact of the Christians having gazed upon it. 
 The next day, on ascending the mountain of Drar-Abou-Beryk, Cailliaud 
 
 pair, 
 
THE OASIS AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 249 
 
 overlooked all tlic province of Siwah, and, by the aid of a good tclo- 
 scope, Haw the ruins of Orn Ueydah riHing above the tiifU'd palniH. 
 They appeared to him of gigantic size, and the desire to visit them be- 
 came stronger than ever. " The sun was on the horizon ; my guides had 
 descemleil. I followed them, but at a distance, feeling myself i...„Llu to 
 convcrsi' with them. I pondered in my muid what stratagem I could 
 dovise in order to visit the temple. I let them all pass on — guides, 
 Arabs, interpreter — and remained in the rear. Reflecting that I was but 
 a <piarter of a league from the spot, I determined to make an attempt 
 to reach it. Enveloping myself in my bornous, I approached the palm- 
 grove, but seeing that I was watched by the spies, I felt the impossibility 
 of accomplishing my object, and returned." 
 
 During his short stay at the oasis, Cailliaud collected some informa- 
 tion regarding the place and people. The principal trp..]ic is in dates, 
 which are produced in great numbers, and of excellent quality. The 
 government consists of twelve shekhs, six of whom arc elected for life, 
 and the remaining six fi'om year to year. Their deliberations are public, 
 and the people all take part in them. Thetl and other minor offenses 
 are punished by a fine of dates ; those who are not able to pay, are con- 
 ducted out of the town, ])la(!ed njion the ground face downward, and 
 bastinadoed on the naked loins. If a murderer is taken, he is given into 
 the hands of the relatives of his victim, to whom he belongs. Accord- 
 ing to their caprice they may kill him, torture him, or set him free. The 
 amount received in fines is appropriated to keeping the mosques in re- 
 pair, to supporting the saints, or holy men, and to assisting strangers 
 who have been pillaged in the desert. As soon as the boys have at- 
 tained the age of puberty, they are obliged to le.ave the town and live in 
 a separate village outside of the walls. Each widower is also obliged to 
 leave his house and join the young bachelors ; if he marries again, he is 
 allowed to return home. They are permitted to enter the town during 
 the day, to see their relatives and friends, but they must retire before 
 siniset. In spite of tbeir mistrust, obtinacy and superstition, the hihab- 
 itants of Siwah are very hospitable. The poor, or strangers, may go to 
 the market of dates and eat to sr.tiety ; each one leaves his goods ex- 
 posed in public with the perfect assurance that no one will touch them. 
 
 At last, by means of presents judiciously distributed by the mame- 
 luke Ismail, Shekh AH was induced to second Cailliaud's application to 
 visit Om Boydah. But the other shekhs and the people still refused, 
 tmtil, on the evening of the 21st, the traveler offered to be conducted to 
 the temple with his eyes bandaged, seeing neither the country nor the 
 great fountain. On the same day news had been received of the ap- 
 proach of a large caravan coming from Bengazi, in Barca — a circum- 
 stance which would oblige Shekh Koroora to leave with his camels, as 
 there was not pasturage for all in the oasis. In the evening, Shekh Ali 
 came with the permission to visit Om Beydah, but counseled the trav- 
 eler to act with prudence, and to depart with Koroom immediately af- 
 
250 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOoR' KY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 torwunl. Tliosc wcrti also his intentions, utid tlin next morning, at day- 
 light, ac(U)ni|)anicnl by M. LctoiKuu, Ismail, ami t'oiu- of the shoklis ol h>i. 
 wall, moiuitoil on a.ss(>H, ho si't out. Threading the woods of dalf-pahnM 
 watered by little brooks, for half an hour, they emerged from the shade 
 at the foot of the temple. "The ruin, altlumgh not extensive, apjieaied 
 to me imposing from its grand masses, construeted in the Egyptian style. 
 The remembranet! of the voyage of Alexander caused me to approacli it 
 with a HOit of religious respect. My attention was directed to the walls 
 of the temple; I looked for Homo vestiges of the ))resence of the Mace- 
 donian hero; but I found no inscription, no word in hi8 language. All 
 was mute ; his name even was unknown to the inhabitants, and buried 
 u» profound oblivion." 
 
 The temple consisted of a mass of ruins about throe hundred and 
 sixty feet in length by three liundred in breadth. The walls were not 
 more than eighteen feet high, and the roof, a portion of which renuiiiied, 
 was composed of blocks twenty-six feet long. At\er having measured 
 and inspected these ruins, Cailliaud began to make a sketch of them. 
 The people of Siwah, who accompanied him, approached in order to dis- 
 cover what he M'as doing; but as they saw he drew nothing but stones, 
 omitting the fountains and date-trees, they allowed him to proceed. 
 During this operation, Ismail amused them by playing with a fragment 
 of India-rubber ; they could not comiJivhend how so small a body could 
 prolong itself to such an extent, nor how it could elVace the writing on 
 paper. The guides now urged the; traveler to depart, and on reaching 
 the town, he learned that the caravan from Harca had arrived. Sliekh 
 Koroom was very anxious to set out, and the order was accordingly 
 given to load the camels. They left in the afternoon for the Little ( )asis, 
 several days' journey to the south, whither the shekh had jtroimsed to 
 conduct them ; but this intention was kept secret from the rest of the 
 caravan. During the next day's march, they were surprised by the ap- 
 pearance of another caravan, coining toward them. The camels were 
 arranged in order of battle, i)owder distributed, guns loaded, and every 
 preparation made to repel an attack, but the strangers fortunately 
 proved to be friends. Shekh Koroom, with two Arabs, and Cailliaud 
 and his party here left the caravan, in spite of the remonstrances of the 
 other Arabs, and set out for the Little Oasis. Their route led them 
 through tracks of salt desert, alternating with mountains of naked rock 
 and sand. On the 27th, they came ujmn a salt lake, the existence of 
 which had been hitherto unknown. The Arabs called it El-bahreyn (the 
 Two Lakes) ; it was nearly two leagues in length from east to west, by 
 half a league in breadth, bordered on the north by a long, rocky mount- 
 ain, and on the south by a great bank of sand, behiuJ which was a grove 
 of date and doum-palms. 
 
 "On the 1st of January, 1820, wo started at half-past nine, following 
 the valley toward the East. The grass, the asclepias, the tamarisks, 
 and some little marshes which we passed, announced to us the proximity 
 
RESIDENCK IN T.ME LITTLE OASIS. 
 
 251 
 
 of tho oasis. In n short timo woppnitjived tl»o d.ito-grovcH. With what 
 |>luastirp wc disitovcriul thiH liuh vurdurc, in tho midst ui' tito sunds of tho 
 dt'sft't, utler having luidergonu ho many fatigues, ho miu;h caru and pri- 
 vation ! Tliu vugotalion appcjiri'd to mo still moro beautiful when I 
 thought of the signs of winter tlten prevailing in Kurope. At noon, we 
 arrived at El-Kasr, the largest village of tho oasis. On approaching it, 
 we met the shekh, who came to offer us the use of his house, whither wo 
 repaired." The travelers were very hospitably entertained. Having 
 expressed a wish to visit tho anti(piities of the place, they were next day 
 conducted to the ruins of a triumphal arch, of Roman thno, Hmall, but of 
 graceful design. Near the village of Mendysh were numerous catacoinbs, 
 and the remains of an old Coptic village, but Oailliaud failed to discover 
 any thing of special interest. There was also a warm spring, probably 
 tiie same mistaken by IJel/.oni for the Fountain of the Sim, as the latter 
 supposed this oasis, which he visited, to be tliat of Jupiter iVmmon. 
 
 On the 10th, a small caravan arrived from Minyeh, on tho Nile, and 
 Cailliaud took the opportunity to Hcnd back witli it one of liis servants 
 in chargf 'f all liis unnecessary baggage, and tho minerals, shells, and 
 ciniosities which he had collected. His contract with Koroom being at 
 an end, ho asked the shekh of tho oasis to procure him camels for liis 
 further journey, and in the mean time employed himself in making a 
 topographical plan of the oasis. In this he was soon embarrassed by the 
 inhabitants, some of whom declared that ho was putting their country 
 upon paper, in order to show it to the pasha, and thereby increase their 
 tribute ; while others imagined it to be a work of magic, which would 
 cause their -prings to dry u[). In spite of tho firman of Mohammed 
 All, whiih til' shekh read aloud, publicly, the oppositicm was so great 
 that the traNoIers wero obliged to make their observations secretly, Lut 
 as they were detained several weeks, waiting ibr camels, they finally suc- 
 ceeded in making a very correct map. 
 
 On the '2d of February, however, a complaint was made before the 
 cadi, and the principal inhabitants of the village assembled around Cail- 
 liaud's house. The travelers were formally arraigned, and tho most 
 profound silence ensued, when an Arab stepped into the circle to de- 
 nounce them. " I have seen him," said he, pointing to Cailliaud, "stop 
 at a ibuntam and ])lunge therein an mstrument of glass and of silver. 
 After having withdrawn it, he immediately began to write." These 
 magical proceedings, lie said, were made to alarm the inhabitants. 
 There was tlien a general demand to behold the instrument of sorcery. 
 The thermometer was produced, and Cailliaud endeavoreu, but in vain, 
 to explain its properties. Wlien he made the column of mercury rise 
 or fall, by applying or withdrawing the ball of his thumb, they looked 
 on with terror, calling tho Prophet to their aid. He then showed them 
 a telescope and repeating watch, and exploded some fulminating silver; 
 all of which all the more firndy convinced them of his :rr>agical powers. 
 They appointed a man to watch him day and uight, but the spy foimd 
 
252 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 the sorcerer's table so much better than his own, that he soon became 
 a firm friend. Meanwhile the inhabitants busied themselves in pro- 
 curing camels, in order that the dangerous visitor might be enabled to 
 leave as soon as possible. 
 
 The departure took place on the 10th of February. The iuhabitants 
 assembled in a crowd to witness it, and Cailliaud judged it prudent to 
 distribute a few parting gifts among them. The cadi gave him a letter 
 of recommendation to the sheklis of the Oasis of Farafreh, which no 
 European had ever visited, and where, consequently, difficulties were to 
 be anticipated. Passing a range of sand-stone mountains, and plains of 
 gravel dotted with isolated peaks, the cfaavan reached a village called 
 V'-Ii: yz, a dependency of the Little Oasis, after ten hours' march. Near 
 this i)lace are the remains of an ancient Christian church, on the wall 
 of which the travelers noticed a mutilated fresco of St. George and the 
 dragon. After five days' journey over barren deserts, passing many an- 
 cient oases which the sands have now completely inundated, they ap- 
 proached Farafreh. "An accident, which might have proved fatal, 
 broke the monotony of our journey. Our camels had been bitten and 
 frightened by j, vicious he-camel of the caravan, and my interpreter and 
 myself werj thrown upon the bare rock. This fall was terrible ; it was 
 impossible for me to rise ; ray interpreter fell upon his head, and I suf- 
 lered hitense pains in the loins. But we were near Farafreh. The de- 
 sire of arriving there gave us strength, and at the end of an hour our 
 Arabs assisted us to remount our dromedaries. 
 
 " Toward evening wo discovered the palms of Farafreh, and an-ived 
 there after a march of ten hours. On seeing us, the Arabs flew to 
 arms, and assembled at the gate of their village ; most of them mounted 
 on the towers of the Kasr, and all had muskets. These preparations 
 made us fear that they would not receive us. Seeing us advance, they 
 sent two men to parley with us. The g- eting of these men was un- 
 friendly ; they offered us Avater and every thing else which we wanted, 
 on condition that we would not approach the village, adding that they 
 had orders to make us continue our route, '^ur reputation in the Little 
 Oasis had pixceded ns, and it was known that we were Christians ; but 
 I was not in a condition to go further, and my interpreter was scarcely 
 able to speak. I told them I had a firman from the Pasha, which they 
 should see next morning, at the same time ordering the camels to be 
 unloaded, and the tents pitched near the village. They still insisted that 
 we should leave, but I threw myself on my carpet, and listened to no 
 one. When they had been informed of our accident <'ny took pity on 
 us, and allowed us to pass the night tranquilly." 
 
 The next day the shekhs of the place came to visit Cailliaud. They 
 paid no attention to the firman of Mohammed Ali, nor to the letter of 
 the shekh of the Little Oasis ; but a dish of crows cooked with rice, 
 which M'as offered to them, secured their good graces — nothing more 
 was said of forcing the travelers to leave, although they were denied en- 
 
THE OASES OF PARAFllEII AND DAKHBL. 
 
 253 
 
 trance into the village. Cailliaudi during tlie two following days, suc- 
 ceeded in making a plan of the oasis, and in taking a sketch of the vil- 
 lage by means of a camera obscura. While he yvaa thus employed the 
 natives thronged around, curious to know what he was doing. He di- 
 rected M. Letorzec to take a telescope and point it to the sun ; the 
 interpreter made the people sit on the ground and observe profound 
 silence. After the magical operation was finished the chiefs were allowed 
 to look througli the telescope, and they cried out in astonishment at 
 seeing the sun (through the colored lens) as a ball of purple fire. The 
 people were then allowed to look, and h» their gratification, they gave 
 the travelers permission to enter their village. Contrary to Cailliaud's 
 expectation, there were no ruins of importance. The principal building 
 was the Kasr, or Castle, which was about three hundred feet in circuit, 
 and thirty-live feet in height, built of stone and burned bricks. The 
 Oasis of Farafreh is said to have been the first which was conquered 
 by the Moslems from the Christians who formerly inhabited these des- 
 erts. 
 
 After a stay of foin* days, Cailliaud set out for the Oasis of Dakhel, 
 which he reached after a journey of three days. On approaching the 
 largest village, called also the Kasr, the principal inhabitants came out 
 to receive him. After he had encamped in a garden of dates and 
 olive-trees, outside of the wall, the shekhs came, bringing a j)resent of 
 dates and dried apricots. When he informed them that he desired to 
 see the antiquities of the oasis, they willingly offered to show them to 
 him. These antiquities, however, are of little im]>ortance, consisting of 
 some catacombs, several brick edifices of Roman construction, and a 
 small Egyptian temple which appears to belong to the era of the Ptole- 
 mies. Near the town there is a natural warm spring, which the inhabit- 
 ants have conducted into batlis cut m the rock, where they bathe every 
 morning. 
 
 Some Arabs, coming from Siout, brought the news that the pasha 
 was preparing an expedition agahist Dongola, and this news excited in 
 Cailliaud the desire to profit by the occasion, to visit Ethiopia and 
 Meroe. Besides this, his funds were getting low and his party were 
 exhausted by the fatigues of desert travel. Inste.'id, therefore, of re- 
 maining to make a careful survey of the oasis, he determined to make a 
 hasty visit to the (ireat Oasis of El-Khargeh (sometimes called the 
 Oasis of Thebes), and then return to the Nile. Afler a stay of only two 
 days at Kasr-Dakhel, ho set out, journeying through the oasis for tho 
 first day or two ; the path then led over an elevated desert plateau, 
 crossed by detached mounttiin chains. " On the morning of the Ist of 
 March, w«! reached a moimtain of s.'indstone, whence we had the satiS' 
 faction of discovering, in the south-east, the palms of El-Kliargeh, two 
 and a half leagues distant. It would have been more agreeable to us 
 to have seen the palms of the Nile ; my Arabs, above all, would have 
 desired it, as two of them were suffering severely with fever, but we 
 
254 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 were all delighted to roach El-Kliargeh, where we should have two days 
 rest. We soon descended into the valley, and encamped near a line 
 fountain, under some superb acacias. It was a lively pleasure to me to 
 behold again the ruins which had excited my surprise and admiration in 
 April, 1818. The shekh of El-Khargeh, who was soon apprised of the 
 arrival of Europeans, ran to meet me. What Avas his surprise when ho 
 recognized me, after an absence of two years ! He no longer considered 
 me as a fool, and was more than ever convinced that I had discovered 
 treasures among the ruins, which I had now come to carry away." 
 
 Cailliaud only remained two days, to examine the great temple, 
 which is one hundred and ninety-five feet in length, and then took the 
 direct road to Siout, in Upper Egypt. The journey was very rough and 
 fatiguing; they expected to reach the Nile by the end of the fourth day, 
 but the camels were too much fatigued. The next morning " the camels 
 were very lively ; they seemed already to smell the air of the Nile-val- 
 ley. At the end of an hour, we reached the crest of a mountain, and all 
 at once discovered at our feet the shores of the Nile, which we had 
 quitted four months before. Then, suffering ofir glances to wander 
 alternately over the desert we had traversed, and the smiling perspective 
 before us, we admired at our leisure this interesting contrast. On one 
 side, the river presented to ns, as far as our vision extended, its banks 
 covered with verdure, with flowers, and with harvests ; the palms of the 
 Nile, the numerous barks upon the water, and the animals which grazed 
 upon the shores, animated the lovely landscape : on the other hand, the 
 desert still saddened us \vith the appearance of its vast sea of arid and 
 burning sands," 
 
 " On reaching the cultivated lands, we encountered a Bedouin 
 woman, carrying a jar of water upon her head, and begged her to stop. 
 She contemplated our caravan, exhausted with fatigue ; our camels, 
 haggard and marching painfully ; our own pale faces, our Arabs covered 
 with dust, depressed and shaking with fever — these objects at once told 
 her how much wo needed water, and she hastened to offer us all that 
 her jar contained, with some dates. The young woman asked if it had 
 been a long time since we had left the Nile. * Four months,' replied 
 the Arabs. ' Four months !' she excljumed, fixing upon us her beautiful 
 dark eyes, with a touching expression of tenderness and pity. Then, 
 by a spontaneous movement, she extended her arms toward us, adding 
 in a plaintive voice, ' O my friends, O my unfortunate brothers !' I 
 presented this charitable creature with a silver coin, and we left her with 
 our benedictions." 
 
 Disappointed in finding letters from Europe at Siout, Cailliaud re- 
 solved to proceed immediately to Cairo, where he arrived on the 18th. 
 He was not able to see Mohammed Ali, for the plague had broken out 
 in the citadel, and the pasha had shut himself up in his palace at Shoo- 
 bra. The French Consul, Drovetti, however, presented him to Ismail 
 Pasha, who was about setting out for Upper Egypt, to take command 
 
THE EXPEDITION OP ISMAIL PASHA. 
 
 255 
 
 of the expedition against Dongola. This prince assured the traveler 
 of his protection, and offered to assist him in the execution of his 
 plans. As it was dlfHcult to hire a vessel for the ascent of the Nile, 
 Cailliaud purchased a boat about twenty-fivo feet long, ^vith a cabin 
 large enough for three persons, and sailed for Upper Egypt on the 
 22d of April, accompanied by M. Letorzec, an interpreter, and two 
 Arab servants. On reaching Siout, he learned that the expedition to 
 Dongola had been retarded, and therefore proceeded to Thebes, where 
 he arrived on the 14th of May, designing to occupy himself with 
 arelui'ological studies diu'ing the delay. lie had a temporary dwelling 
 matle from the stones of a ruined temple, at the foot of the mountain 
 of Goorneh; the roof was composed of the lids of mummy-coffins. 
 Here he occupied himself in copying the representations in the adjoin- 
 ing tombs ; but the continued delay of the expedition led him to be- 
 lieve that he would have time to rettu'n to ('airo, and make an excur- 
 sion to the ruins of Cyrenc on the Libyan coast, beforo the departure of 
 Ismail Pasha for Dongola. 
 
 In consequence of this, he departed from Thebes on the 6th of June, 
 and arrived at Cairo after a voyage of twenty days. Here he visited 
 Ismail Pasha, who renewed to him the proniisi^ of liis assistance and pro- 
 tection, but added that he intended to set out with the expedition in 
 fifteen days. Cailliaud's voyage was therefor^ useless, and after visiting 
 the petrified forests near Cairo, he started on his return to Upper Egypt 
 on the 27th of July. After a tedious voyage of twenty-two days he 
 again reached Thebes, but continued his journey without halt — except 
 to pjirchase four dromedaries at Daraou — to Assouan, whore Ismail 
 Pasha was then encamped, on the left bank of the Nile. " The shores 
 were crowded with barks, and covered with troops, tents, camels, cav- 
 alry, baggage, ammunition, and artillery ; every thing announced the 
 war which was soon to be carried on in Nubia. These preparations had 
 an important aspect : the cries of the animals, the acclamations of the 
 ])eoi)Ie, the songs of the Albanians, the music of the cymbals and flutes, 
 and the roll of the drums — all contributed to excite the imagination. 
 Tlie camp presented a picture of mirth ; each one gave himself up to 
 joy ; the soldiers saw pillage in perspective ; the pasha flattered himself 
 with the idea of capturing forty thousand negroes ; the Europeans were 
 ambitious of reaching Meroe, and in that ambition, exposed themselves 
 to the dangers and chances of an unjust war.'* 
 
 Soon after his arrival, Cailliaud paid a visit to Ismail Pasha, and 
 found him still favorably disposed, lie offered the traveler a tent, and 
 the usual daily ration, which the latter declined. Soon afterward, how- 
 ever, he learned that the Greek physicians in the pasha's service were 
 intriguing to prevent hitn from going ; reports were spread that he had 
 a secret conmiission from the French government to search for gold 
 mines. On visiting the pasha a second time, two days afterward, Cailliaud 
 saw that thcso intrigues were likely to prove successful. He was coldly 
 
256 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 received, and the paslia stated that, since reflecting upon the subject, ho 
 believed tliat it would be useless for him to accompany the expedition, 
 which was wholly warlike, and would give him no opportunity of 
 examining the antiquities of the country, Tlic traveler presented to 
 him three firmans, which he liad received from Mohammed Ali, but as 
 the name of Dongola was not mentioned in them, the pasha made this a 
 pretext for persistuig in Ids refusal, stating that a now firman would be 
 necessaiy. 
 
 Cailliaud had already gone to considerable expense in preparing for 
 the journey, and rather tlian give up liis Ijopos at this point, he deter- 
 mined to return at once to Cairo. The country was inundated by the 
 rise of the Nile ; his progress Avas tedious and d(?layed by accidents, and 
 he did not reach Cairo until the '20th of September. Mohammed All 
 had gone to Alexandria, whither the traveler followed him. lie lost no 
 time in being presented to tlie pasha, wlio demanded news of his son Is- 
 mail and tlie army. Cailliaud gave him the desired infonnation, then 
 spoke of Sennaar and the gold-mines which were said to exist in the 
 mountains beyond that country, promising to examine them and report 
 to him whether they couM be profitably worked. This proposition was 
 well received, and the pasha i)romised new firmans for Sennaar and the 
 gold-mines, which were made out and delivered two days allerward. 
 The return voyage was immediately commenced ; four days more were 
 spent at Cairo, in procuring additional supplies, and the party, after en- 
 countering a violent hurricane in pass'"ig Djebcl Silsileh, did not reach 
 Daraou until the 19th of November. Here he obtained a guide for Don- 
 gola, and learned, from messengers descending the Nile, that Ismail 
 Pasha had gained a victory over the Shygheeas, in Southern Nubia. The 
 messengers carried with them the heads of six shcklis, and the ears of 
 several hundred warriors, which the pasha was sending to Mohanuned 
 Ali. 
 
 Cailliaud'8 caravan, consisting of eight persons — including himself, 
 M. Letorzee, and the captain of his bark, a Maltese — left Assouan on the 
 25th of November. Thoy ascended the western bank of the Nile, de- 
 voting very little time to the examination of the Egyptian temples in 
 Nubia, in their haste to overtake the army, and reached Wadi Ilalfii 
 (the second cataract) on the 8th of December. After being detained in 
 this neighborhood for some days by vexatious disputes in relation to 
 guides and camels, which it is not necessary to describe, they resumed 
 their journey through the Batn el-IIadjar, Sukkot, and Mahass, taking 
 nearly the same route followed by Burckhardt in his return from the lat- 
 ter country. The track sometimes followed the course of the river, 
 sometimes swerved to the right, into the desert, to avoid its windings. 
 On the 3d of January, 1821, they reached the temple of Soleb, the most 
 beautifid of the Egyptian monuments in Nubia, above the second cata- 
 ract, and remained several days to examine it. Cailliaud considered it 
 of similar style to the Memnonium at Thebes ; he gives its length at three 
 
MEETING WITU ENGLISH TE4.VELERS. 
 
 257 
 
 hundred and fifty feet, and counted the remains of more than ninety col- 
 umns, some of which, thirty-two feet high, are still standing on their 
 pedestals.* 
 
 On the 11th of January, the caravan reached tlio frontier of Dongola. 
 " Our route was bordered by a grove of tufted acacias, which hi(^ from 
 our view the opposite bank of the river. At a quarter of a league to the 
 west, we saw other acacias, with cultivated fields and the habitations of 
 the Arabs. There, only, I felt that I had quitted Egypt. In Lower 
 Nubia, as in Egypt, the monotonous ispect of the palms, the burning 
 rocks, the sands which threaten to enguif the valley of the Nile, occasion 
 a profound feeling of melancholy ; but the region I had reached prc- 
 sentetl a very diiferent aspect — the palms were there replaced by thick 
 woods of acacias and of nebbuks. This verdure recalled France to my 
 mind ; I felt the Hveliest emotion in traversing this smiling country. In 
 the afternoon we encamped at the village of Hafyr, where we remained 
 a day, and met with Messrs. Waddington and Hanbury, who came from 
 the province of Shygheea, the limit of their journey, and were returnhig 
 to Cairo. I flattered myself that this unexpected meeting would pro- 
 cure me the advantage of learning what the antiquities were which, the 
 Arabs had told me, existed in Shygheea ; but Mr. Waddington, whom I 
 questioned on the subject, was by no means indiscreet. He suffered me 
 to remain in the most profound ignorance, and my surprise was there- 
 fore extreme, when, on arrivmg at Berkel, I first beheld the grand monu- 
 ments there.'' 
 
 A (qw days after this, the caravan began to suffer from a scarcity of 
 provisions. Sheep were to be liad, and the travelers shot doves and 
 liartridges, but the army of Ismail Pasha had swept away all the grain, 
 so that they had neither bread for themselves, nor food for their camels. 
 ()l)po.site tl»e island of Argo, Cailliaud learned that there was a dei)6t of 
 army supplies, but on visiting it, found that nothing was to be had except 
 some dourra (a coarse grain resembling broom-corn), and dried beans, 
 and to obtain even these he must first procure an order from King Tom- 
 boul, who lived on Jin adjoining island. Kafiz Effendi, the commissary, 
 nevertheless received the traveler kindly, invited him to dmner, and of- 
 fered to allow his caravan to accompany a small military party of his 
 own, which was to leave for Ismael Pasha's camp in a few days. This 
 offer was accepted ; a visit to King Tomboul procured two bags of 
 dourra and beans ; and Cailliaud th; u set to work to cxamme the anti- 
 quities of the island. 
 
 '' We were obliged," ho says, " to traverse plains covered with thick 
 woods, where it was often necessary to descend fi-om our liorses hi order 
 
 • TIio Tomplo of Sololi. sitiiato 1 in tlio midst of a landscape which presents the mo.st 
 tpphantinj? forms, stands in n 'f'.o bay of verdure, inclosed on three sides by the rocks 
 oi the ncsert. Wliethttr tiie (,> - eicr upprouchea it from north or south, it appears unox- 
 |>eotcdly, and the surprise • ■ «ao lirut view teudd to hoightoa the impreaaion of its syiu- 
 mctry and majesty. — B. T. 
 
 17 
 
258 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 to penetrate the little paths, bordered with acacia and arbutus. The 
 charms of these delicious paths made us disregard the obstacles we en- 
 countered. Vegetation, on this island, breathes of freshness and life : 
 the trees which have been dried up by age, or choked by the violent 
 embraces of the parasitic vines, still present the appearance of vigor and 
 youth, imder the tissue of verdure, with which these gigantic plants em- 
 brace them, forming arbors which no art can imitate. We at length ar- 
 rived at the spot, where lie the two colossal statues of Memnon. A bare 
 space, covered with fragments of sandstone, and two hundred and fifty 
 by one hundred and seventy feet, indicates the extent of the temple, the 
 materials of which have entirely disappeared. Not a single stone of any 
 size, which might have formed part of it, can now be recognized. At 
 the eastern extremity are the statues, overthrown upon the earth. They 
 are of gray granite, and about twenty-two feet high. The execution is 
 not of a very good style ; the bodies are too flat, and the nose too de- 
 pressed ; one docs not see the correct and beautiful workmanship of the 
 head of the young Memnon, shipped to England by Belzoni — whence I 
 infer that the latter is a more recent work than the colossi of Arjjos." 
 
 After several days' detention on the island, Cailliaud joined a caravan 
 of a hundred and fifty camels, and accompanied it to Old Dongola, which 
 he reached in five days. Here he had his own camels and baggage trans- 
 ported to the eastern bank of the Nile, which was considered more safe, 
 and then devoted two days to an inspection of the town. He found little 
 to mterest him except an ancient Coptic convent, built of burned bricks. 
 On the terrace over the upper story were still to be seen the remains of 
 the belfry, while pillars of granite, with the lotus capital, sujjported the 
 interior. The Mussulmen, although knowing the building to have been 
 erected by the Christians, had nevertheless converted it hito a mosque. 
 Dongola, formerly a flourishing city, had been ruined by the incursions 
 of the Shyghceas, and in traversing the streets, Cailliaud only met with 
 two half-naked women, shivering with cold ; for the wind was blowing 
 strongly from the north, and the place was env<;loped in clouds of sand. 
 
 Leaving Dongola on the 3d of February, the caravan continued to 
 ascend the Nile, finding traces of the war in woimded men and devas- 
 tated villages. In three days they reached the frontier of the Shygheca 
 country, at the village of Karafat. While resting there three quarters 
 of an hour under a large acacia, they were accosted by several Shyglieeas, 
 who spoke Arabic. One of thern had lost his ears at the battle of 
 Korti, and related to Cailliaud an exciting story of his suflTerings and 
 escape. Beyond this were many abandoned villages and deserted fields. 
 In two more days they arrived at Merawe, " and it was not without sur- 
 prise," says Cailliaud, " that I found here a j)lace of this name. I in- 
 quired carefully whether there were any antiquities in the neighborhood, 
 and was informed that at Mount Berkcl, a short distance off", there was 
 a 'city of the infidels.' There were the monuments whose existence Mr. 
 Waddington wished to conceal from me. The next morning we set out 
 
A NIGHT VISIT. 
 
 259 
 
 to visit thom, across the cultivated fieMs. Passing the grand pyramidal 
 mansions of the Shekhs of Shygheea, after a short march, we reached a 
 little village called Shibat. What was my joy, when I discovered pyra- 
 mids to the north, and soon a great extent of ruins at the foot of Mount 
 Berkel ! Impatient to arrive, I urged on my dromedary. I then ad- 
 vanced on foot into the midst of those immense ruins ; here, the remains 
 of a beautiftil temple were exposed to my gaze ; ^here, i)iled together 
 confusedly, the debris of pillars, temples, and pyramids. Where shall 
 I direct my steps ? To which shall I give the preference ? I desired 
 to see every thing at once. To the east, on the other bank, I saw the 
 summits of several other pyramids. I ran rapidly around the ancient 
 inclosure of eight temples, and the pyramids ; but the day passed away, 
 and I could take but a supei-ficial view of the crowd of objects which 
 surrounded me, before the night constrained us to retire. A Shygheean 
 family gave us lodgings for the night, in a little village near the river. 
 The women only were at home; their husbands, in order to escape 
 from the Turks, to whom they had not yet submitted, were concealed 
 somewhere in the desert." 
 
 In the night, while Cailliaud was dreaming of the antiquities he had 
 seen, he was aroused by the trampling of horses, and the voices of men. 
 "I arose, and as our chamber had no door, in an instant I was in the 
 court, where I saw five Shyghocans on horseback. It was the pro- 
 prietor of the house, accompanied by four friends, who had quitted 
 their retreat, to visit their wives under cover of the night. One of 
 these men accosted me in an angry voice, demanding why the pasha did 
 not choose some other mode of punishment than impalement. I was 
 astoxmded at this question, the purport of which I could not conceive ; 
 but his friends called the man and he entered with them. The rest of 
 my party were already awakened by the noise. The Shyghoeans began 
 to drink mareesa, a liquor which sometimes bewilders the head. A 
 slave finally gave me the key to the sanguinary remark which had been 
 addressed to me. The bodies of five of the inhabitants of the place 
 were at that moment exposed near our lodgifig, upon the stakes of their 
 impalement ; they were malefactors, who had been executed in this 
 manner on account of their murders and robberies. This execution, 
 horrible as it was, no doubt contributed to our own safety. We kept 
 guard the rest of the night, but before morning the five Shygheeans 
 hastened to regain the desert." 
 
 The next day Cailliaud set out on a visit to Ismail Pasha, whose camp 
 he reached after a march of five hours. The prince was ill, but he was 
 very kindly received by Abdin Bey, to whom he delivered his new fir- 
 mans, and who, after perusing them, made profuse offers of his services. 
 The anny was to set out for Berber and Shendy in three days, and the 
 traveler immediately sent for his companion, M. Letorzec, and the rest 
 of his baggage, in order to be in readiness. Meanwhile, he took occJ^ 
 sion to visit the pyramids of Noori, which he had first seen at a distance, 
 
260 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA 
 
 from the foot of Mount Berkol. These pyramids are fifteen in number, 
 of modonilo siw, the base of tlie larj;est mc^asurinjjf one hundred and 
 sixty feet, but curioiw from tlie resemblanee of some of them to the ter- 
 raced pyramids of Sakkara. 
 
 On the 18th, Ismail Pasha having recovered from his feigned indis- 
 position, Cailliaud was admitted to see him. He was received with all 
 the political cunning of the Turkish race, but it was decided that he 
 should be allowed to accompany the expedition, although, previous to 
 this interview, it was known that the prince was strongly opposed to it, 
 imder the pretense that the firmans of his father were not addressed to 
 him. He had even, as Cailliaud afterward learned, sent a dispatch to 
 the governor at Wady Haifa, to prevent the traveler from going beyond 
 that point, but the messenger, fortunately, did not arrive in time. The 
 army at that time consisted of four thousand men, of whom one thou- 
 sand eight hundred were cavalry, besides two thousand servants, and 
 three thousand camels. There were also twenty-four pieces of artillery. 
 The pasha liad a body-guard of twenty Mamelukes. The diplomatic 
 functions were exercised by three ulemas, who made great efforts to 
 subjugate the people by moral suasion, and avoid the effusion of blood. 
 They often succeeded in this lunnane intent, and were rewarded with 
 robes of honor, and a sum equal to about one thousand two hundred 
 dollars each. 
 
 The camp was broke. » up on the 21st of February, and the army 
 commenced the march to Berber. One third of the troops were left 
 with the boats, which were obliged to M'ait for the rise of the Nile, to 
 pass the cataracts ; the remainder, headed by the pasha, took a south- 
 east course across the desert, to avoid the great curve of the Nile. At 
 nine o'clock a gun gave the signal for loading the camels, and the march 
 began two hours afterward, with the roll of drums. The route was 
 difficult, on account of the rocky ranges which it was necessary to cross. 
 In order to avoid the mid-day heats, the army traveled mostly by night ; 
 fires were lighted along the route, as landmarks, and the troops amused 
 themselves by kindling the dry foliage of the doum-palms. On the fifth 
 night a violent wind arose, which drove the flames among the baggage- 
 camels, and several of Abdin Bey's tents were bumed. The ammunition 
 was fortunately in the rear, and escaped. The night-journey was so 
 fiitiguing, as it was almost impossible to obtain sleep during the day, 
 that Cailliaud could with difficulty keep his sejtt on his camel. In the 
 morning the rocky valley they had been following, became more nar- 
 row ; the presence of palms and acacias was hailed with delight, for it 
 announced the proximity of the Nile. Finally, after a march of fourteen 
 hours, worn out with fatigue, they reached the river. " Like the rest," 
 says the traveler, " I rendered homage to him, in quenching my thirst. 
 In the twinkling of an eye, the banks were covered with soldiers ; all 
 desired to drink the water of the river, or to plunge into it. The army 
 appeared to have regained a new existence. The Nile, in fact, gives 
 
VISIT OP KING LKOPARD. 
 
 261 
 
 life to every thing which breathes or vegetatos in these countries, and 
 the Egyptian who is afar from its creative waters seems to have lost the 
 essential part of his vitality." 
 
 The day after the pasha's ^rival, a courier brought news that the 
 Shygheeans had rallied and united themselves with the forces of Shcndy. 
 Berber was but two days' journey distant, but the cannon had not yet 
 arrived, and a further halt was ordered, until it should come up. Three 
 days afterward, another courier brought a contradiction of tlie tirst mes- 
 sage, which, it was subsequently ascertained, was only a ruse of the 
 pasha, in order to encourage his troops with the prospect of a battle. 
 The march was resumed at midnight on the 4th of March. " Many of 
 the camels, overcome with fatigue, dropped by the way, and the order 
 was given to slaughter them for provisions. One of my own, lying upon 
 the ground, was unable to rise ; it was loaded with dhourra, and I should 
 have willingly lost the load if I could have preserved the animal. The 
 final stimulant, which consists in applying a burning torch to the flanks, 
 was then administered ; the poor brute rose and ran, but only to fall 
 again, further on." 
 
 In approaching El-Mekheyref, the chief city of Berber, the pasha, in 
 order to make a strong impression on the inhabitants, disposed his army 
 in order of battle. The brilliant array of the troops, their rich dresses, 
 and the splendor of the pasha's staff, filled the people with astonishment 
 and admiration ; and the chiefs of the country came at once with offers 
 of submission. In order to proceed fiirther, it was necessary first to pro- 
 cure a great number of baggage camels, and expeditions were sent among 
 the Arabs of the surrounding deserts for this purpose. Soon atler his 
 arrival, Cailliaud i)aidavisit to the Kingof Berber, Nasr cd-Deen, whom 
 ho found lying upon his bed, suffering from some woimds which he had 
 received in his wars with the Shygheeans. A low stool, exactly similar 
 to those which arc represented in the tombs of Thebes, was offered to 
 the tr.aveler, who was also furnished with coffee, a pipe, and some other 
 refreshments. F'ivo shekhs, tall, athletic men, of noble figtire, were 
 seated around the king. 
 
 " On the 12th of March, a son of Mok Nemr (King Leopard), the 
 King of Shendy, brought to Ismail Pasha the news of the submission of 
 that country. The latter desired a visit from the Mek himself, who 
 reached the camp on the 22d. He was in a sort of palanqum, carried by 
 two camels. His costume, of an elegant simplicity, consisted of two robes 
 of great fineness ; the under one Avas white, and the other of a rich In- 
 dian stuff; a sort of mantle hung from his shoulders, and upon his head 
 was a pointed cap, with long, falling ends. His guard Avas composed of 
 fifty men armed with lances, shields, and sabers, some of which were 
 adorned with silver ; behind him marched two men armed with lances, 
 and two others carrying long wands, tipped with balls of silver. After 
 having several times prostrated himself, with a sad and humiliated air, 
 the unhappy king, on being invited thereto, seated himself upon a carpet 
 
 
262 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO BTHIOPIA. 
 
 in front oflnniuil Pasha. IIo took the handof tho latter, kisHed it above 
 an<l below, and placed it u\K>n his head in token of Hubmiasion. Tho 
 pashii ^avu liini to underutand that his visit vrm tardy, and tho kui^ hum* 
 bly replied that he was his servant. Neither pijjo nor cotTeo was pre- 
 sented to him. At the end of ten minutes of cilcncc, he took his leave, 
 all tho inquietude of his soul painted on his counteniuico. The next day 
 the pasha showed him more at ..ention, sending him a horse richly capar- 
 isoned, a dress, a green tent, Ui.d some dishes from his own table." 
 
 Reinforcements Imving arrived from Egypt, the army waL obliged to 
 delay its march from the want of provisions. Cailliaud was very impa- 
 tient, but madctlie most of his time in endeavoring to ascertain from the 
 inhabitants whether there were any ancient ruins in the province. On 
 the 19th of April, being in the pasha's tent, the conversation turned up(m 
 gold mines. Tho pasha exhibited a large diamond whi(;h his iiither had 
 sent him, and asked Cailliaud in what country such stones were found. 
 The latter answered that all the diamond mines heretofore discovered 
 were situated about the 18th parallel of latitude. lie took occasion to 
 bay, also, that in order to discover the true diamond soil, it would be ad- 
 visable to make excursions out of tho regular track of tho army, and 
 added that the antiquarian explorations which he desired to make in 
 Shendy might be turned to good account, in this manner. After tho 
 subject had been fully explained, the pasha stated that jis tlv rainy sea- 
 son would soon conmience, the army would not halt at Sheiiay, but, to 
 Cailliaud's great delight, gave him permission to set out in advance, with 
 a small escort. He insisted, however, that the travelers should pass for 
 Turks, and assume Turkish names, giving to Cailliaud the name of Murad 
 Eftendi, and to M. Letorzec that of Abdallali El-Fakeer. When the two 
 conversed in French, the natives supposed the language to be Turkish 
 (and, in fact, there is some resemblance in the sound of the two lan- 
 guages), while their Turkish dresses, their bare legs, their long beards, 
 their shaven heads, and their tanned complexions, made the disguise com- 
 plete, and caused them to be taken everywhere for good Mussulmen. 
 
 Having received firmans from the pasha, they set out two days after- 
 ward, and after passing the mouth of the Atbara (the ancient Asta- 
 boras), the most northern tributary of the Nile, continued their journoy 
 for two days, and then crossed to the eastern bank of the Nile, at the 
 village of El-Bagheyr. Here, Cailliaud had already passed the latitude 
 assigned by the French geographer, D'Anville, to the ancient city of 
 Meroe, and was uncertain what course to take. After sweeping tho 
 horizon in vain, for some trace of ruins, he proceeded southward, enter- 
 ing the territory of Mek Nemr, of Shendy. Their appearance called to- 
 gether a crowd of people ; the envoys sent by the i)asha to Shendy had 
 followed the western bank of the Nile, and they were the first Turks 
 whom the natives had ever seen. They judged it prudent to say that 
 they were only a little in advance of the pasha's army. After the inhab- 
 itants had retired, Cailliaud took his guide apart, and began to question 
 
DISCOVERY OF MERGE. 
 
 268 
 
 him concerning what ho hail hoard in Berber, that otic day's jourm^y 
 north of Shendy there were a great many taraftccls, or heaps of hewn 
 stones. The latter, Hupposujg tliat the traveler was seat by the pasha 
 to discover hidden treasures, first asked him whether, if lie found a great 
 quantity of gokl, he woukl give him a Htth', that he might get married. 
 To this CailHaud consented, and he then verihed the statement, adding 
 tiiat tlie tttrabeeln were only four or five leagries distant ; that there were 
 a hundred of them, and tiiat it was pi Hsible to climb to their sunnnits. 
 
 Cailliand feared that these tarabeelit were Hiini)ly heaps of granite 
 boulders, such aa are seen at Assouan. His exeitement was so great that 
 he could not sleep ; rousing his party at one o'clock in the morning, 
 much to their aston'shmont, lie set out. Mek Nemr had passed along 
 the day before, on his return to Shondy; his convoy had plundered iho 
 iidiabitants of the villages through which they passed, and the people 
 were awake and lamenting over their loss. The travelers feared a re- 
 prisal under cover of the night, and did not consider themselves safe, im- 
 til the dawn appeared, when they entered an open desert i)lain three 
 miles in length. " The guide then announced to me that we should soon 
 see the tdnihe.eh. Imagine the joy which I felt on beholding a crowd 
 of pyramids, the summits of which were splendidly gilded by the rays of 
 the Sim, then just above the horizon ! Never did he illumine a spe( taclo 
 more delightful to me ! I urged on my dromedary ; I Avould have anni- 
 hilated the space of a league or two which still separated me from the 
 ruins of the ancient capital of Ethiopia. At last, I arrived ; my first aim 
 was to mount an eminence that I might embrace at one glance the whole 
 extetit of the ruins. I remained motionless with pleasure and admiration 
 at the sight of this imposing spectacle. I then ascended the most ele- 
 vated of the monuments. There, wishing to pay a tribute of homage to 
 the illustrious geographer whose genius had directed my steps, I carved 
 upon the stone the name of D'Anville. Again casting my eyes around 
 nie, I discovered in the west a second group of pyramids, and, a short 
 distance from the river, a vast space covered with ruins and rubbish, an- 
 nouncing the situation of the ancient city. When the rest of ray party 
 arrived, I descended to examine the little sanctuaries attached to the 
 toraba ; silence and solitude prevailed everywhere. I saw, to my great 
 regret, the impossibility of establishing my residence in one of these fu- 
 nereal chambers, and therefore sought an abode in the little village of 
 Assour, near the river. In repairing thither, I passed among the other 
 pyramids and the ruins which I had seen, and distinguished there the 
 remains of several temples, with an avenue adorned with colossal rams." 
 
 Cailliaud found that the letters of the pasha were not respected by 
 the chiefs of the village. He therefore adopted the more prudent plan 
 of inviting them to dinner, and distributing some beads and other trink- 
 ets among the people. This course soon established him in their good 
 graces, and he was allowed to continue his explorations undisturbed, 
 during the fourteen days which intervened before the arrival of the 
 
264 
 
 CAILLIAUD'8 JOURNEY TO ETIIIoriA. 
 
 }ia»iiu and his army. Tho group of pyramids wliii-h ho had firHt Hoon be- 
 longed to tlio nocropolirt of tlio ancient city. Tlicy stand upon a low 
 ridge at the foot of the mountain of Mogran. Tliey are all built of fino 
 red sandHtone, in regular courses of masonry, tho spaces of which are not 
 filled, or cased, as in tho Egyptian pyramids, excei)t at tho corners, whioh 
 aro covered with a narrow hem, or molding. Tho stones arc about 
 eighteen inches high, and tho recession of each course varies from two 
 to four inches, so th.'it tho height f tho structure is always much greater 
 than tho breadth of tho base. A peculiarity of these pyramids is, that 
 tho sides aro not straight but curved lines, of different degrees of convex- 
 ity, and tho breadth of tho courses of stono is adjusted with tho utmost 
 nicety, to produce this form. Tho largest of these pyramids has a baso 
 of lirty-eight, with an elevation of eighty-live leet. There aro twenty-ono 
 in all, besides tho substructures of sixteen others. To the east arc twenty 
 others, more or loss ruined, and on tho plain nearer the Nile, tho remains 
 of a group of forty-six, some of which are very small, having bases of 
 from fifteen to twenty feet. The sites of one hiimh'ed and ninety-six 
 j»yramids, in all, have been discovered. Of this city, nothing remahis 
 except mounds of pottery and broken bricks, the foundations of stono 
 walls, fragments ,)f colmnns and statues, and occasionally the outlines of 
 temples and other i)ublio edifices, covering an extent of nearly two miles. 
 From tho nioro recent researches of Lei)slus, tho ago of these ruuis is 
 fixed at from two thousand to twenty-two htuidred years. 
 
 During his stay, Cailliaiid w.as not without considerable anxiety for 
 the safety of his j)arty. Wislung to forward news of his discoveries to 
 Europe, ho determined to send one of his Arabs to Egypt, with letters, 
 and engaged one of the men of Assour to accoinj)any him as far as tho 
 army. On the return of tho latter ho learned that liis messenger had 
 been waylaid and robbed by the country people, who had destroyed ail 
 tho letters. The shekh of a neighboring village, who had become his 
 friend, informed him that tho soldiers of Mek Nemr intended to seize 
 him, and offered him an asylum in his own liouse. l?ut tho very next 
 <l:iy, fortunately, tho first of the pasha's boats appeared on the Nile, an- 
 nouncing tho immediate ai)proach of the Egyi)tian army, whii^h arrived 
 two days afterward, on tho 8th of May. Cailliaud was now safe, and 
 having completed his drawings and measurements, he followed tho 
 trooj)s, and arrived next day at Shendy. On crossing the Nile to visit 
 the pasha, who was encamped uj)on the western bank, he w.'is informed 
 bv tho latter that thu armv would continue its march to Semiaar — a cir- 
 ctmistanee which obliged him to postpone an excursion to tho valleys 
 of Mesowurat and Naga, south-cast of Shendy, where, ho was informed, 
 there were many ruined temples. 
 
 On the ] 5th of May, the king of Shyghcea came to render his sub- 
 mission to tho pasha. IIo expressed a desire to enter a military life, and 
 was .accordingly attached to the army, at the head of four hundred men 
 of liis tribo. Tho same day tho camp was broken up, and the army 
 
 legitii 
 usurj* 
 who 1 
 to the 
 of his 
 march 
 on the 
 Omdu 
 donis c 
 Many < 
 Vnr, w 
 iKutal 
 one wh 
 seventy 
 I Tlio 
 I were on 
 j thcartil 
 I battle, J 
 I previous 
 I pitch. ' 
 ! camels, J 
 porting \ 
 the tails 
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 three tho 
 tumult, t 
 blows wif 
 bavo said 
 than troo 
 
CROSSING THE WHITE NILE. 
 
 265 
 
 commpnooil its miurh for Ilalfiiy and SeniiaAr. As tho (Visposition of 
 tho iiihabituiitM of thoso cumitriet] was not known, distrihutioiiH of am- 
 munition wore madf, and every one re(iuired to bo on tlie alert. Tho 
 journey was very ])aint\d and fatiguing ; there wore not enough })ag- 
 gage-cainols to earry a suflicient supply of grain, and as the country ^va8 
 thinly iiiluvbited, both men and beasts sutfered severely from liunger. 
 Many camels perislied ; tho soldiers were reduced to eating the nuts of 
 tho doum-palin, and pillage became tho order of the day. After ten 
 days the army arrived opposite Ilalfay, tho king of which had announced 
 his submission two days beforeluvnd. Cailliaud crossed tho Nile in a 
 canoe and visited the town, which ho found almost deserted. lie had 
 great difficulty in procuring provisions, as the inhabitants had concealed 
 their supplies. Fhiding it impossible to return the same night, lie was 
 obliged to ask tho king's hospitality, which was cheerfully extended 
 to him. 
 
 It was Ismail Pasha's intention to make a halt at Ilalfay, but on ar- 
 riving there ho learned that Senna&r was in a state of revolution, tho 
 legitimate king, who had been held captive for a long time by two 
 usurpers, having succeeded in establishing a party, Avhile a third usurper, 
 Mho had arisen, was hostile to both. Tliese intestine troubles seemed 
 to the pasha to furnish a favorable opportunity for the accomplishment 
 of his own plans, and lio hastened to profit by it. Continuing tho 
 march, the army reached tho confluence of tho Blue and White Nilea 
 on the 27th, and encamped on tho banks of tho latter, at a place called 
 Omdurman, near a wood of largo acacias. Here commenced tho king- 
 doms of Sennaar on tho eastern bank, and of Kordofan, on tho western. 
 Many of the slaves, Avho were natives of the latter country, and of Dar- 
 Fur, which lies beyond it, took occasion to escape from the fatigues and 
 brutal treatment to which they hwl been subjected : among them was 
 one which Cailliaud had purchased in Berber for the moderate prico of 
 seventy-five francs. 
 
 The passage of the river commenced on the following day. There 
 were only five small boats to be had, which were employed to transport 
 tlu! artillery, baggage, and ammunition. The prospect of approaching 
 battle, pillage, and booty, and tho confidence of victory with which their 
 previous successes had inspired them, excited the soldiers to the highest 
 pitch. " During three days, tho surface of tho river was covered with 
 camels, horses, Turks, and Arabs, who cast themselves into it, some sup- 
 porting themselves by empty jars, or pieces of wood, others clinging to 
 the tails of horses, or the humps of camels. In this manner passed tho 
 army, consisting, with tho slaves, of five thousand five hundred men, and 
 three thotisand camels and horses. It would be difficult to describe tho 
 tumidt, tho confusion, the cries of men and beasts, and the sound of the 
 blows with which the poor beasts were forced into tho flood : one would 
 have said that it was a retreating host, pursued with the sword, rather 
 than troops rushuig confidently to victory. Unhappily, this excessive 
 
266 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA 
 
 zeal occasioned tlio loss of thirty men, and one hundred and fifty camels 
 and horses." 
 
 The point of land botwoen the two rivers, forming the northern ex- 
 tremity of the peninsula of Sennaar, waa called Jia}> (Cape) el-Khartoum. 
 Half a league to the eastward, on the bank of the Blue Nile, were the 
 first habitations of Sennaar.* At the sight of the anay the inhabitants 
 took to Hight. The embassadors whom the pasha had sent to demand 
 the submission of those who held the reins of government, returned 
 with the information th:ii, a large army had collected near the capital, 
 with several pieces of cannon ; and the kings had replied that they would 
 wait to see the pasha's army before they decided what they would do. 
 The order was given to continue the march, but as Cailliaud had heard 
 at Ifalfay that there were ruins at a place called Sobah, on the Blue 
 Nile, he applied to the pasha for a boat to ascend the river, while M. 
 Letorzec followed the army with the camels and baggage. 
 
 Cailliaud set sail on the Ist of June, and arrived next day at a town 
 called El-Eylfun, near Sobah. At his appearance, a crowd of people 
 collected, astonished at his Osmanli costume, which they had never ho- 
 fire seen. In the habit of touching all that they saw, they passed their 
 hands over his gannents ; the shawl and shoes attracted them, especially 
 the latter, with the red color of which they were delighted. After 
 liavuig thus examined him they conducted hhn to the shekh, where a 
 second inspection took place. The shekh, far from suspecting that he 
 was a Christian, received him in the mosque. He asked many tpicstions 
 conceniing the Egyptian army, but as Cailliaud was very desirous of 
 visiting the ruins, he gave him a Spanish dollar, and received a horse 
 and guide. The shekh u)formed him that he had done Avell to travel in 
 a boat, for the general opinion in the country was that the pasha's army 
 would be cut to pieces at Sennaar, where there were four large cannon, 
 and eight or ten thousand warriors. Sobah was reached after a ride of 
 an hour and a half, and th- traveler saw distinctly that an ancient city 
 had once stood there ; but, to his great mortification, notlung Ava^ to be 
 found except heai..4 of earth and gravel — not a single stone of any size, 
 nor the slightest trace of a wall. The only object, Avhich gave any evi- 
 dence of the ancient character of the place, was a mutilated ram-headed 
 8]>hinx, about five feev in length. 
 
 During the fbllowhig week the wind was adverse, and the voyage 
 was very slov> and tiresome, but the desire of ascertaining the pouits of 
 junction of the Rahad and the Dender, Abyssinian tributaries of the 
 Jilue Nile, induced Cailliaud to continue his journey by water. He had 
 learned, from a courier, that the pasha's army was marching forward 
 without resistance, and soon afterward heard that the king of Sennaar 
 
 * Now the city of Khartouni, a place of from thirty to forty thousand inhabitanta, 
 which hiis been built up entirely under tlio Kijyptiau domination. It has become the 
 great trading mart of oiiHtom Soudau, aud its rise haa thurcfuro been the ruin of both 
 Shcndy and SennaAr. — ^B. T. 
 
 Sa\ao 
 the ac 
 mextr 
 mass c 
 the lig 
 againsi 
 I forsool 
 I in her 
 I havinir 
 
 J 
 
 I boo, ti 
 j plants, 
 j tmctivc 
 The 
 i slowly 
 : leagues 
 I already 
 j tho par 
 j "poii th 
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 ; ing that 
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 King Ba 
 of the ki 
 having ti 
 in seckin 
 figui-e in 
 the pashi 
 
SCENERY ON THE BLUE NILE. 
 
 267 
 
 liP*! oubraitted quietly ; that ho had come in gi-eat state to visit the 
 pasha, accompanied by his ministers, the principal inhabitants of the 
 capital, and an escort of two hundred men ; that he and the pasha had 
 exchanged gifts, and the latter had taken possession of the capital. 
 After passing the mouth of the Ilahad, Cailliaud, on the 12th, reached 
 the village of Kourdkeyleh, where the scenery begtui to assume a very 
 different aspect. " At the dawa of day," says he, " I endeavored to 
 enter the forest of Kwurdkeyleh t') surprise some wild animuls. I saw 
 there many monkeys, the fresh tracks of the elephants, guinea fowls, 
 and birds of brilliant plumage, which uttered harsh cries. Since the 
 Pharaohs, perhaps, no bark had spread its sail on the river which I 
 navigated, and it was no*^^ Avithout a keen satisfaction that I saw mine 
 advancing before all othors, fighting with the winds in quarters where 
 the gaze of a European had never before penetrated . I felt an invol- 
 untary emotion hi contemplating those trees, conquerors of Time, which 
 age had not bent ; those thick woods, whose etenial foliage never 
 spread for the traveler a protecting shade against the burning sun; 
 those inaccessible thickets where the shepherd never led his flocks. 
 Savage nature alone breathed amid this constantly renewed vegetation ; 
 the acacias, the ncbbuks, the dead trees themselves, were enlaced in the 
 mextricable convolutions of the parasitic vines, thus forming a compact 
 mass of verdure, through whicli a few almost impracticable paths allowed 
 the light to entei". The shock of our oars and the sound of the water 
 against our bark alarmed the inhabitants of the flood ; the crocodiles 
 forsook the solitary shores, and the frightened liii)popotami, swimming 
 in herds around us, seemed by their bellowings to reproach us for 
 having invaded their domain. The river w:is bordered with the bam- 
 boo, the ebony, and other new and precious woods ; we saw trees, 
 plants, insects, and sliells of unknown kinds, and rejoiced in the dis- 
 tinctive, yet iiitherto unknown physiognomy of this > irgin soil." 
 
 The traveler passed the mouth of the River Dender, and continued 
 slowly to advance until the '21st, when, having arrived within three 
 leagues of Sennaar, he finished the journey by land. The army had 
 already been encamped there eight days. M. Letorzec and the rest of 
 the party were comfoitably established. Cailliaud immediately called 
 upon the pasha, whom he found greatly elated with his rapid successes. 
 He at once began to speak of Fazogl and its rich mines of gold, believ- 
 ing that it was in his power to add still richer and more fertile regions 
 to those which he had already brought under the Egyptian rule. Mean- 
 while, it was necessary first to arrange the internal affairs of Sennaar. 
 King Bady, the legitimate monarch, was leinstated, and named shekh 
 of the kmgdom ; one of the two uscu'pers had fled into Abyssinia, aft;er 
 having treacherously murdered the other. Cailliaud employed his time 
 in seeking for ancient remains, and having heard that there was a great 
 figure in stone at Djebel-Mouyl, seven leagues from Sennaar, persuaded 
 the pasha to furnish him with an escort for a journey thither. lie 
 
 L 
 
268 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 found, however, that this statue Avas nothing more than a heap of rough 
 granite boulders, which bore a faint resomblanco to a human figure. 
 
 " On the 22d of July," says Cailliaud, " I paid a visit to the former 
 king, Bady. I found him seated on a stool, in one of the courts of his 
 residence, where he enjoyed the fresh air, with his ministers and some 
 persons of his suite at his side. He ordered a straw mat to be brought, 
 on which I ])laced myself lie was dres>-«ed in a broad shirt of white 
 linen ; his legs were bare, his feet covered with long sandals, and the 
 royal cap upon liis head. A servant brought him a pipe of the com- 
 monest kind used in the country. Bady is a man of about forty years 
 old, of middling height, robust, of an agreeable figure, with crisp hair 
 and a coppery complexion, which is that of the race of Foungi, to which 
 he belongs. He asked me what difference I found between my coimtry 
 and his, believing me to be from Constantinoi)le, and I drew a picture 
 which threw his own capital quite into the shade. ' At present,' said 
 he, ' Sennaar is no longer to bo recognized ; it is very different from 
 what it was in the times of my ancestors.' Then, with a visible emotion, 
 he bade me see all around him the ruins of the jjalace of his fiither, 
 which still overlooks the whole city. ' These ruins,' said he, ' are the 
 remains of the power of my ancestors, the limits of whose kingdom 
 once reached to the confines of Dongola.' Having nothing worthy of 
 his rank to offer him, I gave him one of my boxes of oxygenated 
 matches. When he saw one of them ignite in the sulphuric acid, he 
 called upon the name of the Prophet, and exhibited the greatest sur- 
 prise." 
 
 In the beginning of August, the pasha, in a conversation with Cail- 
 liaud, praised the climate of Semiaar, and declared that the contrary 
 accounts given by Bruce were totally false. Only one month of the 
 rainy season had passed ; the rain had not been freqtient nor the heat 
 excessive, and there was no sickness among the troops. " The rains 
 cease at the end of September. The soil, profoundly saturated, retains 
 here and there pools of stagnant water, whii-h, fermenting by the sud- 
 den action of the heat, exhale putrid miasma. These, joined to the not 
 less pernicious vapors of the earth, vitiate the air, .and engentler a host 
 of mala<lies ; the fevers, above all, ))revail until January. At the ap- 
 proach of this disastrous season, the inhabitants of the banks of the 
 river hasten to desert the villages with their beasts, and to fly from the 
 I)estiferotis atmosphere." Twenty d.iys af\er this conversation with the 
 pasha, malignant fevers, dysenteries, and affections of the liver, threat- 
 ening an epidemic, jirevaiied among the trooj:s. i\[. Letorzec, the in- 
 terpreter, and two of Cailliaud's Arab servants, become very ill, and six 
 of the Greek and Italian ])hysiciaiis of the army died. " Jiy the 25th 
 of September, there were <ix hundred deaths ;ind two thousand sick, in 
 an army of three thousand men, and the number increased every d.iy. 
 During the whole campaign, the army had never before been in so 
 pitiable a condition. The pasha, in desjiair, drew up an account of his 
 
 interj) 
 with 1 
 person 
 I food, \ 
 i direct 1 
 
 j payi'i.i,' 
 I parts 
 
 None 
 to find 
 I case. 
 I and I 
 i was ft, 
 ) died." 
 , Cai 
 kindly 
 , hi/It hi.. 
 I and Tii 
 I with hii 
 iialfof 
 FazogI 
 White 
 turning 
 and f|i( 
 "••^h am 
 his broti 
 they \v,„ 
 
MORTALITY AT SENNAAR. 
 
 269 
 
 situation, and sent it to liis father. Tlie soldiers were obliged to eat 
 dourra of a very inferior quality, which was very unwholesome for them ; 
 destitute of clothes, almost half-naked, they slept on the damp earth ; 
 there were neither physicians nor medicine of tho proper kind. Horses 
 and camels died in all parts of the city and its environs, and the police 
 were not sufficiently careful to remove the carcases, Avliich soon infected 
 the air. All these causes contributed to augment the number and in- 
 tensity of the diseases." 
 
 Ibrahim Pasha arrived at SonnaAr on the night of the 22d of Oc- 
 tober, to the surprise of his brother, who did not expect him so soon. 
 Fearing the contagion witli which the city was infected, he only remained 
 there two hours, and encamped about a league to the southward. The 
 arrival of this prince, who was a general favorite, rallied the spirits of 
 the troops. He hastened to supply the sick with rice, flour, and other 
 articles from his own stores, paid the troops their arrears, and furnished 
 them with clothes. His physician conceived the happy idea of trans- 
 porting the sick several leagues into the interior, and the change of air, 
 with the more careful treatment which they experienced, soon j)roduced 
 a rajHd diminution of their nu.nber. " l<"'or my part," says Cailliaud, "I 
 have experienced many tribulations. The state of M, Letorzec and my 
 interpreter gave me the greatest anxiety, and my Arabs were devoured 
 with fever. For two months, I had been obliged to take care of all thi; 
 persons who were attached to me, attend to all our wants, prepare our 
 food, \ ; :v: my own clothes, look after my sick camels, and seek in all 
 (lirootiouo ior the necessaries of life. When I could obtain a little wheat, 
 paying for it nt the rate of a franc per pound, I mixed it with three 
 ])arts of dourra,, and made cakes which served us instead of l;>read. 
 None of the nativi's would serve us at any ))i'ie<.', and it was impossible 
 to lind other domestics. All the oflicers of the army were in the same 
 case. My interpreter gave me the greatest ti'ouble ; he became insane, 
 and I was often obliged to bind him fast upon his bed. This state 
 was followed by i oniplete exhaustion, and the unfortunate man at last 
 <li.(l." 
 
 ('aillia)id vinlted Tlirahim I'asha soon after his arrival. He was very 
 kinilly received by the prince, who, after the traveler had expressed to 
 him Ills desire to explore the White Nile, and to penetrate to Bornou 
 and Tunbuftoo, sei.t for his maps — a fine collection of which he carried 
 with him— and explained the plan of his campaign. Isniuil Pasha, Avith 
 half of the troops, Avas to follow the course of the Blue Nile; as far as 
 FazogI : Ibiahnn aihancing toAvard the south-Avest, Avould reach the 
 Wliite Nile somewhere in the territories of the Dinkas. The former, 
 turning westward, Avas to visit the pretended gold mhu>s of (iamamyl, 
 and then ju'oceed in the same direction, where the abundant rains fur- 
 nish a number of wells and natural cisti-rns. Ibrahim would approach 
 Ills brother unti! the junction of the two armies should take jtlace, and 
 they would return northward on a route parallel to the two rivers. At- 
 
 I 
 
270 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 tor this ■\vas accomplisljcd, Ibrahim's niiignifioent plan was to explore the 
 White Nile with well-armed barks ami canoes, to its very sources. If 
 the river should communicate with the Niger, the fleet would enter the 
 latter stream ; otherwise it would return, and after being reinforced, 
 would march upon Kordofan, Dar-Fur and Uornou, and return to Egypt 
 by way of Tripoli. Such was the ambitious plan of the avenger of Mecca, 
 and the conqueror of the Wahabees ; but it was not destined to be car- 
 ried itito effect. 
 
 The ])rospcct of exploring the ^V^lite Nile induced Cailliaud to apply 
 to Ismail Pasha to accompany his brother Ibrahim, but the pasha objected 
 to it on account of his desire that the traveler should examine the gold 
 mines of Gamamyl. In order to induce him to remain, he offered him 
 the use of an armed barque in which he might ascend the iiluo Nile, and 
 added that he .ilso intended to make a campaign on the White Nile, at 
 a later day. Kelying on these promises, Cailliaud decided to follow hira. 
 On the 5th of December, Ibrahim Pasha set out for the country of the 
 Dinkas, with an army of fifteen hundred men. The expedition of Ismail 
 was to consist of fifteen hundred ; as many more, the half of whom M'ero 
 ill, were left at Seunaiir. Cailliaud was greatly embarrassed by the M'ant 
 of servants. Some of the inhabitants of the country had promised to go 
 Avith him, but on the day of his departure, they were not to be found. 
 In addition to this, the man who had charge of his camels, ran off with 
 four of them, but the loss was made good by Ismail Pasha, who presented 
 him with eight others. 
 
 The paslia letl Sonnaar on the Gth, and commenced his march up the 
 western bank of the Blue Nile. The country became more rough and 
 savage as they approached the mountains of Fazogl, the vegetation was 
 more dt'nso, and the journey more diflicult and fatiguing. On the after- 
 noon of the nth, " while we Avere traversing a district covered with 
 trees partly deail, and thickets of vines and brush-wood half dry, a con- 
 flagration broke out, spreading terror through the army, across the track 
 of Avhioh a strong north- west wind drove the flames. Nothing was heard 
 Imt confused cries; the disorder w.'is at its height; the dispute was, who 
 should sav3 himself most speedily ; the frightened camels no longer re- 
 garding the voices of their masters, broke into a gallop, cast off their 
 loads, and oft;en blindly ran to seek their own destruction. It was not 
 without trembling that I saw myself obliged to pass this gulf of fire, 
 which soon extended oviT a distance of half a league. Our first idea 
 was that the natives had maliciously set the woods on fire, but we learned 
 that it was entirely the fiiult of some stragglers of the army, who, in 
 lighting their pipes, amused thems"lves with igniting the trees." The 
 same scenes were repeated fi om day to day, and the ])asha did not Jare 
 to punish the culprits, on acc(junt of the mutinou.. -pint of the troops. 
 There had been no distribution of grain since leaving Sennaar, and in 
 order to keep themselves from starving, the soMiers were driven t.) pil- 
 lage. " All the villages which we saw," says Cailliaud, *' were mercilei=sly 
 
THEY ENTER THE NEGRO COUNTRY. 
 
 271 
 
 plundered by the troops, and I was obliged to follow their example in 
 order to obtain a little dourra, some fowls, the fruit of the baobab, and 
 the fresh pods of the tamarind — the only things left behind by the inhab- 
 itants, who fled at our approaeh." 
 
 On the 1 7th, after passing through a region abounding in wild ele- 
 phants and giraftes, they reached a village called El-Kerebeen, a depend- 
 ency of Sennaar, situated at the commencement of the mountains. The 
 village is built in a group of granite hills, from six to eight hundred feet 
 high. Ibrahim Pasha was at this time encamped four or five miles fui*- 
 ther to the Avcst. Cailliaud, who went to visit him, foimd him laboring 
 under an attack of dysentery, and very much dejected. lie said to his 
 brother Ismail, who was present, that if he did not find himself better in 
 a few days, he would return to Egypt. " Thus was dissipated, as I could 
 plainly see, the splendid plan of a voyage up the White Nile, and into 
 the interior of Africa ! In the evening I returned to my tent 'vith Prince 
 Ismail, who obliged me to dine with him .very day. I was the only 
 stranger who had accompanied him in his last campaign ; I only could 
 write and make knowni his exploits in ICurope ; and I could see that he 
 was as ambitious of glory, as are the Turks ordinarily." On the same 
 day, envoys arrived from the King of Fazogl, to announce that he was 
 ready to give in his submission. There then only remained the Pagan 
 negroes to be concpiered, whom the pasha designed to capture and carry 
 oft' for slaves. 
 
 As the army approached Fazogl the country became more densely 
 wooded, and it was a matter of grcixt difficulty to pass through the 
 forests of thorny mimosas. After two days they reached a group of 
 mountains called Agady, on the summit of one of which w.is a negro 
 village. 3Iany of the inhabitants had fled during the night; tiie j- >- 
 miiinder were called upon to pay tribute, which they refused, saying the 
 pasha might do what he pleased with them. The troops were eager for 
 an attack, and the order wiis at once given. Three hundred men 
 mounted to the village, which became the scene of fire, slaughter, and 
 pillage. One hundred and seventy negroes, mostly women, weie taken 
 prisoners, and conducted to the rear of the pasha's tents, with yokes 
 of wood around their necks. 
 
 On the 22il, after a difficult march of eight hours through the woods, 
 th(! expedition reached the mountauis of Kilgou, where there was an- 
 other large negro village. " Ismail ordered the advance-guard to march 
 rapidly upon the place, surprise the inhabitants, and prevent their flight. 
 This order was promptly executed ; the rocks were scaled, and a large 
 body of negroes surrounded, who, nevertheless, defended themselves 
 with unexjiected obstinacy. The troops had spread their lines in climb- 
 ing tiie hill, in order to surround as large a number as possible. But 
 soon the difficulties of the ground broke up the order of mari'h ; they 
 could not keep their footing on the masses of sllpi)ery granite which 
 barred their path. Finally, taking off" their slippers, which they stuck 
 
272 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 into their belts, they reached the first huts, where they found several 
 Avoiuen, who refused to follow them, and were killed. The men, on the 
 suiinnit of the mountauis, rolled down masses of stone and logs of wood 
 ui)on their enemies. They dashed hither and thither with surprising 
 agility. The Turks compared them to birds, for their feet hardly seemed 
 to touch the surface of the rocks. Many of them hurled their lances 
 from behind trees or masses of granite, and pierced the first troops who 
 ascended the hill. Meanwhile the pasha, tired of the prolonged re- 
 sistance, mounted the hill with seven of his Mamelukes and some Al- 
 banians, but soon had reason to rejjent his imprudence : the negroes 
 suddenly sallied out of their retreat, and hurled their lances, killing one 
 of the Mamelukes. After firing a volley into them, the pasha returned 
 to the camj). By this time the negroes had casit away all their lances, 
 and sought safety in flight. One fourth of them escaped, and the ■ ^st 
 were taken. In this affair the pasha had twelve men killed and forty 
 wounded ; of the negroes one hundred and eighty were killed, and five 
 hundred and seventy-five taken prisoners. The latter had crisp hair, 
 thick lips, and prominent cheek-bones ; a few of them had flat noses. 
 The men wore only a piece of goat-skin tied around the loins, and the 
 women a piece of cotton which reached to the middle of the thigh. 
 Tliert! were none among them who understood Arabic. The pasha al- 
 lowed me to take two who appeared intelligent and good-tempered, and 
 an Arab of Fazogl, who knew a little of their language, served me as 
 interpreter." 
 
 After a rest of three days, the army resumed its march. On the 26th 
 it entered a narrow, rocky valley, on either side of which were many 
 deserted villages. The pasha determined to put himself at the head 
 of the exi)edition, and asked Cailliaud to accompany him. The latter 
 excused himself on account of his fatigued dromedary, bnt the offer of a 
 horse obliged him to accept, and having armed himself to the teeth, he 
 followed the commander. " We entered a little valley inclosed between 
 two chains of high hills and overlooked by a mountain, which we pro- 
 posed to 'scale, in the hope of surprising the negroes on the opposite 
 siile. Tt was necessary to break a jjassago througli the mimosas and 
 the ni'bbuks, the thorny branches of which tore our clothes into shreds. ' 
 The pasha had recommended me, for my own safety, to keep close to 
 l/iMi. but this benevolent consideration nearly proved fatal tome. After 
 two hours' march, Ave had made two thirds of the nioiintaiti which was 
 the aim of our expedition. We adv.anced up a rouL;h and uneven path. 
 Avilh the brink of a precipice on the right, while the peaked sun\mit of 
 the nioiuitain arose on the left. A part of the troops were in advance; , 
 the jiasha followed them, having behind him one of his slaves, who car- j 
 ricd his narghileh ; I came immediately after, so near that the head of 
 my horse touched his, and the Mamelukes after me, for the path was so 
 narrow that we wore obliged to march in single file. All at once a ' 
 rock, three feet in diameter, fell between Ismail ami myself, hurling | 
 
A NIGHT ATTACK. 
 
 278 
 
 down the precipice the slave who separated us. Without doubt the 
 blow was intended for the pasha, who was distinguished by his rich 
 costume ; but one step more, and I should have received it ! Ismail 
 turned immediately, and I could perceive his fright in the pallor of his 
 countenance ; I confess, however, that he could justly have made the 
 same remark concerning me. We dismounted, in order to avoid more 
 readily the locks and pieces of wood which the negroes continued to 
 hurl down upon us. We descended the mountaui much faster than we 
 went up, and, having reached a level spot, the pasha played a piece of 
 cannon against the summit ; but the balls, passing beyond, almost reached 
 the troops commanded by his physician, who returned in great fear, 
 without having achieved any more valorous exploits than ourselves." 
 
 During the next day's march, they saw several enormous baobab- 
 trees, one of which measured sixty-two feet in circumference. The 
 country became more open, but a new range of mountams ai)pearcd in 
 the south. Although he knew that his army was surrounded by a body 
 of five or six thousand negroes, the pasha neglected to place any sen- 
 tinels around his camp that night. Favored by this carelcssnesH, the 
 negroes cautiously descended from the mountauis : the thickness of the 
 foliage, the darkness, of the night, and the color of their skins, even, 
 contributed to conceal their march. They were but a pistol-shot dis- 
 tant, when, owing no doubt to a custom of theirs on attacking, they 
 began to utter loud cries, hurling their lances at the same time. The 
 alarm and confusion was general ; no one knew from which side the 
 attack came. The soldiers, hurrying out of their tents, supposed that 
 tlic negroes were already masters of the camp. A ^i^sv discharges of 
 musketry sufficed to drive oft' the foes, and the tumult finallv ceased. 
 During the confusion several cannon were lired, but so mich a, random, 
 that one of the balls passed over Cuilliaud's tent, and an )tlicr t truck the 
 earth about titleen paces off. 
 
 Seuing that little was to be accomplished against the negroes, in a 
 country where evoi ^^ mountain or forest was an almost impregnable fort- 
 ress, 1 he pasha determined to return to Kilgou, and take the direct 
 route to Fazogl. The way Avaa very laborious and difiicult ; there was 
 no water, except some pools which were corrui)t and stagnant ; deep, 
 rocky ravines crossed the path, and the army was beginning to sufter 
 greatly from thirst, when a little wjiter >vas obtiiuicd by digging in the 
 dry bL'd of the torrent. " Having passed these dry water-courses," says 
 Cailliaud, " we made oui- painful way through a dense thicket of gigantic 
 bushoji, acaeias and iiebbuks ; our liices. our hands and Toot, were scarred 
 with severe and inevitable scratches, and our clothes were hanging hi 
 shreds. At last, toward evening, we fovnid ourselves all at once on the 
 banks of the Nile. The sight of the water restored quiet to the troops, 
 who were becomuig discontented and mutinous." 
 
 On the 1st of January, 1822, they set out for the great mountain of 
 Fazogl, which they saw in the south-east. The country was covered 
 
 18 
 
274 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOUHNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 with thick woods ; hero and there grew tamarinds and doum-palms of 
 much grander proportions than those of Egypt. *' This day was for us 
 a day of misfortune. At first I abandoned one of my camels, which T" \ 
 on the route ; toward evening two others fell into a ravine, and it was 
 necessary to unload and reload, which consumed much time, besides 
 obliging mo to throw away a part of our dourra. Meanwhile the night 
 came, and wo were enveloped in gloom. Wo ceased to hear the foot- 
 steps of some Btragglers who hurried on to reach Fazogl ; the wholo 
 army was in advance, and we souglrt. vainly, in the obscurity, to find a 
 trace of its path. M. Lctorzec and myself were greatly fatigued and 
 depressed. I went to take a drink of water, but, alas ! the water-skin 
 Iiad been burst by the full of the camel. It seemed now that we must 
 pass the niglit in the woods, exposed to the danger of being attacked by 
 wild beasts, or by the negroes, in case we should light a fire to frighten 
 away the former. Such was our perplexity, when our Arab said to me 
 that ho perceived a light in the distance ; we looked but discovered 
 nothing, but finally it increased and we saw it also. This sight revived 
 our courage. We hastened toward it, but cautiously, not knowing 
 whether we were approaching friends or foes. I sent the Arab in ad- 
 vance to make a stealthy inspection, and in a short time we were 
 agreeably startled by his cries of joy. At the same time several soldiers, 
 lost like ourselves, approached, begging us for water. A single bottle 
 of wine, which I had always preser^'cd in case of misfortune, could not 
 bo better employed : Ave drank the half of it, and then resigned ourselves 
 to pass the night Avith our companions in misfortune. This was the time 
 Avhen M. Letorzoc was seized with a fever, which lasted several months. 
 Early the next morning we set out to rejoin the army, which we found 
 at two hours' distance, on the banks of the Nile, near the village of 
 Yara, a dependency of Fazogl, where we remained several days." 
 
 On approaching the village of Fazogl, tlie pasha was received by Has- 
 san, king of the province, who went ir. uuvauce, accompanied by his 
 ministers, mounted on fine Abyssinian horses, and surrounded by a 
 guard of a hundred men, armed with lances. They met Ismail at five 
 leagues' distance ; the king and his ministers dismounted Avlicn they j)er- 
 ceived him, advanced on foot and prostrated, themselves before him. 
 Hassan presented him with two splendid horses; the guards, aj)i)roach- 
 ing, ranged themselves in a line, knelt and reversed the points of their 
 lances in token of submission. In recognition of his reception, Ismail 
 prohibited his troops from jiassing through the villages, in order that they 
 might not be devastated ; for it was not always in his power to preserve 
 good order. On the 5th, the expedition advanced to a village called 
 Tourmoga. Having learned that King Hassan was there, Cailliaud paid 
 him a visit. " I entered into an ordinary hut, where I found the king 
 sitting cross-legged upon a mat. He was a handsome man, young, and 
 of an agreeable figure. His costume was similar to that of the kings 
 of bennaar, but I remarked Avith surprise that his sandals terminated in 
 
 V] 
 
 sorted 
 reduce 
 preven 
 were c< 
 allowec 
 people 
 a river 
 tion, an 
 ncgroc; 
 hJs joui 
 him tri 
 M he 
 asked. 
 FollJ 
 
THE FIOHT OP AOARO. 
 
 275 
 
 curved points, exactly similar to those represented in the Tombs of tho 
 Kings, at Thebes. On his knees ho held his saber, in which seemed to 
 consist all his magnificence. Tho scabbard and hilt were of silver ; 
 several heavy silver rings adorned his fingers, and around his neck ho 
 wore little leather cases containing verses from the Koran." 
 
 The amount of tribute to be paid by Fazogl, was at last fixed at one 
 thousand ounces of gold and two thousand male slaves, and the pasha 
 set out on the 12th for the gold mines of Kasan, lying two or three 
 days' journey to the south-west. To Cailliaud, whoso camels were 
 nearly exhausted, he gave a horse, and to M. Letorzec a mule, which 
 enabled them to travel with more ease and rapidity. On api)roaching 
 the mountain of Agaro, tho road was crossed by a precipitous gulley 
 thirty-five feet deep, in passing which many of tho camels were hurled 
 to the bottom with their riuers, and perished. Tho next forenoon tho 
 army reached the foot of the mountain, and encamped. The negroes, 
 full of audacity, on accoimt of their number and the strength of their 
 position, had sent word to Ismail, before he left Fazogl, that if he camo 
 into their mountains, they would break his legs. But, at the sight of 
 the army, they began to change their tune ; they sent word to him that 
 they would subnut and pay tribute to him. Ismail entered into nego- 
 tiations with them, in order to gain time until his troops had surrounded 
 the mountain. When the negroes percei\ ed this design, they took to 
 flight. The signal was then given for attack, and after a short struggle 
 the soldiers reached the top of the mountain, where they at once set lire 
 to the village. The inhabitants numbered about three thousand, of 
 whom only about a hundred, mostly women, were taken, at the cost of 
 fifteen lives. 
 
 The pasha then determined to make another assault on the eastern 
 part of the ryountain, with eight hundred men and a piece of cannon. 
 "This time," says Cailliaud, " I was tempted to accompany him. The 
 troops dispersed themselves over tho mountain in the hope of blockading 
 the village, and arrived there Avithout trouble or resistance : it was de- 
 serted. In an instant the torch was applied, and five hundred huts were 
 reduced to ashes. Old persons of both sexes, whom age or infirmity 
 prevented from flying, were buried under their blazing roofs ; others 
 were conducted to the pasha, who, not knowing Avhat to do with them, 
 allowed them freely to behold the horrible lesson which a more civilized 
 people than they came to teach them." On the 16th the army crossed 
 a river called the Toumat, continuing its course in a south-western direc- 
 tion, and reached the mountains of Khasinkaro, where a deputation of 
 negroes came to meet the pasha. They said that if he would continue 
 his journey without doing them any harm, they would be able to pay 
 him tribute on his return. He placed little faith in their promises, but 
 as he was impatient to reach the gold mines, agreed to what they 
 asked. 
 
 Following the course of the Toumat, which furnished an ample sup- 
 
276 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 \)\j of water, tho expedition skirted the mountain of Kasan on tho 18th. 
 Tho inhabitants of a largo village on its Hummit promised tho pasha livo 
 hundred male slaves, as their tribute. Soon afterward they entered tho 
 territory of Gamamyl, and discovered in tho Avcst a long chain of mount- 
 ains called Obeli. Tho road hero was contumally crossed by small 
 affluents of the Toumat, which had M'orn for themselves deep beds in 
 the soil, making tho traveling more difficult than any which tho army 
 had yet encountered. " Tho passage of these ravines," says Cailliaud, 
 " was fatal to the camels ; the routo was strewn with abandoned animals 
 and baggage. Tho pasha himself Jiad but a suigle good horse remain- 
 ing. Wo were constrained to leave behind us a camel, part of its load, 
 and tho mule of M. Letorzec, who then mounted tho dromedary M'hich 
 can'ied my papers and drawings ; but tho poor animal, exhausted with 
 fatigue, lay down. In vain did we employ every means to raise it, we 
 could not succeed. That part of tho forest in which we were was full 
 of small dead trees and dry brush-wood, which was imprudently set on 
 fire by tho soldiers at a short distance from us. Soon the flames were 
 ready to envelop us ; I resolved to lose the dromedary, but I wished 
 to save its load, which contained all my papers. We had nothing at 
 hand to cut tho cords and straps which bound it, and in our anxiety 
 made useless efforts to untie them. All was over : the fruit of so much 
 trouble and peril was about to become tho prey of the flames. They 
 cried out to us to save ourselves, but I could not resign myself to sacri- 
 fice my treasures. Already the heat scorched us, we felt the approach 
 of the fire ; we must leave — I uttered a cry of despair. Meanwhile our 
 camel, feeling the flames, rose, darted forward a little distance, and fell 
 again. We ran to it, tore away tho precious load, and placed it on my 
 horse, which I drew by tho bridle, :^'hilo M. Letorzec urged it in tho 
 rear. But tho wind drove tho flames toward us ; they advanced nearer 
 and nearer ; we were almost overcome with terror, when, oh, joy ! the 
 trees became scattering, and we issued from tho wood." 
 
 Ilavuig escaped this danger, tho travelers found that they had lost 
 their way, and were in almost equal peril, imtil they encountered some 
 straggling soldiers. On reaching tho camp Cailliaud found that liis bag- 
 gage had not arrived, and was indebted to tho charity of some soldiers 
 for a cako of dourra, after eating which ho slept upon his saddle-cloth, 
 in the open air. The place where they were encamped was called Ab- 
 koulgui, situated, accordmg to Cailliaud's observations, in latitude 10° 
 38' north. " The village consists of a few scattered habitations, on an 
 elevated slopo, whence the view extends over several other hills more 
 or less wooded, and covered with isolated habitations. In the south 
 one sees the distant mountain of Mafis, and in the west tho long ridge 
 of Obeh. Abkoulgui appears to be tho central point of the province of 
 Gamamyl, which is two days' journey in extent. It is watered by tho 
 Toumat and a great quantity of its tributary torrents ; the soil is a clay, 
 full of sand and pebbles, and showing everywhere traces of oxyd of iron. 
 
 « <. 
 
EXPERIMENTS IN GOLD WASHINO. 
 
 277 
 
 This province is reputed to bo the richest in aiiriferons snbstanceii, 
 where the negroes have been most successful in collecting gold dust." 
 
 The pasha, impatient to tost the value of the gold washings, sent 
 Cailliaud the next day to examine thoin. The negroes had stmk pits 
 eighteen or twenty feet deep, in the bod and banks of the river, and 
 washed out in wooden bowls the earth which they took from thcso 
 places. The traveler succeeded in getting a few very small grains of 
 fine gold, after washing for some titne, but the result was very unsatis- 
 factory to the pasha, who next day sent him to another gold-washing, 
 with several miners and an escort of thirty men. Here he opened new 
 pits, and carefully washed the earth, but the gold was found in quanti- 
 ties so small as scarcely to repay the labor. Finally, in the hope that 
 the natives knew of richer deposits, Ismail sent out an expedition to take 
 some prisoners. Among those captured was a chief, who informed him 
 that during the rainy season, the floods sometimes washed down pieces 
 of gold as large as beans, but that at the present time, it was only found 
 in dust and small grains. He indicated several of the most favorable 
 places in the country, and offered to conduct the pasha to them. Two 
 or three excursions were made in different directions, under a strong 
 armed escort, and the washing carried on vigorously for several days, 
 but with no better success. The pasha at last became disgusted, and 
 gave up the search entirely. 
 
 Jlcanwhile, his situation was becoming insecure. The Gallas, who 
 have overrun all the south-western part of Abyssinia, and who are also 
 enemies of the wild negro tribes, were only five or six hours distant from 
 him ; the negroes were collecting for f new assault, and he received 
 word that a convoy of powder and other munitions had been taken by 
 the natives rear Fazogl, and an escort of twenty-five men killed. How- 
 ever, being re-enforced by a company of four hundred men who arrived 
 from Sennaar, he continued to send out parties against the neighboring 
 villages for the purpose of increasuig his harvest of slaves. All this 
 region has the general name of Bertat ; the inhabitants are of pure negro 
 blood, and wholly savage in their character and habits. Their only 
 religion consists in the worship of large trees, especially the baobab, un- 
 der which they sometimes sacrifice sheep or goats. Their clothing is 
 scarcely sufiicient for description ; their bodies are long, and nimble 
 rather than athletic, and they are not wanting in courage, as the Egyp- 
 tiari troops had already learned. 
 
 *' Seventeen days," says Cailliaud, " had elapsed since our arrival at 
 Gamamyl. I had undergone many fatigues, and yet my health had 
 improved. Every day I mounted my horse to go on the hunt of auri- 
 ferous sands. We multiplied our trials, weighed the earth, calculated 
 the proportion of the quantay cf gold, but never attained any result 
 which could give us the least hof ->. Those mountains of gold upon 
 which the pasha counted so blrongiy, vanished like smoke: the thirty 
 thousand negroes, which he intended to capture diminished to a few 
 
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 1.4 IIIIII.6 
 
 PhotDgraphic 
 
 Sciences 
 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST MAI^« STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. V^JSO 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
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278 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 hundreds. It became necessary to try our luck elsewhere, and he gave 
 the order for our departure. From the want of camels I was obliged to 
 leave behind a fme collection of minerals which I had gathered together. 
 M. Letorzec, weighed down by fever, remained in bed during our stay ; 
 his strength visibly diminished, day after day. When he learned that 
 we Avere about to set out for the purpose of penetrating still further 
 southward, his chagrin increased his illness, and he was haunted by the 
 idea that he would never see his native country again. We sot out 
 on the 5th of FeVuary. Most of the soldiers could not restrain their 
 surprise at seeing that we were still marching to the south. The Sliy- 
 gheeana had made a mannikin resembling a man and dressed in the 
 fashion of their tribe ; it is an established custom with them to inter a 
 similar mannikin at the extreme limit which their hostile expeditious 
 reach, in an enemy's country. Some of them walked in order to allow 
 this ridiculous figure to ride on a camel ; at which the Turka were 
 greatly amused." 
 
 The army encamped near the village of Singuo, which Avas inhabited 
 by Mussulmen. Moussa, their chief, had sent w^ord that he was disposed 
 to pay a tribute, in consequence of Avhich, the pasha prevented his troops 
 from approaching the village, fearing they might commit depredations. 
 Cailliaud visited the place next morning, and found it to consist of five 
 or six hundred houses, scattered along a ridge three or four miles in 
 length. It was almost deserted, and the traveler did not judge it pru- 
 dent to remain long. The village Avas sacked by the troops the sumo 
 day. On the afternoon of the 7th, Avhile the greater part of the Turkish 
 soldiers Avere asleej), according to their custom, a body of about a thou- 
 sand negroes descended from the hills to the Avestward. They Avere 
 finally perceiA'ed, ;i id the pasha and his artillery-men aroused ; but before 
 the guns could bo brought to bear on them, they had advanced near 
 enough to kill some straggling soldiers. The fear of the cannon caused 
 them to retreat precipitately to the mountains. Five hundred men were 
 sent after them, but not being able to reach them, burned their houses. 
 The negroes rencAA^ed their attacks next day, and succeeded in carrying 
 off eight of the pasha's finest horses. One of the savage chiefs Avho had 
 been taken prisoner, Avas offered his liberty if he Avould obtain the ani- 
 mals and restore them ; this he swore by the Koran to do, and Avas ac- 
 cordingly liberated, but neither chief nor horses Avere ever seen again. 
 
 The situation of the Egyptian army Avas now A'ery critical. There 
 was a general league among all the negro tribes, to repel the invaders. 
 The ammunition Avas almost exhausted ; provisions Avere rapidly dimin- 
 ishing, and the latest news from Sennaar stated that the people, persuaded 
 that the pasha and his troops would perish among the mountains, Avere 
 already beginning to foment a rebellion against the Egyptian rule. The 
 pasha at last made up his mind to submit to circumstances, and order a 
 retreat. "The next day, February 11th," says Cailliaud, "was fixed 
 upon for our departure. Before quitting Singue, I wished to overlook 
 
RETREAT TO SENNAAR. 
 
 279 
 
 at least, as far as my vision might reach, the regions which an inexorable 
 i'lte prevented ue froi« traversing. I climbed a hill, and there, anned 
 ^^ ith a telescope, I sought to discover the regions where my imagination 
 had placed the source of the White Nile. Vain eftbrt ! I only convinced 
 myself anew how limited is the space which the hmnan eye can embrace. 
 Ceasing to gaze at a horizon which exhibited onlv vapory and confused 
 outlines, I carved deeply on the rock the name of France, and transported 
 myself, in thought, to that beloved land. The army slowly debouched 
 from the labyrinth of hills which surrounds Singue, cutting for itself a 
 path to the west of that which it had followed in coming. "Wo were 
 still surrounded with enemies, and observed an order of march more 
 regular than usual. This retrograde movement inspired all the men with 
 new cneigy ; even the animals seemed to understand that we were re- 
 turning, and marched more firmly and rapidly. Joy was painted on the 
 faces of all ; the Bedouins and the Albanians manifested theirs by songs; 
 the remembrance of past hardships was banished from memory, and all 
 hopes were turned toward Egypt." 
 
 After a toilsome march of four days, the army reached Adassy, on 
 the Nile. The troops rushed to the bank, and precipitated themselves 
 into the river, each anxious to be the first to drink of its waters. M. 
 Letorzec was in such a weak state, that Cailliaud applied to the pasha for 
 a boat, in order to descend the river \,n Sennaar, and the latter was so 
 obhging as to give up his own barque, as he intended returnnig by land 
 v.itli the army. lie sent with the travelers a courier to his father, Avho 
 was intrusted with two quintals of the auriferous sands of Gamamyl, and 
 a re])ort on the gold region, containing the results of the experiments 
 luadc under Cailliaud's direction. The barque lefl for Sennaar on the 
 ISth. " For a long time wo had not enjoyed so much ease and tranquil- 
 lity. We experienced an inexpressible feeling of pleasure in sleeping, 
 without being suddenly called up by the drum-beat ; in having to suffer 
 no more from hunger, thirst, watchfulness, alarms ; in being relieved from 
 tt'iidmg, feeding, loading and unloading camels; and, instead of running 
 the risk of being buried in torrents, torn by the thorns of mimosas and 
 nobbuks, or swept by the flames of burning forests, in lying peacefully 
 upon a thick carpet in the shade, all day long. Ah, this new hfe was too 
 luxurious — it was the height of felicity !" 
 
 In passing the cataract of EI-Kerr, the boat struck a rock and damaged 
 the bow, occasioning a dangerous leak. It was on the point of sinking ; 
 all was terror and confiision ; Cailliaud seized his packages of notes and 
 drawings, and leaped upon a rock, and for awhile a complete shipwreck 
 tlireatened them. Finally, however, the leak was found and stopped, the 
 boat temporarily calked, and the travelers continued their voyage to 
 Sennaar, where they arrived without further mishap, on the 26th. Cail- 
 liaud immediately went to his old residence, where he was received with 
 great joy by his former hosts. In delivering to Divan Effendi, the com- 
 mander of the garrison, the letters of Ismail Pasha, he learned that the 
 
280 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 latter had ordered that he should be furnished with camels, and with the 
 funds necessary for the expenses of his journe}' to Egypt. As he ex- 
 pected to receive some money in Dongola, he took but five thousand 
 piasters ($250). As there were symptoms of insurrections in the prov- 
 inces of Halfay and Shendy, he determined to make no stay in Sennaar 
 but to push forw'ard and examine the reported ruins of Mesowurat and 
 Naga, before the country should become insecure. He had desired to 
 explore Kordofan, but the state of M. Letorzec's health was such that 
 he could not have supported the journey. This circumstance, which 
 seemed so unfortunate at the time, was in reality the salvation of the 
 travelers. Had they remained longer they would probably have become 
 involved in the same fate which overtook Ismail Pasha and a great part 
 of his army. 
 
 Cailliaud left Sennaar on the 1st of March, and reached Halfay on 
 the 9th. M. Letorzec was so ill that he was obliged to travel in a lit- 
 ter, fastened on the back of a camel. After resting a day they resumed 
 the route to Shendy, following the eastern bank of the Nile. " On the 
 14th," says Cailliaud, " after having traveled for an hour over a plain 
 thinly covered with small acacias, I reached some ruins which had at- 
 tracted my attention at a distance ; I recognized the site of an ancient 
 city by the enormous mounds of burned brick, several of which still in- 
 dicated the outlines of buildings. The place is known by the name of 
 Naga. The most remarkable ruins are those of a typhonium, or temple 
 to the E\t1 Principle, which is about eighty-seven feet in length." On 
 the 15th they passed a great many villages, announcing their approach 
 to Shendy, where they arrived at noon. They immediately visited the 
 Turkish governor, who procured them a houee, as they intended remain- 
 ing some days. M. Linant, who had returned from Sennaar with Ibrahim 
 Pasha, was at Shendy. 
 
 Before setting out on his return to Egypt, Cailliaud desired to visit 
 the ruins of Naga near Djebel Ardan, and those of Mesowurat. His 
 companion, although convalescent, was not able to support the fatigue. 
 It was, therefore, agreed that he should leave for Egypt in a few days, 
 and journey by short stages until overtaken by CailUaud. The latter 
 set out on the 22d, accompanied by two guides and two servants. 
 After journeying all day down a long valley extending to the south, he 
 reached the extremity of the mountains, where the ruins were said to 
 exist. " It was already night," he writes, " and my guides did not con- 
 sider it prudent to go further, for fear of meeting with the Shukorees, 
 who nvre in open revolt. We unloaded our camels cautiously, and lay 
 down under the acaeias which surrounded us. Wrapped in a quilt, with 
 my head on a bundle of papers, I slept soundly, my Arabs watching by 
 turns through the night. I awoke at dawn, and finding every thing 
 quiet, advanced through the trees toward the ruins, which I discovered 
 near at hand. The first object which I saw was a temple covered with 
 Egyptian sculptures, with its pylon, and a portico of Greco-Roman ar- 
 
RUINS AT NAGA AND MESOWURAT. 
 
 281 
 
 chitecture, with Egyptian ornaments. Still further were the ruins of 
 another grand temple, with linely sculptured decorations, and preceded 
 by an avenue of sphinxes ; the substructions of several other edifices, 
 and those of a public tank. I recognized here the ruins of an ancient 
 city, the importance of which was attested by the nature of the remains 
 which still existed, and by the extent of territory which they occupied. 
 * ♦ ♦ My guides arrived, and in order that we might not be seen 
 by the rebel Arabs, Ave established our residence in the western temple. 
 I then began, assisted by my two servants, to make a more careful ex- 
 amination of the monuments." 
 
 Cailliaud found the largest temple to be two hunrlred and seventy 
 teet in length, including the pylon and avenue of sphinxes. "The 
 sciJptures of the interior are almost entirely destroyed. This state of 
 degradation is owing, I suppose, to the insignificant height of the walls 
 and the action of the tropical rains. The figures are without the indi- 
 cation of a beard, so common in the sculptures of the Egyptian temples. 
 The peculiar character of their costume, and the embonjyoint of their 
 figures, give evidence of a people quite distinct from the ancient Egyp- 
 iians, but who, nevertheless, appear to have had the same symbolic 
 M'riting and the same religious ideas." For three days and a half the 
 traveler remained among these rums, sketching by day and writing by 
 night ; but his supply of water was getting low, and the desire of exam- 
 ining El-Mesowurat before returning to Shendy, obliged him to leave. 
 
 The ruins of Mesowurat are about six hours' travel north-east of 
 Naga. " I was struck with astonishment," writes Cailliaud, " on ap- 
 proaching the immense ruins which were exhibited to my gaze. I wan- 
 dered from court to court, from temple to temple, from one chamber to 
 another, traversing the corridors and galleries which connect the diifer- 
 ent structures. In this rapid survey I counted eight temples or sanctu- 
 aries, forty-one chambei's, twenty-four courts, and three galleries, all 
 surrounded with walls, and occupying a space two thousand five hundred 
 feet in circumference. On returning to my guides, I discovered that we 
 had only water enough for twenty-four hours. My intention was to 
 remain here five or six days. I proposed to the men to go to the Nile- 
 and replenish the stock, but was obliged to pay them extravagantly 
 before they would consent. I mounted on the most elevated wall of 
 the central edifice, where ray eye overlooked all the ruins. There, care- 
 fully study iilg the distribution of the diiferent edific-i around me, I 
 became convinced that they formerly belonged to a college. Were these 
 silent solitudes, I asked myselfj ever animated by the boisterous sports 
 of youth ? Have these ruins ever resounded with the voices of the pro- 
 fessors ? Yes, these rude figures of birds and animals traced on the 
 walls, are the work of childish hands ; these names, engraved in Ethio- 
 pian characters, are those of students ; and these others, in Greek, are 
 without doubt those of strangers, whom tho celebrity of the institution 
 has attracted. 
 
282 
 
 CAILLIAUD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 " However extensive are these ruins of Mosowurat, nothing had led 
 me to conjecture that the place could ever have been the site of a city. 
 I found neither tombs nor any great number of ordinary habitations. 
 A matter worthy of notice is the small size of tlie stones employed in 
 the construction of the temijlcs. Taking into consideration this want of 
 strength and solidity in the materials, in a cUmate where the rain falls 
 for three months in the year, one is led to believe that the rums which 
 remain have not, like those of Thebes, resisted the injuries of time dur- 
 ing a long course of ages. They evidently do not possess a very great 
 antiquity. The tradition of the country is that the name of El-Meso\v- 
 urat was that of the ancient fakeers who inhabited these vast edifices. 
 This tradition confirms the opinion that the place was devoted to edu- 
 cation." 
 
 Cailliaud returned to Shendy on the 2d of April, where he found 
 that M. Letorzec had set out for Egypt ten da} a beforehand. He im- 
 mediately followed, by way of the Pyramids of Meroe and Damer, and 
 reached El-Mekheyref, in Berber, after a journey of five days. Find- 
 ing that his companion was still six days in advance, and hurryin<T 
 toward Egypt, he halted but a day to procure some provisions from the 
 governor (the province having been cojupletely stripped by the army), 
 and then continued his course through the country of Robatat, to Dje- 
 bel Berkel. Passing Abou-Hammed, at the northern extremity of the 
 great bend of the Nile, and the long island of Mokrat, he at last over- 
 took M. Letorzec on the 18th, at a place called El-Kab. The latter was 
 very much exhausted by the fever, whicli obliged them to travel with 
 less rapidity, and they were therefore eight days more in reaching 
 Mount Berkel. 
 
 Cailliaud remained at this place more than two weeks, in order to 
 make a complete survey of the ruins. " Every morning, at sunrise," he 
 says, " I repaired to the ruins, and I did not leave them until night. In 
 the middle of the day, I occupied myself in drawing the interior sculpt- 
 ures of the typhonium, and the sanctuaries of the pyramids, where I 
 sought a shelter against the excessive heat, which was often 105° in the 
 shade. Mount Berkel, isolated on the desert plain, is a mass of sand- 
 stone about three quarters of a mile in circumference. Its southern side 
 is a naked precipice two hundred feet high, at the base of which are 
 the temples, all facing the river. Among the sculptures are two car- 
 touches, which, according to Champollion, contain the name of Tirhaka, 
 the first king of the Ethiopian dynasty who invaded Egypt, in the eighth 
 century before the Christian era. The style of the figures and orna- 
 ments is t!ie pure style of the monuments of Egypt and Lower Nubia. 
 That part of the temple which is excavated in the mountain, is in a good 
 state of preservation. East of the tyjAonium there are many remains 
 of walls and fragments of columns, extending for some distance. Among 
 these I discovered 'avo lions of rose-colored granite, of Egyptian style 
 and beautiful form. * * * Every thing goes to prove that the vast 
 
CROSSING 
 
 THE NUBIAN DESERT. 
 
 rums of Mount Berkcl aro tu ^ 283 
 
 "On the 1 2th of Jtfav m^r ri • 
 I mde preparations for'^.rWuT'^^^^^^^^^ finished 
 
 no more antiquities on either ba„k of 1 v-?'^?' ^^'-^^ ^ should find 
 desct m a north-western course honW.? f ''"' ^ ^^^^^^'^^ *« cross the 
 t.on between Napata and the i IXfA 'I! '^' ^'"« ^^ comnn nict 
 
 the thermoraetpr Hfn^.1 x, „ '*• ''^^o hours' ro'^t a<. • "H^^r 
 . '^'^^'^ood at 108°. "IVo v,;»,u , "* ^^est. At nme o'clock 
 
 tathc ou, feces every half hour. Ato„,"n. i "".^ " ""''' '«"«■■ a,, J 
 01 the tent was II 'T" t-u . ^"*^ <^ c'ock the tnmnn^o* • 
 
 and sandstone rock 'o!^^% '•''''' '''' '^" i-nmon^ p LlTf '7 r^^^'' 
 fatin:i.ed that thev slLt / \ '^^^ *^^o iiours' sleon l.„f 
 They left m the afternoon and m.do '^.' *^^' ^^^^^'^^'^ (Welcomed 
 
 ^'- -ening we had comp eted , jst"'' -'f '""^«"' ^"<^ -t^ " f 
 - monument of any kind to r ^'TV^^^^^^ for the v^ 
 
 found ourselves in the province of dL" , ""''' '"" ^"^ <^«"i'er. w' 
 ! '^"Vf?^ *^'"' '-^^ ^--^^t' «hort ned ouM^"'"' '^^^'^^ the island'of Arl 
 
 After passing Tombos, wWe h Jf ^"T"^' ''"" ^'^^«-" 
 
 ' ;f ^nanship, Cailliaud o;nc ivo. tho"T ' ^•'"'"'^^ ^^^««'^»« of E^ypth^ 
 
 : ™?;'-'^-hli-in the Lib; n wt' "'^ *'"^ the Oasis of S 
 
 2^ h'n^M ' ^-•••^v-n route lornZZl to'T) '? ' ''^"'•"'^^ ^^'^^^ of th 
 
 2oth of May, accompanied by Mj If ''"' ^" ««* out on the 
 
284 
 
 CAILLIAtJD'S JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA. 
 
 which contrasted so strikingly with the aridity of the sands around 
 them ; but I sought in vain for any trace of that beautiful temple, be- 
 fore which, the Arabs said, I should stand in ecstasy. With Mhat bit- 
 terness I cursed my blind confidence in men, whom, from long ex- 
 perience, I ought to have known better !" After this disappointment 
 Cailliaud remained two days at the oasis to rest, and then, returning by 
 forced marches, reached the Nile again on the 3l8t of May. 
 
 He paid another visit to the temple of Soleb, examined the insignifi- 
 cant ruins at Amarah, and then continued his route to Wadi Haifa, 
 where ho arrived on the 13th of June. While descending the Nile, a 
 week afterward, he met a bark coming up the river, on boai-d of which 
 was Captain Gordon, an English traveler, on his way to Dongola, " His 
 project, like mine, was to explore the White Nile. He was a robust 
 mariner, firmly resolved to undertake this perilous enterprise alone ; but 
 he perished Uko so many others. He began, rather imprudently, too 
 soon to adopt the hard life and customs of the Arabs ; Uke them, a pair 
 of drawers and a shirt were all his clothing ; he plunged into the water 
 and swam every hour of the day ; he abstained scrupulously from all 
 nourishing food, in order that he might accustom himself to support the 
 privations and fatigues which he expected to undergo. Such devotion 
 and resolution were not rewarded with success. He fell ill, and died be- 
 fore reaching Sennaar." 
 
 On reaching Assouan, Cailliaud sent M. Letorzec with the baggage 
 and collections in a boat to Thebes, and continued his own journey with 
 his camels, in order to visit the rums of El-Kab, Edfoo, and Esneh by 
 the way. He did not tarry long at any of these places : " On the 6th 
 of July," he writes, " I found myself in the midst of the splendid remains 
 of Medeenet-Abou. With what pleasure and admiration I again beheld 
 those propylons, those immense porticoes and colonnades, which thirty- 
 five centuries have respected ! In the afternoon I reached Goorneh, 
 where I foimd M. Letorzec, quite restored by the air of Egypt. Nothing 
 in my house had been damaged ; the Arabs seemed delighted to see us 
 again safe and sound after a journey in which so many others had lost 
 their lives. Thebes was in our eyes almost a French port ; no obstacle 
 now separated us from our country." 
 
 Cailliaud remained at Thebes until the 15th of September, employing 
 himself in copying the sculptures on the walls of Menmon's tomb. Ho 
 also made excursions to Ekhmin, Abydos, and other ruins which he had 
 not previously visited, and was about setting out on another trip to the 
 Great Oasis, for the purpose of examining more carefully the ruined tem- 
 ple there, when some Arab burglars, who entered his house at night, 
 carried off all his ready money, and obliged him to give up the under- 
 taking. Leaving Thebes, finally, with his companion, he descended the 
 Nile rapidly and reached Cairo on the 27th. The travelers sailed from 
 Alexandria on the 30th of October, in a Genoese brig bound for Ma^ 
 seilles. The passage was very stormy, and the brig narrowly escaped 
 
RETUllN TO FRANCE. 
 
 285 
 
 shipwreck off the Sardinian coast, but on the 1 1th of December anchored 
 in the harbor of Marseilles. The very next vessel Avhich arrived from 
 Errypt brouglit tlio ncws of the terrible fate of Ismail l^asha, his staff, 
 and fifty of his troops, in Shendy. Mek Nemr, who had sworn venge- 
 ance against him, jiersuaded him to attend a festival held in a largo 
 building some distance from the Egyptian camp, and having surrounded 
 the place in the night with combustible materials, set firo to it and 
 burned to death all who were within. 
 
 Cailliaud's account of his journey, in four octavo volumes, with an ac- 
 companying folio containing maps, plans, and engra^'ings, was published 
 in Paris in 182G. It is from this edition that the present abridgement 
 has been prepared. 
 
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FRAN KLIN'S 
 
 OVERLAND JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 Is the year 1819, the British Government determined to send an ex- 
 pedition by land from Hudson's Bay to explore the northern cut of 
 America from tlic mouth of the Coppermine River eastward. Cap'uiti, 
 afterward Sir John Franklin, was appointed to the command, with Dr. 
 John Richardson, and Messrs. George Back and Robert Hood, midship- 
 men, as associates. Captain Franklin also took with him Join. Hepburn, 
 an English seaman ; the rest of the party were to consist of Canadian 
 hunters and voyagevn*. They embarked at Gravesend on the i.Md of 
 May, 1819, on board the Hudson's Bay Company's ship Prince of Wales^ 
 and after touchl.ig at Stroraness, in the Orkney Islands, where they pro- 
 cured four skillful boatmen, reached York Factory, in Hudson's Bay, on 
 the 30th of August, after a very stormy and perilous voyage. 
 
 According to the advice of the officers at the Factory, Franklin de- 
 termined to take the route by Cumberland House, and thro'.gh the 
 chain of trading-posts to Great Slave Lake. Having procured a boat, 
 with a steersman who acted also as guide, the i)arty commenced their 
 march into the interior on the 9th of September. They made the jour- 
 ney up Hayes and Hill Rivers very slowly, owing to the strength of the 
 current, and were finally obliged to leave part of their supplies behind, in 
 the charge of some of the Company's traders, who promised to forward 
 them the next spring. On passing the White Fall, Franklin slipped into 
 the river and was on the point of being carried over, when he happened 
 to seize a willow branch strong enough to sustain him. They arrived at 
 Norway House, on Lake Winnipeg, on the 6th of October, after which 
 they traveled with more rapidity, and reached Cumberland House, on 
 the Saskatchawan, on the 23d of the same month. 
 
 By this time the ice wan forming in the rivers, and it was impossible 
 to proceed further by boats. The whole party remained at Cumberland 
 House until the middle of January, accustoming themselves to the life 
 they were thenceforth to lead, and making preparations for the journey 
 
 19 
 
290 
 
 PRANL-LIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 to Slave Lake. They had also an opportunity of witnessing the habits 
 of the Cree Indians, who had assembled around the Fort. These people 
 were dissipated in their habits, but unusually honest, and very super- 
 stitious. They have among thorn professed conjurors, who take advan- 
 tage of their fears to tyrannize over them and procure a good living at 
 their expense. One of these conjurors came to Cumberland IIouso 
 during Franklin's residence there. " He hnmediately began to trumpet 
 forth his powrri, boasthig, among other things, that although his Itaiuls 
 and feet were ried as securely as possible, yet, vhen placed in a conjur- 
 ing-house, he would speedily disengage himseli . y the aid of two or 
 three familiar spirits who were attendant on his call. He was instantly 
 taken at his word, and, that his exertions might not be without an aim, 
 a capot or great-coat was promised as the reward of his success. A ooii- 
 juring-house having been erected in Ihe usual form, that is, by sticking 
 four willows hi the ground and tying their tops to a hoop at the height 
 of six or eight feet, he was fettered completely by winding several 
 fathoms of rope aroimd his body and extremities, and placed in its nar- 
 row apartment, not exceeding two feet in diameter. A moose-skin 
 being then thrown over the frame, secluded him from our view. He 
 forthwith began to chant a kind of hynm in a very monotonous tone. 
 The rest of the Indians, who seemed in some doubt respecting the 
 powers of a devil when put in competition with those of a white man, 
 ranged themselves around and Avatched the result with anxiety. In this 
 manner an hour and a half elapsed ; but at length our attention, which 
 had begun to flag, was roused by the violent shaking of the conjuring- 
 house. It was instantly whispered around the circle, that at least one 
 devil had crept under the moose-skin. But it proved to be only the 
 " God-like man " (as he called himself), trembling with cold. lie had 
 entered the lists stripped to the skin, and the thermometer stood very 
 low that evening. His attempts were continued, however, with con- 
 siderable resolution for half an hour longer, when he reluctantly gave 
 in. He had found no difficulty in slipping through the noose when it 
 was formed by his countrymen ; but, in the present instance, the knot 
 was tied by Governor Williams, who is an expert sailor. After this un- 
 successful exhibition his credit sank amazingly, and he took the earliest 
 ojij)ortunity of sneaking away from the Fort." 
 
 Franklin divided his company, leavuig Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood 
 at Cumberland House until the spring, and taking with him only Mr. 
 Hack and Hepburn. He set out on the 18th of January, 1820, furnished 
 with two dog-sleds by the Company's agents, and some Canadians whom 
 he had taken into his service. He reached Carlton House after a walk 
 of fourteen days, during which the three Englishmen suffered greatly 
 from the unaccustomed chafing of the snow-shoes. The weather was 
 intensely cold : " Our tea," says Franklin, " froze in the tin jiots before 
 we could drink it, and even a mixture of spirits and water became quite 
 thick by congelation ; yet, after we lay down to rest, we felt no incon- 
 
PREPARATIONS AT PORT CHIPEWYAN. 
 
 291 
 
 venience." The day before reaching Carlton House, they consumed 
 their last provisions. Here they took a few days' rest, in order to re- 
 cover from their fatigue, and procure supplies for the further journey. 
 
 They started again on the 8th of February, and, with the exception 
 of a short rest at Fort La Crosse, continued their journey to Fort Chipe- 
 wyan, on Athabasca Lake, where they arrived on the 26th of March. 
 "Thus," says Franklin, "terminated a Avinter journey of eight hundred 
 and fifty-seven miles, in the progress of which there was a great amount 
 of agreeable and disagreeable circumstances : could the amount of each 
 bo balanced, I suspect the latter would much preponderate. Among 
 these, the initiation into walking on snow-shoes must be considered as 
 prominent. The next evil is the being constantly exposed to witness 
 the wanton and unnecessary cruelty of the men to their dogs, especially 
 those of the Canadians, who beat them unmercifully. There are other 
 mconveniences, which, though keenly felt during the day's journey, are 
 speedily forgotten, when, stretched out in the encampment before a 
 large fire, you enjoy the social mirth of your companions, who usually 
 pass the evening in recounting their former feats in traveling.'' 
 
 As Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood were to wait at Cumberland House 
 until the opening of river navigation in the spring, Franklin was obliged 
 to wait at Chipewyan House for their arrival, which did not take place 
 until the 13th of July. He made use of the intervening time in sending 
 messages to the chief of the Coppermine Indians, who professed his will- 
 ingness to assist him in his explorations, in engaging boatmen and in- 
 terpreters, and building canoes, and in preparing dispatches for England. 
 Richardson and Hood brought along two canoes, but the pemmican 
 with which they had been supplied by the agents of the Hudson's Bay 
 Company proved to be so moldy, that they threw it away, and they had 
 but provisions lor one day on arriving at Fort Chipewyan. Franklin 
 obtained all the supplies that could be spared from the fort, but could 
 obtain neither ammunition nor spirits, and but little tobacco. He says : 
 " We then made a final arrangement respectmg the voyageurs who were 
 to accompany the party ; and fortunately there was no difliculty in doing 
 this, as l)r. Richardson and Mr. Hood had taken the very judicious 
 precaution of bringing up ten men from Cumberland, who were engaged 
 to proceed forward if their services wore required. These aen were 
 most desirous of being continued, and we felt sincere pleasure in being 
 able to keep men who were so zealous in the cause, and who had given 
 proofs of their activity on their recent passage to this place, by discharg- 
 ing those men who were ;^>ss willing to undertake the journey. When 
 the numbers were completed which we had been recommended by the 
 traders to take as a protection against the Esquimaux, we had sixteen 
 Canadian voyageurs, and our worthy and only English attendant, John 
 Heitburn, besides the two interpreters whom we were to receive at the 
 Great Slave Lake ; wo were also accompanied by a Chipewyan woman. 
 An equipment of goods wiis given to each of the men ; and when this 
 
292 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO TUB POLAR SEA. 
 
 distribution had been made, the remaindci* Avore made up into bales 
 preparatory to our departure on the following day, the 18th of July." 
 
 Their stock of provisions was only sufficient for one day's consump. 
 tion, exclusive of two barrels of flour, three cases of preserved meats 
 with some chocolate, arrow-root, and portable soup, which they had 
 brought from England and intended to reserve for their exploring tour 
 along the coast next summer. The scarcity of food did not in the least 
 depress the Canadians, who paddled off, singing, into the Slave River. 
 This is a magnificent stream, three quarters of a mile wide, but inter- 
 rupted by occasional rapids. Their voyage down it was without incident 
 and in six days they reached the trading post on Moose Deer Island, in 
 Great Slave Lake. Here Franklin engaged St, Germain, an interpreter 
 for the Copper Indians, and obtained five hundred and fifty pounds of 
 dried meat. He then crossed the lake to Fort Providence, on the 
 northern side, where he found Mr. Wentzel, one of the Company's 
 clerks, who intended to accompany the expedition to the Coppermine 
 River, together with Adam, an interpreter, and one of the Indian 
 guides. The chief of the tribe, who was encamped in the neighborhood, 
 Avas at once sent for, and a grand council was held on his arrival, which 
 terminated in his agreeing to accompany Franklin. His name was 
 Akaitcho, or Big-foot. After the council was over, presents were dis- 
 tributed to him and his braves, and the ceremonies terminated with an 
 Indian dance. 
 
 The party left Fort Providence on the 2d of August. " Our stores," 
 says Franklin, " consisted of two barrels of gunpowder, one hundred 
 and forty pounds of balls and small shot, four fowling-pieces, a few old 
 trading-guns, eight pistols, twenty-four Indian daggers, some packages 
 of knives, chisels, axes, nails, and fastenings for a boat, a few yards of 
 cloth, some blankets, needles, looking-glasses, and beads, together with 
 nine fishing-nets, having meshes of different sizes." There were twenty- 
 eight persons in all, including the wives of three of the voyageurs, who 
 went along for the purpose of making shoes and clothes for the men in 
 their winter quarters. Fort Providence is the last trading establishment, 
 and the country beyond it had never before been visited by any Euro- 
 pean. They ascended Yellow-knife River, which flows into Great Slave 
 Lake from the north-east, a distance of one hundred and fifty-six miles, 
 passing through a chain of lakes, between which there were many rapids, 
 requiring portage of the canoes. They then crossed a barren water-shed 
 for thirty miles, carrying their canoes from lake to lake, until, on the 
 20th, they reached a river running to the north-west, on the banks of 
 which the chief, Akaitcho, proposed they should establish their winter 
 quarters. " We found that the situation they had chosen possessed all 
 the advantages we could desire. The trees were numerous, and of afar 
 greater size than we had supposed them to bo on a distant view, some 
 of the pines being thirty or forty feet high, and two feet in diameter at 
 the root. We determined on placing the house on the summit of the 
 
WINTER QUARTERS. 
 
 298 
 
 bank, which commands a beautiful prospect of the surrounding country. 
 In the afternoon we read divine service, and offered our thanlcsgiving to 
 the Almighty for his goodness in having brought us thus far on our 
 journey." 
 
 Akaitcho, however, broke his promise of accompanying Franklin to 
 the Coppermine River, alleging that the season was now too far ad- 
 vanced, and his tribe were obliged to procure deer-skins for the winter. 
 Ko persuasion could induce him to change his decision ; so, aflcr mature 
 deliberation, Franklin gave up the idea of reaching the sea until the 
 next summer. Ho thought it prudent, however, to send a party to ex- 
 plore the upper waters of the Coppermine, and ascertain its rapids, etc., 
 and dispatched Back and Hood, with St. Germain, the interpreter, and 
 eight Canadians, on this duty. Soon after they left, he left Mr. Wei.t- 
 zel to superintend the building of the fort, and started with Dr. Rich- 
 ardson on a pedestrian journey to the Coppermine. Both parties were 
 only absent about ten days, and on their return found that the winter- 
 house, which they named Fort Enterprise, was already roofed in. 
 
 rOBT ENTEnPKISB. 
 
 " On the 6th of October," says Franklin, " the house being com- 
 pleted, we struck our tents, and moved into it. It was merely a log 
 building, fifty feet long and twenty-four wide, divided into a hall, three 
 bed-rooms, and a kitchen. The walls and roof were plastered with clay, 
 the floors laid with planks rudely squared with the hatchet, and the 
 windows closed Avith parchment of <leer-skin.» They now went to work 
 to secure a good supply of provisions for the winter, and, with the as- 
 sistance of the Indians, had stored away, by the middle of October, one 
 
294 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 hundred and eighty deer, together with one thousand pounds of suet 
 and some dried meat. On the 18th, Messrs. Back and Wcntzel set out 
 for Fort Providence, with two Canadians and two Indians, to attend to 
 the transporting of the stores wliich Frankhn expected to receive from 
 Cumberland House. In the following month one of the Canadians re- 
 turned, stating that the supplies had not arrived; that Mr. Weeks, 
 the company's agent at Fort Providence, was endeavoring to prejudice 
 the Indians against them, and that Mr. Back would probably be obliged 
 to continue his journey to Fort Chipewyan to obtain supplies. All these 
 disappointments were very embarrassing to Franklin, and they no doubt 
 had an eflfect on the fortunes of the expedition. 
 
 The weather during December was the coldest they experienced. 
 '* The thermometer sank on one occasion to 67° below zero, and never 
 rose beyond 6° above it ; the mean for the month was — 29°.7. During 
 these intense colds, however, the atmosphere was generally calm, and 
 the wood-cutters and others went about their ordinary occujyations with- 
 out using any extraordinary precautions, yet without feeUng any bad 
 effects. They had their reindeer-shirts on, leathern mittens luied with 
 blankets, and furred caps ; but none of them used any defense for the 
 face, or needed any. The intense colds were, nevertheless, detrimental 
 to us in another way. Tlie trees froze to their very centers and became 
 as hard as stones, and more difficult to cut. Some of the axes were 
 broken daily, and by the end of the month we had only one loft that 
 was fit for felhng trees. A thermometer, hung in our bed-room at the 
 distance of sixteen feet from the fire, but exposed to its direct radiation, 
 stood ev^.n in the day-time occasionally at 15° below zero, and was ob- 
 served more than once, previous to the kindling of the fire in the morn- 
 ing, to be as low as 40° below zero. 
 
 " A considerable portion of our time was occupied in writing up 
 our journals. Some newspapers and magazines, that we had received 
 from England with our letters, were read again and again, and com- 
 mented upon at our meals ; and we often exercised ourselves with con- 
 jecturing the changes that might take place in the world before we 
 could hear from it again. We occasionally paid the woodmen a visit, 
 or took a walk for a mile or two on the river. In the evenings we joined 
 the men in the hall, and tool' a part in their games, which generally 
 continued till a late hour ; in short, we never found the time to hang 
 heavy on our hands ; and the peculiar occupations of each of the officers 
 affiarded them more employment than might at first be supposed. Our 
 diet consisted almost entirely of reindeer meat, varied twice a week by 
 fish, and occasionally by a little flour, but we had no vegetables of any 
 description. On Sunday mornings we drank a cup of chocolate, but our 
 greatest luxuiy was tea (without sugar), of which we regularly partook 
 twice a day. With reindeer's fat, and strips of cotton shirts, we formed 
 candles ; and Hepburn acquired considerable skill in the manufacture of 
 soap, from the wood-ashes, fat, and salt." 
 
DESCENDING THE COPPERMINE. 
 
 295 
 
 Thus the winter passed away, and on the 17th of March, 1821, Lieu- 
 tenant Back returned, after an absence of five months, during wnich 
 time he had traveled eleven hundred and four miles on snow-shoes, with 
 no other covering at night than a blanket and deei'-skin, with the ther- 
 mometer frequently at 40°, and once 67°, below zero. Their provisions 
 now gave out, and the months of April and May were spent principally 
 in replenishing their supplies, in negotiations M'ith the Indians, Avho, 
 from the refusal of Mr. Weeks to pay Franklin's orders, had become 
 unruly and discontented, and in procuring goods and ammunition for 
 the summer voyage. The season was later than usual, and the expedi- 
 tion was not ready to leave before the beginning of June. Dr. Richard- 
 Hon was sent forward in advance, with part of the stores, to Point Lake 
 oil the Coppermine River, and on the 14th of the same month Franklin 
 sot out with the remainder of the paity. He took the precaution of 
 sending, previously, all his journals, dispatches, and other writings, to 
 England, by way of Fort Providence and the other trading posts. 
 
 The first part of the journey was very fatiguing, as the ice on the 
 smaller lakes was rotten, and the men broke through frequently. They 
 traveled thus, without any serious accident, for seven days, when they 
 reached Dr. Richardson's encampment on Point Lake. Here the ice 
 Avas still six or seven feet thick, with no appearance of melting, and they 
 were therefore obliged to drag the canoes and stores over its surface. 
 TIic canoes were mounted on sledges, and drawn along by the combined 
 efforts of dogs and men. Four days were required to cross Point Lake, 
 as they did not make more than ten miles a day, and when this lake was 
 passed, a short rapid conducted them to another, frozen in like manner. 
 Tlicy were not able to launch the canoes on the Coppermine until the 2d 
 of July, after which their voyage was less fatiguing, but much more 
 dangerous, from the rapids in the stream and the masses of diift-ice. 
 Their supplies of meat, however, which were quite exhausted, were now 
 replenished from the herd of musk-oxen Avhich they met with. On the 
 9th they passed safely through the Narrows of the Coppermine, a place 
 where the river, for three quarters of a mile, is confined between prec- 
 ipices two hundred feet high, and shoots along in an arrowy mass of 
 foam. 
 
 As they approached the mouth of the river, they kept a good look- 
 out for the Esquimaux, whom they expected to find in that neighbor- 
 hood. In order to secure a friendly reception from them, one of the 
 Indian interpreters, named Augustus, was sent forward to communicate 
 with them, lie ibund some of them near the falls of the Coppermine, 
 and as they seemed considerably alarmed at the news, the boats of the 
 expedition halted a little short of that point on the 14th. "After supper 
 Dr. Richardson ascended a lofty hill about three miles from the en- 
 campment, and obtained the first view of the sea ; it appeared to be 
 covered with ice. A large promontory, which I named Cape Hearne, 
 bore north-east, and its lofty mountains proved to be the blue land we 
 
296 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 had seen in the forenoon, and which had led us to believe the sea was 
 still far distant." 
 
 They succeeded in establishing some intercourse with the Esqui. 
 maux, but found them rather shy and suspicious. They were at last 
 able, however, to get upon a friendly footing with an old man named 
 TerreganncEuck, who had a fresh, ruddy face, a prominent nose, and a 
 snow-white beard, two inches long. Upon showing him his face in a 
 mirror for the first time, he exclaimed, " I shall never kill deer any 
 more," and immediately put the mirror down. Here Akaitcho and his 
 party left, to return to the grounds of their tribe. The expedition 
 reached the sea on the 19th of July, when Mr. Wentzel left with four 
 Canadians, to return to Fort Providence. The remainder of the party, 
 including officers, now amounted to twenty men. Mr. Wentzel took 
 Franklin's last dispatches to be forwarded to England, and was instruct- 
 ed to take charge of all the journals and collections left at Fort Enter- 
 prise, as well as to deposit there a quantity of supplies for Franklin's 
 party, in case they should return by the same route. When his party 
 had been supplied with ammunition, the remaining stock consisted of one 
 thousand balls, with rather more than the requisite quantity of powder. 
 
 From this point their discoveries commenced. They embarked on 
 the Polar Sea on the 21st, and turned their canoes eastward, hoping in 
 these frail barks, to solve the problem of a north-west passage. Pad- 
 dling along the coast, on the inside of a crowded range of islands, they 
 encamped on shore after a run of thirty-seven miles, in which they ex- 
 perienced little interruption, and saw only a small iceberg in the dis- 
 tance, though that beautiful luminous effulgence emitted from the con- 
 gregated ices, and distinguished by the name of the ice-blink, was dis- 
 tinctly visible to the northward. The coast was found of moderate 
 height, easy of access, and covered with vegetation ; but the islands 
 were rocky and barren, presenting high cliffs of a columnar structure. 
 In continuing their voyage, the dangers which beset a navigator in these 
 dreadlul polar solitudes thickened gloomily around them. The coast 
 became broken and sterile, and at length rose into a high and rugged 
 promontory, against which some large masses of ice had drifted, threat- 
 ening destruction to their slender canoes. In attempting to round tliis 
 cape the wind rose, an awful gloom involved the sky, and the thunder 
 burst over their heads, compelling them to encamp till the storm sub- 
 sided. They then, at the imminent risk of having the canoes crushed 
 by the floating ice, doubled the dreary promontory, which they denomi- 
 nated Cape Barrow, and entered Detention Harbor, where they landed. 
 Around them the land consisted of mountains of granite, rising abruptly 
 from the water's edge, destitute of vegetation, and attaining an elevation 
 of fourteen or fifteen hundred feet ; seals and small deer were the only 
 animals seen, and the former were so shy that all attempts to apjn-oach 
 within shot were unsuccessful. With the deer the hunters were luore 
 fortunate, but these were not numerous ; and while the ice closed grad- < 
 
EXPLORATION OF THE ARCTIC COAST. 
 
 297 
 
 ually around them, and their littlo stock of provisions, consisting of 
 pemmican and cured beef, every day diminished, it was impossible not 
 to regard their situation with uneasiness. Rounding Cape Katcr, they 
 eitercd Arctic Sound, and send a party to explore a river upon the 
 knks of which they expected to find an Esquimaux encampment. All, 
 hokvever, was silent, desolate, and deserted ; even these hardy natives, 
 brel amid the polar ices, had removed from so barren a spot, and the 
 hun ers returned with two small deer and a brown bear, the latter ani- 
 mal <o lean and sickly looking, that the men declined eating it ; but the 
 oflica's boiled its paws, and found them excellent. 
 
 P-oceeding along the eastern shore of Arctic Sound, to which they 
 gave ilie name of Bankes' Peninsula, the expedition made I'.8 painful way 
 along I coast indented by bays, and in many places studded with islands, 
 till, on the 10th of August, they reached the open sea; and sailing, as 
 they inugined, between the continent and a large island, found to their 
 deep disippointment that, instead of an open channel, they were in the 
 center of a vast bay. The state of the expedition now called for the 
 most serious consideration upon the part of their commander. So much 
 time had dready been spent in exploring the sounds and inlets, that all 
 hope of reajhing Repulse Bay was vain ; both canoes had sustained ma- 
 terial injur) ; the fuel was expended ; their provisions were sufficient 
 only for thiee days ; the appearances of the setting in of the arctic 
 winter were too unequivocal to be mistaken ; the deer, which had hith- 
 erto supplied them with fresh meat, would, it was well known, soon 
 disappear ; the geese and other aquatic birds were already seen winging 
 their way to th« southward ; while the men, who had up to this mo- 
 ment displayed '.he utmost courage, began to look disheartened, and to 
 entertain serious apprehensions for their safety. Under these circimi- 
 stances, Franklin, with the concurrence of his officers, determined not 
 to endanger the 'ives of his people by a furt!ier advance ; and after 
 spending four day? in a minute survey of the bay, it was resolved to 
 return by Hood's tiver to Fort Enterprise. Franklin's researches, as 
 far as prosecuted £t this time, favored the opinion of those who con- 
 tended for the practicability of a north-west passage. It appeared 
 probable that the cosst ran east and west in the latitude assigned to 
 Mackenzie's River, and little doubt could, in: his opinion, be entertained 
 regarding the existence of a continued sea in that direction. The por- 
 tion over which they pissed was navigable for vessels of any size ; and 
 the ice met with after qtitting Detention Harbor would not have arrested 
 a strong boat, while the chain of islands affijrded shelter from all heavy 
 seas, and there were go«d harbors at convenient distances. Having, 
 with much severe privatitn, completed their course, from Point Turn- 
 again, in Melville Bay, to the entrance of Hood's River, they ascended as 
 high as the first rapid, and encamped, terminating here their voyage on 
 the Arctic Sea, during whici they had gone over six hundred and fifty 
 geographical miles. \ 
 
298 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 
 On the prospect of commencing their land journey, the Canadians 
 could not conceal their satisfaction ; and the evening previous to their 
 departure was passed in talking over their past adventures, and cod- 
 gratulatmg each other in having at length turned their backs upon tko 
 sea, little anticipating that the most painful and hazardous portion of tiio 
 expedition was yet to come. Beibre setting ott', an assortment of iron 
 materials, beads, looking-glasses, and other articles, was put up yi a 
 
 / 
 
 -.k;^^"!!~ 
 
 r*^ 
 
 
 nnr-"-;..*". 
 
 ^.=?^_- V- 
 
 m-r 
 
 ?^^M 
 
 _r-^ --f i^:^-- 
 
 TL^-r-.— ^i-..:tV^ :i, 
 
 VB^tfk 
 
 ' .• ^^.^z^Z,^ 
 
 m^^f/ffT'T' ','. 
 
 WILBERFORCE FALLS. 
 
 coiiSpicuous situation for the Esquimaux, ahd the English union was 
 planted on the loftiest sand-hill, where it migit be seen by any ships 
 passing in the offing. Here also Avas deposited in a tin box a letter con- 
 taining an outline of the proceedings of the espedition, the latitude ami 
 longitude of the principal places, and the cou'se intended to be j)ursued 
 toward Slave Lake. They now proceeded vp the river in their canoes, 
 and though upon a short allowance of provisions, the produce of their 
 nets and fowling-pieces furnished for a few days enough to ward off ab- 
 solute want ; but they were often on the very brmk of it. Their pro- 
 
THE COMMKNOEMENT OF SUFFERING. 
 
 299 
 
 gress was mach interrupted by shoals and rapids, and one evening they 
 encamped at the lower end of a narrow chasm, the walls of which were 
 upward of two hundred feet high, and in some places only a few yards 
 apart. Into this the river precipitates itself, forming two magnificent 
 cascades, to which they gave the name of Wilberforce Falls, and the 
 combined height of which they estimated at two hundred and seventy- 
 five feet. 
 
 On taking a sui'vey of its further course from a neighboring hill, the 
 river was discovered to be so rapid and shallow, that all progress in the 
 large canoes seemed impossible. Two smaller boats were therefore con- 
 structed ; and on the 1st of September they set off*, with the intent'on of 
 proceeding in as direct a line as possible to the part of Point Lake opposite 
 their spring encampment — a distance which appeared comparatively 
 trifling, being only one hundred and forty-nine miles. Their luggage 
 consisted of ammunition, nets, hatchets, ice-chisels, astronomical instru- 
 ments, clothing-blankets, three kettles, and the two canoes, each so light 
 as to be carried easily by a single man. But disaster attacked them in 
 their very first stage. A storm of snow came on, accompanied by a high 
 wind, against which it was diflicvit to carry the canoes, which were dam- 
 aged by the falls of those who bore them. The ground was covered with 
 small stones, and much pain was endured by the carriers, whose soft 
 moose-skin shoes were soon cut through. The cold was intense ; and on 
 encamping they looked in vain for Avood ; a fire of moss was all they 
 could procure, which served them to cook their supper, but gave so little 
 heat that they were glad to creep under their blankets. 
 
 Having ascended next morning one of the highest hills, they ascer- 
 tained that the river took a westerly course, and Franklin, thinking that 
 to follow it further would lead to a more tedious journey than their ex- 
 hausted strength could endure, determined to quit its banks and make 
 directly for Point Lake. Emerging, therefore, from the valley, they 
 crossed a barren country, varied only by marshy levels and small lakes. 
 The weather was fine, but unfortunately no berry-bearing plants were 
 found, the surface being covered in the more humid spots with a few 
 grasses, and in other places with some gray melancholy lichens. On en- 
 camping, the last piece of pemmican, or pounded flesh, was distributed, 
 with a little arrow-root, for supper. The evening was warm ; but dark 
 clouds overspread the sky, and they experienced those sudden alternar 
 tions of climate which occur in the polar latitudes at this season. At 
 midnight it rained in torrents ; but toward morning a snow-storm arose, 
 accompanied by a violent gale. During the whole day the storm con- 
 tinued, and not having the comfort of a fire the men remained in bed, 
 hut the tents were frozen ; around them the snow had drifted to the 
 depth of three feet, and even within lay several inches thick on their 
 blankets. Though the storm had not abated, any longer delay was im- 
 possible, for they knew every hour would increase the intensity of an 
 arctic winter ; and though faint from fasting, and with their clothes stiflf- 
 
800 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNBT TO THB POLAR 8EA. 
 
 ened by frost, it was absolutely necessary to push forward. They suf- 
 fered much in packing the frozen tents and bedclothes, and could hardly 
 keep their hands out of their fur mittens. On atteraptnig to move, 
 Franklin was seized with u fainting lit, occasioned by hunger and ex- 
 haustion, and on recovering refused to eat a morsel of portable soup, 
 which was immediately prepared for him, as it had to bo drawn from 
 the only remaining meal of the party. The people, however, kindly 
 crowded round, and overcame his reluctance. The effect of eating was 
 his rapid recovery ; and the expedition moved on. 
 
 Disaster now crowded on disaster. The wind rose so high that those 
 who carried the canoes were frequently blown down, and one of tlio 
 boats was so much shattered as to be rendered unserviceable. The 
 ground was covered with snow ; and though the swamps were frozen, 
 yet the ice was often not suflBciently strong ; so that they plunged in 
 knee-deep. A fire, however, was made of the bark and timbers of the 
 broken canoe ; and, after having fasted three days, their last meal of 
 portable soup and arrow-root was cooked. Each man's allowance at this 
 melancholy dinner w as exceedingly scanty ; but it allayed the pangs of 
 huuger, and encouraged them to press forward at a quicker rate. They 
 had now reached a more hilly country, strewed with large stones, and 
 covered with gray lichen, well known to the Canadians by its name, 
 tripe de roche. In cases of extremity, it is boiled and eaten ; but its 
 taste is nauseous, its quality purgative, and it sometimes produces an in- 
 tolerable griping and loathing. The party not being aware of this, 
 gathered a considerable quantity. A few partridges also had been shot ; 
 and at night some willows were dug up from under the snow, with which 
 they lighted a fire and cooked their supper. 
 
 Next day they came to Cracroft's River, floAving to the westward over 
 a channel of large stones, which rendered it impossible to cross in the 
 canoe. No alternative was left but to attempt a precarious passage over 
 some rocks at a rapid ; and in effecting this, some of the men, losing 
 their balance, slipped into the water. They were instantly rescued by their 
 companions ; but so intense was the frost, that their drenched clothes 
 became caked with ice, and they suffered much during the remainder of 
 the day's march. The hunters had fallen in with some partridges, which 
 they shot, and they found enough of roots to make a fire ; so that their 
 supper, though scanty, was comparatively comfortable. Next morning 
 they pushed forward with ardor, and passed the River Congecathawha- 
 chaga of Mr. Hearne. The country which lay before them was hilly, 
 and covered with snow to a great depth. The sides of the hills were 
 traversed by sharp angular rocks, where the drifted snow, filling up the 
 interstices, presented a smooth btit fallacious surface, which often gave 
 way and precipitated them into the chasms with their heavy loads. In 
 this painful and arduous manner they struggled forward several days, 
 feeditig on the tripe de roche, which was so frozen to the rocks that 
 their hands were benumbed before a meal could be collected, and so 
 
PROVIDENTIAL RBLIBP. 
 
 SOI 
 
 destitute of nutritive juices, that it allayed hunger only for a very short 
 time. 
 
 At length reaching the summit of a hill, they, to their great delight, 
 beheld a herd of musk-oxen feeding in the valley below ; an instant halt 
 was made, the best hunters were called out, and while they proceeded 
 with extreme caution in a circuitous route, their companions watched 
 their proceedings with intense anxiety. When near enough to open 
 their fire, the report reverberated through the hijls, and one of the 
 largest cows was seen to fall. " This success," says Franklin, in that 
 simple account of his journey which any change of language would only 
 weaken, " infused spirit into our starving party. The contents of its 
 stomach were devoured upon the spot ; and the raw intestines, which 
 were next attacked, were pronounced by the most delicate of the party 
 to be excellent. A few willows, whose tops were seen peeping through 
 the snow in the bottom of the valley, were quickly grubbed, the tents 
 pitched, and supper cooked and devoured with avidity. It was the 
 sixth day since we had had a good meal. I do not think that we Avit- 
 nessed, through the course of our journey, a more striking proof of the 
 wise dispensation of the Almighty, and of the weakness of our own 
 judgment, than on this day. We had considered the dense fog which 
 prevailed throughout the morning as almost the greatest inconvenience 
 which could have befallen us, since it rendered the air extremely cold, 
 and prevented us from distinguishing any distant object toward which 
 our course could be directed. Yet this very darkness enabled the party 
 to get to the top of the hill, which bounded the valley wherein the 
 musk-oxen were grazing, without being perceived. Had the herd dis- 
 covered us and taken alarm, our himters, in their present state of de- 
 bility, would, in all probability, have failed in approaching them." 
 
 On the following day a strong southerly wind blowing with a snow- 
 drift, they took a day's rest, and as only enough remained of the musk- 
 ox to serve for two days, they contented themselves with a single meal. 
 Next morning, though the gale had not diminished, they pushed for- 
 ward, and notwithstanding their rest and recent supply of animal food, 
 the whole party felt greater weakness than they had hitherto expe- 
 rienced. The weather was hazy, but after an hour's march the sky 
 cleared, and they found themselves on the borders of a lake, of which 
 they could not discern the termination in either direction. In these cir- 
 cumstances they traveled along its banks to the westward, in search of 
 a crossing-place. Credit, one of the Canadians, left the party in hopes 
 of falling in with deer, but did not return ; and on encamping in the 
 evening, hungry and fatigued, they had to divide for supper a single 
 partridge and some tripe de roehe. This weed from the first had been 
 unpalatable, but now became insupportably nauseous, and began in many 
 to produce severe pains and bowel-complaints, especially in Mr. Hood. 
 This solitary partridge was the last morsel of animal food that remained; 
 and they turned with deep anxiety to the hope of catching some fish in 
 
802 PRANKLIN'8 JOURNBT TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 tho lake, but discovered that the porsonfl intruHtod witli tlicm had Im- 
 providently thrown away three of the nets and buriit'd the tlonts on loiiv- 
 ing Hood's Uiver. TIiingH now began to look ve-y j»'""'"y ; ""d m the 
 turn wore daily getting weaker, it was judged expedient to lighten their 
 burdens of every thing except ammunition, clothing, and the instrtnnoiits 
 noceesary to guide them on tJieir way. The dipping-needle, the azimuth 
 compass, tho magnet, a largo thermometer, and the ftiw books they car- 
 ried, were therefore deposited at this encampment, i.ller they hacl torn 
 out from these last tho tables necessary for working the latitude ntid 
 longitude. Rewards also were promised by Franklin to such of the 
 party as should kill any animals, and in the morning they prepared to go 
 forward. 
 
 At this moment a fine trait of disinterestedness occurred : As tho 
 officers assembled round a small fire, enduring an intense degree of 
 hunger which they had no means of satisfying, I'errault, one of the 
 Canadians, presented each of them with a piece of meat out of a little 
 store which ho had saved from his allowance. " It was received," says 
 BVanklin, " with great thankfulness, and such an instance of seltldenial 
 and kindness filled our eyes with tours." I'ressiiig Ibrward to a river 
 issuing from tho lake, they met their comrade, Credit, and received the 
 joyful intelligence that he had killed two deer. One of these v»'as im- 
 mediately cut up and prepared for breakfast ; and having sent some of 
 the party for the other, tho rest j)roceeded down the river, which was 
 about three hundred yards broad, in search of a place to cross. Having 
 chosen a spot where the current was smooth, immediately above a rapi J, 
 Franklin and two Canadian boatmen, St. Germain and lielanger, pushed 
 from the shore. Tho breeze Avas fresh, and tho current stronger than 
 they imagined, so that they approached tho very edge of the rapid; and 
 Belanger employing his paddle to steady the canoe, lost his balance, and 
 overset the bark in the middle of it. The party clung to its side, and 
 reaching a rock where the stream was but waist-deep, kept their footing 
 till the canoe was emptied of water, after which Belanger held it steady, 
 while St. Germain replaced Franklin in it, and dexterously leaped in 
 himself. Such was their situation, that if the man who stood on the 
 rock had raised his foot, they would liave been lost. His friends there- 
 fore were compelled to leave hhn, and atler a second disaster, in which 
 the canoe struck, and Avas as expeditiously righted as before, they 
 reached the opposite Ijank. 
 
 Meanwhile Belanger suffered extremely, immersed to his middle, and 
 enduring intense cold. He called piteously for relief, and St. Germain 
 re-embarking, attemj)ted to reach him, but was hurried down the rapid, 
 and on coming ashore was so benumbed as to be incapable of further 
 exertion. A second eifort, but equally imsuccessful, was made by Adam : 
 they then tried to carry out a line formed of the slings of tho men's 
 loads, but it broke, and was carried down the stream. At last, when 
 he was almost exhausted, the canoe reached him with a small cord of 
 
A rKRII.OUS SITUATION. 
 
 81:; 
 
 one of tl»o rcinainitij» notn, uiul lio wsis draj^j^cd to hIiohi (luito iiisi'UHihltt. 
 Oil being Htripju'tl, rolled in hlankots, and put to bod betwoon two men, 
 ho recovered. l)uring these operations Knuiklin was lell alone upt^n tho 
 bank, and it Heenied a matter of the ntmoHt doubt wliether lie whonld be 
 liver rejoined by hit* eonipanions. "It is impossible," Hays he, "tode- 
 Huribe my sensations as I witnessed the various nnsueeessful attempts to 
 relievo Belanger. The distance prevented my seeing tlistinetly what 
 was going on, and I eontinuod ])aeing up and down the rock on which 
 I stood, regardless of the coldncsa of my drenehed and Htiffened gar- 
 laents. The cnnoe, in every attempt to reaeh him, was hurried down 
 the rapid, and was lost to view among the rocky islets, with a fury 
 which seemed to threaten instant destruction ; once, indeed, I fancied 
 tlint I saw it overwhelmed in the waves : such an event would have 
 been fatal to the whole party. Separated as I was from my companions, 
 without gun, ammunition, liatchet, or the means of making a fire, and 
 in wet clothes, my doom wo»ild have been speedily sealed. My com- 
 panions too, driven to the necessity of coasting the lake, must have sunk 
 under the fatigue of rounding its innumerable arms and bays, whicli, as 
 we learned allerward from the Indians, are extensive. IJy the good- 
 ness of Providence, liowever, we were Hj)ared at that time, and some of 
 as have been permitted to olfer up our thanksgiving in a civilized land 
 for the signal deliverance we then and afterward experienced." 
 
 On setting out next morning, Perraiilt brought in a fine male deer, 
 which raised the spirits of the party, as it secured them in provisions for 
 two days ; and they trusted to support tliemselves for a third on the 
 skin which they carried with them. Having ascended the Willingham 
 Mountains, tliey entered upon a rugged country, intersected by deep 
 ravines, the passage of which was so diflicult, that they could only make 
 ten miles with great latigue. The doer was now picked to the last mor- 
 sel, and they ate pieces of the suiged hide with a little tripe de roclie. 
 At other times this meal might have sufticed ; but, exhausted by slen- 
 der food and continued toil, their appetites liad become ravenous. 
 Hitherto events had boon so mercifully ordered, that in their utmost 
 need some Uttle supply of the tripe de roclie had never failed them; but 
 it Avas the will of God that their confidence shoidd be yet more strongly 
 tried ; for they now entered upon a level country covered with snow, 
 where even this miserable lichen was no longer to be found ; and a bed 
 of Iceland moss, which was boiled for supper, proved so bitter that none 
 of the party, though enduring the extremities of hunger, could taste 
 more than a few spoonfuls. Another distress now attacked them : the 
 intensity of the cold increased, while they became less fit to endure it. 
 Their blankets did not sufiice to keep them warm, and the slightest 
 breeze pierced through their debilitated frames. "The reader," says 
 Franklin, " will probably be desirous to know how we passed our time 
 in such a comfortless situation. The first operation after encamping was 
 to thaw our frozen shoes, if a sufficient fire could be made ; dry ones 
 
304 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 were then put on. Each person then wrote hia notes of the daily occur- 
 rences, and evening prayers were read. As soon as supper was pre- 
 pared it was eaten, generally in the dark, and we went to bed, and kept 
 up a cheerful conversation until our blankets were thawed by the heat 
 of our bodies, and we had gathered sufficient warmth to enable us to 
 fall asleep. On many nights wo had not even the luxury of going to 
 bed in dry clothes ; for, when the fire was insufficient to dry our shoes, 
 we dared not venture to pull them off, lest they should freeze so hard 
 as to be unfit to put on in the morning, and therefore inconvenient 
 to carry." 
 
 Hunger, fatigue, and disappointment, began now to have a calami- 
 tous effect upon the tempers of the men. One, who carried the canoe, 
 after several severe falls, threw down his burden, and obstinately refused 
 to resume it. It was accordingly given to another, who proved stronger, 
 and pushed forward at so rapid a rate that Mr. Hood, whose weakness 
 was now extreme, could not keep up with them ; and as Franklin at- 
 tempted to pursue and stop them, the whole party were separated. Dr 
 Richardson, who had remained behind to gather tripe de roche, joined 
 him, and on advancing they found the men encamped among some wil- 
 lows, where they had found some pieces of skin and a few bones of 
 deer which had been devoured by the wolves. On these they had 
 made a meal, having burned and pounded the bones, boiled the skin, 
 and added their old shoes to the mess. With this no foult could be 
 found ; but on questioning the person to whom the canoe had boon en- 
 trusted, it was discovered that he had loft the boat behind, it having, as 
 he said, been broken by a fall, and rendered entirely useless. 
 
 To the infatuated obstinacy of the men in refusing to retrace their 
 steps and fetch it, even in its shattered state, is to be ascribed much of 
 the distress of their subsequent journey. Every argtimcnt and entreaty 
 seemed entirely thrown away ; and they had apparently lost all hope of 
 being preserved. When the hunters, who had been out for some time, 
 did not make their appearance, they became furious at the idea of having 
 been deserted, and throwing down their bundles, declared they would 
 follow them at all hazards, and leave the weakest to keep up as they 
 best couid. The remonstrances of the officers at length opened their 
 minds to the madness of such a scheme ; and on encamping in the even- 
 ing, they found some pines seven or eight feet high, which furnished a 
 comfortable fire, when they made their supper on tripe de roche. Next 
 morning a herd of deer came in sight, and they killed five — a supply 
 which, considering the extremity of hunger and despair to which they 
 were reduced, was especi Jly providential. 
 
 The Canadians now earnestly petitioned for a day's rest. Tliey 
 pleaded their recent sufferings, and that the enjoyment of two substan- 
 tial meals, after eight days' famine, would enable them to press forward 
 more vigorously. The flesh, the skins, and even the stomachs of the 
 deer, were accordingly equally divided among the party, and some of 
 
PERPLEXITY OP THE PARTY. 
 
 805 
 
 liaving 
 I would 
 lis tliey 
 111 their 
 even- 
 |8hed a 
 Next 
 [supply 
 Ih they 
 
 Tliey 
 abatan- 
 jrward 
 I of the 
 Lmo of 
 
 them suffered severely from too free an indulgence in the use of this 
 food after so long an abstinence, l^ext morning the party resumed their 
 journey, and after a walk of three miles, came to the Coppermine River. 
 Its current was sttrong ; but with a canoe there would have been no 
 difficulty in crossing ; and the reckless folly of the men, in abandoning 
 their only means of transport, was now brought strongly to their mind. 
 No ford could be discovered, and the plan was suggested of framing a 
 vessel of Avillows, covered with the canvas of the tent ; but the most 
 experienced boctmen declared that willows were too small to bear the 
 Aveight, and no pines could be found. Nothing remained but to resume 
 their march along the borders of the lake ; and looking out eagerly, but 
 in vain, for some fordable place, they encamped at the east end. Anx- 
 ious to adopt every possible means for preserving the party, Franklin 
 s -nt Mr. Back forward with the interpreters to hunt. He was directed 
 to halt at the first pines, and construct a raft ; and if his hunters had 
 killed animals sufficient to provision them, he was to cross immediately, 
 and send the Indians with supplies of meat to the party behind. 
 
 At this tune it was discovered that two of the men had stolen part 
 of the officers' provision, though it had been doled out with the strictest 
 impartiality, and they saw their leaders suffermg more acutely than 
 themselves. To punish this was impossible, except by the threat that 
 they should forfeit their wages, which produced little effect. Despord- 
 I'lioy had deeply seized upon the party, and in the morning strict orders 
 could not pre\ent them from straggling in search of the remains of 
 animals ; in consequence of which much time was lost in halting, and 
 ammunition in firing guns to collect them. The snow, however, had 
 disapj)eared, and pressing forward with more alacrity, they came to an 
 arm of the lake running north-east. The idea of making the long cir- 
 cuit round it was distressing ; and having halted to consult what was 
 to be done, some one discovered in a cliff the carcass of a deer which 
 liiid fallen into a chasm. It was quite putrid, but even in that state ap- 
 peared delicious, and r^ fire being kindled, a large portion was rapidly 
 (k'voiu-ed ; A\hile the men, cheered by this imexpected breakfast, re- 
 {lained their confidence, and requested leave to return to the rapid, 
 insisting on the practicability of making a sufficiently strong raft of wil- 
 lows, though they had formerly pronounced it impossible. Their advice 
 Mas followed; and having sent off Augustus, one of the interpreters, 
 to inform Mr. Back of this change of plan, they commenced their retro- 
 grade movement, and encamped at night in a deep valley among some 
 large willows, where they supped oii the remains of the putrid deer. 
 
 Next day they regained the rapids, commenced cutting willows for 
 the raft, and a reward of three hundred livres was promised by Franklin 
 to the person who should convey a line across the river strong enough 
 to manage the raft and transport the party. The willows when cut were 
 bound into fagots, and the work completed ; but the greenness of the 
 wood rendered it heavy, and incapable of supporting more than one 
 
 20 
 
806 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 man at a time. Still they hoped to he ahle to cross ; hut all depended 
 on getting a line carried to the opposite hank, through a current one 
 hundred and thirty yards wide, strong, deep, and intensely cold. Bc- 
 langer and Benoit, the two strongest men of the party, repeatedly at- 
 tempted to take the raft over, but for want of oars were driven hack. 
 The tent-staves were then tied together, and formed a strong pole ; hut 
 it was not l^j.yg enough to reach the bottom even at a short distance 
 from the shore. Dr. Richardson next produced a paddle he had brought 
 from the coast, hut which was found not powerful enough to impel the 
 raft against a strong breeze. The failure of every attempt occasioned a 
 deep despondency, which threatened to have the most fatal ettbcts, 
 when Dr. Richardson, with a disinterested courage that made him for- 
 get his own weakness, threw off his upper garments, and attempted to 
 swim with a rope to the opposite bank. Plunging in with a line round 
 his middle, he at first made some way, hut the extreme cold was too 
 much for him, and in a few moments his arms became powerless ; still, 
 being an expert swimmer, he not only kept hunself afloat, but made way 
 by turning on his back and using his legs, so that he had nearly readied 
 the other side, when, to the inexpressible anguish of those who watched 
 his progress, his limbs became benumbed, and he sank. All hands now 
 hauled on the luie, and drew him ashore almost lifeless ; but, placed be- 
 fore a fire of ^^^llows and stripped of his wet clothes, he gradually revi\cd 
 enough to give directions as to the mode of treating him. His thin and 
 emaciated .Umba, which were now exposed to view, produced an in- 
 voluntary exclamation of compassion and surprise : — " Ah, que nous 
 sommes maigres !" said the French Canadians ; but it is probable that 
 few of them would havo presented so gaunt and attenuated an appear- 
 ance as the brave and excellent man who had thus nearly fallen a sacri- 
 fice to his humanity, for it wa ■, discovered about this tim that the 
 hunters were in the practice of "withholding the game which they shot, 
 and devouring it in secret. 
 
 Soon after this the party were joined by Mr. Back, who had traced 
 the lake about fifteen miles further up without discovering any place 
 where it was possible to get across ; and toward evening Credit, who 
 had been out hunting, returned without any game of his own killing, 
 but brought the antlers and backbone of a deer shot during the sum- 
 mer. Tliese relics had been already picked clean by the wolves and 
 birds of prey, but the marrow remained in the spine ; and though com- 
 pletely putrid, and so acrid as to excoriate the lips, it was not the less 
 acceptable. The bones were rendered friable by burning, and the whole 
 eagerly devoured. St. Germain, one of the voyageurs, now suggested 
 that a canoe might bo made of the painted canvas used to wrap up 
 the bedding, and offered to construct it upon a framework of willows. 
 For this purpose he and Adam removed to a clump of willows, while 
 another party proceeded to the s,^ot where they had encamped on the 
 25th, to collect pitch among the small pines to pay over the seams. A 
 
CROSS.TNG THB COPPERMINE. 
 
 807 
 
 snow-storm at this moment came on, and the sufferings of the men 
 hourly increasing, a deep gloom settled upon their spirits. Mr. Hood 
 was by this time reduced to a perfect shadow ; Mr. Back required the 
 support of a stick ; Dr. Richardson was lame ; and Franklin so feeble, 
 that, after a struggle of three hours, he found himself utterly unable to 
 reach the spot where St. Germam was at work, a distance of only three 
 quarters of a mile, and returned completely exhausted. The Canadian 
 voyageurs had now fallen into a state of despondency which bordered 
 on despair, and, indifferent to their fate, refused to make the slightest 
 exertion. The officers were unable to undergo the labor of gathering 
 the tripe de roche, and Saraandre, the cook, sullenly declined continuing 
 his labors. At this miserable crisis the conduct of John Hepburn, the 
 English sailor, was especially admirable, presenting a striking contrast 
 to the gloomy selfishness of the Canadians. His firm rel'ance on the 
 watchful goodness of God, and a cheerful resignation to His will, never 
 for a moment forsook him ; and, animated by this blessed principle, his 
 strength appeared to be preserved as a means of preserving the party. 
 He collected the tripe de roche for the officers' mess, cooked and served 
 it out, and showed the most indefatigable zeal in his efforts to alleviate 
 their stifferings. 
 
 A gleam of hope at length arose, when St. Germain completed the 
 canoe. It was impossible not to feel that their last chance of escape 
 seemed to hang upon this little bark ; would it prove sufficient for its 
 purpose ? or, constructed of such wretched materials, would it rot at 
 once sink to the bottom ? Amid this conflict of contending emotions 
 it was launched on the river, and every heart bounded with exultation 
 when it floated, and St. Germain transported himself to the opposite 
 side. It was drawn back, and, one by one, the whole party were ferried 
 over, though, from the leaky state of the little bark, their garments and 
 bedding werfe completely drenched, Franklin immediately dispatched 
 Mr. Back and three men to push on to Fort Enterprise in search of 
 the Indians, while he himself followed with the rest. 
 
 Nothing could exceed the joy of the Canadian voyageurs at this 
 unlooked-for deliverance. Their spirits rose from the deepest despond- 
 ency into tumultuous exultation. They shook the officers by the hand, 
 cried out that their worst difficulties were at an end, and expressed a 
 confident hope of being able to reach Fort Enterprise in the course of 
 a few dayf5 — a boisterous and sudden confidence, to which the silent 
 gratitude and quiet resolution of the pious Hepburn presented a strik- 
 ing contrast. 
 
 Their tents and bed-clothes were so much frozen, and the men, who 
 had kindled a small fire, were so weary, that it was eight in the morn- 
 ing before the bundles were packed, and the party set forward. They 
 traveled in single files, each at a small distance fi'om his neighbor. Mr. 
 Hood, who was now nearly exhausted, was obliged to walk at a gentle 
 pace in the rear, Dr. Richardson kindly keeping beside him; while 
 
808 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 Franklin led the foremost men, that he migh: make them halt occasion- 
 ally till the stragglers came up. Credit, hitherto one of their most active 
 hunters, became lamentably weak from the effects of tri2ie de roche on 
 his constitution, and Vaillant, from the same cause, was getting daily 
 more emaciated. They only advanced six miles during the day, and at 
 night satisfied the cravings of hunger by a small quantity of tripe de 
 roche mixed up with some scraps of roasted leather. During the night 
 the whid increased to a strong gale, which continuing next day, filled 
 the atmosphere with a thick snow-drift. Having boiled and eaten tie 
 remains of their old shoes, and every shred of leather which could be 
 picked up, they set forward at pino over bleak hills separated by equally 
 barren valleys. 
 
 In this manner they journeyed till noon, not without much straggling 
 and frequent halts, at which time Samandre cam > up with the melancholy 
 news that Credit and Vaillant had dropped down, and were utterly un. 
 able to proceed. Dr. Richardson went back, and discovering Vaillant 
 about a mile and a half in the rear, assured him that a tire was kindled 
 a little way on, and that he would recover if he could but reach it ; the 
 poor fellow struggled up on his feet, and feebly trie .1 to advance, but 
 fell down e\ ery step in the deep snow. Leaving liira, Dr. Richardson 
 retraced his steps about a mile further in a fruitless search for Credit. 
 In returning he passed Vaillant, who had fivUen down, utterly unable to 
 renevr his efforts to rejoui the party. Belanger went back to carry his 
 burden and assist him to the fire ; but the cold had produced such a 
 numbness that he could not speak or make the slightest exertion. The 
 stoutest of the party were now implored to make a last effort to trans- 
 port him to the fii'e, but declared themselves utterly unable for the task. 
 They eagerly requested leave to throw down their loads, and proceed 
 with the utmost speed to Fort Enteri)rise — a scheme projected in the 
 despair of the moment, and which must have brought destruction upon 
 the whole. 
 
 Matters had now reached a dreadful crisis ; it was necessary to come 
 to an immediate decision regarding their ultimate measures, and a plan 
 proposed by Mr. Hood and Dr. Richardson was adopted. These gen- 
 tlemen consented to remain with a single attendant at the first spot 
 where there were suflicient firewood and tripe de roche for ten days' 
 consumption, while Franklin and the rest were to proceed with all ex^ 
 pedition to Fort Enterprise, and to send immediate assistance. This 
 scheme promised to relieve them of a considerable portion of their bur- 
 dens — for one of the tents and various other articles were to be left ; and 
 it gave poor Credit and Vaillant a fai.er opportunity, should they re- 
 vive, of regaining their companions. On the resolution being communi- 
 cated to the men, they were cheered with the prospect of an alleviaiion 
 of their misery, and pressed forward in search of a convenient spot for 
 the proposed separation. Near nightfall they encamped under the lee 
 of a hill among some ^^illows, which furnished a small fire, but not suf- 
 
RICHARDSON LEFT BEHIND. 
 
 809 
 
 ficiently strong to thaw their frozen clothes ; and no tn'pe de roehe hav- 
 in<» been found during the day, they lay down hungry, cold, and full of 
 the gloomiest apprehensions, while sleep fled from their eyelids, and the 
 images of their dying companions rose before their imagination in colors 
 which made them shudder for a fate that might so soon become their 
 own. Next morning the weather providentially Avas mild, and settmg 
 out at nine they arrived toward noon at a thicket of willows, in the 
 neighborhood of some rocks bearing a pretty full supply of tripe de rocfie. 
 Here Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood determined to remain. The tent 
 was pitched, a barrel of ammunition and other articles were deposited, 
 and Hepburn, who Vv'lunteered the service, was appointed to continue 
 with them. The. rest of the party now had only to carry a single tent, 
 the ammunition, and the oflScers' journals, in addition to their own 
 clothes and a single blanket for Captain Franklin. When all was ready, 
 the whole party united in thanksgiving and prayers to Almighty God 
 for their mutual preservation, and separated with the melancholy reflec- 
 tion that it might in all probability be the last time they should ever 
 aaain meet in this world. 
 
 On leaving their friends. Captain Franklin and his party descended 
 into a more level country ; but the snow lay so deep, and they were so 
 little able to wade through it, that they encamped, after a painful march 
 of only four miles and a half, in which Belanger, and Michel, an Iroquois, 
 were left far behind, yet still struggling forward. In the evening they 
 came in dreadfully exhausted, and Belanger, till now one of the strongest 
 of the party, could not refrain from tears as he declared he was totally 
 unable to proceed, and implored permission to return to Dr. Richardson 
 and Mr. Hood. Michel made the same request, and it was agreed that 
 they should do so. The cold of the night was excessive, and the men 
 were so weak that they could not raise the tent ; from its weight it was 
 impossible to transport it from place to place, and it was cut up, the can- 
 vas serving them for a covering ; but though they lay close together, 
 the intense frost deprived them of sleep. Having no tripe de roche, they 
 had supped upon an infusion of the Labrador tea-plant, with a few mor- 
 sels of burned leather. Michel and ]5elanger, being apparently more ex- 
 hausted in the morning than over night, were left, while the rest moved 
 forward. After a very short progress, Perrault was attacked with a fit 
 of dizziness ; but on halting a little, again proposed to proceed. In ten 
 minutes, however, he sunk down, anu weeping aloud, declared his total 
 inability to go on. He was accordingly advised to rejoin Michel and 
 Belanger — a proposal in which he acquiesced. These examples of the 
 total failure of the strongest in the party had a very unfavorable effect 
 on the spirits of the rest, and the exertion of wading through the snow 
 and crossing a lake on the ice, where they were frequently blown down, 
 was so severe, that Fontano, after having repeatedly fallen, piteously 
 complained that he was utterly unable to go further. Being not two 
 I miles from the others, it was thought best that he also should attempt 
 
810 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 to lejoiii them ; and as he was much beloved, the patting was very dis- 
 tressing. They watched him for some time, and were comforted by 
 seeing that, though hia progress was very slow, he kept his feet better 
 than before. 
 
 The wliole party was now reduced to five persons, Captain Franklin, 
 Adam, Peltier, Benoit, and Samandre, the interpreter Augustus having 
 pressed forward by himself dm-ing the late frequent halts. They made 
 that day only four miles and a half, ai\d encamped for the night under a 
 rock, supping again on an infusion of the Labrador tea-plant and some 
 shreds of boiled leather. The evenuig was comparatively mild, the 
 breeze light, and having the comfort of a tire, they enjoyed some sleep. 
 This was of infinite advantage ; it gave them new spirits, which wore 
 further invigorated by a breakfast of tripe de roc/tc, this being the fourth 
 day since they liad a regular meal. On reachuig Marten Lake they 
 found it frozen over — a circumstance which they knew would enable 
 them to walk upon the ice straight to Fort Enterprise. 
 
 It may be easily imagined what were the sensations of the party in 
 approaching the spot which they trusted would be the end of all tljeu" 
 toils and privations. From the arrangements previously made, it was 
 judged certain that they would here tind relief, and be able to send 
 assistance to their unfortunate companions. It was a spot where they 
 had enjoyed, at a former period of the expedition, the greatest comfort; 
 but it was possible, though they scarcely permitted themselves to con- 
 template so dreadful an idea, that circumstances might have occurred to 
 defeat their present expectations. On approaching the house their minds 
 were strongly agitated between hope and fear, and contrary to their 
 usual custom, they advanced in silence. At length they reached it, and 
 their worst apprehensions were realized. It was completely desolate. 
 No ^.rovisions had been deposited — no trace of Indians could be dis- 
 covered — no letter lay there from Mr. Wentzel to inform them where 
 the Indians might bo found. On entering, a mute despair seized the 
 party. They gazed on the cold hearth, comfortless walls, and broken 
 sashes, through which the wind and snow penetrated, and awakening to 
 a full sense of the horrors of their situation, burst into tears. On re- 
 covering a httle, and looking round with more attention, a note waa 
 found from Mr. Back, stating that having two days before this reached 
 the house, he had proceeded in search of the Indians ; but described his 
 party as so debilitated that it was doubtful whether they would be able 
 to reach Fort Providence. The sufferings endured by this officer and 
 his httle party, one of whom was frozen to death, were equally di'eadful 
 with those which fell to the share of his commander. 
 
 The poor sufferers thus grievously disappointed, now examined the 
 deserted habitation for the means of subsistence, and found several deer- 
 skins thrown away during their former residence at the fort. The heaps 
 of ashes were carefully raked, and a considerable collection of bones dis- 
 covered, which were hoarded up for the purpose of being i>ounded and 
 
SUFFERINGS AT FORT ENTERPRISE. 
 
 811 
 
 manufactured into soup. Tho parchment originally employed instead 
 of glass had been torn from tho whidowa, and the place was exposed to 
 all the inclemency of an arctic winter ; but they succeeded in filling tho 
 sashes with loose boards, and as tho temperature of the outer air was 
 now from 15" to 20" below zero, this precaution was especially neces- 
 sary. To procure water, they melted the frozen lumps of snow, and tho 
 flooring of the neighboring apartment was broken up for fuel. 
 
 Having completed these arrangements, they assembled round the 
 fire, and were busy singeing the hair off a deer-skin, Avhen they were 
 cheered by the entrance of tho interpreter, Avho had made liis M'ay to 
 the fort by a different route, through a country he had never traversed 
 before. Though by far the strongest of tho party, he was now so en- 
 feebled by famine that ho could not follow two deer which he had seen 
 on his way. Next morning there was a heavy gale from the south-east, 
 and the snow drifted so thick that no one ventured abroad. On the 
 evenuig of the succeeding day, a figure covered with ice, benumbed with 
 cold, and almost speechless, staggered into the house. It was one of the 
 Canadians, who had been dispatched with a note by Mr. Back, and hav- 
 ing fallen into a rapid narrowly escaped being drowned. To change his 
 dress, wrap him in warm blankets, and pour some soup down his throat, 
 was their first care ; and after a little he revived enough to answer the 
 anxious questions with which he was assailed. From his replies but 
 little comfort was derived. Mr. Back had seen no trace of the Indians, 
 and the messenger's recollection appeared confused with regard to the 
 part of tho country where he had left his officer, who, as he stated, in- 
 tended to proceed to the spot where the Indian chief, Akaitcho, had en- 
 camped last summer — a distance of about thirty miles. Thither he pro- 
 posed to follow when he was a little recruited ; and, though dissuaded 
 from the attempt, persisted that as the track was beaten he would be 
 able to make it out, and to convey intelligence of the situation of Cap- 
 tain Franklin's party. Accordingly, the fifth day after his arrival, he 
 departed from the fort with a small supply of singed hide. 
 
 Not long after, Adam, one of the five men who now remained with 
 Captain Franklin, became so ill that he wns utterly incapable of moving, 
 and it was discovered that he had been for some time afflicted with 
 (Edematous swellings in various parts of his body, wliich he had hitherto 
 generously concealed, from a wish not to impede the movements of his 
 companions. As it was impossible for this poor man to travel, it was 
 necessary to abandon the original intention of proceeding with the whole 
 party to Fort Providence, and Peltier and Samandre, who were in almost 
 88 weak a state, having expressed a wish to remain with Adam, Captain 
 Franklin, along with Augustus and Benoit, determined to press on to 
 Fort Providence, and to send relief to their companions by the first 
 party of Indians they should meet. 
 
 Having accordingly given directions regarding the journals and 
 charts which were left in their custody, and the best mode of forwurd- 
 
312 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 iiig succor to Mr. Hood and Dr. Richardson, Franklin set forward with 
 his two attendants ; but so feeble had they become, that the distance 
 accomplished in six hours was only four miles. They encamped on the 
 borders of Round Rock Lake, and, unable to find any trtpe de roche, 
 made their supper upon fried deer-skin. The night proved intensely 
 cold, and although they crept as close to each other as possible, they 
 shivered in every limb, and the wind pierced through their famished 
 frames. Next morning was mild, and they set out early, but had scarce 
 ])roceeded a few yards, when Franklin fell between two rocks, and 
 broke his snow-shoes, an accident which incapacitated him from keeping 
 up with Benoit and Augustus. In a very short time his attempt to press 
 forward completely exhausted him ; and as the only hope of preserving 
 the lives of the party appeared to rest on their speedily reachuig Fort 
 Providence, he determined, rather than retard them, to retrace his stops 
 to the house, while they proceeded for assistance. Calling a moment's 
 halt, he addressed one note to Mr. Ba^V, requesting an immediate sup- 
 ply of meat from Reindeer Lake, ant another to the commandant at 
 Fort Providence, •with urgent entreaties for assistance. This done, Au- 
 gustus and Benoit resumed their journey, and Franklin returned to the 
 house. 
 
 On arriving, he found Adam, Samandrc, and Peltier still alive ; but 
 the two first, whose minds seemed quite enfeebled, could not be prevailed 
 on to leave their bed, and their nervous weakness was so great, that 
 they scarcely ceased shedding tears all day. It was even with difficulty 
 that they were prevailed on to take any nourishment ; and the labor of 
 cutting and carrying fuel, gathering the tripe de roche^ and cooking, fell 
 entirely upon Franklin and Peltier. The frost was now so severe, that 
 it was evident this lichen would soon be bound up in ice, and as their 
 strength daily declined, every exertion became irksome. When once 
 seated, it required a painful eifort to rise up, and not unfrcquently they 
 had to lift each other from their chairs. This miserable condition could 
 not last long. Peltier soon became almost incapable of holding the 
 hatchet ; the bone-soup had become so acrid as to corrode the inside 
 of their mouths ; the tripe de rocJie, covered with ice, defied all efforts to 
 detach it from the rock ; and though the reindeer sported on the banks 
 of the river, no one had strength to go after them, or to hold a gun so 
 steadily as to secure an aim. 
 
 Still the hopes and cheerfulness of Franklin did not desert him. 
 From his knowledge of the places most frequented at that season by 
 the Indians, he was sanguine as to the likelihood of their being found ; 
 and their speedy arrival formed a constant subject of conversation. At 
 length, on the evening of the 29th, when talking of his long-looked-for 
 relief, and sitting round the fire, Peltier suddenly leaped up and uttered 
 a joyful exclamation, imagining he heard the bustle of the Indians in 
 the adjoining room. It was not the Indians, however, but Dr. Richard- 
 son and Hepburn, who came in, each carrying his bundle. The meeting 
 
THE EXAMPLE OP HEPBURN. 
 
 313 
 
 was one of minglccl joy and sorrow. Poor Hood's abscnoo was instantly- 
 perceived, and their saddest anticipations were confirmpd by Dr. Rich- 
 ardson declaring that this young officer and Michel were dead, and that 
 neither Perrault nor Fontano had reached the tent, or been heard of. 
 Such news could not fail to create despondency. All Avero shocked at 
 the emaciated countenances and hollow A'oices of Dr. Richardson and 
 his companion, while Captain Franklin and his icllow-sufferers, having 
 become gradually accustomed to the dreadful effects of famine upon each 
 other, were not aware that, to the eyes of their friends Avho had just 
 arrived, the alteration upon themselves was equally melancholy. " The 
 doctor," says Franklin, " particularly remarked the sepulchral tone of 
 our voices, which he requested us to make more cheerful if possible, 
 not aware that his own partook of the same key." 
 
 The arrival of these friends, however, was soon attended with a fav- 
 orable change. Though greatly reduced, they were 3till in a bettor con- 
 dition than their unfortunate companions, .and it was not long till Hep- 
 burn shot a partridge. Dr. Richardson speedily tore off the feathers, 
 and having held it for a few minutes at the fire, divided it into six 
 pieces, Franklin and his companions ravenously devoured their por- 
 tions, " being the first morsel of flesh that any of them had tasted for 
 thirty-one days ;" and Dr. Richardson cheered them with the prospect 
 that Hepburn might possibly bring in a deer in his next expedition. 
 The counsels and example of this pious and intelligent man produced 
 the best effects on the spirits of the party. He had brought with him 
 his Testament and Prayer-book, and by reading portions of Scripture 
 appropriate to their situation, and encouraging them to join in prayer 
 and thanksgiving, he led them to the only source whence, under the 
 awful circumstances in which they were placed, they could derive hope 
 or consolation. He taught them the necessity of exertion, whatever 
 pain it might at first cost ; roused them to pay some attention to the 
 cleanliness of their apartment, and insisted particularly, that during the 
 day they should roll up their blankets, which they had been in the prac- 
 tice of leaving beside the fire where they slept. Their several tasks were 
 now allotted to each : Hepburn and Richardson went out in search of 
 deer ; while Franklin, being unable to walk far, remained nearer the 
 house, and digged under the snow for skuis, which, during their former 
 happy winter residence at this station, when they killed and ate abund- 
 ance of game, were thrown away as useless, but now in their almost pu- 
 trid state formed their principal support. The cutting of firewood was 
 intrusted to Peltier and Samandre ; but both w^ere so weak and dispirited, 
 that it was generally performed by Hepburn on his return from hunting ; 
 as for Adam, his legs were still so severely swollen that he kept his bed, 
 though an operation performed by Dr. Richardson gave him some ease. 
 In the midst of these necessary cares, all seemed for a while to dread 
 approaching the subject of Hood and Michel's death ; but at length one 
 evening, on the return of the doctor from himting, and after having 
 
814 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 dispatched their usual supper of singed skin and bone-soup, they re- 
 quested him to relate the particulars ; and a more afflicting, or, in some 
 re8i)ects, a more terrific story, as it appears m his published narrative, 
 could not well be conceived. 
 
 lie stated that after being left by Captain Franklin, they remained 
 beside the fire as long as it lasted. Having no tripe de roche, they sup- 
 ped on an inftision of the country tea-plant, which was grateful from its 
 warmtli, but afforded no nourishment, and retired to rest. Next day 
 proved stormy, and the snow being so deep that a firo could not bo 
 kuidled with the green willows, they lay in bed reading some religious 
 books with which the party had been furnished before leaving England 
 by the affectionato and pioua care of a lady. " They proved," says 
 Richardson, " of incalculable benefit to us. We read portions of them 
 to each other as we lay in bed, in addition to the morning and evening 
 service, and found that they inspired us on each perusal with so strong a 
 sense of the omnipresence of a beneficent God, that our situation in these 
 wilds appeared no longer destitute ; and wo conversed not only with 
 cahnness, but with cheerfulness, detailing with unrestrained confidence 
 the past events of our lives, and dwelling with hope upon our future 
 prospects." 
 
 The weather clearing up. Dr. Richardson went out in search of tripe 
 de roche, leaving Mr. Hood in bed, and Hepburn cutting willows for a 
 fire ; but the rocks were covered with ico and snow, and he was un- 
 successful. On his return he found Michel, the Iroquois, who delivered 
 the note from Franklin. All were surprised to see him alone ; but he 
 stated that Belanger had separated from him, and, as he supposed, lost 
 his way, he himself havmg wandered far from the straight road. They 
 had afterward good reason to suspect the truth of this story, but be- 
 lieved it at that moment, and were rejoiced to see him produce a hare 
 and a partridge — an unlooked-for supply, which they received M'ith 
 humble thankfulness to the Giver of all good. Franklin's note advised 
 them to advance to a little wood of pines which would afford better 
 fuel ; and to this they removed under thb guidance of Michel, who led 
 them straight to the spot. 
 
 As he had declared himself so little acquainted with the country as 
 to lose his way, it seemed strange that he should at once conduct them 
 to the thicket. This roused their attention, and made them feel rather 
 uneasy as to his honesty ; and various circumstances occurred to increase 
 their suspicions. He requested the loan of a hatchet, when any other 
 hunter would have taken only his knife. He remained abroad all day 
 without any definite employment. He brought them some raw meat, 
 saying it was part of the carcase of a wolf, but which they had afterward 
 reason to believe was a portion of the bodies of Belanger and Perrault, 
 whom they suspected him to have murdered. He shunned the society 
 of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood, refusing to sleep in the tent, and pre- 
 ferring to lie alone at the fire. On going out with the purpose of re- 
 
MURDKB OF MR. HOOD. 
 
 815 
 
 maining a whole day, ho often returned abruptly, and when questioned 
 gave vague answers. In a few daya ho began to regret that ho had left, 
 Captain Franklin's party, reftised to take any share in the labor of cut- 
 ting wood, talked in a surly and hisolent manner, and could scarcely bo 
 prevailed upon to go out and hunt at all. These symptoms of gloomy 
 dissatisfaction increased ; ho resisted all entreaties, and when Mr. Hood, 
 who was now reduced by famine to the last extremity, remonstrated 
 with him, ho flew into a violent passion, and exclaimed, "It is of no use 
 hunting ; there are no animals ; you had better kill and eat mc." He 
 afterward, howevei", consented to go out, but returned upon some frivol- 
 ous pretense; and on the succeeding day that dreadful catastrophe 
 took place, which will be best given in the words of Dr. Richardson's 
 journal : 
 
 "In the morning," says he, "being Sunday, October 20th, we again 
 urged Michel to go a-hunting, that he might, if possible, leave us some 
 provision, to-morrow being the day appointed for his quitting us ; but he 
 showed great unwillingness to go out, and lingered about the fire under 
 the pretense of cleaning his gun. After we had read the morning service, 
 I went about noon to gather some tripe de roc?ie, leaving Mr. Hood sit- 
 ting before the tent at the fireside arguing with Michel. Hepburn was 
 euiployed cutting down a tree at a small dbtance from the tent, bemg 
 desirous of accumulating a quantity of firewood. A short time atler I 
 went out, I heard the report of a gun, and about ten minutes afterward 
 Hepburn called to mo in a voice of great alarm to come directly. When 
 I arrived, I found poor Hood lyuig lifeless at the fireside, a ball having 
 apparently entered his forehead. I was at first horror-struck with the 
 idea that in a fit of despondency he had hurried himself into the pres- 
 ence of his Almighty Judge by an act of his own hand ; but the con- 
 duct of Michel soon gave rise to other thoughts, and excited suspicions 
 which were confirmed, when, upon examining the body, I found that 
 the shot had entered the back part of the head and had passed out at 
 the forehead, while the muzzle of the gun had been applied so close as 
 to set fire to the nightcap behind. The gun, which was of the longest 
 kmd supplied to the Indians, could not have been placed in the position 
 to inflict such a wound except by a second person. Upon inquiring of 
 Michel how it happened, he replied that Mr. Hood had sent him into 
 the tent for the short gun, and that during his absence the long gim 
 had gone off", ho did not know whether by accident or not. He held 
 the short gun in his hand at the time he was speaking. Hepburn after- 
 ward asserted, that previous to the report of the gun, Mr. Hood and 
 Michel were speaking to each other in an elevated, angry tone ; — ^he 
 added, that Mr. Hood being seated at the fireside, was hid from him by 
 intervening willows ; but that on hearing the report he looked up, and 
 saw Michel rising up from before the tent-door, or just behind where 
 Mr. Hood was seated, and then going into the tent. Thinking that the 
 gun had been discharged for the purpose of cleaning it, he did not go 
 
816 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNKY TO THE POLAR SKA. 
 
 to the firo at firHt ; nntl when IMlchel called to lilm that INfr. Hood wjw 
 dead, a coiiHidcniblc tinii) had oliviwed. ♦ ♦ ♦ HickerHteth's Script iiro 
 Help Avas lying open beside the l)ody, as it' it had tiillt-n from hi.s liaiid, 
 and it is probable he was reading it at the instant of his death." 
 
 Siieh was the nielancrholy fate of Mr. Hood, a young oflicer of the 
 highest promise, who, by his conduet, had endeared liimself to every 
 member of the expedition, and whost- Hiiilerings, as they were more in- 
 tense, from the pe(.'uliarity of his e(mstitution, were boriu! with a placid 
 and impretending fortitude, which it was impossible to conteinplato 
 without emotion. Hoth Dr. Hichardson and Hepburn were eonviuced 
 he had nu;t his death from tlu' hands of ^lichel ; but to have accused 
 him at that moment would have been the extremity of rashness. They 
 were so reduced 1)y Himino that l>e could easily have overpowi'i-ed both. 
 His appearance showed tliat he possessed secret suj>pliesof ibod ; he was 
 of great bodily strength, and was armed to the teeth, carrying, besidt's 
 his gun, a brace of jjistols, an Indian bayonet, and a knife. To have 
 hinted a suspicion, tiicrefore, might have been instantly fatal, and tlioy 
 attected to consider the death of their comjtanion entirely accidental. 
 As his weakness had been the chief cause of delaying their journey, they 
 now set out t()r the fort, having first paid the last rites to the (lead in 
 the only way which their situation would i)ermit. The ground was so 
 hard, and their strengtli so cxliaiisted, that to dig a grave was impos- 
 sible ; so they carrietl the body into the willow grov(! behind the tent, 
 and returning to the lire, read the funeral service in addition to their 
 evening devotions. 
 
 In the morning, liaving singed the hair otT a portion of IMr. Hood's 
 buffalo robe, they boiled and ate it for breakflist. Meanwhile, the con- 
 duct of Micliel was so extraordinary, tliat had they not been already 
 convinced of his guilt, no doubt of it could have remained. Tliougli 
 not a breath of their suspicions reached his ears, he rej)eatedly protested 
 that ho was incapable of committing such an act; he kept constantly on 
 his guard, appeared fearfid of leav-ing Dr. Kichardson and Hepburn 
 alone even for the shortest time, and when Hepburn spoke he listened 
 anxiously, though very imperfectly acquainted with the English lan- 
 guage, fixed his eyes keenly upon him, and asked fiercely if he accused 
 him of the murder. He evinced great unwillingness to set out for the 
 fort, and wished Dr. Richardson to proceed to t!io Coppermine River, 
 where he said the woods would supply plenty oi' d.ccr. On finding this 
 advice disregarded, his conduct became more ; nd more alarming ; he 
 muttered to himself, fell into sullen fits of abstraction, and used those 
 Cv.nvulsive and abrupt gestures often involuntarily exhibited by a person 
 whose mind is tall of some dreadful purpose. Suddenly awakening frora 
 this reverie, ho again expressed his unwillinjifness to return to the fort, 
 and renewed his solicitations to Dr. Richardson to repair to the southern 
 woods, where they would find ample subsistence. On being requested 
 to pursue his own plan alone, and leave them to continue their journey, 
 
RI0IIARD80N HIIOOTS MIOnKL. 
 
 317 
 
 ho broke into irn luif^ovi'i'iiahli' fury, iicotiscd II(>|)l)iini of Imvin^ told 
 BtoricH ngainst liim, aii<l assiiiiuMl siu-li iiirs of Hii|H'riority us showed thiit 
 he know thi'y were Imth in his power, ut the same time >;ivinj^ vent to 
 expressions of liatred ajjainst the wliite pi'«»ph', eallinj; tlieni <leadly 
 enemies, and attirniing tiiey had killed and eaten liis unele and two of 
 his relations. 
 
 None of these menaees were lost upon Uichardson and Hepburn; 
 both felt they were not safe in tliis man's eomi»any ; and these drttadfiil 
 Hin-mises rose into certainty when he threw out hints that he would ivm 
 himself from all restraint on the morrow. Ileing now eonviiuied that, as 
 he had eruelly murdered H(»od, lu! was resolved also to Haerifi(ti- them, 
 they ascribed his not having already done so to the cirennistanee of hi.s 
 not knowing the way to the fort, and re(piiring their guidance. They 
 canie to this conclusion without any communication with each other; 
 for their fierce companion would not leave them u monu-nt, watching 
 them with a ntalignant look, and frequently muttering threats against 
 Hepbiirn. Toward evening, as they approached the Hjjot where it would 
 ho necessary to stop for the night, Michel halted to gather ttu'j>e de roche^ 
 and to their surprise bade them walk on, and ho would soon overtake 
 thorn. Hepburn and Dr. l{ichardson, now left alone together for the 
 first time since Mr. Hood's death, rapidly opened their minds to each 
 other. In addition to the facts already mentioned, others came to light, 
 which left not the slightest doubt as to Michel's guilt ; and so convi'u^ed 
 WHS Hepburn of there being no safety for them but in Ids death, that, 
 though a man of extreme benevolence and deep religious principle, he 
 ofl*"red to be the instrument of it himself. " H-id my own life," says 
 T)r. Richardson, " alone been threatened, I would not have jturchased it 
 hy such a measure; but I considered myself as intrusted also with the 
 l)rotection of Hepburn s, a man who by his humane attentions and de- 
 votedness had so endeared himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for his 
 8afoty than for my own." Animated by such feelings, and convinced 
 that Michel's death was necessary to self-preservation, he determined 
 that it ought to be by liis own and not by Hepburn's hand, and on bis 
 coming up shot him through the head with a pistol. It appeared that 
 ho had gathered no tri})e de roche, and had lialted to put liis gun in 
 order, no doubt with the intention of attacking them when in the act of 
 encamping. 
 
 Dr. Richardson and Hepburn now pursued tlieir way to the fort ; 
 but fatigue, and want of food and fuel, had nearly proved fatal to them. 
 They remarked, however, that repeatedly when death seemed inevita- 
 ble, an imexpected supply of provisions again restored them ; and the 
 confidence that, when no human help was nigh, they were sup[)orted by 
 a merciful God, inspired them witli renewed hope. At last they had the 
 delight of beholding from an eminence the smoke issuing from the chim- 
 ney of the fort, and immediately after, embracing those friends for whose 
 
318 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO :LHE POLAR SEA. 
 
 
 fate iliey had entertained so many melancholy forebodings. So ended 
 this interesting narrative. 
 
 The whole party were now once more imited, biit under circum- 
 stances of the most distressing privation ; all emaciated to such a degree 
 as to look like living skeletons ; their hands shook from weakness, so 
 that to take an aim was impossible ; and the reindeer, partridges, and 
 other game, flew or bounded past in joyousness and security, while the 
 unhaiipy beings who beheld them were gaunt with hunger. The winter 
 was closing in with all its horrors ; it became daily more difficult to pro- 
 cure fuel, the labor of cutting and carrying the logs being bo grievous 
 that only Dr. Richardson and Hepburn could undertake it ; and to scrape 
 the ground for bones, and to cook this miserable meal, was all Captain 
 Franklin could accomplish. On the 1st of November the doctor ob- 
 tained some tripe de roche ; and as Peltier and Samandre were in the 
 last stage of exhaustion, it was hoped a little of the soup might revive 
 them. All was in vain ; they tasted a few spoonfuls, but soon com- 
 plained of a soreness in their throats, and both died in the course of the 
 night, apparently without pain. To inter the bodies, or even carry them 
 to the river, was a task for which the united strength of the survivors 
 was inadequate ; all they could do was to remove them into an opposite 
 part of the house ; and the living and the dead remained in awful con- 
 tiguity under the same roof. 
 
 The -paily was now reduced to four — Franklin, Richardson, Hepburn, 
 and Ad!»m. The last had become di-eadfully low since the death of his 
 companicns, and could not bear to be left alone for a moment. Their 
 stock of bones was exhausted, and in a short time it was evident thnt the 
 severity of the frost must render the gathering of the tripe de roche im- 
 possible. Under t^iese circumstances, with death by famine approaching 
 every hour, th" : little band of pious and brave men were supported by 
 an unwavering reliance on the mfcy of God. " We read prayers," says 
 Captain Franklin, "and a portion of the New Testament in the morning 
 aad evening, as had been our practice since Dr. Richardson's arrival ; 
 and I may remark, that the performance of these duties always afforded 
 lis the greatest consolation, serving to reanimate our hope in the mercy 
 of the Omnipotent, who alone could save and deliver us." Hitherto Dr. 
 Richardson and Hepburn had been the healthiest of the party, but they 
 had overwrought themselves, and both sank rapidly. Owing to their 
 loss of flesh, the hardness of the floor, from which they were only pro- 
 tected by a single blanket, rendered the whole surface of their bo "es 
 sore ; yet the labor of turning from one side to the other was too much 
 for them. As their strength bank, their mental faculties partook of the 
 weakness of their frame ; and, to employ the candid and simple expres- 
 sions of the excellent leader, " an unreasonable pettishness with each 
 other began to manifest itself, each believing the other weaker in i uel- 
 lect than himself, and more in need of advice and assistance." During 
 this gloomy period, after the first acute pauis of hunger, which lasted 
 
THE SURVIVORS ARE SAVED. 
 
 319 
 
 but three or four clays, had subsided, they generally enjoyed the re- 
 freshment of sleep, accompanied by dreams which for the most part par- 
 took of a pleasant character, and very often related to the pleasures of 
 feasting. 
 
 On November Vth, Adam had passed a restless night, being dis- 
 quieted by gloomy apprehensions of approaching death, which they tried 
 in vain to dispel. He Avas so low in the morning as scarcely to be able 
 to speak, and Captain Franklin remained by his bedside to cheer him aa 
 much as possible, while the doctor and Hepburn went out to cut wood. 
 They had hardly begun their labor when they were amazed at hearing 
 the report of a musket, and coulr^. scarcely believe that there was any 
 one near till they heard a shout, and espied three Indians close to the 
 house. Adam and Frankhn heard the latter noise, and were fearful 
 that some part of the house had fallen upon one of their companions — a 
 disaster which had been thought not unlikely. The alarm was only 
 momentary; for Dr. Richardson came in to communicate the joyful 
 intelligence that relief had arrived. He and Captain Franklin imme- 
 diately addressed their thanksgivings to the Throne of Mercy for this 
 deliverance ; but poor AJam was in so low a state that he could scarcely 
 comprehend the information. W hen the Indians entered, he attempted 
 to rise, but immediately sank doAA-n again. But for this seasonable 
 interposition of Providence, his existence must have terminated in a few 
 hours, and that of the rest probably in not many days. 
 
 The Indians who had been dispatched by Mr. Back, had traveled 
 ■ftith great expedition, and brought a small supply of provisions. They 
 imprudently presented too much food at first ; and though awaix of the 
 effects which might arise from a surfeit, and warned by Dr. Richardson 
 to eat very sparingly, the sight of the venison was irresistible ; and it 
 was devoured by them all, not excluding the doctor himself, with an 
 avidity that soon produced the most acute pains, which during the night 
 deprived theni of rest. Adam, whose weakness rendered him unable to 
 feed himself, was not subjected to the same inconvenience, and taking 
 moderate meals, revived hourly. AU now was thankfulness and cheerful 
 activity. Boudel-kell, the youngest Indian, after an hour's rest, returned 
 to the encampment of Akaitcho, the Dog-rib chief, carying a not'^ from 
 Captain Franklin, and a request for another supply of provisions. The 
 two others, named in their familiar manner Crooked Foot and the Rat, 
 remained to nurse the white men. Under their care the apartment 
 lately so desolate, and something between a sepulcher and a lazar-house, 
 assumed a gladdened look, which had the best effect. The dead bodies 
 were removed, the room cleaned of its filth and fragments of pounded 
 bones, and large cheerful fires produced a sensation of comfort to which 
 they had long been strangers. The poor sufferers had often cast a wish- 
 fiil eye on a pile of dried wood near the river, but were utterly unable 
 to carry it up the bank. When pointed out to the Indians, they fetched 
 it homo with a rapidity which astonished their feeble friends. •' They 
 
820 
 
 FRANKLIN'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 
 
 set about every thing," says Fraaklin, "with an activity which amazed 
 us. Iruleotl, contrasted with our emaciated figures and extreme de- 
 bility, their frames appeared to us gigantic, and their strength snper- 
 natunil." 
 
 Under tlic care of the Indians, and the blessing of wholesome and 
 regular nieals, the strength of the party was so far restored, that, al- 
 though still feeble, on the 16th, after having united in prayer and 
 thanksgiving to God for their deliverance, they left Fort Enterprise — 
 a spot where, as ihey had forme ily enjoyed much comfort if not happi- 
 nos:!, they had latterly experienced a degree of misery scarcely to be 
 paralleled. The Indians treated them with unremitting kindness, gave 
 them their ov»n snow-shoes, and walked at their side to be ready to lift 
 them ujt when they fell. In this manner they pushed forward to the 
 ar 'Ic of Akaitcho, the Indian chief, who welcomed them with the ut- 
 most hospitality. Soon after they received letters from their friends at 
 Fort l^rovidence, and the messenger also brought two trains of dogs, a 
 package of i!j)irits and tobacco for the Indians, and a supply of shirts and 
 clothes for Captain Franklin and his companions. The gratification of 
 changing their linen, which had been xminterruptedly worn ever since 
 their do])arture from the sea-coast, is described as conveying an intensity 
 of comfort to wliich no words can do justice. From this spot their pro- 
 gress to Fort I*rovidence and thence to Montreal was prosperous and 
 easy , and thus terminated their long, fatiguirg, and disastrous travels 
 in North America, having journeyed by water and by land, including 
 their navigation of the Polar Sea, five tliousand five hundred and fifty 
 miles. 
 
 Notwithstanding the appalling sufibrings which he had endured, 
 Franklin had not been at home a year, before, hearing of the determi- 
 nation of the government to make another effort at disco\ ering a north- 
 ern passage, he volunteered his services. Dr. Richardson, also, oftered 
 to accompany him, and undertake the survey of the coast between the 
 Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers, while Franklin made the attempt to 
 I'oaoh ley Cape. These offers were accepted, and the expedition was 
 fitted out with a liberality and forethought which secured them against 
 such terrible disasters as had befallen the former. Thev sailed from 
 Liverpool in February, 1825, and proceeded to the Arctic regions by 
 way of New York, Niagara, Lake Superior, and Lake Winnipeg. They 
 did not reach the banks of Mackenzie's River before the middle of Au- 
 gust, where, as it was too late to commence the work of exploration, 
 they established their winter quarters, which they called Fort Franklin. 
 Lieutenant Back superintended the erection of these buildhigs, while 
 Franklin descciidcd the Mackenzie to the Polar Sea, and Richardson 
 set oft" on ar. exploring tour to the head v/aters of Dease's River. Both 
 parties returned to the foit ui September, and there passed the winter 
 in comi)arativc comfort. 
 
 They set out on the 15th of Jime, 1826, and descended the Macken- 
 
FRANKLIN'S SECOND JOURNEY. 
 
 321 
 
 zic River nearly to its mouth, when the two parties separated, Franklin 
 making westward along the coast for Icy Cape, while Dr. Richardson 
 steered eastward, for the mouth of the Coppermine. The former con- 
 tinued to .idvance along the coast until he had passed the boundary line 
 between British America and the Russian possessions, when he encoun- 
 tered much drift ice. The weather was foggy and cold ; his frail boats 
 were leaky and unsafe, and signs of Avinter began to appear, so that he 
 prudently commenced his return on the 18th of August. At this time 
 Captain Beechey, who had been sent out by way of Behring's Straits, 
 to effect a commimication with him, was only a hundred and forty-six 
 miles to the westward, but a large body of ice intervened. Dr. Rich- 
 ardson was more successful. IIo followed the coast for a distance of 
 five hundred and fifty miles, reached the mouth of the Coppermine 
 liiver without accident, and returned to P^ort Franklin by the 1st of 
 September. Franklin arrived soon afterward, and the united expedition 
 returned to England. They reached Liverpool in September, 182 V, 
 having been absent two years and eight months. The most interesting 
 portion of this journey was their intercourse with the various tribes of 
 Esquimaux, on the shores of the Polar Sea ; but the limits of this article 
 i'' not permit us to copy the spirited narratives of the two command- 
 - They were frequently on the verge of hostilities, but fortunately 
 '.xtrioated themselves without the shedding of blood. There was no 
 serious accident during the whole course of the expedition, and if Frank- 
 lin did not push his explorations as far westward as he hoped, he had 
 tvilainly cause to be grateful to the Providence which preserved him 
 and his party from the perils and sufferings of his first journey. 
 
 21 
 
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MEYENDORFF'S 
 
 JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 The commercial relations which have for a long time existed between 
 Russia and the Kingdom of Bokhara — the most powerful state of what 
 ia called Independent Tartary — have been greatly extended during the 
 present century. Envoys from the Khan of Bokhara had occasionally 
 visited St. Petersburg, and when, in the year 1820, one of them ex- 
 pressed a desire, on the part of his master, to see a Russian embassy in 
 Bokhara, the Emperor Alexander determined not to neglect so favorable 
 an opportunity of developing more fully the conmierce which was spring- 
 ing up between the two coimtries, aa well as of obtaining information 
 concerning a region which had rarely been visited by Europeans. He 
 therefore appointed M. de Negri, acting Counselor of State, as Envoy 
 to the Khan of Bokhara, accompanied by Baron Meyendorff, who was 
 charged with the task of collecting geographical and statistical informa- 
 tion concerning Tartary, Dr. Pander, naturalist, and three interpreters 
 of Orenbourg. After the return of the mission. Baron Meyendorff wrote 
 m French an account of the journey, which was published in Paris in the 
 year 1827. The following abridgment is given in the author's own 
 language, omitting merely those portions which are of liUle general in- 
 terest : 
 
 We received orders to make our preparations in the month of 
 June, 1820, and by the following August were in Orenbourg, a city fif- 
 teen hundred miles distant fi*om St. Petersburg. As we were to tra- 
 verse immense steppes, frequented only by wandering hordes, the govern- 
 ment furnished us with an escort consisting of two hundred Cossacks 
 and two hundred infantry, to which were added twenty-five Bashkir 
 troopers. We took with us two pieces of artillery ; three hundred and 
 fifty-eight camels carried the baggage ; altogether we had four hundred 
 horses. It required six weeks at Orenbourg to make preparations for 
 the journey and to supply our troop with every thing necessary for the 
 passage of the desert. It was decided that the provisions should be 
 transported on camels, and that but twenty-fivo chariots would be taken 
 
324 
 
 MEYENDORFF'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 along, for the luen who might fall sick or be wounded on the route. 
 Each chariot was drawn by three horses, and driven by a Bashkir. As 
 we would have to cross some livers in the steppe of the Kirghizes, wo 
 were furnished with two boats. 
 
 A two-month's march in the desert would require for each soldier 
 one hundred and five pounds of biscuit, and for each horse four quintals 
 of oats, besides the oatmeal for the troops ; a double supply of ammu- 
 nition for our two pieces of artillery ; fifteen Jcihitkas or felt tents ; two 
 Imndred casks for carrying water in the desorie. ; and finally, several 
 kegs of brandy. Three hundred and twenty camels were loaded with 
 the provisions of the escort, and thirty-eight with the baggage and pro- 
 visions of the persons attached to the embassy. The export of Russian 
 money being prohibited, it was necessary to procure ducats ; but the 
 merchants of Orenbourg had not a sufiicient quantity of them ; search 
 vas then made in TroKtsk, a city four hundred miles distant ; but this 
 attempt failing, a courier was finally dispatched to Moscow, who ob- 
 tained the required sum at the exchange in that city, after an additional 
 journey of a thousand miles. 
 
 Many unforeseen delays thus combined to prevent our departure 
 until the fine season was past, and now the frosts appeared, the bad 
 weather began, and rain, snow, and hail succeeded each other. We had 
 several conferences with the Kirghizes, for the purpose of fixing the route 
 we were to take, and learning the diflicultics we might expect to en- 
 counter. Five of these people were selected as our guides. Finally, on 
 the 10th of October, the whole escort, collected on the great square of 
 Orenbourg, was reviewed by the Governor-General, who caused mass to 
 be said, and gave t>.e travelers a parting benediction. Tlie solemnity 
 of the religious ceremonies wa5< heightened by a presentiment of the 
 dangers to which the expedition might be exposed. It was possible that 
 the Kirghizes, always eager for pi^>.\ge, always dissatisfied at seeing the 
 Russians explore their deserts, might attack us by night, or at least de- 
 stroy all vegetation upon our route across the steppe. But the Khivans, 
 who occupy a part of the territory south of the Aral Sea, were more to 
 be feared than the Kirghizes themselves, for, not loss adroit, and more 
 united, they sometime? made excursions to the number of four or five 
 thousand. Although such a mass of cavalry could inspire but little fear 
 in our infantry, yet the escort would find it impossible to defend a con- 
 voy of seven hundred camels, including those of the Bokharian mer- 
 chants which were placed under our protection. These people, in their 
 sudden and unforeseen attacks upon caravans, endeavor, by cries and 
 shouting, to terrify the camels, which, once dispersed, easily fall into their 
 power. Besides the danger of the route, we might run some risk in 
 Bokharia itself, a country inhabited by a barbarous and warlike people. 
 Before our arrival at Orenbourg, some Bokharian merchants had said 
 confidentially to their friends : " Perhaps none of the Christian travelers 
 will return home. Should even the Khan of Khiva let them pass, our 
 
VISIT TO A KIRGHIZ CAMP. 
 
 825 
 
 khan will not commit the fault of allowing them to return. Why do you 
 wish the Christians to become acquainted with our country ?" 
 
 From Orenbourg to the mountains of Mughodjar the appearance of 
 the country is mostly uniform. The surface is undulating and broken 
 by chains of hills, whoso slopes often extend from ten to fifteen miles. 
 The absence of wood and the slight elevation of the hills, expose to view 
 a widely-extended horizon, where the eye seeks in vain for some object 
 on which to rest. Aridity, uniformity, and silence characterize a steppe. 
 Toward the end of May the rays of a burning sun have scorched the 
 vegetation of these regions, and thenceforth the groimd becomes of a 
 dirty yellow color. 
 
 On arriving at the banks of the Ilek we saw, for the first time, a largo 
 village or aoul, formed of Kirghiz tents. Flocks of sheep, numbering 
 from five to six thousand, first attracted our attention. In approaching 
 this village we saw tents of white or brown felt, of every size ; there 
 were about fifty of them, placed irregularly in groups of three, four, and 
 even six. We soon learned that this was the camp of the sultan, Haroun 
 Ghazi, one of the principal Kirghiz chiefs. He was awaiting our arrival 
 in order to accompany us to the Sir, and, by this act of kindness, to give 
 evidence of his attachment to the Russian goverament, whose assistance 
 in fact he greatly needed, on account of his quarrels with the Khan of 
 Khiva. The day following our arrival the sultan came on horseback to 
 visit M. de Negri. He was surrounded by a hundred Kirghizes, and 
 wore a turban, which is not customary in this desert, but is regarded as 
 a sign of piety on the part of a Mohammedan, who wishes to be dis- 
 tinguished from the mass of the Kirghizes. All these nomadic people 
 wished to penetrate into the tent of the Charge d' Affaires ; in fact they 
 crowded in while there was any room to be had, and immediately squat- 
 ted upon the ground. 
 
 The interior of the tent, filled with these ill-looking figures, presented 
 a strange scene. The sultan alone had a fair complexion, with large and 
 beautiful black eyes; his bearing was mild but serious. We readily 
 perceived that he was a man of very good sense. His visit lasted an 
 hour and a half On the morrow I went to see him ; meeting with an 
 assembly of about fifty Kirghizes on my way, I approached them and 
 soon learned that they had assembled to execute the sentence pro- 
 nounced by the sultan against one of their fellow-countrymen who had 
 stolen a horse. He was condemned to death according to the laws of 
 the Koran, but some of the .older Kirghizes prayed the prince to pardon 
 him, in order that Providence might favor the expedition he was about 
 to undertake, and that his clemency might be a happy augury for their 
 reunion with the Russians. The sultan yielded to this appeal, and the 
 penalty was mitigated. The thief, half-naked, veith a piece of black felt 
 around his neck and hanging upon his shoulders, was forced, by two 
 men on horseback armed with whips, to run to the next tent, where his 
 figure was blackened with soot, after which he was again driven through 
 
826 
 
 MEYENDORPP'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 the crowd of Kirghizes. They then fastened to the tail of a horse a 
 rope which the thief was compelled to hold in his teeth, and he ran thus 
 behind the horse while two men made it trot ; others followed, striking 
 the thief heavy blows with whips. The greater part of the Kirghizes 
 who assisted in this punishment laughed aloud, while others swore. 
 Finally, after a race of several minutes, they desisted ; ho went to thank 
 the sultan, who had not witnessed the castigation, and promised Iiim 
 never to commit theft again. Meanwhile the horse of the thief suffered 
 the fate which had been destined for his master. His throat was cut, 
 and he was instantly dismembered and divided, not without loud shouts 
 and uproar, and the cracking of whips. 
 
 After witnessing this scene I went to the sultan, who obliged me to 
 wait a few minutes while he had his tent decorated. At length I en- 
 tered and found him seated near the middle of a large round tent ; his 
 friends were sitting in a semicircle on one side, while on the other were 
 places prepared for us. The sides of the apartment were adorned with 
 tapestry ; suspended to a cord were articles of clothing, some tiger-skins, 
 exposer' for sale, a rich diadem of gold set with turkoises and rubies, 
 and the head-dress of a Kirghiz female. There were likewise dried 
 meats, large skin bags of mare's milk, and wooden vessels. Objects of 
 luxury were thus mingled with those of necessity, giving evidence of a 
 love of display, combined with savage tastes and customs. 
 
 After leaving the waters of the Ilek we crossed the summit of the 
 Bassagha range and then forded the Kublei'li-temir, after having broken 
 the ice "with hatchets. I was walking along the bank, sometimes on the 
 ice and sometimes on land, looking for petrifactions or curious conglom- 
 erates, when suddenly I perceived in the air a large animal which had 
 leaped from the top of the hill, and seemed about to precipitate itself 
 upon me. I retreated and it fell at my feet upon the ice, which it broke, 
 at the same time shattering its bones. It was a saiga, a species of ante- 
 lope, the first that I had ever seen. It had been chased by some Cos- 
 sacks of the convoy, who had pursued it over the plain to the brink of 
 the precipicn. In escaping them it had run upon its own destruction, 
 through the effect of that blind terror which characterizes the saigas, 
 and which often delivers them up to the hunters. I have been assured 
 by people worthy of credit that in the mountains of Guberlinsk and 
 Ural, toward the month of Jmie, the season of the great migrations of 
 the saiga, they have seen flocks of eight or nine thousand of these ante- 
 lopes. Their flesh is delicious, and their skin is made into garments. It 
 is generally very diflicult to approach them, except during the great 
 heats of summer ; this animal then seeks the shade, and frequently a 
 score of saigas stand behind each other with the head down, while the 
 foremost of the flock conceals its own in a hole, or behind a rock. In 
 this position they can easily be surprised ; the hunter kills the foremost, 
 the s'^'^ond usually takes its place and presents itself to his blows, un- 
 til he kills several in succession. 
 
NIOHT SEAROH FOR WATER. 
 
 827 
 
 1 
 
 From the Temir we bore toward the heights of Mussevil which re- 
 semble those of Basaagha, and we could see the Mugodjar Mountains, 
 distant about forty miles. These mountains, which rise up majestically, 
 and present a bold outline on the horizon, produce a very picturesque 
 effect. Nevertheless, we had a great desire to see them behind us, that 
 we might be no longer exposed to the great cold and the storms : for, 
 from what the Kirghizes say, the southern slope of these mountains of- 
 fers a much less rigorous climate. Thus far, however, the weather had 
 been quite favorable. On leaving them, we first passed through a level 
 country, afterward through deserts covered with moving sand, and ovor 
 mountains naked and destitute of vegetation. If the reader will imagine 
 several salt lakes and some level plains, the soil of which, formed of a soft 
 blue clay, yields under the feet of the traveler, and which shows the ordi- 
 nary indications of the diminution and retreat of the waters of the sea, he 
 will have a sufficiently correct idea of the nature of the surface of this 
 country. 
 
 On the 2d of November our chief guide, Emantchi-Bey, who had 
 not for ten years traversed the country through which we were passing, 
 advised us that after we had gone fifteen miles we should stop at Kaun- 
 jur, as he was confident that we would find water only in the Khoja-kul, 
 a lake situated more than twelve miles furthei*. Wo were unwilling to 
 believe him, for the Kirghizes, who were interested in obstructing our 
 march, had already frequently deceived us. We then continued our 
 journey ; the day was declining and nothing as yet indicated the prox- 
 imity of the lake ; the night surprised us, and as it was now the season 
 when the nights are darkest, it was very difficult to find the way through 
 the steppe, which presented no traces of a road. We could no longer 
 distinguish the summits of the mountains, nor the hills, nor the tombs 
 by means of which the natives direct their journey, and without which 
 it would be very easy to go astray. Some prudent Kirghizes advised 
 us to halt, to spare ourselves useless fatigue, and to sleep instead of 
 searching for something to drink. But as we had announced that we 
 would go to the lake, we determined to persevere. Several Kirghizes 
 gave themselves all imaginary trouble in order not to lose the direction. 
 Always on horseback, they dispersed themselves before us and sought 
 to discover some little path, a certain mdex of the vicinity of water. 
 A well, a hole filled with water, or a lake, are points of meeting for 
 the wanderers of these deserts, and thus the paths are naturally formed. 
 After having traveled several hours of an obscure night, we began to 
 be tormented with the fear of losing out true route, when suddenly a 
 Kirghiz struck a light a mile in advance of the column and produced 
 by the sparks a magical effect — an expedient employed by the Kirghizes 
 when, during the night, they are about to unharness their horses, and 
 one of them, having found the true road, wishes to assemble his comrades 
 there. We followed our new guide for two or three miles, and finally ar- 
 rived, at eight o'clock in the evening, upon the banks of the Khoja-kul. 
 
828 
 
 MEYENDORFF'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 On leaving Khoja-kul wo directed our courHc toward Cul-kuduk — tho 
 slave's well — situated on the edge of tho desert of Horzouk. This des- 
 ert is composed of moving sand, which is formed by the wind into steep 
 hillocks, and is continually changing. Wo found it the more difficult to 
 convey our chariots over those deep sands because tho horses had been 
 much enfeebled by poor feed. Arrived at Cul-kuduk wo burned ten of 
 our carriages, which kindled very easily and made so little smoke In 
 comparison with tho brambles which wo had habitually used, that wo 
 loaded our camels with tho wheels and jjlanks, in order to prolong, for a 
 few days, at least, tho pleasure of enjoying a good fire. 
 
 Wo reached tho hill of Sari-bulak on the 0th of November, and from 
 tho summit I perceived, fifty miles distant, tho heights of Kuk-te: nak, 
 whoso base is washed by tho waters of tho Aral. I spoke to our Kir- 
 ghizes of tho traces of water upon tho Sari-bulak, and they assiirod mo 
 that their fathers had seen tho Aral Sea extend to tho foot of thi,' hill, 
 now forty miles distant. So large a number of Kirghizes have afllrraed 
 tho same thing that I consider it as certain, which proves how consider- 
 able and rapid is the diminution of the Aral Sea. 
 
 Before arriving at tho Sea of Anvl we entered tho desert of Kara- 
 kum, or Black Sand. All these sandy deserts present nearly the same 
 aspect. Tho Kara-kum is abundantly supnlied with fresh water, which 
 may be found nearly always at tho depth of one or two fathoms. When 
 we came to Camechlu-bash, a bay adjoining tho Sir, I set out with a 
 company of friends and a few Cossacks to visit the mouth of the Sir. 
 The river expands as it approaches tho Aral, and tho whole delta thus 
 formed is covered with reeds : the water is not more than four feet deep, 
 while tho river itself is navigable above, as far as Kokand, and is several 
 fathoms deep throughout all this extent. In the neighborhood of the Sir 
 .are several canals from five to six feet deep, made at an epoch anterior 
 to the dominion of the Kirghizes, whom I believe incapable of so labor- 
 ious an undertaking. Hero wo saw very largo fields in which the Kir- 
 ghizes cultivate wheat and barley; they have also some fields of melons. 
 They preserve their crops in little holes in tho ground. Tho provision 
 for the few horses and animals which they possess consists of the leaves 
 of young reeds, the growth of which is accelerated by burning the 
 plants the preceding year. 
 
 The embassy arrived on the 19th of November, after forty-one days' 
 travel, at the banks of the Sir-deria, opposite the heights of Kara-tcpeh. 
 The sands of tho Kara-kum, which reach almost to the Sir, and extend 
 a hundred miles along its course, were now again visible. Near Sir- 
 deria, the ordinary retreat of the poor, misery has multiplied the num- 
 ber of robbers, and in traversing these regions we observed on the sum- 
 mit of the hills some natives who seemed watching an occasion to seize 
 upon a straggler or horse. The countries watered by the Sir form the 
 paradise of the steppe of the Kirghizes, who are proud of possessing so 
 large a river in their territory. The object of their most ardent desire 
 
SONGS OP THE KIRGniZKS. 
 
 329 
 
 is to winter with their licrds upon its >)orilcrs, wlicro the cold is less 
 Hcvcrc than on tlio biuikH of tho Ilek, the Or, tho Irghiz, or upon the 
 mountivins of tho Mughojar and Burgatoh, or among the sands of tho 
 Kara-kum. Along tho Sir tho frosts aro never so severe as to destroy 
 the animals, or inconimodo tho people in their huts of felt ; hut for six 
 years past tho rich Kirghizes havo been deprived of tho jdeusure of 
 p.i9sing tho winter upon these fortunate shores, for their enemies, tho 
 Khivans, come thither to plunder them whenever they find an oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 The Kirghizes delight to winter among tho reeds which are thick 
 enough to form a shelter against tho storms. These wandering people 
 appear to have a tendency to melancholy, and tho murmur of the rapid 
 waves of the Sir charms their frecpient leisure hours. Nothing, iiuleed, 
 contributes more to reverie than tho sound of tho waters of a river Avhich 
 flows, like time, with a monotonous rapidity. The Kirghizes often pass 
 half the night seated upon a stone looking at the moon, and improvising 
 gad words, set to airs as sad. They also liavo historical songs which re- 
 count the high deeds of their heroes; but this sort of poem is sung only 
 by professional minstrels. I very much regret not ha', ing 'leard any. I 
 often said to the Khirgizcs that I listened to their songs with pleasure ; 
 their impromptus were merely compliments, and were scarcely worth re- 
 taining, yet there remain a few fragments of songs in my memory. A 
 Kirghiz bey, a rich and intelligent man, the head of a numerous family, 
 sang to me these improvised words : " You who wish that I should sing 
 to you a song, I will tell you that a bey, poor, but good, is better than 
 a despised khan." These words perfectly expressed his thought, for ho 
 was the declared enemy of the Khan of the Kirghizes. The same bey, 
 passing by us one day while we breakfasted, hummed these words : " Sec 
 these Russians who breakfast in eating the flesh of swine, and drinking 
 brandy. Ah ! what men !" 
 
 A young Kirghiz one day chanted the following song, composed by 
 a young girl : " Seest thou this snow ? Ah, well ! my body is more 
 white. Sees . thou flowing upon this snow the blood of this slaughtered 
 sheep? All, well ! my cheeks are more red. Pass this mountain, thou 
 wilt there behold the trunk of a burned tree. Ah, well ! my tresses aro 
 more dark. With the sultan there aro scribes who write much. Ah, 
 well ! my eyebrows aro darker than their ink." Another Kirghiz sang 
 to me : " Behold this village of tents which belongs to a rich man ; he 
 has but one daughter, Avho remains at homo by day ; at night she walks 
 forth, and has only the moon for her companion." 
 
 This is a sample of the ideas of the Kirghizes, the children of tho des- 
 ert, who, except as regards religion, havo remained independent of all 
 the influences of foreign civilization. After having seen them, wo have a 
 correct picture of a wandering people, cherishing their liberty, and de- 
 spising all which tends to impose upon them any restraint. Unsubdued, 
 warlike, ferocious, the Kirghiz, alone, and on horseback, courses through 
 
830 
 
 MKYENDORFF'3 JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 the tlescrt, and traveraes hundreds ot* miles with JistoiuHliing rapidity, in 
 order to visit a relative, or a friend belonging to a strange tribe. On 
 the way he stops at every village ; ho there tells the news, and, always 
 sure of beuig well received, even when not known, ho partakes the food 
 of his host. This consists usually of cheese, curdled goat's milk, meat, 
 and, when it is to bo had, koumiaa, a drink e.Ytracted from the milk of 
 mares, much esteemed in the desert. He never forgets the aspect of the 
 country through which he has passed, and returns homo after some days' 
 absence, rich in new information, to repose among his wives and children. 
 His wi\ es are his only ser\'ants ; they cook his food, make his clothes, 
 and saddle his horse, while he with perfect coclness limits his labors to 
 the quiet caro of his flocks. I have seen the brother of a sultan, very 
 much esteemed among tho Kirghizes, tending his sheep, on horseback, 
 dressed in a coat of red cloth, and traveling thus for a fortnight without 
 thinking his dignity lowered thereby. 
 
 The Kirghizes arc governed by elders, heads of families, beys, beha- 
 dirs, sultans, and khans. The title of bey is pro})erly hereditary, but U' 
 the possessor can not sustain it by his character and merits, he soon loses 
 it ; while ho who is able to make hunself esteemed obtains it, either from 
 the custom which insensibly arises, of calluig him sultan, or because an 
 assembly meets expressly for tho purpose of conferring upon him this 
 honorable title. The Kirghizes are very irascible ; tho slightest cause, 
 often merely a disappointed hope, is suflicicnt to spur them on to the 
 most cruel revenge. A few years ago these people, having been several 
 times disturbed by the Khivans, solicited the aid of the Bokharians, 
 whose caravans had also been pi undered by these robbers. The Kirghizes 
 believed that the government of Bokhara could not refuse their as- 
 sistance ; disappointed in their hope, they became furious, and resolved 
 to pillage the Bokliarian caravans on the first opportunity. One of their 
 chiefs cut oif tho tail of his horse, carried it to Bokhara, to the chief 
 vizier, and said to him : "is this tail has been separated from this horse, 
 so do I separate myself from you ; henceforth I will be your implacable 
 enemy." Ho left immediately with two or three friends, and carried off 
 eight camels and two men. Such were the first hostilities of a war which 
 he alone had declared against all Bokharia. The ferocity and violence 
 of this man may give an idea of the untamed character of these people. 
 I will conclude tliis digression upon the Kirghizes, by remarking that 
 they never give themselves this name ; they designate themselves by 
 that of JCasak, which signifies ' man on horseback,' according to some, 
 and ' warrior,' according to others. They say that the Bashkirs call them 
 Kirghizes, but they do not know whence the name is derived, and they 
 give it only to the wandering tribes of the great horde. The latter are 
 in great fear of the Chinese, whose severe, or rather cruel policy, is never- 
 theless justified by necessity. A caravan having been pillaged not far 
 from the !^ontiers of Tsungari, the Chinese, guarded by the Manohoo 
 outposts, made reprisals, and thousands of Kirghizes, guilty or not, paid 
 
A WILD BOAU HUNT. 
 
 881 
 
 with their lives for this aRfjjrossion. A few cxamploH of this sort |mt uii 
 end to the iiicurHions of the Kirghizes who live near the froutiers of the 
 Chinese Empire. 
 
 At the time of our journey the river M'as frozen, and wo crossed it 
 with the greatest care ; the ice was so brittle that it cracked upon the 
 passage of our two cannon. A camel broke through by its weight, and 
 was drawn out only with much difficulty. The Kirghizes burned Home 
 roeds, and spreading the ashes upon the ice, finally prevented the camels 
 from slipping. After much exertion wo crossed tlio Sir, celebrated in 
 antiquity under the name of Jaxartes. On our return, the crossing was 
 more difficult and slow. Two boats which wo took with us wore made 
 into a raft, upon which the artillery and our company passed from one 
 shore to the other, while die horses and camels crossed by swimming. 
 It was a curious spectacle to see a dozen of the latter animals attached 
 one behind another, and conducted by Kirghizes. The conductors, 
 naked, and remarkable for their athletic forms, sometimes clung closely 
 to the camels, and sometimes swimming beside, urged them on by shout- 
 ing. Three of these animals being drowned, were cast upon the banks. 
 The natives turned them toward Mecca, and having cut their throats, 
 reciting meanwhile the accustomed prayer, devoured them immediately. 
 In the plain bordering on the Jan-deria there are numerous groves 
 in which various kinds of animals, such as wolves, wild cats, and even 
 tigers, have their retreat. In hunting the tiger a score of mc , armed 
 with match-locks, surround the thicket in which he is concealod ; they 
 hen set fire to it on the windward side, when the heat and flames drive 
 "> animal from his retreat and expose him to the balls of the hunters. 
 ,.e employed this method in hunting the wild boar ne.ir the shores of 
 the Kouvan, and succeeded in killing a number of them. This hunt 
 presented a singular spectacle. From the midst of a plain covered with 
 burning reeds arose whirlwinds of smoke. Across the flames a hundred 
 Cossacks were seen, galloping with us to the right and left ; our horses 
 carried us sometimes in advance, sometimes in the rear, and often very 
 near the furious animals which were bounding through the m.arsh, dis- 
 appearing at one moment, and dashing suddenly into sight the next. 
 On all sides were heard the shots of pistols and guns : here lay wounded 
 horses, there the furious Cossacks strove to pierce the wild boars with 
 their spears. An officer of the Ural Cossacks, stung by hearing another 
 say that ho was afraid, dismounted and seated himself upon an enorm- 
 ous wounded boar, which he seized by the ears as it ran ; then, to finish 
 the exploit, he shot it through the head with a pistol. If one can imag- 
 ine all these various objects he will have a good idea of our wild boar 
 hunts in the desert. In this plain we perceived some traces of ancient 
 canals, which prove that this country was once more populous than it is 
 at the present day. 
 
 Leaving the Jan-deria on the 3d of December, we proceedea by the 
 highway toward Bokhara ; I say highway, for it was a roa*l of about 
 
r<*\ 
 
 832 
 
 AIEYENDORFF'3 JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 three fathoms in width and much worn by frequent travel. It is the 
 route of the caravans from .Bokhara to Orsk and Orcnbourg, and of the 
 Kirghizes from the Avestern part of the steppe, who take animals to the 
 bazaars of the former place. This route leads across the desert of 
 Kizil-kvim (Red Sand), which is remarkable for its sterility ; nor water 
 nor springs are anywhere to be seen. It is said that formerly there wore 
 three wells near the road which wo followed, and that they were filled 
 up, in order that they might no longer be used by the robbers who 
 usually kept themselves concealed among the neighboruig hills. These 
 brigands have been effectively expelled from he Kizil-kum, but now 
 they hide in the gorges of the Bukhan MountaLis, and when they have 
 sufficient force make a descent upon the travelers and pillage them, or 
 even kill them in case of resistance. In approaching this region we 
 therefore kept strict guard and sent patrols into the defiles of the 
 Bukhan. IlapiVily iIk; dangerous passage was made without accident, 
 but ten days allerward a caravan of Bokharians and Kirgliizes was pil- 
 laged by the Khivans, who fell upon them at the wells of Bukhan, and 
 pursued the fugitives into the Kizil-kum, where, having encoimtcrcd a 
 troop of Kirghizes, they gave battle to them. On our return we found 
 on the route more than a hundred dead bodies which were the food of 
 dogs and a multitude of birds of prey. Fragments of china and porce- 
 lain ware, broken boxes and vases of bronze, scattered about on tho 
 sand, showed where the fugitives had been overtaken and defeated. 
 
 After leaving the borders of the Jan-deria we entered a vast unin- 
 habited region which continued until within thirty miles of Bokhara, 
 and which extends from the banks of the Sir-deria, opposite Turkestan 
 and Tashkend, to the borders of the Amou-deria ; this space, compre- 
 hending from eight to nine degrees of latitude, separates Bokharia from 
 the .eppe of tho Kirghizes, and the Khanate of Kokand from that of 
 Khiva. On the north of Bokharia we find habitable lands, but the fear 
 of the Khivans, a bold and cruel race, prevents all settlers from estab- 
 lishing themselves there, while at the same time Bokharia itself ofiers 
 better pastures. Every year several Khirgiz famihes, chiefly of the 
 poorer classes, leave their native soil m order to settle m the deserts of 
 Bokharia, where the undisturbed quiet and the milder climate promise 
 them a happier fate. 
 
 Beyond the Jan-deria we traveled, as I have said, upon a much fre- 
 quented route ; almost every day wo met Kirghiz caravans which were 
 returning from Bokhara, and which, after having sold their sheep, car- 
 ried back from that city barley, oatmeal, tobacco, cotton and linen 
 clothing. We took great pleasure in talkbg with these Bazartchi — men 
 returning from market — in asking the news from Bokhara, and when 
 they had left the capital ; we felt happy in the prospect of soon termin- 
 ating/a journey so long and toilsome, which was beginning to weary us 
 very much. Our horses, which found but a very miserable living in the 
 Kizil-kum, grew thinner every day ; tho Bashkir horses were emaciated; 
 
ENTRANCE INTO BOKHARIA. 
 
 888 
 
 they wore no longer able to draw the six chariots wliioh remained of 
 the twenty-five with which wc set out from Orenbourg. It became 
 necessary to replace them with Cossack horses which had hitherto car- 
 ried the pack-saddles. All our people were extremely weak, especially 
 the infantry ; in a word, we were all in the greatest need of reacliing 
 the end of our journey. TVe took ice and water from the Jan-deria in 
 leather sacks and casks ; yet it was very difficult to carry Avith us water 
 enough to supply so many men and horses for four days and a half. 
 
 After having passed the Kizil-kum, we traversed, for thirty miles, a 
 plain covered with worm-wood, bounded on the right by the mountains 
 of Bukhan. The Bokharians who accompanied us, fearing a surprise on 
 the part of the Khivans, persuaded us to avoid the wells of Bukhan, 
 which were very dangerous. At Kapkantash are several sulphur 
 springs, fetid and very salt. Our horses scarcely tasted the water ; but 
 on our return in March, ahorse drank five buckets of this tainted water. 
 As the weather was by this time very warm, every body was thirsty, and 
 wo had much difficulty in restraining our soldiers a few minutes before 
 permitting them to drink this wretched water, which was, however, very 
 cool. Fifteen miles from Kapkantash we entered the sands of Batkak- 
 kum, which extended for twenty miles ; after leaving these we again 
 entered a mountaiiious country, called Susiz-kara, or black without 
 water, and at length arrived at Kara-aghatch. l^efore reaching this 
 place, four Bokharian custom-house officers came to meet the embassy, 
 and utter saluting us with the usual formula of Khosh amedld (be wel- 
 come I), informed us that the khan, their sovereign, bad sent provisions 
 for us, to Aghatma, twenty-eight miles from Kara-aghatch. M. de Ne- 
 gri jiolitely expressed to them our gratitude, and we j)roceeded with 
 them to the former place. 
 
 As we drew near Aghatma a Bokharian yonz-bashiy or centurion, 
 followed by a score of horsemen, came to announce to the Charge d'At 
 fairos that the khan had sent him to receive the embassy and supply it 
 with what provisions were needed ; then several horsemen ajiproached 
 M. de Negri, took his hand in the oriental manner, and all repeated 
 ^^ Khosh amedid,^^ after which the little party set off" in a gallop. The 
 greater part of the horses were very beautiful, large, light, and full of 
 fire, and they vanished like lightning. At Aghatma we found fresh 
 white bread, delicious grapes, water-melons, and pomegranate;;; One 
 may judge of the pleasure which each of us experienced in eating this 
 bread and fruit, by remembering that for seventy days we haJ lived on 
 biscuit alone, which became harder every day. Our horses had now 
 nourishing hay and jugnrn., a sort of M-hite grain of the size and shape 
 of lentils, which is given to beasts instead of barley. 
 
 About twelve miles from Odun-kuduk, wo passed for a short distance 
 
 I through a range of sandy liills, among which we saw the remains of 
 
 earthen walls and buildings. After having crossed these mounds, we 
 
 : entered, to our great surprise, a country entirely different ; we might 
 
884 
 
 METBNDORPF'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 have supposed ourselves a thonsand leagues distant from the monoton- 
 ous regions which we had been traversing for the last seventy days. 
 The desert ends at these sandy hillocks, beyond which we were surround- 
 ed by fields a::d water-courses and avenues of trees. On all sides were 
 houses, villages, gardens, vineyards, mosques, and minarets ; in a word, 
 one might believe himself transported into an enchanted land. "We found 
 ourselves in a country scarcely known to Europeans ; every thing excited 
 our curiosity. Let one imagine the interest with which we contem- 
 plated the thousands of Orientals, clothed in blue garments and white 
 turbans, running to meet us, some on foot, others riding on horses or 
 asses, but all pressing around us and saluting us in theii* manner. Many 
 testified their joy by addressing friendly words to us in Russian ; their 
 signs of astonishment, their cries, and finally the tumultuous movement 
 which animated all the crowd, gave to our entrance into Bokharia the 
 aspect of a popular festival, the joy of which we should have shared, if 
 the presence of the police, whose voices resounded above all this noise 
 and who with large clubs struck right and left indiscriminately to make 
 way for us, had not reminded us that our own arrival had caused all 
 this confusion, and that the eagerness to see so many Russians carried 
 the people beyond the fear of the blows. 
 
 "^Ve were touched with sadness to see in the midst of this Asiatic 
 populace a few Russian soldiers reduced to the condition of slaves. The 
 greater number were aged and infirm, and at the sight of their fellow- 
 countrymen they could not restrain their tears ; they stammered a few 
 words in their maternal language ; they attempted to precipitate them- 
 selves into our midst, so lively an emotion did the pleasure of seeing our 
 soldiers again create in them. These touching scenes, which rent the 
 soul, can not be described. 
 
 At Khatun-kuduk we had learned that one of the principal officers 
 of the Bokharian government waa awaiting us at the next village. We 
 had passed through a short stretch of cultivated country, when a pe7ija- 
 bashi (captain of five hundred men) came to meet us with two hundred 
 covalry. He conducted us through the crowd, and our infantry marched, 
 belting the drums, toward the tent of the cush-beghi. At the distance 
 of fifty yards from the tent we dismounted in order to advance between 
 two files of foot-soldiers seated upon the ground, who rose when the 
 Charge d' Affaires passed. Many tents of different colors were to be 
 seen; a great many horses richly caparisoned were attached by the 
 head and hind feet to pickets. Numerous slaves and officers surrounded 
 the tents ; in a word, every thing around us added to the solemnity of 
 this first interview. 
 
 The cush-beghi, named ITakim-bey, was seated in his tent with four 
 Bokharian noblemen ; when M. de Negri had taken the place reserved 
 for him, this officer, addressing the persons attached to the embassy, 
 said : " Be seated. You are strangers ; I am much pleased to see you." 
 M. de Negri having spoken afterward of the ceremonial to be observed 
 
officers 
 le. We 
 
 I penja- 
 
 lundred 
 
 larched, 
 
 distance , 
 ctween j 
 hen the ; 
 e to he ! 
 by the 
 rounded 
 .nityof ' 
 
 nth four 
 reserved 
 
 I embassy, 
 
 (see you." 
 1 observed 
 
 RECEPTION IN BOKHARA. 
 
 886 
 
 when he should be presented to the khan, did not entirely agree on this 
 point with the cush-beghi. The audience had commenced under fiivora' 
 hie auspices, but before it was terminated the Bokharian character dis- 
 closed itself. The cush-beghi had the indiscretion to ask M. de Negri 
 to make the khan a present of the two cannon which we had with us. 
 When he saw that he should not be able to obtain them, he made no 
 scruple of demanding for the khan the carriage of M. de Negri. All 
 this time he was not ignorant that we had many camels loaded with 
 presents for the Court of Bokhara. This oflScer was about fifty years of 
 age ; his long brown beard was beginning to whiten. He was tall, his 
 countenance was agreeable and foil of goodness ; he expressed himself 
 in Persian with great facility. He wore a turban formed of a white 
 cashmere shawl, and a robe of sable ornamented with striped cashmere. 
 
 We passed the night of the 17th of December near Wafkend, a small 
 city, after having passed through a populous and well-cultivated country. 
 On the 18th we traveled through an equally fine district in order to 
 reach Bazartchi, a large village situated a mile and a half ft-om Bokhara. 
 Since our interview with the cush-beghi we had traveled thirty miles ; 
 during these two days we were incessantly surrounded by a considerable 
 crowd ; the police scattered them with the strokes of their clubs ; the 
 curious suffered themselves to be beaten, fled, and returned. Our sol- 
 diers advanced in the greatest order ; they were in complete uniform ; 
 the sound of the drum, which was heard from time to time, occasioned 
 cries of surprise from the multitude. We advanced thus in the midst 
 of the tumult and the public demonstrations of joy excited by our 
 arrival. 
 
 After thirty-six hours of discussion on the ceremonial to be obscn^ed, 
 we finally came to an agreement ; the khan consented that M. de Negri 
 should sit in his presence. At noon, on the 20th of Decembrr. we made 
 our solemn entry into Bokhara, preceded by a detachment ' 'ossacks, 
 and by the presents, which consisted of fors, porcelain, crystals, -.vatf-hes, 
 and fire-arms. Other Cossacks and a party of infantry closed the pro- 
 cession. An Ouzbek nobleman, a very important personage, who spoko 
 Persian perfectly, conducted the embassy to the palace. Advancing 
 slowly with this procession, we passed under a large gate, and after hav- 
 ing marched through a narrow, winding street, bordered by miserable 
 clay houses with flat roofs, we finally arrived at a large square surround- 
 ed by mosques and colleges or medreseea^ where we saw the gates of the 
 
 After having alighted, we ascended into a vaulted corridor, built of 
 bricks. On each side was a file of soldiers to the number of nearly four 
 hundred, armed with muskets of different dimensions. Thence we en- 
 tered a small court, and afterward a passage, where there were a dozen 
 unmounted cannon, and then a square court surrounded by walls, along 
 which were seated three or four hundred Bokharians, wearing white tur- 
 bans and vestments of gold brocade ; then, turning to the right, we 
 
886 
 
 MEYENDORFF'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 passed into an antechamber, and finally into the hall of reception, where 
 the khan was seated upon cushions covered with a carpet of red cloth 
 richly embroidered with gold. On the floor was a Persian carpet of in- 
 ferior quality ; the walls were plastered, and the ceiling was covered 
 with painted boards. This hall was in the form of a parallelogram. The 
 khan sat near the wall opposite the entrance ; on his left were his two 
 sons, of whom the elder was probably fifteen years old, and on his right 
 the cidh-L'iyhL On each side of the door Avere five noblemen. Two 
 chamberlains supported M. de Negri, who advanced within ten paces of 
 the khan, addrtssvl him in Persian, gave his credentials to the cush- 
 beffhi, and took his seat. The persons attached to the embassy remained 
 standing against the wall on each side of the door. The ciisJi-beghi at 
 once presented the emperor's letter to the khan, who read it aloud ; he 
 then begged M de Negri to allow a few soldiers to enter the antecham- 
 ber, where they were ordered to lay down their arms. The khan, hav- 
 ing seen them, began to laugh like a child. He was about forty-five 
 years of age, not very intellectual in appearance ; he had a beautiful 
 beard, black eyes, an olive complexion, and appeared to be exhausted by 
 the pleasures of the harem, ilo wore a vestment of black velvet, orna- 
 mented with precious stones, and a turban of muslin, surmounted by a 
 heron's plume. A master of ceremonies held a kind of halberd, termi- 
 nated above by a silver hatchet. The presents were carried to another 
 chamber, in the presence of the klian. The audience lasted about twenty 
 minutes , when it was ended, we rejoined our escort, which soon after- 
 ward returned to Bazartchi, where it bivouacked for the rest of the win- 
 ter. M. de Negri and the persons attached to the embassy were lodged 
 at Bokliara, in a large house belonging to the cush-beghi. 
 
 From what information I could gather, the Bokharians give to Chi- 
 nese Turkestan the name of Alti-Shahar, or the countiy of the six cities. 
 These are Cashghar, Yarkend, Khoten, Aksou, and the two cities of 
 Ileh. Cashghar is a large city, guarded by a Chinese garrison, and is 
 very difiicult of access. It is situated on the Cashghar, a branch of the 
 Kizil-sou (red water), which flows between Cashghar and Yarkend. hi 
 going from Cashghar to Cashmere, one passes Yarkend, where the Tartar 
 language is still spoken ; ^hen by the cities of Great and Little Thibet. 
 The country being mountainous, the caravans proceed only by short 
 stages, and as it is impossible to employ camels, tlie journey is made al- 
 together on horseback. Yarkend is distant foiii days' journey fi-om 
 Cashghar, and Great Thibet is thirty-five or forty days. Cashmere is 
 twenty-two days from the latter city, and midway one passes Little 
 Thibet. The river which bathes the walls of the latter, flows to the north 
 of Cashmere, or rather, empties into the Cashmere River. 
 
 It is probable that the cities named Thibet are the same that were 
 known by the name of Ladak and Draouse, or Dervazeh, yet it is remark- 
 able that no Bokharian is acquiunted with these names, while different mer- 
 chants with whom I have spoken, called them Great and Little TMbet. The 
 
ROUTE THROUGH CENTRAL ASIA. 
 
 837 
 
 Russian merchants who have gone from Scmipalatinsk to Cashmere, give 
 them the same name. Between Cashghar and Cashmere, there are no 
 other cities than those I have mentioned ; near them there are a few vil- 
 lages scattered upon the declivities of the mountains. Great and Little 
 Thibet are surrounded with gardens ; I am told that the houses are of 
 wood, as in Russia, and have very steep roofs. The inhabitants are be- 
 lievers in the Lama, and worship idols.* 
 
 * Tho manuscript of thia work had been completed a long time, when I found, at St 
 Petersburg, in June, 1823, the account of a journey to India, by Raphael Danibeg, a 
 Georgian gentleman, dedicated to his Majesty the Emperor Alexander, translated from 
 Georgian into Russian, and printed in 1815. This work contains nothing of interest until 
 the author's arrival in Cashmere ; but tho account of his journey from that city to Semi- 
 palatinsk, in Siberia, passi ag through Cashghar, surprised me the more agreeably that tho 
 information it contains very nearly agrees with that which I had obtainec". Tho follow- 
 iug is an extract of this account : 
 
 " From Cashmere I proceeded to Thibet, where I arrived after having traveled about 
 a hundred and fifty milea in a march of twenty days. Tlie city is built on hills, and sur- 
 rounded with stony mountains, upon which nothing grows but a littlo oats. The inhabi- 
 tants mix the oatmeal with mUk, and cook it with tho addition of butter. So poor are 
 they that this food forms their only nourishment. I observed a custom here which is very 
 discreditable and contrary to good sense : if there are several brothers in a house, a single 
 woman will be tho wife of them all ; if a boy is born, ho takes tho name of the eldest A 
 large quantity of tea is consumed in this place ; the wool for the shawls is brought from 
 Lassa. All tho merchandise is transported on the back of sheep, which are loaded with 
 as much as they can carry ; from thia place to Cashmere the transportation is u.ado with 
 horses. These people bring from Lassa a large quantity of goat's wool, which is forwarded 
 to Cashmere. It required three months to go from Thibet to Lassa, 
 
 " I stopped forty days to make an excursion from Thibet to Yarkend. Tho journey 
 was very tedious; the sterility of the soil, tho great depth of the precipices, tho excessive 
 height of the mountains, among which glaciers were scon, occasioned a sense of sadness 
 wl'ieh was augmented by the continual solitude of these uninhabited places. At length 
 wo perceived Yarkend ; thia city, surrounded by thick woods, presontti a very pleasant 
 aspect. 
 
 "The Chinese garrison consists of more than two thousand men, whoso chief ia termed 
 imbaa; beside these there are three thousand Ciiluese in Yarkend, engaged in com- 
 merce. The climate of thia city is salubrious, but the water is bad. There are no fine 
 edilices to be seen ; tho inhabitants enjoy a degree of competency. Although I have said 
 that the climate is healthy, I must except the autumn ; in no place liave I ever found it 
 worse. During the whole season the sky was covered with cloud.s. The great humidity 
 of tho atmosphere '-ften produces a kind of red insect called karbites, whose sting ia almost 
 always fatal. A singular dust, from some unknown source, falls like rain, and renders 
 this season very disagreeable. Wliere ♦^his dust falls, instead of rain, the people expect a 
 good harvest, while they look for a bad one if they havo only ordinary rain. This dust ia 
 BO thick that the sun can not penetrate it ; it sometimes continues thus for seven or eight 
 days, and is so fine that it enters tho smallest crevices. 
 
 " Beside Yarkend, the Chinese are masters of Khoten, Cashghar, Akaou, Duroban, 
 and Ileh. They are very numerous in Ileh, or Kulja ; there are supposed to be more than 
 ten thousand of them. They are very proud and very mdolent, and spend their time in 
 smoking tobacco. No mhabitant is permitted to leave the city without a passport ; it is 
 difficult to escape thia regulation, for the surveillance of the authorities ia very active, 
 i This is one of the means which the Chinese have adopted to prevent disorders of all kinds. 
 j "Thirteen days after leaving Yarkend, I arrived at Aksou. Thia city, which is not 
 
 22 
 
888 
 
 MEYENDOEPP'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 In the mountainous country cast of Bokharia and north of Ilissar are 
 the Ghaltchas, a poor and independent people. They are Sunnitc Mo- 
 hammedans ; some Russian travelers have called them Oriental Persians • 
 their complexion is very tawny, and even more brown than that of the 
 Bokharian Arabs. They live in miserable cabins, built in the low lands 
 between the mountains ; are all cultivators of the soil, and have some 
 cattle and a very few horses. Going further east wo enter a country 
 which becomes more and more mountainous and is very little known. 
 There is said to be a people here called Kafir or infidel, who are repre- 
 sented as very ferocious. The formidable Kafirs inhabit the city of 
 Kalei-khum, also called Derwazeh, situated upon a river of the same 
 name. 
 
 Gold is found in the waters of the Derwazeh ; these riches excite the 
 cupidity of the Bokharians, who, from time to time, risk their lives to 
 procure a few particles of the precious metal. This is the manner of ob- 
 taining it : in Bokhara it is customary to carry water in skins, which 
 preserve the form of the animals from which they Avere taken ; the best 
 are the skins of sheep and wild-goats. The mouth of this vessel corre- 
 sponds to the neck of the animal. The Bokharians attach these skins to 
 a cord and throw them into the Derwazeh ; the furious river soon fills 
 the skin with mud, sand, and gold, the last of which it is afterward easy 
 to extract frcm the mixture ; but as it is never without foreign matter, 
 its value is to that of pure gold as eighteen to twenty-one. May not 
 this process throw hght upon a passage of Herodotus, in M'hich the his- 
 torian describes the means employed by the Indians in extracting gold 
 from sand ? 
 
 Bokharia lies between forty-one and thirty-seven degrees north lati- 
 tude, and sixty-one and sixty-six degrees thirty minutes east of Paris, 
 comprising a surface of about ten thousand square leagues. The eastern 
 part is mountainous ; all the western part is a plain extending as far as 
 the eye can see, upon which small isolated hills rise to the height of ten 
 or fifteen feet ; these hillocks are of a clayey nature like the rest of the 
 desert ; above this clay the sands are moved by the winds, and formed 
 into ridges. The oases of Bokharia present a most pleasing and cheerful 
 aspect. There is no country better cultivated than these plains ; they 
 are covered with houses, gardens, and fields divided in small squares 
 called tanab, the sides of which are raised a foot with turf, in order to 
 retain the water which is conveyed thither for the purposes of irrigation. 
 
 large, contains many well-built houses ; it is situated in a valley, and ia divided into two 
 parts, one inhabited by Cliinese, the other by Mohammedans, who carry on an active 
 trade with each other, 
 
 " Three days after leaving Aksou, I arrived at Turfan, an unsightly little town. Aa 
 the inhabitants are very poor, nothing interesting is to be found here. Fiilteen milea 
 thence are the frontiers of the country of the Kirghizes. 
 
 " Leaving Turfan, I passed through many wandering tribes of Calmucks, Kirghizes; 
 Slaisaks, and finally reached Semipalatiusk, after a journey of three months." 
 
CLIMATE OP BOKHAKIA. 
 
 889 
 
 Thousands of water-courses intersect the plain, and like the roads, which 
 are very narrow, they are usually bordered with trees. The waters of 
 those canals not being all upon the same level, they are connected to- 
 gether by small cascades, which soothe the ear with an agreeable mur- 
 mur. The great quantity of trees planted on every side form screens 
 which prevent the view from extending to a distance. 
 
 The multiplicity of dwellings indicates a numerous population ; per^ 
 haps it is too great to admit of a general competency. These dwellings 
 usually form villages, which are half concealed by the fruit-trees of the 
 gardens. I saw villages entirely surrounded by walls ; they were a kind 
 of fortresses ; others are open, the gardens only being inclosed ; and 
 these walls, often indented and flanked with small turrets, add to the 
 picturesque appearance of the country ; they also indicate that the peo- 
 ple arc afraid of being pillaged ; and the frequent incursions of the wan- 
 dering tribes, lead us to suppose that the existence of these fortifications 
 is a result of a sad necessity. 
 
 A BokharJan village usually contains a hundred houses, built of earth, 
 and separated from each other by streets which are no narrower than 
 those of the cities. In the center of the village is frequently a well, or 
 a small reservoir, in which the water is replenished by means of a ditch. 
 Each village is situated near a canal, by which means the gardens can 
 be watered. 
 
 Tl»e climate of the mountain-regions of Bokharia is of course differ- 
 ent from that of the western part of the country, which is mild and. 
 even : I shall here speak only in reference to the plains. The seasons 
 there are very regular ; by the middle of February the fruit-trees begin 
 to bloom ; the forest-trees put forth in the early days of March. Then 
 the beautiful season begins, and the heavy rains cease, after having lasted 
 nearly three weeks. Soon the heat becomes oppressive ; it is the more 
 perceptible as the atmosphere is rarely refreshed by storms. The fine 
 season continues until October, when the rains usually prevail for two or 
 three weeks. In November and December, slight frosts, and sometimes 
 a little snow, announce the approach of winter ; on the 20th of Decem- 
 ber we found melons still in the fields, which showed that the frosts 
 could not have been heavy. The month of January is more rigorous ; 
 the usual degree of cold is about twenty-seven degrees Fahrenheit ; it is 
 sometimes as low as fourteen degrees, and water freezes from three to 
 four inches thick. Snow has been kno^vn to remain a fortnight on the 
 ground without thawing. 
 
 The winter which we passed at Bokhara was very mild ; during four 
 or five days only, the cold was s > severe as to freeze the water two 
 inches, and then the people hastened to break the ice and pile it in large 
 heaps, which were covered with eurih for preservation. The rains com- 
 mence between the 7th and 15th of February, and continue until the 
 close of the month. Every thing becomes green and flourishes in a few 
 days. Nothing proves the warm climate of Bokhara better than the 
 
840 
 
 MEYENDORFP'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 heat of the sun ; in the month of January we dined in the open air 
 when the temperature in the shade was fifty-five degrees, and ninety in 
 the sun. 
 
 Violent winds prevail in winter and summer ; they raise to a great 
 height a fine dust, which hides every thing from view, and imparts a 
 gray tint to the atmosphere. These clouds of dust, which spread over a 
 whole district, may be seen more than fifteen miles distant. The cli- 
 mate of Bokhara is generally healthy ; the winter and the rainy seasons 
 refresh and purify the atmosphere, which is not vitiated by any noxious 
 exhalations. The rheumatism which prevails is produced by the damp- 
 ness of the houses, and the frequent sore eyes may be caused by those 
 violent winds and the dust they raise. Blindness must be common in 
 this country, for the father of the reigning khan erected in Bokhara the 
 fathabad^ a hospital, or rather monastery, of the blind, where about 
 fifty of these unfortunates are lodged by twos and threes in small cells 
 arranged around a mosque. 
 
 All the cities in Bokharia are built near the rivers, and consequently 
 surrounded by cultivated fields ; the drought is frequently so great in 
 summer that the inhabitants can procure water only by digging holes • 
 the plain of Bokhara is so low that water is found everywhere at the 
 depth of from five to eight feet. This stagnant water produces worms 
 which the people drink without perceiving it ; from this results a malady 
 named rishta by the Bokharians. The whole body becomes covered 
 with pustules which occasion very painful sores. From these pustules 
 come worms of the class annelides. The Bokharians know no remedy 
 for this evU. A Russian prisoner, a slave in Bokhara, in speaking to 
 me of the scarcity of water which was experienced there, said in a tone 
 of vexation,, " It is a country that God created in his anger." 
 
 Ourghenje is a small fortress which I saw on our return to Russia. 
 I could not obtain permission to enter the city ; they closed the gates 
 upon us, probably by command of the superior powers. It has the 
 name of fortress because it is surrounded by an earthen wall about 
 twenty feet high. We passed near Ourghenje on the 25th of March; 
 the wind was high, but not violent. But scarcely had we quitted the 
 clayey soil when we found ourselves among sandy hillocks and the wind 
 became more furious; the sand rose in whirlwinds and penetrated 
 everywhere. I wore spectacles made expressly to keep off the dust, 
 which I dreaded, but they protected my eyes but imperfectly. The 
 sand produced a kind of cloud which so vailed the light of day that 
 we could see but a short distance, and our Kirghiz guides no longer 
 knew the route. Happily a Bokharian trooper of the garrison of Our- 
 ghenje followed us to find out whether any Russian slave were mingled 
 with our escort ; we compelled him, by holding a pistol at his throat, 
 to act as oui* guide ; although he rendered us this service much against 
 his will, he prevented us from going astray. Nothing can be more 
 disagreeable than this sand; although coarse, it penetrates the eyes, the 
 
THE CITY OF BOKHARA. 
 
 841 
 
 mouth, and the cars ; all our cyos woro inflamed, and I can easily con- 
 ceive how the anny of Nadir-shali, when crossuig the deserts west of 
 the Amou during a storm, lost a number of men f-om the eftccts of 
 ophthalmia. It is thus t>tat the deserts near Bokharia are a natural de- 
 fense. The sand, driven by the Avinds, tills up the litches, drifts against 
 the walls, and soon rises to their level, fills the streets, and covers tho 
 houses, like tho ashes of Vesuvius which buried Ilerculaneum and 
 Pompeii. 
 
 Having spoken of several cities of Bokharia, I will describe the cap- 
 ital of that country. Tho oases of tho surrounding region being cov- 
 ered with avenues of trees and numerous gardens, the view can not 
 extend very far, hence Bokhara can bo seen only within about two nailes 
 distance, in coming from Wafkend. The view is striking to a European. 
 Domes, mosques, high gables, colleges, minarets, palaces rising in tho 
 midst of the city, tho surrounding walls with their battlements, a lake 
 near the walls, bordered by houses with flat roofs, or by neat country- 
 houses within embrasured walls — finally, tho fields, the gardens, ;ho 
 trees, and the activity which reigns everywhere in tho vicinity of a 
 capital, all contribute to produce a very agreeable effect ; but tho illusion 
 ceases as soon as we enter the city, for with tho exception of the baths, 
 the mosques, and the temples, we see only dingy earthen houses, thrown 
 beside each other without order, forming narrow, crooked streets, which 
 are filthy and difficult to traverse. These houses, which front on courts, 
 present to tho streets only smooth walls, without windows, or any thing 
 to relieve the eye of the passenger. Every thing we meet in this popu- 
 lous city seems to hint of mistrust ; the countenances of tho people aro 
 scarcely ever animated by an expression of gayety ; there are no noisy 
 festivals, no songs, and no music ; nothing indicates that they sometimes 
 amuse themselves there, nothing shows that tho city is inhabited by a 
 people enjoying an agreeable existence. Therefore the curiosity and the 
 interest which we felt on first seeing edifices of oriental architecture, was 
 soon followed by an impression of sadness and melancholy. 
 
 The houses are built of clay, mixed with cut straw. In order to 
 give more consistence to this mixture, wooden posts are placed in the 
 walls, and especially at the corners. The ceilings are usually of hard 
 wood ; they are covered with earth, and form the roofs, which are flat. 
 In the handsomer houses Lae ceilings of the principal apartments aro 
 covered with boards, painted with different colors. The floor is of glazed 
 earth among the common people, and brick among the rich. The front 
 and the windows open upon the court, and a single door leads to tho 
 street. The windows are sometimes openings, closed simply with 
 wooden shutters ; sometimes they are arched openings which aro never 
 closed, and are covered only with a trellis of plaster. The latter kind 
 of windows yield only an indififerent light ; and in order to see distinctly 
 it is necessary to open the shutters. But in winter the cold is often 
 fifteen degrees above zero, so that the apartments without stoves, from 
 
842 
 
 MEYENDORPP'S JOURNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 which the external air is not excluded, are cold and damp. It is not 
 surprising then that rheumatisms prevail in this city, especially among 
 the poor. In order to protect themselves from the cold, the Bokharians 
 make use of braziers, above which they place, like the Turks, a small 
 wooden table, covered with a wau led carpet ; upon this they seat them- 
 selves and envelop themselves with it up to the chin. The heat of the 
 burning charcoal effectively preserves the body from cold, but one can 
 not write without having the hands frozen.** 
 
 The city is about ten miles in circumference, and is said to contain 
 almost eight thousand houses, and very nearly seventy thousand inhab- 
 itants. Three fourths of these are Tadjiks, the most part artizans. The 
 remainder of the population is composed of Ouzbeks, Jews, Tartars 
 Afghans, Calmucks, Hindoos, merchants from neighboring cities, pll- 
 grims, Persian and Russian slaves, and a small number of negroes. The 
 Jews occupy eight hundred houses ; they say they came from Samar- 
 cand about seven hundred years ago, after having left Bagdad. Of all 
 the cities of Central Asia, Bokhara contains the greatest number of this 
 race. They are permitted to inhabit only three streets in the city; 
 among them there are two rich capitalists, the others are mostly in easy 
 circumstances, and are generally manufacturers, dyers, and silk-mer- 
 chants. They are prohibited from riding on horseback in the city, and 
 from wearing silken garments ; their caps must have a border of black 
 sheepskin, which may be only two inches in width. They are not per- 
 mitted to build a new synagogue, and have tho right only to repair tho 
 old one. 
 
 These people are remarkable in their personal appearance, for a hand- 
 some beard, a countenance somewhat lengthened, a very fair complex- 
 ion, and eyes which are large, lively, and full of expression. Having 
 learned that the government feared tho arrival of tho embassy with its 
 numerous escort, they regarded us as messengers from heaven, who 
 came perhaps to alleviate their sufferings. They were fearful of com- 
 promising themselves in the eyes of the Bokharians ; when they met us 
 they saluted us in a friendly and propitiatory manner, but nevertheless 
 with a sentiment of fear. The rabbi of Bokhara who was a native of 
 Algiers and knew a little Spanish, told me that on his arrival in Bokharia 
 he had found his brethren sunk in the most profound ignorance ; only 
 a very small number knew how to read. They possessed but two copies 
 of the Holy Scriptures, and their manuscript contained only the first 
 three books of the Pentateuch. This Algerine Jew, an intelligent old 
 man, who almost wept for joy at again seeing Europeans, has neglected 
 no means of disseminating instruction among the people of his religion. 
 He has founded a school and procured books from Russia, Bagdad, and 
 Constantinople ; at present all the Jews of Bokhara know how to read 
 and write ; they study the Talmud. 
 
 The most remarkable edifice of the city is the palace of the khan ; 
 the Bokharians call it Arch, It is said to have been built more than ten 
 
THE STREETS OP BOKHARA. 
 
 848 
 
 centuries ago, by Arslan-Khan ; it is situated upon an eminence, and is 
 surrounded by a wall about six feet high, which has but a single gate. 
 The entrance is of brick, and has on each side a tower about ninety feet 
 in height, formerly ornamented with green glazed tiles, some remains 
 of which are still to be seen. From this gate leads a large corr'^'^-, the 
 vaults of which have the appearance of being very ancient. Following 
 this corridor, we arrive at the summit of a hill upon which are situated 
 some clay houses which are inhabited by the khan and his court. With- 
 in this inclosure are a mosque, the dwellings of the khan and his chil- 
 dren, the harem, surrounded by a garden and concealed by trees ; a 
 house in which the cush-beghi transacts his business and receives au- 
 diences, another one in which ho dwells — this being a high mark of favor 
 — and finally the apartments for the people and the slaves, the stables, etc. 
 Some storks have built their nests upon the summit of tbj towers. 
 
 In Bokhara we see streets half a mile long, covered, and bordered on 
 each side with shojis ; one row containing women's slippers only, another 
 supplied with drugs and aromatics which perfume the air, a third with 
 jewels, usually of little value, for example, turkoises of Persia, Tartar 
 rubies from the lake of Badakhshan and from Arabia ; diadems of gold 
 ornamented with inferior turkoises, for the Kirghiz women. Large 
 vaults are filled with nothing but dried fruits and tobacco ; others with 
 pistachios preserved in manna, with prunes, rose-colored or green, 
 grapes, pomegranates, and melons suspended along the walls on cords ; 
 among these magazines are eating-houses in which are prepared rice 
 cooked with butter or mutton-fat, and often colored yellow with saffron, 
 and another dish consisting of hashed meat. 
 
 During my stay at Bokhara, six robbers, Persian slaves by birth, and 
 two Tadjiks, were hung upon the gallows ; some heads of Khivans, of 
 Ouzbeks, from Kokand, and the environs of Balkh, and others, were set 
 up on posts, or exposed upon the ground near the gibbet. The popu- 
 lace, accustomed to this spectacle, continued their traffic upon the square, 
 without casting a look of compassion upon these terrible pictures ; it was 
 not thus with our soldiers, who looked upon these scenes for the first 
 time in their lives. 
 
 Every thing in Bokhara shows that the city was formerly more flour- 
 ishing than it is now ; — the colleges and mosques are partly fallen, or are 
 badly preserved. I saw large crevices in the arches of a temple entirely 
 new ; these accidents are attributed to earthquakes, but I think they 
 may be charged to the ignorance of the architects. Nine or ten miles 
 from Bokhara, in the direction of Wafkend, there has been a very ancient 
 bridge, built of bricks, in a single arch across the Zer-afsh&n ; it is fallen, 
 and has not been reconstructed ; the stone steps which lead to the wells 
 are impaired, and no one thinks of repairing them. They no longer know 
 how to make the blue tiles which adorn the public edifices ; they con- 
 struct no new buildings which indicate either taste or riches. A portion 
 of the most beautiful street of Bokhara is encumbered with stones which 
 
844 MEYENDOUFI J •. URNEY TO BOKHARA. 
 
 formerly composod tho pavement. Even tlio privulo houses, of Mliich 
 only tho ancient ones have basonieiits of stone, prove that this capital is 
 not so rich nor so well governed as it was in former times. 
 
 It is very difficult to estimate tho poj)ulation of a country inhabitcil 
 by so many difterent nations, of which a i)art is nomadic, and whiMo an 
 enumeration has never been made. In order to present somcthitiuf satia- 
 faotory in this respect, wo consulted in Bokharia all who could jrivu us 
 any certain information on the subject. Tho cultivated jjortion of tho 
 khanato may bo estimated at twelve hundred squaio leagues^ or three 
 hundred thousand squaro miles. If wo suppose each of these N(|uaro 
 miles inhabited by five thousand souls, an in the richest countries of Italy, 
 we have as a result, in Bokharia, one million five hundred thousand in- 
 habitants, living by agriculture, or semi-nomadic, and living in the cities 
 and by adding nearly a million of the wandering tribes, we find that tho 
 population of Bokharia is more than two millions of souls. 
 
 This population may bo subdivided as follows : 
 
 Ouzbcks, 1,600,000 
 
 Tadjiks 650,000 
 
 Turcomans, 200,000 
 
 Arabs, - 60,000 
 
 Persians, 40,000 
 
 Calmucka 20,000 
 
 Kirghizes and Kara-kalpaks G.OOO 
 
 Jowa, 4,000 
 
 Afghnna, 4,000 
 
 Lesghizes, 2,000 
 
 Bohomiaus, 2,000 
 
 Total, 2,478,000 
 
 The Khanates of Asia carry on with the Kirghizes and the Turcomans 
 a trade in slaves, which is chiefly supplied by the robberies of these wan- 
 dering tribes, and by the wars with the Persians. The taking of Mci-vo 
 added twenty-five thousand to the number of Persian slaves m Bokharia, 
 which is estimated at forty thousand. Five or six himdred Russians arc 
 held in slavery ; they have been sold by liirghizcs, by Turcomans, who 
 seize fishermen wrecked upon the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, or by 
 Khivans. 
 
 Among the slaves of Bokharia there are likewise Chetrars, Siapooshcs, 
 Ilezarehs, and even Georgians. The number scarcely diminishes, for 
 they have Persian wives given to them, and their existence and well- 
 being is connected with the interest of their masters. The price of an 
 able-bodied man ranges from forty to fifty tellas ($130 to $1C0). If he 
 is an artisan, for instance a joiner, a furrier, or a shoemaker, he brings as 
 much as one hundred te/las ($320). The women usually sell higher than 
 the men, at least if they are young and beautiful ; they are then worth 
 from one hundred to one hundred and fifty tellas ($320 to $480). The 
 condition of the slaves in Bokharia is horrible. The liussians nearly all 
 
RUSSIAN SLAVES. 
 
 845 
 
 complain of being bndly fud and most cruelly boatcn. I saw ono whose 
 master hud cropped hw ears, pierced Ida luuui ' with a nail, cut the skin 
 upon his hack, and poured boiling oil upon IiIh urnis, in order to make 
 liiui confess l)y what route bis comrade had escaped. The cunk-heijki 
 finding ono ot' his llnssian slaves into.vicated, had him taken next day to 
 the Kcgistan to be hinig. On reaching the gallows, the unhiippy man 
 was solicited to abjure bis religion and become a Mohammedan, in order 
 to obtain pardon, but bo preferred to die a martyr to bis i'aith. The 
 greater i)art of the Russian slaves in the vicinit) t f IJokliara were locked 
 up, and worked with irons upon their feet during the last weeks of our stay 
 ill the city. A single Russian wlavo Hucceeded in rejoining us seventy 
 miles from Rokhara, aller having wandered eighteen days hi the desert; 
 during this time he bad subsisted on water und naeal only. lie ex])res3cd, 
 in a most simple and touching manner, the alarms be had cxperiimced on 
 seeing us (for ho feared lest wo might bo Kirghizes, Kbivans, or Ouz- 
 bcks), and the extreme joy he felt M'hen lio recognized our Cossacks. I 
 can not describe the unbounded happiness of a dozen Russian slavea whom 
 >vc purchased in IJokharia, and during the journey. They shed tcaraof 
 joy. Thi^ Rokharian government would liave been so cruel as to pro- 
 vent these Russians, who liad been purchased, from returning to their 
 country. It even forbade its subjects from selling any Russians to us, 
 untlcr the pretext that they would thereby dimitusli the nmnber of prose- 
 lytes M'bich it might make. 
 
 In their salutations the Bokbarians bend forward a little, place the 
 right hand iqion the heart, and pronounce the word khosh. This civility 
 is often exaggerated in a most ridiculous manner, especially by the 
 slaves ; tlun^ make the accompanying gesture by turning the bead sev- 
 eral times, incUning it toward the left shoulder, raising the elbows, 
 holding tl J two hands upon the heart, smiling in a silly mannv.'-, and 
 pronouncing the word hhosh with emphasis, as if they would split their 
 sides with huigbhig. 
 
 In the streets the women wear a long mantle, tlie sleeves of which 
 arc connected behind, and a black vail which completely conceals the 
 face. They see badly through this vail, but the greater part of them 
 would slyly lift tip one corner Avben they met one of us ; the Tadjik 
 women also took pleasure in allowing ns to see their beautiful eyes. It 
 became fashionable among the ladies of Bokhara to go and look at the 
 Franks ; the extremity of the roof of our bouse was a place of meeting 
 for them, and the limit which decorum imposed upon their curiosity. 
 There, less observed by the Bokbarians, a few pretty women presented 
 themselves to our gaze, and we frequently admired cyoo full of fire, su- 
 perb teeth, and a most beautiful complexion. The Bokharian severity 
 soon put an end to this too worldly procedure ; the police took measures 
 for preventing the women from ascending our roof, and wo lost the 
 pleasure of a scene which enlivened our repasts. 
 
 We remained in this city from the 20th of December, 1820, until tho 
 
846 
 
 MBYBNDORFF'S JOUBNET to BOKHARA. 
 
 10th of March, 1821 : the weather having become very fine we then re- 
 paired to Bazartchi. The bivouac in the gardens of that place appeared 
 to U8 far preferable to the sojourn in the gloomy houses of Bokhara. 
 
 On the 22d of March we set out from Bazartchi ; on the 25th we 
 left Bokhara, well pleased to have seen the country, but still better satis- 
 fied to get away fi:om it. 
 
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 i aCMONBmO »| CO. «C>00«*PHV NtWYOrK J 
 
TIMKOYSKI'S 
 
 JOURNEY FROM SIBERIA TO PEKIN. 
 
 Fob more than a century Russia has maintained at Pekin a convent 
 and a school for the instruction of interpreters in the Chinese and Man- 
 choo languages. Every ten years the persons composing these two es 
 tablishments are renewed, and new monks and pupils are sent from St. 
 Petersburg to the capital of China. This little caravan is conducted by 
 a Russian officer, commissioned to take charge of it, to install it upon 
 its arrival in Pekin, and then to lead back to their country the monks 
 whose term has expired and the pupils who have completed their studies. 
 It was on a mission of this kind that Timkovski, Attache of the College 
 of Foreign Affairs, set out in 1820 from Kiakhta, a fort situated on the 
 frontiers between the Russian possessions and those of China. He tra- 
 versed Mongolia, passed the Great Wall, and arrived on the 1st of De- 
 cember at Pekin, where he remained until the 16th of May in the fol- 
 lowing year. 
 
 All the European embassies which have gone to Pekin have made 
 but a very short stay in the capital of the Chinese empire, and have been 
 continually subjected to a most annoying surveillance, prompted by the 
 distrust which the Chinese exhibit toward strangers. M. Timkovski 
 visited Pekin under much more favorable auspices ; like all Russians ho 
 enjoyed full liberty, being allowed to pass through the various quarters 
 of that immense city and to visit aU its monuments and curiosities. 
 Hence he was enabled to make more accurate observations than the trav- 
 elers who had previously visited China ; besides which, he had at his 
 disposal several interpreters who were perfectly acquainted with the 
 language of the country ; consequently his remarks are worthy of greater 
 confidence than those of the travelers who, being unacquainted with 
 either Chinese or Manchoo, could not enter into conversation with the 
 inhabitants of the empire. 
 
 On the 14th of June, 1728, a treaty of peace was concluded between 
 Count Vladislavitch, embassador extraordinary of Russia, and the min- 
 isters of Chma. The fifth article is as follows: "The Russians shall 
 
 L 
 
850 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 henceforth occupy in Pekin the kuan, or court, which they at present in- 
 habit. In accordance with the wishes of the Russian embassador a 
 church shall be erected, with the assistance of the Chinese government. 
 The priest who resides at Pekin, and the three others who are expected 
 according to the articles of agreement, shall be lodged in the kuan, or 
 court, above-mentioned. These three priests shall be connected with 
 the same church, and receive the same provisions as the present priest. 
 The Russians will be permitted to worship God according to the rites of 
 their religion. There shall likewise be received into this house four 
 young students, and two of a more advanced age, conversant with the 
 Russian and Latin languages, whom the embassador is desirous of leav- 
 ing in Pekin in order to learn the languages of the country. They shall 
 be supported at the expense of the emperor, and shall be at liberty to 
 return to their country as soon as they shall have completed their 
 studies." 
 
 In accordance with this treaty, the Russian mission, consisting of 
 six ecclesiastical members and four laymen, was established in Pekin. 
 The lay members were young men engaged in the study of the Manchoo 
 and Chinese languages, and in acquiring correct information respecting 
 •the country. The usual sojourn of the mission at Pekin is fixed at ten 
 years, but the correspondence between the Russian minister of foreign 
 affairs in the name of the controlling senate, and the tribunal of Pekin, 
 is subject to so many delays, that the stay of the mission usually con- 
 tinues for a longer period. In conformity with the fifth article of the 
 treaty anew mission set out from St. Petersburg in 1819 to replace that 
 which had been in Pekin since the 10th of January, 1808. It arrived 
 at Irkoutsk in February, 1820, and on the 15th of July at Troitsko-savsk, 
 a fortress better known under the name of Kiakhta, where it made prep- 
 arations to pass the frontiers within a month. 
 
 M. Timkovski was ordered to accompany the new mission from 
 Kiakhta to Pekin, and to bring back the one which had been there 
 since 1808. His retinuo was composed of an inspector of baggage, an 
 interpreter of Mongolese and Manchoo, and a detachment of thirty Cos- 
 sacks. The latter were to escort the baggage. From the time the mis- 
 sion passed the Russian frontiers, it was under the protection of the 
 Chinese government. 
 
 The mission prepared to leave Russia as early as possible, in order to 
 avoid the difficulties inseparable from a journey in the latter end of j 
 autumn across the cold and arid steppes of Mongolia, and especially in 
 the desert of Gobi. The Chinese conductors did not arrive until the i 
 27th of August at Miumatchin, which is the Chinese port of Kakhto, : 
 situated immediately on the frontier, three miles from Troitsko-savsk. j 
 M. Timkovski repaired tliither and hastened the preparations for the 
 journey. The staff of the Chinese conductors consbted of an inspector I 
 and a boshko, or sergeant-major. The former, named Tsching, was a | 
 bitkheahiy or secretary of the seventh class, and was sixty years of age ; 
 
EEPARTTJRE FROM KIAKHTA. 
 
 851 
 
 he wore upon his cap, but only out of the capital, a white button of 
 opaque stone, Avhich gave him the rank of mandarin of the sixth class. 
 He was accompanied by Chackdor, a Mongolese interpreter aged twenty 
 years, and two nerbs, or servants, father and son. Gurgentai, the boshko, 
 was forty-seven years of age ; out of the capital he wore on his cap a 
 gilded button indicating the seventh class, and was attended by a serv- 
 ant. There was yet one important affair to be attended to before set- 
 ting out. It was necessary to bestow a few presents upon the conduct- 
 ors to induce them, as the season wau so far advanced, to provide the 
 mission -without delay with yotirtes, or kibitkas (felt-tents), and other 
 objects indispensable to so long a journey. 
 
 On the 30th of August the festival of the Emperor Alexander was 
 celebrated by a Tfe Deum chanted in thn ohurch of Kiakhta. It was 
 followed by a dinner given by the counselor of chancery, commissioner 
 of the frontier, at which were present the Tsargoochee of Maimatchin, 
 the boshko, the principal Chinese merchants, and the conductors of the 
 mission. They drank to the health of the emperor and of the Bogdo- 
 khan (emperor of China), and to an eternal friendship between the two 
 empires. These toasts were drunk to the sound of volleys of artillery 
 and the ringing of bells ; the soldiers of the garrison, in full parade, 
 made the air resound with songs of rtjoichig. The joy and freedom 
 which reigned in this little festival of the Russians made a lively im- 
 pression on the minds of their guests. 
 
 Tiie preliminary arrangements being finally all completed, the mis- 
 sion set forward on the 31st of August. The baggage went in advance 
 to the first station, about five miles from Kiakhta. The mission was ac- 
 companied by the dignitaries and principal citizens of Troitska-savsk to 
 Kiakhta, where they all repaired to church, after which they were cnter- 
 ; taincd at a dinner by the merchants of the place. After dinner they 
 went to thank God once more upon the soil of their country ; then, ac- 
 companied by the clergy of Kiakhta, preceded by crucifixes, and at- 
 tended by the ringing of bells, they arrived at the frontier. Notwith- 
 standing the rain a large concourse of curious Russians and Chinese was 
 assembled. After stopping awhile at the house of the Tsargoochee, they 
 entered the Chinese empire at six o'clock in the evening, accompanied 
 by the custom-house director, and the counselor of chancery. Arriving 
 at some tcnts which the Chinese had erected at the distance of two 
 miles, the Tsargoochee offered them tea ; they then took leave of their 
 fellow-coiuitrymcn and proceeded on their journey through a heavy rain. 
 A detachment of twenty Mongolese troopers formed their advance- 
 guard. Toward seven o'clock they halted, after having gone about 
 three miles. They found four yourtes prepared for them ; one was for 
 the clergy, another for the students, the third for M. Timkovski and 
 .•"lite, and the fourth for ♦lie Cossacks. The baggage had already ar- 
 I rived; the horses and '^ .n fed; as to the camels, they were prepared 
 for the journey by de , iving them of food and drmk for twelve days. 
 
352 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNET TO PEKIN. 
 
 The horses which had been employed in transporting the baggage were 
 deprived of food all night, in order to strengthen them, according to the 
 custom of the Mongolese and the inhabitants of Siberia. 
 
 They made preparations for departing at an early hour next morning, 
 but a long time passed before the camels were caught and loaded, as 
 they were very wild ; one of the horses started to run toward the front- 
 ier so swiftly that the Cossacks and Mongols could not recapture it. At 
 length they succeeded in gettuig tmder way ; the baggage went in ad- 
 vance, then the camels and the vehicles, an arrangement which was ob- 
 served throughout the journey. The members of the mission then pro- 
 ceeded in equipages, and the horses followed slowly, in order to husband 
 their strength. The oxen were left under the safe guard of a Mongolese 
 with five soldiers under hira; at night three Cossacks watched alter- 
 nately. In order to have an eye over all, M. Timkovski made the whole 
 journey on horseback, having under his orders an inspector of baggage 
 the interpreter, and a Cossack. The summer having been rainy, the 
 plain was covered with water and extremely muddy ; after having trav- 
 eled two miles they reached a more elevated place, whence they beheld 
 ICiakhta ; the church, the houses of their friends and other places which 
 were known to them, were the last objects which recalled their country, 
 suggesting the hope of one day returning to it. 
 
 The koudoni of their next station, situated upon the right bank of the 
 Ibitsykh, came to meet them, and saluted them in the manner of the 
 horsemen of the steppes ; he dismounted from his horse, bent the left 
 knee before Timkovski, rested his right arm upon his side, and support- 
 ing it with the left hand, cried, "-4moMr /" (peace). He then remounted 
 and conducted them by a ford to the tents, where the mission arrived at 
 four o'clock in the evening. During the night, the thermometer indi- 
 cated twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit. In the valleys, surrounded by 
 high mountains, the air is olways cold ; beyond Kiakhta, which is quite 
 elevated, there is a considerable ascent to the desert of Gobi ; this they 
 perceived in the continually increasing cold of the atmosphere. M. 
 Struve, who was in the southern part of the country of the Khalkhas, on 
 the 20th of December, 1805, states that at twelve miles from Kiakhta, 
 the great elevation of that part of Mongolia obliged him to take a large 
 quantity of hot tea ; and yet his health did not suffer in consequence. 
 
 They found their linen tents quite useless, the texture not being com- 
 pact enough ; and they could not kindle a fire in them. Having no 
 yourtes, which are so serviceable to those who traverse the steppes, and 
 deprived of the time and means of obtaining water and argaJ, or fuel, 
 which is used in the desert, they were sometimes obliged, by the habitual 
 indolence of their Chinese conductors, to have recourse to the inhabit- 
 ants for aid, especially in obtaining good pastures for their animals. M. 
 Timkovski testified their gratefulness to the people for these favors by 
 small presents. In the morning their departure was again delayed by • 
 the difficulty in harnessing the horses of the steppes, which were not ao 
 
THE PRAYER OP THE MONGOLS. 
 
 853 
 
 of the \ 
 
 of the 
 
 lie left ; 
 
 pport- ! 
 
 )untecl 
 
 ved at 
 
 sr indi- 
 ted by 
 
 s quite 
 
 is they 
 M. 
 has, on 
 Aakhta, 
 a large 
 !nce. 
 ^g com- 
 ving no 
 )e9, and 
 or fuel, 
 Ihabitual 
 inhabit- 
 
 ial8. M. 
 
 [avoraby 
 iaycdby 
 |o not ac- 
 
 customed to drawing carriages. The Mongolese admired the dexterity 
 and courage of the Cossacks, who managed three wild horses at a time. 
 
 At a short distance a mountain rose on one hand, and on the leil ex- 
 tended a deep valley in which they saw some scattered yourtes and a 
 few solitary birch-trees. They descended thither by a narrow i)ath 
 along the steep rocks of the Isagan-oola, or Wliite Mountain, Avhosc base 
 was carpeted with luxuriant herbage. The rocks Avero covered with 
 woods, chiefly of birch, whoso yellow-tinted leaves announced the ap- 
 proach of autumn. The heat of the day frecpienily obliged the camels 
 to stop, and greatly retarded their journey. From the summit of the 
 mountains lying midway between tho Ibitsykh and the Iro, they per- 
 ceived a plain of a few miles circuit, surrounded by mountains, and 
 sprinkled over with fields of millet and other grain. On approaching 
 this plain a lama of a very advanced age, who was gohig on horseback 
 to visit his fields, accompanied them for a long time. lie held in one 
 hand a string of beads, which he raised toward the sky. This priest of 
 Buddha was continually repeating these words : Omma ni bat me khom; 
 ho accompanied them with deep sighs, and pronounced them in the tone 
 adopted for the prayers, which greatly resembles the soimd of a double- 
 bass, or the humming of bees. Every follower of Buddha is obliged to 
 recite this prayer as often as he can, while devoting himself to pions 
 meditations. In order that it may not be forgotten, it is written upon 
 linen, paper, wood, and stone, in the temples, in the tents, and by the 
 wayside. The Mongolese lamas pretend that these words : Om ma ni 
 hat me Ic/iom, to which they ascribe a mysterious and supernatural 
 power, exempt the faithful from suffering in a future life, increase their 
 good qualities, and bring them nearer divuie perfection. 
 
 The inhabitant of these steppes, convinced of the existence of a su- 
 preme, incomprehensible, and all-powerful Being, whose power extends 
 over all nature, believes that his beneficent spirit manifests itself most 
 willingly in objects which appear in colossal Ibrms. For this reason 
 a huge rock, a lofty mountain, a largo tufted tree, or a great river, 
 is an object of reverence to a Mongolese. Before this he raises, 
 with reverence, according to the direction of a lama, an abo, or altar 
 of stone, sand, earth, or wood, before which he prostrates himself 
 to adore the divinity. In time of war ho desires aid to vanquish 
 his enemy and to defend his country ; ho addresses it when sickness 
 afflicts ills family or his cattle, and in all misfortunes. A Mongolese who 
 meets with an abo, descends from his horse, places himself on its south- 
 ern side, turning his face toward the north, and, prostrating himself 
 many times upon the earth, deposits something upon the altar. They 
 often saw locks of hair upon the aboes, these being the votive offerings 
 of w andering horsemen in behalf of their cattle, their inseparable com- 
 panions. 
 
 Leaving the plain by a narrow passage between the hills, they de- 
 scended to the meadows of the Iro, and reached the banks of that river 
 
 23 
 
854 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 in the evening. A great number of the inhabitants, and the people attached 
 to the service of the priests, were assembled there to aid the mission in 
 crossing. The continual rains of summer had swollon the waters of the 
 river, and increased the rapidity of the current. The most important of- 
 fects were transported on komygas^ or large beams of hollowed pines 
 somewhat resembling canoes, which were lashed together in pairs, for 
 passing the Avater. The camels forded the stream higher up. With all 
 their exertions, the transportation was not completed by ton o'clock. 
 The people forded the stream next day, and one of the Cossacks caught 
 a fever, from which he suffered a long time. In the evenhig, the tmng- 
 hin of the place called upon M. Timkovski, and entreated him to exer- 
 cise his authority in forbidding the students to continue the amusonicnt 
 of fishing, in which they were engaged. He hastened to comply with 
 the wishes of the Mongolese, who regard the fishes ;is sacred, in accord- 
 ance with their belief in metempsychosis, a dogma ot'tlnir religion. 
 
 The night was mild, and the mission set forth cjiily on the morninrr 
 of the .3d. As soon as they had lellt their camp, sf)nu> 3Iongolese women 
 who had charge of the domestic affairs, came to lold up the tents; in a 
 very short time they finished this work, loaded the t';imels, and retired. 
 Throughout the joui^oy the yourtes for the guides were prepared in ad- 
 vance, but those of the mission were borrowed from the inhabitants of 
 the neighborhood, and mostly from the poorer classes. Aller travelin"- 
 fifteen miles, they reached an elevation, upon which stood a colossal rock ; 
 to the right, rose the summit of Nareeu Koundoo, covered with lolly 
 pines ; westward, near the mouth of the Selby, which em])ties into the 
 Ockhon, IMount Mingadara reached the clouds. Near this mountain 
 there are said to be a great number of temples, in the largest of which 
 nearly four thousand lamas assemble on the days of solemn festivals. iJc- 
 Bcending l)y a narrow and difficult path, they reached a contracted gorge ; 
 then(!e jiroceedirig by a short asci'nt, they came to the banks of the river 
 Shara, where they halted in a spot stirrotmded by mountauis. Here they 
 found four excellent yourtea all projiared ; those fin- the abbot and Tim- 
 kovski were hung with nankeen, with a colored border; the floor was 
 covered with a felt carpet. For these attentions they were indebted to 
 Idaiu Tsnp, a venerable Mongolese Avho accompanied them. By his or- 
 ders, some bricks of tea Avcre prepared for the Cossacks. 
 
 The Mongolese, and the greater part of the wandering tribes of Mid- 
 dle Asia, make great use of this tea ; it takes the place of both victuals 
 and drink with them. The Chinese, who carry on a considerable trade 
 in it, never drink it. In preparing the tea, they lay aside the leaves that 
 are dried up, dirty, or spoiled, as well as the stems, and having mixed 
 with them a glutinous substance, they inclose the mass in oblong molds, 
 and dry them in ovens. The Mongolese, the Buriates, the iidiabitants 
 of Siberia, beyond Lake Baikal, as well as the Calmucks, take a lump of 
 this tea, pound it in a mortar, and then throw the powder into a bronze 
 vessel filled with boiling water, which they leave upon the fire for some 
 
MORAL CODE OP TUE BUDDHISTS. 
 
 ;355 
 
 time, adding to it a little salt and milk ; they sometimes mix with it some 
 flour fried in oil. 
 
 On encamping, the second evening afterward, a crowd of Mongolcso 
 immediately surrounded their equipages, the ironed Avheols especially at- 
 tracting their attention. The Mongoleso carriage is usually constructed 
 with two wheels, which turn with the axle. The wheel is formed of two 
 small square blocks of wood, placed across each other, and having tho 
 angles rounded off. Next day, they crossed the Tunicrkay, whose sum- 
 mit was crowned by a colossal abo of stones, and then passed by a rajjid 
 descent through tho gorges of that mountain, and continued their routo 
 through narrow defiles where lofty mountains towered up on one hand, 
 while on the other enormous rocks hung over their heads. Emerging 
 from these, they passed over a dangerous declivity, and entered a ]>lain 
 which led to tho Khara, (black) Uivcr, on whose b.anks they encamped. 
 It rained all night ; tho weather Avas continually cloudy. For the first 
 time they were obliged to make use of their four yourtes and their tents, 
 in order to shelter tho baggage from the rain. After diimor they fished 
 in the Khara. This exercise, unknown to tho Mongolese, attracted a 
 crowd of spectators. They were richly rewarded for their pains, but 
 their venerable Mongolese friend, IdamTsap, a zealous believer in metemp- 
 sychosis, soon came Avith his nephew, and entreated them to throw tho 
 fish back into the water ; which they thought it best to do. 
 
 It may be well to observe here in explanation of this circumstance 
 that the moral code of Buddha reckons ten mortal sins, or black actions^ 
 divided thus : 
 
 Sins of the ho<hj : — Ass>.ssination, theft, fornication. 
 Sins of speech: — Lying, calumny, obscene words, and threatening 
 expressions. 
 
 Shis of the soul: — Vengeance, envy, tho abandonment of the true 
 doctiino. 
 
 Tho ten supremo virtues, or white actions^ consist in every thing 
 which is opposed to these sins. Homicide alone is not the greatest 
 sin, but, according to the ideas concerning tho transmigration of souls, it 
 is a sin to kill the smallest animal. No lama, no pious Mongolese, will 
 take the life of an insect: still it is permitted to eat the flesh of animals 
 slaughtered by another. This is probably because many of the steppes, 
 not being adapted to tillage, offer only flesh for nourishment. 
 
 Toward evening several Mongolese, attracted by the singing of tho 
 Cossacks, gathered near to listen to them, and even the guides heard 
 them with pleasure. It was evident that tho melody Av.as to their taste. 
 Meanwhile the boshko was resting in the tent of the .abbot and attempt- 
 ing to iearn by heart some Russian words, such as : Baran (ram), ovtsa 
 (ewe), kon (horse), votka (brandy), rinmka (glass of wine), etc. As to 
 verbliud (camel), and others like it, ho could not pronoimce them be- 
 cause of tho accumulated consonauts. For tho rest, the Manchoosand 
 
856 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 the Mongoleso have much greater facility than the Chinoso in ])ro- 
 nouncing foreign words. 
 
 In the evening of September 10th, they encamped at the foot of 
 Mount Noin, on tho banks of the lioro. South-west from their touts 
 rose a mountain which presented the appearance of a vast rampart, ab- 
 ruptly terminated by a steep rock, called Khorimtu, or the place of 
 arrival. Westward a ravine formed a passage for tho TJoro, from a lake 
 of the same name, and so'-.thward was seen tho summit of Mount Our- 
 ghemyl, crowned by an aoo. A few persons of tho caravan, attracted 
 by tho beauty of tho evening, started out Avith tho intention of walking 
 in the neighboring woods of Mount Noin. The tussulakhchi soon came 
 to M. Timkovski, and begged liim to prevent them from going, as the 
 forest was infested by bears. lie at once sent word to them by a Cos- 
 sack, and they presently returned. It afterward oamo to light that the 
 entrance to tho forests of Mount Noin was prohibited to every body, 
 except the Jcuun-vang^ and amban of tho Ourga, who with their train 
 come thither in tlio autumn to hunt. 
 
 In the morning they proceeded along Mount Ourghemyl, and con- 
 tinued their journey through a wild mountain roi^ion, frequently ascend- 
 ing and descending by toilsome and dangerous pusses. In the afternoon 
 they crossed by a long but easy ascent over Narassotii, or the mountain 
 of pines, which derives its name from a tall pine upon its summit, greatly 
 venerated by the Mongolese. This tree was decor.it' i with pieces of 
 Hnen, strings of beads, and all sorts of things, which the .icvotces suspend 
 upon it. At three o'clock they arrived at a station in tho midst of a 
 marshy plain, surrounded by niotuitains which are i)artly covered with 
 groves of birch-trees. Great numbers of sheep and buffaloes were scat- 
 tered over the plain, among its rich pastures. The singular appearance 
 of tho latter animals, their black color and bushy hair, greatly terriiicd 
 tho horses of tho caravan. They continually met with Mongolese re- 
 turning from the Ourga, or residence of the Gheghen-khiitukhtii, or 
 grand-priest. A lama, aged a hundred years, came to see them; he 
 was so feeble that ho could hardly retain his seat on horseback, and was 
 supported by two servants. Supposing M. Timkovski and the Cossack 
 officers to be students, lie wished them much success in the sciences, on 
 their arrival at I'ekin. 
 
 Among other adorers of tho khutukhtu, or highest Buddhist priest, 
 they met the lama of Ibitsykh, before alluded to. lie was returning 
 from the Ourga, where he had been to pay homage to the deified child. 
 As soon as he came near he leaped from his horso and drew from 
 his bosom a khadak, in which was enveloped a paper-box containing 
 small Chinese cakes which ho presented to them and wished them a 
 prosperous journey, and the blessings of the khutukhtu for life. In 
 return for this kindness, M. Timkovski presented to him a knife. He 
 was delighted with this mark of attention, and highly applauded their 
 intention of seeing the temple of tho khutukhtu, in passing the Ourga. 
 
MONGOLESK SONGS. 
 
 857 
 
 The khad&k is a yellow or peari-colorod band of silk, ornamented with 
 small figures of the same color. The Mongolese and Thibotans suspend 
 thesi- khadaks before their idols to decorate their otterinjis, and attach 
 their prayers to them. The young peojthf present them to the more 
 a^od, as a proof of esteem and devotion, and they are exchanged l)y per- 
 sons of the same age in token of friendship. They place a large arrow, 
 enveloped in a khad&k, on the places where the remains of their rel- 
 atives and friends repose. The khadak must be blessed by a lama; 
 it is only after this ceremony that if accpiires supernatural virtues. 
 
 In the evening of the 13th, the north-west wind, the harbinger of a 
 rainy season, began to blow Mith force. Several of the Mongolese Hon- 
 tinels sang their national songs. M. Timkovski called two of them to 
 him and gave them some brandy, to induce them to continue singing. 
 The airs of their songs resemble each other ; they are genonilly plaintive 
 and harmonious. The horse, the friend and companion of the inhabit- 
 ant of the steppe, always takes a prominent [dace in these songs. Tim- 
 kovski gives the following translations of some songs which he heard. 
 «'Iu this vast plain was born the dun-colored charger, swift as the arrow, 
 the ornament of the herd, the glory of the whole tribe. Called to the 
 chase by the ruler, Idam flies to the forest of Kharatchin, overthrows 
 the goats and the stags, and fells the fierce wild boars and the terrible 
 panthers. Every one admires the boldness of the rider and the fleetness 
 of his 8teed.'» 
 
 " Behold the young Tsyren, armed for the service of the khan ; ho 
 flies to the Russian frontier to guard Mendzin ; ho addresses his prayers 
 to the household divinities ; he takes leave of his father and mother : 
 with sadness his wife saddles his black horse. With a sad and dreamy 
 air the cavalier speeds away toward the north. The wind of the desert 
 scarcely moves the plumes of his arrows, and his elastic bow resounds 
 upon his saddle. Tsyren rides through gloomy and unknown forests ; 
 in the distance he beholds blue mountains which are strange to him ; the 
 friendly words of the Cossacks, his valiant companions, cheer his sad- 
 dened soul ; but his thoughts ever return to the paternal mountains." 
 
 " With unquiet soul, with a spirit bowed under an imknown weight, 
 the young Mongol sees in his dreams the shades of warriors, his ances- 
 tors, pass before his eyes." 
 
 "Where is our Genghis-khan, menacing and fearless? His high 
 deeds resound in melancholy songs amid the rocks of Onon and upon 
 the green banks of Kherulun. * * * Who advances upon the 
 pleasant road beside the Shara, singing in a low voice some cherished 
 words ? Whose is this bay-brown courser that runs so swiftly ? What 
 soek the eyes of this brave youth, passing before the white tents ? his 
 heart knows well who is she that dwells there. Soon will he cease to 
 traverse these mountains; soon will his fiery courser win for him a 
 bride. * * ♦ This bay steed, this steed like a whirlwind, he is pre- 
 pared for the course. ♦ * * The abo is covered with spectators. 
 
858 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOUKNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 Ho nc'iglis; with Iiis light feet ho grazes tho pointotl IhntH. The Hi<Mm| 
 is given, all rush toward tlic goal. CloiuKs itt'dust covi'r tho racer; and 
 tho bay charger, always victuriuuH, arrives tirMt, leaving hiti rivuU in the 
 distance." 
 
 On tho 14tli of September, at tho break of day, tlio rain fell abnnd' 
 antly , tho RiimrnitH of tho mountains were concealed in a thick mist. 
 In passing over tiio heights of Mount Nareen they met a number of 
 lamas and Mongolese of inferior rank, returning from theOurga; among 
 them was a wealthy old ofticc, tho commander of u body of wandering 
 Mongolese. His tent, which was well-finished, Avas carried by several 
 camels, surrounded by saddle-horses ; his wife was seated in a chariot 
 drawn by one horse. For a long time the rain fell incessantly, accom- 
 panied by a cutting wind from tho north ; and at length a damp snow 
 completely spoiled tho roads. Tho <;amels slipped and fell. Finally they 
 reached a station on the banks of the Araslian, where they halted at two 
 o'clock. Shortly afterward tho boshko set out for tho Ourga, to an- 
 nounce the arrival of tho mission. 
 
 Meanwhile tho tussulakhchi, Tdam, told them ho had received official 
 uitelligenco of tho death of tho Emj)eror of China, who had died on tho 
 23d of August, aged sixty-ono years. This news was alarming to il. 
 Timkovski ; tho death of tho emperor might prevent the conliimution 
 of their journey. lie hastened to inform the chief of tho mission of thia 
 circumstance. The abbot recalled to mind, among others, a Chinese 
 dignitary, who was accompanying an embassy of Tsungarian Calmucks, 
 and who, hearing by the way of the death of tho Emperor Khang-lii, was 
 so much afflicted by it that ho retired into tho mountains in order to 
 mourn tho great loss, and at tho same time conceal liis grief from his 
 fellow-travelers, and who did not lonve his retreat until ho had received 
 from tho now emperor, Yung-ohing, tho order to continue his route to 
 Pckin. They observed that tho silk tansels .and the balls were removed 
 from the caps of tho Chinese and Mongolese dignitaries ; even the sorv- 
 ants had taken off their silk tassels. All were obliged to clothe them- 
 selves in white, and suffer their hair to grow. This was in token of 
 mourning, which continues one himdred days. 
 
 The inhabitants of this region were i)oor ; the travelers wore beset 
 by a crowd of beggars, who ate with avidity tho bread and meat which 
 they gave them. These nuserable creatures came from the most remote 
 countries to adore the Grand Lama. When at length the caravan set 
 out the rays of the sun were melting the snow, and the road became 
 muddy and sli})pery. Their route led over Mount Guntoo, the highest 
 they had yet passed in their journey. The passage of the mountain was 
 very fatiguing. The camels slipped and fell continually ; it was only 
 with the greatest difficulty that the carriages were drawn up. Tlie sum- 
 mit bears a colossal abo, raised by the devotion of the pilgrims who go 
 to adore the Grand Lama, and small columns of stone and wood, with 
 inscriptions in the Thibetan language upon them. These were xmintelli- 
 
AUUIVAL AT THE OUROA. 
 
 859 
 
 gibit! to tlic UusHiaus, and oven to tlio MoiijjfoU'so Ininus; probably th«y 
 coiitaiiu'd the injstcrious prayer bfforo allinloil to. On the mouHtahi 
 tlicy iiu't !i yoiiiij; man of rank, who had been ut thu Ourga, adoring 
 the lama. IIo was Hurroundod by Monj^ok'su lulloworH, armed with 
 bows and arrows ; while his family and kindred and a, numerous retinue 
 accompanied him, all mounted on beautiful blaek hordes. This troop 
 was distiuf^uished by its luxury and wealth; the women were especially 
 remarkable for their lino forms, painted complexions, and lor the splen- 
 dor of their attire. Their robes were of lino blue satin, their caps of 
 loble, their silken girdles interlaced witli silver and adorned witli oorne- 
 Hans. Even their saddles were ornamented with these stones. These 
 beautiful ainazons approached the strangers without timidity, and seemed 
 willing to honor them with their attention. The descent from the mount- 
 ain was steep and difficult. They tbllowed the course of the Selby, a 
 small but rapid stream, which led through a narrow defile between two 
 lolly mountains. Within live miles of the Ourga they passed some small 
 temples, and further on a very large one, of Thibetan architecture, in 
 the midst of an amphitheater of mountains. Upon the highest rocks 
 around they read several characters of colossal size, carved in the Thibet- 
 an language upon the white rock. The Mongolese conductors said they 
 contained the celebrated prayer : Otn iiui iil bat me khorti. 
 
 It was sunset when they arrived at the Ourga and entered tlie llus- 
 Bian court, situated eastward of the residence of the Ghcghen-khutukhtu, 
 or (trand Lama. The Ourga consisted of yourtes. The Mongolese sen- 
 tinels who guarded the doors, armed with bows and arrows, restrained 
 the people who gathered in crowds to seen the Russian travelers. On 
 the morning of the 10th, the Tsargouchee lioai came from the ]\Iai-ma- 
 c'lin, or mart of the Ourga, to present the compliments of the i'a,,-i and 
 the amfxni to the abbot and M. Timkovski, on their happy arrival, lie 
 was introduced by the Mongolese conductors, and accompanied by two 
 Muiichoo bitkhechis, members of the yamoun or tribunal of the Ourga, 
 and another public functionary, lloai and the two former were clothed 
 in dei'p blue robes, above which they wore the white robe of mourning, 
 and a short cloak of lambskin, Avith large sleeves. These jjcrsonages 
 were followed by a numerous train of domestics. They conversed with 
 the Russians in Mongolese by the aid of the interpreter, and after in- 
 quiring if their journey had been pli-.asant, they asked if they intended to 
 make a long stay at the Ourga. Timkovski replied that, considering the 
 lateness of the season, and the liability of encountering delays, they would 
 remain but four or five days at furthest. The dignitaries kindly replied 
 by inviting them to take the time needed for rest. They likewise an- 
 nounced that the vang and the amban would be ready to receive the 
 mission on the morrow, to which Timkovski replied that they would bo 
 glad to avail themselves of this permission, and stated further that he was 
 authorized by the governor of Irkoutsk to tender his respects in connec- 
 tion with some presents, to the authorities of the Ourga. The interview 
 
860 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'3 JOURNEY TO PBKIN. 
 
 was continue*! with many civilitieis, and after their dcparturo other visitors 
 were present oil, when at length Khartsagai, a kinsman of the vang, entered 
 to announce that he had been commissioned to aid them in passing the luno 
 pleasantly, which might otherwise seem tedious among strangers. Ho 
 informed them, among other things, that when intelligence of the em- 
 peror's death was received, the vang had at first Intended to suspend 
 their jonrney, and even send them back to Kiakhta ; but, considering 
 the fatigues they had already undergone, and the expense their govern- 
 mc^nt had incurred, he had concluded, on his own responsibility, to allow 
 them to proceed. They learned, however, from Idam, that the vang had 
 sent a courier to Pekin, to kno w what he should do, and that tliey \\ould 
 be obliged to remain at the Ourga imtil the decision of the court should 
 arrive. Such were the real motives of the repeated invitations they re- 
 ceived to be at their ease in Ourga. 
 
 Kartsagai left them an instant, then returned with Idam and Demit 
 (the latter one of the inspectors appointed for the mission during its 
 stay), and inquired what were the presents which they had broutfjit. 
 Timkovski replied that hc^ did not know, and expressed the desire of 
 presenting these gifts himself to the vang and the amban. The Mongo- 
 lesc approved of his intention. They afterward questioned him with in- 
 terest concerning the countries bordering on Russia; they wished to 
 know if the terrible war with the French was terminated ; if England 
 was very far from Russia. 
 
 On the 1 7th, the mission visited the vang and the amban, the highest 
 dignitaries of the Ourga. Twelve Cossacks mounted on Mongolese horses, 
 and advancing two by two, opened the procession ; M. Timkovski fol- 
 lowed on horseback, with the inspector of baggage and the interpreter 
 on either side ; next came the carriages of the clergy, accompanied by 
 the students and other priests ; a centuiion, followetl by two Oossacks, 
 closed the march. The ]iublic functionaries of the Ourga walked bel'ore 
 the procession, and at tlm sides the conductors and other employees with 
 their suite. T' o difference in features and costume between the Mongo- 
 lese and the Ru: isians, and even the dissimilarity of their horses, gave to 
 this train a singular appearance, which was not Avithout interest: on one 
 hand the white plumes of the Cossacks waving in the air, their glazed 
 belts, .and the blr.des of their sabers glittering in the sun ; on the other, 
 the bright colored satin robes of the Mongolese, .and the ribbons of their 
 caps floAviiig in the ivind. They alighted at the dwelling of the vans:, a 
 modest wooden structure in the Chinese style, and entered the eouit. 
 The entrance was protected by twenty of the prince's body guard, clotlieil 
 in white robes ; they were without belts, and held their swords in the-r 
 left hands. 
 
 Tloai came to meet them, and placing himself on the left (the place 
 of honor in China), conducted the abbot ; Timkovski followed, accom- 
 panied by the bitkheshi ; Tsing, and the rest of the company came :iftor 
 them. After traversing a court, they passed into a kind of corridor, 
 
 scveil 
 c/iaoi 
 ( ofsil 
 of thj 
 coivcj 
 Tlievj 
 was a| 
 iimial; 
 ,' lover I 
 at thJ 
 and hi 
 The ai 
 vanff 
 
 OtJ 
 ter, an 
 horselJ 
 the ci] 
 China,| 
 dined 
 
VISIT TO THE VANG AND THE AMBAN. 
 
 861 
 
 very nairow, Avhich was the hall of reception. One side of the apart- 
 ment was taken up with a lai-ge window, trimmed with white paper, in 
 the middle of which was a large glass plate. Near the window the vang 
 and the amban were sitting cross-legged upon a common sofa. They 
 wore short cloaks, white, and trimmed above with lambskin. Upon a 
 small table near the window were some English clocks, which were not 
 wound up. After the ceremonies of introduction, M. Timkovski, through 
 the interpreter, addrcs&ed tlie gov ernors of Southern Mongolia, then the 
 boxes containing the presents were brought in, and, according to custom, 
 placed before the van;^ and the amban ; the foiTner th;i3 expressed his 
 thanks : " The custom of exchanging gifts between neighbors and friends 
 is very ancient among us • therefore, when you return to your country, 
 we will also give you some presents for the governor of Irkoutsk." He 
 thon caused them to be seated before him, and calling, the other persons 
 of the mission to approach him, he addressed them .successively as fol- 
 lows: "These are the khara-lamas (Ijlack priests, the monks) ; these are 
 the students. lie advised the latter to be diligent to overcome all ob- 
 stacles and fulfill the wishes of their government ; to conduct themselves 
 as people well-born, rt^spectable, and worthy to do honor to their coun- 
 try." Each one was then served vvith a cup of tea with sugar. After- 
 ward, the vang complimented the abbot, adding that he still remembered 
 having seen him among the young studt nts on the way to Pokin. When 
 he had thus severally greeted and addressed the travelers M. Timkovski 
 and the abbot proffered him and the amban some j)resents of Russian 
 niaiiuflvcture, which he politely accepted, and appeared much pleased 
 with them. 
 
 An hour n.fter their return the vang sent to the aldiot and Timkovski 
 seventeen trays of sweetmeats, three flagons of Chinese v^ine, called 
 chaouf<so}, made of rice, six pounds of black tea, and to each two pieces 
 of silk stiitf. The other members of the mission rceived each one piece 
 of the same stutf. Each jirosent bore his address. The Cossacks re- 
 ceived two boxes of tea in cakes, containing thirty-six cakes in each. 
 The vang was a Mongoleso itrince, descended from Genghis-khan, and 
 was ii near relative of the late Emperor Kia-khing, by his wife. He was 
 amiable and intelligent, polished in his manners, and appeared to be a 
 lover of the arts and sciences, and literature. Having lived a long time 
 at the court of Pekin, he had often held intercourse with Europeans, 
 and had accjuired a decided predilection for every thing European. 
 The amban was a subordinate ofticer, sent out from Pekin to assist the 
 vang during a term of three years. 
 
 On the 18th the mission visited the Mal-ma-chin, or mercantile quar- 
 ter, and the Tsargoochee ; the clergy riding in carriages, the rest on 
 horseback. On their arrival the crowd pressed around them in spite of 
 the cries of two civil officers, who, in conformity with the custom in 
 China, drove back the intruders with heavy blows of the whip. They 
 dmed with the Tsargoochee, who received them vvith great civility, and 
 
362 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 entei'tained them kindly. In the course of conversation they remarked 
 that they wished to prepare for their Je{)arture in four days, upon which 
 he counseled them anew to rest awhile, adding that the weather was 
 cold and rainy, and that by the rules of Chinese astrology he had se- 
 lected a propitious day for their departure, conccrnhig Avhich he would 
 speak to the governors of the Ourga. They thanked him tor this proof 
 of liis good intentions toward them. 
 
 On their return they saw a number of 4ants, newly erected; these 
 belonged to some Mongolese, who were going ♦o worship the new khii- 
 tiikhtii, oi' lama, and more were expected to arrive. An idea of tiie 
 festival celebrated by the Mongolese on the manifestation of the new 
 Gheghen-khiitukhtu, may be obtained from the following details, given 
 by Pallas, of the one which took place in 1729, in the ancient Ourga 
 situated on the Iben, a tributary of the Orkhon : 
 
 On the 22d of June, at the second hour of the day, that is, at sun- 
 rise, the chief temple of the Ourga was decorated for the fe.sthal. On. 
 posite the entrance was placed the id(jl bourkhan aywhu ; to the left a 
 throne, adorned with precious stones and rich stuffs, had been erected 
 and wooden seats had been arranged hi the tem}»le Ibr the lamas. Tho 
 sister of the deceased khutukhtii, three Mongole.se khans, an anibiiii who 
 wore a peacock feather in his cap, and was sent tioni I'ekin liy the Em- 
 peror Yung-tsing, the liither of the new khiitukhtii, the three khans of 
 the Khalkhas, and several other Mongolese of distinction, were present 
 at the festival. Tiu> mnuber of lamas amounted to nearly tweiity-six 
 thousand, and of tlie peo])le, men, women and children, to more than 
 one hundred thousand. When the most imjuirtant jtersonages had en- 
 tert'd the temple, two hundred lances with gilded points and adorned 
 with bronze figures of wild beasts, were placMl in two rows betbrc the 
 door. At the same time a line of two hundred Mongolese w.is tbrined, 
 hearing drums and large copper trumpets. When all was ready, si.v 
 lamas were seen to come out fiom the temj>le, l)earing upon a chair the 
 sister of the deceased khutukhtii ; she was followed by the khans, tho 
 vangs, and all the dignitaries, very richly clothed. The corhge moved 
 in silence to the tent of the new khiitukhtii, who was living with his 
 father, Darkhan-chin Chan-vang, at tho distance of a mile from tlie toii- 
 ple. An hour afterward the regenerated khi'itiiklitii appeared, conducted 
 by the principal Mongolese nobles and the oldest lamas, who held him 
 by til*' huids and under the arms. They seated liim on a horse iiiaj^iiil- 
 iccntly harnessed : the bridle was held on one side by a kluildlnau, or 
 priest of high rank, and on the other by the ta-lama or senior laniu. 
 When the khutiikhtii came out of the tent, the lamas began to sini; 
 hymns in his honor, iccompanied by the sound of instruments. Then 
 the nobles and the pec pie bowed down very low, and raised their haiuls 
 toward h''aven. The ,rain of the khiitiikhtii advanct;d slowly toward the 
 temple; the sister of i he deceased khiitiikhtii, wiiom the newly chosen 
 also called liis sister, Ibllowed him in a sedan chair. Then eaiue the 
 
INSTALLATION OP A MONOOLESE LAMA. 
 
 863 
 
 I 
 
 most aged laraa, Noineen-khan, the Chinese amban, all the lamas, the 
 vang, and the other Mongolese of distinction. The people followed on 
 both sides. 
 
 The inclosuro before the temple contained six tents, ornamented ou 
 the top with gilded points from which hung rich stuff's of difterent colors. 
 The cortege stopped at the entrance ; the lamas lifted the khutukhtu 
 fiom his horse with tokens of the most profound reverence, and took 
 him into the inclosure by the southern gate. After having remained 
 there half an hour, the most aged lamas led him by the hand into the 
 temple, where his sister and ail the dignitaries likewise entered. The 
 deputy of the dalay-lama, Nomeen-khan, assisted by the persona of his 
 suite, seated him on the throne, after which the amban announced to the 
 peo))Ie tlie cm[)eror's order that the khutukhtu should receive the honors 
 due to his rank. Then the whole assemblage prostrated themselves 
 tluoc times upon the ground ; after wliich they placed on a table before 
 him several khonkhos, or small silver bells, which the lamas make use of 
 during the religious ccrciuionies. Care had been taken o keep back the 
 bull which the khutiikhtii had used before his regeneration, in order to 
 see whether he would i)erceiv j that it was not among them. The khu- 
 liiklitii, after having cast his eyes over the bells, said to the lama who 
 was next to him : " Why have you not brought nie my own bell ?" 
 These words being heard, the khans, tlie '/angs, the lamas, and all the 
 people, cried out : "lie is the true head of our x'cligion; he is our kliii- 
 tiiklili . ■ 
 
 Ou t,:.-. 23d of June, one hour after midnight, the amban and the 
 other noliles returr.ed to the temj)le, around which the people were al- 
 ready assembled. At the third hour (sunrise), the khiit''khtii was con- 
 ducted thither by the most aged lamas and seated upon his throne. The 
 araban offered liim the presents of the emperor, which consisted of a 
 plate of gold, weighing about twenty-eight pounds, in the middle of 
 which eight precious stones were set. On the plate were jdaced some 
 khiidiiks, worth two thousand rubles, and eighty-one pieces of gold and 
 silNei cloth. A note written upon each indicated that the manufacture 
 had cust six hiui(lrod rubles. Finally, the amban presented eighty-one 
 trays loadi d with sweetmeats, and various other things. While offering 
 these things he Hliowed the most profound tokens of reverence to the 
 khutukhtu, and accjni[)anied them with felicitations in the name of his 
 sovereign. Il( concluded by soliciting the benediction of the khutukhtu, 
 in the name of the emperor, and addressed him with these words : 
 "Great pontiff, thou who art incorruptible as gold, and whose splendor 
 ecjuals the sparkling of diamonds, protect the empire as thou didst in 
 ihc time of my father, and shed thy grace and thy protection over my 
 reign." 
 
 The khiitukhtii accepted the presents of the emperor and gave him 
 his benediction by placing his hands upia» the head of the amban ; after- 
 ward \m gave U'm blessing to the lam-is and the people ; each one, peue- 
 
864 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 trated by the consoling idea of receiving it from the deity himself, ad- 
 vanced one after the other, and manifested a reverence, fervor, and awe 
 which were most exemplary. 
 
 In the afternoon four large tents and an infinite number of small ones 
 were erected a few hundred yards from the temple, inclosing a large 
 Bjiaco for the exercise of wrestling. The largo tents were occupied by 
 the khans and other nobles ; the combatants numbered two hundred and 
 sixty-eight on each side, and the struggle continued until evening ; the 
 names of the victors were proclaimed, and the vanquished were obliged 
 to leave the inclosure. In the end there remained but thirty-five vic- 
 tors. The wrestling recommenced on the 27th. The weather was ex- 
 tremely warm and the combatants were exhausted with fatigue. Then 
 the khans prayed the lamas to cause it to rain. In half an hour the sky 
 became overcast, and a few drops of rain fell. The faithful attributed 
 this to the power of the lamas, although the heat was but little abated 
 thereby. The wrestling was continued every day until the 3d of July, 
 when the khans and the other nobles, accompanied by the people, re- 
 paired with the thirty-five victors to the district of Ourakhoo, on the 
 banks of the Orkhon, thirty-five miles distant. 
 
 On the 6th of July there was a horse-race on the banks of the Or- 
 khon, which passed over a distance of twelve miles. There were eleven 
 hundred and ten horses on the course at one time, of which one hundred 
 were declared the best. They received distinguished names, and their 
 masters obtained presents and some privileges. Next day there was at 
 the same place a race of sixteen hundred and twenty-seven horses, six 
 years old. The goal was but ten miles distant. The owners of the 
 hundred which first arrived in like manner received ])resents. On the 
 7th a third race took place between nine hundred and ninety-five horses, 
 four years old. They had to pass over a space of eight miles. The 
 owners of the first hundred w'ore likewise rewarded. These three thou- 
 sand seven hundred and thirty-two horses all belonged to Mongolese of 
 the tribe of Khalkhas. On the same day, after the race, the thirty-five 
 victon of the wrjstling-match divided into two parties and contended 
 with each other. The seven best among these were conducted back to 
 the Ourga. 
 
 During these contests three hundred archers shot with arrows at a 
 target one hundred and fifty feet distant. Each one shot four times in 
 succession ; twenty-five who hit the mark every time, or even three 
 times only, were declared excellent archers. The victors had a contest 
 among themselves next morning. On the 8tli they erf ^ted, near the 
 dwelling of the khutukhtu, a richly-decorated tent, into which ho was 
 conducted by the hand. They then brought "• "several idols and placed 
 before him, and burned perfumes in silver censeri , He was seated on 
 his throne and the others took their seats around, when tea wns served. 
 After the khutukhtu had tasted it, it was poured out in silver cups to 
 the rest ; all who had no cups received it in the hollow of the hand. 
 
 I much 
 lie had 
 faithful 
 :' furnis 
 ; oncain 
 I grant e 
 Jiad nc 
 i nished 
 there wt 
 ernor-ge 
 ' on the I 
 not be ii 
 ; Ghegi 
 n-ere aw 
 native t( 
 Besides, 
 t-'mperor. 
 occupied 
 Onth 
 on Mong( 
 
THE LAMA NOT TO BE SEEN. 
 
 865 
 
 Each one drank it with intense satisfaction, as holy water, actually re- 
 ceived from the hands of the khutukhtu. Afterward the seven wrestlers 
 recommenced their combat, which lasted from ten in the morning until 
 midnight. A Mongolese, named Bahay Ikaidz;m (the great solid ele- 
 phant), of the troop of the vang Tautscn, was the final victor. The 
 wrestling ended, the khutukhtu was conducted back to his habitation 
 with the same ceremonies by which he had been taken to the tent ; then 
 every one retired to his home. 
 
 On the 11th of July, at four o'clock in the morning, the khans and 
 the other nobles assembled in the dwelling of the khutukhtu and delib- 
 erated until evening upon the names to be given to the victors in archery 
 and wrestling, names destined to make them known to the nation and 
 to preserve their glory for posterity. The name of JAon was unani- 
 mously given to the first wrestler, who already bore that o^ great solid 
 elephant ; the others in like manner received, in order, the names of 
 courageous animals or birds. The first wrcbtler received a gun, a coat 
 of mail, fifteen oxen and cows, fifteen horses, a \ imdred sheep, a camel, 
 a thousand bricks of tea, some pieces of satin, and several skins of foxes 
 and otters. The others had gifts proportioned to their strength and 
 ability. Similar prizes were distributed among the archers ; the last 
 wrestler and the last archer each received two cows and two sheep. 
 The festival terminated on the 12th of July. 
 
 M. Timkovski applied to be presented to the khutukhtu, but was in- 
 formed through his messengers by the vang that the pontiff was too 
 much fatigued by the long journey ho had just completed, during which 
 he had given his benediction to more than a hundred thousand of the 
 faithful. At the same time Timkovski requested that the mission be 
 furnished with four yourtes, and with wood and water, at each place of 
 encampment between the Ourga and Khalgan ; but the request was not 
 granted. When Idam came in afterward he explained that the vang 
 had neither the power nor the right to order that the mission be fur- 
 nished with yourtes, first, because they traveled by a route upon which 
 there wore no fixed stations ; secondly, because his authority as gov- 
 ernor-general of Khalkha did not extend beyond the territory bordering 
 on the Russian frontier. Idam assured them, however, that they should 
 not be in want of yourtes on the route. As to the intervicAV with the 
 Ghcgen-khutukhtu, he said it was not forbidden to strangers, but they 
 were aware ho was only a child without experience, who knew only his 
 native tongue ; how then would they render their homage to him ? 
 Besides, this divine child, like all the people, was in mourning for the 
 emperor. Next year, on their return, they might slc him ; he was now 
 occupied in receiving the faithful, and the oflferings which they brought. 
 
 On the 20th, the travelers of the mission went to see the city, mounted 
 on Mongolese horses, and accompanied by their f'leuds of the place. They 
 
866 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 first vkited the temple and the habitation of the khutukh)!. The inclosuro 
 WJis 8o high that it prevented them from seeing the structure of the 
 buildings. The temples were built in a north and south direction, and 
 the roofs were painted green ; one of them was surrounded by gilded 
 palissadcs. At some distance from the temples was a large wooden edi- 
 fice, the school in which the lamas learn to read Thiljetan, and to play 
 upon the instruments etnployed in their religious music. These temples 
 and other public edifices are on a large square. The inhabitants of tho 
 city live in yourtea, some of which arc shaded by willow-trees. The 
 streets arc so narrow that two men on horseback can scarcely pass each 
 other. On the 24th, the conductors came to them from the yamoun or 
 tribunal, with the information that the vang, on consideration that they 
 had entered the Celestial Empire in virtue c-f an inviolable treaty, made 
 under tho reigning dynasty, had rcsolvea to let them continue th-ir jour- 
 ney, .and th.at in case he should receive from Pekin any orders concerning 
 them, he would make them known to them on their route. This intelli- 
 genco w.as received with great joy; ]\I. Timkovski immediately gave 
 orders that all preparations should be made for setting out on the 
 morrow. 
 
 From Kiakhta to tho Ourga they seemed to be still in the provinces 
 bordering on the Russian frontier, from the great similarity in tiie scene- 
 ry and productions, but as soon as they had passed the Tola, they found 
 themselves on a different soil. They here drank a glass of fresh water, tho 
 last that was to moisten their lips in the vast space to be traversed before 
 reaching the Great Wall of China. Tliey were now in the arid and gloomy 
 deserts of IMongolia. They left the Tola by a valley ascending between 
 high mountains, from which they emerged on an elevated j)osition (com- 
 manding the view of an immense plain, covered with stones. To the 
 left, rose tho naked rocks which border on the Tola. The Mongolese 
 believe that one of the caverns of these mountains contains immense 
 treasures of gold and silver, which the robbers concealed there in former 
 times ; but that frightful precipices and noxious vapors eftectually cut off 
 all approiifli. As tli(>y advanced, the mountains became lower and less 
 difticiilt ; fliey no longer saw deej) precipices or lofty heights; every 
 thing inditiited the vicinity of the plain of Gobi, the most extensive of 
 Middle Asia. 
 
 In the evening of October 1st, Idam visited them at their tent, and 
 in the course of conversati<m related some events of the life of Khung- 
 miiig, a fain(<us Chinese general. The kingdom of Chu being invaded by 
 the enemy, Khung-ming erected a statue of stone, which held a sword 
 in one hand, and in the other a book with poisone<I leaves. Th(! linstiic 
 general, on arriving at the statue, went to it and began to read the hook, 
 which he found interesting. As he frecjuently touched his fingers to his 
 mouth, to moisten them Avith saliva in order to t\n"n the leaves more ' 
 easily, he soon felt tho effects of the poison. When he wished to go 
 away he could not, his coat of mail being attracted by the pedestal, which 
 
ANOIENT MONGOLIAN RUINS. 
 
 367 
 
 •was of loadstone. Enragctl at his cmbarrassiiii; situation, lie laid hold of 
 tlic sword which the statue held in the other hand, and struck it. This 
 act was still more disastrous to him ; the blow struck out sparks, which 
 sot tire to some combustible matter in the statue, and the explosion killed 
 him. His affrighted army was forced to retreat. 
 
 Oil one occasion, Khung-ming was in front of the enemy, from whom 
 a river separati'd him. His camp being up the stream, he sent down in 
 the night, in boats, some straw mannikins of natural size, each of which 
 hcltl a kindled match in his hand. The boats were borne by the current 
 to the camp of the enemy, who, seeing them filled with armed sohlicMs, 
 mutle su(!h haste to attack them with arrows, that they soon emplird 
 tJR'ir (piivers. Khung-ming, who had foreseen this, passed the river and 
 gaiiii'd a complete victory over the troops which no longer expected an 
 attack. 
 
 October -Sd, .at three o'clock, they reached the station of Boro khujir, 
 situated among narrow defiles near Blount Darchan. The weatlu^r behig 
 fine, ]M. Tinikovski determined to vi^^it this mountain, which is associated, 
 bv the ]\Iongolese, Avith tl'.e memory of (n-nghis Khan. IIo set out at 
 six o'clock, accompanied by monk Israel and a C^ossack officer. On leav- 
 ititr the station, they followed with much difficulty some ravines formed 
 bv the rains, and then passed over immense beds of granite blocks to the 
 siiiauut. This mountain extends from north to south, and its lotly back 
 is composed of steep rocks of red granite, among which grow the altagan 
 [mhinui pj/;/n>"'<f) and other shrubs. Upon its southern height, to the 
 foot of which they had ascended, stood an abo of stones, built by the 
 Moii'^olese, wlio repair thither every suniiner t^ celebrate the memory 
 of Genghis Khan. From this point the view was very extensive ; to 
 tiie eastward were (Mght salt lakes, and beyond them rose U\o, blue 
 mountains of Kherrulun ; on the west, was an immense ( xtent oi' coun- 
 try, covereil with pointed elevations. 
 
 On file atl'.'rnoon of the 10th, M. Timkovski visited sonio ruins of 
 ancient Mongolian architecture, near tl;e station of Tsulghetoo, Avliere 
 tliov had encamped for the night. Having gone two miles across a 
 plain opening to the east they reached a mountain whose declivity, for 
 the space of a mile and a half, Avas covered with tlu^ ruins of stone 
 cdilices. Idam informed them that three hundred years ago or more, a 
 Monifolese Taidzi, or descendant of j)rinces, named Saiiikhnng (beautiful 
 !>\van), inhabited these places. These remains h;id been his temples. 
 Several altars and other edifices ot" coh)ssal dimensions, indicated the 
 wealth and inagnificenc(^ of that princ(>. These crumbling structures 
 wore covered with moss and Aveeds ; the foundations Avere granite, tho 
 walls of sun-dried bricks, cemented Avitli clay mixed A\-ith gravel, instead 
 of lime. The changes of heat and moisture had worn aw ay ilie clay 
 while the gravel remained. One building, of a circular form, Avas or- 
 namented with a stone cornice, composed of three rows. In a largo 
 temple, and in other edifices Avcrc vaulted niches, probably destined for 
 
 n-ljl 
 M 
 
868 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PBKIN. 
 
 tbo reception of offerings. In the court, which was paved with stone 
 they tinw broken tiles of a green color, and a stone vat. These ruins 
 once inhabited by some descendant of Genghis Khan, now served 
 as a retreat for licrds of cattle ; the subjugated Mongolese rarely visit 
 these places, which remind them of their ancient splendor and inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 On the 15th of October they encamped at (bourne, that is to say, the 
 Temple on the Mountain of Serpents. To the left of the station was a 
 temple upon the declivity of the Abourga (Serpent). It is said that 
 these rej)tile3 were formerly found there, but they saw none. They 
 visited the temple which, according to the rules of Thibetan architect- 
 ure, fronted the south. The nephew of Idani, who was our guide, sent 
 for the warden, who conducted them by the principal entrance into the 
 vestibule, Avherc they saw four wooden idols of colossal size. Two were 
 covered with ai-raor, like warriors ; the first Avas red, and held in Lis 
 hands a twisted s^^rpent ; the second was white, having in his right hand 
 a parasol, which in China distinguishes rank, and in the left a mouse • 
 the third had a blue face, and held in his hand a sword ; the fourth 
 which was yellow, jilayed upon the lute. These were Tcnyrces or Ma- 
 haransa khans, Avho live two thousand and five hundred yeais. Tliey 
 are seven hundred and eighty feet in height ; they watch over the 
 happiness of men upon the earth, and dwell in four different regions of 
 Mount Soume, Avhich is the center of the universe and the aboJc of 
 tutelary divinities. This mountain has seven gilded summits and ex- 
 tends seventy thousand miles toward each of the four quarters of the 
 world. 
 
 On the 19th they reached Erghi, the last station of the country of 
 Khalkha. Toward evening Idam camo to give notice of his departure 
 for the Ourga. They experienced a deep regret at parting with a man 
 who by his zeal in their behalf had ECvjuired a claim upon their grati- 
 tude. Before their departure on the 2l8t, the bitkheshi begged M. Tim- 
 kovski to prevent his people from shooting thvj crows, as they had done 
 on their arrival at Erghi, pretending that the storm of the preceding 
 day had been caused by this Slaughter. In order to satisfy this old 
 man they promised to kill no moic, although these birds were very an- 
 noying to the camels, for when they saw from a distance the blood that 
 came from the wounds caused to these animals by the rubbing of their 
 burdens, they straightway descended upon their backs. The wind still 
 continued to blow so hard that they could not remain on horseback. 
 On approaching IMount Argali they saw on the heights a troop of ga- 
 zelles. The ascent was through deep iavines, amid bold mountain scen- 
 ery, but when they had attained the heights they saw the steppe spread 
 out before them as far as the eye could reach. The places which were 
 more than twenty miles distant presented a blue appearance, so tiiat 
 the plain bore some resemblance to an .agitated sea. They had before 
 them the ascent to the highest plateau of middle Asia, which properly 
 
THE DESERT OF GOBI. 
 
 869 
 
 bears the name of Gobi. The rainy summer of this year had caused a 
 little herbage to grow upon this steppe, usually naked and sterile ; but 
 in a time of drouth, it is truly the country of affliction ; the cattle die of 
 hunger and thirst. 
 
 On the 27th M. Timkovski visited Mount Bathkai, near the station 
 of that name. From its summit, as from that of Darkhun, were seen 
 on all sides vast plains upon which numerous herds were pasturing ; in 
 gome j)laces they saw black yourtes, like islands on an immense liiko. 
 In looking over these deserts it is difficult to believe that the inhabitant 
 of the Gobi enjoys a tolerable existence ; he is deprived of wood, and 
 has not the things most necessary to the simplest wants of life. At the 
 beginning of summer he prays heaven to grant him rain, which rarely 
 waters the steppes. During that season the drouth destroys his cattle, 
 Ills only resource. The samr misfortune threatens him in winter ; snow 
 and frost cover the earth and deprive his animals of the only herbage 
 which can furnish them the means of subsistence. The Mongolese in- 
 formed them that five years before, the whole steppe of Gobi i 'as af- 
 flicted with a mortality among the cattle so great that many i>ro- 
 prietors saved but twenty-five horses out of five hundred, and four 
 oxen out of two hundred. The inhabitants had not yet recovered this 
 unusual loss. 
 
 This unpleasant passage continued for seven stations, or one hundred 
 miles; until reaching the dwellings of the Tsakhar Mongolese, they saw 
 on all sides nothing but a sea of aand and pebbles. Such is the 8tepi,o 
 of Gobi; like the African desert of Sahara. The road passed over on 
 the 1st of November was the most fatiguing of the whole journey. The 
 country was mountahious ; the surface, formed of mingled sand and clay, 
 was almost impassable on account of the rain ; the mountains were cov- 
 ered with snow ; the horses and camels were so fatigued by the violence 
 of the wind, by th'3 cold, the long stages, the bad food and briny Avater, 
 (luring the eleven days' passage across the territory of the Sunites, that 
 six of the camels sunk beneath their loads, and six draught-horses Avere 
 entirely worn out. The cold still increased ; the mercury sank to zero 
 on the morning of the 3d, and on the 4th it was two degrees below. 
 They crossed a sandy mountain this day, over which the road was un- 
 even and toilsome. They frequently saw yourtes by the way, and a 
 prcat many cattle ; they also met large caravans, loaded with tea, on 
 their way to Kiakhta. 
 
 One day they were much surprised to find lying in the road, in a 
 leather sack, the body of an infant one year old. ITpon the sack was a 
 email piece of sheepskin, a little millet, and a small loaf of bread. This 
 was an ordinary mode of burying the dead among the Mongolese. The 
 priests of Buddha, to subjugate the minds of their followers, have repre- 
 sented death under a frightful image. The dying devotee sends for a 
 lama, to secure the welfare of his body and the salvation of his soul ; the 
 priest, after making inquiries respecting the day and the hour of the pa- 
 
 24 
 
 m 
 
870 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'3 JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 tient's birth, the accompanying circumstances, and all the events of hia 
 lite, pronounces, according to the sacred books and the laws of aHtrology 
 whether the body shall bo burned or cast into the water ; whethur it 
 shall be exposed in a kind of cage, or covered with stones, etc. There 
 aro some exceptions : for instance, they do not bury a man who has 
 been hung ; whoever dies in consequence of tumors, can not be burned- 
 they do not cast into the water those who have been drowned in an in- 
 undation, or struck by lightning, or devoured by tho flames ; tlioy do 
 not bury upon a mountain any one who has died of a contagious dis. 
 ease ; in a word, one can not without a reason, throw wood into the fire, 
 fire and earth into water, carry wood upon a mountain or into a forest. 
 Such are the laws of the Buddhists. The most usual manner of disposing 
 of tho dead is to transport them into a steppe, and there leave lliotn, 
 abandoned to wild beasts and birds of prey. But even in this case tlio 
 lama decides which quarter of the world the head must be turned 
 toward ; a weather-vane is jilanted in the ground, and the direction given 
 to it by the wind determines that in Avhich tho deceased shall be placed. 
 For the rest, every thing depends wholly upon the lama, who prescribes 
 in like manner how the corpse must bo buried, whether it shall bo 
 clothed or left naked, placed in the open air or in an old tent, and deter- 
 mines which of his cfTects or Avhat objects should be added as olForings. 
 
 In tho night of November 13th two of their horses perished with 
 cold and fatigue. On the summits of tho chain of Khinkhan-dabagan 
 mountains, in the south, they could distinguish towers ; these were on 
 tho frontier between China and Mongolia, which they now perceived for 
 the first time, and with extreme satisfaction. At ten o'clock they 
 reached a small, half-ruined fortification, called Tsagan-balgassoo, or 
 white-walled city, where they rcyoiced in having happily passed over tho 
 steppes, with their snows and sands and impetuous, icy winds. Here 
 they made inspection of their horses, camels, and oxen, a part of which 
 were to be left until March, in the tbllowing year. On tho morning of 
 tho 1 Gth they entered a deep valley among the Khinkhan mountains, 
 and passed a fort on a small elevation. The animals went on with great 
 difficulty ; the cold became- so intense that it Avas impossible to keep 
 warm, even by walking. Still they had fifteen miles to go before reach- 
 ing a station. Their embarrassment increased when a few mile s further 
 they were obhged to cross over mountains where their animals slipped 
 and fell at every step on the ice, or plunged into deep snows. At this 
 place they passed a post of Mongolese sentinels, in several yourtes. 
 They began to see indications of the vicinity of a commercial city; they 
 continually met caravans, chariots, and riders mounted on camels and 
 horses. Soon afterward they reached the chain of mountains Avhich 
 separates Mongolia from China. On their summits extends a stono 
 rampart, with square brick towers at equal distances from each other. 
 
 From this point China appears in colossal forms. Southward, cast- 
 ward, and westwaid, nothing was seen but snow-covered mountains, 
 
ARRIVAL AT KIIALOAN. 
 
 871 
 
 whose pointed summita reached the clouds. The descent for three miles 
 to the Chinese village of Nor-tian, is by a narrow road which was very 
 dangerous at that season ; beyond that village the traveler sees high 
 mountains whoso threatening summits give a wild character to the dis- 
 trict. Such is the aspect of tho country at the place where thoy de- 
 scended from tho high steppes of Mongolia to the lower heights of 
 China. They halted at the first Chinese village ; it was with pleasure 
 they entered a house, having seen nothing since leaving the Ourga, a 
 journey of more than seven hundred miles, that reminded them of tho 
 customs of sedentary life. 
 
 It is about fifteen miles from the first Chinese village to Chang-kia- 
 khcou, or Khalgan. The road is at first narrow and intersected with 
 hills, which are rather steep. Tho boldness and indefatigable activity 
 of the Chinese laborers attracted tho attention of tho travelers; the sum- 
 mits of the highest mountains were covered with cultivated fields, and 
 the naked and inaccessible rocks seemed to have been rendered fertile. 
 There were villages and temples on the declivities of the mountains, 
 and several cabins were built against the rocks like birds' nests. 
 
 They first saw Khalgan when they arrived at the Great Wall, which 
 is built of bricks between two steep rocks, and is now half-ruined. 
 
 At Khalgan, as at the Maimatchin of Kiukhta and the Ourga, it was 
 tho custom to fire a cannon at six in tho morning and nine in the even- 
 ing ; at the former report every inhabitant is allowed to leave his homo, 
 and even, if necessary, to go and see tho city authorities, but at tho 
 latter this right ceases, except in extraordinary cases. A river divides 
 tho city into two parts, tho upper and lower town ; tho former is on tho 
 Mongolian frontier, and has its gates in the great wall, which extends 
 across the mountains. Khalgan is not large, and has no remarkable 
 edifices, but is very populous. The inhabitants appeared to have a great 
 curiosity to see the strangers : all day they besieged tho doors of their 
 house, and the neighboring roofs were covered with spectators. 
 
 On the route from Khalgan to Pekin they gained a good idea of tho 
 people of China and their industrious habits. At every step they met 
 people transporting cut straw on mules and asses. Sentinels are placed 
 at regular intervals in a kind of watch-houses which rise like towers, 
 near five small conical columns upon which the distances are marked. 
 The exterior of tho watch-towers is embellished with paintings, repre- 
 senting horses, guns, bows and quivers of arrows. These watch-towers 
 serve likewise as telegraphs : if tho northern frontier of China is threat- 
 ened the news is immediately transmitted to Pekin, and the army is at 
 once marched against the enemy. The route led southward, along tho 
 banks of tho Yang-ho, a shallow river with a very rapid current which, 
 except at the rapids, was nov buord in with ice. A portion of the way 
 passes through rugged rock^, ■wlii'-a often rise abruptly from the river, 
 whose waters leap tumultuousi ;/ do^^ n the precipice below, while other 
 rocks from tho opposite side thre^.tcn to crush the traveler. Beyond the 
 

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872 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 river rises the Whang-yang-chang, a granite mountain whot'e pointed 
 peaks are lost among the clouds. The wild and majestic aspect of this 
 region is most impressive to the traveler who has just left the dry and 
 desolate steppes. 
 
 After passing the town of Yu-lin-fu on the 28th, the ground was coy. 
 ered with stones and no cultivated fields were seen. They arrived 
 at the foot of high mountains, where they saw a number of ruined 
 tombs. On the summit of the mountains, which rose nearly to the 
 clouds, the great wall appeared. This grand monument, unique in its 
 kind, produces an imposing effect, when we consider that it has existed 
 for several centuries, and that it extends to a great distance over inac- 
 cessible mountains. 
 
 Two miles from Chah-tao they came to the Great Wall, which they 
 inspected. After passing an arched entrance in the principal tower, they 
 entered a large court, from which they ascended by steps to the top of 
 the Wall. Notwithstanding the centuries which have passed since this 
 structure has been in existence, it is built with such skiU and care, that 
 instead of falling in ruins, it is like a stone rampart raised by the hand 
 of nature to protect the northern provinces of China from the invasions 
 of the Mongols, who have not yet wholly lost their warlike character. 
 The Great Wall is composed of two parallel walls with embattled tops, 
 and the interval is filled with earth and gravel. The foundations con- 
 sist of large rough stones ; the rest of the wall is of bricks. It is twenty- 
 six feet high and fourteen wide. The towers, in which there are several 
 brass guns, are about one hundred paces apart. The great tower is fall- 
 ing into decay ; the entrance is much damaged, as well as the adjoining 
 wall. There is no longer any thought of repairing it. To give a just 
 idea of this immense structure, it may not be amiss to refer to a calcula- 
 tion of Mr. Barrow, who visited China with Lord Macartney in 1793 and 
 1794. He reckons the number of houses in England and Scotland to be 
 eighteen hundred thousand. Estimating the mason- work of each at two 
 thousand cubic feet, he supposes that they do not contain as much mate- 
 rial as the Great Wall of China, which he says would be sufficient to 
 construct a wall that would reach twice around the earth. 
 
 They descended from the mountains on the 30th, and entered the 
 well-cultivated plains of Pe-chee-le, over which they proceeded toward 
 the capital. After passing the suburban city of Cha-ho, the opulence in- 
 dicating the approach to a large city, began to appear. For several 
 miles before reaching the market-town, Tsing-ho, they passed pleasant 
 country-houses, and the cemeteries of persons of distinction in Pekin. 
 These were characterized by elegant simplicity rather than grand luxury ; 
 everywhere they saw the white trunks of cypresses, thick groves of aged 
 willows, and of junipers, which attain the height of the tallest pines. 
 They saw by the way, fifty Mongolese camels, which were carrying but- 
 ter to the Imperial Court ; the foremost camels were ornamented with 
 small strips of yellow cloth fiistened to sticks, like flags. 
 
ENTRANCE INTO PEKIN. 
 
 873 
 
 At nine o'clock next day, they set out from Tsing-ho for Pekin. For 
 neariy four miles they followed an avenue of ancient willows, passing vil- 
 lages and cemeteries on the right hand and left. They soon reached the 
 suburbs of Pekin. Two students of the old mission came to meet them, 
 with four Chinese calashes for the new members, and a saddled horse for 
 M. Tirakovski. In the suburbs the loise, the tumult, and the crowd, an- 
 nounced the vicinity of the most populous city of the globe. They soon 
 came out on a large plain, and the walls of Pekin in their full extent lay 
 spread oi-t before them. " Finally, the immense distance between St. 
 Petersburg and the capital of China was passed over. At once forget- 
 ting all our fatigues," observes Timkovski, " we, inhabitants of the shores 
 of the gulf of Finland, fancied ourselves transported in an instant, by 
 some supernatural power, to this city which had so long been the object 
 of the dreams of our imagination, and the aim of our desires. With a 
 sentiment of joy each one of us cast his eyes upon the embrasured walls, 
 whose origin is enveloped in the thick shadows of antiquity." 
 
 Northward of the i^lain, they saw the red walls of a temple of Fohi, 
 and at a short distance observed the funeral of a rich Chinese. Two 
 miles from the entrance to this plain they passed the Russian cemetery, 
 where the members of their mission, who die in Pekin, are interred. A 
 little further on, the mission entered with ceremony by the gate Ngang- 
 ting-meng into the capital of China. A crowd of gazers surrounded 
 them. They followed the broad street leading from the gate for a mile 
 and a half, then proceeded by a cross-street to the street Ta-fo-szu, which 
 they traversed in a southern direction two miles to a triumphal arch of 
 wood ; thence to the right, along the street Chang-ngang, they passed the 
 templeofManchoo worship on the left, and the tribunal of foreign affairs 
 on the right. They then crossed the canal, or small river, Yu-ho, on a 
 marble bridge called Pe-khiao, passed the Imperial Palace on the right, 
 went southward along the canal for nearly a mile, then crossed the bridge 
 Chung Yu-ho-khias, turned up the street Tung-kiang-me-kiang, and, at 
 noon, finally entered the Russian court, where they were received by 
 «'3veral members of the old mission. 
 
 After their arrival, M. Timkovski's health was impaired, partly from 
 the dampness of the house of the embassy, and the exhalations of the 
 coal burned in the apartments ; the abbot therefore gave him a room in 
 the convent, which he occupied during the cold weather. The chambers 
 of the convent were heated from beneath the floor ; the occupants lived 
 very warm, but the continual heat injured the feet. 
 
 All the dwellings of Pekin, from the cabin of the artisan to the palace 
 of the rich man, are of one story, and built of bricks ; the court is sur- 
 rounded by a high stone wall, so that from the street one can see noth- 
 ing but the roofs. The shops, however, have large paper windows, which 
 occupy nearly the whole front. In most of the houses, in all the shops, 
 and even in the palace of the emperor, remarkable sentences from the 
 philosophers or the celebrated poets are written upon the tapestry of the 
 
374 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 •windows, as well as upon paper of various colors. Among the rich the 
 partitions and doors are of precious wood, as camphor, cypress, etc. 
 and adorned with sculptures. Beside the agreeable impression which 
 they make upon the sight, they diffuse a pleasant odor through the apart- 
 ments. All the roofs are of tiles, green, red, or yellow, which are ar- 
 ranged, like every thing in this country, by fixed rules. Thus the imperial 
 edifices and the temples can alone be covered with yellow tiles ; green is for 
 the palaces of personages of high rank ; gray tiles are used for other houses. 
 
 The Manr-hoo language is not difficult to learn. Like other Asiatic 
 languages it has its alphabet and grammar ; the former resembles the 
 Mongolese ; the pronunciation is much more sonorous. The Manchoos 
 after the conquest of China in 1644, were obliged to complete their 
 language, hitherto poor, as that of a nomadic people, and to perfect it 
 according to the rules of Chinese literature. After two hundred years 
 of sojourn among a numerous and partially civilized people, the Man- 
 choos have become accustomed to their manners and customs, and their 
 language ; so that, at present, all classes of them speak Chinese. Even 
 in Pekin there are but few people who understand the Manchoo lan- 
 guage ; it is employed only in the affairs of state. 
 
 On the 3d of January, 1821, the travelers visited the shops of the 
 merchants, situated mostly in the suburb called Vai-le-ching. At the 
 commencement of the street Leoo-le-chang, which is very short and 
 very filthy, there are several book-stores, which sell Chinese and Man- 
 choo books, all bound and well arranged ; but on examining them we 
 soon find that many of them are very defective. The Chinese book- 
 sellers have a habit of asking five times as much as the books are worth; 
 they endeavor to sell copies in which leaves are missing, or books which 
 are composed of the leaves of three or four different works. One must 
 be wide awake if he would nc^t be cheated by the rascality of the Chinese 
 booksellers ; and in fact this distrust is equally necessary in the purchase 
 of other goods. The best books, and principally the historical books, are 
 issued from the imperial press, where the booksellers of Pekin and other 
 cities buy them at a price fixed by government. This press also pub- 
 lishes every other day a gazette containing the extraordinary events 
 which happen in the empire, the ordinances, and especially the Ust of 
 promotions, the favors granted by the emperor, such as yellow robes 
 and peacock feathers (equivalent to the orders of knighthood, etc., in 
 Europe), the punishment of delinquent mandarins, etc. 
 
 Further on, in the same street, are jeweler's shops, where pictures and 
 objects carved out of jasper, ivory, and precious woods, for the decora- 
 tion of apartments, are sold. The work is well finished. They have 
 also glassware, glazed porcelain, etc., all of the best quality. In like 
 manner one meets with a quantity of articles from the imperial palace, 
 which the eunuchs have the dexterity to carry off, and sell at a mean 
 price to the merchants ; they likewise saw English goods, which came 
 by way of Canton. 
 
THE IMPERIAL ARMY OF CHINA. 
 
 875 
 
 Near each of the city gates donkeys are kept saddled for public serv- 
 ice. The Chinese "■ aunt those animals in order to go from one gate to 
 another ; light burdens are also transported upon them. In winter they 
 also pass upon the canal, which is covered with ice. Several persons 
 take places on a kind of sleigh, made of boards, and drawn by a man. 
 It is said that even in summer one can pass from Pekin to the southern 
 provinces in small chariots drawn by men. The vaults near the city 
 walls arc inhabited by the poor. It is impossible to form an idea of the 
 miserable and disgusting aspect of these unfortunate beings: almost 
 naked, or covered with matted rags, they drag themselves about among 
 the shops of the commercial quarter to beg alms ; after having received 
 a few chokhi they return to conceal themselves in their caves. 
 
 The Chinese army is composed of four divisions corresponding to the 
 nations which the empire contains. The division composed of Manchoos, 
 numbering nearly sixty-eight thousand men, occupies the first rank. 
 The second division embraces the Mongolese, who entered China with 
 the Manchoos at the epoch of the conquest ; it numbers twenty-one 
 thousand. The third division is composed of the Chinese who joined the 
 Manchoos toward the close of the last Chinese dynasty, and numbers 
 twenty-seven thousand. To this division belongs the artillery of the 
 company, consisting of four hundred cannon. These three bodies, num- 
 bering over one hundred thousand men, form the Manchoo army, prop- 
 erly speaking, the principal part of which is cavalry. The fourth division 
 is composed of other Chinese, recruited annually ; it occupies the garri- 
 sons of the interior, and comprises about five hundred thousand men. 
 There are besides nearly twenty-five thousand men of irregular troops, 
 or militia ; making a total of six hundred and twenty-five thousand men, 
 of whom nearly one hundred and seventy-five thousand are cavalry. 
 The Chinese soldiers are all married. Their sons are, at their birth, en- 
 rolled on the army list ; when they are of age they .^11 the vacant places 
 in the companies. 
 
 One day a soldier of the corps of Ojen-chokha, of Pekin, called on 
 the chief of the new mission. He was about forty years of age, the son 
 of a poor soldier, and brought up at the convent of French Jesuits in the 
 city. The latter, who destined him to the station of a Roman Cathclic 
 preacher, in the interior provinces of China, wished to send him vo 
 Europe to complete his studies, as had been done with his uncle, w^iO 
 had become a distinguished priest among his fellow-countrymen. But 
 (luring the last persecution of the Jesuits he i enounced his calling as 
 priest, believing it his duty to return to his regiment. Besides Chinese, 
 he spoke and wrote Latin and French well, and was otherwise well edu- 
 cated. It was singular to hear a Chinese, clothed and armed in tho 
 style of the country, speaking French with fluency. The students of the 
 new mission employed him as private tutor in Chinese, because he spoke 
 Latin well. M. Timkovski presents to his readers a long letter in Latin, 
 written by this soldier to tho abbot, in which he transcribes some Chi- 
 
876 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 nese rules of hygiene, containing directions for preserving and prolong- 
 ing life. 
 
 On the 11th of January they visited the temples of Whang-szu. 
 They first passed the temple of the Earth, in a large inclosure sur- 
 rounded hy high walls, where the emperor repairs at the summer sol- 
 stice to give thanks to the Supreme Being, and to pray for a good har- 
 vest. Tiien they came to the grand central temple, near which were ; 
 number of convents, or residences of the priests, and many smaller 
 temples. In the vicinity of the temples stands an obelisk of white mar- 
 ble, which, from the sculptures on its sides, drawn from the history of 
 Buddha, or Fohi, appears to have been raised in honor of that prophet, 
 whose doctrines are followed in Thibet, China, Mongolia, and by the 
 Buriates and the Calmucks. It is an octagonal tower, ninety-four feet 
 high. The top is slender, and is surmounted by a large cap of massive 
 gold, which resembles the hat of the dalai-lama. On the four sides are 
 sculptured marble columns. The obelisk is a beautiful work and cost a 
 largo sum of money. Near it is a small chateau where the emperor 
 rests when he goes to bear his offerings to the temple of the Earth. 
 
 In the night preceding January 22d, the dull sound of kettle-drums 
 in the temples announced the new year of the Chinese, which begins 
 with the new moon. In the temple in the Russian court torches of 
 odoriferous wood were kindled, and a lama recited prayers, beating the 
 while on a copper vessel. Toward midnigh ' the princes of the blood 
 and the most distinguished personages assembled in the palace. At 
 sunrise they followed the emperor to the temple of his ancestors, vhere 
 he performed his devotions according to the prescribed ritual, then re- 
 turned to the palace to receive the felicitations of the grandees of the 
 empire, and the members of the tribunals of Pekin. On the occasion 
 of the new year the tribunals throughout China are closed for a month, 
 and the great seal of the empire is locked up during the time. 
 
 The festis'al of the new year contmues till the middle of the first 
 month. During this tine a bell of extraordinary size is exhibited ; it is in 
 a convent of the ho-changs, or priests of Fohi, two miles south of Pckki. 
 Curious to see all that is permitted to a stranger in this distant country, 
 M. Timkovski, with several of his countrymen, repaired to the convent 
 on the 5th of February. A great number of men and women assemhle 
 there during the festival. The inquisitive crowd pressed around the 
 strangers on all sides ; happily the soldiers of the police, by the aid of 
 whips, opened the way. Passing a two-story building containing the 
 apartments of the monks, they came to the belfry, in which hangs the 
 bell so renowned in China. It is of copper, and quite blackened by time ; 
 its height is thirteen feet, its form conical. It is covered with Chinese 
 characters and weighs about a hundred thousand pounds. The ascent 
 to it is by a rude, dark stairway. Near the top is a small orifice through 
 which the devotees throw copper coins ; he who succeeds in passing 
 them through this hole, finds a happy presage in the circumstriuce. The 
 
VISIT TO THE PORTUGUESE MISSION. 
 
 877 
 
 pieces fall on the floor beneath the bell, anil during the festival amount 
 to a considerable sum. 
 
 They returned by the imperial court of elephants, which a hundred 
 pieces of copper, applied to the sentinels, enabled them to see. The 
 court is very large, and contains a temple, a well, four large buil ngs 
 for the elephants, and several houses inhabited by the employet of 
 the establishment. The elephants are employed in transporting the ves- 
 sels with which the emperor performs the sacrifices. Tlieso vessels are 
 placed on very largo litters, made for the purpose. Four elephants are 
 also taken daily to the court. One of them, in obedience to the voice 
 of his leader, strikes with his trunk upon the floor as many times as ho 
 is ordered, another makes a rumbling like the nmflled sounds of a drum 
 and utters piercing cries. The greater part of these animals are aged 
 and infirm ; many are so gentle that they walk peaceably about tho 
 court. The elephants of Pekiu are usually brought, at a great expense, 
 from the Birman empire. 
 
 On the 12th of February, the abbots Hyacinth and Peter, accom- 
 panied by M. Timkovski and a party of Cossacks, proceeded on horse- 
 back to visit the Portuguese missionaries, of the convent of the south. 
 Father Ribeira, the superior of the convent, entertained them kindly, 
 and showed them the chapel and other apartments. They had just en- 
 tered the hall of reception when an officer of the Manchoo police rushed 
 in with a terrible outcry ; without waiting for an invitation from tho 
 superior he sat down, and addressing the bishop reproached him bitterly 
 for having received visits, although he well knew the access to the con- 
 vent was forbidden to strangers. The bishop having replied that this 
 did not concern him, the ofiicer, who was much excited, blamed the su- 
 perior for having exposed him to the danger of losing his place, for 
 the populace, in their curiosity to see the Russians, had assembled before 
 the convent ; the crowd had become so great that it was impossible to 
 pass along the street, and disagreeable consequences might result if one 
 of the attorneys-general should be informed of it. Ribeira, mortified 
 at being treated thus in the presence of his guests, after having invited 
 them, in a manner, to show the inhabitants of Pekin how the Portu- 
 guese are esteemed by the other Europeans, attempted to calm the 
 officer, but without success. The Manchoo seized a Franciscan monk 
 and led him off to the police to answer for the disorder which the visit 
 of the Russians had caused. Seeing the audacious effi-ontery of the 
 Manchoo, and the low credit of the Catholics in China, the visitors rose 
 and asked leave to retire and return at a more favorable moment; 
 but the bishop begged them to remain, saying that the Manchoo was 
 drunk, and that such vexations on the part of the Chinese happened fre- 
 quently. 
 
 The 21st of March was the first day of the third moon, in the Chi- 
 nese calendar ; the weather was very bad. Spring, in Pekin, is usually 
 accompanied by impetuous winds. The winter which had just closed, 
 
878 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PEKIN. 
 
 and the beginning of tho spring were unusually cold for the climate. 
 On tho 23d, a great concourso of devotees assembled in the temple to 
 oelebrato tho tirst day of the festival of spring. The priests carried 
 tho idols to their places and burned perfumes before them, reciting 
 meanwhile tho prayers established for the ceremony. 
 
 On the 25th of April M. Timkovski sent to the tribunal of forcif^n 
 affairs a petition relative to their departure from Pekin. They had 
 fixed it, at the latest, on the twenty-sixth day of the fourth moon (15th 
 of M.ay). The petition was taken by the inspector of baggage and tlio 
 interpreter, accompanied by M. Sipiakov and two Cossacks. It Avas 
 graciously received by the members of the tribunal, "who promised a 
 prompt and favorable decision. After some delays the permission was 
 accorded, and tho mission proceeded at once to make preparations for 
 their departure. These were at length completed, and on the 14th of 
 May they were wholly occupied with the final arrangements for setting 
 out ; they had now spent five and a half months in tho capital of tho 
 Chinese Empire. 
 
 The climato of Pekin, as described by M. Timkovski, is similar to 
 that of America in the same latitude. The air is salubrious, even for 
 strangers. Epidemic diseases are rare, and the ravages of tho pestilence 
 are unknown ; every year the waters are covered with ice, from the mid- 
 dle of December until March, sometimes for a shorter period ; but the 
 cold is never very severe. When the thermometer ranges from ten to 
 five degrees above zero, Fahrenheit, one suflfers less than at St. Peters- 
 burg with the same temperature. Spring is the season of squally winds; 
 tho heats of summer are oppressive, chiefly in the months of June and 
 July ; these heats are accompanied with abundant rains, which moisten 
 the soil, composed of clay and sand ; sometimes the waters, in sweeping 
 down from the mountains, destroy villages and commit great ravages. 
 The autumn is the most agreeable season, especially in the months of 
 September, October, and November; then the air is mild, the sky 
 serene, and the weather calm. 
 
 Pekin is divided by a high wall into two parts, called King-ching, or 
 Imperial City, and Vai-lo-ching, or southern suburbs. The entire oir- 
 cumferencG is about fifteen miles. The walls, which are built of bricks, 
 are forty feet high including the battlements, which are about five and 
 a half feet. The thickness of the walls is twenty-one feet, and they are 
 arranged to admit horsemen to ride upon them. There are sixteen 
 gates, nine leading into the Impoi-ial City, and seven to the Chinese 
 town. 
 
 The streets are long, wide, and straight ; they are not paved, but the 
 earth is solid. The principal ones are about one hundred and twenty- 
 five feet wide : the street named Chang-ngang-kiai, or Great Street of 
 
TEMPLE ON A MOUNTAIN. 
 
 879 
 
 Tranquillity, is full one hundred and eighty feet in width. It is the 
 most beautiful street of Pekin ; it runa from east to west, and is bor- 
 dered on the north, in part, by the walls of the imperial palace, on the 
 south by several palaces and tribunals. The houses of the city are v«ry 
 low, often containing only the ground floor ; they are of bricks and cov- 
 ered with gray tiles. The tribunals and the palaces of the princes are 
 elevated on a base, and have beautiful entrances; the palaces are 
 covered with green-glazed tiles. The most beautiful edifices of Pekin 
 are the temples ; they are largo and mn^^iiificent, ornamented with col- 
 umns and covered with superb roofs of white marble. The streets are 
 bordered with shops finely decorated ; the splendor and variety of mer- 
 chandise exposed to the public eye present, in many quarters of the city, 
 a very agreeable sight. It is almost impossible for a stranger to know 
 any thing positive in regard to tho population of the capital of China, or 
 that of the empire itself, for the government does not keep correct lists 
 of births and deaths, as is done in Europe ; but from various means of 
 information which ho obtained, and from his own observations, M. 
 Timkovski estimates the population of Pekin at two millions. 
 
 On the 15th of May, 1821, the travelers left Pekin on their return 
 home. The thermometer indicated eighty-four degrees, Fahrenheit, and 
 next day tho heat was very great. As they proceeded they perceived 
 mountains in the distance, especially the heights of Kiang-ching, occu- 
 pied by a brigade of artillery from Pekin ; they Ukewise saw tho white 
 walls of the castle of Ming-yuan, and tho pyramid near tho fountain at 
 which water is drawn for tho emperor. 
 
 On their journey to Pekin they had seen an ancient temple situated 
 on a mountain near tho fortress of Rce-ming, to which the access was 
 very difiicult ; but as it was near the road, and the weather was now 
 pleasant, they determined to visit it. They accordingly set out from 
 the fort under the guidance of a peasant, but lost their way, and were 
 soon stopped by precipices and rocks. M. Timkovski with several of his 
 companions took a road to tho east, and after great difliculties finally 
 reached the temple. The rest of the party, who took a southern route, 
 returned without seeing any thing. The steepness of the mountain, the 
 projecting rocks, the numerous precipices, and the violence of the wind, 
 made them almost despair of attaining their object. Overcome with 
 fatigue they took each other by the hand and were thus continuing their 
 ascent, when the barking of a dog apprised them of their approach to 
 habitations. After another difScult passage, by a route which led to 
 other temples further up, they finally reached the one they were seek- 
 ing. This temple, like all others, is built of bricks, and composed of sev- 
 eral chapels separated from each other and filled with idols ; near it wag 
 a garden. A gigantic rock seemed ready to ML down upon the temple 
 and crush it. They met with no one but the guardian, who spoke a 
 little Mongolese. A steep, winding path, cut in the rock, led to the top 
 of the mountain. It is d^cult to conceive the motives which led to the 
 
880 
 
 TIMKOVSKI'S JOURNEY TO PBKIN. 
 
 erection of such a monument upon this narrow lodge of the mountain 
 surrounded by precipices and exposed to tempests. The transportation 
 alone of the materials from the foot of the raountab, two miles distant 
 would cost a vast amount of labor and enormous expense. 
 
 The travelers met with poor lodgings at Khalgan ; their neighbors 
 were playing cards and making a great deal of noise. Here they Ulje. 
 wise received the disagreeable intelligence that for want of orders from 
 the tribunal of Pekin for the continuation of their journey they would 
 be obliged to remain three or four days. On the 24th of May, having 
 received their permission, they set out upon the route by Nor-tian. 
 They crossed over mountains where there was still a quantity of snow, 
 which had fallen in abundance a few days before. It was still cold on 
 the heights ; the wheat and rye had only just sprouted from the ground, 
 while at Pekin the wheat was already in bloom. When they left No^ 
 tian next morning a thick fog obstructed the view ; it cleared away 
 toward noon, and the steppe lay spread out before them. The freshness 
 of the atmosphere and the song of the larks revived in them the hope 
 of soon beholding their native country again. 
 
 On the 4th of June they emerged from the high mountains and en- 
 tered a sandy plain which forms the commencement of the steppe of 
 Gobi. At daybreak next morning the wind blew from the north, and 
 the cold was perceptible, the thermometer indicating forty-three de- 
 grees. At the station of Khujir, which they reached on the 9th, the 
 sandy steppe terminated ; it has an extent of eighty miles. Beyond this 
 for fifty miles the surface is gravelly and sterile. On the steppe the cold 
 was at times keen and cutting, and at others the heat was oppressive ; 
 they sometimes passed over stony heights, sometimes through small val- 
 leys inclosing the bed of a dried-up stream. After some days of this 
 kind of traveling they came, on the 19th, to Mount Ookn-khadah, which 
 separates the coimtry of the Sunites from that of the Khalkas. Just be- 
 fore reaching the station of Gashoon that evening they were met by 
 their old friend, the Tussulakhchi Idam. 
 
 At length they approached a chain of mountains which seemed to 
 bar up the way before them. At the extremity of a defile they found, 
 on the 21 St, the station of Oude, situated in a stony valley, sur- 
 rounded by mountains. Oude, in Mongolese, signifies gate ; the name 
 of the defile by which one enters the mountains. Noith of this defile 
 the desert of Gobi is said properly to begin : a steppe devoid of water, 
 of wood, and of vegetation, which extends two hundred miles, to the 
 habitations of the wandering Tsakhars. After pursuing their route for 
 nearly a month through this desolate region, where the surface is often 
 interrupted by granite hills and stony valleys, they finally, on the 14th 
 of July, discovered the summit of Mount Khan-oola. This mountain is 
 remarkable as the last one in Mongolia, going southward, and the first 
 in returning, that is covered with woods. A few miles further they 
 reached Mount Seoudji, one of the highest of the chain, which they 
 
RETURN TO SIBERIA. 
 
 881 
 
 ascenccd with much difficulty by a stcei) and rocky road ; Ihenco by a 
 dangerous descent they camo to the station of Seoudji. 
 
 It was with extreme satisfaction tliat tliey behold the rapid current 
 ©f the T61a, upon whose banks they arrived next day ; it formed the 
 boundary of the desert steppes which they had been so long traversing. 
 At five in the evening they arrived at the Ourga. Here they rested a 
 while from the fatigues of the journey, and were meanwhile received 
 in a friendly manner by the vang. 
 
 On the 19th of July, they continued their journey. As an especial 
 honor they were escorted to the first station by a dzanghin and ten 
 Mongolcso, armed with bows and arrows. The mountains and valleys 
 near the banks of the Burgultai were carpeted with flowers and beauti- 
 ful verdure ; a sight which they had not beheld south of the Ourga. 
 They crossed the Mantagai Mountains, whose rocky sides are covered 
 with jiines, birch, aspen, and a variety of shrubs, and came to the Bain- 
 oola River on the 25th. Mount Oulou, Avhieh they passed on the 27th, 
 is very picturesque. Its sides are covered with pines, birch and aspen 
 trees, wild roses, etc. The Shara-gol bathes its foot ; the neigliboring 
 jilain abounds in luxuriant vegetation, sprinkled with elms. Beyond, 
 they saw a temple with its red roof, above which rose a chain of mount- 
 ains, crowned with forests of pine. In all Mongolia they saw no district 
 60 well adapted to agriculture. 
 
 On the 31st they reached Ghilan-nor, the last station before Kiakh- 
 ta. At the extremity of a forest they came in sight of the town. This 
 \'iew made them forget all their toils. The weather was becoming very 
 warm; the mountains around wore covered with wheat ready for har- 
 vest. Arrived at the station, two interpreters of the custom-house of 
 Kiakhta, in behalf of the director, brought them bi*ead and salt, in con- 
 gratulation of their happy arrival. 
 
 At eight o'clock on the morning of August 1st, they were visited by 
 M. Goliakhovski, the director of the custom-house, and other employ6es, 
 the ataman of the Buriate light-guard, and two tafdzi of Selenghinsk, in 
 company with whom, at ten o'clock, they finally entered Eliaklita, and 
 found themselves again on Russian soil. 
 
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CAPTAIN COCIIRANE^S 
 
 PEDESTRIAN JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 Ix tho month of January, 1820, Captain John Dundas Cochrane, 
 of tho British navy, atldrcssotl a letter to tho secretary of the Lorda 
 Commissioners of tho Admiralty, offering to undertake u i'^urncy into 
 the interior of Africa, which should liavo for its object the ascertaining 
 of tlic course and termination of the Niger. Captain Cochrane had 
 already traversed France, Spain, and Portugal, on foot, and had been 
 for years accustomed to undergo great fatigues and privatioiis, among 
 which he enumt rates two trips from Quebec to Lake Ontario in com- 
 pany with six liundred seamen, whoso wry faces and swollen feet told 
 I him that he was more of a pedestrian traveler than they. lie was 
 therefore confident of success in his undertaking, in which he intended 
 to go alone, requiring only to bo furnished with the countenance of somo 
 constituent part of the government. 
 
 The answer from tlie Admiralty was unfavorable, but the captain, 
 
 who thought his plan more than ordinarily feasible to one " who had 
 
 been roasted in some of the worst corners of the West Indies, during 
 
 a period of nearly ten years' service, without so much as a headache," 
 
 was not wholly disheartened. " Finding, however," says he, " that a 
 
 I young commander like myself was not likely to be employed afloat, 
 
 ; much less ashore, I determined to undertake a journey, varying only 
 
 ' tho ohjcct and the scene, similar to that of the unfortunate Ledyard, 
 
 I viz., to travel round tho globe, as nearly as can be done by land, crossing 
 
 ! from Northern Asia to America, at Behring's Straits ; I also determined 
 
 j to perform the journey on foot, for the best of all possible reasons, that 
 
 ' ray finances allowed of no other. Having procured two years' leave of 
 
 I absence I prepared to traverse tho continents of Europe, Asia, and 
 
 j America." 
 
 j Having filled his knapsack with such articles as seemed requisite to 
 1 enable him to wander among the wilds of three quarters of the globe, 
 I ho left London in the packet-boat for Dieppe, and on the 14th of Feb- 
 I ruary sot forward through Franco and Germany, toward St. Peters- 
 
 L. 
 
884 
 
 COCHRANE'S JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 burg, where he arrived on the 30th of April (O. S.) His route lay 
 through Paris, Frankfort, Leipsic, Berlin, Dantzic, Konigsberg, and other 
 important cities, in which he halted to repose from the great fatigues of 
 the journey, and to examine the objects of interest that were to be 
 Been. His clothes were in tatters, and his shoes worn out by this trip of 
 sixteen hundred miles, during an inclement season, yet on his arrival at 
 the Russian capital he cheerfully continued the arrangements for pur- 
 suing his journey into the remotest wilds of that empire. 
 
 Through the influence of Sir Daniel Bailey, the British Consul Gene- 
 ral, who was an able advocate of his plans, Captain Cochrane gained tlie 
 favor of Count Nesselrode, the Foreigij Minister, and of Count Kochou- 
 bey, to whom his affair was intrusted. He not only obtained the cus- 
 tomary passport and a letter to the Governor General of Siberia, but also 
 two official documents signed by the minister, calling upon the author- 
 ities of all the towns and provinces lying on his route from St. Petersburg 
 to Kamtchatka, to aid him on his journey, and afford him lawful de- 
 fense and protection in case of need. The emperor likewise offered him 
 pecuniary assistance in the outset, which ho declined. 
 
 On the 24th of May (O. S.), he set out from St. Petersburg. Ho 
 carried a letter of introduction to Prince Theodore Galitzin, who occu- 
 pied the Imperial Palace at Tzarsko Sclo, but on his arrival at midnight, 
 he found the palace -wrapped in flames. After mingling awhile with the 
 crowd in extinguishing the conflagration, he retired to the gardens, and 
 spent a few hours of the first night of his journey lying in the open air 
 upon the grass. Having breakfasted with Prince Theodore, he pro- 
 ceeded toward Tosna, where he arrived at seven in the evening. He 
 thus continues the narrative of his adventures next day : " I passed the 
 night in the cottage of a farmei*, resigning myself to the attacks and an- 
 noyance of such vermin as generally haunt impoverished dwellings, and 
 was therefore proportionably pleased in the morning to pursue my jour- 
 ney. My route was toward Liubane, at about the ninth mile-stone from 
 which I sat down, to smoke a segar or pipe, as fancy might indicate ; I 
 was suddenly seized from behind by two ruffians, whose visages were as 
 much concealed as the oddness of their dress would pennit. One of 
 them, who held an iron bar in his hand, dragged me by the collar toward 
 the forest, while the other, with a bayoneted musket, pushed me on in 
 such a manner as to make me move with more than ordinary celerity : a 
 boy, auxihary to these vagabonds, was stationed on the road-side to keep 
 a look-out. 
 
 " We had got some sixty or eighty paces into the thickest part of the 
 forest, when I was desired to undress, and having stripped off my trow- 
 sers and jacket, then my shirt, and, finally, my shoes and stockings, they 
 proceeded to tie me to a tree. From this ceremony, and from the man- 
 ner of it, I fully concluded that they intended to try the effect of a mus- 
 ket upon me, by firing at me as they would at a mark. I was, however, 
 reserved for fresh scenes ; the villains, with much sang froidy seated 
 
PLUNDERED BY ROBBERS. 
 
 885 
 
 themselves at ray feet, and rifled my knapsack and pockets, even cuttiiii; 
 out the linings of the clothes in search of hank-bills or some other valu- 
 ahlo articles. They then compelled me to take at least a pound of black 
 hrcad, and a glass of rum, poured from a small flask which had been sus- 
 pended from my lunk. Having ai)propriated my trowsers, shirts, stock- 
 ings, and English shooting shoes, as also my spectacles, watch, compass, 
 thermometer, and small pocket-sextant, with IGO roubles (about £7), 
 they at length released me from the tree, and, at the point of a stiletto, 
 made me swear that I would not inform against them — such, at least, I 
 conjectured to be their meaning, though of their language I understood 
 not a word. 
 
 " Having received my promise, I was again treated to bread and rum, 
 and once more fastened to the tree, in which condition they finally aban- 
 doned me. Not long afl;er, a boy who was passing heard my cries, and 
 set nic at liberty. I did not doubt ho was sent by my late companions 
 upon so considerate an errand, and felt so far grateful ; though it might 
 require something more than common charity to forgive their depriving 
 rae of my shirt and trowsers, and leaving me almost as naked as I came 
 into the world. 
 
 " To pursue my route, or return to Tzarsko Selo, would, indeed, bo 
 alike indecent and ridiculous, but being so, and there being no remedy, 
 I made therefore ' forw^ard' the order of the day ; having first, with the 
 remnant of my a^.^)arcl, rigged myself i fEcossoise, I resumed my route. 
 I had still left rae a blue jacket, a flannel waistcoat, and a spai*e one, which 
 I tied round my waist in such a manner that it reached down to the 
 knees : my empty knapsack was restored to its old place, and I trotted 
 on with even a merry heart." 
 
 Within a few miles ho passed between files of soldiers, employed in 
 making a new road, under the orders of General Woi-onoff. The gen- 
 eral received him with kindness, administered food and refreshments, 
 and then otfered him clothing, but the captain declined and soon after- 
 ward proceeded on his journey, lie rode in the general's carriage, 
 which was directed to take him to the first station, but finding carriage- 
 riding cold he preferred walking, barefooted as he was, and in this man- 
 ner he approached Novgorod next day, passing by the way through 
 many large villages and a fertile and populous coun*"^. " Crossing the 
 bridge," he continues, "I entered the city at two o'clock, and imme- 
 diately waited on the governor. He would have provided me with 
 clothing on the instant ; I was, however, hungry, and requested food. 
 The governor srailed, but assented, and I then accepted a shirt and 
 trowsers." Meanwhile ho obtained good quarters at the house of a 
 merchant to whom he had a letter of introduction, and who kindly 
 furnished him Avith a complete refit. As he was pursuing his journey, 
 a few days afterward, he received two rubles as charity from the master 
 of a post-house, from whom he had also received refreshment gratis. 
 " Knowing as I did," says he, " that assistance was at hand, I declined 
 
 flfi 
 
886 
 
 COOHRANE'S JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 the money, although my then distressed state might have warranted my 
 open acceptance of it. I continued my route, and upon my arrival at 
 the next station I found the money in my cap. 
 
 " I entered Moscow at eight o'clock on the morning of June 5th, 
 the last stage being distressingly fatiguing. Much rain fell and I was 
 not a little happy to reach the hospitable abode of Mr. Rowan in time 
 for breakfast. The last thirty-two hours I warrant as bearing witness 
 to one of my greatest pedestrian trips — the distance is one hundred and 
 Kixty-eight versts, or about ninety-six miles ; I have, however, done the 
 same in Portugal." 
 
 After leaving Moscow ho sometimes traveled by night to avoid the 
 heat of the sun. His way of life seems to have excited an interest among 
 the peasants, who frequently divided their meals and shared their dwell- 
 ings with him, Avith the most cordial good will. When he showed them 
 his passports they thought such a favor had never before been granted. 
 At one time we find him washing his linen by the wayside, and then 
 lying down under a bridge to enjoy a sound sleep, while his clothin"' 
 was dried in the sun ; at another sleeping contentedly in the open air, 
 or under such shelter as he chanced to find, after having spent the day 
 without food. Once he halted at midnight near a pretty village on the 
 banks of a lake, where he was greatly charmed with the singing of some 
 boys and girls, accompanied by a simple two-stringed instrument; 
 " but," he continues, " the beauty of the night prompted me to con- 
 tinue my route, and I left the happy villagers for Pogost, twenty-four 
 miles, where I arrived half furnished and quite fatigued, not having 
 tasted food during twenty-four hours, and a march of forty miles. 
 Being too jaded to proceed further I thought myself fortunate in heing 
 able to pass the night in a cask ; nor did I think this mode of passing 
 the night a novel one ; often, very often, have I, in the fastnesses of 
 Spain and Portugal, passed the night in a similar style. Here I usurp 
 the place of crockery, there I usurped that of wine ; here in the land of 
 liberality, there in that of nonentity." 
 
 At Lower Novgorod he was entertained by Baron Rode, to whom 
 he carried a recommendatory letter. "Ho received me kindly," says 
 Captain Cochrane, " placing me for board in his oavti house ; while for 
 lodging I preferred the open air of his garden ; there, with my knap- 
 sack for a pillow I passed the night more pleasantly thnn I should have 
 done on a bed of down, which the baron most sincerely pressed me to 
 accept. His excellency the governor received mo with customary at- 
 tention ; but I was not so fortunate as to meet his amiable lady, an 
 Englishwoman. The truth was, her servant woidd not admit mu, 
 judging, no doubt, from the length of my beard and the shabbiness of 
 my dress, that I must be a Jew, or something worse. Thus denied, I 
 embarked, in a freak of fancy, on board a lighter bound to Kazan, the 
 better to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Volga." The captain en- 
 
 J 
 
BUSSIAN HOSPITALITY. 
 
 887 
 
 terecl as ono of the crew, working his passage, and arrived at Kazan on 
 the 22d of June, after a passage of twelve days. 
 
 On the 25th ho set forward in a vehicle furnished by the governor, 
 which conveyed him to Perm in four days. He was so thoroughly fa- 
 tigued by the jolting, and was, moreover, so little pleased with the se- 
 verity of the postillion toward the peasantry, that he was glad to resume 
 his journey on/ foot. In a few days he reached the Ural Mountains, and 
 crossing the boundaries between Europe and Asia, arrived at Jekatha- 
 rinenburg. 
 
 " On reaching the Asiatic side of the Ural chain," he observes, *' I 
 could not help remarking that the inhabitants of all the villages were 
 much more civil, more hospitable, and more cleanly dressed ; and in no 
 one instance would they accept of money for the food I had occasion to 
 procure. I never entered a cottage but shtshee (a cabbage soup), with 
 meat, milk, and bread were immediately placed lefore me unasked: 
 nor could any entreaty of mine induce them to receive a higher reward 
 than a pipe of tobacco, or a glass oi vodka (whisky). In short, to pre- 
 vent uselessly troubling the inhabitants, I was obliged to consign my 
 ; nearly exhausted purse to the care of my knapsack, renouncing the hack- 
 ! ncycd and unsocial custom of paying for food. Among other proofs of 
 I their civility, or rather of the interest which Russians take in foreigners, 
 I as well as the means they have of making themselves understood, one 
 ! very strong one occurred to me in a small a illage. I had learned so 
 1 much of the language as to know that Jcchorosho is the Russian word 
 for well^ but not that kchudo was the translation for bad. My host 
 being a good sort of a blunt fellow, was discoursing upon the impro- 
 priety of traveling as I did. As I could not comprehend him, I was 
 impatient to go, but ho persisted in detaining me till he had made me 
 understand the meaning o^ kchudo. My extreme stupidity offered a 
 powerful barrier to his design ; but a smart slap on one cheek and a kiss 
 on the other, followed by the words kchudo, and kchorosho, soon 
 cured my dullness, and I laughed heartily in spite of this mode of in- 
 struction." 
 
 After reaching Tobolsk, he resolved to make an excursion, by way 
 of Omsk, to the Chinese frontier. The Governor General accordingly 
 supplied him with a Cossack, as well as a special order for horses, if he 
 should deem them necessary, and for every assistance he might require. 
 At the Tartar villages beyond Tobolsk, he was hospitably received, but 
 after he had advanced into the steppe he met with an unpleasant inci- 
 dent, which he thus relates : " At Toukalinsk, I had the misfortune to 
 lose what was to mo my all — my passport, papers, and every protection 
 in Siberia. In vain I addressed the commissary ; in vain I offered a 
 guinea for their recovery ; in vain I pointed out the rogue who had 
 taken them in the tin case from the seat while I was at dinner. I begged, 
 intreated, insisted, threatened, abused ; all was to no purpose ; and I 
 was finally constrained to go without them. By this terrible disaster I 
 
388 
 
 OOCHRANE'S JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 was entirely deprived of all testimony of myself, my connections, or the 
 object of my journey, and lay at the mercy of any one who might choose 
 to provide me with large but cheap lodgings. 
 
 " On my arrival at Omsk, I of course presented myself to the isprav- 
 nick, or head commissary, and made known my loss in as good language 
 as I could. I failed in making him understand me, but he humanely 
 gave me good lodgings until he could procure the presence of one of the 
 military officers, to act as an interpreter. This was done the next day. 
 In the mean time, I addressed a letter to the Governor General and gover- 
 nor of Tobolsk, requesting an attested copy of the documents I had lost 
 and which I had taken the precaution to have made there. The police- 
 master invited me to dine with him, though ho confessed ho could not 
 imderstand either my object or character. He was, however, soon satis- 
 fied by the arrival of an express "vvith my passports, etc., all complete. 
 Thus was I, from a state of suspicion and surveillance, again restored to 
 society. I should be very ungrateful, were I not to do justice hero to 
 the conduct of the commissary, who kindly went eighty miles, upon my ac- 
 count, to enforce the return of the papers, which, being in a tin case, in- 
 duced the party to suspect money was there. All that I had, was, how- 
 ever, in my knapsack, and that did not amount to £5. 
 
 " Omsk is situated on the eastern bank of the Irtysch, at the junction 
 of the Om. The surrounding country is a vast, level plain, the soil of 
 w))ich is fertile, though not extensively cultivated. Opposite, is the ter- 
 ritory of the wandering Kirghiz ; jiresenting no appearance of cultiva- 
 tion or dwellings. A considerable trade is carried on with them, as also 
 with the Calmucks to the south, which consists in the barter of cattle, 
 etc., for tobacco and spirits. Several children of each of these tribes arc 
 to be seen in Omsk, who are slaves, having been sold by their parents 
 for a pound of tobacco or a glass of spirits. 
 
 " The Calmucks, who, like the Kirghiz, make no scruple to dispose 
 of their children upon any momentary distress or want of spirits, are yet 
 u dilTerent race, both with respect to features and origin. They are, 
 however, their equals in idleness, and filth, and follow the same vagabond 
 way of life. The Calmucks are, notwithstanding, the direct descendants 
 of the Mongolese, who emigrated hither after the destruction of their em- 
 pire. Very few are subject to Russia, a great part of them living in Chi- 
 nese Mongolia, while the rest of them, under the protection of Russia, 
 roam about the countries situate between the Don and Volga and the Ural 
 mountains. Their features will forever mark them, in whatever part of 
 the world ; the flat face, small and elongated eyes, broad nose, high cheek 
 bones, thick lips, and brownish yellow complexion, are sure signs of their 
 Mongolian descent. They are obliging, but inquisitive and dishonest ; 
 yet, with a little Russian education and discipline, they make good serv- 
 ants. I ate and drank with them, as also with the Kirghiz, upon roasted 
 meat, without bread, or any thing else, save a glass of spirits and a pipe 
 of tobacco." 
 
TRIP TO THE CHINESE FRONTIER. 
 
 889 
 
 Leaving Omsk, Captain Cochrane, attended by a military Cossack, 
 proceeded southward by the line of fortresses on the right bank of the 
 Irtysch, and in a f <v days reached Semipalatinsk, a fortress with nearly 
 one thousand soldiers. " I quitted Semipalatinsk late in the evening," 
 he Avritcs, "and directed my steps for Ubinsk, along the banks of a little 
 stream which gives name to the fortress, and wh. ch unites with the 
 Irtysch. I had entered a kibitka which was passing the same way, and 
 at some distance observed the postilion turn off suddenly to the right. 
 My mind misgave me, because in no instance before had I deviated from 
 the high-road. I recollected, also, that the Cossack and postilion were 
 both half drunk, and had been m earnest and secret conversation ; I 
 therefore determined to quit by a short movement. It was ten at night, 
 and we were in a low thick brushwood, when, taking my knapsack, I 
 suddenly quitted the vehicle, informing them, as well as I could by signs, 
 mid an obstinate persistence not to go their way, that if they were bound 
 as they had pretended they would follow me. I continued alone, and 
 regained the main road ; the vehicle also tacked and came after me, but 
 I refused to re-enter it, and marched on to the next station, keeping 
 them at a respectful distance all the way. On my arrival I discharged 
 the Cossack, without, however, reporting his conduct to the German 
 commandant, as I perhaps ought to have done." 
 
 At Buklitarminsk he procured a guide and went on toward the 
 boundary. Having arrived at Macaria, he thus proceeds : " The night 
 was so beautiful, the moon just ascending above the hills, that, in spite 
 of a good supper which was ready and inviting my attack, I resumed 
 my journey on horseback, in company with the landlord, to ]\Ialaya- 
 Karymka, the last Russian spot on the frontier. An officer and a few 
 men placed here, are all that are left to mark the boundaries of two 
 such mighty empires as Russia and China. I forded the little stream 
 which forms the actual limit, and seating myself on a stone on the left 
 bank, was soon lost in a reverie. It was about midnight ; the moon, 
 apparently full, was near her meridian, and seemed to encourage a pen- 
 sive inclination. What can surpass that scene I know not. Some of 
 the loftiest granite mountains spreading in various directions, inclosing 
 some of the most luxuriant valleys in the world ; yet all deserted I — all 
 this fair and fertile tract abandoned to wild beasts, merely to constitute 
 a neutral territory ! To the first Chinese settlement it is eighty miles ; I 
 would fain have visited it, but durst not without previous notice, and for 
 th . remony could ill spare the time." 
 
 Returning, he embarked on the Irtysch and descended the river by 
 stages to Udinsk, whence he proceeded, with a Cossack, to Barnaoul. 
 On his arrival he found great preparations for receiving the Governor 
 General Speranski, whom he was anxious to meet. His excellency ar- 
 rived on the second day, and Captain Cochrane met him at the public 
 dinners given in his honor, where he himself became a conspicuous ob- 
 ject. His hair and beard were long, he wore a long swaddling gray 
 
 L 
 
390 
 
 COCHRANE 8 JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 nankeen coat, and a silken Hash around his waist : " Indeed," remarks 
 the captain, " so great a buck had I become of late that I hardly knew 
 myself." Having laid his plans before the Governor General, the captain 
 continues: "lie told mo that there was an expedition on the river 
 Kolyma, fitted out purposely to solve the question regarding the north- 
 e.'ist cape of Asia ; and his excellency kindly oft'ored mo his permission 
 to proceed with it. Too glad to accept a favor of the kind, I instantly 
 dosed with the offer, and determined not to wait a moment in Irkutsk 
 and Yakutsk beyond the necessary time, but to proceed immediately to 
 the Frozen Sea, either to share the fortune, good or bad, of the expe- 
 dition, or, in case of any impediment from jealousy, to withdraw "nd 
 follow some other plan. The Governor General supplied me with various 
 orders and recommendations for whatever places I should visit." 
 
 With this valuable recommendation he hastened forward, attended 
 by a Cossack. At Tomsk, the governor presented him with fifty rubles 
 a watch, a pair of spectacles, and a few articles of wearing apparel, mak- 
 ing part of the effects of which ho had been robbed near St. Petersburg, 
 Beyond Tomsk, the route lay through a dreary, woodless waste, where 
 the villages were numerous, but miserable in the extreme, excepting 
 those inhabited by Tartars ; and afterward, as the country became more 
 hilly, the roads grew worse, until on ai)proaching Krasnojarsk tlicy were 
 so nearly impassable that he preferred walking. In the government of 
 Irkutsk the road improved, and the country appeared more fertile. 
 
 On arriving at Irkutsk, he was received ui a flattering manner by tlio 
 commandant of the navy, and was induced to take up his abode with hini. 
 " Having made myself as decent as my lunited wardrobe would allow," 
 he continues, " I called on the vice-governor, who made great promises, 
 and exceeded them in performance. Upon quitting his excellency, I 
 made some visits, and delivered my lettera of recommendation, made 
 inquiries as to my future movements, and then returned to an elegant 
 dinner with my host, who had invited a party of twenty persons to 
 meet me. 
 
 " Next morning, in company with Captain Koutigin, I left the Admi- 
 ralty House, which is two miles from the city, to view whatever is notable 
 in Irkutsk. Fifteen thousand inhabitants, including three thousand of 
 the military, are said to compose the population. Irkutsk indeed scarcely 
 deserves the name of city, except for its public buildings, which are good ; 
 yet, though I confess it is upon the whole a fine town, I could not but 
 feel disappointment from its total want of original plan, as well as its 
 present want of regularity, which must retard its advancement for a long 
 time to come. Tobolsk is certainly its superior in every thing except its 
 situation, and the singularly fine appearance of a few buildings, public 
 and private. 
 
 " My stay in Irkutsk was but a week, when, bein^ furnished >vith a 
 fresh Cossack, and with every assistance I desired to enable me to reach 
 the river Lena, I set out, a Uttle melancholy at parting with such kind 
 
VOYAGE DOWN THE LENA. 
 
 891 
 
 fricnda. At seven milo.s I had a last view of the city. The country be- 
 came very elevated, and the roiid lay over hill and dale as far as the fiftli 
 station. With the exception of some little corn, the land is one uninter- 
 rupted pasture. The inhabitants, Russians, are pretty numerous, and 
 their villages, though small, occur at frequent intervals. The post-houses 
 are good and convenient halting-places. 
 
 "I soon reached Vercholensk, a large and populous town, c)iatantono 
 hundred and fitly miles from Irkutsk. The road is by dangerous i)reoi- 
 piccs, and at this place the communication by land ceases, a circumstance 
 at which I was not a little rejoiced, longing to be again ujjon my own 
 element. I soon procured a canoe and a couple of hands, who, with the 
 Cossack and myself, paddled down the stream. Proceeding day and 
 night in my open canoe, I generally made one hundred to one hundred 
 and twenty miles each day, and Avherever I went, fared well I'rom the 
 hospitality of the Russian colonists, as well as from tlut of my friends at 
 Irkutsk, who had provided me, according to the lius.<4ian proverb, with 
 plenty of bread and salt. This simple sounding provision also hicluded 
 some fine partridges, a hare, a large piece of roast beef, and a quantity 
 of meat pies ; not omitting whie and rum. A traveler in Russia, whether 
 native or foreigner, on taking leave of his friends previous to his depart- 
 ure, uniformly finds at his lodgings all the provisions requisite for his 
 journey, with another lodging pointed out at some friend's upon his 
 next route, for as long as he pleases. Indeed I have no doubt, as the se- 
 quel will justify the assertion, that a man may tr.avel through the Rus- 
 sian Empire, as long aa his conduct is becoming, without wanting any 
 thing — not even horses and money ; excepting only the civilized parts 
 between the capitals. 
 
 " Pursuing my voyage, I reached Vittim, which is half way to Ya- 
 kutsk, upon the eighth day. Here I was first overtaken by the ice floating 
 down the river, yet not so as to incommode me, and I had enjoyed the 
 luxury of fine autumnal, though cold, weather. Sometimes the boat 
 was so much entangled in the ice, that the poor fellows were compelled 
 to strip and track her, up to their waists in water, while the atmosphere 
 was twenty-five degrees of Fahrenheit ; I could perceive that they suf- 
 fered a good deal in consequence, for upon their return to the boat, they 
 could not tell which part of their l -^dy to restore first to proper anima- 
 tion. Their great resort, I invariably found, was to take a mouthful of 
 smoke from their pipe — not, however, of tobacco ; the greater part at 
 least being birch-wood dust, or fine shavings, mixed with a very scanty 
 portion of tobacco, the latter article being extremely dear : if to this 
 luxury can be added, however small, a drop of brandy, they will cheer- 
 fully, and even thankfully, undergo the repetition of the suffering. At 
 one of these villages, I resumed my knapsack, and in three days reached 
 Olekminsk, the last thirty miles on horseback. 
 
 " From Olekminsk to Yakutsk is about four hundred miles, which, 
 except the two last stages, I completed in the canoe. It was on the 1st of 
 
302 
 
 COOIlRANR'fl JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERTA. 
 
 < )«tobur that I loll, luid tho 0th when T arrived. Tim weather jirovcd 
 ^ cry i-old, and snow ft'll heavily ; the atmosphere dark, and havin;^' evory 
 appearaneo of winter : yet, upon tho whole, the season is eonsidcrod 
 liackward, as on the 1st of October tho Lena is generally frozen over, aiid 
 in throe weeks more admits of travelers with sledges ; but at this time I 
 was enabled to reaeh within lifty or sixty miles by water, although with 
 some risk and diflicudty. 
 
 "Yakutsk, although a considerable place of trade, and a greiit pass 
 for the American Company, is ill built, and more s(!attered even tlian 
 Irkutsk, in the most exp<ised of all bleak sitiiations, on the MX bank of 
 tlie Lena, which is in summer four miles, and winter two miles and a 
 half, wide, appearing, as it really is, ono of tho finest streams in tlio 
 world, running a course of more than three tlumsand miles from i(s 
 source, near Irkutsk, to tho Frozen Sea, which it enters by several 
 mouths. There are seven thousand inhabitants in the city, of whom tlie 
 greater j)art arc llnssians, aiul tho rest Yakuli. Half a dozen churclics, 
 tho remains of an old fortress, a monastery, and some tolerable build- 
 ings, give it some decency of appear.an(H>, yet I could not h(>li» thinking 
 it one of the most dreary-looking ]>lace8 I liad seen, though I was in tlic 
 enjoyment of every comfort, and therefore the less disposed to con\jil;iiii. 
 
 "I remained in Yakutsk three weeks, making the needful jtreparii- 
 tions for my journey during so severe a season of the year. Li pur- 
 ticular I looked to the nature of my dress, for tho accounts of the cold 
 which I should have to encounter were such, that I considered myself 
 exposed to death, without oven the satisfaction of expecthig to be binioil, 
 from the ctornal frost that j)revails h(>re. Could, however, this fccliiitj 
 be gratiiied, the satisfaction would be materially increased by the knowl- 
 edge that the body itself would enter the next world in the same state 
 that it left this ; for everywhere to tho north of Yakutsk, tho carlli, two 
 feet and a half l)elow the surface, is perpetually frozen ; consecpiently a 
 carcase buried in it at that depth must remain perpetually the same. 
 
 " The way I passed my time at Mr. Minitsky's was sufficiently reg- 
 ular ; T rose early, atul always went early to bod ; occupied, while day- 
 light lasted, Avith bringing up my journal ; then at a game at billiards; 
 aRi'rward at dinner, always on the most excellent 1; '"o, Avith wine, mm, 
 and other delicacies. Li tho eveniTig, with a party of the natives, male 
 and female, at the house of tho chief; tho ladies to all appearance dumb, 
 not daring to utter a word, and solely employed in cracking their nuts, 
 a very small species of the cedar-mit, which abounds in such quantities 
 as to be made an article of trade to Okotsk and Kamtchatka. I am not 
 I'xaggorating, when I say that half a dozen of females will sit down and 
 consume each many hundreds of these nuts, and quit the house witliout 
 having spoken a Avord — unless a stolen one, in fear it should be hoard. 
 While the ladies are thus cracking their nuts, staring, and listening, and 
 speechless, the gentlemen are erai)loyed in drinking rum or rye-brandy 
 punch, as their tastes may dictate. Nor is even good rum a scarce 
 
 I 
 
rcg- 
 
 WINTKR TRAVKL IN SIUKIIIA. 
 
 393 
 
 iirtlclo licrp, rominpf ns it dooa by way of Knmtclifitlia. I was one fciist- 
 ,l;iy oil a visit to a ri'sjK'otalth^ old gi'utlctnan, otic of tlio counfil ; thcro 
 wi'i'c no chairH, 1)iit a loiij^ tabli) was Nprcad, with flsli jiics, ii \m'vc of 
 roust iMH'f, boil(Ml deors' toni^iics, and sorno wild berries in a lait. Tlio 
 first (hinj? i»resented is a glass of 'randy, wliieli I refnsed, knowinjij tho 
 chief to have Hent Home good wine ; this I was ofltsred, and ae(u'|tted, 
 when T was told by my friend the (ihief, that it was not the cuMtom to 
 accept any thing of that kuid tlie first time, but to await the third. 
 Ivclying upon t!»e ehiefs better knowledge of the Siberian world, T rc- 
 ftiseil the next glass of wine, whieh was offered me twice, und need not 
 .s;iy I ultimately lost it, probably from the practice of cconomiznig good 
 wine in a place where it can sel(h»m be purchased. 
 
 "My dresses completed, and the river having, according to custom, 
 lipon passed and decilared closed, I ]>Mcked up my knapsack and other 
 ]»:iggage, aa I was providiul also with a coiiplo of bags of black biscuit 
 through tho kindiu'ss of my liost, with a j)ieco of roast beef, a few dried 
 lisli, half a dozen pounds of tea, and twenty pounds of sug.ar-c.andy, be- 
 sides fifty ])oun<ls of tobacco, and a keg of vodkey (corn-brandy), a most 
 indi^-pcnsablo article on such a journey, whether for my own or others' 
 consumption. I had b(!side» a pipe, flint, steel, and ax, and, what was 
 ot" most imi)ortance, a Cossack companion, who indeed proved inval- 
 uable to me. My destination was Nishney Kolymsk, distant about ono 
 thousand eight lumdred mllca, which wore to bo traveled over in tho 
 coldest season of the year, and in what is esteemed tho coldest part of 
 the north-east of Asia." 
 
 lie letl Y.'ikutsk on tho last day of October, tho thermomc tcr being 
 !it twenty-nine degrees below zero, and after a wearisome journey of 
 two days, alternately walking and riding, alike to escape the fatigue and 
 tho cold, ho arrived at tho banks of tho Aldan, where ho thus proceeds 
 with his narrative : " On tho Gth of November I crossed tlio Aldan, and 
 breakfasted at a solitary yourto (at ten lailos), completing in tho evening 
 thirty miles, where we halted in a cabin about ten feet square. Had 
 it, however, been much worse or smaller, I nuist have felt thankful, for 
 I had been severely pinched by tho effects of the cold and the wind in 
 my face. A good firo, a cup of tea, and a sound shimber, with pleasant 
 dreams, perfectly refreshed me by the ensuing morning. Tho country 
 had of late been level, but at twenty miles I became enveloped in a lofty 
 chain of mountains, which I had been for some time gradually ascend- 
 ing, and which are called the Toukoulan chain, from the word Touku, 
 which, in the Yakut language, signifies " noisy ;" as indeed the river of 
 tiiat name does roar down its precipitous banks. We halted for the 
 night at the foot of a mountainous peak, sheltered from the cold north 
 wind ; and as this was the firpt night which I was to pass in the open 
 air, I shall describe the manner of it, in order that it may be known how 
 I far (contrary to my calculations) our situation was susceptible oven of 
 ! comfort. 
 
 L 
 
894 
 
 COCnRANB'S JOURNEY THROUOII SIBERIA. 
 
 
 " Tho first thing on my arrival W!W to unload tho horsts, loosen thoir 
 saddlus or padH, tako tho bridlo out of tliL-ir mouths, and tio thein to a 
 trco in such a luaunur that thoy could not eat. Tho Vakuti Ihon with 
 thoir axes proceeded to I'ell timber, while 1 and the ('ossack, with our 
 lopatkas, or wooden spades, cleared away tho snow, which was geiu'ially 
 a couple of feet deep. We then spread branches of the j)ine-tree, to 
 fortify us from tho damp or cold cartli beneath us : a good lire was now 
 soon made, and each bringing a leatiu'rn bag from tho baggage, fur- 
 nished himself with a scat. Wo then put the kettle on the fire, and 
 soon forgot the sullerings of tho day. At times the weather was so cold 
 that we wcro ahnost obliged to creep into tho fire ; and as I was nuich 
 worse off than tho rest of the party for warm clothing, I had recoursu to 
 every stratagem I could devise to keep my blood in circulation. It was 
 barely possible to keep ono side of tho body from freezing, while tho 
 other might bo said to bo roasting. Upon tho whole, I i)assed the night 
 tolerably well, although I was obliged to get uj) five or six times to tako 
 a walk o)" run for tho benefit of my feet. While thus employed, I dLs- 
 covered that the Yakuti had drawn tho firo from our side to theirs, a 
 trick which I determined to counteract i\w. following night. I should 
 here observe, that it is tho custom of tho Yakuti to get to leeward of tho 
 iire, and then, undressing themselves, i)Ut the whole of their clothes as 
 a shelter for the outer sides of their bodies, while tho inner side receives 
 a thorough roasting from exposure to tho firo ; this plan also gives them 
 the benefit of tho warmth of their own bodies. The thermometer during 
 the day had ranged from filleou to twenty-fivo degrees below zero, ac- 
 cording to the elevation of the sun. 
 
 " Tho following day, at thirty miles, we again lialtcd in tho snow, 
 when I made a horse-shoe firo, which I found had tho effect I desired, 
 of keeping every part of mo alike warm, and I actually slept well with- 
 out any other covering than my clotlies thrown over me, whereas before 
 I had oidy the consolation of knowing that if I was in a freezing state 
 with one half of my body, the other was meanwhile roasting to make 
 amends. On tho third night I reached tho foot of tho mountainous pass 
 which may bo said to lead to Northern Siberia. My route had hitherto 
 lain generally on tho banks of the Toukoulan, which runs along a pic- 
 turesque valley on tho western range of the mountains, and is well wood- 
 ed with fir, larch, and alder. Upon reaching thus far, I looked up at 
 what I had yet to perform, and, I confess, felt astonished, not at tho 
 height, but how it could bo practicable to get up a slippery and almost 
 trackless road. However we commenced, and mainly by preferring the 
 deep snow, as I uniformly did, at last gained the summit, but not with- 
 out great fatigue ; a horse could not carry a person up under a consider- 
 ble time, and it took me two hours at least. We sat down, ray Cossack 
 and I, to gain breath and wait for the Yakuti with the baggage, in the 
 mean tune smoking a pipe ; but it was too cold to remain ; we therefore 
 prepared to descend. As to keepmg my feet, however, that was impos- 
 
 J 
 
YAKUT VORACITY. 
 
 895 
 
 siblo; I thoroforo laid down, and Hlid to thu bottom of tho most danger- 
 ous part, a Ibat for which 1 had ni'ui ly paid dear, by cominji in contact 
 'with a horMU wliicli had taicun tliu Hunic expeditious mode of descending. 
 The patii was so narrow, that one error would liavo pitched ine forever 
 into tiio abyss of snow beneath ; and, although not deep, would havo 
 prevented a return, uidess 1 had fortunately lallen with my feet down- 
 ward ; tho halffro/.en surlace of the snow serving in some manner to 
 bring tho person up : falling on one side I foun«l very dangerous, unless 
 Bomcbody was near to render ussiatanco. I Koon readied what I may 
 term a charity yourto, being erected by tho community in general for 
 the accommodation and preservaticHj of travelers. It consists of a twelve 
 feet square room, with a small ante-room wliich serves as an entry, and 
 may be properly termed a log-house, having uo window, unless a largo 
 opening in tho roof may bo so termed." 
 
 In this manner they arrivcid at IJaralass in six days by a route leading 
 through magnilicent scenery, but a dreary and desolate region, " where," 
 observes Ca]>tain Cochrane, "there is not an individual dwelling in '''e 
 whole extent from Aldan to liaralass, a distance equal to half the length 
 of England." They rea(!hed Tabalak on tho sixth day from Haralass, a 
 distance of two hundred and thirty miles. " The third day," he writes, 
 "was tho coldest I had experienced, the thermometer ranging from 
 thirty to thirty-five degrees below zero, attended with some snow. We 
 passed several habitations of tho Yakuti, who invariably otlered us a 
 lodging and provision for the day ; and always appropriated to me tho 
 best berth, which is in that corner of the room midcr the uuage, and 
 opposite to the fire. 
 
 " At Tabalak I had a pretty good specimen of tho appetite of a child, 
 whoso age (as I understood from the steersman, who spoke some English 
 and loss French) did not exceed five years. I had observed the child 
 crawling on tho floor, and scraping up with its thumb the tallow-grease 
 which fell from a lighted candle, and I inquired in surprise whether it 
 proceeded from hunger or liking of the fat. I was told from neither, 
 but simply from the habit in both Yakuti and Tongousi, of eating when- 
 ever there is food, and never permitting any thing that can be eaten to 
 be lost. I gave the child a candle made of the most impure tallow, a 
 83cond, and a third — and all were devoured with avidity. The steers- 
 man then gave liim several pounds of sour, frozen butter ; this also he 
 immediately consumed ; lastly, a large piece of yellow soap ; — all went 
 tho same road ; but as I was now convinced that the child would con- 
 tinue to gorge as long as it could receive any thing, I begged my com- 
 panion to desist as I had done. 
 
 " For an instance in confirmation of this, no doubt, extraordinary 
 statement, I shall refer to the voyages of the Russian admiral, Saritchcff. 
 ' No sooner,' he says, ' had they stopped to rest or spend the night, 
 than they had their kettle on the fire, which they never left until they 
 pursued their journey, spending the intervals for rest in eating, and, in 
 
896 
 
 OOOHRANE'S JOURNEY TRROUOH SIBERIA. 
 
 consequence of no sleep, were drowsy all the next tliiy.' The admiral 
 also says, 'That such extraordinary voracity was never attended with 
 any ill etiects, although they made u practice of devouring, at oni' nical, 
 what would have killed any other person. The labori-rs,' the admiral 
 says, ' had an allowan(!e of four poods, or one hiuulred and forty-four 
 English pounds of fat, and seventy -two pounds of rye-flour, yet in a fort- 
 night they complained of havhig nothing to eat. Not crediting the fact, 
 the Yakuti said that one of them was accustomed to consume at home, 
 in the space of a day, or twenty-four hours, the hind-<p>arter of a large 
 oa*, tircnty pounds of fat, and a proportionate quantity of melted butler 
 for his drink. Tho appearance of the man not justifying the assertion, 
 the admiral had a mind to try his gormandizing powers, and for that 
 purpose ho had a thick porridge of rice boiled down with three pounds 
 of butter, weighing together twenty-eight pounds, and although tho 
 glutton had already breakfasted, yet did he sit down to it with great 
 eagerness, and consumed the whole without stirring from tho spot ; and, 
 except that his stomach betrayed more than an ordin.ary fullness, ho 
 showed no sign of inconvenience or injury, but would have been ready 
 to renew his gluttony the following day.' " 
 
 Adcr nine days of this toilsome kii 1 of traveling, they at length got 
 clear of the desert of snow, and descended from the hills ; then passing 
 along a well-wooded v.illey to tho Indigirka, they entered tho town of 
 Zashivcrsk. " Of all the places I have ever seen, bearing tho name of 
 city or town," observes Captain Cochrane, " this is the most dreary and 
 dosol.ite : my blood froze Avithin nic as I beheld and .approached tho 
 place. All that I have seen in passing rocky or snowy sierras or ])asses 
 in Spain, in traversing tho wastes of Canada, or in crossing the Cordil- 
 leras or Andes in South America, tho Pyrenees, or the Alps, can not be 
 compared with the desolation of the scene around me ! The first con- 
 siderable halting-place from Yakutsk, the half-w.ay house, is nine hundred 
 or 01) e thousand miles removed from a civilized place. Such a spot gives 
 name to a commissariat, and contains seven habitations of the most miser- 
 able kind, inhabited severally by two clergymen, each separate, a non- 
 commissioned officer, and a second in command ; a postmaster, a mer- 
 chant, and an old widow. I have, during my service in the navy, and 
 during a period when seamen were scarce, seen a merchant ship with 
 sixteen guns, and only fifteen men, but I never before saw a town with 
 only seven inhabitants. 
 
 " On the 23d of December, I quitted tho town of Zashiversk, not un- 
 gratcfid for the hospitality of its poor insibitants, who had supplied me 
 with plenty of fish, here eaten in a raw state, and which to this hour I 
 remember as the greatest delicacy I have ever tasted. Spite of our prej- 
 udices, there is nothing to be compared to the melting of raw fish 
 in the mouth ; oysters, clotted cream, or the finest jelly in the world is 
 nothing to it ; nor ig it only a small quantity that may be eaten of this 
 precious commodity. I myself have finished a whole fish which, in its 
 
IIK BRCOMKS A PRIEST. 
 
 807 
 
 frozen state, might lave woighiJ two or tlucc; poiunls, and, with black 
 LiHcuit and a glass of ryo-branily, have defied either nature or art to pre- 
 pare a better jncul. It is cut up or Hhaved into slices with a wharf) knifo, 
 from head to tail, and thence derives tho name of Stroganina. My (IrHt 
 day's journey made mo better ac^pminted with the power and uho of 
 dogs; water or ice, fish, firewood, travelers and their guods, and every 
 tiling, being here drawn by these animals. I continuiMl over a flat coun- 
 try, and lakes commuiiicjiting with oiu( another by small streams, Bulfer- 
 ing much at times from tlieeold, especially in tlio knees, which, althougli 
 not sensibly cold, liad a feeling of deadness and i)ainful fatigue which I 
 could not account for, till a peddler explained to me, by signs and words, 
 that, if I did not alter my plan, I sliould certainly lose both my legs 
 above tho knees. They appeared indeed a little inflamed, owing, as he 
 said, to tho inadequate protection of tho knee-joints, which, on horse- 
 back, arc more tlian ordinarily exposed, all the defense they had being a 
 single leather, in sometimes sixty-eight degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. 
 I considered that I was still bound to tho northward, and tluit the ex- 
 treme of winter had not yet come upon me, and therefore thought it 
 better to accept a pair of souturee (knee-preservers, made of the skins of 
 reindeer's legs), whi(rh he very kindly offered. The service they did mo 
 is astonishing ; from that moment I liad less pain and more heat, and be- 
 came fully satisfied that tho extremities are alono to bo taken care of." 
 
 At length tho traveler's eyes became painful from the effects of the 
 snow on the cye-laslies, but he still pushed on over a miserable road, the 
 fatigues of which need not bo repeated, and on the eighth day reached 
 Sordak, three hundred antl twenty miles from Zashiversk. In the few 
 wretched abodes which they p.issed on tho route, they sometimes tbund 
 tho occupants in a state of starvation. " Having well refreshed ourselves 
 with the flesh of a wolf and a horse, which had the day before fought 
 each other to death," continues the captain, "wo departed on the 14th 
 toward tho Kolyma. Tho first night we put up at a yourtc, forty miles, 
 encompassed by squalling children, growling and howling dogs, and a 
 scolding and tyrannical hostess. Having procured wood for the night, 
 on the morrow we departed, but not before I had got into a scrtipe, for 
 hanging my cap and gloves upon the pins which bear the images of wor- 
 ship. Tho infuriated woman ccmplained to the Cossack of the insult. 
 The Cossack told her I was an English pope, or priest, and that I was 
 privileged ; the length of my locks, as well as beard, was proof positive, 
 and thenceforward I was called the English priest. 
 
 " On the 19th of December, I reached Sredne Kolymsk. The piiest 
 having, with the commissary and principal ])eople of the place, paid me 
 a visit, the former entered my habitation crossing himself, as is custom- 
 ary ; then advancing to mo, who stood offering him my hand in the En- 
 glish style, I was honored with his blessing, which I acknowledged by an 
 exchange of tho compliment. The old gentleman retreated in astonish- 
 ment, and, demanding who and what I was, my Cossack answered that 
 
398 
 
 COOHRANE'S JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 I was an English priest ; upon which the reverend gentleman observed 
 he was in error, as one priest could not give benediction to another. He 
 then shook hands, and expressed his friendship for rao. Another instance 
 of the effects of my beard, and of more value to me, though less to the 
 priests of Siberia, arose from the circumstance of the Yakuti coming to 
 mo frequently with the right hand open, and supported by the left, which 
 T interpreted into an asking of alms, and accord, int'ly gave them some- 
 thing to eat. This, however, they evidently dtch.icd, and still continued 
 their supplicating posture. My Cossack afterward gave me to understand 
 that I was mistaken, for that they were begging a blessing. I therefore 
 determined to satisfy the next Yakut who ai)poared during one of my 
 rambles along the river ; and wlien a well-dressed Yakut knez, or prince, 
 demanded my blessing in passing, I gave it to him in the Russian stylo, 
 as well as to his family. When I left them the prince began to unload 
 a saiuna, or leathern bag, and following me, kissed my hand, and insisted 
 upon my accepting a couple of sables ; nor could all my entreaties induce 
 him to take them back, that being considered the greatest insult : nor, 
 indeed will any return be received for a religious offering on the spot ; 
 afterward, a little tobacco, a knife, or flint and steel, is considered an ac- 
 ceptable present. 
 
 On Christmas day he set forward, and after a journey of five days 
 over a flat country, with the temperature at from forty-five to fifty de- 
 grees below zero, he arrived at the station called Malone. On the last 
 day he traveled sixty miles, " although," he observes, " I was obliged 
 from the cold to dismount at least twenty or thirty times to take a run 
 for mere self-preservation. At Malone the track for horses is in general 
 finished, though they do sometimes go as far as Nishney Kolymsk, and 
 even to the Frozen Sea, in search of sea-horse and mammoth's tusks. I 
 was now provided with thirteen dogs and a driver, and a vehicle covered 
 over with a sort of frame and oil-cloth, to keep out the cold, as it was 
 thought too great for me to withstand. A bear-skin and warm blanket 
 and pillow were also placed in it, in such a manner that I might lie 
 down, be warm, and sleep at my pleasure. I got in, and it was closed 
 after me ; not a breath of air could enter ; so that, notwithstanding the 
 intense cold prevailing on the outside, I was obliged tp make my escape 
 from the suffocation within, by taking out my knife and cutting a way 
 through to gain fresh air. 
 
 " We reached fifty-five miles with the same dogs, and put up for the 
 night at a Yukagir hut. Resumed next morning, with increased cold, 
 though calm weather, and reached Nishney Kolymsk at noon, amid a 
 frost of sixty-two and a half degrees below zero, according to many 
 spirit tLermometers of Baron Wrangel's, on the last day of December, 
 1820, after a most tedious, laborious, and to me perilous, journey of 
 sixty-one days, twenty of which were passed in the snow, without even 
 the comfort of a blanket ; nor had I even a second coat, or parka, nor 
 even a Becond pair of boots, and less clothing than even the guides and 
 
BARON WRANGEL'S EXPEDITION. 
 
 899 
 
 attendants of the poorest class. I met, at Nishney Kolyrosk, the Baron 
 Wrangel, and his cou.panion, Mr. Matiushkin, a midshipman. It was 
 the last day of the old year, and in the present enjoyment of a moderato 
 meal, a hearty welcome, and excellent friends, I soon forgot the past, 
 and felt little concern for the future. Quarters were appropriated mo 
 in the baron's own house; and with him, on the shores of the Frozen 
 Sea, I enjoyed health and every comfort I could desire. 
 
 " On the morning after my arriv.al at Nishney Kolymsk, and while 
 at breakfast I received, as a new year's gift, a couple of large fish in a 
 frozen state, weighing each five or six poods, or about two liundred 
 pounds weight, I inquired for what they were intended, and learned, 
 that I could not. be supposed to have brought fish with me for subsist- 
 enco ; and that, a«« the season had already passed for laying in a stock, 
 the inhabitants of course knew that I must be in want. During the 
 forenoon I also received a parka, or le.ither frock, to be worn during 
 my stay in the Kolyma. It was a handsome one, mounted with sables 
 and martins. To these were added trowsers, cap, boots, and leather 
 hose ; in short, every article of dress that could be desired, and sufficient 
 to have served me at least a twelvemonth. Besides these articles, I was 
 also provided with a bear's skin lor a bed, and a leather covering for a 
 blanket, lined with hare's skins. 
 
 " Baron Wrangel's expedition I found in a state of -nuch forward- 
 ness, great exertions having been used in collecting dogs and drivers, 
 and provisions, as well as in making new niirtes, or sledges. I learned 
 that it would depart from the Kolyma in the month of March, in two 
 divisions — one having for its object the solution of the question regard- 
 ing the latitude and longitude of the north-east cape of Asia; and the 
 other, a journey due north from the mouth of the Kolyma, in search of 
 a real or supposed continent, or rather the contimiation of Asia to where 
 it was imagined by some to join the continent of America. I did not 
 hesitate to volunteer ray services ; but in consequenct3 of my being a 
 foreigner, I foimd ray services could not bo accepted without special 
 permission from the government. I therefore made up my mind to set 
 out for the fair of the Tchuktchi, and to try my fortune in getting a 
 passage thro'Jgh their country, and so to cross over Behring's Straits 
 for America. 
 
 "Nishnoy Kolymfk niay be tenned a large town in this part of the 
 world, containing, as it does, near fii"^y dwellings and about four hundred 
 people (or eighty families), which is three times the number of any 
 place betwi.\t it and Yokutsk. No cultivation can of course be expected 
 in a climate wherein scarcely a blade of gnass is to be seen ; the horses, 
 which do sometimes tarry in its vicinity for a few days, feeding upon 
 the tops, stumps, and bark of the bushes, or upon the moss. The inhab- 
 itants manage, notwithstanding, with great labor to feed a couple of 
 cows ; though to do this they are obliged +0 bring the hay eighty miles.'» 
 
 The town and district of Kolyma are subject to the ravages of many 
 
400 
 
 COCHRANE'S JOUllNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 diseases, such as leprojy, apoplexy, scurvy, and others, which the captain 
 enumerates, and then proceeds as follows: "The complaints called 
 diable au corps^ and imerachism, must also be specified ; the former is a 
 most extraordinary one, and consists in an idea that the body of the pa- 
 tient is possessed with one or more devils, attended with incessant hic- 
 coughs. The parties afflicted with it are generally most delicate and 
 iiiturcsting m their appearance ; and it is seldom indeed that any indi- 
 vidual is cured. In females it prevails to such an extent as utterly to 
 prevent pregnancy. I have seen them hiccough to so great an extent, 
 as to induce mo to strike them on the tipper part of the spine, in the 
 hope of relievuig them from the pain by a surprise of the moment. 
 They persist in believing that a devil is \\\ the body of the person afflict- 
 ed, and that, until he be removed, the person will never regain health. 
 The complaint, whatever it may be, the natives consider as an inherit- 
 ance from their fathers. Imerachism, to which not only the poople of 
 tho Kolyma, but those also of more southern countries are subject, is 
 ecpially unaccountable. Instead of exciting serious fits, like the last- 
 mentioned disorder, it carries with it an air of merriment, as it by no 
 means affects tho health of the person, though it subjects him to the 
 most violent paroxysms of rage, fear, and mortification. Whatever is 
 said or done m the presence of an imerach, will be repeated by him at 
 the moment, however indecorous, improper, or violent the act may ho. 
 I have seen the dog-master of Baron Wrangel's expedition commit acts 
 sufficient to frighten the person in company with him. While in an ad- 
 joining room conversing on points of duty, a slight knock at the bulk- 
 head was sufficient to set him a pummellmg the person with him merely 
 from a principle of self-defense. Of this same dog-master, by the way, 
 a highly amusing anecdote is related, and whic'^ was confirmed to me, 
 not only by himseli" personally, but also by Mr. oredenstrom, of Irkutsk, 
 who commanded the expedition. The theater w^as the Frozen Ocean, 
 and tho imcrach's dogs and narte were tho headmost. One forenoon 
 they encountered a largo white bear ; the dogs immediately started 
 toward the animal, and the driver, being the dog-master of whom I am 
 speaking, steadfastly kept his place, prudently remaining by those who 
 only could assist him. In the eagerness of tho dogs, sharpened probably 
 by hunger, they became entangled with one another, and were almost 
 rendered useless. The driver seeing the state to which he was reduced, 
 resolved to attack the bear with his ostol (a stout ironed stick with small 
 bells, which serves to stop the narte), and accordingly presented himself 
 to the enraged bear, who immediately raised himself upon the hind legs, 
 and beg;in to cry and roar most bitterly ; tho imerach followed his ex- 
 ample. Tho bear then began to dance, and tho driver did the same, till 
 at length the other nartes coming up, the bear received a blow upon ihe 
 nose and was secured. Two old ladies in Kamtchatka, one, the mother 
 of a Mr. Tullraan, an American, who had married a Russian girl, the 
 other, the wife of a Russian, who were both afflicted with tho disease, 
 
VISIT TO THE TCHUKTCHI. 
 
 401 
 
 were sitting at tea opposite to one another, when Mr. Tallman, in a gen- 
 tle manner, put hia hands behind their backs, propelling the old ladies 
 toward each other, upon which they instantly exchanged tea-cups and 
 saucers, Avhile the reaUy offending party stood enjoying the mischief." 
 
 Captain Cochrane remained at Lower Kolymsk during the months 
 of January and February. The weather was exceedingly cold. Mean- 
 while the preparations for the expedition were completed, and Baron 
 Wrangel and his party set out on the 27th of February. On the 4th of 
 March, the Captain left the Kolyma on a visit to the Tchuktchi. IIu 
 traveled in company ■with Mr. Matiushkin, the midshipman, and some 
 merchants, whose nartes were loaded with tobacco and iron utensils for 
 the fair of the Tchuktchi, to be held at the fortress of Ostrovnaya. The 
 weather was fine, being but twenty-five degrees below zero. On the 8th 
 tliey reached the fortress, situated on the Aniuy, one hundred and fifty 
 miles from the Kolyma. 
 
 " Having settled ourselves in a small Yukagir yourte," continues the 
 
 captain. 
 
 " Mr. Matiushkin and I received a visit from one of the Tchukt- 
 
 chi, a most empty countenanced and wild looking savage. He entered 
 the room where we were, tumbled himself down upon a stool, smoked 
 his pipe, and then quitted the room, without once looking at, or taking 
 the least notice, either of us or any thing about us. The commissary 
 having made his appearance, it was determined to commence the fair, 
 by first installing two of the chiefs with medals and swords, baptizing 
 them, and receiving a nominal tribute. The morning was ushered in by 
 the arrival of these persons in state, dressed in their gayest apparel, and 
 seated in a beautiful narte dra^vn by two rein-deer, the whole forming a 
 cavalcade of twenty-five or thirty pairs. Having reached a large store- 
 house, to which the altar and images were carried, the priest pro- 
 ceeded to baptize the two men, their wives, and three children ; but in- 
 stead of being merely sprinkled ^vith water, they, men and women, were 
 obliged one and all to strip, and to be three times plunged into a large 
 iron caldron of ice-water, ■with the thermometer on the spot at forty- 
 seven degrees below zero, with no part of their dross on except their 
 trowsers ; and were afterward directed to bathe their feet in the same 
 cold water. I could not help pitying the women and children, the 
 former of whom, having long hair, became, as it were, enveloped in 
 icicles. A small cross suspended round the neck, with many difficult 
 and almost useless injunctions how to pronounce their newly-acquired 
 names, completed the ceremony. A quantity of tobacco was then given 
 as a present to each of the new converts, by way of inducing others to 
 follow the example. 
 
 " I next day visited their camp, distant about two miles and a half. 
 It consisted of three large and three small tents. The former contained 
 the bulk of the Tchukskoi people, and the latter were appropriated to 
 the chiefs and more considerable people. The large tents were disgust- 
 ingly dirty and offensive, exhibiting every species of grossuess and in- 
 
402 
 
 COCHRANB'S JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 delicacy. But the smaUer wen , on the contrary, very neat, clean, and 
 warm, although without a fire, at forty-seven degrees below zero. In- 
 deed they were to me almost suifocating, being only eight feet loni-, 
 five broad, and about three feet high ; and containing three or four peo- 
 pie huddled together in one bed, which is made of rein-deer skins, and 
 the coverings lined with white foxes'. The small tents are made also of 
 the old and hard skins doubled, so that the hair is both on the inside and 
 out ; a large lamp, with whale oil or fat, which serves them for a light, 
 communicates also considerable warmth. On entering one of these small 
 dwellings, I found the chief and his wife perfectly naked, as was also a 
 little girl, their dauTh'^er, of about nine years old — nor did they seem to 
 regard our presence (Mr. Matiushkin was with me), but ordered the 
 daughter to proceed and prepare some rein-deer's meat for us, which she 
 did, in that state of nudity, by a I're close to the tent. Having lolled 
 upon the bed about a quarter of an liour, wo were .treated with the rein- 
 deer meat half boiled, of which we of course partook of our complement. 
 I was, however, obliged to cut short my visit, from want of air and the 
 most offensive smell I had ever endured f sr so long a time. 
 
 " The toion, or chief, was a little angry with me for quitting liitn, 
 and imputed it to his having the previous day opposed my design of 
 going through his country. Their furniture consists of a large kettle, 
 knife, wooden bowls, platters, spoons or ladles, and an ax, with flint and 
 steel. Having thus informed myself 6f the savage state in which they 
 live, I returned to the fortress, driven by one of the chiefs in a neat 
 narte, drawn by a couple of rein-deer in a pretty style. ITicy use regu- 
 lar reins, made of leather thongs, and a long ..pringing cane with an 
 ivory nob to it, of the tooth of a sea-horse ; the latter is exercised occa- 
 sionally upon the rump of the animal, on which it is capable of inflicting 
 a pretty severe blow. I must, however, do justice to the Tchuktohi for 
 their very kind treatment and conduct to their brutes, whether dogs or 
 rein-deer — appearing quite to consider them as pets. Nay, to so great 
 a degree is this feeling carried, that among this savage nation it is con- 
 sidered unmanly even to ride ; in all ordinary cases they prefer to walk, 
 and in every other way appear solicitous to lessen the labor of the ani- 
 mal, permitting only the women and children to sit in the nartes when 
 upon a journey. The persons of the Tchuktchi are not peculiarly large, 
 though their dress, which is clean but of enormous size, gives them 
 almost a gigantic appearance. They have fair or clear skins, but ordin- 
 ary though masculine features. In conduct they are wild and rude. 
 They have no diseases, and live to a great age ; two of the chiefs at the 
 fair being past seventy, as calculated by the number of voyages they had 
 made ere they accompanied Captain Billings." 
 
 The fair at length finished. Captain Cochrane prepared to depart ', 
 for Nishnoy Kolymsk. " My return to the Kolyma," he writes, " oc- 
 cupied me only two days, partly from the lightness of the carriage, and 
 pai-tly from the hunger of the dogs, there being little or none of their 
 
JOURNEY TO OKOTSK. 
 
 403 
 
 common food offering for sale on the banks of the Aniuy. I was most 
 happy to meet with the Baron Wrangel, who had returned from his ex- 
 pedition around Skelatskoi Noss." 
 
 Captain Cochrane now prepared for the journey to Okotsk. He 
 had attempted to persuade the Tchuktchi to convey him through their 
 country, but failing in this, he resolved to proceed by the direct route, 
 which was most difficult and dangerous, rather than retrace his steps a 
 long distance, and follow a monotonous road by the more circuitous 
 The commissary, Cossacks, and Yakuti, who were ordered to at- 
 
 one 
 
 tend him, all remonstrated; the Mter were so fearful of a journey of 
 the kind that they even attempted to bribe him by presents to take an- 
 other, but the captain was resolute. " To me," he remarks, " the hard- 
 est day's work was followed by the happiest evening and the soundest 
 gleep as I lay down on my snow pillow." 
 
 He left Lower Kolymsk on the 27th of March in a narte drawn by 
 thirteen dogs, who took him eighty miles a day, and on the fifth day he 
 arrived at Srcdne, or Middle Kolymsk. Here he remained two days 
 awaiting a fresh Cossack, who was to attend him to Okotsk. " I felt 
 most happy," he observes, " in preparing once more to tread a new 
 road, and throw aside the difficulties which were forever thundered in 
 my ears." Finally they set out ; on the second day they were thrown 
 into a snow pit, and the horses becoming disengaged from their bur- 
 thens, scrambled up the pit, leaving the travelers and baggage to shift 
 for themselves. After ten miles' walk they reached a yourte, whose 
 owner sent for the baggage, the Yakuti having gone for the horses. 
 
 At Verchne (Upper) Kolymsk he left the Kolyma, and at length 
 reaching the Zyzanka, pursued his route through the defiles of a mount- 
 ainous region. The party subsisted on partridges and hares found in 
 traps by the wayside. " We at length entered upon the Hokusolbetie 
 and Bochiera, two rivers, which, entering the Zyzanka at a narrow de- 
 file, form a sort of frozen torrent, over which the horses had great diffi- 
 culty to pass, as piles of ice lay in every cross direction. The Cossack 
 and guide now began also to sufl:er, while I was gaining ground from 
 habit and superior strength of constitution. The guide was almost 
 blind, while the Cossack was afflicted with a severe diarrhoea arising 
 fi'om want of food, for our game had failed us, and he was too much 
 a Greek to eat horse-meat. It was, however, his own fault, for he al- 
 ways ate voraciously whenever an occasion offered. 
 
 "The snow was deep but soft, the noon-day heat melting the surface, 
 and the night's frost again freezing it, just sufficiently to bear a man 
 with snow-shoes; so that, in addition to our other difficulties, the horsea 
 began to fail. "We nevertheless continued our route, gaining the Zy- 
 eanka, and laterally crossing the mountains which confine it. We then 
 entered the most dismal, dreary, and inhospitable valley I have ever 
 seen ; not a blade of grass, nor moss, not a shrub, tree, nor even a 
 morsel of drift wood, to be seen, but one tremendous slate mountain 
 
404 
 
 COCHRANE'S JOURNEY THROUGH SIBERIA. 
 
 valley. Wc encamped on the banks of the stream, faring upon our 
 frozen horse-flesh and a little biscuit ; our stock of spirits was all con- 
 sumed, and I longed to reach some habitation. My poor Cossack now 
 grew worse, having been three days without food, and so weak that it 
 was necessary to lash him to the horse. The guide was almost blind, 
 being unable even to bring the horses in from the pasture. I was 
 thus compelled to perform the functions of ostler, wood-cutter, guide, 
 doctor, cook, and traveler ; regretting only the necessity that compelled 
 me so to act, for otherwise I took so little heed of it, that I slept the 
 sounder. 
 
 " I remained at a miserable yourte five days, to see what I could do 
 in restoring the Cossack, but in vain, and departed with a Yakut, six 
 feet high, and stout in proportion, the largest I have ever seen. Ho 
 was, however, a mere brute, not knowing a word of the Russian lan- 
 guage, a great glutton, stupid, obstinate, and immovably lazy. On the 
 fifth day after starting agam wo ascended a stupendous path, which 
 overlooks not only the surrounding country but also the other mount- 
 ains ; it is almost a bare rock, and was so slippery that the horses got 
 very severe falls in the ascent, rolling back in one moment as much as 
 it had taken ten minutes labor to achieve. I almost despaired of gaining 
 the summit, but we at length succeeded, and then the horses actually 
 slid down the opposite precipice of one hundred feet high, the rock being 
 covered with frozen snow. For myself I considered it, as it really was, 
 an ice mountain, and desiring the guide to follow, passed down without 
 any accident. I was now indeed in a desperate dilemma ; but Provi- 
 dence, which ever watches the wants of all creatures, sent to my assist- 
 ance the sick Cossack, who, having got better, and being without bag- 
 gage, had followed our track with a couple of horses. He came m time 
 also to tell us that we had mistaken the route. His duty pointing out 
 the necessity of seeing me safe to Okotsk, I did not feel so thankful as 
 I else should, because I suspected that most of his illness was pretended, 
 and that conscience had told him he was acting wrong, or he might not 
 have returned, having already received permission from me to proceed 
 to the Kolyma. 
 
 " We passed the night in a dreary situation, without any fire. My 
 t'>a and bread were both consumed ; nothing in short remained but 
 horseflesh, which I foimd very good. The Cossack had brought a few 
 birds, but as I knew that such dainties were all he could, or would eat, 
 of course I gave them up to him. Next day we considered how to as- 
 cend the mountain ; the snow was solid and slippery, and there appeared 
 no other mode than the one which we adopted — creeping up the side, 
 and chopping the surface with a hatchet, at frequent intervals, to obtain 
 some sort of footing. In this manner I and the Cossack ascended, and 
 making all the leather thongs fast together, we hauled up the baggage 
 and let it down on the opposite side ; thus placing ourselves between it 
 and the horses. To get up the latter required more management ; for, 
 
A PERILOUS SITUATION. 
 
 405 
 
 accustomed as tho horses are to the most lahorious and dangerous jour- 
 neys, and with all their sagacity and tameness, I found they could not 
 ascend above half the mountain, the fatigue Avas too great ; in short, 
 they were compelled to give it up, and recoil once more to the base in 
 a state of perfect agony. Thus passed the day 1 Our situation now 
 seemed desperate ; the horses had received no food for two days, with 
 more than ordinaiy hard work, during which wo had enjoyed no fire ; 
 vet still "neboico avoce lebo" (fear not — perhaps) were the rallying 
 words, and those alone served us for supper. Our monster of a guide 
 was quite insensible to our situation, and sat grumbling that he had not 
 more than twenty pounds of meat a day, with such hard work. 
 
 " This night was passed even more miserably than the last, as we had 
 not even the benefit of our bedding or clothing, both of which had been 
 hurled down the opposite valley, without respect to whom they belonged. 
 "We rose the third morning, prepared for hard work ; and our first at- 
 tempt was to haul the horses up the precipice. We in part succeeded, 
 as the strongest were actually received, and cast adrift on the opposite 
 side to feed. This occupied us all day, and the third night was passed 
 Avith the cheering hopes of resuming our journey the following day ; 
 but these were frustrated, as it was not until late in the evening that 
 we succeeded in passing all the horses we designed to keep ; one we 
 wore obliged to kill and carry with us as food. Our bully-headed Yakut, 
 too, became wonderfully alert on this occasion, knowing he should re- 
 ceive an extra allowance of meat, were it for no other reason than to 
 lighten the other brutes. I, however, determined to make some reserve, 
 and accordingly taking a quantity of the slaughtered animal, sufficient 
 to ser\'e the Yakut on his return, I buried it in the snow, which I thought 
 would continue unmelted for ten or twelve days, and marked the place 
 with a cross. This precaution I considered was more than ordinarily 
 necessary with my gigantic companion, who had infinitely less concern 
 toward the prevention of future starvation than to the support of pres- 
 ent gluttony. 
 
 " The only mode of passing the last three horses was by making a 
 regular staircase up the hill, by means of axes, and strewing it with 
 earth ; myself and the Cossack, who were on the hill, holding a rope 
 attached to the horse's head, while the guide behind, whose task it was 
 to flog the beast, had no sinecure, as from his immoderate size he was 
 almost himself incapable of moving. The result of the last five days was 
 that we had lost five days' traveling, five days of the best season, and 
 five days which were worth fifty of those which followed : the fault was 
 not mine ! The weather was still very cold, and I felt some relief in 
 getting close to a cheerful fire. Next day I directed my course by a 
 compass, for the guide knew nothing about west-south-west, intending, 
 if possible, to gain the river Indigirka." 
 
 By continual exertions, walking, wading across streams, and some- 
 tunes swimming the rapid currents of rivers, he at length reached the 
 
406 
 
 OOCIIRANE'S JOURNEY THROUQII SIBERIA. 
 
 Oinckon district, where ho again cntorud an ii'habitod region. " Wo 
 were now," he observes, " renewed with fresh courage, and my Cossack 
 particularly uispirited with a regale of beef which had been given him at 
 the first yourte. For myself I preferred to partake of the old liorHc- 
 meat I had still Ictl ; having a mind to shame the Cossack and show him 
 that he ought to oat any thing when necessity dictated, I had passed 
 twelve days without any other food than the horse-moat we had brought, 
 generally eaten in a raw state, and a small part of the animal we had 
 killed ; yet I was never in bettor health. I remained three days at the 
 Oniokon, and was again obliged to leave my Cossack, from ill health and 
 fatigue. Having procured in his stead a yoiuig lad, born in the valley 
 of Omekon, with him, and four of tho native princes in ray train, I do- 
 parted along the banks of tho river." 
 
 Following this stream to its confluence with tho Indigirka, ho then 
 crossed tho mountains to the country watered by the Tourrourak, and 
 halted at the last yourte in the government of Yakutsk. Here ho a])- 
 pliod to a prince of tho ■wandering Tongousi, for reindeer and further 
 assistance on his journey. After mmo. delay the prince finally consented 
 to take him, and on tho third day they set out with fifty head of rein- 
 deer. They made good progress for a few days, but at length the rein- 
 deer began to lag and droop, the weather became bad, and the prince 
 having lost several of his animals, threatened to leave the cajjtain or 
 carry him back. To this tho latter wjw not disposed to submit. They 
 had reached an elevated pass in tho mountains, leading to the vicinity 
 of Indgiga, but were unable to cross it, owing to the state of tho snow. 
 On the sixth day they renewed tho attempt, but were obliged to give it 
 up, three laden reindeer being dead and the rest too weak to convey 
 the carcases or tho baggage. They remained throe days to recruit the 
 reindeer, and then resolved to return to the Omekon and attempt the 
 long passage with horses. The prince now complained that ho had not 
 force sufficient to carry tho baggage, and Captain Cochrane was obliged 
 to destroy the greater part of it. When tlie Tongousian saw what he 
 was about, he remonstrated, asking why ho did not give the things to 
 him. As it was evident, however, that tho prince had been duping him, 
 and, as ho thought, compelling him to forsake his baggage, tho captain 
 reluctantly persisted in burning his clothing and bedding, in spite of the 
 violent demonstrations of the latter, who brought forward the imago of 
 the virgin and his patron saint, and spit, swore, stamped, and crossed 
 himself like a madman. At length he told the captain it had been pre- 
 viously arranged that the latter should return to the Omekon, to which 
 place he actually returned on the eighteenth day, recrossing the Toll^ 
 rourak and Boulabot rivers with much difficulty. 
 
 Procuring fresh horses the captain again left the Omekon. The snow 
 was now softened by heavy rains, but was still so deep as to impede 
 their progress and to deprive the hoi-sog of their accustomed nourish- 
 ment. " The Yakuti," says the captain, ♦' put on long faces at the ob- , 
 
 _J 
 
SWIMMING TUU OKOTA. 
 
 407 
 
 strtictions wo met with, novor having witncsucd Hiich deep mid ditHuult 
 roads, for hi ordinary times good puHturago in to be had in tliiH puil of 
 tho valley. Tho horBt^s having to contend with such difliculties, our 
 journey was continued on foot. My snow-shoes 1 gave up to one of tho 
 guides, in consideration of his being very heavy, while, for myself, with 
 a quick motion, my weiglit was not siifiicient to permit my sinking in 
 tho snow ; — in civso I had, the guide w ith snow-shoes was near to render 
 1110 assistance. We were now fre(|uoiitIy comiielled to wander about on 
 Iho borders of precipices, directing our route by tho shade or appearance 
 of the snow ; habit having accustomed me, as well as the people of tho 
 country, to a pretty accurate calculation whether or not tho snow would 
 boar me. I have even seen tho horses refuse to proceed, their sagacity 
 ill that case behig etjual to man's ; nor will tho leading dog of a iiarte, 
 if he is good, run the vehicle into a track where there is deep snow or 
 water. 
 
 " At lengtli, by great labor, wo reached the fording-place at the 
 Okota. It was, however, impossible to attempt it, the guides observing 
 that tho horses might j)ass the river, but not loaded. W« therelbro 
 halted, and next morning tbund a [ilaco where there was a canoe on the 
 opposite bank. Thereupon unloading the horsi's, we turned them uito 
 the river, and they all reached the opposite bank in safety. The question 
 then was how to get tho canoe over ; I was the only person who could 
 swim, but tho water was still so cold that I telt no preference to that 
 mode. Necessity at last compelled me, and having procured a short 
 stout piece of drift wood, wliich was very buoyant, I crossed at a narrow 
 part of tho stream, with a leather thong fast to my waist. Tho rapidity 
 of the stream carried me down above a liundred yards, but the Vakuti, 
 keepuig, by a sort of run, in a parallel Hue, were ready to haul me back, 
 if necessary. I, liowever, reached in safety ; and, instantly throwing oif 
 my clothes, took violent exercise. Tho breadtli of the swimming part 
 might only have been fifteen or twenty yards, and across the strength 
 of the stream possibly not more than four or five yards ; yet I barely ac- 
 complished it. Tho feat was thankfully acknowledged by the astonished 
 Yakuti when I returned with an excellent canoe." 
 
 The Okota was so much swollen by tho rains, that tho Captain left a 
 Yakut with tho horses, and decided to take to the water. " To starve 
 on one side of the river, be drowned in it, or die upon the other side, 
 appeared alike to me," he says, " and I accordingly embarked our little 
 baggage upon tho raft, composed of ten logs of trees about fifteen feet 
 long, crossed by five others, and again crossed by two more, to form a 
 scat for tho person taking charge of the baggage, which was lashed to 
 the raft. 
 
 " It was with difliculty wo moved our vessel into the main channel, 
 from the number of eddies ; but having once reached it, we descended 
 in a most ostonisiiing manner, sometimes actually making the head giddy 
 aa we passed the branches of trees, rooks, or islands. No accident hap- 
 
408 COCllKANH'S JOURNEY TllUOUflll BIHKRIA. 
 
 |i(>iiiiijr, and tlio rivor widoning, I bcjr.'iii to oongmtiilato my ('oiiijtnnionH 
 oti tho prolmbility of brcuktiiHtiiig t\\o ituxt diiy in OkotHk ; but as yet I 
 had not got upon thu proper Hido of thu Ntrcuin, tho iNlandH mid hIiohIh 
 perpetually turning ws oiK Tlio CoHHaek and Yakut continued in a Htiito 
 of alarnj, not entirely witliout cause, for upon rounding a point of land, 
 we observed a largo tree jutting into tlio river, with a treniendous hikI 
 rapid Hurf running over it, the brunches of the tree preventing the mil, 
 from passing over the body of it, whieh Avas ho deep in the water us (,> 
 preclude a hopo of escaping with life — it was at least impossibl(> to avcild 
 iu'ing wrecked. The Oossaek and Yakut crossed themselves, while I 
 was (piietly awaiting the residt in the bow. ^Ve struck, and such was 
 the force of the rebound, that 1 was in hopes wo should have been thrown 
 outsitle the shall in the Hubse(picnt approach, I was, however, disap. 
 pointed, K)r the forepart of the rail was actually siK^ked under the tree, 
 and the allerpart rose so high out of the water, that it completely lunic(l 
 »)ver, bringing tho b.iggago uiuler water ; tho whole then, with tlio 
 Yakut and Cossack, jiroceeded down the stream, and fortunately br()iifj;|it 
 up upon an island about one hundred yards below. In the mean wliilo 
 my situation was dangerous; being in the bow, I could not hold on tho 
 rati as niy companions had been ablo to <lo, for fenr of being jamincd in 
 between the raft and the tree. I therefore (piitted my hold, and, with in- 
 finite dirticulty, clung to tho outer branches on the rapid side of tho trco ; 
 mv body was sucked imder, and no p.'irt of me was out of tho Mater hut 
 n»y head atul arms. I could not long remain in such a state ; and mak- 
 ing, therefore, ono vigorous elfort, on tho success of which it was clear 
 my life ilepended, I gained tlu; top of the tree. I was throwing otV my 
 upper parka, wlien the branch gave way, and I dropped down, half drown- 
 ing, to the island. It was a fortunate circumst.anco that tho raft upset, 
 as otherwise it could not have brought up at tho island ; which it did in 
 conscipienco of the baggage lashed to the rati being so deep in the water. 
 
 Our situation, notwithstanding, tipon tho island, Avas by no moans 
 pleasant. On either sido of us Avas a rapid chamiel, and I Avas as fur as 
 ever from accomplishing tho object I had in vicAv ; Avhich Avas that of 
 getting upon tho right b.ank of tho river; for then I might expect to 
 n-ach some habitation, there being none upon tho letl bank nearer than 
 six himdrcd miles, half Avay to Idgiga. My first caro Avas to change my 
 wet clothes, and Avarm myself by exercise ; tho next Avas to unlash and 
 land the baggage, ami to save as much of tho rail as possible, our deliv- 
 erance depending upon it. 13y hard work wo accomijlished it ere the 
 sun had set ; after which it soon began to be very cold. The appearance 
 of tho night was unfavorable, as it foreboded rain ; it would therefore 
 have been highly indiscreet to remain longer than necessary ; as the river 
 might, in one night, so increase as to cover the island. 
 
 To launch a raft into the channel I could not attempt, as by that 
 lime it woidd bo dark, and Ave should certainly meet with the same ac- 
 cident, and probably Avorse results. I therefore walked tOAvard the end 
 
 J 
 
FUIITIIKU PKIllLH.— OKOTSK. 
 
 409 
 
 of tho iHlnnd, till I vuuw oppoNito to >\ Inr^o trco wlii<;li IdkI fullon from 
 thu continent ni'urly liiilf way acroHM the rntrrowcNt piirt of tlic chiinni!!, 
 wliicli nii^l't •»•' ulxHit lifly or sixty I'cot. To nwini lliroiif^li the cuntrul 
 part ot'it WHS inipoHsiblu ; but it uppeiU'ed to ni*> pntliultlc, witii the liclp 
 of niiuticiil ingenuity, to wive not only onrselvcH, hut uIhu tlio hagguge; 
 tirul thiu I ai!eonipliHh(>(l in a true Hailor-iiku faHhion." 
 
 Iki conHtnu'tcil a boating bridge from tlie tiniherH of tlie ral>, hy 
 fiiHt fastening Honie of the pieces to tlu! shore, and securing the outer 
 cikIh against the current hy means of lines fastened up the stream, then 
 lushing other pitices to the ends of these juid securing tlu^m in the same 
 manner, until the third course rested against thu tree. Over tliis rude 
 structure he passed in safety, followed l»y the C'ossack, hut the V'akut 
 would not venture. The captain then returncul, and making a rail of 
 the bridge, ferried over the Yakut, baggage, and lastly himself, assiste<l 
 by the C'ossack with a Vuw from the opposite shore. On the last i)assago 
 the rati upset, and tlu; captain was puUud ushoro with his clothes sur- 
 rountling him in a easing of ice. 
 
 A tiro was now kindled, but the Iieiglit of the grass and the dryness 
 of the wood was such that the whole forest was soon enveloped in flame, 
 iHul they wore obliged to work hard to prevent it from being fatal to 
 tluMM. The great firo induced the other guido to swim the horses 
 across to their relief. All were now reunited, and after spending the 
 night in drying their clothes, they resumed the journey next morning. 
 This was the third day without food, and on the sixth, with little else 
 than berries to keep their spirits np, they arrived at the habitation of a 
 Yakut prince, npon an island in the Okota. " My host," says the cap- 
 tain, " was neither civil nor hospitable ; but by a Hort of force I got some 
 horso-nicat from him, and which I considered, at that time, a great del- 
 icacy, added to some bread which I procured from the sailors and 
 carpenters employed in felling timber for the dock-yard of Okotsk. 
 
 " Fresh horses were given to me at this station, and I proceeded on 
 to Okotsk. The route lay through some fine park-like scenery, and then 
 over a thick sandy forest of tall pine-trees ; the weather was most un- 
 favorable, as it rained hard. At length I reached the eastern sea-coast, 
 that is, the North Pacific Ocean, and was compelled to halt at a miser- 
 able hut, affording scarcely a shelter from the elements. The following 
 morning, to assist the Yakutl, Avho begged of mo to leave their horses 
 in the pasture, I paddled along the stream to the old town of Okotsk ; 
 and calling on the police-master, was by him, in the government boat, 
 carried over, with all the formality and respect duo to my rank, to the 
 abode of the chief of Okotsk, Vladimir Ushinsky." 
 
 It was on the 19th of June, 1821, that Captain Cochrane arrived at 
 Okotsk. His object in undertaking this long and painful journey, had 
 been first to ascertain the situation of Skelatskoi Noss, then to trace the 
 American continent as far as possible to the north-east. But the first 
 problem being solved by Baron Wrangel's expedition, and a fleet hav- 
 
410 
 
 COUIIUANK'B JUUUNUY TllUOUail miiKIlIA. 
 
 iii^ uli'i'udy ^uiiu to Aincriua, liu uccunliii^^ly ^tivu up lii.i ilfHi^n und 
 ri'Hdlvi'il to nariUH) liiH Httips to Kiiro|)(>, uIUt Hpt'iidin^ u winter in Ktiiut. 
 chutka. iiu i'lnbiii-kttd on tlio 24tli vi' Auf{UHt, uikI in two Wfokii ar> 
 rivud in tiio liurhur ot'l't>tro|imiluvHk. Wliilu in Kuuitchutkii lus inurriuj 
 u niitivo, and niXvv n utay of I'lttviiii niuntiiH, during; wliirli ho niudo thu 
 circuit i)f lliu peninHtila, lie cMnburkud with hin witu for Okutsk, on tho 
 6lh of July, IK'J2, on his lioinuwurd journuy. 
 
 AlU>r a toiisontu return journey hu reached Irkutsk in tho bo^innini' 
 of December, and remained theru until tliu 7lii of January, when he Hct 
 out on iui excursion aionj^ the (.^hincNC frontier, lie was ubHcnt a month 
 on this journey, and on tlic 11th of February took hiu departure frora 
 Irkutsk. IliH homeward route was over the Name f^round whicii he hmi 
 traversed on his outward journey, and was marked by few adventurcit. 
 "Dcscendinjj thu western brancli of tho Ural Mountains," ho says, " I 
 Hoou found myself again m Europe: the lund«>fnmlt, the tiro-uide huino 
 again had charms for thu traveler. The sensations I exper!cn(!ed upun 
 quitting the most liivored quarter of the globe, were nothing when com- 
 pared to the present. Then I thought I was going only to the abode of 
 misery, vice, and cruelty, whilu now I knew I had come from that of 
 humanity, hospitality, and kindness. I looked back to the liills, which 
 are, as it were, the barrier between virtuo anil vice, but felt, in spite of 
 it, a desire to retiun and end my days. And ho strong is still that de- 
 sire, that I should not hesitate to bid adieu to ]iolitics, war, and other 
 rcfmed pursuits, to enjoy in (Jentral Siberia those comforts which may 
 be had without fear of foreign or donu'stic disturbance. 
 
 " At length I arrived safely in St. I'i'tersburg, from which I had 
 been absent exactly three years and three wtteks, and tu which I hud 
 ruturued iu iuiiuitcly buttur huulth thuu whuu 1 ImIX it." 
 
GOIOWNIN'S 
 
 CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 Oaitain Wassim r.di.ovvNiN, wliilo commanding the Runsiun h1ooi>- 
 of-\v!ir J)inn(iy lying in tho hiirbor of IVtropuulovsk, in Kamtchatka, ro- 
 ceivctl an onlur from tho Uussian MiniHtur of Mivrino, (linscting liim to 
 maki! a niiniiti? Hiirvt-y of tlu' SouIIum'm ICurilo IslandH and the co;iHt of 
 Tartary, from latitiuh! 53° 38' north, to Okotsk. lie accordingly Haih^d 
 oil till! 4th of May, 1811, and allcr a voyage of ten dayH roimhed Na- 
 tlt'slida Straits, between two of the Kurile Islands, where his surveys 
 wort! to commence. lie had determined, on approaching the northern 
 nhore of the Jaj»anese island of Jesso, to hold no intercoiirse with the 
 Japanese, fi^arful that any such attempt might excite suspicion and dis- 
 triist. The (chamberlain Kesaiiott', v iio was sent to Jajjan by tho 
 Emperor Alexander in the year 1803, had been obliged to return unsuc- 
 cossful, and out of a silly revenge for this repulse, Lieutenant ChwostofT, 
 who commanded tho vessel in whic^li Uesanoff was taken from Nagasaki 
 to Okotsk, attacked and destroyed several villages in tho Japanese Ku- 
 rile Islands. This wanton outrage had provoked tho hostility of tho 
 Japanese government, and Captain Golownin therefore felt the necessity 
 of caution in approaching tho coast. 
 
 On the 17th of Juno liis vessel reached tho Kurile island of Eetoo- 
 roop, where he accidentally fell in with Bomo Japanese, to the chief of 
 whom ho explauied that his intentions were entirely pacific, as he was 
 merely looking for a safe harbor where ho might procure a supply of 
 wood and Avater. To this assurance, tho officer replied : " Tho Japanese 
 can not be entirely tranquil and free from apprehension on the appear- 
 ance of a Russian ship, for some years ago Russian vessels twice attacked 
 Japanese villages, and carried oft' or burnt every thing they found, with- 
 out sparing the houses, temples, or provisions. Rice, which is brought 
 from Japan to these islands, forms the pnncipal food of the inhabitants : 
 hut the first attack liaving taken place late in autumn, when no vessels 
 could be sent to sea to bring back a fresh supply for winter, and the 
 second having followed early in spring, before the usual rice ships could 
 
412 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 arrive, these circurastances, joined to the destruction of their houses, 
 caused great distress to the Japanese, many of whom f 11 sacrifices to 
 hunger and cold." With such awkward interjjreters as tlie Kuriles, it 
 was not an easy matter for Captain Golownin to vindicate himself 
 against so serious a charge, but he finally siicceeded, as he supposed, in 
 convincing the Japanese that ChwostoflT's proceeduigs were entirely uii- 
 authorized by the Russian government. 
 
 " While I was conversing with the chief on the shore," says Golow- 
 nin, ''an old man advanced toward me with demonstrations of the great- 
 est respect. He was a Toion, or chief of the hairy Kuriles of this ])art 
 of the island, of whom there were here about fifty individuals of both 
 sexes ; and they seemed to be so oppressed by the Japanese, that they 
 dared not move in their presence. They all sat crowded together, re- 
 garding their rulers with looks of terror ; and whenever thoy hud oc- 
 casion to speak to them, they thrcAV themselves upon their kneet', Avith 
 their open hands pressed closely upon their sides, their heads hanging 
 doAvnward, and their whole bodies bowed to the ground. Our Kuriles 
 observed the same ceremony when they addressed us. After the Iatt3r 
 had been invited to come on board our vessel, they informed us that the 
 Japanese persisted in believing that plunder was the only motive wliich 
 had induced us to visit their shores ; and that the conduct of the crews 
 of the Company'^ ships had excited their suspicions. Whenever they 
 spoke of the violent proceedings of Chwostofi^, they usually said: 'The 
 Russians attacked us without cause, killed many of our countrymen, 
 took several prisoners, plundered us, and burned all we possessed; they 
 not only carried off our goods, but likewise all our rice and sagi, and 
 abandoned us to all the misery of hunger.' " 
 
 Previous to leaving the island, a Kurile named Alexei, who spoke 
 some Russian, came on board, and was retained, at his own request, as 
 an interpreter. Golownin then sailed to the island of Ooroop, which he 
 surveyed, and afterward, at Alexei's recommendation, proceeded to 
 Kunashir, the twentieth island of the Ku'-'le chain. On the morning if 
 the 5th of July he sailed into the harbor of Kunashir, where there is a 
 fortified village, with a Japanese garrison. As they advanced, guns 
 were fired from the port ; from which circumstance ho concluded that 
 the Japanese on the island of Eetooroop had not yet made known to 
 those of Kunashir his friendly intentions. As he stood in nearer, how- 
 ever, the firing ceased. The fortifications were maske 1 with screens of 
 striped cloth, so that he could perceive neither walls nor pcilissades. After 
 coming to anchor at the distance of a mile and a quarter, Golownin got 
 into a boat with some men, and rowed toward the shore. They had 
 approached within a hundred yards, when the firing again bi;gan, and 
 came near proving fatal. They immediately put about and rowed quickly 
 back to the vessel. 
 
 " A thought now suddenly came across my ra;nd," observes Golow- 
 nin. " I imagined that by means of signs I might make myself under- 
 
NEGOTIATION "WITH CASKS. 
 
 413 
 
 stood by the Japanese. For this purpose, od the 6th of July, I caused 
 a cask to be sawed in two, and set both parts afloat in the water in fi-ont 
 of the town. In the inside of one half of the cask were placed a glass 
 containing fresh water, a piece of wood, anfl a handful of rice, to denote 
 that we were in want of those articles ; the other half contained a few 
 piastres, a piece of yellow cloth, and some crystal beads and pearls, 
 meaning thereby to intimate that Ave would give them either money or 
 other articles hi exchange for provisions. Upon this half of the cask we 
 fixed a drawing of the harbor, the fortress, and the sloop ; which was 
 very skillfully executed by the Midshipman Moor. In this drawing the 
 sloop's guns were very c- stinctly marked, but fixed m the ports with 
 their tompions iri ; but the guns in the garrison were represented as 
 firing, and the balls flying over the sloop. By this meaiia I wished, if 
 possible, to make the Japanese sensible of their pei-fidy. No sooner had 
 ■\ve set the cask afloat and rowed away, than the Japanese immediately 
 seized it, and carried it into their fortress. On the following day we 
 approached within gun-shot of the castle, for the purpose of receiving an 
 answer ; haviiig, however, previously made every preparation for an en- 
 gagement ; but the Japanese did not seem to notice us. No one appeared 
 near the works, which were still hung round with cloth." 
 
 Captain Golownin called a council of his ofticers, at which the de- 
 cision was, that they should not heed the attack of the Japanese, nor 
 take any further measures for communication with them. As, however, 
 both water and provisions were needed, a boat was sent to the mouth 
 of a creek for a supply of the former, while Lieutenant Rikord crossed 
 the bay in another boat, to a fishing village which they had observed. 
 The place was deserted, but Rikord carried off some wood, rice, and 
 dried fish, and left behind him various European articles, which Alexei 
 declared to be far more valuable than what he carried aAvay. In the 
 afternoon curiosity uiduced Golownin to go ashore to try to discover 
 the plans of the Japanese, and he was highly pleased to observe that all 
 the articles which Lieutenant Rikord had left were removed. " On the 
 8th of July," he continues, " we observed a cask floating before the 
 town. I immediately weighed anchor in order to take it up. Wo found 
 that it contained a little box wrapped up in several piisces of oil-cloth. 
 The box contained three papers ; one of which was a Japanese letter, 
 which we could not read, and the other two were drawings. Both 
 these sketches represented the harbor, the castle, our sloop, the cask 
 with a boat rowing toward it, and the rising sun, but with this difference, 
 that m one the guns of the castle were firing, while in thf other the 
 muzzles of the cmnon were turned backward. We were a long time 
 occupied in considering these hieroglyphics, and each explained them 
 after his own way ; but this will not be thought wonderfid, as the same 
 thing frequently happens among better scholars. We all, however, 
 agreed that the Japanese declined holding intercourse with us." 
 
 The next day a boat containing several Japanese ofiicers and a Kurile 
 
414 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S OAPTIVITT IN JAPAN. 
 
 interpreter, rowed towsird the vessel. The conference began on their 
 side, with an apology lor having fired upon the IlussiiMia when they first 
 attempted to land. To justify this proceeding, they declared that their 
 distrust liad been excited in consequence of an outiage committed upon 
 them some years before, ^y the crews of two Uussian vessels, who had 
 at first landed under pretense of the same motives. They, however, 
 perceived the difFeience between Golownin's conduct and that of their 
 former visitors ; every suspicion had now vanished, and they declared 
 their readiness to do all they could to serve him. On the 10th the 
 requisite amount of water was on board, and Golowniii was ready to sail, 
 when ho received an invitation to come on shore. He thought it his 
 duty to comply, in order to acquaint the Japanese that the outrage of 
 CiiTostofl' was entirely disowned by the llussian Government. IIo 
 therefore landed, accompanied only by Aloxei, the interpreter, and was 
 met by an officer with whom he conversed for some time. This person 
 promised to furnish tho vessel with more provisions, but wished Golow- 
 nin first to consult with the governor. In the evening a large number 
 of fresh fish were sent on board, and the invitation to visit the governor 
 renewed. 
 
 Golownin gives the following account of what happened on this visit : 
 ''Next morning, July the 11th. at. eight o'clock, I landed with ^u- 
 above-named officers, tho Kurile Alexei, and four seamen. So fully wu» 
 I persuaded that we stood on a friendly footing witli the Japanese, that 
 I had not ordered the men to aim themselves. The officers, three in 
 number, including myself, had each a sword, in addition to Tvh'.ch Mr. 
 Chlebuikofi* brought with him a pocket-pistol, to use as a signa', in case 
 of fog. On entering tho castlo gate, I was astonished at the number of 
 men I saw assembled there. Of soldiers alone, I observed from three to 
 four hundred, armed with muskets, bows arid arrows, and spears, sitting 
 in a circle, in an open space to the right of the gate ; on the left a 
 countless multitude of Kuriles surrounded a tent of striped cotton cloth, 
 erected about thirty paces from the gate. This small, insignificant place, i 
 seemed incapable of containing so many men, and I concluded that they ! 
 mrst have been collected from all the neighboring garrisons sin'-e we j 
 appeared in the harbor. 
 
 " While the conference was going on, Mr. Moor had obser\'ed that ! 
 nnked sabers had been distributed among tho soldiers who were sitting | 
 in tho open space. He immediately mentioned this to m< ■ but I sup- I 
 posed that a saber or two might have been accidentally out of the j 
 sheaths ; and I asked him whether he had not made a mistake, as the i 
 Japanese always carry swords, and could at present have no reason for 
 drav.'ing them. This remark appeared to satisfy him ; but circumstances 
 soon occurred which roused all our suspicion, and convinced us that some 
 mischief was intended against us. The lieutenant-governor having with- 
 drawn! for a short time, as if to make some arrangement, returned, and 
 whispered to the governor, who immediately rose up to go sway. We 
 
GOLOWNIN MADE PRISONER. 
 
 415 
 
 got up also to take our leave ; and I repeated my question respecting 
 the price of provisions, and also asked whether he intended to supply us 
 with any ? On hearing this he sat down, invited us to do the same, 
 and, though it was early in the day, ordered dinner to be served up. 
 
 " We accepted his invitation, and waited with impatience to see what 
 would next occur, as it now appeared we were caught in j, snare from 
 which it Avould bo difficult to escape. But the kind behavior of the 
 Japanese, and their assurances that we had nothing to fear, again tran- 
 quillized us, and banished any sus|,icion of their treachery. They en- 
 tertained us with rice, fish in a green sauce, and other savory dishes, the 
 ingredients compOising which we did not know. They also gave us 
 sagi. After wc had dined, the governor Avas again about to withdraw. 
 I now declared that v.e could wait no longer, but must return imme- 
 diately on board. 
 
 " The governor, wlio had liithcrto conversed in a mild and gentle 
 tone, now altered his manner. He spoke loudly, and with warmth ; 
 frequently mentioned Resanoto (Resanoff"), and Nicola-Sandrejetsch 
 (Nicolai Alexandroivitsch, meaning Chwostoft^ the Captain of the Com- 
 pany's ship), and struck his hand several times on his saber. In this 
 manner he made a long speech, of which the terrified Alexoi interpreted 
 to us only the following senter.oe : — ' The governor says that if he lots a 
 single one of u? out of the castle his own bowels will be ripped up.' This 
 was brief nnd decisive ! We instantly made all the haste wo could to 
 escape. The Japanese did not venture to close upon us, but set up a 
 loud cry, and threw oars and lai<ro pieces of wood at ua, to knock us 
 down. On our reaching the gate they fired several times on us, but 
 without effect, though one of the balls whistled past tlu head of Mr. 
 Chlebnikoff. We now found that they had succeeded in detaining Mr. 
 Moor, the seaman Makaroff, and our Kurile Alexoi, in the castle. Wo 
 ran, however, to our landing-place; but on arriving there, pcrcoivod 
 with dismay that the tide had ebbed above five fathoms, and left the 
 strand quite dry. As the Japanese saw that it was impossible for us to 
 get the boat afloat, and Lad previously assured themselves that it con- 
 '; ned no arms, they gained confidence, av vanccd upon us with drawn 
 ""'i' rf?, which they held in both hands, muskets and spears, and sur- 
 : jn 'od us. I cast a look upon the boat, and suid to myself: 'It must 
 ] .- our last refuge is lost — our fate is inevitable !' I surrendered. 
 Tn^' c'.tpanese seized me by the arms, and conducted me to the castle, 
 into which my companions were also conveyed. 
 
 " We wore conducted into the same tent in which we had held the 
 conferenco, but neither of the commanders with whom wc had com- 
 municated were now there. The fi'-st thing done was to tie our hands 
 behind our backs, and conduct us into an extensive but loAV building, 
 which resembled a barrack, and which was situated opposite to the tent 
 in the direction of the shore. Here we were all, except Makaroff" — whom 
 we had not seen since our separation — placed on our knees, and bound 
 
416 
 
 GOI.OWNIN'3 CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 in tlu! cniolest mannor, with cords jibout tlio tliicknoss of a lingor: and 
 art thoiifj;h tiiirt woro not oiiough, another buiding with smaller oords fol. 
 lowed, wliieh was still nioro painful. The Jai)ane8c are exceedingly ex- 
 ]>ert at this work ; and it would appear that they conform to some pre- 
 cise regulation in binding their prisoners, for wo were all tied exactly in 
 the same manner. There were the same number of knots and nooses, 
 and all at cfiual distances, on the cords with which each of ns was bound. 
 There were loops round our breasts find necks; our elbows almost 
 touched each other, and our liands were firmly bound together : from 
 these fastenings proceeded a long cord, the end of which was lield by a 
 Ja]»anese, and which on the slightest attemjtt to cscjvi)e recpiired only to 
 be drawn to make tlie eUiows como in contact, Avith the greatest pain, 
 and to tigliten the noose about the neck to such a degree as almost to 
 ])roduco strangulation. IJesides all this, they tied our legs in two places, 
 above the knees and above the ankles : they then passed ropes from our 
 nocks over the cross-beams of the Imilding, and drew them so tight that 
 we foimd it in;; possible to move. Their next operaticm was searchni<r 
 our })ockets, oui < " ••' '';h they took every thing, and then proceeded 
 very tranquilly to s-. tobacco." 
 
 After a delay of u.. hour, the Jai)aneso removed the cords from the 
 ankles of their cai)tives, and led them into the country. On ascending 
 a hill they l)iheld the Diand mider sail. This sight plunged them into 
 despair, and they gave nj) all \\o\)q of ever seeing their native country 
 again. After walking some distance, they heard a cannonad". They 
 could easily distinguish the firing of the sloop from that of the castle; 
 but the strong garrison of the Japanese, and the thick earthen wall 
 winch formed their fortification, afforded the Russians no reason to ex- 
 pect any fort(Uiatc result from the contest. 
 
 To resume Golownhi'a narrative : " I was so tightly bound, particularly 
 about the neck, that, before we had traveled six or seven versts, I could 
 scarcely breathe. My companions told me that my face was swollen and 
 discolored. I was almost blind, and could not speak without the great- 
 est difliculty. Wo made signs to the Japanese, and requested them, 
 through the interpretation of Alexei, to loosen the cord a little, but the 
 cannonade so frightened them, that they paid no attention to our re- 
 monstrances ; they only urged us to move faster, and kept constantly 
 looking behind them. Life now appeared a heavy burden to me, and 
 I resolve(\ in case we should pass a river, to make a sudden spring into 
 the water, and thus terminate a painful existence. I soon saw, liowever, 
 that it Avoxdd not be easy to execute this purpose, as the Japanese al- 
 ways held us fast by the arms when we had occasion to cross even a 
 little brook. I fell at length senseless on the ground ; when I recov- 
 ered, I found some persons sprinkling me with water, and the blood 
 flowing from my mouth and nose. My companions, IMoor and Chlebni- 
 kotr, were in deep distress, and imploring some persons to loosen the 
 cords with which I was bound. They at last, with the greatest diffi- 
 
cx- 
 
 [cver, 
 Ise al- 
 Iveii a 
 tecov- 
 blood 
 llebni- 
 tlie 
 cUffi- 
 
 TREATMENT OF TUB CAPTIVES. 
 
 417 
 
 culty, prevailed on them to comply. I then found myself much eased, 
 aud wart soon able to make an effort to proceed. 
 
 "After a journey of about ten versts, we arrived at a 8n;aU village, 
 sittiated on the straits which divide the island of Kunashier from Mats- 
 mai. We were conducted into a house, where boiled rice was offered 
 us, but we felt no desire to partake of food of any kind. On our dc- 
 cllnin}^ to eat, wo were taken into another apartment, in which wo were 
 laid down close to the walls, so as not to touch each other. The ropes 
 by whl;-'h we had been led were attached to iron hooks, driven into the 
 wall for that purpose. Our boots were pulled off, and our legs tied as 
 before in two places ; having secured us in this way, our guards sat 
 down in the mi<ldlc of the room rotind a chafing-dish, and drank tea and 
 smoked. Any man might have slept tranquilly beside lions, bound as 
 fast as we were, but it would seem that our guards did not think them- 
 selves secure. The cords with which we were tied were inspected every 
 quarter of an hour. 
 
 " At the approach of twilight, our guards began to bestir themselves, 
 and seemed to bo preparing for a journey. About midnight, a broad 
 jil.iiik was brought in, to the four corners of which ropes were attached : 
 these ropes Avere fastened at the top, and slung across a pole, the ends 
 of wlii'h were laid on men's shoulders ; and thus the whole was sus- 
 pended. I was placed upon this plank, and immediately borne away. 
 We now concluded that avc were to be separated forever, and that wo 
 could entertain no hope of seeing each other again. Our farewell was 
 like the parting of friends at the hour of death. 
 
 "The sailors wept aloud as they bade me adieu, and my heart was 
 wrung on leaving them. I was conveyed to the sea-side, and placed in 
 a largo boat, with a mat beneath me. In a few moments, Mr. Moor was 
 likewise brought to the shore in the same way as I had been, and was 
 placed in the boat beside me. This was indeed an unexpected happi- 
 ness, I was so overjoyed, that for a few moments I experienced a dim- 
 inution of my torment. Moor was soon followed by Mr. Chlebnikoff, 
 and the sailors Simanoff and Wassiljeff; the rest were placed in another 
 boat. A soldier under arms was 8t;itioned between each of us. We 
 were then covered over with mats, and the boats were rowed from the 
 shore." 
 
 At break of day, on the 12th of July, the captives were landed near 
 a little village, on the coast of the island of Matsmai or Jesso. Here 
 they were removed into other boats, which were drawn with ropes along 
 the shore in a south-easterly direction. In this way they were dragged 
 the whole of that day and the following night. There was no halting, 
 except at certain fixed places, where the men, who were employed in 
 the dragging, and who came from the neighboring villages, were re- 
 lieved. At one of the villages, a venerable, gray-haired man, begged 
 permission of the guards to furnish the Russians with breakfast. This 
 was granted, and the old man stood near them during the repast, to see 
 
 27 
 
418 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 that they wanted nothing, the expression of his countenance plainly 
 showing his pity. They were kept so severely bound that their wrists 
 were covered with painful sores, and one of the seamen was seized with 
 dangerous bleeduig at the nose. At night they lay in the boats, still 
 bound, and were frequently wet to the skin by showers of rain. 
 
 After five days of this painful travel, they were put on shore, their 
 feet untied, and the cords about their knees loosened so that they could 
 walk. Their journey thenceforth was entirely by land. " The Japanese 
 oyagoda, or conunander of the disuict,'* says Golownin, " took a con- 
 siderable time to determine on the order of our procession ; however, he 
 at length disposed of us in the foUowng manner : two Japanese from 
 the neighboring village proceeded first, walking side by side, and carry- 
 ing staves of red wood, very handsomely carved : their business was to 
 direct our course. These were relieved, on entering the next district, 
 by two new guides, carrying staves of the same description. The guides 
 were followed by three soldiers. Next came my turn, with a soldier on 
 one side, and on the other an attendant, who, with a twig, kept the 
 gnats and flies from fixing upon me. Behind me was a conductor, who 
 held together the ends of the ropes with which I was bound. We were 
 followed by a party of Kuriles, carrying my litter ; and after them came 
 another party, destined to relievo the others when fatigued. Next came 
 Mr. Moor, guarded in the same manner as I was ; after him Mr. Chleb- 
 nikoff ; then the sailors, one following another ; and last of all Alexei. 
 The whole retinue was closed by three soldiers, and a number of Japan- 
 ese and Kurile servants, carrying provisions, and the baggage of our es- 
 cort. The party must have amounted to between one hundred and fifty 
 and t". o hundred men. Each individual had a wooden tablet suspended 
 from his girdle, on which was an inscription, stating with which of us he 
 was stationed, and what wero the duties of his oflice. 
 
 " During the whole jor.rney, the Japanese uniformly observed the 
 same regulations. At daybreak we prepared for our departure, break- 
 fasted, and then set out. Our conductors frequently stopped in villages 
 to rest, or to drink tea and smoke tobacco. At noon we dined. Hav- 
 ing rested for one hour after dinner, we again proceeded, and an hour or 
 two before sunset we halted for the night, usually in a village furnished ; 
 with a small garrison. These night-quarters, when we first entered, were I 
 generally hung round with striped cotton cloth. We were always con- 
 ducted to a neat house, and placed altogether in one apartment, where 
 our guards never failed to fasten us to iron hooks which were fixed into 
 the walls. 
 
 " When we arrived at the station where we were to pass the night, 
 we were always conducted to the front of the house belonging to the 
 person possessing the highest authority in the place ; we were there 
 seated on benches covered with mats, and he came out to inspect us. 
 We were then taken to the house allotted for our lodging ; on entering 
 which our boots and stockings were taken off, and our feet bathed with ! 
 
ved the 
 
 !, break- 
 villages 
 . Hav- 
 hour or 
 Lrnished 
 
 led, were 
 •ays con- 
 it, where 
 xed into 
 
 he night, 
 Ig to the 
 Ire there 
 Ispect us. 
 1 entering 
 
 Ihed with 
 
 JAPANESE KINDNESS AND CURIOSITY. 
 
 419 
 
 warm water, ia which there was a solution of salt. "We were regularly 
 provided with meals three times a-day ; viz., breakfast in the morning 
 before wo set out on our journey, dinner about noon, and supper in the 
 evening, in our night-quarters. There was, however, little variety in our 
 diet ; it consisted usually of boiled rice instead of bread, two pieces of 
 pickled radish for seasoning, broth made of radishes or various wild roots 
 and herbs, a kind of maccaroni, and a piece of broiled or boiled fish. 
 
 " In every village, on our arrival and departure, we were surrounded 
 with crowds of both sexes, young and old, who were drawn together by 
 curiosity to see us ; and yet on these occasions we never experienced the 
 slightest insult or offense. All, particularly the Avomen, contemplated 
 us with an air of pity and compassion. If we asked for drink to quench 
 our thirst, they were emulous to supply us. Many solicited permission 
 of our guards to entertain us, and on their request being granted, brought 
 us sagi, comfits, fruits, or other delicacioa. On one occasion, the chief 
 of a village treated us with some very good tea with sugar. They often 
 inquired respecting an European nation called Orando, and a country to 
 which they gave the name of Kabo. We assured them that we knew 
 of nC' such people or countries in Europe ; upon which they expressed 
 surprise, and testified distrust at our answer. Sometime after we learned 
 that the Japanese called the Dutch, Orando, and the Cape of Good 
 Hope, Kabo." 
 
 During all this time they remained bound, until their flesh became so 
 chafed that the Japanese guards finally called in a physician who applied 
 plasters to the wounds. They refused to allow them liberty, from fear 
 that they would commit suicide. They even held the pipes which the 
 prisoners smoked, lest they should attempt to injure themselves with the 
 stems ; but afterward, having fitted enormous mouth-pieces to them, as 
 a precautionary measure, allowed the Russians to take them in their own 
 hands. Captain Golownin and the officers were constantly applied to by 
 the natives to write some lines for them as curious souvenirs. The Ja- 
 panese considered a specimen of Russian writing as great a curiosity as 
 an inscription in Japanese would be looked upon in Europe, and they 
 showed a fan upon which were inscribed four lines of a popular Russian 
 song, signed by a person named Babikoff", who, it appeared, had visited 
 Japan along with Laxman. Though these lines must have been written 
 twenty years before, yet the fan was as clean and fresh as if perfectly 
 new. The owner kept it wrapped up in a sheet of paper, and set so 
 much value upon it, that he would scarcely suffer it to be opened. 
 
 After a journey of nearly four weeks, the prisoners at last, on the 7th 
 of August, saw from an eminence the city and harbor of Hakodadi* 
 
 • The port of Hakodadi, in the straits of Sangar, at the southern extremity of the 
 island of Jesso, is one of the ports opened to tlie vessels of the United States by the treaty 
 concluded at Yoko-hama by Commodore Perry in 1854. The harbor is safe and commo- 
 dious, and has already become a favorite place of resort for American whalers, for the 
 purpose of refitting and procuring supplies. Captain Golownin spells the name " Cbako- 
 dade," which is probably the Russian mode of representing the same sounds. 
 
420 
 
 OOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 spread out before them. The next morning, the guards made preparor 
 tions for their formal entrance into the city ; they put on new clothes, 
 and armed themselves with coats of mail and helmets. As the proccs- 
 rion approached the gates, a great number of persons came out to see 
 them. "Wo at length entered the city," says Golownin, " where the 
 concourse of people was so inimense, that our guards had great difticulty 
 in dearnig a passage for us. Having proceeded the distance of half a 
 vcrst along a narrow street, we turned down a cross-street on our left, 
 which led us into the open fields. Here, upon a rising ground, wo first 
 beheld the building that was destined to be our prisoiu The sight fillud 
 us with horror. Wo observed only the long roof; but that sufliciently 
 enabled us to form a notion of tlic extent of the edifice. A high wooden 
 jnclosure or fence, of great strengtli, and well provided with c/ieoanx-tk- 
 /rixe, concealed the body of the building. This wooden fence wjis sur- 
 rounded by an earthen Avail, somewhat lower, which on this occasion was 
 hung with striped cloth. There was a guardrhouso near the gate, m 
 which several officers were seated. Along the path leading to our prison, 
 soldiers were stationed in full military unifbnn : they stood at the dis- 
 tance of two fathoms from each other, and were armed in various ways: 
 some with muskets, some with bows and arrows, others with spears, etc. 
 A party of officers were stationed in front of the building. On arriving 
 •It the gate, we were received by an officer, to Avhom a list of our escort 
 had previously been handed, and we were then conducted into a sort of 
 court or yard. Here our future gloomy and horror-stirring domicile 
 presented itself fUlly to our view. It was a large dark building, resem- 
 bling a barn, and within it were apartments formed of strong thick spars 
 of wood, which, but for the difference of size, looked exactly like bird- 
 cages. 
 
 " I was led into a passage or lobby in the building, Avhere my boots 
 were drawn off, and the ropes with which I was boimd removed. I was 
 then directed to enter a small apartment, Avhich was divided from the 
 passage by wooden palissades. I now looked around me in quest of j\Ir. 
 Moor and Schkajeff ; but how great was my dismay to find that I could 
 neither see nor hear them! The Japanese, without saying a word, 
 closed the door of my apartment, and quitted the lobby, the door of 
 which they likewise closed after them. I was now alone. The thought 
 of being separated from my companions, and probably forever, com- 
 j)letely overpowered me, and, in a paroxysm of despair, I threw myself 
 upon the ground. 
 
 " I remained for some time in a state of insensibility. At length, rais- 
 ing my eyes, I observed at the window a man, who beckoned me to ap- 
 pi'oach him. I complied with his wish ; and extending his hand through 
 the railing, he presented me with two little sweet cakes ; at the same 
 time entreating me, by signs, to eat them quickly, as a punishment 
 awaited him if he should be observed. At that moment I loathed the 
 very sight of food j but I made an effort to eat the cakes, lest refusal 
 
A JAPANESE PRISON. 
 
 421 
 
 I 
 
 might give offenso to my kind viHitor. His countenance now brightened 
 ii|), and ho left the window, with a promise to bring me more at a future 
 time. I thanked him as well as I was able, and was greatly astonished 
 that this man (who from his dress apparently belonged to the very 
 lowest class) should be so far actuated by benevolence, as to hazard 
 his own safety for the sake of conveying comfort to an unfortunate 
 stranger. 
 
 " My guards now brought me some food ; but I felt not the least in- 
 clination to partake of it, and sent it all away. In this 8t<*to I remained 
 until evening. I sometimes threw myself on the fl9or, or upon a bencih, 
 and occasionally walked about the apartment, meditating on the means 
 of effecting my escape. I attentively inspected the construction of my 
 cage. It was six feet in length and breadth, and about eight feet in 
 height. It was divided from the lobby by wooden palissades of tolerable 
 thickness, and the door was fastened by a lock. On one side, near the 
 door, was a small recess fitted up as a water-closet. There wore two 
 windows, both secured externally by strong wooden gratings, and in the 
 inside furnished with paper screens, which I could open and shut at 
 pleasure. One window faced the wall of a building about two feet dis- 
 tant from thnt in which I was confined, and the other looked to the 
 fiouthern side of the fence which surrounded our prison. From this 
 window I had a view of the neighboring hills and fields, part of the 
 straits of Sangar, and the opposite coast. In the interior of the chamber 
 stood a wooden bench, which, however, was so small, that I could not 
 stretch myself upon it ; and three or four mats lay in one comer on the 
 floor. The place contained no other furniture.'* 
 
 After being confined for a day or two, Golownin was allowed to 
 select one of the sailors for a companion. He chose Makaroff, who, on 
 being conducted to him, stated that the other prisoners were confined, 
 in small cages, perfectly dark, and with such low entrances that they 
 were obliged to crawl in on their hands and knees. Two days after- 
 ward, they were all taken before the governor of the city, by whom 
 they were closely questioned, but received no intimation as to their 
 future ilite. They Avere then conducted back again to their cages, where 
 they remained eighteen days before they were again summoned. Their 
 condition was a little improved, inasmuch as they were allowed to speak 
 to each other, a partition between the cages having been removed. 
 Golownin observes : " The chief trouble we experienced from both oflUcers 
 and soldiers, who did duty as guards, arose from their requests to write 
 on their fans and pieces of paper ; but as they always solicited the favor 
 with great courtesy, and invariably returned thanks with very humble 
 reverences, we never refiised. Some, however, imposed so far on our 
 complaisance as to bring us ten or twenty fims at a time. These tedious 
 labors fell chiefly on Messra. Moor and Chlebnikoff, as their hand-writ- 
 inj); was verj' fine. The former wrote more than seventy sheets of paper 
 for one of the soldiers; and ^rom their unceasing applications we at 
 
422 
 
 OOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 length concluded that they must have sold these manuscripts as articles 
 worthy of being preserved m the cabinets of the curious. This task was 
 the more laborious, as the officers were always desired to give a transla- 
 tion of what was written. When we translated any thing for them, they 
 carried it to Mr. Chlebnikoff, to compare his translation with ours ; and 
 if he wrote any thing, they brought it for the same reason to us." 
 
 On the 26th of August the deputy-governor, Otachi-Kocki, camo to 
 visit them, followed by a numerous retinue. Mats were spread in front 
 of the cages, and Oolownin was thunderstruck at seeing his own chest 
 cf clothing, the portmanteaus of Moor and Chlebnikoff, and the bundles 
 of the sailors, deposited thereupon. His first thought was that the 
 sloop had been wrecked, but the Japanese soon informed him that the 
 articles had been sent ashore at Kunashir. " This day," ho says, " was 
 doubly memorable to me : first, on account of the great surprise and 
 alarm which the appearance of our baggage occasioned ; and secondly, 
 because the want of paper and ink, or any thing by which I could make 
 notes, induced me to fall on the following singular method of keeping a 
 journal. When any thing happened that was agreeable to us, I tied a 
 knot on a white thread, which I drew out of the frill of my shirt: when 
 any unpleasant event occurred, I made a memorandum of it by tying a 
 knot on a thread of black silk, taken out of my neck-handkerchief. With 
 regard to other circumstances which, though remarkable, had occasioned 
 us neither joy nor sorrow, I recorded them on a thread of green silk, 
 which I abstracted from the lining of my uniform coat. Often did I 
 count over these knots, and recall to my mind the events they served 
 to denote." 
 
 Four days afterward they were again conducted before the gover- 
 nor, and were surprised by the reception of a letter from Lieutenant 
 Rikord, who informed them that he intended sailing to Okotsk, and re- 
 turning the next summer with a stronger force. The Japanese desired 
 Golownin to translate this letter, which he did in a cautious manner, 
 softening, the threatening expressions which it contained. After they 
 were taken back to their cages, they noticed that the officers and sol- 
 diers were more kind and friendly. They were allowed to have some 
 articles of clothing from their trunks, and were furnished with a tub of 
 warm water, that they might wash themselves. Golownin thus describes 
 the latter proceeding : " The tub was extremely large, and the water 
 was heated by means of a copper pipe, communicating with a kind of 
 stove. I washed first, and the rest were obliged to make use of the 
 same water. This was not a little annoying. Wo looked upon such 
 treatment as below what was due even to common criminals. We were, 
 however, soon set at ease on this particular ; for, to our great astonish- 
 ment, after we had all finished washing, some of the impenal soldiers, 
 by whom we were guarded, very contentedly followed our example, and 
 washed themselves in the same water. These soldiers, as I have before 
 observed, are held in the utmost respect in Japan. It is, therefore, 
 
REMOVAL TO MATSMAI. 
 
 423 
 
 evident, that tho Japancae entertain no disgust or horror of Christians ; 
 and du not, like other Asiatics, regard them as unclean. 
 
 " On tho 6th of September, wo were conducted to the governor of 
 Hakoduf^i, for tho hist time. "We sat a long time in tho court-yard, 
 drinking tea and smoking tobacco. Tho interpreter, Kumaddsclicro, 
 went continually backward and forward, asking us Russian words, which 
 ho wrote down. We were at length conducted into the hall. Here ono 
 of the officers, a gray-haired man, apparently about seventy years of age, 
 who in Laxman's time had been employed in compiling a Ru»«sian dic- 
 tionary, unrolled a large sheet of paper, filled with Japanese characters, 
 which he began to read in a style very much resembling singing. We 
 were totally unable to comprehend the first ten or twenty words ; but 
 wo at length discovered that ho fancied he was reading Russian, and 
 from some of tho words we conjectured that the paper contained an ac- 
 count of our afiair, translated into Russian. We could not refi^ain from 
 laughing, and told the Japanese that we understood only a few words 
 hero and there : upon which they all joined in the laugh, not excepting 
 the translator, who laid the paper aside. The governor then took leave 
 of us, and wo left the castle." 
 
 Toward tho end of September they ascertained from tho soldiers 
 that they were to be taken to the city of Matsmai, at the western ex- 
 tremity of tho Straits of Sangar. About the same time Simanoff, one 
 of tho sailors, obtained possession of a large knife, which Golownin ad- 
 vised him to preserve very carefully, in order to furnish them with a 
 means of escape, if an opportunity- should present itself. The journey 
 to Matsmai occupied four days, and on tho afternoon of the 30th of 
 September, " we halted," says the narrative, " in a village about three 
 vcrsts distant from the city, where wo were met by a pany of soldiers 
 and a vast crowd of people. We remained there about half an hour, 
 during which time our conductors put on their best clothes, and we 
 then entered the city with the same formalities as had been observed at 
 Ilakodadi : tho number of spectators was, however, considerably 
 greater, owing to the vast population of the city. Having proceeded 
 through Ihe town, to the distance of about four or five versts along the 
 shore, we entered a large open space, crowded with men, who stood 
 behind ropes, which had been fixed for the accommodation of the pro- 
 cession. Thence we ascended a tolerably high hill, passed along the 
 rampart which encompassed the castle, and entered a court-yard, sur- 
 rounded by a high wooden fence, entirely new. Here we met a l^^tach- 
 ment of soldiers in their military uniforms. From this court-yara a little 
 door led through another fence, higher than the preceding one. We 
 now entered a dark edifice like a barn. Mr. Moor, Mr. Chlebnikofij 
 and myself, were shut up together in a cage ; the sailors and Alexei were 
 confined in another. 
 
 " The whole structure must have occasioned the Japanese govern- 
 ment no inconsiderable cost. We could not believe that so much labor 
 
42i 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 and expense would havo been incurred bad it been intended to set us 
 Boon at liberty. The strength and the plan of thin prison appeared to 
 denote that it was to bo our dwelling-placo during the remainder of our 
 exiatencc. This idea distressed us not a little. Wo sat long in i)rofound 
 silence, gazing at each other, and giving otirselves up for lost. A serv- 
 ant at length brought in our supper, which consisted of boiled rice, a 
 piece of fish, and a few beans with syrup." 
 
 Two days afterward they were taken before the buni/o, or governor, 
 who interrogated them for some time concernli'g their names, rank 
 families, and relations. After they liad retired, )io announced his in- 
 tcntion of presenting them with dresses, which were afterward made by 
 a Japanese tailor. Their food was also better tliun it had been in Ila- 
 kodadi. According to the Japanese custom, stewed rice and pickled 
 radishes served them instead of bread and seasoning. They Avere be- 
 sides frequently furnished with good fresh and salt fish, boiled or fried ; 
 soups, in which there were various wild herbs or maccaroni ; and some- 
 times there was prepared for them a kind of Russian souj) or sauce, 
 made with white fish and muscle broth. The fish were fried in oil of 
 poppiej, and were seasoned with grated radish and soy. 
 
 For upward of a month after their arrival they were taken before the 
 bunyo every day, regularly, and questioned for many hours in succession. 
 Captain Golownin's account of this propensity of the Japanese is very 
 curious. " The number of questions which the bunyo asked," he says, 
 " was incalculable. If ho put one interrogatory concerning any circum- 
 stances connected with our case, he asked fifty which were unimportant, 
 and many which were ludicrous. This so puzzled and tormented us, 
 that we sometimes made very irritable replies. On one occasion, we 
 stated plainly, that we had rather they would put an end to our exist- 
 ence at once than torture us in the way they did. When mo Mere ca])- 
 tured, I had about me ten or twelve keys belonging to my desk and 
 drawers and to boxes containing tho astronomical instruments used on 
 board tho ship. The bunyo wished to be informed of the contents of 
 every drau'er and every box. When I pointed to my shirt, and told 
 him that my drawers contained such things as those, ho asked me how 
 many I had. I replied that I did not know ; and that it was my serv- 
 ant's business to keep that reckoning. Upon this he immediately iii- 
 (juired how many servants I had, and what were their names and ages. 
 I lost all patience, and asked why I was teased with such questions, and 
 what use there could be in answering them since my property was not 
 with me. The governor then, with great mildness, observed that he 
 hoped wo were not offended by his curiosity ; that he did not intend to 
 force any ansM'ers from us, but merely questioned us like a friend. 
 
 *' To enable the reader to form some notion of the questions which 
 the Japanese put to us, and the trouble it cost us to explain the various \ 
 matters which excited their curiosity, I may here subjoin a few of their ' 
 interrogatories, scarcely, however, the hundredth part of tho frivolcs 
 
THE MARTYRDOM OF QUESTIONS. 
 
 425 
 
 US, 
 
 , wo 
 xist- 
 ca\)- 
 
 rtnd 
 (Ion 
 uts of 
 
 told 
 
 how 
 
 serv- 
 ly in- 
 
 ages. 
 
 I, and 
 as not 
 lat he 
 tend to 
 
 , which 
 various 
 jf their 
 rivolc"" 
 
 inqiiirios wliich thoy were acicustomcd to nmko in tlic rourRc of ono day. 
 It imwt, moreover, bo coiiHidercd that wo liiid to msiktt oursi'lves under- 
 Btooil to them by mcansi of the hulf-wild Kurilc, who knew sourcely any 
 thing of tho subjects on which M'o conversed, and who was acquainted 
 M'itli no wordrt in tho Kurilo language to express many of the terms 
 whicli wo made use of. The Japanese interrogated us Avithout any kind 
 of regularity, and often jumped from ono subject to anotlier. The fol- 
 lowing is a specimen of ono of our examinations: 
 
 "What kind of dress does tho Emperor of Russia wear — what docs 
 ho Avcar on his liead — what kind of birds arc found in tho neighborhood 
 of St. Petersburg — how many times do tho Russians go to church in 
 one day — what would bo tho price in Russia of tho clothes we were then 
 wearing — how many pieces of cannon are planted round the imperial 
 palace — what wool is mado uso of in Europe for manufacturing cloth — 
 what quadrupeds, birds, and fish are oaten in Russia — in what manner 
 do the Russians eat — what sort of dresses do tho ladies wear — what kind 
 of horse does the Emperor usually ride — who accompanies him when ho 
 goes abroad — arc the Russians ])artial to tho Dutch — how many foreign- 
 ers are there in Russia — what aro the chief articles of trade in St. 
 Petersburg — what aro tV.o dimensions in length, bre.idth, and height, 
 of the imperial palace — how many windows does it contain — how many 
 festivals do the Russians observe in tho course of the year — do the Rus- 
 sians wear silk clothes — at what time of life do the Russian women begin 
 and cease to bear children? They besides inquired tho names of tho 
 Emperor, and of all the branches of the imperial family; the names of 
 the governors-general of Siberia and Irkutzk, and of the commandants 
 of Okotsk, Kamtchatka, etc. 
 
 " But they vexed us most of all by their inquiries respecting bar- 
 racks. I have already observed that in Hakodadi they insisted on know- 
 ing how many men were under our command, according to our rank, 
 when we wcro ashore. This question was again repeated, together with 
 a request to know where tho sailors lived in St. Petersburg. In bar- 
 racks, wo replied. They then requested Mr. Moor to sketch, from the 
 best of his recollection, a plan of St. Petersburg, and to point out in 
 what part of tho town the sailors' barracks were. This demand was no 
 sooner complied with, than they made inquiries respecting the length, 
 breadth and height of tho barracks ; the number of their gates, windows, 
 and doors ; into how many stories they were divided ; in what part of 
 the building the sailors lived ; how they employed their time ; how many 
 men were employed to guard the barracks, etc. 
 
 " But this was not all : they questioned us about the military bar- 
 racks ; asked how many buildings of that kind there were in St. Peters- 
 burg, in what part of the town they were situated, and what number of 
 men they contained. "We thought it best to plead ignorance of most of 
 these matters ; but this did not exempt us from the continuance of these 
 mterrogatories. We were asked in what part of the city our dwellings 
 
426 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 v/ere situated, how far they were from the palace, and requested to point 
 out the spot on the sketch which Mr. Moor had drawn. At length they 
 wished to know how large our houses wore, and how many servants we 
 kept. I frequently thought that the Japanese took a pleasure thus to 
 torment us ; for to reply to all the questions which their insatiable curi- 
 osity induced them to put to us, was a positive martyrdom. We some- 
 times absolutely refused to answer them, and told them they might, if 
 tliey pleased, put us to death. The bunyo would then endeavor to soothe 
 us by expressions of regard, and by making inquiries respecting matters 
 relative to our imprisonment, but he would soon resume his trifling. Wo 
 avoided by every possible manceuver giving any opportunity for unneces- 
 sary questions ; we returned short replies, and sometimes only half an 
 answer. But every word brought with it a train of interiogatories." 
 
 After the prisoners had been driven to desperation by this continued 
 questioning, and refused to gratify any longer the curiosity of the Japan- 
 ese, the latter asked them to write out an account of what had happened 
 to them since they left Russia. In doing this, they took occasion to re- 
 late minutely the occurences at the island of Kunashir. A great deal of 
 time was consumed in translating this document into Japanese, and the 
 work was not accomplished until the middle of November, with the help 
 of the interpreters, Alexei and Kumaddschero. They then sent it to the 
 bunyo, accompanied by a petition, in which they requested that the Ja- 
 panese government would set them at liberty, and send them back to 
 Russia. Alexei was honest enough to confirm the truth of every thing 
 which they stated, contrary to the declaration of some other Kuriles 
 whom the Japanese had seized, and his testimony was not without its 
 value. 
 
 A few days afterward, they were summoned before the bunyo, who 
 addressed them in a speech of considerable length, which was thus trans- 
 lated to Golownin : " The Japanese at first supposed we intended to 
 plunder and burn their villages. For this reason they had enticed us 
 into their garrison, and had detained us by force, with the view of ascer- 
 taining what had induced the Russians to commence hostilities, as the 
 Japanese had uniformly entertained friendly dispositions toward them. 
 The bunyo, however, gave credit to our explanation of the affair, and re- 
 garded us as innocent : he had accordingly given orders for removing 
 the ropes with which we were bound, and would do all that lay in his 
 power to better our condition. If it depended on him to grant us our 
 freedom, and send us back to Russia, he would do so without hesitation ; 
 but we must be informed that the bunyo of Matsmai was not the chief 
 individual of the state, but that Japan was ruled by an emperor and a 
 superior government, whose commands he was boimd to obey in all cases 
 of importance, and without whose consent he could not grant us our free- 
 dom. On his part, however, he would use all his influence with the gov- 
 ernment in our favor, and to facilitate our return to Russia. With this 
 view, he had sent one of the principal officers of Matsmai to Yeddo, the 
 
HOPES OF LIBERATION. 
 
 427 
 
 », who 
 trans- 
 led to 
 !ed us 
 ascer- 
 astbe 
 them, 
 ind re- 
 lOving 
 in his 
 13 our 
 ation; 
 chief 
 and a 
 cases 
 ir free- 
 le gov- 
 ith this 
 Ido, the 
 
 capital, to endeavor to bring our affair to the wished-for issue. In the 
 mean while he entreated us not to give way to despair, but to offer up 
 prayers to Heaven,* and patiently to await the decision of the emperor 
 of Japan. When Alexei had finished his explanation, and the Japanese 
 perceived that we understood him, our ropes were immediately taken 
 off, and they all sincerely congratulated us. Two of the Japanese, pres- 
 ent at this scene, were so moved that they shed tears. 
 
 " On returning to our prison, we found, to our astonishment, every 
 thing changed ; and we could scarcely comprehend how so complete an 
 alteration could have been effected in so short a time. Tlie spars or 
 railings in front of our cages were removed ; the spaces which before 
 served us for passages were thrown into the cages ; the floor was laid 
 with planks in the direction of its length, and covered with new mats, 
 so that our prison was converted into a roomy hall, in which we could 
 walk about and converse at our ease. Near the fireplace, wooden com- 
 partments were formed, and in them a teacup for each of us was placed ; 
 on the hearth stood copper kettles with water for tea, and a pipe, with 
 a little pouch of tobacco, was laid ready for each. Instead of lamps with 
 fish-oil, we were allowed candles. We wondered not a little at this un- 
 expected and rapid metamorphosis. 
 
 " We had scarcely recovered from our astonishment, when several 
 civil functionaries, accompanied by their children, came to visit us. 
 They offered us their congratulations, seated themselves by the fire, and 
 smoked and chatted with us. In a word, we seemed no longer prison- 
 ers, but guests. Supper was not handed to us as usual, in cups or basins, 
 but n-as served up, according to the Japanese custom, on trays. The 
 vessels used were entirely new, and a finer sort was allotted to the officers 
 than to the sailors. The aliments were better than before, and the sagi 
 was no longer dealt out to us in certain portions, in cups, but was placed 
 before us, that we might fill it out as we pleased. This kind treatment 
 revived the hope of again seeing our country, and we passed a tranquil 
 night, for the first time since our imprisonment. The two following 
 days were spent in a manner equally gratifying, and we considered our 
 speedy return to Russia as certain. But this pleasant state of things was 
 not of long duration. New occurrences induced us to doubt the sin- 
 cerity of the Japanese. We soon had to revert to our old meals, and 
 nothing remained except the new utensils." 
 
 Matters remained in this condition during tht whole winter. The 
 captives were sometimes treated kindly, and con.olad with the hope of 
 a speedy release, while at other times the aspect of the Japanese was 
 unfriendly and threatening. They finally became weary of this fluctuat- 
 
 * 'Wlienever he said any thing to console us, he recommended us to rely on God, a 
 circumstance with which we were particularly pleased. It was satisfiictory to reflect^ 
 that the people into whose power fate had consigned us, entertained a just idea of the 
 Supremo Being, and placed faith in the Almighty Ruler of nations, before whom all must 
 sooner or later render an account of their actions. — Golowion. 
 
428 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 ing, uncertain state, and determined to make the attempt to escape. 
 Tlioy wore partly led to tliis conclusion, by the conviction that the Ja- 
 panese intended to retain them as teachers, in order to gratify their 
 boundless <',uriosity. A new interpreter, named Teske, was sent to them 
 from the capital, to learn the Russian langiiago ; he Avas followed by an 
 astronomer, who M'ished them to teach him how to make observations 
 for the latitude and longitude. All were at first agreed upon the ncjccs- 
 sity of escaping, but in the beginning of March, Mr. Moor, the miilsliip. 
 man, suddenly declared that he would have nothing to do Mith the i)l()t. 
 F'rom that moment a complete change took place in his manner and be- 
 havior. He began to imitate the customs of the Japanese ; he was oh- 
 Bcquious toward them to such a degree that their laughter was excited, 
 and began to watch his fellow-captives, evidently with the design of 
 giving information against them. Golownin soon became convinced that 
 it would be unsafe to trust him ; he therefore pretended to have given 
 up the idea of escaping, while, with the concurrence of all the others, 
 the preparations for it were secretly going on. 
 
 On the Ist of April they were all taken out of the cages and con- 
 ducted to a house which had been expressly prepared for them. " Our 
 residence," says Golownin, " was in various respects changed for iho 
 better. We could at least enjoy the sight of the sky, the stars, and 
 many other objects ; and wo could, when we chose, walk out into the 
 yard and enjoy the fresh air. Wo had before been debarred from all 
 these enjoyments. Our food was likewise considerably better. But, 
 nevertheless, we were inconsolable whenever wo thought of the last 
 words of the bunyo. lie desired us to regard the Japanese as our 
 brethren and countrymen, and mentioned not a word about Russia, as 
 ho had been before accustomed to do. We could construe this in no 
 other way than that we must make up our minds to remain in Japan, 
 and banish every thoufyht of Russia. But we had firmly resolved that 
 such should not be o t fnto ; and had even bound ourselves by an oath, 
 that, whatever might be the consequence, we would attempt either to 
 liberate ourselves by force from the power of the Japanese, or to escape 
 secretly during the night. Wo had all, M'ith the exception of Mr. 
 Moor, formed a determination to perish rather than remain forever in 
 Japan. 
 
 " In one of our walks in the outskirts of the city we found a piece of 
 steel, which one of the sailors picked up, under pretense of drawing up 
 his boot, and slipped it into his pocket ; we likewise found means to 
 provide ourselves with some flints, luiperceived by our attendants. The 
 fragments of an old shirt, which wo threw upon the fire as if by accident, 
 served us for tinder ; we besides daily increased our store of provisions, 
 by secreting a portion of our allowances. Wo did not neglect defensive 
 precautions. Having had the good fortune to find among the grass in 
 our yard a large chisel, which had probably been left by the carpenters 
 who repaired our house, wo carefully hid it, and resolved, on the first 
 
ESCAPK OF THE CAPTIVES. 
 
 429 
 
 favorable opportunity, to fasten it to a long polo, so that it might servo 
 as a pike. To a similar purpose we destined a spade, which had also 
 been left by accident in our yard, and which avc aj)propriated. Tho 
 proverb, that necessity is tlio mother of invention, was in our case fully 
 verified, for Mr. Chlebnikoff actually managed to make a compass. We 
 requested our attendants to let us have two large needles for mending 
 our clothes, dnd afterward pretended that wo had lost them. Tho 
 Japanese sometimes fasten together the beams of their houses with cop- 
 per ; this had been done in our house, although the copper was very 
 rusty. Mr. Chlebnikoff cleaned a piece of this copper, in the middle of 
 which he bored a hole, so that a needle might be placed upon it. By 
 frequently rubbing this needle on a stone which ho selected for the pur- 
 pose, he succeeded in magnetising it, and finally gave it such a degree 
 of polarity, that it pointed with tolerable accuracy to the north. The 
 case was composed of a lew sheets of paper pasted together with rice.'* 
 
 Their plan was to escape by night, travel northward along the shore, 
 and take possession, at some of the fishing villages, of a boat large 
 enough to convey them across to Tartary. On the 23d of April, 1812, 
 they were conducted to the outskirts of the city for a walk, and made 
 use of the opportunity to observe the foot-paths leading to the hills. On 
 their return to their hoiise tho eamo evening, they threw themselves 
 upon their beds, as if much fatigued. " During the twilight," soys the 
 narrative, " the sailors entered the kitchen, and carried off two knives, 
 without being perceived. About half an hour before midnight, Simanoff 
 and Schkajeff stole into the yard, and concealed themselves under the 
 Bteps. When twelve o'clock struck, and tho Sangar soldiers had gone 
 their rounds, they began to make a hole under the fence, through which 
 we all (Mr. Moor and Alexei excepted) crept one after another. I stum- 
 bled in going out, slipped down, and struck rnv knee against a stake 
 which was sunk in the ground close to the The blow was ex- 
 
 tremely violent, but the pain soon diminished. ^ t uid ourselves on 
 a very narrow path between the fence and the hollow, and with groat 
 difficulty we succeeded in gaining tho high road. With hasty steps we 
 then passed between the trees, crossed the mound and the oemutery, 
 and, in about half an hour, reached the foot of the first hill which we had 
 to ascend. 
 
 " Proceeding in our hazardous enterprise, we began, at the distan 3 
 of about five versts from the shore, to climb the hills, and we endeav- 
 ored, wherever it was possible, to direct our course northward. The 
 stara served to guide us. While we were ascending the first hill I felt 
 a violent pain in niy knee, which in a short time swelled prodigiously. 
 When we proceeded along level ground, I could, with the assistance of 
 a stick, walk without much difficulty ; but I experienced severe pain 
 either in ascending or descending, as I was then obliged to tread heavily 
 with the leg which had been hurt. Being thus unable to make an equal 
 nse of both feet, I was quickly overcome with fatigue. My companions 
 
430 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 were, therefore, under the necessity of stopping every half hour, to 
 enable me to recover myself and ease my knee by resting. Our object 
 was to reach, before daybreak, some hills, across which a thick forest 
 extended, so as to conceal ourselves from the observation of the enemy; 
 for we had now reason to regard the Japanese, in that character. Dm-- 
 ing our walks in the vicinity of the town, this forest appeared to us to 
 be at no very considerable distance, but we soon found how greatly we 
 had mistaken its situation. We could trace no footpath leading to it, 
 and we therefore advanced to it in as straight a direction as we could. 
 Owinn' to the darkness of the night, we could see no further than a few 
 paces around us, and we sometimes unexpectedly found ourselves at the 
 foot of a steep precipice, which it was impossible to climb. "We had 
 then to search for a more practicable road ; which, when found, we con- 
 tinued to ascend until new obstacles presented themselves." 
 
 After having traveled for three hours in this manner, they reached 
 the top of the ridge, and discovered a beaten road, leading directly to- 
 ward the forest, where they might walk without fear of being tracked. 
 They had almost reached the forest, where they would have been toler- 
 ably secure, when the sailor Wassiljeff, happening to look behind him, 
 exclaimed : " They are pursuing us on horseback with lanterns !" and 
 immediately descended into a deep hollow on one side of the road. The 
 others followed his example, but by the time they had reached the bot- 
 tom of the hollow, which was surrounded with precipices, the sun had 
 risen. Perceiving at last a small aperture in the rock, which had been 
 hollowed out by the action of a waterfall, they crept into it, and although 
 the place was not large enough to allow them to sit down, they remained 
 there until sunset. As soon as the stars appeared they climbed the hill 
 again, and proceeded northward. Captain Golownin suffered so mucj 
 pain, from the leg which had been injured, that he found it almost im- 
 possible to advance, and requested the others to leave him. This they 
 refused to do, and the sailors took turns in dragging him along. 
 
 During the whole of the night they advanced northward over rugged 
 hills, suffering greatly from the cold, and at daybreak halted among 
 some bushes, for the purpose of cooking a little rice which they had 
 brought with them. The day was cold and stormy, and as the mount- 
 ains appeared to be entirely deserted, they determined to pre seed. The 
 sailors were still obliged to drag Gnlownin, whose sufferings were so 
 great that he preferred lying down on the snow, and sliding down the 
 steep sides of the hills. On this day he had a fearful adventure, which 
 he thus describes ; " Having ascended to a considerable height, we sud- 
 denly found ourselves at the foot of a steep rock, which we could not 
 climb without the greatest difficulty and danger. I had nearly reached 
 the top of the rock, when I found myself under the necessity of loosening 
 my hold of the girdle of Makaroff, who otherwise, overburdened as ie 
 was, Avould not have been able to have gained the summit. I therefore 
 placed the toes of my sound foot firmly against a stone, and throwing 
 
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 H 
 
 karc 
 
 H 
 
 j or t 
 
 ■ 
 
 tate( 
 
 I 
 
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-y 
 
 ere bo 
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 ^e 8ud- 
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 lerefore 
 Irowing 
 
 A FEARFUL ADVENTURE. 
 
 481 
 
 my right arm round a young tree, which was so much bent down that 
 it inclined almost horizontally, I resolved to wait until Makaroff should 
 reach the top, and be able to release me from my perilous situation. 
 But, powerful and vigorous as Makaroff was, his great exertions had so 
 overcome him, that he no sooner reached the summit, than he fell to the 
 ground almost in a lifeless state. At this moment, the stone against 
 which I rested my foot detached itself, and rolled to the bottom of a 
 deep hollow which the rock overhung. I was thus left hanging by one 
 hand, without the possibility of obtaining any other support, owing to 
 the excessive smoothness of the rock. 
 
 "The rest of the ssulors were at no great distance, but fatigue ren- 
 dered them unable to affbrd me any assistance. Makaroff still lay 
 stretched upon the ground, and Mr. Chlebnikoff was laboring to climb 
 the rock at another point. Having remained in this dreadful situation 
 for several minutes, my hand began to smart severely, and I was on the 
 point of ending my sufferings by precipitating myself into the gulf, more 
 than a hundred fathoms beneath me, when Makaroff, suddenly recover- 
 ing, beheld my situation, and hastened to my assistance. Resting his 
 foot upon a stone which projected from the rock under my breast, he 
 with one hand grasped a branch of the tree. With my hand which was 
 free I then seized his girdle, aiid, by a great effort on his part, I was 
 drawn to the top of the rock. "We were no sooner both safe, than Ma- 
 karoff again fell down in a state of insensibility. Had either the stone 
 or the branch of the tree given way, we must both have been precipi- 
 tated to the bottom, and have perished." 
 
 " Meanwhile, Mr. Chlebnikoff had climbed to the middle of the rock, 
 when such obstacles presented themselves that he could neither move 
 backward nor forward. The sailors immediately tied together the sashes 
 they wore as girdles, and, having lowered one end until he was enabled 
 to take hold of it, drew him from his perilous situation." 
 
 They passed the night on the summit of one of the highest mount- 
 ains of Matsmai, but were not able to sleep much on account of the in- 
 tense cold. Next morning they cooked some garlic and sorrel for 
 breakfast, and then descended toward the sea-shore, by the bed of a 
 torrent — a path so difficult, that a single false step would have dashed 
 th^m to pieces. Toward evening they found some deserted huts, in 
 vhich they passed the night with tolerable comfort. On the 27th they 
 emerged from the hills, and were cautiously making their way northward 
 at some distance from the shore, when they suddenly saw a party of 
 soldiers on horseback. They had barely time to conceal themselves 
 among some bushes, and the men passed on without discovering them. 
 After dark they descended to the shore, which they followed all night, 
 passing through a number of fishing villages, without being seen by any 
 one. Tliey found several boats, but all were too small for their purpose. 
 
 Tlie two following days were spent in the same manner, the fugitives 
 proceeding along the sea-shore at night, and hiding themselves among 
 
432 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 the hills by day. But they now began to suffer severely from huno'cr 
 and felt more than ever the necessity of procuring a boat. They were 
 thoroughly exhausted by tho fatigues they had undergone, and yet M'cro 
 unable to make much progress on account of the distance between the 
 shore and the hills, which they were obliged to traverse twice a day. 
 On the night of the 29th, while traveling over the ridges in the dark 
 Mr. Chlebnikoff slipped and fell into a deep hole. They called, but re- 
 ceived no answer. " We then tied our girdles together," says Golownin 
 " and fastening the one end about Wassiljeff, let him down into the hole 
 into Mhich Mr. Chlebnikoff had fallen. We lowered him gradually as 
 far as the length of our united sashes would admit, and then drew him 
 up again. Wassiljeff informed us, that, notwithstanding the depth to 
 which he had descended, he could not discover the extent of the hole • 
 and that he called Mr. Chlebnikoff, but received no answer. We there- 
 fore resolved to remain on the spot imtil daylight, and then to lower 
 another of our party into the hole, to ascertain whether Mr. Chlebnikoff 
 was* yet living. 
 
 " We remained for two hours in a state of the most painful uncer- 
 tainty respecting the fate of our companion. We at length heard a 
 rustling among the grass, and on looking roimd, to our great joy and 
 istonishment, we beheld him. It appeared that he had first rolled down 
 about two fathoms from the surface, when something stopped him, and 
 he endeavored to climb up again ; he however slipped a second time, 
 and fell perpendicularly into a pit, to the depth of some fathoms. For- 
 tunately there were no stones at the bottom of the pit, but he was, 
 nevertheless, severely bruised. lie at length succeeded in climbing up 
 the side of the pit, and reached the spot where he surprised us by his 
 unexpected appearance. After resting for a short time, he again walked 
 on, though complaining of severe pain in every part of his body. Even 
 now, my memory never reverts without horror to the frii;htful gulfs 
 and huge rocks of Matsmai." 
 
 On the night of the 1st of May, while passing through a village on 
 the shore, they observed a boat in the water, and a tent near it. They 
 advanced to inspect the boat, but Schkajeff, hoping to find some pro- 
 visions in the tent, entered, thrusting out his hand, and grasped the 
 head of a man who was sleeping there. The man cried out loudly, and 
 the fugitives ran off and concealed themselves behind a stone wall. On 
 returning some time afterward, they found a man sitting up in the boat, 
 and keeping watch. The approach of morning drove them once more 
 among the hills. Daylight surprised them on the side of a barren mount- 
 ain, covered only here and therewith a few scanty bushes. They beheld 
 footpaths on every side, and villages along the shore, as far as the eye 
 could see. They concealed themselves as well as they could, but soon 
 after sunrise observed a woman on an opposite hill, who was looking at 
 them Jind making signals to some persons whom they could not see. In 
 a few minutes they were surrounded, and though Golownin and Maka- ! 
 
BECAPTURB AND IMPRISONMBNT. 
 
 433 
 
 roff escaped at first, they were all ultimately recaptui'od, bound, and 
 taken back to Matsmai under a strong guard. 
 
 They were immediately taken before the bunyo and examined. Mr. 
 Moor, who was present, took the part of the Japanese, and gave Golow< 
 nin and his companions much trouble, by contradicting many of their 
 statements. After this examination, they were sent to the city prison, 
 in wliich the Japanese criminals were confined. Here, after being strip- 
 ped and searched, Golownin and ChlebnikofT were put into separate 
 cages, and the four sailors in a third, which was larger and better sup- 
 plied with light and air. Golownin had taken upon himself the m hole 
 responsibility of the flight, informing the Japanese that the sailors were 
 bound to obey him, and were therefore not to blame. Nearly every 
 day they wore carried before the bunyo and subjected to weary and 
 perplexing interrogatories. Toward the last of June a new bunyo ar- 
 rived from Yedo, and matters apparently became more favorable, for on 
 the 9tl» of July they were removed from the city prison to the house 
 which they had occupied previous to their flight. 
 
 They were now also treated with more kindness than formerly. 
 " Our guards," says Golownin. " treated us with much civility, giving us 
 sometimes sagi, fruit, etc., and these acts of kindness were no longer 
 performed by stealth. An old man, seventy years of age, brought some 
 fans and lackered spoons for Mr. ChlebnikoiF and me, and an ink-stand, 
 ink, and pencil, for Schkajeff, who, though suffering from severe illness, 
 was exceedingly anxious to practice reading and writing. This man, 
 though arrived at the ago of thirty-two in total ignorance, had, while on 
 board the sloop, by extreme application, learned to read, and likewise to 
 write a little. To pass away the time, Mr. Chlebnikoff and I took upon 
 ourselves the task of instructing the sailors. SchktijefF, who suffered 
 severely from indisposition, feared lest the others might advance more 
 rapidly than he, and, whenever he experienced the least mitigation of 
 Ins illness, never failed to employ himself either in reading or writing, 
 lie applied to both with unremitted assiduity, while his companions re- 
 garded the task of learning to road as too difficult, and abandoned it 
 before they had acquired the alphabet. Mr. Chlebnikoff gave him in- 
 Btructions every evening, so that in time he could read and write tolera- 
 bly well. 
 
 " Nothing remarkable occurred until September ; but I can not omit 
 mentioning a circumstance which is characteristic of the customs of the 
 Japanese. One day, a dinner Avas sent to us of far better quality than 
 tliat to Avhich avc had been accustomed, and it was served in elegant 
 dishes. Every person who visited us congratulated us on receiving this 
 con\pIiment, which we concluded came from the bunyo ; but we after- 
 ward learned that tie dinner hr»d been sent by a rich man, who was 
 Buffering under a dangerous fit of illness ; and that in such cases it was 
 customary for the Japanese to send presents of that sort to the poor and 
 imfortunatc." 
 
 28 
 
iu 
 
 GOLOWNIN'S CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 On the 6th of September they were conducted to the castle, and to 
 their surprise and joy, received a letter from Lieutenant Uikord, stating 
 that he was at the island of Kunashir with the Diana; that ho kne\v not 
 whether they were dead or living, but would not leave until ho had re- 
 ceived news of thcni. This letter was accompanied with an applioatlou 
 to the Japanese government for their release. These papers were trans- 
 lated and forwarded to Yedo ; but in a fortnight afterward tlu^ Japanese 
 interpreters announced to Golownin that Rikord had sailed hack to 
 Siberia, taking with him five of the crew of a Japanese vessel whicli he 
 had encountered. About the middle of October another letter was de- 
 livered to Golownin. It was from Lieutenant Rudakoff, and stated that 
 on first arriving at Kunashir they were informed that the prisoners had 
 been put to death. They then determined to commence hostilities, and 
 accordingly captured a Japanese junk, from the crew of which they 
 learned that their friends were still aUve. They had, nevertheless, taken 
 the master of the junk and four sailors with them, and would return 
 early the next year, to procure Golownin's liberation. 
 
 " A ray of hope now began to dawn upon us," says Golownin, " and 
 seemed to rescue us from utter despair. Thus perplexed between the 
 expectation of liberty and distrust of the Japanese, wo entered upon the 
 new year, 1813." During the winter and spring, they lived in a state 
 of great trouble and perplexity, on account of the singular conduct of 
 Mr. Moor, who sometimes appeared to repent ol his past baseness, and 
 to desire to regain their confidence, while at othoi times, he did all in 
 his power to prejudice the Japanese against them. His behavior was so 
 extraordinary that Golownin was forced to believe that his mind was 
 disordered, and subsequent occurrences confirmed him in his opinion. 
 "On the 10th of May," says the narrative, "the note which we had re- 
 quested permission to dispatch to the different fortified harbors, to in- 
 form our friends that we were living and well, was returned from the 
 capital. The government had approved of its contents, and consequently 
 not a single letter could bo altered. Having made five copies, and 
 affixed our signatures to each, they were dispatched on the same day to 
 their several destinations. This note was to the following effect : 
 
 " * "We are all, both officers and seamen, and the Kurile Alexei, alive, 
 and in Matsmai. Wassily Golownin. 
 
 "'May 10, 1813. Fkodok Moon.' 
 
 " Mr. Chlebnikoff was unable to sign the notes on account of severe 
 illness." 
 
 On the 20th of Juno they received information of the arrival of the > 
 
 Diana at Kunashir, and on the following day tlie intorpreters received ■ 
 
 orders to ask Golownin wliich of the sailors he wished to send on board. ; 
 
 To avoid showing any preference to one more than another, he deter- | 
 
 mined that chance should decide the matter, and the lot happened to j 
 
A SAILOR'S RETURN. 
 
 435 
 
 fill to Slmanoff. IIo also requested that the governor would permit 
 Aloxei to accompany him. To this the latter consented, and they re- 
 ceived orders to prepare for their dep.irture. They left Matsmai on the 
 24th, ace >mpaiued by Kamaddschero, the interpreter, and Sampey, the 
 deputy governor.* 
 
 Nothing further happened until the 19th of July, when a letter was 
 received from Captain llikord, statuig that he should sail immediately 
 for Okhotzic, and return in September, bringing the declaration required 
 by the Japanese government, that Chwostoff 'a attack was an act of pri- 
 vate aggression merely. A few days afterward, SimanofT and Alexei 
 were brought back to Matsmai, the Diana having trailed. From this 
 time forward the prisoners were kindly treated. The Japanese govern- 
 ment appeared to have decided to liberate them, and they were relieved 
 from the torturing suspense which they had suffered for nearly two years. 
 On the 30th of August they left Matsmai, for Hakodadi ; previous to 
 their departure, the officers came, with their children, to bid them fare- 
 well, and offered them farewell cards. The people, wlio had assembled 
 in great multitudes in the streets, all pressed forward to bid them adieu. 
 On the 2d of September, they entered Hakodadi, and were quartered in 
 an imperial building, near the garrison. 
 
 On the 16th, they were rejoiced with the news that a foreign vessel 
 
 • In Captain Rikord'a account of his negotiations with the Japanese for tho release 
 of Golownin and his companions, he gives the following description of Simanofl 's arrival. 
 Tatcliatay-Kachi, the Japanese junk owner, whom Rikord had carried off the previous 
 summer, informed him on the 26th of June, that an imperial vessel was about to arrive 
 from Matsmai, with the deputy of tho bunyo. The next evening the vessel came into 
 port, and Kachi went on shore to meet the deputy, promising to return in tho morning. 
 Rikord then continues : " Faithful to hia appointment, wo saw him in the morning com- 
 ing down to tho shore, in company witli another man. Kachi was instantly recognized 
 by tho white handkerchief which ho always waved at the end of his saber ; and with re- 
 spect to the other, wo did not remain long in uncertainty, for as they advanced, our 
 worthy little friend occasionally vanished from our view, in consequence of falling behind 
 hia more bulky companion. "Wo all exclaimed, 'Tliat is one of our Russians.' 
 
 "It is impossible for mo to describe tho moving scene which followed, when our 
 sailors beheld their comrade returned from captivity. A part of the crew were filling 
 water-casks at the rivulet. "When tho prisoner saw Russians on the other side of tho 
 stream, and probably recognized among them some of his old messmates, he made but 
 one step to its banks, leaving Kachi at least nine paces behind him. Surprise and joy 
 made our sailors forget that they were prohibited from crossing the rivulet. They waded 
 tiirough it, and embraced tho welcome visitor in the most affectionate manner. The 
 officer who had the command of the party on shore informed me, that at first ho did not 
 know tho stranger, he was so altered by the sufferings he had undergone. At last, all 
 the men cried out with one voice, ' Simanoff !' for tiiat was his name. He then threw off 
 hia hat, knelt down, and could not utter a word ; but the tears rolled fast down his 
 checlws. This affecting spectacle was renewed when he came on board the ship. I 
 sainted him first, and asked whether our friends in Matsmai were well. ' God be praised,' 
 he replied, ' they are in life, though not all quite well. Mr. Chlobnikoff, in particular, is 
 dangerously ill.' I repressed my desire to ask further questions, knowing the impatience 
 with which the men were waiting for a talk with him." 
 
486 
 
 OOLOWNIN'S OAPTIVITT IN JAPAN. 
 
 had been seen off the coast. This was the Diana, but she did not enter 
 the harbor of Hakod. M until the 28th. Captain liilcord immediately 
 sent on shore the declaration of the commandant of Okhotzk, which was 
 satisfactory to the authorities ; for, after some fui thcr negotiations and 
 ceremonies, the prisoners were finally summoned before the bunyo on 
 the 6th of October, to receive the official notice of their liberation. The 
 bunyo presented them with the following congratulatory address : " You 
 have now lived three years in a Japanese frontier town, and in a foreign 
 climate, ?jut you are now about to return to your native country. Tliis 
 affords me great pleasure. You, Captain Golownin, as the chief of your 
 companions, must have endured extreme anxiety of mind, and I sincerely 
 rejoice that you have attained your happy deliverance. You have, in 
 some measure, become acquainted with the laws of our country, which 
 prohibit us from maintaining any commerce with the people of foreign 
 nations, and require that we should banish all foreign vessels from our 
 coasts. Explain this to your countrymen on your return home. It has 
 been our. wish, while you remained in Japan, to treat you with all possi- 
 ble kiuc'ness ; but, before you became .acquainted with our customs, our 
 behavior may have appeared to you the very opposite of what we in- 
 tended. Each nation has its peculiar customs, but good conduct will 
 everywhere be esteemed as such. On your return to Russia, inform 
 your countrymen of this likewise. I Avish you all a safe voyage." 
 
 " On the following day, the 7th of October, wo put on our best 
 dresses. The servants and guards packed up our other clothes in boxes, 
 without omitting the least trifle, and placed them in the portico of the 
 house. At mid-day wc were conducted to the shore. Our clothes, the 
 presents we had received, and the provisions for our voyage, wore car- i 
 ried behind us by a number of attendants. On reaching the harbor, we | 
 entered a building near the custom-house, where Mr. Moor, IMr. Chid)- j 
 nikoff and I, were shown into one apartment, and the sailors into another, ' 
 We had been only a few moments in this place, Avhen Captain Kikord 
 came ashore, accompanied by Mr. Saweljeff, the interpreter, and some 
 other individuals. Kikord and his two companions were conducted to ' 
 the same apartment in which, a few days before, my interview with liim 
 had taken place, and which Mr. Chlebnikoff, Mr. Moor and I, were now 
 requested to enter. 
 
 "Every thing being in readiness for our departure, we were con- , 
 ducted to the bunyo's barge, in which we embarked, accompanied by 
 Tachatay-Kachi ; our clothes, provisions, and the presents, being placed 
 in separate boats. On our way fi-om the custom-house to the boats, all 
 the Jap.anese, not only those with Avhom we were acquainted, but the 
 strangers Avho were looking on, bade us adieu, and wished us a safe voyage. 
 
 " The officers and seamen on board the Diana, received us with a 
 degree of joy, or rather enthusiasm, Avhich can only be felt by brothers 
 or dear fiiends after a long absence, and a series of similar adventures. 
 With regard to ourselves, I can only say, that after an imprisonment of 
 two years, two months, and twenty-six days, on finding ourselves again J 
 
RETUKN TO RUSSIA. 
 
 487 
 
 on an imperial Russian ship, surroiindctl by our countrymen, with whom 
 we had for (ivo or six years served in remote and dangerous voyages, 
 wo felt what men in sueli circumstances are capable of feeling, but which 
 can not be described."* 
 
 Tiie Diana sailed from Ilakodadi on the 10th of October, and 
 reached Kamtschatka on the 2d of November. Twenty days afterward, 
 Jlr. Moor, who had been plunged in melancholy since his liberation, 
 comniitted suicide. Captain Golownin lost no time in proceeding to 
 St. Petersburg, whore he arrived on the 14th of July, 1814, after an 
 absence of seven years. He and Rikord were made Captains of the 
 Bt'cond rank, and received pensions of 1500 rubles annually ; Mr. Chlob- 
 nikoflf received a pension equal to his yea'-Iy pay, while the sailors who 
 had been prisoners in Japan, received permission to retire from the 
 service, and were allowed annual pensions, amounting to their full yearly 
 pay. The Kurile, Alexei, as a reward for his good conduct, was pre- 
 sented with a lianger, and received, instead of a pension, twenty pounds 
 of powder, and forty pounds of shot. 
 
 • Captain Rikord, in his narrative, givog the following account of this scene : '' At 
 twelve o'clock I went on board thi barge, accompanied only by Saveljoff and Kisseloff, 
 and wo rowed, under whito flags, to the well-known building, where the Japanese were 
 in waiting to receive us. Our prisoners immediately appeared at tho door. They all 
 wore yellow dresses, with seamen's trowsors, and waistcoats of various colors. On any 
 other occasion wo should have been highly diverted by the singularity of their appear- 
 ance, but now it did not even excite a smile. Friend gazed at friend with emotion and 
 joy, and our thoughts were expressed more by looks than by words. Tears of gratitude 
 to Providence glistened in tho eyes of our liberated countrymen. Tho Japanese retired 
 and left us for sorao time alone, in order that wo might give vent to our feelings. My 
 countrymen were then formally delivered over to me. The papers of the Japanese gov- 
 ernment, which I was to lay before tlio authorities on my arrival in Russia, were pre- 
 sented to mo, and refreshments were then handed to us in the usual manner. 
 
 " Having once more expressed our sincere thanks, we rowed from the shore at two 
 o'clock, accompanied by n countless number of boats, crowded with Japanese of both 
 sexes. Notwithstanding a violent adverse wind, none of the numerous boats by which 
 wo were surrounded put back. Tbo Diana was decorated with flags, and all her yards 
 were manned by the :rew, who saluted us with three cheers. The enthusiasm of the 
 seamen, on once more beholding their *^c!:,C'd commander and his companions in mis- 
 fortune, after a separation of two years and three months, was boundless. Many melted 
 into tears. This scene, so highly honorable to tho whole crow, can never be effaced 
 from my recollection. Golownin and his companions, who were moved to their inmost 
 souls, knelt down before tho sacred imago of the ship (the miracle-working Saint Nicolas), 
 and returned thanks to heaven. 
 
 " Golownin presented to me his sword ; the same which, during his captivity, the 
 emperor of Japan had expressed a wish to see, and I now preserve it as the most val- 
 uable reward of my enterprise. To the officers he gave his telescopes, pistols, and astro- 
 nomical instruments. He gave to the senior non-commissioned officer one hundred 
 rubles; to the juniors seventy-flvo ; to each seaman twenty-five ; and to the sailors who 
 had been his companions in captivity five hundred rubles each. But to Makaroff, who, 
 as the reader knows, was of particular use to him, he besides granted a pension, amount- 
 ing to a seaman's annual pay, from his estate in the government of Kasan. To the 
 Kurile, Alexei, ho |,ave a set of carpenters' tools, a rifle, powder, shot, tobacco, and two 
 hundred and fifty rubles in money." 
 
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 vc 
 
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 lee 
 
 wa 
 
 son 
 
 em 
 
 will 
 
 Eui 
 
 and 
 
 edg 
 
 Syri 
 
 hec 
 
 der 
 
 I £up 
 
 quin 
 
 But 
 
 learn 
 
 Fran 
 
 fatal 
 
 and a 
 
 the } 
 
 aften 
 
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 ally, t 
 
 DeL 
 
 experi 
 
 media 
 
DE LASCARIS'S 
 
 SECRET MISSION AMONG THE BEDOUINS. 
 
 M. DE Lascaris was a Piedmontcsc, of one of those Orock families 
 which settled in Italy afler the conquest of Constantinople: ho was a 
 knight of Malta when Napoleon conquered the island. Ho was then a 
 very young man: he followed the Corsican to Egypt, attached himself 
 to his fortunes, and was fascinated by hi» genius. Foreseeing Napo- 
 leon's future eminence, he endeavored to impress upon his mind that Asia 
 was a far grander field for his ambition than Europe. It appears that 
 some conversations were held on the subject Napoleon did not entirely 
 embrace the idea of a magnificent oriental empire which was the be- 
 wildering dream of Do Lascaris ; but, on the eve of his departure for 
 Europe, he appointed the latter his secret agent, gave him instructions 
 and supplied him with ample means. 
 
 De Lascaris settled himself a( Aleppo, to acquire a t.iorough knowl- 
 edge of Arabic, and form acquaintances with the Arab chiefs of the 
 Syrian Desert who came to that city. After some years' preparation, 
 he commenced his perilous enterprise ; he passed, at great risk, and un- 
 der different disguises, through all the tribes of Mesopotamia and the 
 Euphrates, and returned to Aleppo, rich in the knowledge he had ac- 
 quired, and in the political relations he had prepared for Napoleon. 
 But while accomplishing his mission, fortune overthrew his hero, and he 
 learned his downfall on the very day when he was about to carry to 
 France the fruits of his danger and devotion. This disappointment was 
 fatal to him ; he went into Egypt, and died at Cairo, alone, unknown, 
 and abandoned. His journals and notes are supposed to have fallen into 
 the hands of Mr. Salt, then English Consui at Cairo, and were never 
 afterward heard of. 
 
 While M. de Lamartine was traveling in Syria, he learned, accident- 
 ally, that an Arab named Fatallah Sayeghir, who was the companion of 
 De Lascaris on all his journeys, and who had kept a journal of all his 
 experiences and adventures, was then living at Latakia. Lamartine im- 
 mediately sent a messenger to Fatallah, offering him two thousand pia»- 
 
440 
 
 OE LASCARIS'S SECRET MISSION. 
 
 tcrs for the journal. Tho olTtT was accepted in the course of time the 
 volume translated into Italian by Lamartine's interpreter, and finally 
 into French by the poet himself. Although exaggerated and romantic 
 in parts, it is valuable for its illustrations of the life and habits of the 
 wandering Bedouin tribes of the Syrian Desert, and its descriptions of 
 some localities (especially in the district of Ncdjid), which no European 
 traveler has yet reached. Many of the adventures related have a stronc 
 tinge of improbability about them, and the reader must bear in mind 
 that the narrator is an Arab, and not lil^ly to be free from the habit of 
 exaggeration peculiar to his race. Lamartine, however, seems to enter- 
 taui no doubt of the truth of his story. 
 
 Fatallah Sayeghir first met with M. Lascaris de Ventimiglia in 
 Aleppo, in 1 809, when he was engaged to give him lessons in Arabic. 
 When M. Lascaris had ! jarned to read and write tolerably well, he ^avo 
 Fatallah some money and told him to buy goods, such as were saleable 
 at Homs, at llama, and the neighborhood, sayi.ig that they would trade 
 in the countries least frequented l)y merchants. Fatallah had become 
 uttr.ched to M. Lascaris, and accordingly made tho purchases, for which 
 M. Lascaris paid eleven thousand piasters. From his dress and manners 
 the people of Aleppo thought M. Lascaris mad. Ho wore his beard long 
 and ill-combed, a very dirty white turban, a shabby robe, M'ith a vest, a 
 leather belt, and red shoes without stockings ; when spoken to he pre- 
 tended not to understand what was said. But Fatallah had confidence 
 in his integrity and good sense, and, in compliance with his request, 
 promised to obey him in every thing. 
 
 They left Aleppo on tho 18th of February, 1810, with a caravan 
 bound for llama. While at tho latter place, M. Lascaris was viewing 
 the half ruined castle, and had begun to take a sketch of it, when some 
 vagabonds ran out upon liim from a broken arch and threatened to de- 
 noimcc him for wishing >o carry off treasures and introduce the giaours 
 ' into the castle. lie defended himself and escaped with difficulty, but 
 soon afterward ho and his compaiiion were .irrested and thrown into a 
 dungeon. Fatallah sent for a Christian writer named Selim, by whose 
 interference they were enabled to purchase their liberty. They remained 
 three weeks with Selim and his friends, and on the 25th of Slarch pro- [ 
 ceeded with a caravan to Homs. During a stay of thirty days at this | 
 place, M. Lascaris obtained much information respecting the Bedouins, ! 
 from a locksmith who passed much of his time with them, arranging ' 
 their arms. TI»ey then pursued their route to Saddad, where they un- I 
 packed their goods, to sustain their i ' iracter of merchants. Tlie shekh 
 and people of the village endeavored to dissii ado them from visiting the i 
 Bedouins, whom they represented as most c; Uol and rapacious ; but the | 
 travele "8, nothing daunted, continued their journey to Corietain, still : 
 hoping to meet with a detachment of Bedouins, who pass this region in j 
 their annual migratio^is. Meanwhile, the locksmith Naufal, who accom- 
 panied them from Homs, advised them to change their names, as their 
 
ARAB HONOR. 
 
 441 
 
 own would create suspicion in the Bedouins and Turks. Accordingly, 
 M. Lascaris took the name of Shekh Ibrahim el Cabressi (the Cyprian), 
 and gave to Fatallah that of Abdullah el Katib. The Shekh Selim, of 
 Corietain, likewise endeavored to discourage them from i)enetratiiig into 
 the desert, and repeated a thousand alarming stories about the Bedouins, 
 but when M. Lascaris consulted Fatallah, the latter encouraged him to 
 proceed, saying that if he acted honorably there was nothing to fear. 
 
 " In a short time," says Fatallah, " we learned that the Bedouins 
 were approaching Palmyra : some were seen even in the environs of 
 Corietain. Presently there camo one, named Selame el Hassan. We 
 were at Selim's when he entered. Coifee was brought, and while wo 
 were taking it, many of the inhabitants camo to the shekh, and said : 
 ' Eight years ago, at such a place, Hassan killed our relative ; and wo 
 are come to demand justice.' Hassan denied the fact, and asked if they 
 had witnesses. ' No,' they replied ; * but you were seen passing alone 
 on t'.ie road, and a little aller we found our relative lying dead. Wo 
 know that there existed a cause of hatred between you ; it is therefore 
 clear that you are his assassin.' Hassan still denied the charge ; and the 
 sbekh, who from fear was obliged to exercise caution with the Bedouins, 
 and besides had no positive proof in the case, took a piece of wood and 
 said, ' By Him who created this stem, swear that you have not killed 
 their relation.' Hassan took the wood, looked at it some minutes, and 
 bent down his head ; then raising it toward his accusers, ' I will not have,' 
 said he, ' two crimes on my heart — the one of behig the murderer of 
 this man, the other of swearing falsely before God. It is I who have 
 killed your kinsman : what do you demand for the price of his blood ?' 
 The shekh, from policy, would not act according to the full rigor of 
 the law : and the persons present being interested in the negotiation, 
 it was decided that Hassan should pay throe hundred piasters to the re- 
 lations of the dead. When it came to the payment of the money, he 
 said he had it not about him, but that he would bring it in a few days ; 
 and as some difficulty was made of letting him go without security, * I 
 have no pledge,' said he, ' to give ; but He will answer for me whoso 
 name I would not profane by a false oath.' He departed ; and four days 
 afterward returned with fifteen sheep, each worth above twenty piasters." 
 
 M. Lascaris being pleased with the character of Hassan, made his 
 acquaintance ; they became intimate friends, and when the travelers pro- 
 posed to set out for Palmyra, he engaged to conduct them thither in 
 safety. On their way M. Lascaris dislocated his ankle while mounting 
 his camel, but ho would not be detained, and they continued their route. 
 Soon afterward they met a troop of armed Bedouins, who immediately 
 gave battle. Hassan went forward to meet them, and sustained the 
 attack for half an hour, but ho was at length wounded by a lance and 
 fell from his horse. The Bedouins then began to plunder the party, 
 when Hassan, who lay bleeding upon the ground, thus addressed them : 
 *' What are you about, my friends ? — will you then violate the laws of 
 
442 
 
 DE LASCAUIS'S SECRET MISSION. 
 
 Arabs, the usages of the IJeclouins? They whom you arc plundering 
 are ray brethren — they have my word ; I am responaiblc for all that 
 may beftill them, and you arc robbing them! — is this according to 
 honor ?" The Bedouins charged liirii witli conducting Christians to 
 I'almyra, without asking the permission of the shekh, Mehanna el Fadol 
 the chief of the country. He replied that the merchants were in haste 
 and Mehanna was far aM'ay ; that he had pledged his word, and the 
 strangers had confided in the laws and usages of his country. At his 
 words the Bedouins desisted, and only took from the travelers what they 
 chose to give. They then pursued their journey with difficulty, M. Las- 
 cnris sulfering from liis foot and Hassan from his wound, and arrived at 
 I'ulmyra on the following day. 
 
 Here they hired a house and exposed their goods for sale, until M. 
 Lascaris had recovered, when they went to visit the temples and mag- 
 nificent ruins of the place. " One day," says Fatallah, " wc saw many 
 people engaged in surrounding with wood a beautiful granite column. 
 We were told it was to burn it, or rather to cause it to fall, in order to 
 obtain the lead which was in the joinings. Shekh Ibrahim, full of indig- 
 nation, addressing me, exclaimed, "What would the foundeis of Pal- 
 myra say if they beheld these barbarians thus destroying their work ? 
 Since chance has brought mo hither, I will oppose this act of Vandalism." 
 And having learned what might be the worth of the lead, he gave the 
 filly piasters they asked, and the column became our property. It was 
 of the most beautiful red granite, spotted with blue and black, sixty-two 
 feet in length, and ten in circumference." 
 
 At length the approach of the Bedouins was announced, and one day 
 a p.arty of eleven horsemen arrived, among whom was the Emir Nasser, 
 the eldest son of Mahenna, chief of the tribe of El Ilassnnec. M. Las- 
 caris was overjoyed, and on being presented to the emir, received assur- 
 ances of i)rotection from all harm. He then invited Nasser to eat with 
 hun, as the Bedouins regard it an inviolable pledge of fidelity to break 
 bread with any ore. llie dinner appeared excellent, and after coffee, 
 when they began to speak of difierent things, M. Lascaris related to 
 N.asser the adventure with six horsemen of his tribe. The emir wished 
 to punish them and res*^orc the money, but the travelers intreated him 
 not to do so. They would have set out with him next day, but he in- 
 duced them to await the arrival of his father, who was eight days' jour- 
 ney distant. He promised to send them an escort and camels to carry 
 their baggage. 
 
 Eight days afterward three men came with the camels, and a letter 
 from Meh.anna el Fadel, bearing his Avelcome and the promise of his pro- 
 tection. Tlieir preparations were soon made, and early next morning 
 they loft Palmyra. They met a great many Bedouins, M'ho questioned 
 their conductors, and passed on. After a march of ten hours, the plain 
 appeared covered with tents, and they reached the camp of Mehanna. 
 lliey entered the tent of the emir, who received them with proofi of 
 
MARCH OP A BEDOUIN TRIBE. 
 
 448 
 
 tho highest consideration. Next day he had a camel killed to regale 
 (hem, a mark of high respect, as the licdouins measure tho importance 
 of the stranger by tho animal they kill to welcome him. 
 
 After enjoying their hospitality for three days, the travelers opened 
 their bales, and sold many articles, upon most of which they lost more 
 or less. Fatallah did not understand this mode of dealing, but M. Las- 
 caris reminded him of their conditions, and ho continued to sell accord- 
 ing to the wishes of his patron. 
 
 One day they saw fifty well-armed horsemen arrive, and hold a long 
 consultation with Nasser and his cousin, Shekh Zamel. Fatallah carried 
 a present to tho wife of Nasser, and learned that her husband had many 
 enemies among tho Bedouins, who hated him for humbling the national 
 pride, and exalting tho power of the Turks, with whom ho sought al- 
 liance. Tho object of the meeting was to concert a plan of attack ; tho 
 next day they would assail the tribe El Daffir, take their flocks, and do 
 them all the mischief possible. This intelligence was perplexing to M. 
 Lascaris, who, while endeavoring to attach himself to a tribe hostile to 
 the Osmanlis, found himself with a chief allied to them. Next morning, 
 a [)arty of three hundred marched out ; three days afterward, they made 
 their triiunphal entry, preceded by one hundred and eighty camels, taken 
 from tho enemy. Some time afterward, Nasser received from Soliman, 
 the pasha of Aero aiul Damascus, a message, engaging him to como and 
 receive tho command of the desert, with the title of Prince of the Be- 
 douins. Overjoyed, ho departed for Damascus with ten horsemen. 
 
 Mehanna having ordered the departure of the tribe, the next morn- 
 ing by sunrise not a suiglo tent was standing ; all was folded up and 
 loaded, and tho departure began in the greatest order. Twenty chosen 
 Iiorseraen formed tho advance guard ; then camo tho camels with their 
 loads, and tho flocks ; then the armed men, momitcd ; after these the 
 women, those of the chiefs in rich howdaks ; tho camels loaded with 
 baggage and provisions wore behind. Tho lino was closed by tho Emir 
 Mchann.i, mounted on a dromedary, and surrounded by his slaves, the 
 rest of tho soldiers, and the servants, on foot. It was truly wonderful 
 to witness tho order and celerity with which tho departure of eight or 
 nine thousand persons was eflected. M. Lascaris and Fatallah were on 
 horseback, sometimes ahead, and sometimes by the side of Mehanna. 
 Wlien they halted, tho Bedouins sprang to the ground, fixed their lances, 
 and fastened their horses to them ; the women ran on all sides, and 
 pitclicd their tents near their husbands' horses ; and thus, as if by en- 
 chantment, they found themselves in the midst of a largo city. 
 
 On the fourth day, thef were attacked by tho tribe of Dafiir, who 
 sought to revenge themselves on Nasser, and succeeded in carrying off 
 some of the flocks. The Bedouins murmured, attributing their mishap 
 to tho caprice and vanity of Nasser. Mehanna sent a courier to his son, 
 who immediately returned with an oflicer of the pasha, and a letter 
 threatening vengeance on all who should exhibit a rebellious spirit. 
 
444 
 
 DB LAROARIS'S SKOUBT MIRHION. 
 
 Niuwor mndo mu'hdiBplny otMiis ii(>w dif^nity timt lio niiil f'lirthor nflVMidd 
 tho HodoiiitiH. A young chief ol' ii ncigldMM'ing tribe, who hud liMtcnci 
 wilh iin|)!i(ii'nro to hiH vauntingH, nmc hiwlily, luid told hltn Ihiit tho Mo- 
 d«)iiiii« dctt'stod liiin, and tliroatonrd to depart from Hiijjdiid niid }««!•. 
 Khii ('huhllun, tho Umyhy, or l)ofitn)y(M- of tho Turks, On tht« foUO^^. 
 uiif tluy, h(> actually sot out with hiH tribo for tho country of (Jcziri, and 
 a onnd)ination agaiuNt NaNflor was talkud of in all quartorH. M(>lianim 
 rcnuinstrulod with his Hon, but t!»o latter Htill enih-avorod to tnui(|uilij!o 
 him. Tho H«'douiuH moanwhilo took BidcN witli one or tho other, tho 
 groatiT part, I»ow«!vor, with tho fathor. Mohatum was highly esteemed 
 among the Heih)uinH; his influeiieo aroHo from hin tioblo and ^eneroux 
 heart, and from being tho chief of a yory ancient and numerous family. 
 
 In October, they wero in tho neighborliood of Aleppo, and Katnlluh 
 rejoiced to Ihid himself so near home, but his contract was siieh (hat lu« 
 could not comniunicato with his friendft. M. LaHcarh wisluMi to spend 
 the winter at Damascus, and with gre.-it difllenlty they succeeded in 
 n'aching t •orietain, whcro th<»y wero cordially received by their friends. 
 TlM»y reported an advantageou.s Hpeeulation, while in reality, between 
 presj'uts and horses, they had nothing lefl but some goods they had de- 
 posited at this place. After a long delay, they linally departed on their 
 jounu'V, as winter was setting in. M. L.'iscaris ro<h> a miserable liorsc 
 and Katallah a donkey, and they proceeded with four men of the villuijd 
 as guides. In a delilo between two mountains th(>y wero attacked l)y 
 twenty Hedouin horsemen, who stripped (hem of nearly all their cloth- 
 ing, leaving them t'>eir sorry beasts, wliich were hardly .nble to walk. 
 "Night came on," says Fatallah, "and the eoM was ex<iessive, and do- 
 prived us of the use of speech. Our oyos wero rod, our skin blue ; at 
 the eml of somo time I fell to (ho ground, iainting and fros^en. Shekli 
 Ibrahim, in despair, ntade gesticulations to the guides, but was unablo 
 to speak. One of them, a Syrian Christian, took pity upon me and tho 
 grief of Shckh Ibrahim ; he threw down his horse, which wm also half 
 dead with cold and fatigue, killed it, opened tho belly, and placed mo, 
 without consciousness in tho skin, with only my head out. At the end of 
 half an hour, I reg;uned my senses, quite astonished at linding myself 
 alive again, and in so strange a position. Warmth restoro<l my speech ; 
 and I e.inu>s(ly thanked Shekh Ibrahhn and the good Arab. I took cour- 
 age and fomid strength to proceed. A little after, our guith^s cried out, 
 ' Ilere's the village I' and we entered tho first house. It belonged to a 
 tiirrier, named Ilanna el Bitar. Ho showed a lively syin|)atliy in our 
 situation, set about covering us both with camel-dung, and gave us a 
 little wine — a few drops at a time ; having thus restored our strength 
 and warmth, ho withdrew us from our dunghill, put us to bed, and made 
 us take somo good soup. Aftor a .sloop, which Wiis indispensable, we 
 born>wed two hundred piasters to pay our guides and carry us to Damns- 
 CU8, which wo reached tho 23d of December, 1810." 
 
 Ono day, in the bazaar, a Bedouin, with whom they had broken bread 
 
TUA DUAYIIY, OH DKHTHOYKR. 
 
 445 
 
 in Niii^rat cl Niihainmi, ^^amo to tli<s.i, !in<l nftrr rennwiriK tlieir frinnd- 
 Hliip, III" iiivi((!<l tlicin (o visit th(i triltc of Waled Ali, to which hu b«- 
 I()tl)X<''l, wlioHc chief! aiii, Doiihi, wns known to them. They eonsented, 
 ftiul ftt the time ajrreed iipon, he arrived with cumels and Kuich-s, witli 
 wliifli (hey Hi't out on the 15th of March, IHI I. The trihe was at Misa- 
 rih, three <hiy,s from DairiasciiH, and nder passing the ni^htH in the open 
 air, (hey were amid tlu* tents of Wahid All hy m .-Het o?i the third 
 day. Tlie tentu, Hiirrounded hy horneH, eamelH, fr(»atH, and Hhecp, formed 
 !i plcasiiifx Hcene. The Kmi'- Poidii receivcfl tliein with marketl distinc- 
 tiiiti, and made them Hiip v ith him. lie eoinmanded five thoiiNund tentH, 
 iiiid three trihcH, whicdi we<'e joined to hin. 
 
 M. liaHcaria was anxiouH to visit the drayhy, and Imd instructed 
 Fiitallah to ^ain every inrormati<m respecting his ciiaraetc'r, mode of hte, 
 :ui<l tlic access to him, directin»' him at the same time to stiwly tlie man- 
 niM'M and customs of the Hedouins, to a<hipt their dress and imitate their 
 us!i!»('S, so as to pass ahsohitely for one; of them, as he sliouM depend on 
 him to n»ake the journey tliither. For this jiurpfise he prohin^ed tlieir 
 fitav, and visited the thrr»<« tributary shekhs of the F]mir Douhi, direct- 
 ing Katallah to take cxm^t notes of all Im; saw tuid learned. Of these 
 pniple Kataliah observes : 
 
 "The numerous tribes an; often oblijjed to divide themHelvefl into 
 dctachiMents «)f fnmi two hundred to live himdrod tents, and to occupy 
 a huf^c space, in order to procure water and pasturage for their flocks. 
 Wo went Ruccessively through their encampment?), until wo could find 
 tnoaiis t(» transport ourwelves to the <lrayhy, who Avas at war with tho 
 tribes of (he territory of Damascus. We were universally well received. 
 Ill one tribe it was a |K)or widow who showed us hos|»i(ality. In order 
 to rci^ale us, she killed her last hIhu'p and borrowed bread. She in- 
 furiiu'd us that her husband and her three sons had be((n killed in tho 
 war against tho Wahabees, a formidable tribe in the neighborhood of 
 Mecca. Expressing our :istonishment that she should rob herself on 
 our account, ' He that enters tho house of tho liviiig,' said she, ' and does 
 not oat, it is as though he were visit iiig the <lcad.' " 
 
 At length tho drayhy arrivt'd in Mesopotamia, and they engaged a 
 Hedoiiin of a neutral tribe to tak(( them to him, but when they went to 
 Coriotain for their goodn, they heard of a victory gained by a fi^/iiof tho 
 drayhy over Nasser, which gave renewed violent^e to the war. The 
 tril)!' of Salkeh, to which their guide belonged, had been attacked by 
 the drayhy, and no one dared to cross the desert. M. fiascaris Avas in 
 despair ; in his exasperation he even .found fl'iult with Fatallah, The 
 latter then requested an imderstanding in their relations, «leclaring it 
 madness to attempt this journey for the purpose of trading, but adding 
 that if M. Lascaris had other motives adetpiate to the exj)08ure of life, 
 he must let him know them, and he would find him ready to sacrifice 
 himself in ^''^ service. M. Loscaris then told him that this commerce 
 
440 
 
 1)K I.A8<UIUH'H HIOOIlUT MIHRlON. 
 
 WM iiuToIy ft |m>t(<xi to nmot'iil ii iiiiMHioii wilh whioli ho W!«« chiirgod 
 IVoiu I'uiiH. TIm-mc were liis iiiMlnictioiiH : 
 
 " 1. To H«'t nut. iVom I'liriH .(» Alcupo. 
 
 •' '2. To litnl II KculouM An>l», iiml to iittucli liim to mo tin iulorprolor, 
 
 " M. 'I'o itri|iiin> II kiiowKMl^o el' tin* lun^iiugo. 
 
 " 4. To jro to I'nliujTft. 
 
 *' 5. To |M'iu'1mt(> mnoiiff llu> lU'doniiiH. 
 
 "(V To lio(<oin<> ai'i|iiitinl('<| willi all tlio ohiofM, nnd to gnin llu-ir 
 iViciMlMhip. 
 
 " V. To ntii((> fhrin logollirr in tlio mmio omiHo. 
 
 " s. To itiiliiro tliiMii to liroiik oil' all iiliiiui<M« with tho OmnmiliH. 
 
 " l». To m<( nopiiiiiitcii with tln< whole lU'wrt, \\\v halting -plitcoM, nui] 
 Avhcii' wiUiT mill |tiisturiigo :ut> to !)«> I'oiind, a« liir «'v«'ii iih tho IVontiorH 
 ol' Intlia. 
 
 " 10. To return to Kuropo, nnfo unti Round, allcr having ac(«onipliNlu!il 
 \\\\ nuNsion." 
 
 Katallah roHolvi'd to go on toot to tho drayhy. Ilo went to Wunii, 
 tho man who had navod hiui from porinhing on th(> way to DainiisciiH. 
 This man tirst triod to disNtiado Katallah IVom tho riiNli undortakiiig, Imi 
 allorwanl ongagod to go with him an a guido. 
 
 "It was ossontial," HayM Katallah, " that I Rhould ho ooviTcd widi 
 rags, in onh'r not to rxoito Huspioion or cupidity il' wo woro diMcovcnMl 
 on tho road. This was my oostnnio lor tho journoy : a ooarso coiton 
 shirt pioood ; a dirty torn gomhaz ; an «»Id oallio, with a hit of IIikmi, 
 onoo w1\ito, for a turhan ; a shoop-skin oloiik with half tho wool olV, and 
 shoos mon(K>d to tho woight ol' I'otir pounds: hosich's those, a IcmIIkt 
 helt, Irtuu whieh hung a knil'o worth two paras, a stool, a little toltacco 
 in an «>ld hag, and a pipe, I hiaekoitetl my oyos and dirtied my face, 
 and thou prosent«'d uiysoH'to Shokh Ihrahim to take my leave. On see- 
 ing nu», ho shod tears. ' May tlod,' said ho, ' give you strength onoui,'li 
 to aeoomplish your generous design ! T shall owe (>vory thing to your 
 perseveranee. May tho Almighty h(» with you and preserve yoa JVom 
 all (huiger ! may ho hiiud the wiekod, ami bring you haok that I may 
 reward yoti !' I oould hardly refrain I'rom tears in my turn. At last, 
 however, tho ootivorsation becoming nu)ro ohoerrul, Sliekli Ibrahim Naiil, 
 smilingly, that if I were to go to I'aris in this e«)stume, I should f.nl 
 ntiii'h mi>noy by showing myself. Wo supped; aiul at sunset wo de- 
 parted. I walked without fatigue till midnight ; but then my foot began 
 to swell. My shoes hurt me, ami I took tliem ofV; tho thorns of the 
 plants tho oanu'ls browse on pricked me, and the small stones woiiiil'il 
 me. I triod to put on my shoes; and in continiml sufloriugl walked on 
 till morning. A little grotto gav«» us shelter for tho day. I wrapped 
 my feet in a piece of n»y <>loak that I tore oft*, ami slept without having 
 .strength to take any nourishment." 
 
 At sunrise, on tho seventh day, thoy reached tho Kuphrntos ; some 
 hospitablu Boilouius took thum into thoir touts, whuro fur tho lirst time 
 
 i 
 
MAUOII OK tin; DIlAYTfY. 
 
 447 
 
 tboy niivio n licMitly mciil. Tliry Icfirnntl Unit llm tlinyliy wfts llirno 
 iIiiyM (liHliint, ikiiil tliiit it wuH liin iiitriitinn to itiiiiiliiluti' iMrliiinnn iukI 
 NiiHMi'i', aii<l n'tiirii to \m dcHiMt iicdt- llnHHom ami Miig)la<l. I''atallali 
 tli(<i'cloi<> took II giiiilniiiiil Hft rorwiiril. l\v rv\m'M'uU'>\ liiiiiHrir iih n 
 iiinirliaiit of Aleppo, linviiig ii (;orr(<Hpoti)l<'tit at ItagiJud who o\v<><l liim 
 Iwcnty-tivo thoiiHaixl piantniH, hikI that in roiiHi<)|it)'ii(M> of tlic* wiir lin 
 wnM obliged to rink llit> joinncy liiiiiHcir, and put liiinNi'lt'inidcr tlxt pro- 
 twtion of tlio dmyhy. The emir rernuved him politely and welcomed 
 him, hilt, aeoording (o <^iihIoiii, eould not npeuk of IniHineHH until iifter 
 tliree dayH <levoted to Inrnpit alii y and repcme. The emir happened to 
 be III want of a Heerelmy, iind l<'atallali, wh<» ofl'ere<| to aHwiHt him for 
 llie iiiotneiit, no giiined hin eoiilidenre by bin information reHp«Tting tho 
 tribi'H he had viwited, that tho emir denired biin to Btay. I'^alallah 
 muniuMl to yield, and noon pernnaded tho emir tf> eroHR the KnphrateH in 
 onliT to gain ov(>r the triben by bin preneiKM^ and nlrike tiirror to hiH 
 oncinieN. Ah tluH aviin liiH lirHt tnareli into MeHopotnmin, the ndviee and 
 iiifoniiiition of Fatallali wuh a great resoiin^e to him. 
 
 "The departure," wayn Kiitallah, "wan Hiii)erb to witne«(H. The 
 liorHomon before, on liorHeHof high pedigree; women on howdiiliH miig- 
 nifioeiitly draped, and «»n drom(<(bu'ieH, Hiirroim<le<l by n<'gi'o MJaveH. 
 Men, loaded with provisiona, wero running throiigbont the efiravan, 
 calling out: 'Who Ih hungry?' nnd diHlribiiting breiid, diites, el(!. 
 Kvi'ry three honrH n bait waH made, to take e«»fl'ee ; and at night the 
 tinils were raiHed aH if by enebantment. We followed the bankn of the 
 KiiphrntcH, whoHe elear waters gleamed HkeHilver : T mywlf was moimtud 
 on II mare of pure blood; and the whole journey appeared like u tri- 
 iiinplial niaieh, prenenting a Mtrong <'ontraHt with my former paHHage over 
 tho same (uiuntry, in my rags and with my tortured feet." 
 
 Tli<'y Hoon cniiamped on the DamiweuH t((rritory, and kef»t advaiHiing 
 wostward. The emir received n tbn'atenlng lett(!r frr»m Mehanna, and 
 replied in terniH of defiance. Hy Fatallah'H advice be Bent word to th(! 
 neighboring Hln'kbH that lie bad come to fn-e them from the yok«! of the 
 OsnianliH. Seven out of ten dec^lared for him and came and encamped 
 around him. Hearing that Mehanna bad Hent to the Turks for aHsiHt- 
 nnce, tho drayhy immediately marched out bin forc(!rt to attack him, 
 anil gained a brilliant victory. In a few dayH Mehanna returned with 
 tho Turks, Imt in their cncoimtorH the advantage wan on the. Hide of the 
 drayhy, and NaHH(!r fell in an engagem(!iit between IiIh troo|m and ihuMi 
 comniatidod ],y Zalujr, the Hon c)f the drayhy. 
 
 As th(!y were now very near Oorietain, Fatall.'ih |)ropoHed to go for 
 Shekh Ibrahim, whom be liad (Alc.n npokcMi of as his maHter and Hujfcrior 
 in wisdom, when tho emir bad praised him f )r Iiis sagi! counsc-ls. The 
 drayhy accoptod the ofler with eagerness, and gave; Fatallah a strong 
 escort. Fatallah was overjoyed at again seeing M. LaHcaris, .'iiid .s[ient 
 the night in relating all that hud passed. Next day they returned to 
 
HH 
 
 UK t.AnrAiMH'n Rim'niivr MinninN 
 
 llu< cnnip, <\|iitii< Mlii>kli lliitiliitii wttN ii<(<i>Ui>i| uillHlix lilitlimt i||nl||ii<(i 
 
 "M 
 
 Niton itlU'i'^niii nn nHUfU til" (Im« \Vt»lii«lu'i"« mnl Hix iliityl 
 
 \M\ Mll|||(< 
 
 lilt 
 
 t'l 
 
 ItoiMt'incn iiiiil (inicli i<tiMli> Ni<>l ility IM t .ftii'iii 1^ ImIiI |<'ii|||||ii|, || 
 <lii> ihiiUty M I4N |mm< <lti< (uttii li«> wtiii()>«|, Itiil (lull ii miH iiiilixtiniHnlil,. |, 
 nlioiilil lti>)>oiMo llii> i>liii>( or till llii> llnloiiinM (^otil /Mi>|i|Mt In |||i< rmtil 
 ol litihil, tMiil l\nllii>l- lliiU lio lookiol «o l*'iUiilliili (o iMiiiti|ii> llii> ti,(,Hi<i 
 \\\ J\ii>n.M(i|s l>v «lm'i»(«, o( liy fntillfi-. I'HIiiIIdIi nrt iilioti) )),,> (,,^1, 
 iiitpoxoil <i)<<>it liiui h\ liitt I'liilnnoiltiu to inM|iiit> tlio lli>i|oMiim wjiji ,i 
 liinh i. It'll ol' Slu-kli lltiitliitit ; to IIiIm i>nil hoiih> i liPiiiiiMil i'>|ii'i iinrntn 
 ««>(«< rmployt'il, iiuil |Uo|ilii<i>ii>4 «i'n> )<otM(>v«><l l"V I'ltlitlliili to || 
 
 Ml 
 
 <lity\lt\ , i'oiii<i<ri\in|t Iti** (\itiiio iiri'i«tiii<H«. 'I'lit' |i)>o|i|i> Iikmum in M'liitiil 
 Sh.'Kh ntinlnin tn iimiummIoi h»'in<t, iukI tl»»> tlniylty nintto liim ,|||,| |.'n 
 ^ Mtlttll «<i«l \\\{U Itin \\'\\o :\\\<\ <lilU|!ltti>in lit lilW, in tlio ititvtioi ol llii'ii Ivnt 
 inolivtit ot «>rttiii|* \\\\\\ MviiituorM iu tli«> r,tf'fhf, oi oiiln ii|Miilini>iit. 
 
 Mot»n«lnlt' rt |»»'i|i|li>« >\lio « n« ia<ipt)ltititiM| liy tlii> HdiiMncrH. Ittitnii In 
 r\lMHUii\ti> (Ii.mh Ix't'oii* llio MimIoiiIii'i, lioniiiiiiiiu uilli tin* Mniiu'ii, nliniii 
 )ii> pi<viiitiil«><l tlt!t( tlioy «oii< inm»ii|mi«, « lio wiHliotl to ttiiMM|ioil lliiir 
 il:<Mtiliti'r<4 lo IV till' ootintt > , ■mil tinow It n|)i>ll itioiiiut tlio tvoiinn tlmt 
 tlti>\ itti>iltl lt!tM< tio tttoto rliililti<it i tllitt tlitiN tlii> iili'i> ol' Itnloiiiim vvinild 
 1>i-i-onto cxtttti't itinl tllo I'limK I'oiiniliMoiM titko poMwrH^ioii ol tlii< iimhi 
 ti\ Till') Kooit li ll tilt' I'lli'i'ttt ol iIiIm; tln> ttiili Iti'tl tit tlii'ir ii|i|iiniii'li, 
 l)ii< MiMKiMt i'itlli-<l titoitt o|i|iro)iiioiH iiitittin, tlio olili'ily oiii>m IIiumiIi'IiciI 
 tlii-ni At l>>ii!t(lt till"-"!' iiittii>ni"t ol AIihI tito tlitilt'l Ui'ic ilisciiMMi'il, 
 :tu<i tl\o ilittvliy xtonlit li!t\(< |itit liiiii to ilrtttli. lnil Ity tlio iiilrii'i'imniiN 
 ol' Mi.'KIt iilif.iliint itiiil Aliijitllttli III' «it"« only liittii«lii>il IVoin tlir iiili,v 
 Hi' now Hpt-i'itil xtitli'f liin itH|)«>tKionn, ititil t'Vi'ii tvont to Mitniiiirim willi 
 (lio inti'llit'i'ni'ii tititt tttit I'nniK M)iii'H liitil ^itiiioil llio I'onliilrtiir uT ilio 
 (Ir:ty1i\. I'l-otn hit n-^pi'i Miotic Solyntiui Pnnliii Hcnt ini ollicn in iImi 
 tli;\>l\y xnllt tt tlttvitti'intiit lotti'i oii|i'iinp[ hint to ^ivo up ilic tun in 
 liili'ln to Itio ot)ti'«M, tli;l( tln'\ tt1i^ltt lii< tttki'ii iit t'liltiliH to DiniiMMciiM, iiinj 
 pnMti'U ovoi'titril. Tlio ilriiylty « hm liip.lily iin'i'itm'il, Init l''iiliilliili Innk 
 liiin itsuK> :tni1 l>i'irin'il pi'tntinsioit to nottUi ||i«i uH'iiir. llo Iviicw llml 
 
 M rrisv'.tlix It.td ntiin it'll U <M'Otiji;tlt in l''f!;y|'t. wliopiovinl to In' ll rnllMII 
 
 oi S>'lynt:tn Prtslnt. itttil tl\;tt mtl»s«'iin«'ittly itt Actc Mm will' liml iiuuli' 
 known Iti'f tvl,ttion,Hlitp to \\w piftltit, uttil \vii.'« loitilcil l»y liiin willi Kiiul- 
 tti'-it nwA ptvsotits, its wi'll tts In'f liiiiltititil. M. I.itm'iit is tlicii'litu' tviolo 
 t.> Solvniitn r:ts!t;i. jtnd tito olUi'or tt'ttiiitt'il in IwotlayN "illi a iiiohI 
 
 tVii'niUv jtttsxvof, 
 
 :<n 
 
 1 
 
 tnothi'f to tIto » 
 
 liavl 
 
 ly, roi'ontincniliiii; lim woll 
 
 K'lo>o.l fViottil. tho uivm SIti'kIt IlifHiiint. 
 
 Vho ili'rtvhv hiul bi'on sinnitinoil tlic oNtot-niiitiilor tiCllii' TiirkM, iVom 
 
 0111- 
 
 .■» iintttil vt\'toiy. jjitinoil uith tftvnt Nlmnjliti'r ovt'r llio ONiiiiiiilis c 
 tnjtuilotl by tho p:t«ihit ot' |l;t;jil;»it Kt«»nt tliiM itmi nunty titlicr itcliii'vi'- 
 mont's whioh M. I.;is»';tiis hi'ttnl o(' Itint, ln> dcvolt'd liiniNolf inoio mid 
 ntoiv to tho pix^joot ol' tnjikinir hint tunator of nil tin' olhtT tiilios. Tlio 
 \V;»li;»lvvs >\otv lofinitluMo i»»lvoi'»uiit'H, whit wtoii nllorwurd foil upon 
 
 ilHIIlIt 
 
 'iiiil n| 
 
 <livi(||il 
 
 liii'iii J 
 'lie Niij 
 uliiil, 
 
 I'Mtl 
 
 ,i<tiii(i(|| 
 
 •'"i'l l{,l 
 
 '" u\nU\ 
 ''((.'III. 
 
■Mfllll M IWI*- 
 
 ttni.KM'iN MM' riiiq itDitinitiNn 
 
 440 
 
 (lie tiilM< WiiIimI All, nui\ ntuMfnl ovpi (Iio (|i>i«Mri Im nhIdIih* IIim llndoitlitn 
 MitiiV (•((••■i< iilttiiito'l, M'(>n> i(Imiii(, III niilidilt, wlixii M l>ii«i<Hrl«i fii>r 
 fiiiinliol till' ihityliy ()• liilco lliii ll«|i| iiml i|i>(>liii«> iiiiiiNi>ir IId* |iriif)<i>lii» uf 
 lhi> ii|i|iri'MMi>i| 
 
 "'rill' WiiliiiliMtxi w(<rtM>MiMitiiitii|iii| liy rt •lniiijlily U"^trl>, ii linir««nviii/(', 
 wliiiHi< niitiu* M'lin Aim Niii'di WIi*>m Im* |iM>|iii))>n fur ImMl", lii> (mI<i'>« nlf 
 IiIm liiiliiiti iiidI hniilM, iliiMvn tip ItU nlxiMfH l«i lil<( Nlnmlilom, iuhI |i>iiv>4 
 IiIm IiimIv iiltiiMKil, iiiikixl, nlili-li Im III' |iiimII|«|iiiim Mifo mill tMimciiliii Mlfi>ii|>Mi 
 nil liiMiil luiil t'lilii, (ii<v)>) lM<|ii|r nIiiivixI, lien «iv«>imIiiii|iiw<'<I liy ii liimliy 
 Iii>iiil III* liiiif iiml Itliii'l* Itt'fMtl, wlili'li I'livcr IiIm •>i(ll»»> ni»'«>, lilMi>vi"t (nciitii 
 iiiir lii'iH'illli Mil* nlimtiv IIIm wIimIm Imdy, Inn, Im liiiliy, ftint rilfunlM ii 
 iti|i|it KM nlituitri* ti« II lu niifliinil Tliri tiMiyliy Miiiio iiji t'l liiiii IImm< 
 iliivn iVuiK I'lilliiyt'it, nl n M|Hii ciiIIimI l|i<tiiiiiili(Hi Tim InilHf' wmm innnl 
 iilisliiitilK Mil liiilli nlilc'i, ImiI. i<iii|i>(| In tlix IDirhr nf Aim Nmhi, wici re 
 iiiiimmI III Mil* I'liiiiiliy III Ni>it|iil, |i>)iviii|.r Iwn liiiti'lii-'l ntiiiii on llii> l)«>|i| 
 
 III' lllllllo. 'i'llM lll'liyliy Nl'IMI'llI'll mil, |IM|M|||f lIlK K||IiI|m fill llllll, llll'l llf'Xtt 
 
 liilii'ii riiiiii llin IiIIm' WiiIi'iI All, iiimI ii««»liir<'<1 II. 'I'lilw ml orifMiMimlly 
 mIIII riiillii'l' iilliit'lit«| III liiiii Ilii> iiirt'i'llnii III" IIm« nllinr lillii'M, wli<» W'Mi 
 iiiiiiiiUf ililily In pill, llii'iiiqi'lvKM iiinlof lil« |iiiilti"ll«i(i 'I'lm K«|i(irl, nf 
 iIiIh virlniy )»iiiin'"l nvi'f llii« li>iiili|i' Aim Nni'lii wmm iiiMM»tMiiiitli"| i.yfry 
 ulii'ii'. Htilvmmi I'mmIiii pi'IiI, IIim i>(iiii(iiM«ir n |ii<ll««> nl' li'mor, »ir»«l n 
 iiiiDriillliM'til niiImt, tvllli IiIm i>iiii(rtMliiliiliMiiH M'lOM nflor l.liin (•Kpl'iil, w>» 
 
 t<ni'lllll|ii>i| nil ||m> iViitllii'lH III' llntllfl. 
 
 " Mint iliiy, fl 'I'm I<1hIi liinlliili iiirlv«<'l fif. IIm* 'Iriiyliy'n; Im wiri* llif* 
 liii't{" (jrroi'ii IiiiImiii llitil illMllii|nilHlii'M llio «li>Mni>M>lfitil<i III' M'lliiiirirmi'l, t% 
 wlilli' llnwiiiff imIh', Ills i'yi<4 liliii'ki'iM'il, iiimI (Ml «<»i»irirMiiio liMir'l ; li<i 
 uiMo iiliii NKvi'iiil I'MWM III' i'liii|ili>l<i, liinl fill itil<Mliirii| in llii> rorrri of (i 
 (iiiiriV'i' III III'* l>i<ll. fix I'imIk nil iiii iimm, iiii'I i'iitii"'l in liii liiui'l nil itrrow. 
 Ill' wiin niiiii' III IiihDII liln DmiiiIIi'Ihiii IiiIm I,|ii> Mi'iliiHiiiq, luid Mcil.n In 
 llii'iM II ini'iil. /.I'lil I'nr |Im» t'i<ll(rifin nl" IIik IVnplii'l, in ordfr fo nlitu-h 
 iIh'Iii III |Ih< i'iiiihk nl' |lii> 'I'lirhn, 'I'Iik Iti'ilniiinH fir«< of (rrcfil. nirnplifily 
 iil'cliiiriii'li'i', mill I'l'iniii luililo Cnr llicir (Viinkni'X'*. 'I'li'y 'l'» nol, iifMlcr 
 nImiiiI iliiri'ii'iin'M nl' ri'li(rinn, iiti«l (In nnl. wiHin|/ly nllnw lli^fn f,'» l»o 
 H|Hil(i'li nl! 'I'lii'y iiin il('i«N ; lli«<y invnl<i< ili»< pinl.xrlinn /if Hnd in fill 
 llic i'miiIh nl" lil'i', iiml ii'li'f In lliiii llii'ir miici imh or lli'ir riiiliir's willi 
 liiiiiilili' n'si)fimllnM ; Iml. limy lifivn n'> (■,<<r'<in«ifil<'f« fir olfli(/nfory ril.tuil, 
 Mild nml<« im (liNliiii'tlnii li(<lw«<(<ii llin «n»'l.« ofOrnfir tinil oC Ali, wlii/li 
 tlivido llin KiimI, Tliny nrviT iiKpilr*"! whnf. Wfw our tf])y'u,ii, W«i l'»l»I 
 llii'in lliiil, W'i« wm'i* ('liriHliiiiirt; ilii'lr luiNwnr w»ih, • All rm-n siri^ oqnsi! in 
 lli(> Ni^lit, nrOnil, find tiro llif« rrniil.iirim ; wo havn no ri|{lit to inqiiirn 
 wliiil, JH llm rroi'd «irn|,lii<r nion.' " 
 
 Kiilalliili, iift,«<r viHil.in^ AI«'ppo io promiro k'""^" '""^ nu^r]>Y\f\ m 
 jiiiiicij llio iriliit on l.lin liiuikN of t.lin Kiiplirnt.on. 'Hm* vh'wU of ViinfAwi 
 uiiil MtiNHora (Mimn dully f,<» «Mm^nit,iiln(.n (,1m drnyhy on \m virl,/»ry, and 
 til iiiuko iKvpininiiUH'o wiUi HImkh Ihriiliirn, whowo nmown hsv\ vwhcA 
 (lit'iii. 'rii(<y fdlt indobtod to liini for having vA}Xinnn\i'i\ tlio war against 
 
 20 
 
 L_ 
 
450 
 
 DB LASOARIS'S SEORBT MISSION. 
 
 the Wahabees, ^Aiohq rapacity had become intolerable; whoso king 
 Ebn 8ihou(l, took the tenth of their ilocka and tiieir money, and exacted 
 ablutions and prayers five times a-day, on pain of death. A treaty was 
 concluded in which the chiefs bound themselves to wage a war of ex- 
 termination against the Wahabees, to obey the great drayhy, Kbn 
 Chahllan, and to listen to no calumnies against Shekh Ibrahim and At)- 
 dallah Coiriers were sent to other tribes, and the chiefs mostly Higuud 
 the In aty villingly ; while many who at first objected were prevailed 
 upon by Fuv-^Uah, who became an efficient diplomatist of the drayhy. 
 
 After some days spent in festivities they passed an arm of the En- 
 phrates and encamped near the tribe of El Cherarah, celebrated for its 
 courage, and also for its ignorance and obstinacy. A friendship existed 
 between its chief. Abed, and the minister of king Ebn Sihoud, and he 
 accordingly refused to join the alliance. Sahen was sent out with five 
 hundred men to attack him, and he returned in three days with one 
 hundred and forty camels and other booty ; a few men were killed, but 
 a great number wounded on both sides. 
 
 Abed collected his allies and the war daily became more serious. 
 The encampment of the drayhy being now at some distance from the river, 
 the women were obliged to bring water on camels, and on the third day 
 eight hundred of the camels were carried off by the enemy. To avenge 
 this outrage the drayhy advanced rapidly on the tribe of Cherarah, and 
 after marching a d.iy and a half, pitched ten thousand tents near the 
 camp of Abed. A bloody battle scenic inevitable, but Fatallah re- 
 solved to prevent it if possible. Knowing that the Bedouins hold 
 women in great respect, and consult them on all their plans, he visited 
 Arquia the wife of Shekh Abed, who was a very superior woman, and 
 by dint of compliments and presents led her on to the subject of the 
 war, and incidentally explained to her the advantages of an alliance with 
 the drayhy. Meanwhile lier husband returned to the camp and sent 
 orders to Arquia ignominiously to dismiss the spy, as the rites of hospi- 
 tality would prevent him from taking vengeance. She haughtily refused, 
 and in the end prevailed on Abed to listen to the proposals of Fatallah. 
 A few days afterward he set his seal to the treaty and exchanged the 
 camels taken in the war. 
 
 ILaving come near Bagdad, M. Lascaris secretly repaired thither to 
 the French consul, to negotiate for a large sum of money. Afler cross- 
 ing the Tigris, they learned that a sanguinary war was raging bciveen 
 the Bedouins, who took part for or against the alliance. They pushed 
 on, and on reaching the frontiers of Persia met a messenger from the 
 chief, Dehass, who demanded the assistance of the drayhy against ene- 
 mies numbering fifteen thousand tents. They were six days distant 
 from this tribe, but by marching day and night, without halting to eat, 
 they accomplished the distance in three days. The greatest fatigue fell on 
 the women, who were obliged to make the bread, and milk the camels, with- 
 out delaying the caravan. Fatallah thus describes this ambulatory kitchen: . 
 
INCURSION INTO PERSIA. 
 
 451 
 
 " At oortain regulated distances women were placed, who wer^ em< 
 ployed without relaxation. The first, mounted on a camel laden with 
 wheat, had a hand-mill before her. The corn once ground, she p; ssed 
 the meal to her neighbor, whose business it was to knead it with wt.^er, 
 carried in budgets suspended on the sides of her camel. The dough was 
 then handed to a third woman, who baked it in the form of cakes on a 
 chafing-dish, with charcoal und straw. These cakes she distributed to 
 the division of warriors, whoso food she was charged to provide, and 
 who came every minute to demand their portion. 
 
 ♦' Other women walked beside the camels to milk them into cahafis^ 
 — wooden pails, containing four litres : these were passed from hand to 
 hand to slake the thirst of the troops. The camels ate as they marched, 
 fi'om bags hung round their necks ; and when their riders wished to 
 sleep, they lay at their length on the camels, their feet secured in the 
 sacks to protect them from falling. The slow and measured step of the 
 camels invites to sleep, and I Iiave never slept better than on this 
 march." 
 
 Next day a letter was sent to the five liostile chiefs, but their reply 
 being warlike, Fatallah was dispatched with presents. With but a 
 single guide he had nearly reached the tent of Mohdi when the ad- 
 vanced guard rushed upon them, stripped them of every thing, and left 
 them upon the burning sand in chains. Soon afterward the perfidious 
 Absi approached Fatallah, spit in his face, and insulted him with threat- 
 ening words, then withdrew to excite the Bedouins, who came, men, 
 women, and children, to overwhelm him with outrages. Toward the 
 evening of the second day a young man came up and drove away the 
 children, and afterward brought some food. In the night ho loosed his 
 fetters, and Fatall.ih returned to his friends. Tlie battle raged with fury 
 two days, after which the two armies lay facing each other inactive. On 
 the third day of truce the chief Saker came with a single attendant to 
 the camp of the drayhy, to ransom his son, who was among the prison- 
 ers. His presence led to explanations, the calumnies of Absi were re- 
 moved, and he ended by signing the treaty. M. Lascaris told him their 
 intention was to open a passage from the coasts of Syria to the fi'ont>or8 
 of India, to an army of a hundred thousand men, under a powcriiil con- 
 queror, who would relievo the Bedouins from the yoke of the Turks, re- 
 store to them the sovereignty of the country, and open to them the treas- 
 ures of India. He also explained that the religious fanaticism of the 
 king of the Wahabees would counteract their plans, as his love of do- 
 mbion, which had already made him master of Yemen, Mecca, and Me- 
 dina, would extend his pretensions to Syria. Saker entered fully into 
 these views, and promised to use all his influence with the other tribes. 
 It was agreed that he should be chief of the Bedouins of the country 
 they were now in, as the drayhy was of those of ^yria and Mesopota- 
 mia. Next day he sent word that the chie& Mohdi and Duakhry no 
 longer opposed their projects. 
 
 
452 
 
 DE LASOARIS'S 8E0RBT MISSION. 
 
 M. Lascaris deferred the project of pushing on to the fh>ntiora of In- 
 dia, until the following year, when the Sakor would have had time to 
 prepare the tribes to second him. After a few days the army returned 
 to Mesopotamia. As they continued their journey they learned that the 
 tribe of EI Calfa was encamped at Zualma, and Fatallah, with an escort 
 of six men on dromedaries, was sent to negotiate with Jassem, its shokh. 
 They arrived at the spot in three days, but found no traces of the camp. 
 They now wandered three entire days without finding either water or 
 food, and Fatallah'a strength was failing, when his companions descried 
 a well, and wita a cry, darted forward. Fatallah fell to the ground in 
 despair, and his companions had to return to assist him. " At length '* 
 ho writes, " wc arrived at the well, and one of them leaning over the 
 parapet,' drew his saber, declaring ho would cut off the head of the first 
 man who dared approach. ' Be governed by my experience,' said he 
 *or you will all perish.' The authoritative tone ho assumed had its 
 effect upon us, and wo all obeyed in silence. lie called us one by one 
 beginning with me, and raado us first lean over the margin of the well 
 to inhale some of its moisture. Then drawing a small quantity of water, 
 he wetted our lips with his fingers ; by degrees he allowed us to drink 
 a few drops, then a small cup full ; and having pursued this rational 
 treatment for three hours, he said, * You may now drink without risk ; 
 but if you had not listened to mo, you would have been all dead men ; 
 for drinking without precaution, after long privation, is certain destruc- 
 tion.' We passed the night on this spot, drinking continually, as much 
 for nourishment as to slake our thirst, which, notwithstanding this indulg. 
 ence, seemed insatiable." 
 
 After some time they discovered the tribe they were in quest of, and 
 being kindly received by Jassem, Fatallah accomplished his mission 
 satisfactorily, and returned to the drayhy. Fatallah, having learned 
 that Mchanna el Fadel had formed a coalition against the drayhy, per- 
 suaded M. Lascaris to consult the Pasha Solyman, at Damascus. They re- 
 paired thither and obtained a firman requiring the governors of Iloms and 
 Hama to respect and obey the Drayhy Ebn Chahllan, supreme chief of 
 the Desert of Damascus. Meanwhile Mehanna advanced nearer, certain 
 of the co-opcrat'.on of the Osraanlis ; but the drayhy sent the pasha's fir- 
 man to IToms and Hama, and the two governors placed their troops at 
 his disposal, declaring Mehanna a traitor for calling on the Wahabees, 
 the most mexorable enemies of the Turks. Mehanna made preparations 
 for the struggle, and sent his son Fares to Horns for assistance which 
 had previously been promised by the governor, but the latter threw 
 Fares in prison, and Mehanna, dismayed, found himself precipitated from 
 the supreme command, and obliged, not only to submit to the drayhy, 
 but even to solicit his protection against the Turks. The drayhy at first 
 refused to accept the submission of Mehanna, until M. Lascaris inte^ 
 posed in his behalf. Fatallah thus relates their reconciliation : 
 
 ''The drayhy yielding at last, the principal men of the tribe marched 
 
MILITARY CAMELS. 
 
 458 
 
 foni^ard to meet Mohanno, an attention duo to hiit years and rank. As 
 BOOB an ho alighted, the drayhy asaignud him thu Huut of honor \n tho 
 corner of tho tent, and ordered coflfoo to be brought. Mchanna here* 
 upon rose : ' I will drink none of thy coflfee,' said hu, * till we shall be 
 completely reconciled, and have buried the seven stones.' At these 
 words tho drayhy also rose ; thuy drew and mutually presented their 
 sabers to bo kissud ; atlur which they embraced, and the example Wiis 
 followed by their attendants. Mehunna with his lance made an openuig 
 in the ground, in the center of tho tent, about a foot in depth ; and 
 choosing seven small stones, he said to the drayhy, * In thu name of the 
 God of peace, for your guaranty and mino, we thus for over bury our 
 discord.* As tho stones wero cast into tho hole, the two shekhs threw 
 earth over them, and trod it down with their feet ; the women signaliz- 
 ing the ceremony with 4eafening shouts of Joy : at its termination tho 
 chiefs resumed their scats, and oofibo was served. From that moment 
 it was no longer allowable to revert to tho past, or to mention war. I 
 was assured that a reconciliation, to bo according to rule, ought always 
 to be solemnized in this form." 
 
 Their united forces amounted to seven thousand and six Hundred 
 tents, and the drayhy now became chief of all tho Bedouins of Syria. 
 Sakcr went to Homs to solicit tho deliverance of Fares, whom he brought 
 back attired in robes of honor, to take part in the general rejoicing. 
 
 Some days afterward tho drayhy marched against the Wahabees, 
 who were besieging Palmyra, and encountered them at £1 Duah, with- 
 out Qoming to a pitched battle. " Here," says Fatallah, ^' I had leisure 
 to appreciate the advantage of the mardauffa in these wars of the des- 
 ert, in which it is always necessary to carry about tho commissariat of 
 the army, and oilen for a considerable time. These camels, mounted 
 each by two soldiers, are like moving fortresses, provisioned with every 
 thing necessary for tho nourishment and defense of theii' riders. A 
 budget of water, a sack of flour, and another of dried datts, ajar of 
 sheep's butter, and the munitions of war, are formed into a sort of 
 square tower on the animal's back. The men, conveniently placed on 
 each side on scats composed of cordage, thus carry with them every 
 thing of which their temperate habits have need. When they are 
 hungry, they knead a little of tho meal with butter, and eat it in that 
 state without baking ; a few dates and a small quantity of water com- 
 pleting their moderate repast: nor do they quit their post to sleep, but 
 tiirow themselves across the camel in the manner I have already de- 
 scribed." The next day's engagement was more serious, and on tho third 
 the enemy fled, leaving the drayhy in possession of the field. Having 
 no longer any enemies to fear in the Syrian Desert, M. Lascaris went to 
 Homs to buy merchandize and write to Europe. They at length set out 
 to return, and at night their guides persuaded them not to haJt till they 
 had completed the journey. In crossing a mountun at midnight, Ffi* 
 tallah's horse lost its footing, and he was hurled down a tremendous 
 
 :j 
 
464 
 
 DE LASCARIS'S SECRET MISSION. 
 
 precipice. He was picked up insensible, but life was not quite extinct 
 and though his recovery was despaired of for two or three months, he 
 was finally restored to tolerable health. 
 
 The drayhy was obliged to pursue his migrations eastward, and M. 
 Lascaris remained with Fatallah. Ten months passed away, and another 
 spring had come, when a courier announced to thenr^ the approach of 
 the Bedouins. In a few days they rejoined the drayhy, who was over- 
 joyed at the recovery of Fatallah. It was now reported that theWaha- 
 bees, who intended the conquest of Syria, were approaching with a 
 formidable army, which spread terror and devastation every where on 
 its passage. The drayhy requested auxiliary troops of the Pasha of 
 Damascus, and ''■ wh?lo waiting for the expected reinforcements," says 
 Fatallah, " he caused a solemn declaration of war to be made, according 
 to the custom of the Bedouins on very particular occasions, in the fol- 
 lowing form : A white female camel was selected, and blackened all 
 over with soot and oil ; reins made of black hair were then put over 
 her, and she was mounted by a young maiden dressed in black, with 
 her face and hands also blackened. Ten men led her from tribe to 
 tribe, and on reaching each she proclaimed aloud three times — ' Succor! 
 succor ! succor ! Which of you will make this camel white ? she is a ' 
 relic from the tent of the drayhy menacing ruin. Fly, fly, noble and I 
 generous defenders ! The Wahabees are coming ! they will carry away i 
 your allies and your brothers : all you who hear me, address your prayers ' 
 to the prophets Mohammed and Ali, the first and the last !' . 
 
 " Saying which, she distributed among the tribe handfuls of black 
 hair, and letters from the drayhy, indicating the place of rendezvous on 
 the banks of the Orontes." | 
 
 Tlio camp of the drayhy was soon augmented by the coalition of 
 thirty tribes, and the Pasha of Damascus sent his nephew Ibrahim Pasha , 
 with ten thousand men to Hama, there to wait for other troops from 
 Acre and Aleppo. When they had met, the drayhy and Ibrahim Pasha, 
 assisted by Fatallah, arranged their plan of defense. In two days the 
 e emy appeared and established their camp, composed of fifty tribes 
 and seventy-five thousand tents, at one hour's distance from the allies. 
 
 " Ibrahim Pasha," continues Fatallah, " was in consternation, and 
 senv. in great haste in search of the drayhy, who, having succeeded m 
 reanimating his courage a little, returned to the camp, to order the 
 necessary entrenchments. For this purpose all the camels were assem- 
 bled, bound together by their knees, and placed in double files in front 
 of the tents ; and, to complete the rampart, a trench was dug behmd 
 them. Tlio epemy on his part did the same, and the drayhy ordered 
 the Hatfe to be prepared. This singular ceremony consists in selecting 
 the most beautiful among the Bedouin girls, to be placed in a houdah, 
 richly ornamented, borne by a tall white camel. The choice of the 
 maiden who is destined to occupy this honorable but perilous post is very 
 important, for the success of tlie battle depends almost entirely upon 
 
DEFEAT OP THE WAHABBBS. 
 
 465 
 
 her. Placed opposite to the enemy, and surrounded by the bravest war- 
 riors, it is her duty to excite them to the combat : the principal action 
 always takes place around her, aud prodigies of valoi; defend her. All 
 would be lost should the hatfe fall into the enemy's hands ; and, to avoid 
 80 irreparable a misfortune, half the army must always be stationed about 
 her. Warriors succeed each other on this point, where the battle is 
 always hottest, and each comes to gather enthusiasm from her looks. 
 A girl named Arkia uniting in an eminent degree courage, eloquence, 
 and beauty, was choson for our hatfe. The enemy also prepared his, 
 and the battle soon afterward commenced." 
 
 After several days of severe fighting, during which the drayhy's forces 
 Buffered heavy loss, a last, desperate effort was made, resulting in the 
 total defeat '' f the Wahabees. The drayhy made a triumphal entrance 
 into Hama, escorted by the chiefs of the allied tribes, and was received 
 in a splendid manner by the governor aiiu ."^lie agas. 
 
 Every day tribes arrived from the !N edjid country, deserting the 
 Wahabees to join the drayhy ; sonje attracted by his extraordinary 
 reputation, others driven by dissensions with King Ebn Sihoud. M. 
 Lascaris now saw his hopes realized beyond his most sanguine anticipa- 
 tions ; but so long as any thing remained to be done he allowed him- 
 self no rest ; they therefore crossed the Tigris and entered Persia. 
 Here the fame of the drayhy had preceded hira, and the tribes of the 
 country came to fraternize with him, but as M. Lascaris required the 
 co-opsration of the great prince, chief of all the Persimi tribes, the 
 Emir Sahid el Bokhrani, whose command extends to the frontiers of 
 India, they prolonged their journey to meet him. They dispatched 
 couriers to notify the emir of their approach, and he came to meet them 
 at the head of a formidable array. They were at first intimidated, but 
 he received them cordially, entered readily into their views, and fully 
 understood the importance of the commercial mtercourse they were 
 desirous of establishing with India. He; promised them the co-operation 
 of all the tribes of Persia imder his dominion, and entered into a dis- 
 tinct treaty with them. 
 
 They returned by forced marches, and on arriving in Syria, re- 
 ceived a courier from the king of the Wahabees, who brought a little 
 piece of paper about three fingers in breadth, and twice as long. On 
 tliis was a long and imperious letter, concluding with a command to 
 come and see him vvithout fear. On the reception of this letter, a coun- 
 cil of war was held, and after having deliberately weighed the perils of 
 the journey against the advantages of the alliance, the drayhy deter- 
 mined to (Comply with the authoritative invitation. He accordingly set 
 out with a small retinae, accompanied by Fatallah. 
 
 In a few days, tliey overtook a tribe of Wahabees, from whom they 
 were careful to conceal their pipes, for Ebn Sihoud prohibited smoking, 
 and punished any infraction of his laws with death. They soon reached 
 the Nedjid, a country intersected with mountains and valleys, studded 
 
456 
 
 DB LASOARIS'S SECUBT MISSION. 
 
 with nomad camps, and abounding in towns and villages, tho former of 
 M'hich appear to be very ancient, and attest a lurmer population much 
 richer and moro numerous than that by which they are now occui)iud 
 The villages are peopled with Bedouin husbiindmen ; and the soil pro. 
 duces corn, tt'ble vegetables, and dates, in abundance. 
 
 " At length," continues Fatallah, " aller luurtecn days' journey at 
 the pace of our dromedaries, which may be reckone«l at triple tiie dis- 
 tance traversed by a caravan in the same space of time, we arrived in 
 the capital of the Wihabees. The city i.s surrounded and concealed by 
 a wood of palms, called the palm-tn-fs of Darkisch, which serves it as a 
 rampart, and is so thickly planted an scarcely to admit the passage of a 
 horseman between thi trunks of the trees. Having made our way 
 through these, wo came to a second barrier, comjmsed of little hilluckii 
 of date-stones, resembling a bank of small pebbles, and behind it the 
 town-wall, along which wo rodo to the entrance-gate, and, passing 
 through it, soon reached the king's palace, a large ediiice of two stories 
 built of white hewn stones. 
 
 " Ebn Sihoud, on being informed of our arrival, onlered us to be ush- 
 ered into an elegant and well-furnished apartment, where a pl<'ntif(il re- 
 past was set before us. This beginning seemed to augur well, and we 
 congratulated ourselves upon not having yield'.^d to the su.si)i('ions which 
 had been suggested to us. The same night, having suitably attired our- 
 selves, wc were presented to the kuig ; whom we found to be about Ibr- 
 ty-iive years of age, with a harsh counteiumce, a bronzed conijijexion, 
 and a very black beard. He was dressed ui a rob< fsvstened round the 
 loins by a white sash, a striped turban of red and white on Ins heu<l, and 
 a black embroidered mantle thrown over his left shoulder, holding in his 
 right hand the scepter of the king of Mahlab, the ensign of his authority. 
 lie wa.s seated, surrounded by the grandees of his court, at the extremity 
 of a largo audience-chamber, richly furnished with mats, (•arj)ets, and 
 cushions. Thp draperies, as well as the king's habiliments, were of cot- 
 ton, or the wool of Yemen — silk being prohibited in his dominions, to- 
 gether with every thing that would recall the luxury or customs of the 
 Turks." 
 
 Ebn SJUoud greeted them coldly, and when, atlor a long silence, the 
 drayhy opened the conference, he fiercely replied in a series of charges 
 against him, and growing more and more exasperated as he spoke, con- 
 cluded by ordering them to leave his presence, and await his pleasmc, 
 The drayhy's eyes flashed, and !iis nostrils dilated, but recollecting him- 
 self, he slowly retired. For two days and nights they remained in tlicir 
 apartment, hearmg and seeing nothing. On the third day, the drayhy 
 sent a message to the king ; his only reply was the sight of twenty-live 
 armed n jgroes, who ranged themselves before the door. Again ho sent 
 to Ebn Sihoud, demanding the right to speak to him. The Wahabee 
 granted an audience, but left them standing, and without respondhig t .> 
 their gri'otiug, roughly asked what they wanted. The drayhy replied 
 
r"' 
 
 TIIK KINO OP THE WAilABEKS. 
 
 467 
 
 with dignity, saying thiit on the Htruot^th of his proinisus, ho had come 
 witit only ten men whilu curnmantling thoiisantls of warrioi'H : ho might 
 crush thoni like ashcH, but from the frontier of India to tite frontier of 
 Nctljid, in Persia, in Bus-sora, in Mesopotamia, llemad, the two Syriaa, 
 (lalilee, and Iloran, every man wlio wore tlie kaftan would take ven- 
 geance for his doatli. He appealed to liis honor, to restore liim to his 
 country, and o]>enly contend with him, and continued his remarks with 
 Aiisurances that his death would not diminish his tribe, nor extinguish 
 the race of Cholan. The king gradually calmed himself ailer this ha- 
 rangue, and said : " Go in peace ; nothing but good will happen to you." 
 
 Next day, Ebn Sihoud sent for them, and received, them very gra- 
 ciously, and presently asked the drayhy about the persons who accom- 
 panied him. Fatallah trembled, for ho knew the prejudices of the Wa- 
 habce. When the drayhy named him, the king, turning toward him, 
 said : " You are, then, Abdallah, the Ciu-istian ?" On his answering m 
 the affirmative, the king continued : " I see that your actions are much 
 greater than your stature." Ailer some further remarks, he demanded 
 the object of the alliance they had been i-iborujg so many years to ac- 
 coinplisb. Fatallah stated the desire of uniting all the Bedouins of Syrijl 
 under the command of the drayhy to resist the power of the Turks ; that 
 they had fought against the armies of Ebn Sihoud at llama, simply be- 
 cause they were an obstacle td their projeX5ts. They were laboring for 
 the drayhy ; his power once ostablished in Syria, Mesopotamia, and to 
 the coniines of Persia, they were willing to enter into alliance with the 
 kiiif?, and become invulnerable in the {)ossession of entire liberty. For 
 this purpose they had now come, and had proved the sincerity of their 
 intentions. The krng's countenance clearc*! up as Fatallah spoke, and 
 when he hud ceased, ht3 expressed his satistLction. Then turning to his 
 slaves, he ordered three cuj)9 of coftet', which, among the Bedouins, is a 
 mark of tiie highest consideration. The reet of the visit passed off well, 
 and they retired well satisfied. 
 
 '■.So delighted was I Avith the recovery of my liberty," says Fatallah, 
 "tliiit 1 spent all the next day in walking about and visiting every part 
 of l);»rkiwh and its environs. Tlic town, built of white stone, contains 
 idvcn thousand uihabitants, almost all khismen, ministers, or generals of 
 Klin Sihoud. No artizans are found there. The only trades exercised 
 in the town are tliose of armorers and farriern. and fiiw persons are eii- 
 )li\\icii even in them. Nothing is to be purchased, not even food, for 
 which every one depends on his own means — that is to say, upon an 
 estate or garden, prod'ucing corn, vegetables, and fruits, and affording 
 nourishment to a few fowls. Their numerous herds browse in the plain ; 
 ;unl every WeilneNday the inhabitants of Yemen and Mecca as.senible to 
 exchange their merchandise for cattle ; a specie's of fair, which forms the 
 sole commerce of the country. The women appear unvailed, but throw 
 their black mantles oVer their faccfc — a very disgra'^eful custom: they 
 »r" generally ugly and ox<;efisivcIy dark-complexioned. The gardens, 
 
468 
 
 DE LASGARIS'S SECRBT MISSION. 
 
 situated in n charming valley near the town, on tlie opposite side to that 
 
 by whioh we had entered, produce the finest fruits in the world 
 
 bananas, oranges, punicgranates, figs, apples, melons, etc., intermixed 
 with barley and maize — and are carefully watered. 
 
 '* The next morning, the king again summoned us to him, received 
 us very graciously, and questioned me closely respecting the various 
 European sovereigns, especially Napoleon, for whom he testified great 
 admiration. Nothing delighted him so much as the recital of the cm- 
 pcror's conquests ; and happily my frequent intercourse with M. Lascaris 
 liud furnished me with many details to entertain him with. At the 
 .iccount of every battle, ho would exclaim — ' Surely this man is an emis- 
 sary of God : I am persuaded ho must bo in intimate communion with 
 his Creator, since ho is thus singularly favored.' His affability toward me 
 having gradually but rapidly increased, he suddenly changed the subject 
 of conversation, and said at last, ' Abdallah, I desire to hear the truth 
 from you : what is the basis of Christianity ?' Aware of the Wahabee's 
 prejudicofl, I trembled at this question ; but mentally praying for Divine 
 inspiration, 'The basis of all religion, O son of Sihoud!' I said, 'is belief 
 in God. The Christians deem, as you do, that there is one only God, 
 the Creator of the universe ; who punishes the wicked, pardons the peni- 
 tent, and recompenses the good ; that He alone is great, merciful, 
 .ind almighty.' ' Very well,' said he ; ' but how do you pray ?' I re- 
 peated the Pater-noster; ho niado his secretary write at my dictation, 
 read and re-read it, and placed it inside his vest ; then, pursuing his in- 
 terrogatory, asked mo to which side we turned to pray. ' We pray on 
 all sides,' answered I, ' for God is everywhere.' 'That opinion I entirely 
 approve,' said he ; ' but you must have precepts as well as prayers.' I 
 repeated the ten commandments given by God to His prophet Moses, 
 which ho appeared to know, and continued his inquiries. ' And Jesus 
 Christ — in wlrit light do you consider him ?' ' As the Incarnate Word 
 of God.' ' Bat he was crucified ?' ' As the Divine Word, he could not 
 die ; but as man, he suffered for the sins of the wicked.' ' That is mar- 
 velous. And the sacred book which God inspired through Jesus Christ, 
 is it revered among you? do you exactly conform to this doctrine?' 
 ' We preserve it with the greatest reverence, and in all things obey its 
 injunctions.' 'Tlic Turks,' said ho, 'have made a god of their prophet, 
 and pray over his tomb like idolaters. Cursed be those who ascribe to 
 the Creator an equal ! may the saber exterminate them !' The king ^)■ 
 peared delighted with our conversation, and said to me — 'I see that we 
 may always learn something. I have hitherto believed the Christians to 
 be the most superstitious of men ; but I am now convinced that they ap- 
 proach much nearer to the true religion t^..ii the Turks.' " 
 
 For several days tlioy met I., '"•'•ot conclave with Ebn Sihoud, and 
 an alliance was conclu<led between »um and the «irayhy to their mutual 
 ■atisfaction, the king declaring that their two bodies should be hence- 
 forth directed by one sou). lie then invited them, for the first time, to 
 
DEATH OF DE LASCARIS. 
 
 459 
 
 cat with him, and tasted each dish before it was offered to them. " As 
 he had never seen any one eat otherwise than with their fingers," says 
 Fatallah, " I carved a spoon and fork out of a piece of wood, spread my 
 handkerchief for a napkin, and ate my dinner after the European fashion, 
 which highly diverted him. * Thanks be to God!' said he, 'every 
 nation believes its customs the best possible, and each is therefore con- 
 tent with its condition.' " 
 
 When they returned to their tribe and had recovered from their 
 fatigues, M. Lascaria told Fatallah that all was accomplished and 
 they must now return to give an account of their mission. They left, 
 their friends, in the hope of soon seeing them, at the head of the ex- 
 pedition to which they had opened the way. They reached Constantir 
 nople in April, afler ninety days' traveling, frequently across tracts of 
 snow. Constantinople was ravaged by the plague, and during three 
 months spent in quarantine they heard of the burning of Moscow. M. 
 Lascaris was in despair, and r t length determined to return to Syria, 
 there to await the issue of events. They embarked, but a violent storm 
 drove thcra to Chios, where they again encountered the plague. Having 
 lost their property in the tempest, and being cut off from external com- 
 munication by the contagion, they were nearly without clothing, and 
 exposed to the greatest privations. Communications being at length 
 restored, M. Lascaris went to a conference with Generals Lallemand and 
 Savary, at Smyrna, and allowed Fatallah meanwhile to visit his mother, 
 whom he had not seen for six years. 
 
 Wliile staying at Latakia with his mother, and daily expecting the 
 arrival of a ship which might convey him to Egypt, whither M. Las- 
 caris had ordered him to repair, Fatallah saw a French brig of war 
 enter the port, and hastened to inquire for letters. Ttut the letters 
 only brought the aflicting intelligence of the decease of hia benefactor 
 atCair 
 
I TTI ' 
 
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 v:.ri "ii 
 
 J ' ••iiti 
 
 r i."v Of. 
 
 <■<>,<■ M il 
 
 ((•''Isl 
 
 ,j{>£: Mia ii-i.' I 
 
 1 aJ i.fZJ 
 
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 I'll lii J' «■ 
 
 r Irt 
 
3 filvoral 
 
 of Pezz 
 
 Tripoli 
 
 tiiither i 
 
 on to Ue 
 
 colors, rij 
 kind u-o 
 ^ornou.'*! 
 
DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON'S 
 
 EXPEDITION TO CENTRAL AFRICA 
 
 After the unsuccessful attempt of Messrs. Ritchie and Lyon to pe- 
 netrate to the interior of Afrif.a, in 1819, the British govoninient deter- 
 mined to fit out an expedition on a more liberal sca.e, for the j)urpo3cj 
 of establishing friendly and commercial relations with somo of the al- 
 most unknown countries of Soudan. Dr. Oudney first volunteered his 
 services, and, while his phn was under consideration, met with Lieu- 
 tenant Clapperton, of the royal navy, in Edinburg, in the year 1820. 
 He communicated his desijrn tr the latter, who immediately expressed 
 his desire to be associated with him, and the offer was accepted by Lord 
 Hathurst, then Secretary of State. While the preparations for the ex- 
 pedition were going forward, Major IV'nham volunteered to undertake 
 a journey across the Desert to Timbuctoo, but was afterward, at his own 
 request, associated with Oudney and Clapperton, and received the com- 
 mand of the expedition. 
 
 On arriving at J^Ialta, Denham cngagt-d the services of William Ilill- 
 inan, a shipwright in the dock-yard at La Valetta, the latter having vol- 
 unteered his scrvicti on condition of receiving £120 a year. Oudney 
 and Clapperton had already proceeded to Tripoli, where Denham ar- 
 rived on the 18th of No-^-mber, 1821. The three travelers immediately 
 called upon the pasha, who received them kindly, and promised to for- 
 ward the party safely into the interior. They were detained, however, 
 for three or four months, before their preparations were completed, and 
 a flivorable opportunity occurred for proceeding to Mourzuk, the capital 
 of Fezzan. "On the 5th of March, 1822," says Major Denham, " I left 
 Tiipoli for Benioleed, to join my two companions, who had advanced 
 thither with our servants, horses, camels, and baggage. Tliey had gone 
 on to Memoom, a very pretty valley, which, at this season of the year, 
 was fjreen with herbage, and adorned by flowers of various hues and 
 colors, richly scattered in beautiful disorder — but it was the last of tlie 
 kind \vc were fortunate enough to meet with between thLi place and 
 Bomou." 
 
404 
 
 TRAVELS OP DKNIIAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 After fniirtpon days' travel they reachcil Sockna, a town ahont half. 
 way betwocn Tripoli and Mourzuk. They were mot by the govomor 
 and principal inhabitants, accompanied by somo hundreds of tlic coun- 
 try peojjlc, who crowded around their horses, kissing their hands, and 
 Avelcoming them with every appearance of sincerity and satisfaction. 
 Tins reception was very encouraging to them, as they had determined 
 on setting out, to wear the Frank dress, and to pass for Englishmen and 
 Christians, on all occasions. While walking in the streets of Sockna, 
 two boys accosted them, saying that a beautiful woman wished to hco 
 them. "We put ourselves under their guidance," writes Denham, "and 
 entering a better sort of dwelling-house, were quickly surrounded by at 
 least half a dozen ladies, most of them aged ; but who asked us a thou- 
 sand questions, and, when satisfied wo were not dangerous, called 
 several yoimger ones, who appeared to be but waiting for permis.sion to 
 appear. Our dresses and ourselves were then minutely examined. The 
 yellow buttons on our waistcoats, and our watches, created the greatest 
 astonishment ; and a pair of loose white trowsers that I wore, into tho 
 pockets of which I accidentally put my hands, raised their ciniosity to 
 a w6nderful degree : my hands were pulled out, and those of three or 
 four of the ladies thrust in, in their stead ; these were replaced by others 
 all demanding their use so loudly and violently, that I had considerable 
 difficulty in extricating myself, and was glad to mako my escape," 
 
 The remaining half of the Journey to Mourzuk was more difficult 
 and dangerous than the first. They were sometimes two or three davs 
 without finding a supply of water, which was generally muddy, bitter, 
 and brackish ; in addition to which they encountered a severe sand- 
 storm. The spot was pointed out to them, strewed with bones and 
 dried carcases, where, the year before, fifty sheep, two camels, and two 
 men perished from thirst and fatigue, when within eight hours' march 
 of a well which the travelers were then anxiously looking for. On the 
 7th of April they arrived at a village in tho midst of a vast multitude of 
 palm-trees, just one day's journey shoit of Mourzuk. They had ne- 
 glected sending word to advise the Suhan of their approach, and their 
 reception, consequently, was less brilliant than at Sockna. As they drew 
 near the walls of the city, the next afternoon, they halted to await tho 
 return of a messenger whom they had dispatched to give notice of their 
 arrival. After half an hour's delay, the governor of the town came out, 
 and in the sultan's name requested that they would accompany him to 
 the house which had been prepared for them, adding, to their great 
 surprise, that the English consul was there already. " The fact was," 
 Major Denham adds, " that a very ill-looking Jew servant of mine, 
 mounted on a white mule, with a pair of small canteens under him, had 
 ])receded the camels and entered the town by himself. lie was received 
 with great respect by all the inhabitants — conducted through the streets 
 to the house which was destined to receive us ; and from the circura- 
 stance of the canteens being all covered with brass shining nails, a very 
 
DELAT AT MOUBZUK. 
 
 465 
 
 high idea of his consequence was formed. Ho very sensibly received all 
 their attentions in uilcnce, and drank the cool water and milk which was 
 handed to him : and we always had the laugh against thum afterward, 
 fur having shown so much civility to an Israelite — a race they heartily 
 despise. ' Wo thought tho English,* said they, ' were better looking 
 than the Jews— death to their race I — but then God made us all, though 
 not all handsome like Mussulmen, so who could tell ?' " 
 
 Their interview with tho sultan of Fezzan was any thing but en- 
 couraging. He told them that there was no intention, as they had been 
 led to expect, of any expedition to proceed to the southward for some 
 time to come ; that an army could only move in the spring of the year ; 
 that the arrangements fur moving a body of men through a country 
 where every necessary must be carried on camels, both for men and 
 horses, were so numerous, that before the following spring it was scarcely 
 possible to complete them, as two camels were required for every man 
 and horse, and one for every two men on foot. He read to them tho 
 letter of the Pasha of Tripoli, in which it M'as stated that they were 
 commended to his protection, and were to be permitted to reside in 
 Mourznk, or any other part of Fezzan, until he (the sultan) had paid a 
 visit to Tiipoli. The travelers returned to their house with very dis- 
 heartened feelings. Tho heat was intense, tho thermometer standing at 
 97° in the shade. 
 
 In a few days after this their hopes were revived by a visit from a 
 rich native merchant, named Boo-Khaloom, who was on the eve of start- 
 ing for Tripoli, with handsome presents for the pasha. His secret er- 
 rand was to obtain the removal of Mustapha, the sultan, who, he well 
 knew, was employing his emissaries in Tripoli to have his head taken 
 off after his arrival there. Boo-Khaloom desired to accompany the 
 travelers to Bornou ; his own caravnn, with the merchants who would 
 join him, would bo suflicient protection for them. Soon after this con- 
 versation, he left for Tripoli, and was followed, in a few days, by the 
 sultan, who not only stripped Mourzuk of its stores of supplies, but took 
 with him all the camels that were to be had. Thus the exi)edition was 
 deprived of the means of proceeding further, and it was immediately 
 decided that Major Denham should return to Tripoli, in order to pro- 
 cure the necessary animals and supplies there. 
 
 Leaving Mourzuk on the 20th of May, accompanied only by his ne- 
 gro servant Barc.n, and two Arabs, he set out, making tho journey in 
 twenty Ouys. Denham at once applied for an audience with tho pasha, 
 to whom he represented, in the strongest terms, their disappointment at 
 the delay, and requested that he should fix a specified time for their de- 
 parture for Bornou. " A voyage to Marseilles, on my way to England, 
 was the consequence of our altercation with the pasha ; and the prompti- 
 tude with which i! \v,')s decided upon and carried into effect, by means 
 of a small Frencii vessel, which, at the time, most fortunately lay in the 
 harbor, was not a itliou': its good effects. The pasha sent three dispatches 
 
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466 
 
 TRAVELS OP DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 after me, by three different vessels, to Leghorn, Malta, and the port I 
 had sailed to, which I received in quarantine, informing mo that Boo. 
 Khaloom was appointed with an escort to convey us forthwith to Bor- 
 nou. This was every thing I wished for ; and immediately re-embarking 
 a seven days' passage brought me once more to the shores of Barbary." 
 Accompanied by Boo-Khaloom, the traveler started for Mourzuk, by 
 way of Sockna, where he arrived on the 2d of October. Boo-Khaloom's 
 weakness wf s a love of pomp and show, and he entered the town in great 
 state, mounted on a white horse which the Pasha of Tripoli had given 
 him. Two or three days afterward he became seriously ill. and insisted 
 on Major Denham prescribing for him, saying : " I am quite sure you 
 can cure me, if it is the will of God that I shall live ; if not, nobody 
 can." The prescriptions were finally successful, although his life was 
 despaired of for two days. 
 
 They entered Mourzuk on the 30th of October. Boo-Khaloora, who 
 was a truly charitable and benevolent man, was so popular in the place, 
 that on his returning to it not only safe, but standing high in the pasha's 
 favor, half of the inhabitants came out to meet him, shouting and singing, 
 to express their joy. Major Denham was disappointed that none of his 
 friends cime out to meet him, but soon learned that they had all been 
 very ill Avith fever and ague, from which Clapperton had not yet recov- 
 ered. During his absence, they had made a journey to Ghraat, the chief 
 t?wn of the Tuarick tribe, situated in the desert, twenty days' journey 
 west of Mourzuk. They were now happily united, and at once set about 
 preparing for their further travels. The party consisted of thirteen per- 
 sons — Denham, Clapperton, and Oudney ; Hillm.an, the carpenter ; a 
 native of 3t. Vincent, who, on accoimt of his voyages around the globe, 
 was nicknamed Columbus ; a Gibraltar Jew, who acted as storekeeper ; 
 three free negro servants, and four camel-drivers. They were also ac- 
 companied by several merchants from Mesurata, Tripoli, Sockna, and 
 Mourzuk, who gladly embraced the protection of their escort to proceed 
 to the interior with their merchandize. The procuring of camels and 
 supplies for the long journey across the desert, occupied some time, and 
 the caravan did not leave Mourzuk, finally, until the 29th of November. 
 
 In three days they arrived at Gatrono, whither Oudney, Clapperton, 
 :hi(1 Hillman had already proceeded, hoping to improve their health by 
 the change of air. Denham found them still sick, however, especially 
 the last, who had been twice given over by the doctor. They moved on 
 slowly to the town of Tegorry, the last i)laco in Fezzan, and there halted 
 three or four days to rest the sick, as beyond this they should travel for 
 fifteen days over a desert, where it would be necessary to march from 
 sunrise until dark. There is a well near the gate of the fortress of Te- 
 gerry, the water of which, the travelers were gravely informed, always 
 rose when a caravsin was coming near the town. The inhabitants stated 
 that they always prepared what they had to sell, on seeing this water 
 increase in bulk, for it never deceived them. " In proof of this asser- 
 
MARCH ACROSS THE DESERT. 
 
 467 
 
 tion," says Major Denham, " thoy pointed out to me how much higher 
 the water had been pre\ious to our arrival than it was at the moment we 
 were standing on the brink. This I could have explained by the num- 
 ber of camels tliat had drunk at it, but I saw it was better policy to be- 
 lieve what every body alloAved to be true Even Boo-Khaloom exclaim- 
 ed : ' Allah ! God Is great, powerful, and Avise ! How wonderful I 
 Oh !' » 
 
 On the 13th of December the caravan left Tegerry, and entered on 
 a desert plain, where the sick were constantly disheartened by the sight 
 of the skulls and skeletons of men who had perished on the sands. On 
 the 22d Denham write? : *' During the last two days, we have passed on 
 an average from sixty to eighty or ninety skeletons each day ; but the 
 numbers that lay about the wells at El-Hammar were countless. Those 
 of two women, whose perfect and regular teeth bespoke them young, 
 were particularly shocking; their arms still remained clasped around 
 each other as they had expired, although the flesh had long since per- 
 ished by being exposed to the burning rays of the sun, and the black- 
 ened bones only left. The nails of the fingers, and some of the sinews of 
 the hand, also remained, and part of the tongue of one of them still ap- 
 peared through the teeth." Two days aftor this, one of Denhaia's she- 
 camels foaled, and he looked forward to enjoying the milk, which, the 
 Arabs assured him, she would have in abundance ; but all at once the 
 animal suddenly fell and died. " The evil-eye — the evil-eye !" the Arabs 
 exclaimed, and some of them added : " She was sure to die. I knew 
 it." — " Well, if she had been mine, I would rather have lost a child, or 
 three slaves !" — " God be praised ! God is great, powerful, and wise : 
 those looks of the people are always fatal." 
 
 On the 1st of January, 1823, thoy reached a little oasis called Wady 
 Ikbar, and were cheered by the sight of doum-palms laden with fruit, 
 and grass in abundance. Three days more brought them to the village 
 of Anay, the first Tibboo town, which is built upon the summit of a sand- 
 stone rock, a hundred feet high. The inhabitants ascend by means of 
 ladders, which they draw up after them, whenever they are attacked by 
 their enemies, the Tuaricks. The Sultan of the Tibboos was visiting 
 anotlier village in the neighborhood, and sent word to Boo-Khaloom 
 tliat he would join the caravan and keep company with him as far as 
 Bilma, the capital of his country. He made his appearance the next 
 day. " He had neither much majesty nor cleanliness of appearance : he 
 came to Boo-Khaloom's tent, accompanied by six or seven Tibboos, some 
 of them really hideous. They take a quantity of snuff, both in their 
 months and noses ; their teeth were of a deep yellow ; the nose resem- 
 bles nothing so much as a round lump of flesh stuck on the face, and 
 the nostrils are so large that their fingers go up as far as they will reach, 
 in order to insure the snuff an admission into the head." 
 
 After entering the Tibboo country, the villages were numerous ; the 
 sterile, burning desert was exchanged for a broken country, intersected 
 
468 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 with deep and abrupt valleys, the beds of which were covered with grass 
 and trees. On approaching the villages, the inhabitants always camo 
 out to meet the travelers, and when within about fifty paces of the 
 horses fell upon their knees, singing and beating a sort of drum, which 
 always accompanies their rejoicing. They halted two days to rest at a 
 town called Dirkce. So many of Boo-Khaloom's camels had fallen on 
 the road that he determined to send out a marauding party to plunder 
 some more from the Tibboos — a proceeding wl'ich was sanctioned by tho 
 sultan, who, moreover, gave him instructions as to the proper route. 
 The party returned with thirteen, and for several nights afterward a 
 strict watch was kept, through fear that the owners would endeavor to 
 regain possession of them. 
 
 "On the 12th," continues tho narrative, "we reached Bilma, the 
 capital of the Tibboos, and the residence of their sultan, who, having 
 managed to get before and receive us, advanced a mile from the town 
 attended by some fifty of his men-at-arms, and double the number of tho 
 Bex we call fair. The men had most of them bows and arrows, and all 
 carried spears. They approached Boo-Khaloom, shaking them in tho 
 air over their heads, and after this salutation we all moved on toward 
 the town, the females dancing, and throwing themselves about with 
 screams and songs in a manner to us quite original. They were of a 
 superior class to those of the minor towns, some having extremely pleas- 
 ing features, while tho pearly white of their regular teeth was beautifully 
 contrasted with the glossy black of their skin, and the triangular flaps 
 of plaited hair which hung down on each side of their faces, streaming 
 with oil, with the addition of tho coral in the nose and large amber neck- 
 laces, gave them a very seduciiiuf appearance. 
 
 " I now for tho first time produced Captain Lyon's book in Boo- 
 Khaloom's tent, and on turning over tho prints of the natives, he swore, 
 and exclaimed, and insisted upon it, that he knew every face : ' This Avas 
 such a one's slave — that was his own ; ho was right ; ho knew it. 
 Praised be God for the talents he gave tho English ! they were shatr, 
 clever, exceedingly clever.' Of a landscape, however, I found that ho 
 had not the least idea, nor could I at all make him understand the in- 
 tention of the print of the sand-wind in tho desert, which is really so 
 well dcs'iribed by Captain Lyon's drawing ; he would look at it upside 
 down, and when I twice reversed it for him, ho exclaimed: 'Why! 
 why ! it is all the same !' A camel or a human figure was all I could 
 make him understand, and at those ho was all agitation and delight. 
 *Ag{b / wonderful !' Tho eyes first took his attention, then the other 
 features : at tho sight of the sword he exclaimed, ' Allah ! Allah !' and 
 on discovering the guns instantly asked, ' Where is the powder?' This 
 want of perception, as I imagined, in so intelligent a man, excited at first 
 my surprise ; but perhaps just the same would an European have felt 
 under similar circumstances." 
 
 Beyond Bilma the desert commenced again, and their route, for 
 
FIRST SIGHT OP LAKE TCHAD. 
 
 469 
 
 several days, was over broad plains of billowy sand, without any lign of 
 vegetation. They sometimes found wells of bitter water in the hollows, 
 but frequently saw none for two or three days together. Many camels 
 fell and died on this march ; the heat was very oppressive ; but as the 
 sick were much better than they had been, the travelers were all in good 
 spirits. 
 
 By this time they had passed the latitude which is the northern limit 
 of the tropical rains, and "on the 27th," says Major Denham, "we ap- 
 peared to be gradually approaching something resembling vegetation : 
 Avc had rising sands and clumps of fine grass the \! hole way, and the 
 country was not unlike some of our heaths in England. Toward even- 
 ing the trees increased greatly in number, and where wo halted the 
 animals found abundance of food. The tuUoh-treea, the kossom (a very- 
 beautiful parasitic plant), and the herbage, were most refreshing to our 
 parched feelings, although in reality they were of the most dingy green 
 and stunted appearance." 
 
 RECEPTION IN BORNOU. 
 
 On the 31st there were still more marked signs of their approach to 
 Bornou. "We reached a well where some really sweet milk was 
 brought to us in inmiensely large basket bottles, some holding two gal- 
 lons or more. No traveler in Africa should imagine that this he could 
 not bear, or that could not be endured. It is wonderful how a man's 
 taste conforms itself to his necessities. Six months ago, camels' milk 
 would have acted upon us as an emetic ; now we thought it a most 
 refreshing and grateful cordial. The face of the country improved in 
 appearance every mile. We passed along to-day what seemed to us a 
 most joyous valley, smiling in flowery grasses, tulloh-trees, and kossom. 
 About mid-day, we halted in a luxurious shade, the ground covered with 
 creeping vines of the colocynth in full blossom, which, with the red 
 flowers of the kospom which drooped over our heads, made our resting- 
 place a little Arcadia." Boo-Khaloom now judged it expedient to • md 
 a .messenger in advance with letters to Shekh El-Kanemy, the chief of 
 Bornou, giving news of the approach of the expedition. 
 
 On the 4th of February, they reached the town of Lari, the inhabis- 
 ants of which fled in all directions, in the greatest "error, on perceiving 
 the caravan. " Beyond the town, however," says Major Denham, " was 
 an object full of interest to us, and the sight of which conveyed to my 
 mind a sensation so gratifying and inspiring, that it would be difficult in 
 language to convey an idea of its force or pleasure. Tlie great Lake 
 Tchad, glowing with the golden rays of the sun in its strength, appeared 
 to be within a mile of the spot on which we stood. My heart bounded 
 within me at this prospect, for I believed this lake to be the key to the 
 great object of our search, and I could not refrain from silently im- 
 ploring Heaven's continued protection, which had enabled us to pro- 
 
470 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENIIAM AND OLAPPERTON. 
 
 ceed so far in health and strength, even to the accomplislunont of our 
 task. By suii-riso next morning I was on the borders of the hike, arniod 
 for the destruction of the multitude of birds, who, all unconscious of my 
 purpose, seemed to welcome our arrival. Flocks of geese and wild 
 ducks, of a most beautiful plumage, were quietly feeding at half pistol- 
 shot of where I stood. As I moved toward them they only chaiige<] 
 their places a little to the right or left, and appeared to have no idea of 
 the hostility of my intentions. PeUcans, cranes, four and five feet iii 
 height, gray, variegated and white, were scarcely so many yards from 
 my side, and a bird, between a snipe and a woodpecker, resembling 
 both and larger than either; immense spoonbills of a snowy whiteness, 
 widgeon, teal, yellow-legged plover, and a hundred species of unknown 
 water-iowl were sporting before me ; and it was long before I could 
 disturb the tranquillity of the dwellers on these waters by firing a gun. 
 
 
 LAKE TCHAD. 
 
 " In the evening I visited the town of Lari. It stands on an emi- 
 nence, and may probably contain two thousand inhabitants. The huts 
 are built of the rush which grows by vhe sides of the lake, have conical 
 tops, and look like Avell-thatched stacks of corn in England. They have 
 neat inclosures around them, made with fences of the same reed, and 
 passages leading to them like labyrinths. In the inclosure is a goat or 
 two, poultry, and sometimes a cow. The women were almost all spin- 
 ning cotton, which grows well, though not abundantly, near the town 
 and lake. The interior of the huts is neat. They are completely circu- 
 
APPROACH TO KOUKA. 
 
 471 
 
 lar, with no admission for air or light, except at the door, which has a 
 mat by way of safeguard. I entered one of the best appearance, 
 although the owner gave me no smiles of encouragement, and followed 
 close at my heels, wath his spear and dagger in his hand. In one cor- 
 ner stood the bed, a sofa of rushes lashed together, and supported by 
 six poles, fixed strongly ui the ground. This was covered with the skina 
 of the tiger-cat and wild bull ; around the sides were hung the wooden 
 bowls used for water and milk : his tall shield rested against the wall. 
 The hut had a division of mat-work, one half being alloted to the female 
 part of the family." 
 
 Two days after this they arrived at the town of Woodie, Avhere, on 
 account of Boo-Khaloom and his Arabs, it was necessary to wait until 
 the shekh of Bornou should send his permission to proceed. The town 
 is about one mile west of the lake, and four days' march from Kouka, 
 the capital of Bornou. The people have fish and game in abundance, 
 and are very indolent, the men lying idly in their huts from morning till 
 night. After waiting four days, two of the shekh's oflicers arrived with 
 the necessary permission, and a present of some of the goroo nuts of 
 Soudan, which have an agreeably bitter taste, and are much esteemed 
 by the people of Tripoli. After eating these nuts, water has a grateful 
 davor, be it ever so bad. The Arabs call them the cofibe of the black 
 coimtry. Proceeding southward for two days more, through a fertile, 
 thickly-inhabited country, tbey came to a river called the Yeou — a 
 stream fifty yards wide, with a hard, sandy bottom, and flowing eastward 
 at the rate of three and a half miles an hour. The goods and passengers 
 of the caravan were ferried across in canoes, to which the bridles of the 
 horses and camels were attached, and the animals made to swim. 
 
 On the 16th of February the expedition halted within one hour's 
 march of Kouka, in order to make the entry in state next day. Major 
 Denham's accoimt of what then took place is too characteristic and in- 
 teresting to be omitted. " This was to us a momentous day," he writes, 
 " and it seemed to be equally so to our conductors. Notwithstanding 
 all the difficulties that had presented themselves at the various stages of 
 our journey, we were at last within a few short miles of our destination, 
 were about to become acquainted with a people who had never seen, 
 or scarcely heard of, a European, and to tread on groimd the knowledge 
 and true situation of which had hitherto been wholly unknown. Our 
 accounts of the state of this country had been so contradictory, that no 
 opinion could be formed as to the real condition or the numbers of its 
 inhabitants. The degree of credit r. hich might be attached to the dif- 
 ferent reports was nearly balanced in the scales of probability ; and we 
 advanced toward the town of Kouka in a most interesting state of un- 
 certainty whether we should find its chief at the head of thousands, or 
 be received by him under a tree, surrounded by a few naked slaves. 
 
 " These doubts, however, were quickly removed. I had ridden on 
 a short distance in front of Boo-Khaloom, with his train of Arabs, all 
 
472 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 mounted and dressed out in their best apparel, and, from the thickness 
 of the Tees, soon lost sight of them, fancying that the road could not 
 be mistaken. I rode still onward, and on approaching a spot less thickly 
 planted, was not a little surprised to see in front of me a body of several 
 thousand cavalry drawn up in line, and extending right and left as far as 
 I could see ; and, checking my horse, I awaited the arrival of my party, 
 under the shade of a Avide-spreading acacia. The Bornou troops re- 
 mained quite steady, without noise or confusion ; and a few horsemen, 
 who were moving about in front giving directions, were the only persons 
 out of the ranks. On the Arabs appearing in sight, a shout or yell was 
 given by the shekh's people, which rent the air. A blast was blown from 
 their rude instruments of music equally loud, and they moved on to 
 meet Boo-Khaloom and his Arabs. There was an appearance of tact 
 and management in their movements which astonished me. Three sep- 
 arate small bodies, from the center and eacli flank, kept charging rapidly 
 toward us, to within a few feet of our horses' heads, without checking 
 the speed of their own, until the moment of their halt, while the whole 
 body moved onward. These parties were mounted on small but very 
 perfect horses, which stopped, and wheeled from their utmost speed with 
 great precision and expertness, shaking their spears over their heads, 
 and exclaiming: '■Blessing! blessing! sons of your country! sons of 
 your country .'' and returning quickly to the front of the body, in order 
 to repeat the charge. While all this was going on, they closed in their 
 right and left flanks, and surrounded the little body of Arab warriors so 
 completely, as to give the compliment of welcoming them very much 
 the appearance of contempt for their weakness. I am quite sure this 
 was premeditated. We were all so closely pressed as to be nearly 
 smothered, and in some danger from the crowding of the horses and 
 the clashing of the spears. Moving on was impossible, and we therefore 
 came to a full stop. Our chief was much enraged, but it was all to no 
 purpose ; he was only answered by shrieks of ' Welcome !' and spears 
 most unpleasantly rattled over our hca>.«, expressive of the same feeling. 
 This annoyance was not, however, of long duration. Barca Gana, the 
 shekh's first general, a negro of a noble aspect, clothed in a figured silk 
 tobe and mounted on a beautiful Mandara horse, made his appearance ; 
 and after a little delay the rear was cleared of those who had pressed 
 in upon us, and we moved on. 
 
 " The shekh's negr'^es, as they were called, meaning the black chiefs 
 and favorites, all raised to that rank by some deed of bravery, were 
 habited in coats of mail composed of iron chain, which covered them 
 from the throat to the knees, dividing behind, and coming on each side 
 of the horse : some of them had helmets, or rather skull-caps, of the 
 same metal, w4th chin-pieces, all sufficiently strong to ward off the shock 
 of a spear. Their horses' heads were also defended by plates of iron, 
 brass, and silver, just leaving suflicient room for the eyes of the animal. 
 
 *' At length, on arriving at the gate of the town, ourselves, Boo* 
 
CEREMONIES OP RECEPTION. 
 
 473 
 
 Khaloom and about a dozen of his followers, wcro alone allowed to enter 
 the gates ; and wo proceeded along a wide street completely lined with 
 Bpearmen on foot, with cavalry in front of them, to the door of the shekh's 
 residence. Here the horsemen were formed up three deep, and we 
 came to a stand : some of the chief attendants came out and after a great 
 many ^Jiarcuf barca's f^ retired, when others performed the same 
 
 
 BODT-OUARD OF THE SHEKH OF BORNOU. 
 
 ceremony. We were now again left sitting on our horses in the sun: 
 Boo-Khaloom began to lose all patience, and swore by the pasha's head 
 that he would return to the tents if he was not immediately admitted. 
 He got, however, no satisfaction but a motion of the hand from one of 
 the chiefs, meaning ' wait patiently ;' and I whispered to him the ne- 
 cessity of obeying, as we were hemmed in on all sides, and to retire 
 without permission would have been as difficult as to advance. Barca 
 
474 
 
 TRAVELS OP DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 Gana now appeared, and juado a Hii^ii tliat Hoo-Khaloom Bhould dis- 
 mount : we were about to follow his example, wlien an intimation that 
 Boo-Klialooni was alone to be ailmitted again lixed \i3 to our saddles. 
 Another half hour at least passed without any news from tlie interior of 
 the building, when the gates opened and the lour Englishmen only were 
 called for, and we advanced to the entrance. Hero we were stopped 
 most unceremoniously by the black guards in waithig, and were allowed, 
 one by one only, to ascend a staircase ; at the top of which we More 
 acfain brought to a stand by crossed spears, and the open flat hand of a 
 negro laiil upon our breasts. Boo-Khaloom came from the inner eluim- 
 ber, and asked, ' If Ave wero prepared to sahite the shekh as we did the 
 pasha ?' We replied, ' Certainly ;» which was merely an inclination of 
 the head, and laying the right hand on tho heart. He advised our lay- 
 ing our hands also on our heads, but wo replied that the thing was iiii- 
 possible — we had but one manner of salutation for any body, excejjt our 
 own sovereign. 
 
 " Another parley now took place, but in a minute or two he retumod, 
 and we were ushered into the presence of this Shekh of Spears. We 
 found him in a small dark room, sitting on a carpet, plainly dressed in a 
 blue robe of Soudan and a shawl turban. Two negroes were on each 
 side of him, armed with pistols, and on his carpet lay a braco of these 
 instruments. His personal appearance was prepossessing, apparently not 
 more than forty-five or forty-six, with an expressive countenance and a 
 benevolent smile. We delivered our letter fi'om the pasha, and after he 
 had read it he inquired, 'What was our object in coming?' "We 
 answered, ' To see the country merely, and to give an account of its in- 
 habitants, produce, and appearance, as our sultan was desirous of know- 
 ing every part of the globe.' His reply was that we wero welcome, ami 
 whatever he could show us would give him pleasure ; that he had or- 
 dered huts to be built for us in the town, and that we might then go, 
 accompanied by one of his people, to see them. When we had recov- 
 ered from the fatigue of our long journey, he would be happy to see us 
 again. With this we took our leave." 
 
 The huts were little round mud buildings, inclosed within a wall, not 
 far from the shekh's residence. Here the travelers, greatly fatigued with 
 their entree, retired ; but the huts were immediately crowded with curi- 
 ous visitors, and the heat was insufferable. The next day at noon they 
 received a summons to attend the shekh, and carried with them their 
 presents, consisting of a double-barreled gun, a pair of pistols, two 
 pieces of superfine broadcloth, red and blue, a set of china, and two bun- 
 dles of spices. The ceremonies of entering the presence were even more 
 ridiculous and annoying than on the preceding day. They passed be- 
 tween double lines of attendants, who caught them by the legs when 
 they advanced too rapidly, jerked off their slippers, and seated them on 
 a raised bench of earth. The shekh received the presents with evident 
 satisfaction and again questioned them as to the object of their visit. 
 
 VYC 
 
VISIT TO TUK SULTAN OF BOllNOU. 
 
 470 
 
 IIo was very much pleased with the aHsurance that the Kinpf of England 
 had heard of Hornou and of himself; and, uninediati'ly tnrnuig to his 
 couiiHelor, said, "This is in consuquenco of our defeatinjj; the Beg- 
 haiiuis;" upon which, the chief who had most distuiguislu'd himself in 
 the battles, IJagah Furby (the gatherer of horses), demunded, " Did he 
 ever hear of me ?" The immediate reply of " Certainly," did Avonders 
 for the travelers : there was a general exclamation, and the cry of " Ah, 
 thou, your king must bo a great man !" was repeated on every side. 
 
 After returning to their residence the travelers received presents of 
 bullocks, camel-loads of wheat and rice, leathern skms of butter, jars of 
 honey, bowls filled with a paste made of barley-flour, and great quanti- 
 ties of fresh fish. There was a market m front of one of the principal 
 gates of the town, which was attended by upward of fifteen thousand 
 people. The principal live stock sold liero was slaves, sheep, and bul- 
 locks : wheat, rice, and sugar-cane were abundant, together with taraar- 
 intls, ground nuts, onions, butter, sour milk, and honey. There was also 
 much leather, ocher, hidigo, and the skins of serpents and crocodiles. 
 Among other articles offered to Denham was a young lion, who walked 
 about imconcemedly, confined only by a small rope around his neck. 
 
 On the 2d of March, Boo-Khaloom went to a town called Birnie, for 
 the purpose of paying his respects to the Sultan of Bornou, who resides 
 there, and the travelers decided to accompany him They passed 
 tlirough Angornou, a town of about thirty thousand inhabitants, sixteen 
 miles from Koixka. Two miles beyond it was Birnie, a walled town, 
 Ci/iitalnuig about ten thousand inhabitants. Here they were met by the 
 sultan's chamberlain, who ordered a large tent to be pitched for them, 
 and informed them that the sultan would receive them at sunrise the 
 next morning. In the evening, a most plentiful, if not delicate, repast 
 was brought them, consisting of seventy dishes, each of which would 
 have dined half a dozen persons of moderate appetites. The sultan him- 
 self jent ten, his wives thirty, and his mother tlxirty ; the meat consisted 
 of mutton and poultry, and was baked, boiled, and stewed. 
 
 " Soon after daylight," says Major Denham, " we were summoned to 
 attend the Sultan of Bornou. He received us in an open space in front 
 of the royal residence ; we were kept at a considerable distance, while 
 his people approached to within about one hundred yards, passing first 
 on horseback ; and after dismounting and prostrating themselves before 
 him, they took their places on tLe groimd in fi'ont, but with their backs 
 to the royal person, which is the custom of the country. He was seated 
 in a sort of cage of cane or wood, near the door of his garden, on a seat 
 which at the distance appeared to be covered with silk or satin, and 
 through the railing looked upon the assembly before him, who formed a 
 sort of semicircle extending from his seat to nearly where we were wait- 
 ing. Nothing could be more absurd and grotesque than the figures who 
 foimed this court. Large belUes and large heads are indispensable for 
 those who serve the court of Bornou; and those who unfort'/'.wtly 
 
476 
 
 TRAVELS OP DBNIIAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 possess not tho former by nature, or on whom lustiness will not be forced 
 by crannning, make up tho deficiency of protuberance by a wadding, 
 which, as they sit on tho horse, gives the belly tho curious appearance of 
 hanging over tho pummel of tho saddle. When tho courtiers, to the 
 number of about three hundred, had taken their seats in front of the 
 sultan, we were allowed to approach to within pistol-shot of tho spot 
 where he was sitting, and desired to sit down ourselves, when the ugliest 
 black that can bo imagined, his chief eunuch, the only person who ap- 
 proached the sultan's seat, asked for tho presents. Boo-Khaloora's Mere 
 produced, inclosed in a largo shawl, and were carried unopened to the 
 presence. Our glimpse was but a faint one of the sultan, through the 
 lattice-work of his pavilion, sufficient, however, to see that his turban 
 was larger than any of his subjects', and that his face, from tho nose 
 downward, was completely covered. Immediately after tho ceremony 
 we took our departure for Angernou." 
 
 On returning to Kouka, Dr. Oudney became very ill. The travelers 
 were greatly annoyed by the number of persons who crowded their huts 
 from morning till night. Every little thing, from tho compass to tho 
 pen and ink, from the watch to tho tin drinking-cups, excited their 
 curiosity ; and as they now became bolder, they seizeu iiold of cveiy 
 thing which they had formerly only eyed at a distance. It was not, 
 however, their curiosity alone which was excited — the possession was 
 coveted, either for themselves or the shekh, of every article. A copy of 
 Captain Lyon's book, the fame of which, had preceded the expedition, in 
 consequence of Dr. Oudney having shown it to some merchants at 
 Mourzuk, was demanded twenty times a day. It produced very differ- 
 ent eifects, but in all astonishment and suspicion. The shekh sent one 
 of his slaves to borrow it, that he might eeo it by stealth, not wishing 
 his people to know that ho had made the request. He also asked that 
 some rockets might be sent up, in order to surprise and overawe some 
 of tho Shouaas, his former enemies, who were then in Kouka. Tho 
 signal was given by his chamberlain lighting a wisp of straw on the roof 
 of the palace. The first rocket went up perpendicularly, with fine effect ; 
 the second, depressed a little, flew over the toM-n at the height of a hun- 
 dred yards, and bursting in its course, occasioned a universal scream, 
 which lasted for some seconds. 
 
 On the 10th of March, Major Denham writes: "This day I had a 
 little respite, ray visiting-list being much reduced in consequence of its 
 being market-day ; there was, as usual, an abundance of all necessaries, 
 though but few luxuries ; and, as the people got more accustomed to 
 my appearance, they became more familiar. One young lady, whose 
 numerous bracelets of elephant's teeth, heavy silver rings on each side 
 of her face, coral in her nose, and amber i:8cklace, proclaimed her a per- 
 son of wealth, nimbly jumped off her bullock and tore a corner from my 
 pocket-handkerchief, as she said, for a souvenir. I could do no less than 
 request her to accept the remainder of so useful an appendage, and I 
 
EXCURSION TO LAKK TCHAD. 
 
 477 
 
 was happy to "ft' that tliin piece of f^alljintry was not lost, ovon upon 
 Bavnges. Thoy all chipped their hands and cried, 'Harca! barca!*and 
 the lady hers(^lf, whose hands and fa<!0 were really running down with 
 grciwe, so regardless was she of expense, generously poured into tho 
 sleeve of my shirt nearly a qtiart of ground nuts." 
 
 The next day Major Denhani received a summons from the shekh, to 
 whom a report had been made of a musical box, which played or stopped 
 merely by a motion of tho finger. "Tho messenger declared he was 
 dying to see it, and I must make haste. Tho wild exclamations of won- 
 der and screams of pleasure which this j)icce of mechanism drew from 
 the generality of my visitors were curiously contrasted in the person of 
 the intelligent shekh ; lie at first was greatly astonished, and asked sev- 
 eral questions, exclaiming, ' Wonderful ! Avonderful !' but the sweetness 
 of the Swiss ram dca vaches v. hich it ])layed at last overcame every 
 other feeling ; ho covered his face with his hand, listened in silence, and 
 on one man near him breaking tho charm by a loud «'xc''..^ ition, ho 
 struck him a blow which made all his followers tremble. He in tantly 
 asked if one twico as largo would not be better. I said : 'Yes, but it 
 would be twico as dear.' 'By Allah !' said he, * if one thmsand dollars 
 would purchase it, it would be cheap.' Who will deny Ihat nature has 
 given us .all a taste for luxuries ?" 
 
 The instrument '•v^as j)rcsented to the shekh, who was so delighted 
 that he gave Major Denham permission to visit Lake Tchad, and sent 
 seven of li. J servants to attend him. After a ride of fifteen miles, they 
 reached the shore of the lake, tho Avaters of which stretched away to 
 the horizon. In the grass marshes, thousands of cattle belonging to the 
 shekh were peacefully grazing. The traveler encamped near the water, 
 in spite of tho remonstrances of his attendants, but was soon driven away 
 by the swarms of mosquitoes which assailed him. In the evening, he saw 
 a herd of forty wild elephants. The next day, while ho was shooting 
 water-fowl, news of three very large elepharits was brought to him, and 
 he immediately resolved to attack them. " One was an immense fellow, 
 I should suppose sixteen feet high ; the other two were females, and 
 moved away rather quickly, while the male kept in tho rear, as if to 
 guard their retreat. Wc wheeled swiftly around him ; and Maraymy 
 casting a spear at him, which struck him just under tho tail, and seemed 
 to give him about as much pain as when wc prick our finger with a pin, 
 the huge beast throw up his proboscis in the air with a loud roar, and 
 from it cast such a volume of sand, that, unprepared as I was for such an 
 event, nearly blinded me. Tho elephant rarely, if over, attacks, and it 
 is only when irritated that he is dangerous ; but he will sometimes rush 
 upon a man and horse, after choking them with dust, and destroy them 
 in an instant." 
 
 After an absence of three days, Major Denham returned to Kouka, 
 where he received unwelcome news. " The horse which had carried me 
 from Tripoli to Mourzuk, and back again, and on which I had ridden the 
 
478 
 
 TRAVELS OP DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 whole journey from Tripoli to Bornou, had dierl, a very few hours after 
 my departure for the lake. There are situations in a man's life in which 
 losses of this nature are felt most keenly; and this was one of them. It 
 was not grief, but it was something very nearly approaching to it ; and 
 though I felt ashamed of the degree of derangement which I suffered 
 from it, yet it was several days before I could get over the loss. Let it 
 be however remembered, that the poor animal had been my support and 
 comfort — may I not say companion ? — through many a dreary day and 
 night ; had endured both hunger and thirst in my service with the ut- 
 most patience ; was so docile, though an Arab, that he would stand still 
 foi hours in the desert, while I slept between his legs, his body affording 
 me the only shelter that could be obtained from the powerful influence 
 of a noonday sun ; he was yet the fleetest of the fleet, and ever foremost 
 in the race." 
 
 DENHAM'S MILITARY EXCURSION TO MANDARA. 
 
 The party had now been more than a month in Kouka, without hav- 
 ing made any apparent advance in the object of their mission. The de- 
 termination of the shekh seemed to be, not to permit them to go beyond 
 the borders of Bornou. They were not disheartened by the suspicion 
 and distrust with which they were met, but endeavored, by patience and 
 the utmost prudence in their conduct, to win by degrees the confidence 
 of the shekh and people. Their situation at this time was rendered more 
 embarrassing by difficulties which had arisen between Boo-Khaloom and 
 the other Arab chieftains. The shekh was planning an expedition against 
 the Fellatas living beyond Mandara, a country to the south of Bornou, 
 for the purpose of capturing slaves, and promised to Send Boo-Khaloom 
 and his men, with Barca Gana, who was to command the party. Major 
 Denham determined to go likewise, as the country to be visited was 
 entirely unknown ; but the shekh, at first, seemed determined to thwart 
 his wishes. On the 8th of April, the expedition, under Barca Gana, 
 proceeded to Angornou, whence it was to move southward on the 14tli. 
 Douham now lost no time in consulting one of the shekh's counselors, 
 who professed to be his friend, promising to give him $50 if he wouM 
 I)rocure a permit for him to go. He also had another interview with the 
 shokh, to whom he jestingly said that if he did not wish him to go, he 
 must put him in irons. These promises and importunities were not wth- 
 out effect ; the same night, Maraymy, one of the sultan's black slaves, 
 wiio had accompanied Major Denham to Lake Tchad, came to liiiu after 
 midnight, and urged him to le.ave at once for Angornou. On the way 
 thither, Maraymy stated, confidentially, that the shekh had desired him 
 not to leave him, but that, if Denham persisted in joining the expedition, 
 he was to conduct him to the camp as quickly as possible, and give him 
 into the charge of Barca Gana. I 
 
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 After sel 
 
AFRICAN ORDER OF MARCH, 
 
 479 
 
 This hint was quite sufficient for Major Denham. They reached An- 
 gornou before sunrise, and, finding that the expedition had marched on 
 to a town altout thirty-five miles to the south, where it would halt a day, 
 determinca to resume their journey at once, and overtake it. On the 
 evening of the next day, the 1 7th, they reached a town called Merty, 
 near which they discovered the tents of the Bornouese camp. Maraymy 
 at once conducted Major Denham to Barca Gana, who, he says, " re- 
 ceived rae with a great deal of civility in his tent, although he kept me 
 several minutes waiting outside, until he had summoned his Jighi, or 
 charm-writer — an indispensable person — and one or two of his chiefs, to 
 attend him. ' If it Was the will of God,' he said, * I should come to no 
 harm, and Lo would do all in his power for my convenience.' A spot 
 was appointed for my tent near his own ; and I took my leave in order 
 to visit the Arabs. The cheers they all gave me, and the hearty shake 
 of the hand of Boo-Khaloom, made me regret that I was not to be 
 among them, in spite of all their bad qualities. Boo-Khaloom repeat- 
 edly exclaimed : ' I knew you would come ; I said you would by some 
 means or other join us.' " 
 
 The next morning the tents were struck before sunrise, and Major 
 Denham rode off by the side of Barca Gana, in full march for Mandara. 
 They advanced thirty-four miles that day, and reached a walled to^vn 
 called Deegoa, with a population of thirty thousand. The following is 
 the description of the order of march : " Chiefs in this part of Africa are 
 accompanied by as many personal followers as they think proper to 
 maintain, both r 3 horse and footmen : some of them form the band, if I 
 may so call it. Barca Gana had five mounted who kept close behind 
 him, three of whom carried a sort of drum, which hangs around their 
 necks, and beat time while they sang ejttempore songs ; one carried a 
 small pipe made of a reed, and the other blew, on a buffalo's horn, loud 
 and deep-toned blasts, as we moved through the>3Vood ; but by far the 
 most entertaining and useful were the running footmen, who preceded 
 the kashella, and acted as pioneers ; they were twelve in number, and 
 carried long forked poles, with which they, with great dexterity, kept 
 back the branches as they moved on at a quick pace, constantly keeping 
 open a path, which without them would really have been scarcely pass- 
 able. Besides, they were constantly crying out sometk. g about the 
 roail, or the expedition, as they went on. For example : ' Take care of 
 the holes ! — Avoid the branches ! — Here is the road ! — ^Take care of the 
 tulloh ; its leaves are like spears — worse than spears !' ' Keep off the 
 branches!' 'For wh-'m?' 'Barca Gana!' — 'Who in battle is like 
 rolling of thundoi'?' 'Barca Gana!' — 'Now for Mandara! — now for 
 the Kerdies! — now for the battle of spears! Who is our leader?' 
 ' Barca Gana !' — ' Hero is the wady, but no water ! God be praised ! — 
 In battle, who spreads terror around him like a buffalo in his rage ?' 
 'Barca Gana!'" 
 
 After seveial days of severe travel, the heat being sometimes 113" 
 
480 
 
 TRAVELS OP DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 in the shade, the army approached the capital of the country of Man- 
 dara, and received a message from the sultan, who stated that he would 
 meet it next day on his way to Mora, his residence. The first town of 
 Mandara was Delow, a place of ten thousand inhabitants. " About a 
 mile from his town," says Major Denham, *' we saw before us the Sultan 
 of Mandara, surrounded by about five hundred horsemen, posted on a 
 rising ground ready to receive us, when Barca Gana instantly com- 
 manded a halt. The sultan's guard was composed of thirty of his sons 
 all mounted on very superior horses, clothed in striped silk tobes, and 
 the skins of the tiger-cat and leopard forming their shabracks, which 
 hung fully over their horses' haunches. After these had returned to 
 their station in front of the sultan, we approached at full speed in our 
 turn, halting with the guard between us and the royal presence. Tlie 
 parley then commenced, and the object of Boo-Khaloora's visit having 
 been explained, we retired again to the place we had left ; while the sul- 
 tan returned to the town, preceded by several men blowing long pipes 
 not unlike clarionets, ornamented with shells, and two immense trum- 
 pets from twelve to fourteen feet long." 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 f^^^^BF < 
 
 
 
 
 ARRIVAL AT UORA, IN UANDARA. 
 
 "Toward evening," Denham continues, " Barca Gana sent to desire 
 me to mount, for the purpose of visiting the sultan. We entered the 
 town, Boo-Khaloom and myself riding on his right and left. At the 
 
THE SULTAN OF MANDARA. 
 
 481 
 
 further end of a large square wag the sultan's palace. As is usual on 
 approaching or visiting a great man, we galloped up at full speed, almost 
 entering the gatos. This is a perilous sort of salutation, but nothing 
 must stop you : and it is seldom made, except at the expense of one or 
 more hvcs. On this occasion, a man and horse which stood in our way, 
 were ridden over in an instant, the horse's leg broken, and the man 
 killed on the spot. The trumpets sounded as we dismounted at the 
 palace gate ; our papouches, or outward slippers, were quickly pulled off; 
 and wo proceeded through a wide entrance, into a large court, where, 
 under a dark blue tent of Soudan, sat the sultan, on a mud bench, cov- 
 ereil, however, with a handsome carpet and silk pillows. He was sur- 
 rounded by about two hundred persons, all handsomely dressed in tobes 
 of silk and colored cotton, with his five eunuchs, the principal men of 
 the country sitting in front, but all with their backs turned toward him. 
 The manner of saluting is curious. Barca Gana, as the shekh'a repre- 
 sentative, approached to a space in front of the eunuchs, his eyes fixed 
 on the ground : he then sat down, his eyes still fixed on the earth, with 
 his back to the sultan, and, clapping his hands together, exclaimed : 
 ♦ Engouborou dagah /' (May you live forever !) ^ Allah kiaro !'' (God 
 send you a haj^py old age !) 'ia, lai ? barca ! barca /» (How is it with 
 you ? blessing ! blessing !) These words were repeated nearly by the 
 sultan, and then sung out by all the court. 
 
 " The sultan, whoso name was Mohammed Bukr, was an intelligent 
 little man of about fifty, with a beard dyed of a most beautifiU sky-blue. 
 He had been eyeing me for some time, as I sat between Boo-Khaloom 
 and Barca Gana, and first asking Boo-Khaloom his name, inquired who 
 I was ? The answer that I was a native of a very distant and powerful 
 natio.i, friends of the pasha of Tripoli and the shekh, who came to see 
 the country, did not appear much to surprise him ; and he looked graci- 
 ous as he said : ' But what does he want to see ?' A fatal question fol- 
 lowed, however, and the answer appeared to petrify the whole assembly. 
 — ' Aie they Moslem ?♦ * La ! la /* (No ! no !) Every eye, which had 
 before been turned toward me, was now hastily withdrawn, and, looking 
 round, I really felt myself in a critical situation. * Has the great pasha 
 infidel friends ?' asked the sultan. Tlie explanation which followed was 
 of little use: they knew no distinctions: Christians they had merely 
 heard of as the worst people in the world, and probably, until they saw 
 me, scarcely believed them to be human. We shortly after returned to 
 our camp, and I never afterward was invited to enter the Sultan of Man- 
 dara's presence." 
 
 It had been Boo-Khaloom's expectation that he would be sent against 
 some of the Kerdies, or tribes of negroes who inhabit the mountains, in 
 order to capture slaves : but he soon discovered that the intention of the 
 Shekh of Bornou, aided by the Sultan of Mandara, was to send him 
 against the warlike Felatahs, and give his Arabs a taste of their arrows 
 and spears. The people of a country called Musgow, lying to the south- 
 Si 
 
r 
 
 482 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 east of ManJara, supposed the expedition was directed against them, 
 and, to propitiate the sultan, sent him a present of two hundred slaves, 
 and fifty horses. Major Denham says of these people : " I saw them on 
 their leaving the sultan's palace ; and both then, and on their entrance, 
 they threw themselves on the groimd, pouring sand on their heads, and 
 uttering the most piteous cries. On their heads, which were covered 
 with long woolly, or rather bristly hair, coming quite over their eyes 
 they wore a cap of the skin of the goat, or some fox-like animal, and 
 around the necks of each were from one to six strings of what I was 
 assured were the teeth of the enemies they had slain in battle : teeth 
 and pieces of bone were also pendant from the clotted locks of thnir 
 hair, and, with the red patches with which their bot.ies were marked in 
 diiFerent places (which color also their own teeth were stained), they 
 really had a most strikingly wild and savage appearance. What very 
 much increased the interest I felt in gazing upon these beings, who were 
 the most savage of their race, was the positive assertion of Boo-Khaloom 
 that they were Christians ! Some of them, however, begging permission 
 to regale themselves on the remains of a horse, which had died during 
 the night in our camp, gave me, as I thought, an unanswerable argument 
 against him. I can scarcely, however, at this moment forget how dis- 
 concerted I felt when he replied : ' That is nothing : I certainly never 
 heard of Christians eating dead horse-flesh, but I know that they eat the 
 flesh of swine, and God knows that is worse !' " 
 
 After several more days of delay, during which a violent hurricane 
 passed over the valley, tearing up trees, loosening rocks from the mount- 
 ain sides, and prostrating the tents of the army, the order was given to 
 advance. The united troops, commanded by Barca Gana and the Sul- 
 tan of Mandara, moved on through the pass of Hairey, in the Mandara 
 Mountains. The road lay through a narrow glen, surrounded by rugged 
 mountains, which, for picturesque appearance, might be compared to the 
 Jura or the Apennines. The next day they entered the pass of Ilorza, 
 which was only about five hundred yards wide, overhung on either 
 side by precipices of naked rock two thousand five hundred feet high. 
 On encamping that night preparations were made for an attack on the 
 Felatahs, who were Saift to be only sixteen miles distant. The chiefs 
 ])ut on their closely-linked shirts of iron mail, and the hammers of the 
 clumsy native armorers rang through the camp all night. 
 
 • To resume the narrative. " As the day broke on the morning of the 
 28th of April, a most interesting scene presented itself. The Sultan of 
 Mandara was close on our f ank, mounted on a very beautiful cream- 
 colored horse, with several large red marks about him, and followed by 
 his six favorite eunuchs, and thirty of his sons, all finely dressed and 
 mounted on really superb horses. Barca Gana's people all wore their 
 red scarfs, or bornouses, over their steel jackets, and the whole had a 
 very fine eifect. I took my position at his right hand, and at a spot 
 called Duggur we entered a very thick wood, in two colamns, at the 
 
BATTLE "WITH THE FELATAHS. 
 
 488 
 
 end of which it was said we were to find the enemy. * ♦ * On 
 emerging from the wc .^d, the large Felatah town of DirkuUa was per- 
 ceivable, and the Arabs were formed in front, headed by Boo-Khaloom ; 
 they were flanked on each side by a large body of cavalry, and as they 
 moved on, shouting the Arab war-cry, which is very ins )iring, I thought 
 I could perceive a smile pass between Barca Gana and his chiefs, at Boo- 
 Khaloom's expense. DirkuUa was quickly burned, and another smaller 
 town near it ; and the few inhabitants who were found in them, who 
 were chiefly infants and aged persons unable to escape, were put to 
 death without mercy, or thrown into the flames." 
 
 They now came to a third town, called Musfeia, built in a very strong 
 position between two low hills, with a swamp in front, beyond which 
 were several deep ravines, impassable for more than two or three horse- 
 men at a time. The town was also surrounded with a strong fence of 
 pointed palissades, fastened together with thongs of raw hide. The 
 Arabs, unsupported by either the Bomou or Mandara troops, moved on 
 gallantly, and, in spite of showers of poisoned arrows, drove away the 
 Felatahs, who retreated up the hills, where they rolled down huge 
 masses of rock on their pursuers. Barca Gana, with about one hundred 
 spearmen, now moved up to the assistance of Boo-Khaloom ; but the 
 Sultan of Mandara, and the remainder of the army, kept out of the 
 reach of the arrows, on the other side of the ravines. "The Felatahs, 
 finally, seeing their backwardness, now made an attack in turn ; the 
 arrows fell so thick that there was no standing against them, and the 
 Arabs gave way. The Felatah horse now came on, and had not the 
 little band around Barca Gana and Boo-Khaloom, with a few of hij 
 mounted Arabs, given them a very spirited check, not one of us would, 
 probably, have lived to sec the following day. As it was, Barca Gana 
 had three horses hit under him, two of which died almost immediately, 
 the arrows being poisoned ; and poor Boo-Khaloom's horse and himself 
 received their death-wounds. My horse was badly wounded in the 
 neck, just above the shoulder, and in the near hind leg : an arrow had 
 struck me in the face as it passed, merely drawing the blood, and I had 
 two sticking in my bornous. No sooner did the Mandara and Bomou 
 troops see the defeat of the Arabs, than they, one and all, took to flight, 
 in the most dastardly manner, without having been once exposed to 
 the arrows of the enemy, and m the utmost confusion. The Sultan of 
 Manda*"" '^d the way. 
 
 " I now, for the first time, as I saw Barca Gana on a fresh horse, la- 
 mented my own folly in so exposing myself, badly prepared as I was for 
 accidents. If either of my horse's wounds were from poisoned arrows, 
 I felt that nothing could save me ; however, there was not much time 
 for reflection. We instantly became a flying mass, and phmged, in the 
 greatest disorder, into that wood we had but a few hours before moved 
 through with order, and very different feelings. I had got a little to 
 the westward of Barca Gana, in the confusion which took place on our 
 
484 
 
 TRAVELS OF DBNHAM AND CLAPPBRTON. 
 
 passing the ravine, where upward of one hundred of theBomouesewcre 
 speared by the Felatahs, and was following at a round gallop the steps 
 of one of the Mandara eunuchs, who, I observed, kept a good look-out, 
 hb head being constantly turned over his left shoulder, with a face ex- 
 pressive of the greatest dismay, when the cries behind, of the Felatah 
 horse pursuing, made us both quicken our paces. The spur, however, 
 had the effect of incapacitating my beast altogether, as the arrow, I 
 found afterward, had reached the shoulder-bone, and in passing over 
 some rough ground he stumbled and fell. Almost before I was upon my 
 legs, the Felatahs were upon me. I had, however, kept hold of the 
 bridle, and seizing a pistol from the holsters, I presented it at two of 
 these ferocious savages, who were pressing me with their spears. They 
 instantly went off; but another, who came on me more boldly, just as 
 I was endeavoring to mount, received the contents somewhere in his left 
 shoulder, and again I was enabled to place my foot in the stirrup. 
 Remounted, I again pushed my retreat. I had not, however, proceeded 
 many hundred yards, when my horse again came down with such vio- 
 lence as to throw me against a tree at a considerable distance, and, 
 alarmed at the horses behind him, he quickly got up and escaped, leav- 
 ing me on foot and unarmed. 
 
 " The eunuch and his four followers were hero butchered, after a very 
 slight resistance, and stripped within a few yards of me. Their cries 
 were dreadful ; and even now the feelings of that moment are fresh in 
 my memory — my hopes of life were too faint to deserve the name. I was 
 almost instantly surrounded, and, incapable of making the least resistance 
 as I was unarmed, was as speedily stripped, and while attempting, first 
 to save my shirt and then my trowsers, I was thrown on the ground. 
 My pursuers made several thrusts at me with their spears, which badly 
 wounded my hands in two places, and slightly my body, just under the 
 ribs, on the right side ; indeed, I saw nothing before me but the same 
 cruel death I had seen unmercifully inflicted on the few who had fallen 
 into the power of those who now had passession of me ; and they were 
 alone prevented from murdering me, in the first instance, I am per- 
 suaded, by the fear of injuring the value of my clothes, which appeared 
 to them a rich booty — ^but it was otherwise ordained. 
 
 " My shirt was now absolutely torn off my back, and I was loft per- 
 fectly naked. When my plunderers began to quarrel for the spoil, the 
 idea of escape came like lightning across my mind, and without a 
 moment's hesitation or reflection I crept under the belly of the horse 
 nearest me, and started as fast as my legs could carry me for the thickest 
 part of the wood ; two of the Felatahs followed, and I ran on to the 
 eastward, knowing that our stragglers would be in that direction, but 
 still almost as much afraid of friends as foes. My pur& rsi gained on 
 me, for the prickly underwood not only obstructed my passage, but tore 
 my flesh miserably ; and the delight with which I saw a mountain-stream 
 gliding along at the bottom of a deep ravine can not be imagined. My 
 
NARROW ESCAPE PROM DEATH. 
 
 485 
 
 strength had almost left me, and I seized the young branches issuing 
 from the stump of a large tree which overhung the ravine, for the pur- 
 pose of letting myself down into the water, as the sides were precipit- 
 ous, when, under my hand, as the branches yielded to the weight of my 
 body, a lurge liffa — the worst kind of serpent this country produces — 
 rose from its coil, as if in the very act of striking. I was horror-struck, 
 and deprived for a moment of all recollection — the branch slipped from 
 my hand, and I tumbled headlong into the water beneath. This shock, 
 however, revived mo, and with three strokes of my arms I reached the 
 opposite bank, which, with difficulty, I crawled up ; and then, for the 
 first time, felt myself safe from my pursuers. 
 
 " I now saw horsemen through the trees, still further to the east, and 
 determined on reaching them, if possible, whether friends or enemies ; 
 and the feelings of gratitude and joy with which I recognized Barca 
 Gana and Boo-Khaloom, with about six Arabs, although they also were 
 closely pressed by a party of the Felatahs, was beyond description. 
 The guns and pistols of the Arab shekhs kept the Felatahs in check, 
 and assisted in some measure the retreat of the footmen. I hailed them 
 with all my might ; but the noise and confusion which prevailed, from 
 the cries of those who were falling under the Felatah spears, the cheers 
 of the Arabs rallying, and their enemies pursuing, would have drowned 
 all attempts to make myself heard, had not Maraymy, the shekh's 
 nesrro, seen and known me at a distance. To this man I was indebted 
 for my second escape : riding up to me, he assisted me to mount be- 
 hind him, while the arrows whistled over our heads, and we then gal- 
 loped oif to the rear as fast as his wounded horse could carry us. After 
 wo had gone a mile or two, and the pursuit had somewhat cooled, in 
 consequence of all the baggage having been abandoned to the enemy, 
 Boo-Khaloom rode up to me, and desired one of the Arabs to cover me 
 with a houmous. This was a most welcome relief, for the burning sun 
 had already begun to blister my neck and back, and gave me the great- 
 est pain. Shortly after, the effect of the poisoned wound in his foot 
 caused our excellent friend to breathe his last : Maraymy exclaimed, 
 'Look! look! Boo-Khaloom is dead" I turned my head, almost as 
 great an exertion as I was capable of, ai-i saw him drop from the horse 
 into the arras of his favorite Arab — ^he never spoke after. They said he 
 had only swooned ; there was no water, however, to revive him, and 
 about an hour after, when we came to Makkeray, he was past the reach 
 of restoratives. 
 
 " On coming to the stream, the horses, with blood gushing from 
 their nostrils, rushed into the shallow water, and, letting myself down 
 from behind Maraymy, I knelt down among them, and seemed to im- 
 bibe new life by the copious draughts of the muddy beverage which 
 I swallowed. Of what followed I have no recollection ; Maraymy told 
 me afterward that I staggered across the stream, which was not above 
 my hips, and fell down at the foot of a tree on the other side. About 
 
486 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENIIAM AND OLAPPERTON. 
 
 a quarter of an hour's halt took place here for the benefit of stragglers, 
 and to tie poor Boo-Khaloom's body on a horse's back, at the end of 
 which Maraymy awoke ine from my deep sleep, and I found my strength 
 wonderfully hicreased ; not so, however, our horse, for ho had become 
 stiff and could scarcely move. As I learned afterward, a conversation 
 had taken place about me while I slept, which rendered my obligations 
 to Maraymy still greater ; he liad reported to Barca Gana the state of 
 his horse, and the impossibility of carrying me on, when the chief, irri- 
 tated by his losses and defeat, replied : * Then leave him behind. By 
 the head of the prophet ! believers enough have breathed their last to- 
 day. What is there extraordinary in a Christian's death ?' My old an- 
 tagonist, Malem Chadilly, replied : ' No, God has preserved him ; let us 
 not forsake him.' Maraymy returned to the tree, and said ' his heart 
 told him what to do.' He awoke me, assisted me to mount, and we 
 moved on as before, but with totteruig steps and less speed. The eft'ect 
 produced on the horses that were wounded by poisoned arrows was ex- 
 traordinary ; immediately after drinking they dropped and instantly 
 died, the blood gushing from their noses, mouths, and ears. 
 
 *' In this way we continued our retreat, and it was after midnight 
 when we halted in the sultan of Mandara's territory. Riding more than 
 forty-five miles, in such an unprovided state, on the bare back of a lean 
 horse, the powerful consequences may bo imagined. I was in a dei)lora- 
 ble state the whole night ; and notwithstanding the irritation of the flesh- 
 wounds was augmented by the woollen covering the Arab had thrown 
 over me, it was evening the next day before I could get a shirt, wlien 
 one man who had two, both of which he had worn eight or ten days at 
 least, gave me one, on a promise of getting a new one at Kouka. I 
 slept under a tree nearly the whole night and day, except at intervals 
 when my friend Maraymy supplied me with a drink made from parched 
 corn, bruised, and steeped in water. 
 
 "Mai Meegamy, the dethroned sultan of a country to the south-west 
 of Angornou, and now subject to the shekh, took me by the hand as I 
 crawled out of my nest for a few minutes, and with many exclamations 
 of sorrow, and a countenance full of commiseration, led me to his leather 
 tent, and sitting down quickly, disrobed himself of his trowsers, insisting 
 I should put them on. Really, no act of charity could exceed this I I 
 was exceedingly affected at so unexpected a friend, for I had scarcely 
 seen, or spoken three words to him ; but not so much so as himself, when 
 I refused to accept of them. He shed tears in abundance ; and thinicing, 
 which was the fact, that I conceived he had offered the only ones he had, 
 immediately called a slave, whom he stripped of those necessary appen- 
 dages to a man's dress, according to our ideas, and putting them on 
 himself, insisted again on my taking those he had first offered me. I ac- 
 cepted this offer, and thanked him with a full heart ; and Meegamy waa 
 my great friend from that moment until I quitted the shekh's dominions. 
 
 " We returned with great expedition, considering the wretched state 
 
THE RUINS OF OLD BIRNIK. 
 
 487 
 
 we were in. On the sixth day after our departure from Mora, we arrived 
 in Kouka, a distance of one hundred and eiglity miles ; the wounded 
 Arabs remained behind, being unable to keep up with the chief, and did 
 not arrive until four days after us. I suffered much, both in mind and 
 body, but complained not ; indeed all complaint would have been ill- 
 timed, where few were enduring loss than myself. My black servant 
 had lost mule, canteens, and every thing, principally from keeping too 
 near me in the action ; and, by his obeying implicitly the strict orders I 
 had given him not to fire on the Felatahs, he had narrowly escaped with 
 his life. Bruised and lame, he could render me no assistance, and usually 
 came in some hours after we had halted." On reaching Angornou, the 
 shekh sent Major Denham eomo linen and a dress of the country, in 
 which he made his entry into Kouka. 
 
 THE RAINY SEASON IN BORNOU. 
 
 Soon after the return of the unfortunate expedition to Mandara, the 
 fihckh of Bornou determined to send a force to subdue the people of 
 Munga, a country lying to the westward. For this purpose, ho assem- 
 bled eight or nine thousand spearmen, and five thousand Shouaas, and 
 set out on the 18th of May. Major Denham and Dr. Oudney obtahied 
 permission to accompany hhn, for the purpose of visiting the ruins of the 
 towns of Gambarou and Old Birnio ; Captain Clapperton remained at 
 Kouka. The travelers accompanied the shekh the first day, and then, 
 leaving the army, took a course more to the northward, to liie river 
 Ycou, or Gambarou, near which are the ruins of Old Birnie. On the 
 2Gth of May, they passed a lake three miles long, called Muggaby, or 
 the lake of the Sultan of Bornou. " We proceeded by the high road to 
 Soudan," says Major Denham, " and after about two miles came to the 
 spot on which once stood the capital of Bornou ; the ruins of the city 
 certainly tended to convince us more strongly of the power of its former 
 sultans, than any of the tales we had heard of their magnificence. 
 We had seen upward of thirty large towns which the Felatahs had com- 
 pletely razed to the ground at the time they destroyed the capital, and wo 
 were now arrived at the ruins of the capital itself. Old Birnie covered a 
 space of five or six square miles, and is said to have had a population of 
 two hundred thousand souls. The remains of the walls were in many 
 places Still standing, in large masses of hard red brick-work, and were 
 from three to four feet in thickness, and sixteen to eighteen feet in 
 height. From the top of one of these we obtained a sight of the river 
 Gambarou, running nearly east, notwithstanding its windings, and only 
 a few miles distant. 
 
 " Close to the bank, and just at the hollow of a slight curve in the 
 river's course, fourteen years ago stood the town of Gambarou, the chosen 
 place of residence of the l^.te and former Sultans of Bornou ; and the 
 
488 
 
 TRAVELS OP DKNHAM AKD OLAPPERTON. 
 
 mills now Btandiiig pivo a proof of tlio buildingH havitifj boon, for this 
 country, of a princely kincl ; tho walls of a niosqup, which wore moro 
 than twonty yards square, arc still visible, and those of the sultan's hotise 
 with gates opening to the river, still remain ; a j)rivato inoscpu) appoars 
 also to have been attached to tho sultan's residence. The buildings wore 
 all of briok, and must have had a superior appearance to any town wc 
 luul seen in Africa. Tho situation was beautiful, anti although labyrinths 
 of thickets and brambles now overspread the batiks of the river, while 
 wild plants and useless grass were in tho meadows, yet I was assured 
 that tlie whole neighborhood of (iambarou was once in a superior state 
 of cultivation, and that, in the old sultan's time, boats were constantly 
 moving to and from Kabshary, and ether towns to tho west. Kouka 
 was at that time not in being, and Angornou but a small parcel of huts." 
 
 The travelers were hero alarmed by reports that the peophM)f AIiinf»a 
 were in the neighborhood, and liastenod to rejoin the slu'kh's army. On 
 their way th«y came upon a herd of fourteen wild elephants, Avliich tho 
 negroes mado to dance and frisk like so many goats, by beating a brass 
 basin violently with a stick. They were two days in reaching tho Hor- 
 nou camp, and on tho way both Dr. Oudnoy and the servant (Vjlumbus 
 came near losing their lives by iJiUing into pits set for wild boasts, with 
 sharp stakes at the bottom. On rejoining the sultan, they found him 
 within the territory of Munga, liaving already gained several advantages 
 over liis enemies. On tho 5th of June, many hundreds of the Munga 
 people came to tho camp, bowing to the ground, and throwing sand upon 
 their heads, in token of submission. At night, preparations Avere made 
 for marching upon the capital, but the people sent word that if thosliekh 
 remained where he was, they would come to hiio and surrender thera- 
 ielves. 
 
 On the following day, several towns sent their cliiefs, but Malam Fa- 
 naamy, the chief of the rebels, refused to come, because ho feared to lose 
 his head, offering at tho same time two thousand slaves, one thousand 
 bullocks, and three hundred horses, for the shekh, as the price of peace. 
 The same evening, tho shekh requested Major Denham to send up some 
 rockets, which was successfully done. The night was very dark, and the 
 appearance of the rockets created great wonder and consternation. 
 Some of the Munga messengers fell on their faces and began to pray most 
 fearfully, when the rockets burst in their descent. Next morning, Ma- 
 1cm Fanaamy came, mounted on a white horse, at the head of a thousand 
 followers, to make his submission. The shekh received his humble ac- 
 knowledgments of subjection, and when the rebel expected to hear the 
 order for his throat to bo cut, ho was clothed with eight handsome tobes, 
 and his head made as big as six with turbans from Egypt. 
 
 A circumstance occurred during this expedition which created a ■ 
 great sensation among tho chiefs, and whicli offered a striking illustra- 
 tion of the absolute authority of the Shekh of Bornou. Says Major ! 
 Denham : " Barca Gana, the shekh's general and his favorite, a governor 
 
BARCA OANA'S HUMILIATION. 
 
 489 
 
 of six Inrpo (listrlctH, tho miin whom Ik* ddi^liKvl to honor, who hud 
 moiH! than fifty fisniiilc" and a hunch'cd main Khivcn, was tau;j;ht a It'HHon 
 of liuinility tiiat niiultJ nu' ft>ol for him. In f^ivin*; proHt-ntH to tlio cliicfB, 
 the Hlu'kli liad inadvertently Kent him a horso which lio liad previously 
 promised to some one <'lse, and (m Warca (iana being requested to f^ivo 
 it up, he took sueli great offense that he went back all the horsen which 
 the shekh had jHeviouHly given him, saying that ho would in future walk 
 or ride hi:< own. On tluH the 8hekh immediately sent for him, had him 
 stripped in his presence, and tho leather girdle put round his loins ; and, 
 after reproaching liim with liis ingratitude, ordered tliat he should 1)0 
 forthwith sold to tho Tibboo merchants, for he was still a slave. Tho 
 favorite thus lunnblcd and disgraced, fell on his knees and acknowledged 
 tho ji'stiu'ss of his punishment. lie begged for no forgiveness tor him- 
 self, but intreated that his wives and children might be provided for, out 
 of tho riches of liis master's bounty. Hut on the following day, when 
 prepar.atinns were made for carrying this sentence into effect, the black 
 Mamelukes and Shouaa chiefs about the shekh's person fell at his feet, 
 mul, notwithstanding tho haugtinoss of Barca Gana's carriage lo them 
 since his advancement, to a man intreated pardon for his offenses. Tho 
 culprit appearing at this moment, to take leave, tho shekh threw him- 
 self back on his cushion, wept like a child, and suffered Barca (Jana, who 
 had crept close to him, to embrace his knees, and calling them all his 
 sons, pardoned liis repentant slave. In the evening, there was great 
 and general rejoicing. The timbrels beat : the Kanemboos yelled and 
 struck their shields ; every thing bespoke joy, and Barca (Jana, in new 
 tohes and a rich bornous, rode aromid tho camp, followed by all the 
 chiefs of the army," 
 
 After an absence! of a month, the shekh returned to Kouka, and the 
 troops were disbanded. The travelers establislied themselves in the 
 house which had been appropriated to them, to pass the rainy season, 
 which had commenced. Major Denham commenced the study of tho 
 Arabic and Bornou languages. Dr. Oudney and Ilillman were both ill 
 with the fever, and the whole party was affected by the heat of the days 
 and the dampness of the evenings. Major Denham gives the following 
 I description of the rainy season : " We had frequent and violent showers 
 of rain, with thunder and most vivid lightning : the waters covered the 
 face of the country in extensive lakes, and our excursions in search of 
 game were now confined to the immediate neighborhood of our resi- 
 dence. The sugar-cane had increased in height greatly ; and at this 
 season of tho vear there are other reasons beside the fall of rain which 
 induce people to remain in their habitations — when the great lake over- 
 flows the immense district which, in the dry season, affords cover and 
 food to tlie numerous animals with which Bornou abounds, they are 
 driven from the wilds, and take refuge in the standing corn, and some- 
 , times in the immediate neighborhood of the towns. Elephants had al- 
 ready been seen at Dowergoo, scarcely six miles from Kouka ; and a 
 
 I 
 
490 
 
 TRAVKI.H OK DUNHAM AND ni. APPR UTON. 
 
 l: 
 
 ll'inulti hI.'ivc, wliiitt h1h> whs n'tiiiiiiii>^ Iioiik* iVom wctMlin;; the corn to 
 Kow.'i, iiitl iiioiu tliiiii ten iiiilcH iltNliuil, liiul been Hci/.ctl and larrit'il ni)' 
 by u lioiU'N.s." 
 
 Tlic piirty now bcjiim to b«» (>mbiMT:iNHt><l for want of I'iiihIm. A uwr- 
 chiiiit of Moiirznk, ihiiikmI lladji All, to wIioho brotlu-r tlicy liuil iiilniMt- 
 «m1 HoriK! iiioiii'y, »U'«!liii(!il to jiay it, aiitl tiit-y wno iiliiio.st tlcsiitntc.. 
 This circiimslaiicc raiiic to tlio earn of the Mlu'kh and of H'linc relatives 
 of Hadji Ali, who at last «'aiiie to Major Deiihaiii, Htaliii}^ that he Wdiild 
 U>t them havo iw iiiiieh us I hi^ wanted, in pieires of eottmi eloth, for 
 which he must liiNt Hend to IMoiir/,ui< ; Itiil h«> liad no money, 'fliis was 
 very MnHalisliiel«)i'y, but tliey thought it Itest to nialvo no ohjeetion. 
 Captain ('lappertoM WiiH now seized with fever and delirium: llillinaii 
 though \w Htill had oeeaHional utlaeks of (h>lii-inm, reeriiited a little, hut 
 ])r. Ondney jjrew visibly weaker every (hiy. Tho Heasoii appeared to 
 be an unhealthy uiiu fur tliu natives also, and n great ntnnber of ihciu 
 died. 
 
 Toward tho end of September, Olapperton, whoH(! life had been dc- 
 Hpaired of, b(>gan slowly to recovc'r. TI.»f earpenter, llillman, employcil 
 himself in making a gun-earriago for a four-pounder, which tlu^ Sultiui 
 of Kezzan had presented to tiio shekh, and, notwillistanding the dilli- 
 culties he had to oneount»'r, in tho scarcity of iron, and tin* cluiuNin('M.s 
 of the negro bhu^ksmith, ho succoeded very well. The jtrovidiug of halls 
 was a great difliculty; but atler tryuig a ninnl»er of nmsket-halls in a 
 Ruiall linen rag, whicii would not answer. Major Deidiam succeeded in 
 getting from tho negro blacksmith, by means of a |)aper model, aNuiall 
 tin canister, tho sizo of tint boro of tho pioco, and holding sixteen nuis- 
 ket-balls. Tho shokli's delight at this a(;<piisition to his implements of 
 war was extreme, and ho became impatient to seo tho gims ex((rcis('il. 
 Tho distanco to which they threw tlm balls, and tho loudness ol' tin; re- 
 port, created tho greatest astonishment, but tho shekh would tiot suIUt 
 a second canister to bo shot. " No, no !" said he, " they art! too valua- 
 ble; they nuist not bo thrown away. (Jurses on their ratre, how tlicso 
 will mako tho JJegharmis jump!" Major Denham had cut out a harness 
 in paper as a pattern, whicli had been tolerably imitated in leather: this 
 was attached to each gun, with a man mounted on tho nndo that drtnv 
 it, and altogether tho guns had a far bettor ai)peaianco iind elfcct than 
 was anticipated. 
 
 About the middlo of October cool winds began to blow, which in tho 
 course of two or three weeks produced a gveat change in the climate. 
 The sick became cheered and invigorated, and the travelers now ho},'aii 
 to plan new journeys to tho eastward and westward of Bornou. Tho 
 shekh intended to send oif two expeditions, one to liegharmi, a country 
 lying south-east of Lake Tchad, and the other to Kanem, lying to the 
 north-east, on the borders of tho desert. Major Denham determined to 
 accompany tho former. Captain Clapperton and Dr. Oudney succeeded 
 in obtaining the permission of the shekh to accompany a caravan which 
 
AUUI V A I, o |.' M i:. TdOl.K. 
 
 401 
 
 wnn nixtiit nlnrtini; i'nr K uio, in tlu* Siillsui of llouNMa'M tlorninionH. J)r. 
 Oiiiliicy witH I'xlri'iiifly ilrliiiitiiiril, but iiH no oilier ciiruvan wim (tx- 
 iHM'lt'il |() Ktiirt liir iiioiitliH, ill roiiMci|Ufii(;(! of I lie iion-arriviil of the nir.i- 
 vaii tVoiii Moiir/.iik, lie ileteriiiiiicil (o (ro, tlioii^li uwni'<< llmt liis Htreii<^tli 
 WiiM seanely (Mjuai to the joiirm y. They lell Koiiku on the I itii of liu- 
 
 ccni 
 
 her. 
 
 On the 'JIhI Major l)(iihain \v.n lielii^hteil \vith the intelligence thai 
 ,1 Htiiall caravan had arriv.il at Wooiliit tVoiii Moiir/iik, and that tliei' 
 waM an I'liiK'liMliinan accoiiipanyini,' il. "The lollowiii^ day," he wri.eH, 
 *' was u day of ^reat anxiety ; and on the '2'-U\, wry Hoori atler dayli)^. t, 
 I wiw overjoyed at peeiiiLT, instead of Mr. Tyrwhit, wIioho hodily inliri' i- 
 tics iiiaih) nie alwayH coiiHider his joining ine doiilitfnl, a rolniKt, healt'iy- 
 lookiii^ yoiin^ man, with a doiihie-harreled ^iin nIuii^ at his )>ack. 
 When he pri'seiitcMl himself at the door of my hut, hiH vi-ry coiwittinaiKru 
 WHS an irresistible letter of recommendation, ami J o|)i!neii the |tackaj^(!H 
 whit'h were t<) aeeonnt for his a|i|i(aranct', uith eoiiHiderahlo <a>^«!rness. 
 Mr. Tyrwhit, I I'onnd, had been |ii'eveiited by sicrkness I'rom profiting by 
 tlio (■onsul\s rei'onimeiidation ; and that on a|i|)licati(>ii beiiif^ madt; to tho 
 (iovcnior of Alalta, as a Miil).stitnl,e, Mr. Toole, an ensij^ii in tlus 8()th 
 ri'j^iiaeiit, ha<l voliinteeriMl to join nu!, and left Malta at twfiiity hour«' 
 iiiitice. lie had made the Ioiil;, dangerous and dillicult journey from 
 Tripoli to itornon, in the short S|ia(M' of three inonthn and fourteen days, 
 haviii;^ lell the tbriner place on thi! (ith of September: and ovcircoining 
 ill! ohstachts by perscveramu! and resolution, both at Mourxitk and in tho 
 Tiithoo country, had arrived here with only the loss of fivti camels. }l\n 
 arrival gave a most favorable turn to my situation ut Kouku. I had now 
 noi.cy, health, and a desirable companiun." 
 
 KXCUUSIONS TO LOdOUN, AND AROUND LAKK TCHAD. 
 
 I On tho I'Jth of January, IHi: t, newH came to Kouka, that thc! shekh'a 
 ' troops who had luMiii statioiuid on tiio wt'storn bank of the Shary, a larj^o 
 river which flows into Lake Tchad from the s<»uth, had gained a vi(!toiy 
 over the troops of the Sultan of liegharmi, which latter had r<;treated 
 fioiii the river. It was thertiibn; po.isiblo to visit the country of Lof^- 
 gun, on the Shary, with entire safety, and tho shekh not only gave 
 Major 1 )enham permission to proceed thither, but appointed on(! of his 
 negroes, named JJellal, to ac(;ompany him. " Whilo I was waiting to 
 take leave of tho shekh," saya Denham, " a note was brought to rao 
 from Dr. Oudnoy, by a IionK)uese from Katagum : it had r.o date, and 
 M'as indeed his last effort. The acknowledgment of being weak and 
 helpless assured me that ho was really so : for during tho whole of hia 
 long sufferings a complaint Iiad scarcely ever escaped hli lips. On the 
 shekh's saying to him, when he first expressed his wish to accompany 
 ; the caravan, ' Surely your health ia not such as to risk a journey ?' he 
 
492 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 merely replied : ' Why, if I stay here I shall die, and probably sooner, 
 as traveling always improves ray health.' " 
 
 Accompanied by Mr. Toole and the negro Belial, Major Dcnham 
 left Kouka on the 23d of January, and on the 28th reached the town of 
 Showy, on the banks of the river Shary. The magnitude of the stream 
 drew from them an exclamation of surprise : it appeared to be full half 
 a mile in width, running northward at the rate of two or three miles an 
 hour. On the 2d of February they embarked, intending to descend the 
 river to Lake Tchad. They were accompanied by the Kadi, or Gov- 
 ernor of Showy, with eight canoes, carrying ten and eleven men each. 
 " The river, full as it is of water at this season, had a highly interostinn' 
 appearance : one noble reach succeeded another, alternately varying 
 their courses by handsome sweeps, some of them three and four miles 
 in length ; the banks were thickly scattered with trees rich in foliage, 
 and all overhung with creeping plants, bearing various colored and 
 aromatic blossoms, among which the purple convolvulus flourished in 
 great beauty." On reaching the lake, a heavy swell from the north-east 
 prevented them from advancing further ; with the aid of a good tele- 
 scope no land could be discerned in that direction. The natives who ac- 
 companied them were in great fear of the Biddoomas, a fierce people, 
 who inhabit some islands in the lake, and the party therefore re- 
 turned up the river to Showy, which they reached after au absence of 
 six days. 
 
 The travelers now continued their journey by land, and after four 
 days of toilsome travel, over deep marshes and through dense, thorny 
 forests, reached Kussery, on the Shary. Mr. Toole became ill, and 
 Major Denham therefore decided to rest a day or two, to recruit him. 
 " Kussery, however," says Denham, " was the last place one should have 
 chosen for rest and tranquillity: during several hours in the day, the 
 inhabitants themselves dare not move out, on account of the flies and 
 bees. The formation of the houses, which are literally one cell within 
 another, five or six in number, excited my surprise ; which was not a 
 little uicreased when I found that they Avere built expressly as a retreat 
 from the attacks of these insects. Still I was incredulous, until one of 
 our people, who had carelessly gone out, returned with his eyes and head 
 in such a state that he was extremely ill for three days. Kussery is a 
 strong walled town, governed by an independent sultan, named Zar- 
 mawka, who has twice been in rebellion against the shekh. Belial was 
 obliged to take off his red cap and turban, and enter the presence with 
 his head and feet bare — a ceremony which had previously been dispensed 
 with on our journey. The sultan merely peeped at lis through a lattice- 
 work of bai-'iboo, but inquired particularly why I turned my face to- 
 ward him as I sat. I, of course, replied, that turning my back would be 
 a gross affront in my country, at which he laughed heartily." 
 
 The travelers immediately set out for Loggun, which was thirty 
 miles distant, but were detained on the frontier of the country until the 
 
RECEPTION AT LOGGTJN. 
 
 493 
 
 sultan had been consulted. They entered the town by the western gate, 
 which leads to the principal street — a ^vide avenue, with large dwellings 
 on each side, built with great uniformity, each having a court-yard in 
 front, surrounded by walls, and a handsome entrance, with a strong 
 door hasped with iron. A number of the inhabitants were seated at 
 their doors for the purpose of seeing the strangers enter. The next 
 morning Major Denham was sent for to appear before the sultan. Ten 
 immense negroes, of high birth, gray-bearded, bare-headed, and carrying 
 large clabs, preceded him through the streets. He was conducted to a 
 large square court, where some hundred persons were assembled, all 
 seated upon the ground : in the middle was a vacant space where the 
 Major was desired to seat himself. The sultan was concealed behind a 
 lattice-work of cane, which being removed at a given signal, something 
 alive was discovered on a carpet, with the head enveloped in shawls, 
 and nothing but the eyes visible. The whole court prostrated them- 
 selves and poured sand on their heads, while a harsh salute was bloA\Ti 
 from loud horns. After receiving his present the sultan whispered a 
 welcome; for it is considered so very ill-bred in a Loggun gentle- 
 man to speak out, that the sound of their voices can with difficulty 
 be heard. 
 
 " Loggun," .'iaya Major Denham, " the capital of which country, Ker- 
 iiuk Loggun, is on the banks of the Shary, and in 11° T north latitude, 
 is a very populous country. Kernuk has fifteen thousand inhabitants 
 at least. They speak a language nearly Begharmi. The Shouaas are 
 all around them, and to them they are indebted for the plentiful supply 
 of bullocks, milk, and fat with which the market abounds. They have, 
 also, a metal currency in Loggun, the first I had seen in Negroland. It 
 consists of thin plates of iron, something m the shape of the tip with 
 which they sho^ race-horses. These are made into parcels of ten and 
 twelve, according to the weight, and thirty of these parcels are equal in 
 value to ten rottola, or a doUar." 
 
 On the loth, Mr. Tcolc seemed better, and Major Denham left him 
 for the purpose of proceeding up the Shary for a day or two. He had 
 proceeded but a few miles, however, when an express from the sultan 
 overtook him, announcing that the Begharmis were again marching on 
 Loggun, and that he should return at once. On visiting the sultan, he 
 endeavored to y^ersuade h:m to allow him to remain. " More than half 
 my people are Begharmi," said the sulian. " I have no protection to 
 give — go while you can !'♦ Mr. Toole was fastened upon a horse, as he 
 was unable to sit up ; and with no provisions but a sack of parched 
 corn which the sultan gave them, at four o'clock the same day they 
 quitted the town, when the three gates were shut upon them by an 
 immense crowd of people. For three days they continued their flight, 
 with scarcely any rest, until they reached Angala, in the Shekh of 
 Bomou's domiiiions, where they considered themselves comparatively 
 
494 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENIIAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 safe. Mr. Toole was altematoly senselcsa and delirious durinfj this 
 journey. 
 
 *' At Angala," says Major Denham, " we took up our old quarters ; 
 and Mr. Toole, on being told wheie be was, exclaimed: ♦Thank God I 
 
 »4.0V.U-Cti.»,N 
 
 LANCER or THE SULTAN OP BEOHARMI. 
 
 then I shall not die !' And so much better was be for the two follow- 
 ing days, that I had great hopes of hi3 recovery ; about four o'clock, 
 however, on the morning of the 26th of February, these hopes were at 
 an end. A cold shivering had seized him, and his extremities were likfi 
 ice. I gave him both tea and rice-water ; and there was but little alter- 
 ation in him until just before noon, when, without a struggle or a groan, 
 
DEATHS OF TOOLE AND OUDNET. 
 
 495 
 
 he expired, completely worn out and exhausted. Tho same afternoon, 
 just as the sun was sinking below tho horizon, I followed hig remains to 
 their last resting-place, a deep grave which six of the Sultan of Angala's 
 slaves had propared, under my direction, to the north-west of the town, 
 overhung by a clump of mimosas in full blossom. The prime minister 
 attended the procession with his staff of office, and a silent prayer, 
 breathed over all that remained of my departed friend, was the best 
 funeral service circumstances allowed me to perform. After raising over 
 the grave a pile of thorns and branches of the prickly tulloh, several foot 
 high, as a protection against the herds of hyenas who nighty infest the 
 hurying-places in this country, I returned to the town." 
 
 An immediate return to Kouka wa3 now rendered necess.ary, and 
 Major Denham arrived there on the 2d of March. The fatigue, anxiety 
 of mind, and loss of rest which he had endured, brought on an attack 
 of fever which confined him to his m.at for ten days. A few days after 
 his arrival a courier returned from Kano, bringing intelligonce of tho 
 death of Dr. Oudney, at a place called Murmur, on the 12th of January. 
 On the 28th of March the Shekh of Bomou, who had gono with what 
 troops he could raise to repel the Beghannis, mot them, five thousand 
 strong, near Angala, and, with tho assistance of his four-pouiiders, routed 
 them with great slaughter. Of two hundred Begharmi chiefs, only 
 one escaped alive ; seven sons of the sultan and seventeen hundred 
 men wore among the slain. The plunder amounted to four hundred 
 and eighty horses, two htmdred women, and the b.aggage of the 
 princes. The rejoicings in Kouka over this victory, lasted for several 
 days. 
 
 Major Denham took advantage of the shekh's good-humor to apply 
 for his protection on a journey to the eastward, hoping to penetrate 
 through to Sennaar. The shekh, however, declared that the project 
 was impossible ; but toward the end of April, Denham ascertained that 
 a secret expedition was preparing to march against a tribe of Arabs east 
 of Lake Tchad, who were allies of the Sultan of Begharmi. He received 
 permission to take part in this foray, and left Kouka on the 4th of May ; 
 but as the Ram.adan, or Moslem fast, was just commencing, tho expe- 
 dition was put off for a month. On the 19th, news came that Mr. Tyr- 
 whit had arrived at the river Yeou, and Major Denham Avent out the 
 next day to meet him. This gentleman had been sent out by the British 
 government to strengthen the party. He was the bearer of jiresents 
 to the shekh, in acknowledgment of the kind reception the expedition 
 had met with, and was also accompanied by the shekh's children, who 
 had been detained at Mourzuk by the intrigues of the late Sultan of 
 Fezzan. 
 
 " On the 22d of May," says Major Denham, " we delivered the pres- 
 ents from his majesty in full form, consisting of two swords of very 
 beautiful Avorkmanship, two pair of pistols, a dagger, and two gold 
 watches. The delight, nay ecstasy, with which these well-selected speci- 
 
406 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENIIAM AND CLAPPERTON. 
 
 inenw of our matiufactorios wcro rccci> ;d by El Knnemy, was apparent 
 in oviiry feature of hia intelligent counienance, and in the quick glancus 
 of his sparkling and penetrating eye. The dagger and the watch with 
 the second niovenient, were the articles which struck him most forcibly ; 
 and when I mentioned that, agreeably to his request, a paniel of rock- 
 cts had also been forwarded, ho exclaimed : ' What ! beside all thorn 
 riches ! there arc no friends like these ! they are all truth ; and I Hr,«, 
 by the Hook, that if the Prophet had lived only a short time longer, 
 they would all have been Moslem !' " 
 
 On the 10th of June Major Denham set out for the eastern side of 
 T.ake Tchad, accompanied by Mr. Tyrwhit. The military expedi- 
 tion was commenced by Jiarca (iana, who was directed to tak(! all 
 possible care of the travelers. They crossed the Shary at Showy, 
 and advanced between forty and fifty niles further to the eastward, 
 along the shore of Lake Tchad, till, on approaching Mendoo, a largo 
 town in the rebel country, IJarca Gana v rdered them to halt until 
 the town should bo taken, and they were obliged to comply. Their 
 situation was very unpleasant, as they were exposed to attack, and 
 from their vicinity to the lake, suffered gr;atly from the flies and 
 mosquitoes. Hero they remained several days in the greatest sua- 
 pense, their provisions daily becoming more scanty. Finally, on tho 
 evening of July 5th, Barca (4ana reiurned with about half his troops; 
 he had fouTid tho enemy so strongly entrenched at Maou, tho capital, 
 that ho did not dare to attack them. Four days afterward he sot out to 
 capture the rebel sultan Amanook, who had taken refuge on one of the 
 islands in the lake, but was repulsed with severe loss, receiving himself 
 a spt^ar-wound in tho back. Major Denham dressed the wound with an 
 application of burnt fat and sulphur, and succeeded in healing the gen- 
 eral, who advised liim urgently to return to Kouka. " The excursion," 
 he said, " which you wish to make, is now impracticable. Wc must 
 wait for tho shekh's appearance before we can do any thing, and I think, 
 as the rains have now begun to fall, you will find that tho shekh will not 
 
 come, and that we shall all return." 
 
 As wc had not more than four days' provisions left. Major Donliam, 
 after another consultation with Barca Gana, determined to follow his 
 advice and return. Ho had now been ten days among this tribe of 
 Shouaas, who were a superior class to any he had met with ; they wore 
 rich in cattle and in camels, and seemed to live in plenty and patriarchal 
 simplicity. They were a handsome race, the women especially, who 
 brought the travelers bowls of fresh milk, night and morning, in ex- 
 change for bits of amber. Says Major Denham : " There is something 
 so curious, and singularly interesbing and expressive in the Shouaa man- 
 ners and language, that I am at a loss how to describe it. A girl sits 
 down by your tent with a bowl of milk, a dark-blue cotton wrapper tied 
 around her waist, and a mantilla of the same thrown over her head, with 
 which she hides her face, yet leaves her bust naked. She says ' A happy 
 
RETURN OP CAPTAIN OLAPPERTON. 
 
 497 
 
 day to you 1 Your fricrnl has brought you milk; yim gave her some- 
 thing BO handsome yt'Sterday, she iius not Ibrgotten it. Oh ! how her 
 eyes ache to see all you have got in that wooden house ;' pointing to a 
 trunk. ' Wo have no tears now ; we know you are good ; and our eyes, 
 which before could not look at you, now search atler you always. They 
 biulo us beware of you at first, for you were bad, very bad; but we 
 know better now. IIow it pains us that you arc so white !' " 
 
 On the Ibth of July, after having experienced heavy rains and hurri- 
 canes on the way, the travelers again reached their residence in the cap- 
 ital of liornou. " On our arrival at Kouka," says the narrative, " I found 
 tliiit CaptLin Clapperton, with a small caravan, had returned from Sou- 
 dun. It was nearly eight months since wo had separated, and although 
 it was mid-day, I went immediately to the hut where he was lodged ; 
 but so satisfied was I that the sun-burnt, sickly person, who lay extended 
 on the floor, rolhid in a dark-blue shirt, was not my companion, that I 
 was about to Usave the place, when he convinced me of my error by 
 calling me by luy name. The alteration in him was certainly most 
 striking. Our meeting was a melancholy one ; he had buried his com- 
 panion, and I had also closed the eyes of my younger and more robust 
 colleague, Mr. Toole. Notwithstanding the state of weakness in which 
 I found Captain Clapperton, ho yet spoke of returning to Soudan after 
 the rains." 
 
 CLAPPERTON'S JOURNEY TO SACKATOO. 
 
 Captain Clapperton and Dr. Oudney, it will be remembered, had left 
 Kouka on the 14th of December, 1823, for Soudan, intending to explore 
 the unknown region lying between Bornou and the Niger. Tliey took 
 with them Jacob, the Gibraltar Jew, two servants, and tliree natives of 
 Fezzan. The caravan consisted of twenty-seven merchants, two of whom 
 were shereefsy or descendants of the prophet. They took the road to 
 the ruins of Old Birnie, which Denham and Oudney had already visitijd, 
 and then proceeded westward along the banks of the Yeou, which was 
 much swollen from the aammer rains. After a journey of twelve days, 
 they entered the territory of Bedeguna, which formerly belonged to the 
 Sultan of Bornou ; the inhabitants spoke the Bornou language. Tlu-y 
 are regarded as a race of outlutvs, and are subject to be carried off as 
 slaves both by the natives of Bornou and Houssa. 
 
 On the 2d of January, the travelers approached the city of Katagum, 
 and were met by a servant of the governor, with a small basket of goora 
 nuts. He was followed by a party of horsemen who came up at full 
 gallop, blandishing their spears. The leader remained behind with the 
 band of music. The horsemen, after saluting the travelers, wheeled 
 around and rode on before them, the drummers beating their drums, 
 and two bards singing the praises of their master, one of them taking 
 
498 
 
 TRAVKLS OP DENHAM AND fJLAPPRRTON. 
 
 the song uiul tlic other responding with tlio chorus.* Tli(> governor re- 
 ceived them in a very friendly manner. They remained at this placc! 
 eight days, partly on aceount of Dr. Oudney's ilhiesH, and partly to wait 
 for one of the Honioueso wlio wsis to aeofimpany them (o Sackatoo, and 
 wlio had gone off to a town ealled Iladeeja. Dr. OiKhiey was very 
 feeble and troubled with a distressing cough, to relieve which one of tlio 
 natives cupped him on the side. 
 
 They left on the 10th of January, but were obliged to stop the next 
 day at noon, on aceount of the increasing weakness of Dr. Oudr y. H,. 
 had been wasting away in a slow eonsumi»tion, ever sinec! leaving the 
 hills of Obarree, in Fezzan, where he was seized with inflammation of tli«; 
 chest, in eonscqtienee of sitting down in a current of cold air aller hciiKr 
 heated. On the 12th, Captain Olapperton writes : " Dr. Oudiufy drank 
 a cup of coffee at day-break, and, by his <lesire, I ordered the camels to 
 be loaded. I then assisted him to dress, and, with th(> support of his 
 servant, he came ont of the tent ; but, before he could })e liftod on tlu! 
 camel, I observed the ghastliness of d<\'ith in liis eountcn.ince, and liad 
 him immediately replaced in the tent. I sat down by his sidp, and with 
 tmspeakable giief, witnessed his last breath, which was without a strug- 
 gle or a groan. I now sent to the governor of the town to rccjuost his 
 permission to bury the deceased, which he readily gr.atited ; and T had a 
 grave made near an old mimosa-tree, a little beyond the sonthoni gate 
 of the town. The body being first washed, after the custom of tlu! coun- 
 try, was dressed by ray directions in clothes made of turban shawls, 
 which we were carrying with us as presents. The corpse Avas borne to 
 the grave by our servants, and I read over it the funeral service of the 
 church of England, before it was consigned to the earth. I aftcM-ward 
 caused the grave to be inclosed with a Avail of clay, to kcu'p off boasts of 
 prey, and had two sheep killed and distributed among the poor." 
 
 Clapperton now continued his journey alone, and two days afterward 
 entered the kingdom of Housaa. The country was highly cultivated, 
 
 * Captain Clapporton gives tho following translation of tiie song : 
 " Give flesh to tho hyenas at day-broak : 
 
 Oh, the broad spears I 
 Tho spear of tho sultan is tho broadest— 
 
 Oh, tho broad spears I 
 I behold thee now, I desire to see none other ; 
 
 Oh, tho broad spears I 
 My horse is oa tal! as a high wall : 
 
 Oh, the broad spears ! 
 Tho elephant of tho forest brings mo what I want : 
 
 Oh, the broad spears I 
 Bo brave t be bravo I my friends and kinsmen : 
 
 Oh, the broad spears I 
 God is groat I I wax fierce ns a beast of prey : 
 
 Oh, the broad spears I 
 God is great I To-day tlioso I wished for are come: 
 
 Oh, the broad spears I" 
 
 spai 
 
 j turr 
 
 ness 
 
 I I 
 
 had 
 
 Iiavir 
 
 but, 
 
 end c 
 
 stand; 
 
 in the 
 
 the o\ 
 
 the Ai 
 
 Were 
 more I 
 
 
RKRIDKNCK AT KANO. 
 
 499 
 
 and diversified by hill and dale. There were many largo walled towns, 
 quite deserted, the inhabitants having been carried off and sold by their 
 conquerors, the Felatahs. On the 2()th of January, he approached the 
 large city of Kano, and prepared himself for thu reception by arraying 
 himself in his naval uniform. "At 11 o'clock," says he, •' wo entered 
 Kano, the great emporium of the kingdom of Iloussa ; but I had no 
 sooner passed the gates than I felt grievously disappointed ; for from the 
 flourishing description of it given by the Arabs, I expected to see a city 
 of surprising grandeur. I found, on the contrary, the houses nearly a 
 quarter of a mile from the walls, and in many parts scattered into de- 
 tached groups, between large stagnant pools of water. I might have 
 spared all the pains I had taken with my tf)ilet ; for not an individual 
 turned his head around to gaze at rae, but all, intent on their own busi- 
 ness, allowed mo to jtaas by without noti(!e or remark." 
 
 He immediately called upon a pers(»n nam((d Hat Salah, to whom ho 
 had a letter of recommendation from the sliekh of Bomou. This person, 
 having heard of his coming the day before, had hired a house for him, 
 hut, says Clapperton, " the; houKO provided for me was situated at the 
 end of a marsh, the pestilential exhalations of which, and of the pools of 
 Btanding water, were increased by the sewers of the houses all opening 
 in tlic street. I was fatigued an<l sick, and lay down on a mat which 
 the owner of the h«)use spread for me. I was immediately visited by all 
 the Arab merchants who had been my fellow-travelers from Kouka, and 
 were not prevented by sickness from coniing to see me. They were 
 more like ghosts than men, as almost all strangers were at this time suf- 
 fering from intermittent fever." 
 
 Two days afterward, Clapperton visited the governor, who was 
 then encamped about five miles cast of the city. lie took with him a 
 number of presents, among Avhich was a broken thermometer, which, he 
 was given to tuulerstand, would bo very acceptable. A thermometer was 
 descriptively named by the natives " a wat<!h of heat," and was everywhere 
 regarded by them as a great curiosity. The governor, who was the 
 father of fifty sons — a circumstance, which procured him much respect 
 and honor — received him with great kindness, and promised to send a 
 messenger to the sultan, at Sackatoo, requesting permission for him to 
 proceed. This permission, however, did not arrive for a month, during 
 which time the traveler remained domiciled at Kano. 
 
 " The city," says he, " may contain from thirty thousand to forty thou- 
 sand resident inhabitants, of whom more than one half are slaves. It is ren- 
 dered very unhealthy by a large morass, which almost divides it into two 
 parts, besides many pools of stagnant water, made by digging clay for 
 building houses. On the north side of the city are two remarkable 
 mounts, each about two hundred feet in height, and a trifling distance 
 apart. The city is of an irregular oval shape, about fifteen miles in cir- 
 cumference, and surrounded by a clay wall thirty feet high, with a dry 
 ditch along the inside, and another on the outside. There are fifteen 
 
500 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENHAM AND CLAPTERTON. 
 
 gates of wood, covered with sheet-iron, which are reijfularly opened and 
 shut at sunrise and sunset. Tlie houses are built of ciay, atid are mostly 
 of a square form, hi the Moorish fashion, with a central hall of audience 
 and store-rooms on the ground-floor, and a second story containuig the 
 sleeping apartments. I bought in the market, for three Spanish doIlarH 
 an English green cotton umbrella, an article I little expected to meet 
 ■with, yet by no means uncommon ; my Moorish servants, in their fmi- 
 rative language, were wont to give it the n.'ime of ' the cloud.' '♦ 
 
 Captain Clapperton had heard a great deal about the boxers of 
 Iloussa, and was anxious to witness their performances, lie sent one 
 of his servants to offer 2,000 cowries for an exhibition before his house. 
 As the death of one of tho combatants was almost certain, hu prohibited 
 all fighting in earnest. " A ring was soon formed, by the muster of the 
 ceremonies throwing dust on tho spectators to make them stand back. 
 The drummers entered tho ring, and began to drum lustily. One of the 
 boxers followed, quite naked, except a skin around tho middle. Ho 
 placed himself in an attitude, as if to oppose an antagonist, and wrought 
 his muscles into action, seemingly to find out that every sinew was in 
 full force for the approaching combat ; then, coming from time to time 
 to the side of the ring, and presenting his right arm to the bystanders 
 he said : ' I am a hyena ; I am a lion ; I am able to kill all that oppose 
 me.' The spectators, to whom he presented himself, laid their hands 
 upon his shoulders repeating : ' Tho blessing of God be upon thee ! thou 
 art a hyena ; thou art a lion.' lie then abandoned tho ring to another, 
 who showed off in the same manner. Tho right hand and arm of the 
 pugilists were now bound with narrow country cloth, beginning with a 
 fold around the middle finger, when the hand being first clinched with ' 
 the thumb between tho fore and mid fingers, the cloth was passed in 
 many turns around the fist, the wrist, and the fore-arm. After about , 
 twenty had separately gone through the attitudes of defiance, and ap- 
 ])eal8 to the bystanders, they were next brought forward by pairs. If they 
 happened to be friends, they laid their left breasts together twice, and ex- 
 claimed : ' We are lions ; wo are friends.' If tho two did not recognize ' 
 each other as friends, the set-to immediately commenced. On taking 
 their stations, the two pugilists first stood at some distance, parrying 
 «itli the left hand open, and, whenever an opportunity offered, strik- 
 ing with the right. They generally aimed at the pit of the stomach, and 
 under the ribs. When they break loose, they never fail to give a swing- 
 ing blow with the heel under the ribs, or sometimes under the left ear. 
 It is these blows which are so often fatal." 
 
 The permission of the Sultan of Houssa, for which Captain Clapper- 
 ton had been waiting, arrived on the 22d day of February, and on tho 
 following day he left Kano for Sackatoo. After traveluig eighteen days, 
 without particular incident, he reached the town of Quarra, where he ; 
 was met by an escort of an hundred and fifty horsemen, sent forward by j 
 the Sultan of Iloussa. On the third day afterward he ajiproached Sacka- 
 
INTERVIEW WITH SULTAN BELLO. 
 
 601 
 
 too, fiillowcd by his escort and a numerous rctimio, with a loud flourish 
 of horns and trumpets. To impress the natives still furtlier with his 
 official importance, he arrayed himself in his lieutenant's coat, trimmed 
 with gold lace, white trowsers, silk Btockmgs, and, to complete his finery, 
 red Turkish slippers and a turban. The valleys between the hills be- 
 came wider as they approached Sackatoo, which they first beheld from 
 the top of an eminence. At noon they < ntcred the capital, where a 
 great number of people was assembled to look at the traveler, who 
 entered the city amid the hearty welcomes of young and old. He was 
 conducted to the house of the vizier, where apartments had been pre- 
 pared for him. 
 
 The next day ho called upon Sultan Bello, who received him very 
 cordially. lie Avas a noble-looking man, forty-four years of age, five foet 
 ten inches high, portly in person, with a short, curling black beard, a 
 small mouth, a fine forehead, a Grecian nose, and large black eyes. 
 He asked many questions about Europe, and the religious distinctions 
 of the Franks. Ho was acquainted with the names of the ancient sects, 
 and asked whether the English were Nestorians or Socinians. Cap- 
 tain Clapperton also read him some passages out of a book, in order 
 that he might hear the sound of the English language, which bethought 
 beautiful. On being presented with a compass, spy-glass, and other 
 articles, he said : " Every thing is wonderful ; but you are the greatest 
 curiosity of .ill." He perused the letter of the Shekh of Bornou, and 
 assured Clapperton that he was at liberty to visit every part of his 
 dominions, including Y.aouri and Nyffe, which the latter was anxious to 
 roach, in the hope of learning something further concerning the fate 
 of Park. 
 
 From an interview a few days after this, however, Clapperton saw 
 that the sultan was becoming suspicious. He observed that there were 
 two roads leading to Nyffe— one direct, but beset by enemies, the 
 other safer, but circuitous ; that by cither route he would be detained, 
 during the rains, in a country then in open rebellion. " I assured him," 
 says Clapperton, " that I had already taken the matter into considera- 
 tion, and that I was neither afraid of the dangers of the road nor of the 
 rains. ' Think of it with prudence,' he replied, and we parted. From 
 the tone and manner with which this was spoken, I felt a foreboding 
 that my intended visit to Yaouri and Nyffe was at an end. I could not 
 help suspecting the intrigues of the Arabs to be the cause ; as they well 
 knew, if the native Africans were once acquainted with English com- 
 merce by the way of the sea, their own lucrative inland trade would 
 from that moment cease." Clapperton's surmises were correct, and 
 after several further consultations on the subject he M'as obliged to 
 give up the plan of proceeding beyond Sackatoo. After a residence 
 of six weeks in the Felatah capital, during wh ch he had a severe attack 
 of fever, ho began to prepare for his return journey to Bornou. 
 
 He gives the following description of the city : " It lies in latitude 
 
602 
 
 TRAVELS OF DENIIAM AND OLAPPERTON, 
 
 13° 4' north, mid longitude 0° 12' cast, about four diiys journey fromtho 
 Quorra, or Niger. Tho name, in their langujige, BignificH a 'halting, 
 place ;' tho city was built, as near as I could learn, about tho year 
 1805. It occupies a long ridgo which slopes gently toward the north, 
 and appeared to mo tho most populous town I had visited in tho 
 interior of Africa, for unlike other towns in IIouHwa, where the houses 
 are thinly scattered, it is laid out in regular, well-built streets. Thu 
 wall is between twenty and thirty feet high, and has twelve gates, 
 which are regulj^rly closed at sunset. There is a spacious market- 
 l»lace in the center of the city, and airother large square in front of 
 the sultan's residence. Tho dwellings -of the principal people are sur- 
 rounded by high walls, which inclose numerous flat-roofed houses built 
 in the Moorish style. The inhabitants are principally Felatahs, possess- 
 ing numerous slaves." 
 
 Captain Clapperton sot out on his return, on the 4th of IMuy, pro- 
 ceeding to Kano by Avay of the largo town of Kashna. On the 8th of 
 July he reached Kouka, during Major Denham's absence on a visit to 
 the eastern shore of Lake Tchad. Ililhnan, tho carpenter, was busily 
 employed in finishing a covered cart, to be used as a conveyance for the 
 shekh's wives. The workmanship, considering the materials, reflected 
 the greatest credit on his ingenuity ; tho wheels were hooped with iron, 
 and the cart was extremely strong, though neither light nor handsome. 
 Captain Clapperton immediately waited on tho shekh, who inquired after 
 hi ; health, and expressed much regret at Dr. Oudney's death. 
 
 RETURN TO EUROPE. 
 
 The travelers had now accomplished the principal objects of their 
 mission and explored as much of Central Africa as was practicable with- 
 out remaining another season, which, in their state of health, was not 
 advisable. They therefore determined to return to Tripoli with the 
 annual caravan of slaves, which passed through Bornou on its way from 
 Soudan. This caravan arrived at Kouka on the 13th of August. "On 
 Monday, the 16th," says Major Denham, " we took our final leave of 
 Kouka, and not without many feelings of regret, so accustomed had we 
 become, particularly myself, to the people. In the moniing I had taken 
 leave of the shekh in his garden, when he had given me a letter to the 
 king and a list of requests : he was all kindness, and said he had only 
 one wish, which was that I might find all my friends well, and once 
 more return to them. He gave me his hand at parting, which excited 
 an involuntary exclamation of astonishment from the six eunuchs and 
 the vizier, who were the only persons present." 
 
 The travelers preceded the caravan a few days, in order to attempt 
 to reach the unvisited eastern side of Lake Tchad, through the country 
 of Kanem. On the 23d they crossed the river Yeou, and Denham ob- 
 
WKLCOME AT MOUUZUK. 
 
 508 
 
 Bcrvcs : *' My feelings on Hooing this rivor for a socoud time were very 
 different from wlmt thoy hjid been when I first looked on its waters. 
 We had then an escort of two hundred men, and yet could not feel our- 
 selves in perfect safety one hundred yards from our tents. Now I liod 
 only one attendant — the people about mo were all natives, and I wan- 
 dered about the bunks of the river with jierfeet freedom, and uhpt with 
 my tent-door open, in as great a security us I could have done in any 
 p'lrt of England, liad I been obliged so to travel. Other feelings also 
 obtruded themselves ; I waa alwut to return home, to see once more 
 dear friends and a di^ur country, after an absence of nearly three years, 
 on a duty full of perils and difficulties ; two out of four of my companions 
 had fallen victims to climate and disease, while those who remained were 
 suffering, in no small degree, from sickness and debility." 
 
 At Wot)die Major Denham met witli Barca Gana, who, after an ab- 
 sence of five months, hud completed the circuit of the lake. The latter 
 gave him a guard of eighteen men, with which he advanced about fifty 
 miles eastward along the shore of the lake, when the journey became so 
 dangerous, that the g\iard refused to go further, and Denham was com- 
 |H'lk'd to return. lie therefore pitched his tent at Woodie, to await the 
 arrival of the caravan from Kouka, which did not fin.illy depart for the 
 desert until the 1 Ith of September. "We had the satisfaction," says 
 Major Denham, "to find throughout our journey, that, young as we 
 were at desert traveling, yet we got on as well, if not bettor, than our 
 companions ; and though children of the soil, they always looked to us, 
 instead of us to them, both for safety and protection, as well as the 
 direction of the route." 
 
 The caravjm arrived at Bilma on the 11th of October, and proceeding 
 by easy journeys toward Fezzan, reached Gatrono on the 14th of No- 
 vember. This place, before so miserable in their eyes, now seemed a 
 little paradise. Seven days afterward they entered Mourzuk, and took 
 up their residence in their old habitation. Prayer was offered up in tlu! 
 mosque for their safe return home. " All welcomed our return ; we had 
 bowls ofbazeen and kooscosoo night and morning, and visitors from day- 
 light until long after sunset. * * ♦ On the 12th of December we 
 were all ready for our departure, and on the 13th took our leave. The 
 cold of Mourzuk liad pinched us terribly, and notwithstanding we used 
 an additional blanket both day and night, one of us had cold and swelled 
 neck, another ague, and a third pains in the limbs — all, I believe, prin- 
 cipally from the chilliness of the air : yet the thermometer, at sunrise, 
 was not lower than forty-two and forty-three degrees. 
 
 "On the 25th of January, 1826, we reached a well within ten miles 
 of Tripoli ; and previous to arriving there were met by two cawassos of 
 the pasha, with one of the consul's servants. We found the consul's 
 tents, but he had been obliged to return on business to the city ; and 
 the satisfaction with which we devoured some anchovy toasts, and 
 washed them down with huge draughts of Marsala wine, in tumblers — 
 
604 
 
 TUAVKI.H OK PKNIIAM AMP (5L A I'T K IITON. 
 
 luxnrioN wv lm«l ho loiij^ iiwlrcd Imm'Ii Htnuim'rH io- - w«m quite iiwIrHcriho- 
 blu. Wo Hh'pt Houiully all«>r our fnuHt, uinl on Uu« 2(ltli, won* met liy tlio 
 coiiNul nnd Iuh oMohI hoii, wlum** mil iMfU<'tioii ut our hiiI'o naurii Hociiu-tl 
 cquiil to our own. We t«ntor«'(l Tripoli tlm Hnmo Any, wlicm u lionsi'lmd 
 bwn proviiK'tl for uh. Our limjjf ubMcndo (V«mi civiliKol H(»(M«>ty uitpfiircil 
 to huvi* un ctroot on our manner oCNpeaking, wliicli, ttiough we were uii- 
 eouHeioHS of it, oeoiwioned the renmrkH of our friends: evi-n in ronniKiti 
 converHntion our tone wiih ho loud tw iilnioHt to uliirni tlume we addreHHcd, 
 ;ind it wilN Nome weekr* before we eoultl moderate our voiecH ho an to 
 Itriufi^ them in harmony witli tliu eoniined Hpacu in whieli wu were now 
 exereisinjj; them." 
 
 Denham and Chippc^rton had a ntoriny paHHa^e to Le^liorn, Mliere 
 they were <d)liged to perform a <puirantine of twenty-live dayH. Kniiii 
 Leghorn llillman wan Kent home l>y Hea with tlu* livin){ animaln, eollcc, 
 tiouH, and haj^j^aj^e of the expedition. The two travelers enwHcd the 
 AIpH, and r<>a(^hed Tiondon on the iHt uf June, ullcr un ubHoncu fruiu 
 England of thrcu youfH uud u bolf. 
 
 > .■*. 
 
C L A P P E R T N ^ S 
 
 SECOND JOURNKY TO SAOKATOO. 
 
 DrniNO dftptnin (■Ijipporton'B f'lrHt viHit to Sftcknt(»o, in flio ymr 
 1R'2(, lie wns ^ivcii to iitulcrstiUKl timt tlio cNtnliliHliiiictit of n fViciiilly 
 int(!rcourH(' with KiikIiiikI would hdnumt a^n'«'iil»l(> to Sultan IJcIIo; that 
 tlio laltJT wished partiouhirly tor certain aiticlcH of KngHHh rnanufiuiture 
 to be Hcnt out to tho Heo-coaHt, where thont wan a lar^^o port bolonj^inj^ 
 to him, callcfl F^'unda. 1 lo alno desired that an Kn^flish physielan an«l 
 conmil Khould ho sent to another port, calhtd Kakka, promiNi*ii{ to send 
 an ny^itut to tlio hitter placet, to tranHa(;t all niatterH of buNineHH l>etw(!en 
 the two Rovernmc^ntH. 
 
 On the return of Donham and C/Iapperf on to Kn^land, Lord liatli- 
 urst (then (yolonial Secretary), couHiderin^ this a fav<iriihle opportunity 
 of estahliHhing an intereourso with the int«irior of Afri(!a, and |trol)abIy 
 of checking the trado in slaves, adopted (!lapp<'rton'H suj^'gestioiis, and 
 dispatched him on a second mission to Sackatoo, hy way of tlx; IJij^ht 
 of licnin, with suitable presents to Sultan IJpllo. It had heen arrangcid 
 that the latter should send down his messengers to Whydah, on the 
 coiwt, to meet Captain Clappcrton and his companions. On the arrival 
 of the latter at Benin, however, they could n(nth(!r gain any intelligj^nce 
 of Hello's messengers, nor did the people know any thing of such ))laneH 
 as Funda and Uakka. It has situ^u bei^i ascertained that both these 
 towns are upon the Niger, at least two hundred miles from the H<!a. 
 
 Captain Clappcrton was allowed to take with him, as companif>ti, a 
 surgeon by the name of Dickson, who had been seasoned by a rtisi<l(5nce 
 in the West Indies. In an enterprise of so hazardous a nature, it was 
 deemed advisable to add two others to the party, in order to accomplish 
 a more thorough survey of the different countries of Soudan. For this 
 purpose. Captain Pearce, of the navy, and Dr. Morrison, a naval surgeon, 
 were selected; one being a good draughtsman, and the other well 
 versed in natural history. Captain Clappcrton also took with him his 
 servant, Richard Lander, and the mulatto Columbus, who had been in 
 the service of Major Denham. The party sailed from England on the 
 
506 CLAPPERTON'S SECOND JOURNEY TO SACKATOO. 
 
 27th of Augubt, and arrived in the Bight of Benin on the 26th of No- 
 vember, 1825. Dr. Dickson, being desirous of proceeding alone to 
 Sackatoo, was landed at Whydah, and accompanied by Cohimbug, pro- 
 ceeded to Dahomey, where he was well received. He was sent forward 
 to a place called Shar, seventeen days' journey further, beyond which 
 nothing more was ever afterward heard of him. 
 
 Captain Clapperton was persuaded by a trader named IToutson, to 
 make Badagry his starting-point ; he agreed to accompany him as far 
 as F.yeo, or Katunga, the capital of the kingdom of Yoriba. They 
 landed on tlie 27th of November, and after having made arrangements 
 to have their baggage sent after them, staited on their journey into the 
 interior on the 7th of December. As they were under the protection 
 of the King of Badagry, they met with no difficulties in the early part 
 of their route. At the different towns they were always received by the 
 caboceersj or chief men, to whom they made small presents, and v/ho 
 supplied them with lodgings and provisions. In two or three days the/ 
 entered the territories of the king of Yoriba, after which they ci- 
 perienced some trouble in procuring men and beasts to transport their 
 baggage. Their road led through dense forests, the dampness of which, 
 added to the fact of their traveling partly by night, brought on attacks 
 of fever and ague, with Avhich the whole party suffered. 
 
 On the 13th they reached the tOMTX of Laboo. The country now 
 became more agreeable!, rising into hill and dale, with fine prospects. 
 They approached the town by the moonlight through an avenue of 
 majestic trees, with fetish-houses placed here and there, and solitary 
 iights burning in each. Two days afterward they reached the large 
 iown of Jannah, where the caboceer, who at first received them in laiher 
 a reserved and ceremonious manner, finally assured them that they 
 might proceed safely as far as Eyeo, the capital, but he did not believe 
 that be king would allow them to go beyond it. "I can not," says 
 Clapperton, " omit bearing testimony to the singular and perhaps unpre- 
 cedented fact that we have already traveled sixty miles in eight days, 
 with a numerous and heavy baggage, and about ten clifferent relays of 
 carriers, without losing so much as the val le of a shilling, public or 
 private." 
 
 M'^anwhile the sick continued to grow worse, with the exception of 
 Richard Lander, who, after being bled on the temple and blistered on 
 the head, improved. On the 23d, Dr. Morrison was so weak that he 
 determined to return, and 3Ir. Houtson was sent back to take charge 
 of him. On the following day, at a town called Egga, a c -^araan named 
 George Dawson, died, and was buried the same evening. Three days 
 afterward, Captain Pearce died, and was buried near the town of En- 
 gwa, the whole of the population attending the funeral. The grave 
 was staked around by the r.atives, and a shed built over it : R'.ehard 
 Lander carved an inscription on a board, and placed i*. at the head. 
 Clapperton now determined to wait for Mr. Houtson, who returned on 
 
ARRIVAL AT KATUNGA. 
 
 607 
 
 the 31st, with the news that Dr. Morrison had died at Jannah, on the 
 same day as Captain Pearcc. Thus in the short space of three weeks, 
 three persons, or one half the party, had perished ; yet the survivors 
 manfully pushed on, although Clapperton was so ill that he was obliged 
 to be carried in a hammock. 
 
 The country became more hilly and picturesque as they advanced. 
 On the 13th of January, 1826, they entered a narrow defile, leading 
 through a range of granite mountains. " The road through this mount- 
 ain pass," says Clapperton, " was grand and imposing, sometimes rising 
 almost perpendicularly, and then descending into deep dells. In every 
 cleft of the hills, wherever there appeai'ed the least soil, wei-e cottages, 
 surrounded by small plant tions of millet, yams, or plantains, giving a 
 beautiful variety to the rude scenery. The road continued rising, hill 
 above hill, for at least two miles, until our arrival at the large and populous 
 town of Chaki, situated on the top of the very highest hill. On every 
 hand, on the hills, on the rocks, and crowding on the road, the inhabit- 
 ants were assembled in thousands ; the women welcoming us with hold- 
 ing up their hands and chanting choral songs, and the men with the 
 usual salutations and every demonstration of joy." 
 
 Here they were kindly received by a caboceer with two thousand 
 wives, and continued their journey next day. The country beyond this 
 was populous and well cultivated ; and they were everywhere hospita- 
 bly treated. On the 2 2d they reached the large town of Tshow, where 
 a messenger from the King of Yoriba was in waiting, to conduct them 
 to Katunga. The caboceer visited them, and after having shaken hands 
 with them, rubbed his face and body, in order that he might impart the 
 blessing of a white man's touch to all parts of his frame. The next day, 
 at nuon, from the top of a high ridge, they saw the city of Katunga, or 
 Eyeo. " Before us lay a finely-cultivated valley, extending as far as the 
 eye could leach to the westward ; the city lying, as it were, below us, 
 surrounded and studded with green shady trees, forming a belt around 
 the base of a rocky mountain, composed of granite, of about three miles 
 m length, forming as beautiful a view as I ever saw." 
 
 On entering the city, a messenger met the travelers, stating that the 
 king wanted to see them. Clapperton gives the following description 
 of their reception : " A band of music accompanied us aiA the escort, 
 with an immense multitude of men, women, and children. As there 
 was much open and cultivated ground, the dust they caused almost suf- 
 focated us, though the escort tried all gentle means to keep them off. 
 At last, after riding full five miles, we came to the place where the king 
 was sitting under the verandah of his house, marked by twn red and 
 blue cloth umbrellas, supported by large poles held by slaves, with the 
 staff resting upon the ground. After we got as far as the umbrellas in 
 front, the space was all clear before the king, and for about twenty yards 
 on oach Bide. We walked up to the verandah with our hats on, imtil 
 we came into the shade, when we took off our hats, made a bow, and 
 
508 OLAPPERTON'S SECOND oOUllNEY TO SACKATOO. 
 
 shook hands : he lifting up our liands three tin es, repeating, ^Ako, ako!^ 
 (how do you do ?) the women behind him standing up and cheering us 
 calling out, ' Oh, oh, oh !' (hurrah !) and the men on the out? ide joining. 
 It was impossible to count the number of his ladies, they were so densely 
 packed and so very numerous, ^f I might judge by their smiles, they 
 seemed as glad to see us as their master. The king was dressed in a 
 large white shirt, with a Mue one under ; around his neck some three 
 strings of large blue cut-glass beads, and on his head the imitation of a 
 European crown of blue cotton covered over pasteboard, made appar- 
 ently by some European, and sent up to him from the coast." 
 
 The city of Eyeo (Katunga, in the language of Houssa) is situated 
 in latitude eight degrees fifty-nine minutes north, longitude six degrees 
 twelve minutes east. It is built on the sloping side and around the base 
 of a small range of granite hills, which, as it were, form the citadel of 
 the town : they are composed of stupendous blocks of gray granite of 
 the softest kind, some of which are seen hanging from the summits, in 
 the most frightful manner, as if the least touch would send them do\vn 
 into the valley beneath. A belt of thick wood runs around the walls, 
 which are built of clay, about tAventy feet high, and surrounded by a 
 dry ditch. Tliere are ten gates in the walls, which are fifteen miles 
 in circumference, of an oval shape, about four miles in diameter one way 
 and six miles the other, the south end leaning against the rocky hills, 
 and forming an inaccessible barrier in tliat quarter. The !iing's houses 
 and those of his women occupy about a square mile, and are on the south 
 side of the hills, having two large parks, one in front and another hcv-.g 
 the north. 
 
 Clapperton was detained at Katunga during the whole month of 
 February, the king refusing to allow him to proceed, under one pretext 
 or another. He kept him well supplied with provisions, but as the 
 traveler was obliged to make frequent presents to him, his sons, and tho 
 caboceers or head men of the city, these gifts were well paid for. Cap- 
 tain Clapperton ai)plied for permission to visit Rakka, on the Niger, and 
 to pass onward to the kingdom of Nyffe, lying east of Yoriba, which 
 was refused, on the ground that the road was not safe. Finally, after 
 fixing a day for Clapperton's departure five or six times, and as often 
 postponing it, he sent word to hun, on the 6th of March, that a messen- 
 ger was about to start for the city of Kiaraa, and would accompany and 
 give him in Aarge to the Sultan Yarro, who would forward him ♦o the 
 kingdom of Yaouri. Clapperton, therefore, immediately arranged his 
 baggage and started, leaving Mr. Houtson, who intended returning to 
 Badagry.* 
 
 On the way to Kiama Lander became so ill that he could not travel 
 
 without being hold on the horpe. They reached that city on the 1 3th, 
 
 ard rode immediately to the house of Sultan Yarro whom they found 
 
 sitting at the Coor of his house, lie was a stout, gcod-looking man, past 
 
 * Mr. Hcataon reached Botiagry in safety, but died soon afterward. 
 
JOURNEY TO BOUSSA. 
 
 509 
 
 the middle age, dressed in a white tobe or large shirt, with a red Moor- 
 ish cap on his head. He received Clapperton kindly, and gave liim a 
 very comfortable house. After the heat of the day was over Yarro came 
 to visit him, mounted on a beautiful red roan, attended by a number of 
 armed mc>n on horseback and on foot, an<l six young female slaves, car- 
 rying spears. He promised to send the travelers to Wawa, Avhence they 
 would be forwarded to Boussa on the Niger. The town of Kiama, ac- 
 cording to Clapperton's estimate, contains thirty thousand inhabitants, 
 who are looked upon as the greatest thieves and robbers in Africa. The 
 traveler, however, was fortunate ; he escaped being plundered, and after 
 a stay of five days, was allowed to proceed, in company with a caravan 
 bound for Kano, in Houssa. 
 
 His road now led through a thickly wooded country, broken by pic- 
 turesque rocky ranges. In passing through one of the villages, a Borgoo 
 hunter came in from the chase. " He had a leopard's skin over hia 
 shoulder, a light spear in his hand, and his bow and arrows slung at his 
 back. He was followed by three cream-colored <logs, a breed as if be- 
 tween the grayhound and the cur ; they were adorned with round col- 
 lars of diflferent colored leather. The hunter and his dogs marched 
 through the village as independeutlv as I ever saw a man, without tak- 
 
 AFRIOAK rORBST. 
 
 ing the least notice of us, or even looking at us." The road continued 
 through tropical woods of the most luxuriant foliage. They were shaded 
 from the heat of the sim, which was intense at noonday, and were 
 '•cored by their approach to the Niger, the proximity of which was 
 t>" .'junci'd by its numerous trib'itaries. 
 
 i 
 
 L,.. 
 
510 CLAPrmiTON's second journey to sackatoo. 
 
 On tho 2l8t, Clappcrton reached the larfi;e town of Wawa, when he 
 was indifferently received by the governor, who wrapped up his hand in 
 his sleeve, for fear the touch of a white man would kill him. Soon after 
 his arrival he was visited by an Arab widow named Zuma, who desired 
 to have a white husband. She was said to be tho richest person in tho 
 town, having the best house and a thousand slaves. " She showed a 
 groat regard for my servant Richard, who is younger and better looking 
 than I am," says Captiiin Clapperton ; " but she had passed her twentieth 
 year, was fot, and a perfect Turkish beauty, jnst like a walking water- 
 butt. All her arts were unavailing on Richard ; she could not induce 
 him to visit her at her house, though ho had my permission." In spite 
 of these rebuffs, tho widow furnished the traveler with abundance of 
 cooked provisions every day. She offered Clapperton's servant Pascoo 
 a wife if he could persuade his master to marry her. Clapperton visited 
 her one day, and received an estimate of all her wealth ; she exhibited 
 to him her gold bracelets, her coral beads, silver rings and other trinkets 
 and her apartments, splendidly adorned with pewter dishes and brass 
 pans. She then pro ■ 'K3d to send for a priest and have the marriage 
 ceremony j)erformed— r pon the captain speedily retreated. 
 
 After spending nine . » at Wawa, a mt^sscnger of the Sultan of 
 Roussa arrived, to conduct tho travelers through his dominions. The 
 governor of Wawa promised to send all the baggage to the towi of 
 Koolfii, beyond the Niger, on the direct road to Kano, and Clapperton 
 therefore, leaving Lander to take charge of it, rode on to Boussa. The 
 same afternoon he reached a branch of the Mger, called the Menai. It 
 was not more than twenty yards across, but twelve feet deep. After 
 being ferried over, an hour's ride brought him to the town of Boussa. 
 He was much sirprised, after entering the gate, to see only clusters of 
 huts luM-e and there, and no regular town, as he had been led to expect. 
 He proceeded at once to visit the sultan, whom he found sitting under 
 the verandah of one of his huts, with his principal wife beside him. The 
 fiultan received him very kindly, and said that the Sultan of Yaoini had 
 ke{)t seven boats waiting several days, to take him up the river. Clap- 
 perton informed him that on account of the war between Yaouri and 
 Boussa, he intended taking the route of Koolfu and Nyfic, on his way 
 to Bornou. The sultan was a handsome man of about twenty-five years 
 of age, live feet ten inches in height, with a lofty forehead, Roman nose, 
 good teeth, and a short chin covered with a beard two inches long. 
 
 Clapperton's presents the next day procured him a still more favora- 
 ble reception, and he was informed that he would be allowed to con- 
 tinue his journey on the morrow. "I next inquired of him," says the 
 traveler, " after some white men who were lost in the river near Boussa 
 twenty years ago. He seemed rather uneasy at this question, and I 
 observed that he stammered in his speech. He assured me that he had 
 nothing belonging to them ; that he was a little boy when the event 
 happened. I said, I wanted nothing but the books and papers, and to 
 
THE PLACE OF PARK'S DEATH. 
 
 511 
 
 learn from him a corro<'t ucciount of the manner of their death ; and that, 
 with his permission, I would go and visit the spot where they were lost. 
 He said no, I must not go ; it was a very bad place. Having heard 
 that part of the boat still remained, I asked him if it was so. lie re- 
 plied that such a report was untrue ; that she did remain on the rocks 
 for some time after, but had gone to pieces and floated down the river 
 long ago. T said if ho would give mo the books and papers, it would be 
 the greatest favor he could possibly confer upon me. Ho again assured 
 me that nothing remained with him ; every thing of that kind had gone 
 mto the hands of the learned men ; but that if any were now in existence 
 he would procure them and give them to me. I then asked him if ho 
 would allow mo to inquire of the old people in the town the particulars 
 of the affair, as some of them must have seen it. Ho appeared very un- 
 easy, gave me no answer, and I did not press him further." 
 
 Clapperton was afterward informed by the sultan that the late imam, 
 or priest, who was a Felatah, had had possession of all of Park's books 
 and papers, but that he had fled from Boussa some time before. The 
 inhabitants appeared imeasy and embarrassed whenever he asked for in- 
 formation, but they pointed out the place where the boat struck and 
 the unfortunate travelers perished. " Even this," Clapperton remarks, 
 "was done with caution, and as if by stealth ; though, in every thing un- 
 connected with that afiair, they Averc most ready to give me what in- 
 formation I asked, and never in my life have I been treated with more 
 hospitality and kindness. The place pointed out to me is in the eastern 
 channel, the river being divided into three branches at this place, not 
 one of which is more than a good pistol-shot across. A low, flat island, 
 of about a quarter of a mile in breadth, lies between the town of Boussa 
 and the fatal spot. The bank is not particularly high at present, being 
 only about ten feet above the level of this branch, which here brciks 
 over a gray slate-rock, extending quite across to the eastern shore." 
 
 Clapperton left Iloussa on the 2d of April, and proceeded down the 
 river two days' journey to Comie, or the king's ferry, where the caravans 
 to and from Houssa cross the Niger. His baggage, much to his sur- 
 prise, had not ai'rived from Wawa, and he found, en inquiry, that it had 
 heen detauied by the orders of the persevering widow Zuma. He Im- 
 mediately returned to Wawa, and Ljinder arrived there at the same 
 moment from Boussa, whither he had gone to seek his master and ac- 
 quaint him with the detention of his property. The sultan had treated 
 Lander with great kindness, and sent two armed men back with him to 
 desire the governor of Wawa to allow the baggage to leave — " a con- 
 vincing proof," says Clapperton, " that the minds of men here must be 
 much changed for the better since the days of Park and Martyn." But 
 they were not yet done with the widow. The governor would not give 
 up the baggage until she arrived, as she was then absent. She made 
 her entry in state the next day, astride of a fine horse, with a drummer 
 before her, and a train of bowmen and spearmen behind. She wore red 
 
512 CLAPPBRTON'S tiiCOND JOURNEY TO SAOKATOO. 
 
 silk trowsers and red morocco boots, with a white turban upon hor 
 head, and over her shoulders a mantle of silk and gold. " Had she been 
 somewhat younger and less corpulent," says her victim, *' there might 
 have been great temptations to head her party, for she has certainly 
 been a very handsome woman." She was immediately summoned be- 
 fore the governor, who gave her a lecture on disobedience and vanity, 
 and finally ended by giving up Clapperton's baggage, and allowing him 
 to depart the next day. 
 
 After crossing the Niger, Clapperton proceeded toward Kano 
 through the country of Nyffe, and on the 12th arrived at a town called 
 Tabra, on the river Mayarrow, where lie was obliged to remain several 
 days. While here, a messenger came to him from the Sultan of Yaouri 
 bringing a present of a camel. He stated that the sultan had in his 
 possession two large printed books which had belonged to the white 
 men who were lost in the boat at Boussa, and had been offered a hun- 
 dred and seventy-five pieces of gold for them. Clapperton was obliged 
 to make a journey of two or three days, to the camp of the king of 
 Nyffe, in order to obtain permission to proceed further. He reached 
 Koolfu, the capital of the country, on the 2d of May. This is a place 
 of twelve or fifteen thousand inhabitants, situated on the river Mayarrow. 
 It is surrounded by a clay wall about twenty feet high, with four gates. 
 He here heard the story of Park's death related in the same manner as 
 at Boussa, and there seems no reason to doubt its correctness. The only 
 fjncertain point is, whether the travelers were shot by the natives, or 
 were drowned in attempting to escape. Soon after their death the 
 country was visited by a pestilence, which the superstition of the na- 
 tives attributed to that occurrence, and they all seemed disinclined to 
 converse on the subject. Clappeiton remarks : " I was often puzzled to 
 think, r.fter the kindnes.i I had received at Boussa, what could have 
 caused such a change in the minds of these people, in the course of 
 twenty years, and of their uifil-ient treatment of two European travelers. 
 I was even disposed at times to flatter myself that there was something 
 in me that belonged to nobody else, to make them treat me and my 
 peoj)le with so much kindness." 
 
 After having been detained six weeks at Koolfu, partly by his own 
 and Lander's sickness, and partly by the difficulty of procuring an escort 
 to Kano, Clapperton set out for the latter place on the 19th of June. 
 His progress was slow and toilsome, the rainy season having set in. lie 
 reached the city of Zaria on the 10th of July. This is a place of more 
 than fifty thousand inhabitants, situated on a plain near a long chain 
 of hills. Its appearance is made very picturesque by the long avenues 
 of trees, resembling poplars, which border the roads leading to it. Tliis 
 was within the territory of Houssa, and Clapperton now congratulated 
 himself that all his difficulties were over. The country around Zaria 
 reminded him of England iu April, and grew more pleasant as he ap- 
 proached Kano. " The land, everywhere the eye turned, looked beau- 
 
 ting 
 toJd 
 I CI 
 ! Coonii 
 his 
 Ho 
 him a 
 mainec 
 eral 
 sultan, 
 very di 
 war, B 
 to Eur 
 On 
 
ARRIVAL AT.BELLO'S CAMP. 
 
 518 
 
 tiful ; the grain was juat high enough to wave with the wind ; little 
 towns and villages were numerous ; the trees full of foliage, few being 
 left except such as were fit for use, as the butter-tree and the tamar 
 ind ; herds of fine cattle were seen grazing on the fallow-j,round ; and 
 horses and mares were tethered in the small spaces left between the 
 cultivated fields." 
 
 On the evening of July 20th, they entered Kano, and went to the 
 house of his fonner agent, Hat Salah. The latter was in low spirits on 
 account of the war between Iloussa and Bornou, which had shut them 
 out, for some time, from all communication with Fezzan or Tripoli. 
 Clapperton only remained four days in Kano, and then left for the camp 
 of Sultan Bello, with the presents he had brought, leaving Lander be- 
 hind him, to take charge of those intended for the Shekh of ]3ornou. 
 It was now the height of the rainy season ; severe storms occurred 
 nearly every day ; the rivers were swollen ; the marshes almost impass- 
 able, and he made but slow progress. On the Avay to the camp lie met 
 the vizier, whom he had ah-eady known in Sackatoo, and who received 
 him in a very friendly manner. Soon after this one of his horses was 
 lost, and with it one of his journals, so that there is a hiatus of more 
 than two months in his narrative — an omission which does not appear 
 to have been replaced afterward. 
 
 We are, therefore, ignorant of the causes which delayed him on his 
 way to Belle's camp, Avhich he did not reach until the 15th of October. 
 " Tlic sultan's reception of me," he says, " Avas most kind and gratifying, 
 lie asked after the health of the King of England, and if we were still 
 at peace, and how I had found all my friends. lie was surprised when 
 I said I had not seen them, and that I had remained only four months 
 in England. He said he had not received either of my letters, the ono 
 from Bornou, or that which had been sent by way of Ghadames from 
 Tripoli. He asked me if I had not experienced a great many difficulties 
 in getting through Yoriba ; said ho had heard of me when I was at 
 Katunga, and had sent a messenger to that place to assist me in get- 
 ting through, as well as another to Koolfu — but neither of whom, as I 
 told him, had I seen.'» 
 
 Clapperton accompanied the sultan in an attack upon the town of 
 Coonie, in which the Felatah troops were repulsed, and then directed 
 his course toward Sackatoo, where he arrived on the 20th of October. 
 He was immediately visited by the Arabs of the place, who first paid 
 him a great many compliments, and then begged for presents. He re- 
 mained in Sackatoo for several months, during which time he made sev- 
 eral excursions into the country around, mostly at the command of the 
 suhan, M'ho frequently had communications to make to him. He was 
 very desirous of proceeding to Bornou, but as the two countries were at 
 war, Bello refused his permission. He promised, however, to send him 
 to Europe, through the country of the Tuaricks, to Fezzan. 
 
 On the 2 2d of December, he was surprised by the arrival of Richard 
 
 33 
 
514 CLAPPERTON'S SECOND JOUBNEY TO SAOKATOO. 
 
 Lander from Kano, with the remainder of the baggage, including tho 
 presents for the Shekh of Hornou. Lander had been brought to Sacka- 
 too by the order of the sultan, who used the factof the war with Bornou 
 as a pretext to seize upon tho presents uitended for tho shekh. Lander 
 had suffered a great deal of fatigue and anxiety on account of the knavery 
 of the servant Pascoe, who had three times deserted, after breaking open 
 some of Captain Clapperton's trunks, and stealing the contents. On tho 
 first and second of these occasions. Lander had himself followed him for 
 several days, and overtaken him. Clapperton was now informed by tho 
 sultan that if he wished to go home, he must go by way of Fezzan or 
 Timbuctoo, but should not bo allowed to visit Bornou. He also de- 
 manded the letter to the shekh of the latter country, which Clapperton 
 refused to give up. This treachery on the part of the Sultan Bello ap- 
 pears to have depressed Clapperton profoundly, and when the former 
 again sent to him, demanding his stores of powder and ammunition, un- 
 der the pretext that they were intended for the Shekh of Bornou, his 
 customary prudence entirely deserted him. He reproached the vizier 
 and his brother with the baseness and falsehood of this proceeding ; harsh 
 epithets were used on both sides, and a breach was made between the 
 traveler and the rulers of lloussa, which was never afterward healed. 
 
 Toward the close of February, 1827, news came to Sackatoo of tho 
 defeat of the Shekh of Bornou, and his retreat to Kouka, with the loss 
 of all his baggage, camels, and two hundred and nine horses. During 
 the winter. Captain Clapperton's journal records little except some excur- 
 sions around Sackatoo, and the difficulty he had in procuring the skins 
 and skeletons of some wild hr>gs. He does not appear to have made any 
 preparations for his return to Europe, His journal terminates abruptly 
 on the 11th of March, after which we must have recourse to the narra- 
 tive of Richard Lander, for the particulars of his last illness and death. 
 
 Lander relates that his master was taken ill on the 12th of March, 
 with dysentery. As it was the fast of Ramadan, none of tho servants 
 would render the least assistance, and he was obliged to wash, cook, 
 watch at night, and fan the invalid. The weather was insufferably hot, 
 the thermometer being 107° mi the shade. Lander carried him in his arms 
 every day to a shady place on the outside of the hut, as he was too weak 
 even to raise himself on his couch. The former fancied that he had been 
 poisoned by some of the Arabs or Tuaricks, in drinking camel's milk ; 
 but Clapperton replied, " No, my dear boy, no such thing has been done, 
 I assure you. Do you remember that when on a shooting excursion in 
 the early part of February, after walking the whole of the day, exposed 
 to the scorching rays of the sun, I was fatigued, and lay down under the 
 branches of a tree for some time ? The earth was soft and wet, and from 
 that hour to the present, I have not been free from cold ; this has brought 
 on my present disorder, from which, I believe, I shall never recover." 
 
 " For twenty days," says Lander, " my poor master remained in a 
 low and distressed state. He told me he felt uo pain ; but this was 
 
niS LAST ILLNESS. 
 
 515 
 
 spoken only to comfort mo, for ho saw I was dispirited. ITis sufferings 
 must have been acute. During this time he was gradually, but percept- 
 ibly, declining ; his body, froni being robust and vigorous, became 
 weak and emaciated, and indeed was little better than a skeleton. I 
 was the only person, with one exception, he saw in liis sickness. Ab- 
 derachman, an Arab from Fezzan, came to him one day, and wished to 
 ])ray with him, after the manner of his countrymen, but was desired to 
 leave the apartment instantly. I read to him daily some portions of th^ 
 New Testament, and the ninety-fifth l^salm, which ho was never weary 
 of listening to, and on Sundays added the church service, to which ho 
 invariably paid the profoundest attention. Tlio constant agitation of 
 mind and exertions of body I had myself undergone for so long a time, 
 never having in a single instance slept out of my clothes, weakened me 
 exceedingly, and a fever came on not long before my master's death, 
 which hung upon me for fifteen days, and ultimately brought jne to the 
 very verge of the grave. 
 
 "On the Ist of April, he became considerably worse, and though 
 evidently in want of repose, his sleep became more and more disturbed. 
 On the 9th, Maddie, a native of IJornou, whom master had retained in 
 his service, brought him about twelve ounces of green bark from the 
 butter-tree, and said it would do him much good. Notwithstanding all 
 my remonstrances, master immediately ordered a decoction of it to bo 
 prepared, observing, ' No man will injure me.' Accordingly Maddio 
 himself boiled two basins-full, the whole of which he drank in less than 
 an hour. Next morning he was much altered for the worse, and regret- 
 ted his not having followed my advice. About twelve o'clock of the 
 same day, he said, ' Richard, I shall shortly be no more ; I feel myself 
 dying.' Almost choked with grief, I replied, ' God forbid, my dear 
 master : you will live many years yet.' ' Don't be so much affected, my 
 dear boy, I entreat you,' said ho : ' it is the will of the Almighty ; it can 
 not be helped. Take care of my journal and papers atler my death ; 
 and when you arrive in London, go immediately to my agents, send for 
 my uncle, who will accompany you to the Colonial Office, and let him 
 see you deposit them safely into the hands of the secretary. After I am 
 buried, apply to Bello, and borrow money to ])urchase camels and pro- 
 visions for your journey over the desert, and go in the train of the Arab 
 merchants to Fezisan. * * * Remark what towns or villages you 
 pass through ; pay attention to whatever the chiefs may say to you, and 
 put it on paper. The little money I have, and all my clothes, I leave 
 you : sell the latter, and put what you may receive for them into your 
 pocket ; and if, on your journey, yo»i should be obliged to expend it, 
 government will repay you on your return.' I said, as well as my agita- 
 tion would permit me, ' If it be the will of God to take you, you may 
 rely on my faithful performing, as far as I am able, all that you have 
 desired ; but I trust the Almighty will spare you, and you will yet live 
 to see your country.' ' I thouglii I should at one time, Richard,' con- 
 
 M 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
r»in OI.ArrKUTON'H HKOONI) JOtTllNKY TO HACKAToo. 
 
 timu'il lie, •liiit nil in now «»v«'r ; I hIiiiII not hv lonj^ fof (liin woild ; i,,,^ 
 <JoiI'h Mill Ih> (lour.* Ho tliiMi ttioli III) li.'tiiil lictnixt IiIh, lunl Iniikiinr 
 1IH' lull ill \\w Ihcc, wliili' II lour hIooiI fxliHti'iiiii^ in IiIh eye, Niiiij, in ^ 
 
 low liiit ilri>|»ly iilVffliiijr (one, 'My *\v\\v Uitliunl, if you hiul \u<{. | „ 
 
 with Mil', I hIhhiIiI liiivc liii'd loii>^ ii^o ; I «'!iii only lliitnk yon, witli niy 
 lutt'Nl Inciilli, loi' >•'«•• kiinlncHH iiikI iilliu'liniont 1o inc, iiikI if I ruiil.j 
 Inivf JiviMJ to iriiini widi yon, yon nIioiiM ltavi> Imm-ii t>liii><>i| lii'voinl |||,, 
 rcMcli of waiil ; lint (Jod will rcwiinl yon.' 'I'liiH coiivrrHiilion ornipi,.,! 
 nearly two lionrn, in tin' conrm' of wliii-ii my niii«»t('r Diinlnl hivitmI 
 iiinrs, and wiiM (liNti'CNstMl lu'Vond iniMiNnrr. Tin* Niinn> cvniiiifr Iii> i;.|| 
 into a Nlninltrr, tVoin wliieli ln> iiwokr in innt'li prrtniliation, and hmIiI Ik. 
 had hi'ard with innch distinrlncHM tlio tolling of an Mn^liHli rnnntil licil; 
 1 Mitrciitrd him to he t<oiii|)OM>d, and ohsnvtMl that xick pcoplt' |Vi< 
 
 <|in'iitly llnicy they In-ar and Hco (liingM which nm poNNihly hav ex- 
 
 ist«'iic('. Ill' miidc no reply. 
 
 " yMioiit six o'eloeU on the morning of the Nth, on iiHkiiKj Ikmv ho 
 did, my maNter aiiNWered he wn.s inneh better, and rei|nesli'i| mr i„ 
 nhave him. On the moiniiifX of the IMth, however, lieiii!^ awake, | u;h 
 inneli alaiined hy a |teenliar rattlin;^ noise, proeeedin^ IVoin my iiimmIci's 
 throat, and his hreatliint; was loud and dillienlt ; at; the Maine insl;inl liu 
 railed out 'Hiehard!' in u low :nid hurried tone. I w:ih iniiiieiliatciv 
 at his side, and «as astonished at, Heeinij him Killiiiir npri.rhi, i,| jij^ |„,,|^ 
 and staiinu: wildly around. I held him in my arms, and piaiimr hU 
 head gently on my lelV shoulder, gazed a nioment. on his pale ami iiilnnl 
 teatnn's: some indistinel e,\pressions ipiivi'i'ed on his lips ; lie si rove, liiil 
 inelU'etnally, to give them ntteranee, and expiretl widiont. a sliiiixu'li' or 
 a sigh. When I t'onml my poor master so very ill, I called out wiili ail 
 my strength, M) (Jod, my master is dyiiigl' which Itrought I'mmim' iiml 
 Mudoy into tlie apartment. Shmtly alVer the breath had lell, liii limly, 
 I desired I'ascoi^ to fetch some water, with which I washeil tin' n.r|is('. 
 1 then got. I'ascoi' and Miidey to assist, me in taking it, outside of llio 
 hut, laid it on a <>lean mat, and wrapped it, in a sheel :nid lil.iiikcl. 
 Leaving it in this state two hour«, I jmt a large clean mat over tlio 
 whole, and sent a messenger to Sultan Hello, to ac(piaint liiiii of tlio 
 mournful event, and ask his permission to bury tlie body ailcr the iiiuii- 
 ner tif my own country, and als») to know in what ])articiilar place liis 
 remains were to be interred. The incs.sengi'r soon relnrned with the 
 sultairs consent to tlie former part of my reipiest ; and about 12 o'clock 
 at noon of the same day a jierson came into my Imt, accoinpaiiicd ))y 
 fonr slaves, sent by IJollo to dig the grave. I was ib'siri'd to follow , 
 tliem witli the corpse. Accordingly T saddled my camel, and imtting | 
 the body (m its back, and throwing a union-j;ick over it, I bade tliom | 
 proceed. Traveling at a slow pace, wo halted at Jimgavle, a niiiiiH ! 
 village, built on a rising ground, about five miles to the south-east of 
 Sackatoo. The body was then taken from the camel's back, and plaood j 
 in a shed, wliilo the slaves wore digging the grave ; which being quiokly 
 
 i 
 
iMH iitniiAri. 
 
 M7 
 
 iliiiii', it w»« forivoypfl «'|(»m< l<» if,. I iIh'Ii opciird ii pniyor hook, nml, 
 Miiiid mIimwci'N nt' (citi'M, ri'iiil l.li<> riiiirnil M*>rvii>n ovor llii* rciiiiiirm of my 
 miImi'iI iiiiimIi'I'. Not. ii Hiiii^li' |M>i'Miiii liNlrni><| to lli'm |M>(Miliiir|y ilislrrHH 
 iim ci'irmoiiy, lln» HliivfM Itf-iiiir ii(, noiiii' )liHliui<'r, )|iiiii'r)'liii({ iiinl iniikin^ 
 :i iiiomI iinlco'tit iioIno flin \vliiil«> of iJio tiiiiii it limtnl, 'I'liiH ImIii^ <l(in<>, 
 )|ii< iiiiinii J!i('k U'liH luki'ii iitV, iitiil til)' Itofly wiim slowly towcit'il into thn 
 (Hilli, mill I w<'|it, liitlnly im I ^ii/cd (or llir lust, liiiM> ii|imm mII that, 
 rrinniiM'il of my jft-iiMoim iiikI iiilicpid miiHtfi'. 'I'lif pit, wm H|M'cili|y 
 lillcil, mnl I icl.iirncil to tlin villii;;^ ulMtiif, thirty yiir<h to tin- imihI, of 
 (lie irnivc, ami K'vin;^ the moHt. r('H|M'flahlo iiihahiliiiitM, li(»lh majo an<l 
 I'i'iiiiilt', a ll>\v tiilliiif^ piTNciitM, ('ntrc'itcil thctii to h't, no om- iliMtiiiii il,«i 
 NiM'K'l cnntcMtM. I alno ^av«t (ln-m l,w<» tlioiiMati'l rowiics to hiiild ii 
 lioiiMt', (Jmr (i'cl, hi^h, over the Hpol, wliirh they pninrmcd to do. I tlMn 
 n-lnnicd, ilisroiiN<»!at(! imd o|ipn'SM('d, to my HoJitary lialiitiilinn, atxl 
 Iciiniiii^ my head on my hand, «-oi(ld not. help luinir deeply a(lril,ed with 
 my loiH'Momo and (lan^erons nit nation ; u himdied and liU.ccn dayw' 
 jdiinicy IVoni llm wa-coast, ntirroimdrd l»y a HclliHli and ciiicl rare of 
 Hti'iiii!4<'iK, my only (Viend and piotrrtor moldmin^ in IiIh ^rav«*, and 
 itiysril" Hiillrriti;^ drcadlnlly !V<Mn fcvcM-. I C-lt, indeed, as if I wtood 
 iildiic in (he woiM, and enrneMtly wiwlied f had I;; .-n laid hy lh<? Hide of 
 my dear master : all tint trying evih f had endiin-d never affected mo 
 li!ilf»o miU'li !W lli<! bitt<"r rcfliMstionH of that di.streHsiii!^ period."* 
 
 it" 
 
 ♦ Cnptniii IIiirIi f'lnp|inrlnti wn<t born in Dnnifriofiqliirn, Hi-ollnii'l, in Di" yi'nr 178R, nn»I 
 rnnH('i|in'ntly wiw tliirty-iihin yenrn njil ril llio (imo of \m tlcfitli. Iln rcr'fivoil vry liltio 
 I'tliiciitidH, (>X('('pt in lri(!'ino?n('lry and niiviKulioti, i\w\ wiw (i|i|ircnlicc(l f)n hoiiril i\ rrnir- 
 c'liMiil vi'MHi'l, at (iKm^rn iif lliirlf'i'n. Iliivin^ hmiri iiri|iri'Hi()'l liy llm friK'itd llniniinnre., 
 Ill (iiliniltur, in \HW\, lin wiih, tlii()ii«Ii llm inlliifitu'n fiC iiii imcjc, who wtw r-iiplaln of tlio 
 iii.'iriiH'S, iippoinli'il niiilnliipiii.'in. Ilo iirinrwiiiil rn:i'lo ii voyjij^o Id |tiili;i in !'■■ friicsito 
 ainrimli', iiiid in IHM \vim H<iit, to Itfrninilft (in<l lliilifii.'c, ntid llicti to trpfir'r '/'.itiiKlft. Mo 
 Wiw (liHtin(?nisl)ci| M nn oxci'llciil Hwonlsrn.'Ui, ft (fnxl voctiliMt, nn niliniralil" Klory-lfllur, 
 a frank, wlmln-Hoiiliiil conipiinion, ntiij n fHitlirul frii.-nil. " In tlm wint<;r iil' IKI.I," myH 
 liiH iPKiKrapliiT, "lio wuH pliiccl in roniriKmil of a liloLkhoii'in on Iiiiko Ontario. Ho had 
 oiilv ■ nn Hiimll (?tin for its dcfi'iiH"; lio wan ftttacknd by nn Ainoricati wOioonor ; tlio 
 b;>i('l lioiiM'i was HDon flcnioliHlifd l)y tlm Hiiporiorify of tlin cn'-rny's flro. and ho found tlmt 
 Im.sclf and tho ;'nrty nnmt citlmr t)('fomo priRoiora of war, or form tho rosoiution of 
 cnmsinK I,akn Ontario on tho ico, ii jonrnoy of forty iniloH, to York (Toronto), tlm nc-jroHt 
 Urilinli d(':pr>t. NotwitliRtandiiiK tho dilTlrnlty and dan^nr nitfindinf? a jonrrify of fliif;h 
 Iciijrlli ov('r tho ico in tho flcjith of winter, tho altornativo was Roon adopted and flm 
 pnrly net out to crosH tlio lake, tnit had not ^otio morn than tf-n or twolv; niilf'S, bfforo a 
 l)(iv, onn of llin party, was mmhlo to procood from tho cold. Tho Raiiorn nil dc'larcd that 
 tlii'V wcro niiahlo to r.irry liiin, as tlioy worn ho bonnmbod with tho nold, and had wnrrcAv 
 slivngth nntrii'iont to Hupport thcmHclvofl. f!Inppcrton'H ((onoroiis nntnro roul'l not h' 
 tlm ido.i of a fcjiow-nroaturo boin^ loft to jjoristi under rijoIi appalling circiimstanocn, for 
 li'lrcftdful Hnow-Rtorm had comnioncod. Ho thnroforo tof)k tho boy upon tiis bnck, liold- 
 in;; him with his Icfl Imnd, and Hiipportinfi; liimRcirfrorn Hlippin^ with a RtafT in hin ri^ht. 
 In thifl mannor ho continued to go forward for eight or nine miles, when bo perceived that 
 tho hoy relaxed bin bold, and on oxamining tho cause, foimd that bo was in a dying .state 
 from tlio cold, and Hoon after expired. Tho sufTorings of tlio whole party were great be- 
 fore tlicy roachod York ; tho stockings and shoos completely worn ofT their foct, and 
 
518 CLAPPERTON'3 SECOND JOURNEY TO SACKATOO. 
 
 RETURN JOURNEY OP RICHARD LANDER. 
 
 After the ileath of his master, Uichanl Lander was very ill for many 
 days. The Arabs in the city visited him daily, and pretended to con- 
 dole with and comfort hhn. The weather was so warm that ho was 
 obliged to keep a tub of water at his side, into which he frequently 
 plunged his hands and arms. After he had given up all hope of roeov- 
 ery, his hyalth suddenly iinjjroved on the 20th of April, and the next 
 day he was able to sit uj». The vizier came and searched the boxes, 
 which he liad been informed were filled with gold and silver ; but to his 
 surprise, found that Lander had not money enough to take him bu(;k to 
 the sea-coast. The latter concealed about his person the watches of 
 Clapperton and Pearce. The sultan then demanded the arms and am- 
 munition, promising to pay for them. Lander charged him two hun- 
 dred and forty-five thousand cowries (about seventy-five dollars) unJ 
 received an order on Hat Salah, of Kano. 
 
 By making some presents to an old Ar.ib named Ben Guniso, who 
 had considerable influence over Sult.in Bello, Lander finally sucoet'ded 
 in obtaining permission to depart from Sackatoo. The sultan insisted 
 that he should go from K.ino through the country of the Tuarieks to 
 Fezzan, while Lander had made up his mind to return by way of IJoussa, 
 over the road he had already traveled. Bello also declared his intention 
 to keep Pascoc, for the purpose of cleaning his guns, but was persuaded 
 to let him go as far as Kano, as interpreter. " Finding," says Lander, 
 " that the sultan had nothing more to say, I bowed profoundly and re- 
 tired. I never saw him again." 
 
 The brave-hearted yo ing man left Sackatoo on the 4th of I\Iay, but 
 on the very next day narr.nvly escaped perishing of thirst. Sitting un- 
 der a tree nearly suffocated, he implored the hundreds of Felatahs and 
 Tuaricks who were passing, to sell him a drop of water, but they merely 
 
 their bodies in a dreadful state from the want of nourishment, having had nothing during 
 the journey but one bag of meal. From the long inaction of Clapperton 's loft hand, in 
 carrying tho boy upon his back, ho lost, fVom tho cfTccts of the frost, the first joint of hia 
 tlmmb." 
 
 Clapperton remained upon tho lakes until 1817, when ho roturnod to England, on tlie 
 breaking up of tho lako fleet, and was put upon half-pay. Ho then resided with liid rel- 
 atives in Scotland until 1820, when, happening to meet Dr. Oudney at Edinburg, he 
 made application to join tho mission to Central Africa, and his offer was accepted. Tlie 
 remainder of his history is contained in this, and tho foregoing narrative. 
 
 Captain Clapperton was about five feet eleven inches higli ; ho had great breadth of 
 chest and expansion of shoulders, and was otherwise proportionately strong ; ho was a 
 handsome, atldctic, powerful man, yet with an expression of genial kindness and human- 
 ity on his foaturch. One of his medical frionda placed so much reliance on tho native 
 vigor of his constitution, that he supposed ho could not bo overcome by disease, and UDtll 
 tho return of Lander, would not believe that his death (the news of whicli had pre- 
 viously reached England), had happened in any other way, except through accident or 
 violence. 
 
LANDER'S JOURNEY SOUTHWARD. 
 
 610 
 
 exolaimod: "IIo is a kaffi,r (intidol) ; let him die." Finally, a young 
 mail, in spite of the remonstrances of the other natives, gave him a cala- 
 bash full, which revived himself and his horse, and enabled them to go 
 on. Ueaching Kano on the 25th, he called upon Hat Ualah, who instead 
 of the sultan's cowries, gave him a female slave, with some red caps and 
 beads. After four days' stay, he left for Funda, taking with him Pas- 
 coe, who was no less desirous than himself to escape from the territory 
 of Iloussa. Ilis course was to the southward and eastward of t!:at whiiih 
 Clapperton had pursued in going from Badagry to Kano, and had never 
 before been traveled by a European. 
 
 On the 18th of Juno ho arrived at tho town of Dunrora (Darroro of 
 Barth), in tho kingdom of Yacoba. " Our route, some j»art8 of this 
 day," says he, " lay over steep and craggy precipices, of a most awful 
 height. On tho summit of one of these places tho path was barely wide 
 enough for a single beast to pass. The horse that carried the portman- 
 teaus, in which were the journal, papers, watches, etc., struck himself 
 against a piece of rock and was precipitated a distance of eighty yards, 
 the ropes which were bound around the portmanteaus arresting his fur- 
 ther progress. This accident occasioned us two hours' delay, but tho 
 horse was not materially hurt. We had been traveling about half an 
 hour after L.iving this spot, when we came to a place from which there 
 was an extensive and beautiful prospect of the surrot ading country, and 
 eight days' journey might be plainly seen before us. About half a day's 
 journey to tho east stood a lofty hill, at the foot of which lay tho largo 
 city of Yacoba. Mohammed affirmed that there is a river called Shar, 
 orShary, about half a mile from that place, which derives its source from 
 Lake Tchad ; and that canoes can go from the lake to the Niger at any 
 season of the year.* 
 
 As he was about leaving Dunrora tho next day, on his way south- 
 ward, raossengers suddenly arrived from the King of Zegzeg (a small 
 country through which he had already passed), commanding him to re- 
 turn. In spite of all remonstrance, ho was obliged to comply. " Thus," 
 he remarks, with a naive and touching sincerity, " after seventeen days* 
 perilous traveling from Kano, with a fair prospect of reaching Funda in 
 twelve or thirteen more, from whence four days' sail would bring me to 
 the salt water — a new country opening before me, and filled with the 
 most lively anticipations of solving the geographical problem which had 
 for so long a time puzzled Europeans, of ascertaining whether the Niger 
 actually joins the sea in that direction — was I obliged to abandon my 
 fondest and long-cherished hopes, and return to Zegzeg ; from thence to 
 be transported the Lord knows whither. I felt depressed and unhappy 
 
 * At Dunrora, Lander was but two or tliree days' journey from the Chadda, or Biiiu6, 
 and narrowly escaped the geographical discovery made by Dr. Barth in 1851. The 
 Ohadda, however, rises in tho mountains of Adamowa, and has no connection with tho 
 Shsry, which flows into Lake Tchad from the south-east. The two rivers approach each 
 other at one point, and are often confounded by the natives. — ^B. T. . ■■■• 
 
520 CLAPPBRTON'S SECOND JOUllNKY TO SACKATOO. 
 
 at this sudden turn in my affairs, and cared not much whether I Kv'ed op 
 died." 
 
 The rainy season had now commenced ard he was dctjiined so long 
 by tlio rising of the rivers that ho did not reach Zegiseg until the 22(1 
 of July. He had reason to believe that the king had sent for him merely 
 to gratify his curiosity, fs ho had never seen a white man. lie was de- 
 tained but two days, and received a present of a bullock and a female 
 slave at parting. lie now judged it prudent to take the direct route to 
 Boussa, as there was less risk of being arrested on the way. He reached 
 the Niger in safety, and on the 24 ih of August arrived at Wawa, just 
 one month after leaving Zegzeg. The natives had been very kind to 
 him on the road, and ho experienced no serious difficulty anywhere. 
 In the villages people frequently applied to him to writo charms, and as 
 his means were greatly reduced, he gave them fragments of old English 
 ballads, which they took with a devout belief in their cfficccy. 
 
 The old Governor of Wawa received him with great kindness and 
 cordiality, and kept him until the 4th of September, detaining some 
 merchants who were bound for Kiama, in order that they might accom- 
 pany him. The road was at this time infested with robbers, but Lander 
 reached there safely on the 9th, and remained five days. The generous 
 old king supplied him with provisions in abundance. On the 25th he 
 reached Katunga, the capital of Yoriba. The king would not allow hinr. 
 to wait on him, lest ho should wet his feet, but came himself to visit 
 Lander, accompanied by five hundred of his wives. Lander remained 
 at Katunga until the 21st of October, when he left for Badagry, the 
 king giving him a present of 4000 cowries (a little more than a dollai) 
 at parting. He arrived at Badagry without accident, on the 2l8t of 
 November, having been one month on the road. 
 
 While at this place he had a disagreeable adventure, which he thus 
 relates : " Three of the Portuguese slave-merchants residing at Badagry, 
 went to the king one day, and told him and his principal men that I was 
 a spy sent by the English government, and if suffered to have, would 
 soon return with an army and conquer their country. This the credu- 
 lous people believed, and I was treated with coldness and distrust by 
 the king and his subjects, who seldom came to see me. All the chief 
 men at length assembled at the fetish hut, and having come to a resolu- 
 tion that I was to drink a fetish, sent for me to appear before them. On 
 entering, one of the men, presenting me with a bowl in which was about 
 a quart of a liquid resembling water, commanded me to drink it, saying: 
 ' If you come to do bad, it will kill you ; but if not, it can not hurt you.' 
 There being no resource, I immediately and without hesitation swallowed 
 the contents of the bowl, and walked hastily out of the hut, through 
 the armed men, to my own lodgings, took powerful medicine and plenty 
 of warm water, which instantly ejected the Avhole from my stomach, and 
 I felt no ill effects from the fetish. When the king and chief men found, 
 after five days, that the fetish had not hurt me, thoy became extremely 
 
LANDER'S RETURN. 
 
 621 
 
 kind, and sent mo presents of provisions otn ^„-i 
 
 of January, 1828, 1 went „„ boaH7a„d a rivtd at an"" r ° ""' '""* 
 31«. Here I gave my faithful a^iLathXT^A T ^°'"' ™ ""o 
 .orrow on mf departure b/hcan.r J T'"'"'' '»"'«'"' "'"■• 
 mark, of grief peculiar to. he AS7rr °" "'' '"=^'' """ ""^'^ 
 
 1 
 
EXPLORATIONS OF THE NIGER. 
 
 DISCOVERIES OF RICHARD AND JOHN LANDER. 
 
 I AfTKR returning to En- 
 gland, liicliard Lander made 
 a proposition to the English 
 government to undertake an 
 exploration of the course of 
 the Niger, from Bousaa to the 
 sea, and on the 31st of De- 
 cember, 1829, received a letter 
 accepting I.'.s offer, with in- 
 structions as to Tie course he 
 should pursue, lie was fur- 
 nished with ;ill the articles 
 necessary for tlie journey, and 
 a sum t exceeding five hun- 
 dred d'jiims, the governracnt 
 agreeing to p.iy one hundred 
 pounds to his wili^ I'-r the first 
 year after his absence. His 
 brother John, who also volun- 
 teered for the service, was 
 permitted to accompany him, 
 but the government refused to 
 allow him any compensation. 
 The brothers embarked at 
 Portsmouth on the 9th of 
 January, 1830, and reached 
 Cape Coast on the 22d of February. Here they engaged old Pascoe 
 and his wife, and two Bomou men who were ^miliar with the English, 
 and could speak the language of Houssa. They were detained some 
 time, waiting for a vessel, and did not reach Badagry until the 21st of 
 March. The king received them rather coldly, and so far from being 
 
 AroU 
 
 /JhdUf 
 
 ^A^A 
 
 
524 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE NIGER. 
 
 grateful for the handsome prcaontatlioyluid brought liim, continually do- 
 nianded more. A portion of the inhubitants appeared to be liostilo to 
 their undertaking, and tried to persuade the king to demand of thciii 
 a larger sum than thoy could aftbrd to pay, in order to prevent tlioiu 
 from gohig. Endless difficulties were thrown in their way ; half of tln-ir 
 supply of goods and money for the interior was beggiMlor extorted from 
 ti'cm ; every efl'ort at conciliation was met with insolence and cutuplaiiit • 
 yci the traveierH persisted in their demands for boats and horses, with 
 th(> utmost patience and perseverance. Finally, on the aist, aft,er ton 
 days of mhuito vexation, they succeeded, and about ten o'clock at ni<'ht 
 commenced their voyage up the liadagry Itivcr. 
 
 On the 0th of April they arrived at Jaiinah, where they were re- 
 ceived with much ceremony by the governor, who treated them with 
 kindness and courtesy. Hero they were compelled to remain eight days, 
 to wnit for onn of tJu'ir hors(>s which had not yet arrived fromUadagry. 
 They again set out for the capital of Yoriba on the 14th. Richard 
 Lat'rlor says : " Several strangers accompany us from town to lown, in 
 order to evade the duty which is exacted at the turnpike-gates, by stat- 
 ing themselves to bo of the number of our attendants. Women have 
 also placed themselves under the protection of our men from Capo 
 Coast Castle, that they may enjoy the like advantage ; in return for this 
 favor they do us many little kind offices, and arc useful if. making fires, 
 preparing food, etc., for our people." A week afterward John Lander 
 hac ■ IV severe attack of fever ; his state was very critictal for two or three 
 days, but under the care of his brother, ho recovered sufficiently to pro- 
 ceed. 
 
 Their journey through the kingdom of Yoriba, by nearly the samo 
 road as Captain Clappcrton had traveled four years previous, was ex- 
 ceedingly interesting, and JoI;:i Lander relates many curious anecdotes 
 of their intercourse with the irdiabitants. They encountered no serious 
 difficulty, and on the 13th of May approached the city of Katunga, to 
 which news of their coming had already been forwarded. Richard gives 
 the following account of their arrival : " Hundreds of people, and per- 
 haps if I were to say thoiisanda the nimiber would not be overrated, 
 preceded and followed us on the pathway ; and as they wound tlivouj^h 
 thick forests, along narrow roads, their bhie and white clothing, con- 
 trasted with the deep green of the ancient trees, produced an eniinontly 
 pleasing effect. After a hasty ride of two liours we came in sight of the 
 town of Eetcholeo, outside of which arc numerous trees, and underneath 
 their widely-spreading branches wc observed various groups of people 
 seated on the turf, taking refreshment. Wc joined them, partook of a 
 little corn and water, which is our usual traveling fare, and then re- 
 newed our journey. I sounded my bugle, at which the natives were as- 
 tonished and pleased ;.but a black trumpeter, jealous of the performance, 
 challenged a contest for the saporiority of tho rcsper-tivo instruments, 
 which terminated in tho entire defeat of tho African, who was hooted | 
 J 
 
ILLNESS— THE WIDOW ZUMA. 
 
 625 
 
 71 
 
 and laughed at by his companions for his presumption, and gave up the 
 trial in despair. Thus escorted we traveled onward ; and after a 
 hasty ride of six hours from Ketchu beheld from a little eminence those 
 black, naked hills of granite at whose base lies the metropolis of Yoriba. 
 About an hour afterward Ave entered the gates of that extensive city. 
 As is the custom, we staid under a tree just inside the walls, till the 
 kin" and his eunuchs were informed of our arrival, which having been 
 done, after a wearisome delay, we rode to the residence of Ebo, the 
 chief eunuch, who, next to the king, is the most influential man hi the 
 place." 
 
 The king received them kindly, but by the advice of the eunuch, 
 they said nothing to him of the real object of their journey, pretending 
 that they were on their way to Yaouri, for the purpose of procuring 
 Park's papers. Contrary to their exjtectations, he did not detain tliem 
 more thfin a week, at the end of which time they continued their jour- 
 ney toward Kiaina. As they approached the Borghoo country, the 
 country became more populous and cultivated, and the people, many of 
 whom were Felatahs, treated them hospitably. They reached Kiama on 
 the 28th of May, and went directly to the house of the king, who had 
 sent an armed escort to meet them, and af)peared well-pleased to see 
 them. During their stay at this place, there were several public festi- 
 vals, attended with music, dancing, and horse-races. The king Avould 
 not permit them to visit Wawa, but required that they should go direct 
 to Boussa. 
 
 John Lander was taken ill immediately after leaving Kiama, and 
 continued to grow worse from day to day. During the intervals of his 
 delirium, he gave directions with regard to his family, supposing that he 
 could not live. Richard watched him with great distress and anxiety ; 
 but on the night of Juno 10th, his disorder took a favorable turn, and 
 he gradually recovered. While Richard was occupied in nursing him, 
 an old woman applied to him for medicine that would produce her an 
 entire new set of teeth ; or, said she, " if I can only be supplied with 
 two large and strong ones, I shall be satisfi(jd with them." The woman 
 was becoming rather impertinent, when Lander recommended her to 
 proci'-e two iron ones from a blacksmith, which so much displeased her 
 that she went away in a pet. 
 
 They reached Bouss?. on the 1 7th, and were heartily welcomed by 
 the king and his Avife, who stated that they had both been wecjiing all 
 the morning, on account of the death of Clapperton, though their faces 
 showed no evidence of it. The next day Lander writes : " The noted 
 widow Zuma visited us to-day without the slightest pretensions to finery 
 of any kind, either in her dress or ornaments, for she was clad in very 
 humble apparel of country cloth. She related to us, with great good- 
 humor, her quarrels with her prince, the ruler of Wawa, and her con- 
 sequent flight from that city to escape liis resentment. It apjjears, that 
 
 L_ 
 
 in order to effect this, she was actually obliged to climb over the city 
 
626 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP THE NIGER. 
 
 wa'l in the night, and travel on foot to Boussa, which is a very lone 
 journey, and to a woman of her size must have been an arduouH task. 
 She alleged that she had done nothing whatever to merit the displeas- 
 ure of the Wawa chief, notwithstanding which he had robbed her of 
 all her household furniture and a number of her slaves. 
 
 " We imagined," continues Lander, " that ;t would have been bad 
 policy to have stated the true reason of our visiting this country, know- 
 ing the jealousy of most of the people with regard to the Niger ; and 
 therefore, in answer to the king's inquiries, were obliged to deceive him 
 with the assertion that our object was to go to Bornou by way of 
 Yaouri, requesting at the same time a safe conveyance through his ter- 
 ritories. This answer satisfied the king, and he promised us every as- 
 sistance in his power. Our visitors remained with us a considerable 
 time, and in the course of conversation, one of them observed that they 
 had in their possession a tobe which belonged to a white man who came 
 from the north many years ago, and from whom it had been purchased 
 by the king's father. We expressed great curiosity to see this tobe 
 and it was sent us as a present a short time after their departure. Con- 
 trary to our expectations, we found it to be made of rich crunson 
 damask, and very heavy from the immense quantity of gold embroidery 
 with which it vas covered. As the time when the late king is said to 
 have purchased this tobe corresponds very nearly to the supposed period 
 of Mr. Park's death, and as we never heard of any other white man hav- 
 ing come from the north so far south as Boussa, we are inclined to be- 
 lieve it to be part of the spoil obtained from the canoe of that ill-tated 
 traveler." 
 
 The next day a man brought them a book which had been picked 
 up in the river after Park's death. It proved to be an old volume of 
 navigation, of no value, but between the leaves were some loose [-apers, 
 one of which was an invitation to dinner, addressed to Park. In a day 
 or two afterward messengers arrived to conduct them to the Sultan of 
 Yaouri, from whom they hoped to obtain more satisfactory relics of 
 Park's expedition. They embarked in a canoe, and proceeded up the 
 Niger ; the river, which is split into three channels and obstructed with 
 rapids, near Boussa, gradually widened to the extent of two miles, and 
 continued so, as far as the eye could reach. In most places it was ex- 
 tremely shallow, but in others deep enough to float a frigate. " The 
 banks were literally covered with hamlets and villag 3S ; fine trees, bend- 
 ing under the weight of their dark and impenetrable foliage, everywhere 
 relieved the eye from the glare of the sun's rays, and, contrasted with 
 the lively verdure of the little hills and plains, produced the most pleas- 
 ing effect." 
 
 After a voyage of four days, they landed at a village on the eastern 
 bank, eight miles from the city of Yaouri, which lies inland, on the top 
 of a steep hill. The path up the hill was so narrow that two men could 
 hardly pass, and terminated in an arched way through the wall of the 
 
DETENTION AT TAOURI. 
 
 527 
 
 city, closed by a gate covered with plates of iron. Three days after 
 their arrival, the travelers were conducted to the sultan. Says Richard 
 Lander, '* He is a big-headed, corpulent, and jolly-looking man, well 
 stricken in years ; and though there is something harsh and forbidding 
 in his countenance, yet he was generally smiling during the conference. 
 The conversation commenced in the usual complimentary way ; and then 
 our object in visiting Yaouri was briefly and indirectly hinted at. When 
 we asked him whether he did not send a letter to the late Captain Clap- 
 perton, while that officer was at Koolfu, in which he had affirmed that 
 he had certain books and papers in his possession which belonged to Mr. 
 Park, he appeared very much confused. After thinking and hesitating 
 a good while, he answered with an affected laugh, *■ How do you think 
 that I could have the books of a person that was lost at Boussa ?' and 
 this was all hn said on the subject." 
 
 After remaining at Yaouri bcven days, vainly endeavoring to procure 
 further information concerning Park, the patience of the travelers was 
 exhausted, and they sent Pascoe with a message to the sultan, that they 
 earnestly wished to receive a final and decisive answer with regard to 
 the restoration of Mr. Park's papers, which they declared to have been 
 the sole object of their visiting him, and that it was their desire to quit 
 Yaouri immediately. " This bold and to us unusual language seemed 
 to have surprised and startled the sultan," says Richard Lander, " and 
 he instantly dispatched the old Arab to inform us, * that he declared ta 
 God, m the most solemn manner, that he had never had in his possession, 
 nor seen, any books or papers of the white travelers that perished at 
 Boussa.' The Arab hkewise assured us that we were at liberty to pro- 
 ceed on our journey whenever we should think proper." They v/ere 
 thus obliged to give up all hopes of recovering Park's journals, but suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining one of his muskets from a native of Yaouri. There 
 can he no doubt that Park reached Boussa, and met his death in the 
 manner stated. 
 
 The sultan afterward requested the travelers to remain a few daya 
 longer, until he could write to the King of England an explanation of 
 his conduct toward Mungo Park, and an account of the death of the lat- 
 ter. Meanwhile, there were indications of a war between NyflRe and 
 Yaouri, which would make their journey to Funda, on the Niger, haz- 
 ardous by land. They therefore sent a messenger to the King of Boussa, 
 statuig that they would be obliged to return to the salt water to obtain 
 more money and presents before proceeding to Bomou — (they had pre- 
 viously stated that they vrere on their way to Bornou, on account of the 
 great jealousy of the nati/es concerning any exploration of the Niger) — 
 and would be glad if he would furnish them with a canoe to Funda, as 
 the King of Badagry hid treated them so ill that they were afraid to 
 return thither. On the 18th of July, the messenger returned, and to 
 their great joy stated that the King of Boussa would furnish them with 
 a canoe to Funda, provided the road by land was not safe, but adviaed 
 
52a 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THB NIOBR. 
 
 them to obtain aWo the permission of the King of Wawa, and other petty 
 ■overcigns whoso territories extended to the river. They were now 
 ready to leave, but the sultan detained them from day to day, on the 
 most frivolous and contradictory pretexts, until finally, on the 26th, a 
 messenger arrived from the King of Boussa, to request their immediate 
 release. On the Ist of August, they received permission to depart, and 
 immediately left, after a residence of five weeks in Yaouri, which Uich- 
 ard Lander describes as the largest city in Central Africa, its walls being 
 more than twenty miles in circuit. 
 
 Soon after their return to Boussa, the king declared that he should 
 go down and ask the Dark Water (as the Niger is termed by the na- 
 tives), whether it would be favorable to their undertaking. They waited 
 in some anxiety for the result, and were not a little relieved when ho 
 came to them next morning with a cheerful countenance, and stated 
 that the answer was good, the river having promised to conduct them 
 in safety down its current. They then set out for Wawa, to procure the 
 permission of the king of that country, whose territory borders on the 
 Niger below Boussa. He received them with the greatest kindness, at 
 once acceded to their request, and sent a messenger to Comie, or the 
 king's ferry, to engage a canoe for them. Richard Lander was taken 
 very ill, and obliged to return to Boussa, where he had left his medicino. 
 chest. Here he soon recovered, and was joined by his brother John, on 
 the 21st of August. The canoe offered them by the King of Wawa 
 proved to be too small, and they were greatly delayed by the difficulty 
 of procuring a suitable one. In addition to this, the king had sent a mes- 
 senger to Rabba (Rakka of Clapperton), and the intermediate towns on 
 the river, requesting permission for the travelers to pass down in safety, 
 and desired them to wait until he had received an answer. 
 
 They were thus obliged to remain at Boussa until the 19th of Sep. 
 tember, when "to our unspeakable joy," says Lander, "the long- 
 expected and wished-for messenger arrived in this city from Rabba, 
 accompanied by two messengers from the king of Nyfie, one of whom, 
 a modest-looking, respectable young man, is his own son. These men 
 are to be our guides as far as Rabba, after we have passed which city, 
 all the Nyffe territory to the southward is under the surveillance of 
 Ederesa and his partisans. * The magia,' says the Boussa embassador, 
 ' was delighted with the intelligence that white men were to honor his 
 dominions with their presence ;' he showed me the presents sent to him 
 by Captain Clapperton three years ago, and said a great deal in his favor 
 and commendation. 'And as a proof,' continued the man, 'of his 
 friendly disposition toward you, and his interest in your welfare, he has 
 not only sent his son as your companion and guide, but he has likewise 
 dispatched a messenger to every town on the banks of the Niger either 
 considerable or unimportant, even as far as Funda.* 
 
 " The king of Boussa M'as overwhelmed with delight at this intelli- 
 gence ; he capered around his hut with transport, when he saw our 
 
AFFKCTING DEPARTURE FROM BOUSSA, 
 
 629 
 
 guides a:.tl heard their message ; and after a burst of joy, he began to 
 cry like a child, his heart was so full. ' Now,' said ho, when ho had 
 become more composed, ' whatever may happen to the white men, my 
 nei<'libors can not but acknowledge thj»*. I have taken every care of 
 tliem, treated them as became a king, and done my best to promote 
 their liapitiness and interests. They will not be able,' continued the 
 monarch with exultation, ' they dare not have the effrontery to cast at 
 me a reproach like that which they bestowed upon my ancestor.' " 
 
 The next morning they quitted Boussa, and embarked in their canoes, 
 full of Joy at their success thus far, and hopeful, notwithstanding the 
 certain perils that awaited them. Lander thus describes their fai-ewell 
 to Boussa, where, in spite of delays, they had been treated with steady 
 kindness and good faith. " When we quitted the hut, we found our 
 yard filled with neighbors, friends, and acquaintances, who all fell down 
 on their knees to bid us good-by. They blessed us earnestly with up- 
 lifted hands, and those among them that were of the M ahammedan 
 religion fervently implored for us the favor and protection of Allah and 
 their jirophet. The eyes of many of them were streaming witli tears, 
 and all were more or less affected. As wo passed by these poor crea- 
 tures, we spoke to them all, and thanked them again and again for their 
 good wishes. Our hearts must have been of marble if we could have 
 beheld such a scene without some slight emotion. On our way toward 
 the river, also, the path was lined with people, some of whom saluted us 
 on one knee, and some on both, and we received their benedictions as 
 we walked along." 
 
 The current was very swift and the navigation dangerous until they 
 had passed the frontier of Boussa at the king's ferry, where the Niger 
 becomes broader and deeper. They halted at the island of Patashie, 
 until they could procure a larger canoe, which they had purchased of 
 the king of Wawa, but were again subjected to vexatious delays. Rich- 
 ard Lander was obliged to proceed once more to Wawa, and part with 
 more presents from his rapidly diminishing store, before the matter could 
 be arranged. Meanwhile they were treated with the greatest kindness 
 and hospitality by the natives, and supplied with more provisions than 
 they Avere able to consume. The king of Wawa had promised to send 
 the canoe to a largo town called Lever, a short distance below Patashie : 
 they started again on the 30th, but were astounded on arriving at Lever, 
 to find that the place was not in the territory of Wawa, and the king 
 did not possess a single canoe there. They were therefore obliged to 
 detain a large canoe which they had borrowed at the island of Patashie, 
 the Wawa messengers promising that the king would pay for it. Soon 
 afterward the chief of Patashie sent for it, but the governor of Lever 
 refused to give it up, and detained the travelers from day to day, imtil 
 their patience was at an end. Although they were wholly in the power 
 of the natives, they went to the chief priest, who was at the bottom of 
 these intrigues, and in the presence of him and the governor, declared 
 
 34 
 
680 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE NIGER. 
 
 that they would no longer submit to the delay, and would shoot down 
 any man who attempted to prevent them from leaving. This produced 
 an immediate effect; t!n governor and priest became polite and sub- 
 missive, and the travelers seized upon the moment to embark, and push 
 into the middle of the current, which, in a short time, carried them out 
 of sight of the place. 
 
 S ( i: N E II T " T II K LOWER X I E R . 
 
 They stopped for the night at a town called Bajebio, and started next 
 morning (October 5), at sunrise. " Just below the town," says Lander, 
 " the Niger spreads itself into two noble branches, of nearly equal width, 
 formed by an island. We preferred journeying on the eastern branch, 
 but for no particular reason. The country beyoufl the banks was very 
 fine. The island in the middle of the river is small, but verdant, woody, 
 and handsome ; and we passed by the side of it in a very few minutes, 
 with considerable velocity. It was then that both bunks presented the 
 most delightful appearance. They were embelli^lied with mighty trees 
 and elegant shrubs, which were clad in thick and luxuriant foliage, some 
 of lively green, and others of darker hues ; and little birds were singing 
 merrily among their branches. Magnificent festoons of creeping plants, 
 always green, hung from the tops of the tallest trees, and drooping 
 to the water's edge, formed immense natural grottoes, pleasing and 
 grateful to the eye, and seemed to be fit abodes for the Naiads of the 
 river." 
 
 On the following day they approached Rabba, and stopped at an 
 island in the river, while they dispatched a messenger to the king. He 
 returned in the evening, with a message, stating that they should remain 
 where they were until they had been visited by the " King of the Dark 
 Water." This monarch came the next morning in a canoe propelled by 
 
DANOER FROM HIPPOPOTAMI. 
 
 631 
 
 twenty yonng men, who sang in time to the motion of the paddlos. The 
 king sat under an awning hung witli scarlet clotli, and was attended by 
 six of bis wives and two handsome pages. He was a stately man, well- 
 stricken in years ; his skin was coal-black uud his features coarse, but 
 commanding. He received the travelers cordially, presented them with 
 honey and goora-nuts, and offered to accompany them to the island of 
 Zagoshi, opposite Rabba, where they were to remain. 
 
 Hero they were detained eight days by the deceit and rapacity 
 of the King of Rabba and the King of the Dark Water. The former 
 at first expressed himself delighted with the presents they sent him, but 
 in a short time changed his tone, and said they were not fit for a child. 
 The travelers had a rich crimson robe, which had been found among 
 Park's goods, and was presented to them by the King of Boussa. This 
 they were compelled to part with ; but the king was so much pleased 
 that he promised to procure them a large cano(?, and refused to listen to 
 the proposals which were made to him to plunder them. They had the 
 greatest difficulty, nevertheless, in getting a canoe sufficiently large and 
 strong, while the natives positively refused to sell their paddles, and 
 the Landers were therefore compelled to permit their men to steal as 
 many as they wanted, by night. At length, after much suspense and 
 anxiety, and no little peril, considering the nature of the jieople with 
 whom they had to deal, they pushed off on the 16th, and resumed their 
 voyage down the stream. 
 
 After paddling all day, during which they made about thirty miles, 
 they attempted to go ashore for the night, but found the banks so 
 marshy that it was impossible to land. The men became very much 
 fatigued, and they finally pevmitted the canoe to float with the current. 
 "But here," says Richard Lander, " a fresh evil arose, which we were 
 unprepared to meet. An incredible number of hippopotami arose very 
 near us, and came plashing, snorting, and plunging all round the canoe, 
 and placed us in imminent danger. Thinking to frighten them off, we 
 fired a shot or two at them, but the noise only called up from the water, 
 and out of the fens, about as many more of their unwieldy companions, 
 and we were more cbsely beset than before. Our people, who had 
 never in all their lives been exposed in a cano3 to such huge and fonni- 
 dable beasts, trembled with fear and apprehension, and absolutely wept 
 aloud ; and their terror was not a little increased by the dreadful peals 
 of thunder which rattled over their heads, and by the awful darkness 
 which prevailed, broken at intervals by flashes of lightning, whose 
 powertul glare was truly awful. Our people tell us that these formida- 
 ble animals frequently upset canoes in the river, when every one in them 
 is sure to perish. These came so close to us, that we could reach them 
 with the butt end of a gun." 
 
 During the night a violent storm came on, and for several hours the 
 canoe was in great danger of being swamped by the agitation of the 
 waves. At last they succeeded in attaching it to a tree in the current, 
 
582 
 
 EXPLOrtATIONS OP THB NIOBR. 
 
 and lay thoro until dawn, when they started again. During that day 
 and the next they wont slowly, on account of tho rains, hut were not 
 molested hy the natives whom they met. On the Ibrcnoon of the 10th 
 they were informed that the large town of Egga, where they had hoon 
 advised to stop, was near at hand. " We journeyed onward lor half an 
 hour," Hays the narrative, " when we perceivt^d a large, handsome town 
 behind a d<'ep morass. Several little inlets led through it to the town 
 distant about three miles from the bank of the river, which, as we drew 
 near, we learned was the place of which we were in quest. It was tlio 
 loiig-Hought Egga, and we instantly proceeded up a creek to the Ianclin<T- 
 place. The town is upward of two miles in length, and we wore struck 
 with the immense number of large, bulky canoes which lay off it, and 
 which were filled Avith trading commodities, and all kinds of merchuiiJiso 
 which are common to the country. They also had huts in thom, like 
 the canoes we had seen before. All of them had blood smeared on 
 their sterns, and feathers stuck in it as a charm or preservative against 
 robbers and the evil-disposed." 
 
 They were well received at Egga, but were much annoyed by the 
 curiosity of the natives, who, never having before seen white men 
 crowded into the house until they were nearly suffocated. They re. 
 mained at this place two days : the chief did not attempt to prevent 
 them from leaving, but their men were so terrified hy the reports of the 
 fierce tribes further down the river, that they refused to proceed, and 
 demanded their pay. This the travelers would not give: the chief was 
 appealed to by the boatmen, but declared hunself neutral in the matter, 
 and the difficulty ended in the men coming back the following mornins,', 
 and taking their place in the canoe. Soon after leaving Egga, there 
 were indications of an approach to the sea. A gull flew over their 
 heads ; and the native canoes greatly resembled those on the Calabar 
 Kiver. " For many miles," says Lander, " we could see nothing but 
 large, open, well-built villages on both banks of the river, but more 
 especially on the eastern, and tracts of land covered Avith verdure, or 
 prepared for cultivation, between them. Hero nature seems to have 
 scattered her favors with an unsparing hand. Yet we touched at none 
 of these goodly places, but continued our journey till the sun began to 
 decline, and the men to be fatigued, when we stopped at a small hamlet 
 on an island, intending to sleep there." 
 
 Here, however, they were not received in a friendly manner, and the 
 natives advised them to go on to a city called Kacunda, where tlio Iloussa 
 language was spoken. They arrived at this place in the evening, and 
 were welcomed by a Mohammedan priest, who entertained them for the 
 night. The next morning the king's brother came, and received them 
 with no less kindness and cordiality. He made thom presents, which 
 they were too poor to return adequately, btit he was more than satisfied 
 by the gift of some little trifles which he saw about the room. Becom- 
 ing more triendly and confidential, he g.ave them a terrible account of 
 
PERILOUS VOYAGE BY NIOIIT. 
 
 688 
 
 the natives further down tho river, and advised thcni to letiirn by tho 
 way they came. As lie found them resolved to depart, he then said, " If 
 you will not be persuaded by mo to turn back, and save your lives, at 
 least you must not leave this by daylight, but stop imtil the sun goes 
 down, and you may then go on your journey — you will then pass tho 
 most dangerous town in the middle of the night, and perhaps save your- 
 selves." The travelers placed faith ir i ho representations of this man, 
 and therefore judged it prudent to postpone their departure until the fol- 
 lowing afternoon. While at Kaeunda, they learned that Funda was not 
 on the Niger, but on theChadda, the mouth "f which river, it was stated, 
 was but a day's journey distant. They were promised a guide, but ho 
 disappeared just before the appointed time ; the chief uscjd every argu- 
 ment except force to prevent their departure, but they were resolute, 
 and put oft" from Kacimda on the 24th. 
 
 "At three o'clock in the afternoon," says Lander, " avo ottered up a 
 prayer to the Almighty Disposer of all human events for protection on 
 our future voyage, that Ho would deign to extend to us Ills all-saving 
 power among the lawless barbarians it was our lot to be obliged to pass. 
 Having done this, we next ordered Paseoe and our people to commence 
 loading the canoe. I shall never forget them, poor fellows ; they were 
 all hi tears, and trembled with fear. One of them, named Antonio, a na- 
 tive of Bonny, and son to the late chief of that river, was as nmch af- 
 fected as the rest, but on a different account. For himself, he said that 
 ho did not care ; his own life was of no consequence. All he feared was, 
 that my brother and I should bo murdered ; he loved us dearly : he had 
 hom with us ever since we had left the sea, and it would bo as bad as 
 dvi'ig himself to see us killed. 
 
 "We Avere now fairly off, and prepared ourselves for tho worst. 
 'Now,' said I, ' my boys,' as our canoe glided down with tho stream, ' lot 
 us all stick together. I hope that we have none among us who will flinch, 
 come what may.' Antonio and Sam said they were determined to stick 
 to us to the last. Tho former I have before alluded to ; the latter is a 
 native of Sierra Leone, and I believe them both to be firm fellows when 
 required. Old Paseoe and Jowdie, two of my former people, I knew 
 could be depended on ; but the new ones, although they boasted much 
 when they found that there was no avoiding it, I had not much depend- 
 ence on, as I had not had an opportunity of trying them. We directed 
 the four muskets and two pistols to be loaded with ball and slugs, deter- 
 mined that our opponents, whoever they might oe, should meet with a 
 warm reception ; and having made every preparation for our defense 
 which we thought would bo availing, and encouraging our little band to 
 behave themselves gallantly, wo gave three hearty cheers, and com- 
 mended ourselves to Providence. 
 
 " Our little vessel moved on in grand style under tl>o vigorous and 
 animated exertions of our men. Shortly afti^r leaving Kaeunda, the 
 river took a turn due south, between tolerably high hills ; the strength 
 
684 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE NIGER. 
 
 of the current continued much about the same. A few miles further on, 
 we found ourselves opposite a large, spreading town, from which issued 
 a great and confused noise, as of a multitude quarreling, or as the 
 waves of the sea rolling upon a rocky beach ; we saw also other towns 
 on the western bank of the river, but we cautiously avoided them all. 
 The evening was calm and serene, the heat of the day was over, the 
 moon and stars now afforded us an agreeable light, every thing was still 
 and pleasant ; we glided smoothly and silently down the stream, and for 
 a long while we saw little to excite our fears, and heard nothing but a 
 gentlfl rustling of the leaves, occasioned by the wind, the noise of our 
 paddles, or now and then the plashing of fishes, as they leaped out of the 
 water. 
 
 " About midnight we observed lights from a village, to which we 
 were very close, and heard people dancing, singing, and laughing, in the 
 moonshine outside their huts. We made haste over to the opposite side 
 to get away, for fear of a lurking danger, and ve fancied that a light 
 was following us, but it was only a ' will o' the wisp,' or some such thing, 
 ard trees soon hid it from our sight. After the moon had gone down, 
 It became rather cloudy, so that we could not discern the way as plainly 
 as we could have wished, and the consequence was, that we were sud- 
 denly drifted by the current into an eddy, and, in spite of all our exer- 
 tions to get out of it, we swept over into a small, shallow channel which 
 had been formed by the overflowing of the river, and it cost two hours' 
 hard labor to get out into the main stream again. 
 
 " At five o'clock in the morning, we found ourselves nearly opposite 
 a very considerable river, entering the Niger from the eastward ; it ap- 
 peared to be three or four miles wide at its mouth, and on the bank we 
 saw a laige town, one part of which faced the river, and the other the 
 Quorra. We at first supposed it to be an arm of that river, and running 
 from us ; and therefore dirp' ^ed our courae for it. We proceeded up it 
 a short distance, but finding the current against us, and that it mcreased 
 as we got within its entrance, and our people being tired, we were com- 
 pelled to give up the attempt, nd were easily swept back into the Niger. 
 Consequently we passed on, but determined on making inquiries concern- 
 ing it the first convenient opportunity. But we concluded this to be the 
 Chadda. 
 
 " At 10 A. M. we passed a huge and naked white rock, in the form 
 of a perfect dome, arising from thi center of the river. It was about 
 twenty feet high, and covered with an immense quantity of white birds, in 
 consequence of which we named it the Birl Rock : it is about three or foiir 
 miles distant from Bocqu&, on the same side of the river. We passed it 
 on the western side, and were very nearly let m •. whirlpool. It was 
 with the utmost difliculty we preserved the canoe from being carried 
 away, and dashed against the rocks. Fortunately, I saw the danger at 
 first, and, finding we could not get clear of it, my brother and I took a 
 paddle, and animating our men, we exerted all our strength, and sue- 
 
 — Jl 
 
i I 
 
 e 1 
 
 « \ 
 
 \L i 
 
 le 
 
 ,iU 
 
 for 
 
 ta 
 
 )ur 
 
 tbe 
 
 we 
 the 
 side 
 light 
 tiing, 
 own, 
 lainly 
 > 8ud- 
 exer- 
 which 
 hours' 
 
 iposite 
 itap- 
 ink we 
 ler the 
 unning 
 dupit 
 reased 
 e corn- 
 Niger. 
 oncern- 
 be the 
 
 A CONFLICT AVOIDED. 
 
 636 
 
 oeeded in preventing her from turning around. Had our canoe become 
 unmanageable, we should inevitably have perished. Shortly ailer, seeing 
 a convenient place for landing, the men being languid and weary with 
 hunger and exertion, we halted on the right bank of the river, which we 
 imagined was most convenient for our purpose. 
 
 " Totally unconscious cf danger, we were reclining on our mats — 
 for yve too, like our people, were wearied with toil, and overcome with 
 drowsiness — when in about twenty minutes after our men had returned, 
 one of them shouted, with a loud voice, ' War is coming ! O, war is com- 
 ing !' and ran toward us with a scream of terror, telling us that the na- 
 tives were hastening to attack us. We started up at this unusual excla- 
 mation, and, looking about us, we beheld a laige party of men, almost 
 nakefl, running in a very irregular manner, and with uncouth gestures, 
 toward our little encampment. They were all variously armed with 
 luwskets, bows and arrows, knives, cutlasses, barbs, long spears, and 
 other instruments of destruction ; and, as we gazed upon this band of 
 wild raen, w^ith their ferocious looks and hostile appearance, which was 
 not a little heightened on observing the weapons in their hands, we felt 
 a very uneasy kind of a sensation, and wished ourselves safe out of their 
 hands. 
 
 " One of the natives, who proved to be the chief, we perceived a little 
 m advance of his companions ; and, throwing down our pistols, which we 
 had snatched up in the first moment of surprise, my brother and I 
 walked very composedly and unarmed toward him. As we approached 
 him, we made all the signs aud motions we could with our arms, to deter 
 him and his people from firing on us. His quiver was dangling at his 
 side, his bow was bent, and an arrow, which was pointed at our breasts, 
 already trembled on the string, when we were within a few yards of his 
 person. This was a highly critical moment — the next might be our last. 
 But the hand of Providence averted the blow ; for just as the chief was 
 about to pull the fatal cord, a man that was nearest him rushed forward 
 and stayed his arm. At that instant we stood before him, and inmie- 
 diately held forth our hands ; all of them trembled like aspen leaves ; the 
 chief looked up full in our faces, kneeling on the ground — light seemed 
 to flash from his dark, rolling eyes — his body was convulsed all over, as 
 though he were enduring the utmost torture, and with a timorous, yet 
 undefinable expression of countenance, in which all the passions of our 
 nature were strangely blended, he drooped his head, eagerly grasped 
 our proffered hands, and burst into tears. This was a sign of friendship 
 ■—harmony followed, and war and bloodshed were thought of no more. 
 
 " At first no one could understand us ; but an old man made his 
 appearance shortly after, who understood the Houssa language. Him 
 the chief employed as an interpreter, and every one listened with anxiety 
 to the following explanation which he gave us : ' A few minutes after 
 you first landed, one of my people came to me, and said that a number 
 of strange people had arrived at the market-place. I sent him back again 
 
636 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP THE NIGER. 
 
 to get as near to you as he could, to Jiear what you intended doing. He 
 soon after returned to me, and said that you spoke in a language which 
 he could not understand. Not doubting that it was your intention to 
 attack my village at night, and carry oif my people, I desired thorn to 
 get ready to light. We were all prepared and eager to kill you, and 
 came down breathing vengeance and slaughter, supposing that you were 
 my enemies, and had landed from the opposite side of the river. But 
 when you came to meet us unarmed, and we saw your white faces, we 
 were all so frighcened that we could not pull our bows, nor move hand 
 or foot ; and when you drew near me, and extended your hands toward 
 me, I felt my heart faint within me, and believed that you were " Chil- 
 dren of Heaven,^'' and had dropped from the skies.' Such was the effect 
 we Imd produced on Jiim ; and under this impression he knew not what 
 he did. ' And now,' said he, ' white men, all I want is your forgive- 
 ness.' " 
 
 The chief assured them that they had passed the most dangerous 
 portions of the river, and there was no further necessity for travelhig at 
 night. Seven days more, he added, would bring them to the sea. He 
 cautioned them, however, to avoid a large town on the eastern bank 
 called Atta, a little below, the governor of which would probably attempt 
 to detain them. They started early the next morning, and about noon 
 observed a towni Avhich they supposed to be Atta, and took care to 
 avoid observation by keeping close to the opposite shore. Both banks 
 of the river were hilly and fringed with primeval woods, which were 
 bending over the water. " For upward of thirty miles after passin* 
 Atta," observes Lander, " not a town, or a village, or even a single hut, 
 could anywhere be seen. The whole of this distance our canoe passed 
 smoothly along the Niger, and every thing was silent and solitary ; no 
 sound could be distinguished save our own voices and the plashing of 
 the paddles with their echoes ; the song of birds was not heard, nor 
 could any animal whatever be seen ; the banks seenied to be entirely 
 deserted, and the magnificent Niger to be slumbering in its own 
 grandeur." 
 
 They stopped that evening at a village called Abbazacca, whore they 
 found a man who spoke t'le Bonny language, which one of their men 
 understood. The chief of the place invited them to accompany him the 
 next day to a large town, uf nh'-^h his biother was governor, further 
 down the river, and where they would find p,;ople from Bonny, Calabar, 
 and Brass. They set out again next raominr;, the chief preceding them. 
 He spread news of their coming every wh^rr, so that they found the 
 shores crowded with people, to look i\l thev»!, In tlje afternoon, as they 
 were passing a large tov/", they were; h!dl(v:',,liy a native in an English 
 soldier's jacket. As they paid no :vtiV!Dtioi'^«.) him, a dozen canoes fol- 
 lowed, and insisted on their goinjf, Ijji k tc'ioy their respects to the king 
 of the place. This they were obl|/,- ;' \) (,~ • The chief, who had a mild 
 and benevolent &ce, received thty^ -i a v y iHendly manner, gave them 
 
KIND RECEPTION AT DAMUGGOO, 
 
 537 
 
 a hut for the night, and when they were annoyed by the crowd of cu- 
 rious natives who pressed around them, told them they might kill as 
 many as they pleased. 
 
 ABOKKO. 
 
 The name of the town was Damuggoo. The next morning the chief, 
 whose name was Abokko, paid then a visit, bringing presents of palm- 
 wine, eggs, bananas, and yams. " He desired us," says Richard Lander, 
 " to ask for any thing we might want, telling us that we should have 
 every thing we wished that the town could afford. He told us that 
 neither he nor his father had seen a white man, although they had much 
 wished it, and that our presence made him quite happy. He then gave 
 us a pressing invitation to come to see him, which we readily accepted. 
 He seemed to be one of the worthiest fellows whom we have yet met." 
 The man in a soldier's jacket, proved to be a messenger from the King 
 of Bonny, and proposed to .accompany them down the river to the terri- 
 tories of his mastei*. At the same time Abokko, who ordered a grand 
 public festival next day in honor of their arrival, and presented them with 
 abullock, offered them a good c:uu»e, with a crew of his own people, 
 provided they would wait until the latter returned from the market at 
 Bocqua. He assured them that they would be able to continue their 
 voyage to the sea in this manner, with perfect safety. 
 
 The Landers judged it prudent to accede to his proposition, and 
 during the remainder of their stay were very well treated. The only 
 annoyance they suffered was from the curiosity of the natives, and the 
 procrastination of the chief, to whom time was no object, and who, with 
 all his kindness, delayed their departure considerably. Finally, on the 
 evening of November 4th, after a stay of eight days at Damuggoo, they 
 set off in one of Abokko's canoes, in addition to their own, accompanied 
 by the messenger of the King of Bonny. Their departure was attended 
 
588 
 
 BZPLOBATIONS OF THE NIOEB. 
 
 by renewed festivities. " The palm- wine circulated freely in the bowls » 
 says Richard Lander, " and the natives of the village, who witnessed all 
 our proceedings with no little anxiety, seemed to be greatly delighted 
 at seeing their chief and the priests so familiar with white men. Mean- 
 while several elephants' tusks, and a number of slaves and goats, were 
 put into the canoe as presents to the chief of Bonny. A fatted goat was 
 given us as a parting gift, and a small decanter of rum was thrust in my 
 brother's bosom as a cordial during the night." 
 
 They passed rapidly down the river during the night, and in the 
 morning reached a large market-place called Kirree. Richard Lander 
 was in the Damuggoo canoe, considerably in advance of his own, in 
 which was his brother; and soon after passing Eirree, was astonished 
 at the sight of fifty large canoes coming up the river, in some of which 
 the English flag was flying from a bamboo staff. Each canoe had a four- 
 pounder in the bow, and contained forty or fifty men, all of whom were 
 armed with muskets. Delighted with the sight of the flags, he ap- 
 proached them imhesitatingly. The foremost canoe instantly ran up to 
 his own, and in the twinkling of an eye every thing was taken out of it, 
 himself and his men violently disarmed, plundered of their clothing, and 
 taken prisoners. The boats were on their way to the market of Kirree, 
 whither he was conducted, with but faint hopes of recovering any of 
 his property, or even of preserving his life. By this time the other 
 canoe, in which was John Lander, was observed and pursued. The 
 boatmen attempted to escape, but were soon run down with such vio- 
 lence that the canoe wats capsized, and sunk. John Lander was thrown 
 into the water, and sustained himself by swimming until, having ap- j 
 proached one of the hostile canoes, he was hauled on board by a native, j 
 Meanwhile the greatest tumult and confusion prevailed. In the struggle | 
 to get possession of the plunder, several of the native canoes were upset | 
 and their crews thrown into the water. The Landers were conducted 
 to a small island opposite Kirree ; the Damuggoo people and the King 
 of Benny's messenger made their appearance and protested violently I 
 against the outrage, as they were on friendly terms with the people of I 
 Eboe, who had perpetrated it ; and a grand palaver, or council, was j 
 held. I 
 
 After a time a search was commenced in the canoes, for the goods, 
 some of which were found, although the greater part of them were at 
 the bottom of the river. " We were now invited to land," says Richard 
 Lander, '' and told to look at our goods, in order to see if they were all 
 there. To my great satisfaction I immediately recognized the box con- 
 tmning our books, and one of my brother's journals. The medicine- 
 chest was by its side, but both were filled with water. A large carpet- 
 bag, containing all our wearing apparel, was lying cut open and deprived 
 of its contents, with the exception of a shirt, a pair of trousers, and a 
 waistcoat. Many valuable articles which it had contained ware gone. 
 The whole of my journal, with the exception of a note-book with re- ' 
 
THE TRAVELERS TAKEN PRISONERS. 
 
 689 
 
 marks from Rabba to tliig place, was lost. Four guns, one of which had 
 been the property of the late Mr. Park, four cutlasses, and two pistols, 
 were gone. Nine elephants' tusks, the finest I had seen in the country, 
 which had been given me by the Kings of Wawa and Boussa, a quan- 
 tity of ostrich-feathers, some handsome leopard-skins, a great variety of 
 seeds, all our buttons, cowries, and needles, which w-i'e necessary for us 
 to purchase provisions with — all were missing, and said to have been 
 sunk in the river. The two boxes and the bag were all that could be 
 found. 
 
 " At about three in the afternoon we were ordered to return to the 
 small island from whence we had come, and the setting of the sun being 
 the signal for the council to dissolve, we were again sent for to the 
 market. The people had been engaged in deliberation and discussion 
 during the whole of the day, and with throbbing hearts we received 
 their resolution in nearly the following words : — ' That the king of the 
 country behig absent, they had taken upon themselves to consider the 
 occurrence which had taken place in the morning, and to give judgment 
 accordingly. Those of our things which had been saved from the water 
 should be restored to us, and the person that had first commenced the 
 attack on my brother, should lose his head, as a just retribution for his 
 ofiense, having acted without his chiefs permission ; that with regard to 
 us, we must consider ourselves as prisoners, and consent to be conducted 
 on the following morning to Obie, King of the Eboe country, bef •'■e 
 whom we should undergo an examination, and whose will and pleasure 
 concerning our persons would then be explained.' "We received the in- 
 telligence with feelings of rapture, and with bursting hearts we offered 
 up thanks to our Divine Creator for his signal preservation of us 
 throughout this disastrous day." 
 
 On the morning of the 6th they left Kirree for the Eboe country, 
 accompanied by two large M-ar canoes. On the morning of the 8th, 
 after a voyage of two days, the Niger expanded into a lake, out of 
 which it flowed in three separate channels. Their conductors took the 
 central stream, and about noon they reached the Eboe town, the resi- 
 dence of King Obie. On landing they were hailed in broken English 
 by a large negro who called himself King Gun, and said that he was 
 one of the chiefs of the Brass country. He added, to their great joy, 
 that an English vessel, called the Thomas^ of Liverpool, was lying in the 
 Fmjt Brass River, two or three days' journey below. The travelers 
 were conducted to a hut, and soon afterward taken before King Obie, 
 whom they found to be a sprightly-looking young negro, dressed in a 
 scarlet jacket and trowsers, with strings of coral and bells around his 
 wrists and ankles. The story of the attack and capture was told by the 
 Bonny messenger in a speech of two hours in length, after which some 
 yams, stewcJ in rancid palm-oil, were given to the travelers. At the 
 end of tvu ays, uuring which they were greatly annoyed by thecurioi- 
 ity of T; ^ natives, who allowed tiliem no rest, either by day or night, 
 
540 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP THE NIGER. 
 
 they received the decision of King Obic. It was to the effect that, as 
 circumstances had thrown them into hi» hands, he intended to keep them 
 until the master of some English voasel would be willing to ransom 
 them for the price of twenty slaves. They could not proceed to Bonny, 
 because the branch of the Niger leading to that country was dried up, 
 and the only channel navigable from Eboe to the sea, was that through 
 the dominions of the King of Brass. 
 
 Shortly afterward they noticed that earnest conferences were held 
 between King Obie and King Boy, the son of the old King of Brass, 
 and their suspense was soon relieved by the latter, who stated that he 
 had arranged to pay King Ohio their ransom, provided they would give 
 him an order on Captain Lake, of the brig Thomas, for their value in 
 English goods, with a cask of rum and some additional articles. He 
 agreed to convey them on board the vessel, as soon as the captain had 
 paid him the amount of the order. They were overjoyed at this pros- 
 pect of release and immediately wrote a request to Captain Lake, not 
 doubting but that he would immediately ransom them. "Fearing," 
 says Richard Lander, " that something might yet occur to detain us, 
 and ultimately change the king's resolution altogether, we were most 
 eager to get out of the reach of him and his people as quickly as pes- 
 sible. Therefore we lost not a moment, but hastened to our lodgincs, 
 and having sent our people on board Boy's canoe, we hurried after them 
 immediately, and embarked at three in the afternoon, November 11th. 
 And thus terminated four of the most wretched days of our exist- 
 ence." 
 
 They sailed down the main branch of the Niger for three days and 
 one night. The shores were thickly inhabited, and the villages su^ 
 rounded with plantations of yams, bananas, and other kinds of fruit 
 and vegetables. As they approached the sea, however, the shores be- 
 came low and swampy, and lined with a dense growth of mangrove. 
 The Landers were greatly cramped and incommoded in King Boy's 
 canoe, and were but scantily supplied with food. On the third day they 
 remarked with joy the appearance of tide-water, and at noon, on the 
 fourth, reached Brass Town, only sixty miles from the mouth of the 
 Niger, which, they were informed, was here called the River Nun. On 
 landing, they were surprised to see a white man, who proved to be the 
 captain of a Spanish slaver lying in the Brass River. The next day it 
 was decided by King Boy, and his father. King Forday, that the former 
 should go with Richard Lander to the English vessel, leaving his brother 
 John as a security for the amount of ransom to be paid. The travelers 
 now looked upon their journey as completed, and considered that all 
 their trials and diflficulties were at an end. 
 
 The canoe with Lander and King Boy reached the Nun, or First 
 Brass River, early on the morning of November I8th. " About a quar- 
 ter of an hour after we had entered the River Nun," says Lander, " we 
 descried, at a distance before us, two vessels lying at anchor. The emo- 
 
tions of delight which the sight offh. ^^ 
 
 powers of description. Th? nearlst 1*"''"''""'^ ""'' ^'»'« ^^Jond mv 
 
 •bout t r„„ h,.„„„, crdt; ':,,>'''* "-"g. ^w-". -»» i,i„„ 
 
 be in the very last stage of il J' U^''""'^ *''« ^^Pt'-^i" appearod to 
 tack fever, and hadl.ff ; " rolai: '' ''^"^"--'J ^-m a^eve; 'at 
 posed himself too soon, which hid T T r"''^^^"^'"^^ of having e'" 
 stated to him who I was exnkin / """'^ ^"^» ^^tal to him T n! 
 could and had my inst'S^^^^^^^^^ *« him a ^ ^ T 
 
 f * ™»'« i but the latterlebred ,^ .7° ^"^^ P'-<""'''ly otZ *» 
 anotiK,- would also ,ef„se l.t n ' "^ ""^ <'''P»»in would no, „7 
 
 v"S".;,ttr'" °' "'^ ™» - V"„i-'- rep,e,e„;;4":z' 
 
 vtshcj, the latter requested Kiu» v ' *^ assist in workin<r ♦!, 
 
 ,,'""• Tbe captain then added IhJif ,7 P""' ""'« they wore 
 
642 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE NIGER. 
 
 which followed : " Boy now ventured to approach Captain Lake on the 
 quarter-deck, and, with an anxious, petitioning countenance, asked for 
 the goods which had been promised him. Prepared for the desperate 
 game he was about to play, it was the object of Lake to gain as much 
 time as possible, that he might get his vessel under way before he came 
 to an open rupture. Therefore he pretended to be busy in writing, and 
 desired Boy to wait a moment. Becoming impatient with delay, Boy 
 
 repeated his demand a second and a third time, ' Give me my bars.' 
 
 ' I NO WILL !' said Lake, in a voice of thunder, which one could hardly 
 have expected from so emaciated a frame as his. * I no will, I tell you ; 
 I won't give you a flint.' Terrified by the demeanor of Lake, and the 
 threats and oaths he made use of, poor King Boy suddenly retreated, 
 and seeing men going aloft to loosen the sails, apprehensive of bemg 
 carried off to sea, he quickly disappeared from the deck of the brig, 
 and was soon observed making his way on shore in his canoe, with the 
 rest of his people ; this was the last we saw of him." 
 
 It was four days before the brig succeeded in getting over the bar, 
 and after all the perils through which they had passed, the intrepid trav- 
 elers narrowly escaped a watery grave. The vessel twice drifted to the 
 edge of the breakers, and at one time there seemed no hope of her es- 
 cape. Finally, at noon on the 27th, they reached the open sea and 
 sailed for Fernando Po, where they arrived on the Ist of December. 
 The Landers were very kindly received by Governor Becroft, who sup- 
 plied all their wants, and treated them with the greatest hospitality. 
 After remaining on the island until the 20th of January, 1831, waiting 
 in vain for a chance of getting to England, they took passage to Rio 
 Janeiro in the ship Caernarvon. A fever broke out on board soon after 
 they sailed ; several of the crew died, and for many days the Landers 
 and three black men were the only persons strong enough to manage 
 the ship and attend to the sick. They did not reach Rio Janeiro until 
 the 16th of March. 
 
 The admiral of the British squadron on the coast of Brazil imme- 
 diately gave them a passage to England on board of a transport ship, 
 which sailed for Portsmouth on the 20th. " On the 9th of June," says 
 Richard Lander, " we arrived at Portsmouth, and gladly landed, with 
 hearts full of gratitude for all our deliverances." 
 
 " Thus," remarks Captain Allen, " the solution of the problem which 
 has excited the interest of so many ages, has been accomplished by the 
 most modest of means, while many costly and more imposing undertak- 
 ings have failed. A solitary pedestrian discovered the long-hidden 
 Niger in its course through hitherto almost unheard-of countries ; and 
 two unpretending young men, committing themselves in a frail bark to 
 its mysterious bosom, were borne by it through unknown regions, a dis- 
 tance of more than six hundred miles, to its termination in the vast and 
 multitudinous ocean." 
 
STEAMERS ON THE NIOEB. 
 
 548 
 
 LAIRD AND OLDFIBLD'S VOYAGES ON THE NIGER. 
 
 On the return of the Landers, from their remarkable and successful 
 discovery of the outlet of the Niger, they gave such a flourishing ac- 
 count of the quantity of ivory to be found on its banks, that some enter- 
 prising merchants of Liverpool — actuated by the spirit of legitimate 
 trade, which had assumed in that city the excitement of the former 
 traffic in human beings — fitted out an expedition for the purpose of as- 
 certaining and opening out the resources of the country. 
 
 This mercantile expedition was composed of one small brig, to be 
 stationed at the mouth of the river, to receive the expected cargo of 
 ivory, and two steamers ; the smaller of which — the first iron vessel that 
 had crossed the Atlantic — was built by Mr. Macgregor Laird, whose 
 family were large subscribers to the expedition, and who himself bore a 
 considerable share in the conduct of it, though the nominal command 
 was held by Richard Lander, to whom it had been offered, previous to 
 the formation of the company, and on whom devolved the duty of select- 
 ing the articles of trade. The large steamer was named the Quorra 
 (Niger), and contained a crew of twenty-six men, all told ; the other 
 was called the AUmrkah (Blessing), and carried fourteen men. 
 
 The expedition sailed from Milford Haven on the 29th of July, 1832, 
 and after touching at Cape Coast Castle, where Lander re-engaged Paa- 
 coe, Jowdie, and others of his former men, reached the river Nun, on 
 the 16th of October. Here Captain Harries of the Qitorra and one of 
 the engir sers died of fever, which had already made its appearance on 
 board. There was a Liverpool trader lying in the Brass River, the 
 captain of which had purchased from King Boy, Richard Lander's jour- 
 nal of his voyage down the Niger, which had been lost during the attack 
 on himself and his brother at Kirree. Afler an interview with King 
 Boy and King Forday, they furnished a pilot named Louis, and recom- 
 mended them to take a certain channel, which they stated was the best 
 for the steamers. The pilot, however, privately informed Mr. Laird 
 that the chiefs wished to run the vessels aground, and that the deepest 
 channel was a very narrow creek, which he pointed out. Lander, hav- 
 ing ascended this creek in a small boat for the purpose of sounding, 
 foraid sufficient water, and on the 28th the steamers set out, the Alhur- 
 kah taking the lead. After passing thirteen other arms of the Niger, 
 they safely reached the mdn stream in the evening, having made forty- 
 five miles. 
 
 On the evening of November 1st, as they were slowly ascending the 
 river. Lander sent a note to Mr. Laird, stating that he had received in- 
 formation that the Eboes intended attacking the steamers. While the 
 guns were being got in readiness on board the Quorra^ " we heard the 
 report of several shots,'* says Mr. Laird, " and on going on deck ob- 
 served the whole bush on our left, which was the right bank of the river 
 
544 
 
 KXPLORATIONH OP TlIK NIOEH. 
 
 and nboiit Rovcnty yanls I'nun us, in n hiazo of mnskclry, wliit-h tho Al- 
 burkah was returning. Mr. LuniliT liaiNMl mo and naid lie was ^oin^to 
 dr<)|> di)wi» tin" river; Imt. on my oircriiij^ to go l»ct wccii liiiii arid iIk. 
 fire, lu! Hont Louis, tlif Kboo j)ilot, on board. Wt' iMiincdialcly jrot un- 
 der wt'igli, and tho pilot i»lacoil tho Qnorra within pisloj-Hlutt alin-aNt of 
 the town. I was inucli anniscd hy tho c<»ohu'ss and Hoir-jH»s,sossioii of 
 tliis i)ilot. llo could siMiik toUtrabk^ Knglish ; ho ] loM him, if ho ran 
 iiH a<;croMnd, tho distant tho vossol toiichod I would blow his l>r:iins oiit. 
 Tho follow hvuj?hod, and oponin^^ his coutitry-ololh, showed mo tho butt- 
 end of two pistols; a j;onl!o hint that two could play at that ganio, I 
 gave; directions for tho guns lo bo loach'd with round and canister, and 
 in about twenty miimtos wo sih'ucod the firing on shore. 
 
 "At daylight of the following day tho firing from the bush roconi- 
 monccd, and I now discovered that our invisible enemies (for wv hardly 
 saw one) had two swivels. The Qiiorra opened Iior fin- on tlie town at 
 six o'clock with four four-pounders and the twonty-four-pound swivel- 
 but finding that wv made; no impression on the nuid-walls or tho hutH, 
 although we liad silenced tho firing, Mr. Lan<ler hailed us, and we agreed 
 to land and bm-n tho town as .an example to the rest. Accordingly tlio 
 gig tmder my command led the way; Captain Aliller in the cutter fol- 
 lowed, and also the launch with eight men ; while tho two mates, engin- 
 eers, and Dr. IJriggs were li'll to keep up a fire of musketry over our 
 he.ads." This was accomplished, without the ' ~is of a man, and thoy af- 
 terw.ard learned that three natives liad been kmcd and several woiukKmI. 
 The chiefs of the villages which they pass(!d next day, came to cou- 
 gratulate them, and aj)i)iared highly <lelightod at their victory. 
 
 On tlio morning of the Glh they rojiched the mouth of the crook 
 whi(di leads to tho town of Eboe, and made i)reparations for visiting 
 King Ohio. INIr. Laird gives the following account of the interview; 
 " ]Mr. Lander in a generars uniform, with a feather in his eockod-liat 
 that almost rea(die<l the ground, Mr. Jordan in a colonel's uniform, and 
 Lieutenant Allen in his own, led the van, and attracted so much of the 
 n.atives' attention, tliat Dr. Briggs .and myself almost regretted that wo 
 had not visited Monmouth-street before our departure from England, 
 l^reeoded by old Pascoe, Jowdie, and some other men M'ho h.ad accotu- 
 p.anied Mr. Lander on liis former journey, and who were now returning 
 in triumj)!! to tho scene of their former exploits, dressed in soldiiTs' 
 jackets and military caps, blowing trumpets and beating drums, accom- 
 panied by King IJoy and about forty Eboe canoes emulating them in 
 their discordant noises, we adv.anced up the narrow creek raoro like 
 mcrry-androws than sensible people ; and after a row of about three 
 quarters of a mile, in one of the hottest days I ever experienced, we 
 landed at the upper end of the town among a great assemblage of peo- 
 ple of both sexes. From our landing we had still more than half a mile 
 to walk, surrounded by a mob of about a thousand people armed with 
 all manner of muskets, spears, cutlasses, bayonets and knives fastened 
 
nri tho ciuh of j,o|(,,^ ^^,^ . . Mo 
 
 •>I«'"^'<I. ""<! in .usIumI ()l.i.''' wl'/'''^' "'"•."^ '•" "'i"-'r"S .1 8M„..l„,.r 
 
 : ;;■''•■'•'■ ^----vn, „,.,;: I':- -^^ i-m .,•.„., .,;,.,,,,, 
 
 i^..p.- of n.t,i,.. L„, ;\ ^ -; ; '^'•. t.. Mop n..,,..„.,fv ^ ; ' i 
 
 ■ ;J7^' <'"ty. Captain IIi„ of „..,:; 'V"" I""" "" '"-•' 'ai'al*!. of ! 
 !>"« "as soon atta.k„.I and <,I i.;. ,f ''V""'' """""■""' "'"' • v. s | 
 
 Srcat that by Uu. "4fl. ,1 ,'"•-"' t<» '•''turn. 'J'lic niorf.i;, ' 
 
 "'« 'li'l IWm i„l!„i,„ ,„,,'• J"\ '■'"."l';.-» avi.,,- ,|„r „„ ,',,;■ | 
 
 •"""ai.-. T/,,, „,,,,ii,„i„„ ,;' • "•" ••'» . 1... .,,,,1 ,„,,, „ ,,:; " i 
 
 io:iw;::!i,ri 7---;:^'^^;;;:' ,:;■-•■' '■^'-" 1 
 
 «h (mm tl,c. iTolhorof ACTlck,; if. ,"'"■""'■'' "i"""n ol,.|,l,a, ,,' I 
 «,J .?. """'° crowded on th,. Inil ?. """"^"y was made tho 
 
 w .her «o„i.hmo„. b, ;;cto™';"..:'''t'';r"'™"''"''^ '«"«• 
 
546 
 
 BXPLORATIONS OF T1[K NIORR. 
 
 readied tho jimotion of the Nit^cr and tlio C'liiuldii, whoiv the Qunrra 
 ran ngrovnid. She was ^<»t n(\\ liut j^roiindod aj^ain on a Hniid-liank, and 
 atler variuns unsiiecesstnl attt'inptH, they resigned thoniHelvcs to wait 
 until tlu! annual rine of the river. 
 
 Mr. Lairil ujives the followinjj aecount of the Bcenery and inhabitants 
 of the banks of the Niger, from Kboc; to its junction with the Chadda: 
 "On leaving Kboe wo enu'rg((d from a comparatively winding and nar- 
 row stream, l)ordereiI by stagnant swamps and ov»Tgrown with imineiiso 
 forests, the samenes of which distressed the eye, while the extent balHed 
 tho imagination, into a wide ami splendid river. The banks were but 
 thinly wooded, and in many phiees highly and extensively cultivated. 
 The various reaches of tho river became longer, and in its s<'rp('iitiiie 
 course it assumed a more graceful character, while the inhabitants on its 
 banks were more civilized and better appareUfd. We found the better 
 class attired in the Iloussa loose shirt ancl trowsers, instead of the (lom- 
 mon wrapper of tho Eboes. The country generally presented that 
 formed and decided appearance which characterizes land that has licen 
 long under the dominion of man. The banks, although elevated fifteen 
 or twenty feet above tho surfiico of tho river, continued Hat until we 
 arrived at Kirree, where we met with the first bluff. From thence the 
 co'mtry gradually rises, mitil at Attah it attains an elevation of from two 
 to thri-e hundred feet. From Attah upward a range of bills on each 
 bank of the river gives the scenery a picturesque and bold character; 
 those on the western bank seem to have tho highest elevation, but 
 neither appeared to rise above four hundred and fitly or five hundred 
 feet above the water. From the general outline of these hills, and from 
 the specimens of the rock that we found being principally granite and 
 mica slate, we pronounced them of primitive formation. 
 
 " Passing tlirough this romantic valley, which extends from forty to 
 fifty miles, wc reached the Kong Mountains, which on the banks of the 
 river rise to an elevation of between two and three thousand feet. Aj 
 far as we could ascertain, they are composed principally of granite, and 
 have a bold and magnificent appearance. The chasm through which the 
 river passes seemed about fifteen hundred yards wide, but the channel 
 of the river does not occupy more than seven hundred. 
 
 " Both banks of the river are thickly studded with town and villages. 
 I could count seven from the place where we lay aground ; and between 
 El>oe and the confluence of the rivers, there can not be less than forty, 
 generally occurring every two or three miles. The principal towns are 
 Attah and Addakudda ; and averaging the inhabitants at one thousand 
 for each town and village, will, I think, very nearly give the population 
 of the banks. It may be rather below the mark. 
 
 " The general character of the people is much superior to that of the 
 inhabitants of the swampy country between them and the coast. They 
 are shrewd, intelligent, and quick in their perception, milder in their dis- 
 positions, and more peaceable in their habits. Tho security of life and 
 
LAIRD'S VISIT TO PUNDA. 
 
 547 
 
 I 
 
 property In oviflontly groatcr amonj? tbcm ; though it 1» n\\\\ unfflciofntly 
 precarious to {)rov(>nt thn inhabitants from living in isolated nituations, 
 nor will any of thorn venture upon the river after sunset in small eanoes. 
 Agriculture is extensively followed, and Indian corn and other grain arc 
 raised with little labor and less skill on the part of the cultivators." 
 
 It was determined to build a hut on the hill at the jimction, and open 
 a market for the purpose of trading with the natives. Tlie arrangements 
 were completed on the 29th of .Tntnmry, 1kh3, but the result was not 
 what had boon expected. Very little ivory was brought in ; the indigo 
 was 80 badly prepared as to be valueless, and the other articles offered 
 would Sv'^arcely pay the cost f)f transportation. To a<ld to their misfor- 
 tunes, fever broke out again ; Mr. Laird was several times on the verge 
 of the grave; Dr. Briggs died on the 28th of February, and Mr. Lander, 
 who had been prevented from reaching liabba and Itoussa, in the Alfntr- 
 hah, on account of the shallowness of the water, returned ill, with tho 
 loss of some of his men. News having reached tho expedition that tho 
 King of Funda (the town which Lander had attempted to reach, an his 
 return from Sackatoo to Hadagry) desired some of tho white men to 
 visit him, Mr. Laird determined to proceed thither, and Lander promised 
 to follow him, as soon as he shoiild be strong enough. 
 
 Toward the end of March, Mr. Laird set out, and after a voyage of 
 seven days up tho Chadd.i, in the QHorra\i boat, readied tho town of 
 Yimmaha, thirty miles from Ftmda. As he was too ill to travel on 
 horseback, ho sent his goods and men by land, and continued his way 
 up the river to a village abotit nine miles from tho capital, whither ho 
 was carried in a hammock. Tho next morning ho visited the king, who 
 was a sinister-looking person, dressed in robes of silk at.;l velvet. Tho 
 htit to which Mr. Laird was conducted, was so dirty and «n;all that ho 
 let out to hunt a bettor one. f)no of his men, Sarslield, soon ci;me run- 
 ning to him with tho news that the king had seized upon all his goods, 
 and had prohibited any person from furnishing him with a residence. 
 He finally, however, furnished them with a rather better hut. " After 
 being in my now quarters a few days," says Mr. Laird, " T began to sus- 
 pect that my Funda trip would tiirn out an unprofitable speculation, as 
 two or three natives had been severely flogged for attempting to sell me 
 some ivory; and the king, who visited me every day, evidently had none 
 —or if he had, thought it better to keep it and my goods alio. I had, 
 in short, been completely decoyed, and had only myself to blame, as I 
 had put myself entirely in the king's power." 
 
 He finally prevailed upon the king to allow him to send Sarsfield to the 
 Qmrra, apparently to procure more goods, but in reality to bring rock- 
 ets and ammunition, /.fter an absence of fourteen days, the latter re- 
 tnmed with tho news that Captain Hill, of the AUnirkah, was so ill that 
 Mr. Lander had set off in a canoe for the sea-coast with him. " If I waa 
 glad to see Sarsfield," observes Mr. Laird, " ho was overjoyed to find me 
 still alive, and though much fatigued with his journey, having walked 
 
 U 
 
548 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP THE NIGER. 
 
 from Yimmaha, a distance of thirty miles, we Kat up until nearly day- 
 break, and laid a i)lari for frightening the king and his i)eople, all tho 
 credit of which is due to him both for its invention and success. lie iiad 
 brought the rockets with hun, and liad let off one at Yimmaha, and de- 
 scribed the terror and alarm of the inh bitants |)roduced by it as excess- 
 ive. They looked upon him .as a deity, and supplied him in consequence 
 with provisions aiid carriers to Funda. Ife proposed to try the ell't'ct 
 of them here, letting otf three or four at a time, and burning blue-ligbts 
 after them. 
 
 "The next morning avo h.ad a visit from the king, who wished to see 
 what Sarsfield had brought. I gave him to understand that my people 
 would not send any thing until I went to them myself, and that in tho 
 evening I intended to make a grand fetish to my god, to know whether 
 I should go, or stay at Funda. The king said that was good, and that 
 he would attend with all his priests and summon the inhabitants to wit- 
 ness it. The fetish was to be made under a large tamarind-tree, at tho 
 upper end of the street in which the court was wherein we resided. 
 Wo made as much of this affair as we could, and pretended to go 
 through sundry preparations, in order to impress on the minds of these 
 people an iden of its importance. 
 
 " In tho e\ ening I was carried out about seven o'clock, and scitcd 
 in tho stn^et opposite the tree, the king and his chief men close by, sur- 
 rounding Sarslicld and the Kroomen, who were holding the rockets and 
 blue lights that we had brought out for the occasion. As a commence- 
 ment of the proceeding, I took a j)iece of paper and with great solemnity 
 fastened it to one of the rockets and gave it to Sarsfield ; we agreed 
 that the signal for firing the rockets and blue lights, should be the dis- 
 charge of ray pistol. An immense crowd of natives was assembled to 
 witness tho ceremony of the white man's fetish ; the wide street was 
 filled, and the roofs of the houses and the tops of the walls were crowded 
 with spectators, all full of wonder and speculation as to what they 
 were to see. 
 
 " Ivery thing being ready, I fired my pistol, and up flew four 
 beautiiul two pound rockt^ts, tho discharge of which was immediately 
 foUowel by the blaze of six blue lights, throwing a gliastly glare over 
 tho whole scene. The effect was perfectly electric ; the nati'/es had no 
 idea of what was coming, and fled in all directions. Tlie king, filled 
 with terror, threw himself on tho ground before me, and placing one of 
 my feet on Jus head, entreated me to preserve him from harm, and to 
 inform him what was tho decision of the Fates. It was now my turn to 
 make use of the power which I was supposed to possess, and I replied 
 that I should tell hita presently, but that I must now return to my house 
 with all my men. The farce had been successful so far, and the artifice 
 was only to be carried out to a successful issue. 
 
 " After keeping the king in suspense about an hour, I sent word to 
 him that I was ready to receive him, and that he himself was to come 
 
TUB WHITE MAN'S FETISH. 
 
 649 
 
 and sec the result of tho fcitisli. lie came iinmodiatoly, and as soon as 
 he was seated, I told him that I had Reiit for liim to sec whether I was 
 to go or stay, and that my god would i>uui;sh thiiii in a manner of which 
 they had no idea, if thi^y presumed to break liis commandments. I 
 then took from my pocket a little compass, and exj)lained to him, that 
 if the needle in it pointed toward me, as soon as it was placed on the 
 ground, that I was to go from Funda, and that if towaid liim that I 
 was to stay, to all of wiiich he attended Avith nuu-h reverence. I of 
 course took care to kiiow my position, and jilacing tho compass on tho 
 ground, the needle very properly turned toward me. This was sufficient, 
 tho thing vv'as done, and the king was convit)ced that he should allow me 
 to depart frt.'oly. I wished him to handle it, but he shrunk from it with 
 terror, imagini'g that it was a living creature, and was glad to get out 
 of my presence, after having promised to r^ive rne horses, or whatever 
 I might want in the morning. We had tiM greatest difiiculty to pre- 
 Bcrve our gravity throughout this farce, and when left to ourselves we 
 enjoyed a hearty laugh at the success of our plan, and the credulity of 
 the king." 
 
 Mr. Laird lost no time in returning to tli(- Qvorra, whi(;h ho reached 
 in tlic beginning of June, having been (lotalncd seven weeks .it Funda. 
 He dispatolied the purser, Mr. Hector, to the latter place, for tho ]>ur- 
 pose of bringing away thi; goods he had Itt'eii obliged to leave behind 
 him, but without sureoss. Finding it inqtossiblo to trade with the 
 natives to any advantage, his <'rew l)eing disabled by sicknos;, and liim- 
 solf ill a dmiisical state; which threatened to beeotao fatal, ho detennined 
 to return to tho coast. "On the 10th of July,'" ho say.s, "tho water 
 having risen by measurement fourteen feet, wo got under weigh, taking 
 tlu' Allfrkah in tow, and proceeded rapidly down the river, passhig the 
 boaiitiful gorge through the Kong Mountains, .ind arriving at lloccpia, 
 whore we anchored to ])ur(;haso rice and other ])rovisions. About two 
 o'clock in the afternoon, to my groat sur])iise, a boat under canvas hove 
 in sight. I sent a bo.at to lier with Ilecitor, who returned with 3Ir. 
 Lander and Mr. Oldfiold, our surgeon, bringing a parcel of letters for 
 me. Mr. Lander was looking much worse than "when I last saw him, 
 and had evidently suffered much in \\w, boats from exposure to the 
 weather. lie had been thirty-tAVO days on his passage from the Nun, 
 in the brig's long boat. Mr. Lander having determined to endeavor to 
 reach Boussa in \.hc Albnrk<(h,^\xQi\ his departure for the 27th; and 
 though very anxious myself to visit a place hallowed by the melancholy 
 fate of Mungo Park, I did not consider myself justified in returning, 
 and adhered to my doterminatiou to lay the vessel up at Fernando I'o 
 and return to Englun-^ " 
 
 (Tord to 
 to come 
 
660 
 
 BXPLORATIONiS OF TUK Nl^BB. 
 
 NARUATIVM OF I'll. OLDFIELD. 
 
 Mr. lioird carried out hii* purpose, and reached Liverpool in safety 
 with restored hei^'th, in January, 1834. We now follow the tbrtunesof 
 the remaining vessel, the Albur&ah, which once more proceeded up the 
 Niger, having on board llichard Lauder, Lieutenant Allen, and Dr. Old- 
 Held. 
 
 On the 2d of August they entered the Chadda, intending to ascend 
 it to the eastward as tar as Lake Tc'iad, if practicable ; but after pro- 
 ceeding a distance of one hundred and four miles, and reaching a country 
 called Domah, the king of which was at war with the Shekh of Bornou 
 they ran out of provisions, and were obliged to return. Tlie people 
 would neither trade nor sell them any thing, but deserted the villages 
 and retreated into the woods at their approach. On the 20th of August 
 they again entered the Niger, which they designed ascending to Houssa, 
 or as far as it would bo possible for the steamer to go. On reaching 
 Kacunda, they saw the old schoolmaster who had been so friendly to the 
 brothers Lander on their iirst voyage, and was greatly surprised to see 
 one of them again. The river was rising rapidly, and they experienced 
 no difficulty in ascending. Dr. Oldtield says : " A number of natives 
 lined the bank of the river, who, as the vessel approached them, foil upon 
 their knees. Our interpreter hailed them, and was answered that they 
 came to see the peopk of trod. \ largo canoe was now seen aj)proach- 
 ing from a distance, containing nearly forty i)ersons, several of whom 
 were Mallams. When near the vessel, the Mullams and natives in front 
 fell down on their knees, exclaiming, ' Allah um de le la fee ! Allah iim 
 de le la fee !' (God is great, and God preserve you !) They continued 
 repeating extracts from the Koran as they drew nearer ; and when the 
 Mallams in the front had knelt, those behind them fell down in the same 
 manner. It was an extraordhiary siglit, and produced a Ktrango but 
 very pleasmg effect." 
 
 At Egga, where they arrived on tiie 7th of September, they saw 
 Felataha for the first time. They made no halt here;, however, but kept 
 on their way to Rabba, which they reached, without accident, on the 
 16th. " As wo rapidly approached the town," says Dr. Oldlield, " it ap- 
 peared to be situated on the slope of a rising ground ; and the houses 
 being built one above the other, impart to it the appearance of an am- 
 phitheater. With the aid of a glass we could discern .in amazing crowd 
 of natives assembled on the banks; but, what was more in accordance 
 with our wishes, we could distinguisli horsen, cows, bullocks, shoop, and 
 goats. As we drew nearer, we found the city to bo of immense ext'^rit, 
 with villages all round the suburbs. The king was ai)})rised of our in- 
 tention to f re a salute, and tlie walls of Kabba, for the first time, re- 
 echoed with the sound of Britisli cannon, and her people witnessed a 
 novel sight ii the arrival of a British steam-vessel constructed of iron. 
 
FAILURE OP THE EXPEDITION. 
 
 651 
 
 After our salute, our people broke o •'. nto three hearty cheers, which 
 perhaps surprised still more the thousands of humaii beings that were 
 assembled before the walls of Rabba." 
 
 It was determined to establish a trade at this place, and then to run 
 the Albwkah as far toward Boussa as possible, after which Lander and 
 Oldfield would proceed in the long-boat. Both of these plans, however, 
 were thwarted ; the goods did not meet with a ready &alo, and the en- 
 gineer discovered a flaw in the cylinder, which disabled the boat from 
 advancing against a strong current. They remained here until the 2d 
 of October, when, finding that little mjis to be done in the way of trade, 
 and that the river was beginning to fall, they decided to return to the 
 sea-coast. While visiting their old friend Abokko, at Damuggoo, on the 
 voyage down. Lander gave him a very handsome necklace, which had 
 been intended for the King of Boussa, and he re])aid it by the gill of a 
 large island opposite the town, to which the name of English Island was 
 given. Mr. Brown, one of the company's clerks, was placed upon it. 
 to trade with the natives during the absei.co of the steamer, Abokko 
 Laving promised to build a house for him. l^o vessel then resumed her 
 voyage, and reached the sea on the 3l8t. 
 
 " No sooner had we reached Feniando Po," says Dr. Oldlleld, " than 
 I became too vmwell to attend to any thing that was going forward re- 
 specting the destination of the vessel. Lieutenant Allen, having com- 
 pleted his survey of the river, determined on returning to England by 
 the first opportunity ; and it was now arranged that I should go again 
 up the river with the vessel, while Mr. Lander, after visiting Cai)e Coast 
 and Accrah for cowries, was to follow mc, and expected to rejoin me up 
 the river in about six weeks." 
 
 On the 2Vth of November they were again in the River Nun. Lan- 
 der loft the same day in the Quorra for Capo Coiist, while the Alburkah, 
 under the command of Dr. Oldfield, sailed for the Niger. Shortly after 
 passing Eboe, the engine gave way, and all eftbrts to repair it seemed to 
 be inofl'i'ctual. While these attempts were going on, Dr. Oldfield took 
 a boat iii\(l ascended the river to Iddah, where he arrived on the 23d 
 of DH'cmber, and found Mr. Brown, tlie clerk, Avho had been left bchhid. 
 Firmlly, on the Ist of January, 1834, the engine was again put in motion, 
 hill in the mean time the engineers and several of the crew had died. 
 Dr. Oldfield was, therefore, obliged to intrust the management of tlu; 
 ciiirine entirely to the black firemen. They j)rocetded very slowly, and 
 'lid not reach Iddah until the 14th. 
 
 From this time forward, the journal of Dr. Oldfield is little else than 
 a record of his dealings with the Kings of Iddah, Abokko, and other na 
 tivo chiefs, in his endeavors to establish a trade. The former, whose 
 name was Attah, was the same man who had poisoned Pascoe, and en- 
 deavored to get Lander into his power with the same object. Abokko 
 alone was faithful, and inclif"-d to take their part, but there was no 
 end to the intrigue and de( t it which they encountered. The trading 
 
552 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THK NIGER. 
 
 operations wore tolerably successful, and they receiveil a larfrcr quantity 
 of ivory than they had before taken. In the early ])art of February 
 they heard a rumor that Richard Lander, in ascendinj* the river to re- 
 join them, with a supply of cowries, had b(!en attacked and i»lund(<re(l 
 in the Eboe country ; and this was confirmed on the 29th of March by 
 a letter from Lander himself, who stated that he had been attacked on 
 the 20th of January, near a village called Ilyammah, about eighty-live 
 miles from the mouth of the river. Throe men were killed, and tiio 
 boat taken, with every thing it coutained. Lander and the other men 
 barely escaping in a light canoe, in Avhich they pulled down the stream 
 all night. Lander was severely wounded by a ball in the thigh, and 
 had returned to Fernando Po. 
 
 LANDERS GRAVB. 
 
 In March, Dr. Oldfiehl received notice from Abokko that an attack 
 on the steamer Avas designed by the natives, and consequently kept a 
 strict watch at night, to guard against surprise. lie remained in this 
 rciiion until the 1st of June, constantlv exixt'-i'd to the danger of lio.«til- 
 ities, Avhich were only avoided, in two or three instances, by his cooluoss 
 and detennination. Finally, liis men being all more or less disabled by 
 the fevers, Avhich had already carried olf several of Miem, he decided to 
 return to the sea. In passing down the river, h • reached, on the 21it, 
 the spot where Lander had been attacked. IT- says: "About tliret^ 
 o'clock, on passing a town situate un *h'^ lefl bank, about two huTtilreJ 
 natives rushed from behind the trees and fired at tis, taking delihciato 
 aim. I stood by the nine-povuider and tired a rocket over the town; 
 but this did not ajjpear to alarm them, for they kcjjt up an irregular ilrc, 
 
OOVKRNMRNT KXTHDITION TO THE NKiER. 
 
 553 
 
 rtmning alone? llic bank Avith tho vessel nntll wo roun<k>(l the ])oint and 
 got ont of sijxht of the town. Tlie niuskct-balls llow about the tempo- 
 rary house and tlu^ ship's tpiarter-deek in all directions for several nim- 
 ntcs; and although they struck the chnnney and roof of the house, wo 
 all escaped." 
 
 The Alhnrkiih reacihed Fernando Po on the 9th of July. IJichard 
 Lander had died in eonsiMiuence of the wounds he had rcccivril, and 
 was burieil in a senuestere<l spot near the town, at the base of a lolly 
 cotton-lri'c, where a monument has sinee been ]>laeed to his memory 
 and that of the many other daritiijj men who have laUen in the attempt 
 to open the savaj^o regions of Africa to inturconnso with the eivilized 
 world. 
 
 Dr. Oldfield took passage for England on the 11th of Angust. "Oa 
 the 18th of November," he says, "I reached London, but in a very in- 
 iinn state of health, having suffered much in my constitution from 
 exjiosure to climote and all kinds of privation, and the only Kuropean 
 loll alive of the crow of the JlOur/cc.'t who left Fernando l*o in No- 
 vember" 
 
 ALLEN AND THOMPSON'S EXPEDITION TO THE NIHEU. 
 
 After the failure of Mr. Laird's commercial expedition to the Niijer, 
 110 Cmther attempt was made for several years. In is:ir), ImweviT, a 
 society was formed, under the presidency of Prince Albert, " for the 
 Extinction of the Slave-trade and th^' Civilization of Africa.'' A depu- 
 tation from this society waited on Lord John llnssell, reconiTnendini' 
 that a government expedition should be sent to the coast of Africa, and 
 the river Niger, with commissioners *'mpowercd to fbnn treaties of com- 
 merce and for the suppression of the external slave-trade. After some 
 (It'lilterutiou th(! government acceded, and orders avcu'c givcj to bnild 
 three iron sti'amers for the service. Two of these, the Albert and WiU 
 bcrforcr, were 140 feet in length, and of 457 tons burden ; the third, the 
 So>t</i(n, wJis of 250 tons only, and 1 1:{ feet in length. 
 
 The vi'ssels wen- built during the sunmier of 1840 ; in November of 
 that year, most of the oflieers apjiointed to the expedition had joined 
 thoir respective ships, and the greater jiart of the crews had entered. 
 Captain Trotter was ai)p<Vnited commander of the Afhirt, (-'a])tain Wil- 
 liam Allen, of the WillHrfom', au<l Captain Bird Allen of the Smtdan. 
 Those three eonnnanilers, with Mr. William Ct)ok, were appointed c,;ni- 
 missioners, emj)owered to make treaties. Li addition, several s'lentiflc 
 men were sent out, nnder the ansjiiees of the African Civilization Society. 
 As auxiliary to the ]>urpose of the society, Init not oflicially connected 
 with it, nor with the expedition, an Agricultural Society Avas ibrmed, 
 with the intention of establishing a model farm in such a locality as 
 might bo selected by the commissioners. The Admiralty granted a 
 
564 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP TUB NIGER. 
 
 pussago to Mr. Curr, a colored West Indian, who was engaged to act as 
 8Uj)eriiiteiulent of the farm. All the ])rei)aration8 having heen com- 
 pleted, the expedition sailed from England on the 22d of April, 1841. 
 
 After touching at the Canaries, Sierra Lconc, Liberia, and Cape 
 Coast Castle, the three vessels reached the river Nun on the 9lh of 
 August. The surf was very heavy ou the bar, and owing to the vessels 
 
 
 MOUTFI OP THE NIOBR. 
 
 being rather deeply laden, with their coal, aujiplics, and the articles for 
 the n.jdcl farm, which they had taken on board at Cape Coast, tlioy did 
 not venture to attempt tin; entrance, until the 15th, when the sea was 
 smooth. S.ays Captain Allen : " It was a moment of deep and iMoiitliloss 
 exjK'ctation, both as being a psussago of considerable difiiciilty and us 
 being the tirst absolute step in that path, so full of novelty and exeitiiig 
 interest, but which all knew must be fraught with d.inger; yet their 
 zeal did not suifer such anticipations to darken their pros))e(t, and the 
 acconiiilisliinent of the entrance of the river Niger was announced by 
 three ch ers from the whole crew." 
 
 On the 'JOth, they started on the ir voyage up the river, passing into 
 tlie main stream l)y the same ;!arrow channel wliich Lander and Laird 
 had chosen, and, after exploring a new arm of the river to the westward. 
 anchored oft' Eboe, the residenve of King Obie, on the evening of the 
 25th. The next day, after sending one of his sons to asc( rtain the inten- 
 tions of his visitors. King Obie made his aiipearance, in his state canoe. 
 with a numerous retinue, and a deafenin'.!; company of n:itivc drumnurit 
 and singers. On reaching the dt'ck of the WUherforce, the king recog- 
 nized Captain Allen (who, as Lieutenanf Allen, had accompanied Lander 
 and Oldfield in the Alburkah) as an old friend. " lie brought with him," 
 Bays the Captain, " two favorite wives and a daughter ; one of the for- 
 
 noil, 
 ei's 
 
 ' an( 
 it, H 
 t'ipj 
 j)ro| 
 brotJ 
 doi'o 
 ofth( 
 
 Obie. 
 
 retire 
 
 i"g tc 
 
 the re| 
 
 Obie 
 
 startec 
 bis ju 
 
 under 
 P''<yudi| 
 
TREATY WITH KING OBIE. 
 
 555 
 
 mer probably was not more than thirteen, and was younger than the 
 daughter. They were simply attired with a scanty waist-cloth ; but two 
 dresses of flaming red silk, and another of cotton print, supplied to the 
 expedition by their wmpassiunato sisters of our own blest land, were pre- 
 scutod to them, and very soon ])ut on, but did not appear to add at all 
 to their comfoi't, am they stood trembUiig between fear and joy." 
 
 ^^. -I^TT 
 
 KINO OBIE AND HIS WIVES. 
 
 After a consultation between the commissioners and King Obio, the 
 latter expressed bis willingness to make such a t/'^aty as they proposed 
 to liini — to give up the slave-trade in his dominiLris, and prevent his 
 neighbors, as tar as possible, from carrying it on — *,o give English trad- 
 ers the freedom of the river, allow them to ^mrchose houses and lands, 
 and both to enjoy their own religion and to c^nvoit his own subjects to 
 it, without disturbance. On the '28th, the treai^ having been carefully 
 explained, was signed by the commissioners on the part of the queen, 
 properly witnessed ; and by Obie, witnessed by his eldest son and two 
 brothers. Captain Trotter then requested the chaplain, the Rev. Theo- 
 dore Miiller, to ask tho blessing of God on this successful commencement 
 of their labors. " The nature of the ceremony having been explained to 
 Obie," says Captain Allen, " with an intimation that he might remiun or 
 retire, he signitied !iis wish to join us, and imitated our example in kneel- 
 ing to the Cliristian's Co 1— to him an unknown and inappreciable being. 
 
 "In that solciim moment, when the stillness was unbroken, save by 
 the reverential voice of the clergyman, and all were devoutly engaged, 
 Obie became violently agitaied. On tho conclusion of the ceremony he 
 started up, and uttering a sudden fearful exclamation, called aloud for 
 his ju-ju nian to bring his protecting ' Arrisi,' or idol, bemg evidently 
 under the impression that we had pei-formed some incantation to his 
 prejudice, the adverse tendencies of which, it would be necessary to 
 
656 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP THE NIGER. 
 
 counteract by !i H:i<;ritlco on his jiart. Ho stooil trembliii^^ with fear and 
 agitation ; the jmrspivation stroatiiccl down his fiu'c* and nt'ck, showing 
 how great was the agony of mind ho endured. The jtriest had heard 
 the ery of his sovereign, and rushing into the eabin with the id(jl — a 
 piece of blackened Avood, envelojicd in cloth — which the king placed be- 
 tween his feet, was about to offer the customary libation of palm-wine, 
 etc., when Cajitain Trotter, also much disconccrte<l at the idea of a 
 heatliL'ii eerenuniy being perlbrmed in our presenc*-, and in opposilinn to 
 the riles of our holy religion, interrupted him, and called for Captain 
 
 THE mouki, faum. 
 
 Bird Allen, wlio had just left lli; cabin. It was an interval of brtatlilcss 
 anxiety, the king became every moment more .alarmed, and desirous to 
 continue his sacrifice, until it was expl.ained to hini that we had asked 
 the (Jreat (»od, who was Father of us all, to bestow His blessing alike 
 on the black people .and on us. This immediately pacified him, he de- 
 sisted from the operations, a:vl his good Imnior as quickly ictuined." 
 
 On the 1st of September, the vessels reached Damuggoo, tlie resi- 
 dence of old Abokko, who had proved so true a friend to the Landens 
 and Mr. Laird. They wer(^ grieved to find that the old man had been 
 dead for several years. His fimiily, however, Avas still in great power, 
 one of his sons, Okien, having succeeded him in the government of tlio 
 town and territory. They theu proceeded to Iddah, where the coniniis- 
 sioners had several interviews with the treacherous old king, Attali, Ho 
 professed his entire willingness to discontiime the slave-trade, prevent it 
 from being carried on, to discontiaue human sacrifices, receive and treat 
 hospitably English traders, and finally, to giv<' up such a tra('t of land 
 for the purposes of the model farm, as the commissioners might select. 
 After making all these promises, he Avas particularly .anxious to see the 
 
RAVAGK3 OF TIIK FKVKU. 
 
 557 
 
 presents intended for him. All the firrangcments having hcvn conclinUid, 
 the expedition left on the 8th for the confluence of the Niger and the 
 Chadda, near which point the commissioners j)roposed to locate the 
 model larm. 
 
 By this time the fever had made its appearand- on boanl the vessels, 
 and soon occasioned fearful havoc. The men died (!V((ry day, and they 
 had every reason to expect a recurr(;nre of the melancholy scones on 
 board the Quorra and Alburkah. On t'le I'Jth, they reached the junc- 
 tion, and the botanist and geologist, having examined the country, re- 
 commended a spot on the ■western bunk of the Niger, opposite* the mouth 
 of the Chadda, and near a li»fly hill called Mount Stirling, by Lander. 
 The preliminaries were agreed upDii between the conunissioners and the 
 agents of Attah, and the land Avas purchased for the sum of 700,000 
 cowries (about 9j20). The tract extended about sixteen miles along 
 the bank of the river, and four miles hi depth. 
 
 " On the 1 8th of September," says Captain Allen "the nmnber of 
 sick had increased to sixty, an i death had already done fearful execution 
 among us. The scenes at right were most agonizing. Ncthuig but 
 muttering delirium, or suppressed groans were heard on every side on 
 board the vessels, affording a sad contrast to the placid character of the 
 river and its surromuiing st enery." It was at first ]»roposed to send the 
 invalids to the summit of ^he hills, in order to enjoy a purer air ; but 
 the surgeon declared that they could nut safely be removed, and Cap- 
 tain Trotter then decided to put them on board tho /l^onJan, and have? 
 them carried down to tho sea-coast. On Sutulay, tho lOth, this was 
 done : " Prayers were read to tho crews of both vessels. It was an 
 aflecting scene. Tho whole of one side of the little vessel was covered 
 with the invalids, and the cabins were full of oflicers ; there v as, indeed, 
 no room for more." 
 
 A conference of tho commanders was now held, as to the proper 
 course to be pursued. On tho one hand it was proposed that they 
 should iiscend the Niger as far as llabba, to make a treaty with the Fe- 
 htahs, and other native tribes ; while Captam William Allen, who hud 
 some experience of tho river and its climate, strongly urged an im- 
 mediate return to the sea, in order to restore the health of the crews. 
 After a long discussion it was decided that tho Albert should attempt to 
 reach Kabba, while the Wilher/orce should descend the river, and pro- 
 coed to carry out tho intentions of the government in the Bights of 
 Benin and Biafra. Captain Trotter liaving prepared his dispatches for 
 England, tho vessels separated on the '20th of September. 
 
 The Wilberforce reached Fernando Po on the 1st of October, and 
 found the Soudan at anchor there. Several j)erson8 had died on both 
 vessels, and as there was no diminution of the sick-list, but the contrary. 
 Captain Allen resolved to leave Fernando Po as soon as possible — its 
 reputation for unnca^.hiness being second only to the fatal Niger — and 
 to proceed to Ascensior, , as the best means under Providence of enabling 
 
558 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP THK NIOKR. 
 
 tlio crow of the WilherforcA to rccovor their heiilth. A «mnll trading 
 Bteamcr, called the Mhiope, under charge of Mr. Becrott, wah cnga<:fcd 
 to proceed at once up the Niger in order to oflHist the Albert, U\ a» was 
 feared, her officers and crew should be disabled by fever. She wailed on 
 the 7th, and two days afterward the Wilberforce left on hor sanitary 
 cruise. She visited Prince's Island, St. Thomas, Annobon, and Ascen- 
 sion ; the sick gradually recovered, with two or three exceptions, the 
 vessel was overhauled and thoroughly cleansed, and Captain Allen was 
 about to sail for the coast of Africa in the beginning of January, 1 H42, 
 when the melancholy intelligence reached Ascension that the Albert 
 had returned to Fernando Po, with all her crew dangerously ill with 
 fever. 
 
 "They had been immediately landed at tlie hospital, where Com- 
 mander Bird Allen, with several officers and men had fallen a sacrifice 
 to their zeal in braving to the utmost the climate of the fatal river. 
 In fact, the vessel and her crew were only saved from great risk of 
 destruction by the timely meeting of Mr. Becroft, in the Ethiope, who 
 brought them safely to Fernando Po. She had been conducted ns far 
 as the point where her deliverer was met, by the almost superhuman 
 exertions of Doctors McWilliara and Stanger ; but it was not possible 
 that their unaided strength could have lasted much longer. Captain 
 Trotter was reported to be in such danger, that the medical men had 
 thought it necessary he should immediately return to England, as the 
 only means of saving his life, and that officer deeming it also of im- 
 portance that one of the commissioners should lay before her majesty's 
 government a statement of the condition of the vessels and survivors of 
 the expedition, had taken his passage in a small schooner which was 
 about to sail for England." 
 
 Dr. McWilliam's journal of what occurred on board the Albert after 
 the departure of the Wilberforce .ind Soudan from the mouth of the 
 Chadda, adds another melancholy chapter to the history of Niger ex- 
 ploration. It will be remembered that Captain Trotter had determined 
 to ascend as far as Rabba, but the number of the sick increased as he 
 advanced, and by the time he reached Egga, on the 28th of September, 
 the engineer was unable to perform his duty. The King of Egga re- 
 ceived the officers in a friendly manner, but refused to make a treaty, 
 through fear of the Felatahs. On the 3d of October, Dr. McWilliam 
 writes : " This day our hopes of penetrating further into the interior 
 received a finishing blow. Oar arduous, enterprising, and kind chief, who 
 was comi)laining yesterday, has now unmistakable symptoms of fever. 
 Commander Bird Allen lies in a very critical state, and upward of 
 twenty others of our companions are completely prostrated. In short, 
 of the whites at all fit for duty, there remain only one seaman, the 
 sergeant, and one private of marines, John Huxley, sick attendant, John 
 Duncan, master-a^arms, Mr. Willie, mate, Dr. Stanger, and myself. 
 Tlte time, therefore, seems now to have arrived when there is no reason- 
 
THE MODEL FARM ABANDONED. 
 
 659 
 
 ablu )jros|i(>ct ufour rciicliing Uubhiv this HuOHon ; and no ultcrnativo lud 
 U8 but to ri'turn to tlio seu with all possiblo speed." 
 
 On tlio voyugo down Bovoral dcuthrt occurred. Two of tlic (jfticors 
 juinpeil overboard, while iti the delirium of lever, and one ot'tlicin wna 
 lost. Tlie entile coinnxand und muuagenieiit of the vcbsel devolved on 
 Doctors McWillium and Stangcr, the former of whom undertook the 
 navigation, while the latter acted as engineer: and in addition to these 
 labors, they took charge of the sick. At the model fann, they found 
 that the persons they had left had cleared and planted twelve acres of 
 ground, and built several huts, but Mr. Carr, the superlntendciit, with 
 the schoolmaster and gardener, were so ill, that the physicians had them 
 brought on board, and gave the farm into the cliarge of Ilalph Moore, 
 an American negro, who had accompanied the expedition from liibcria. 
 On the inth, below Eboo, they ft)rttuiately met the A'C/i/o^w, Mithout 
 the assistance of which vessel they would have been unable to cross the 
 bar at the mouth of the Nun, and on the 17th, reached Fernando Po. 
 
 After the departure of Captain Trotter for England, the command of 
 the expedition devolved upon Captain Allen. In a consultation with 
 Mr. Cook, the remaining commissioner, it was decided to proceed up 
 the Niger again, to the relief of the settlers of the model farm ; but 
 Captain Allen deferred this trip until June, when the Niger should be 
 swollen by the tropical rains. In the mean time he proceeded to carry 
 out the object of the expedition in the Hlghts of Benin and Hlafra, which 
 occupied lum until the beginning of .Tuiie, when he returned to Fer- 
 nando Po. lie was preparing to set out for the Niger once more, when, 
 on the 24th of Juno, dispatches arrived from England to put a stop to 
 the expedition, and forward the ofticers and men composing It to En- 
 gland, with the exception of the few who Avould be required to proceed 
 tc *he relief of the persons left at the model farm. 
 
 The Wllberforce was detailed for this service, under the command 
 of Lieutenant Webb, and having been fitted out in all haste, entered 
 the mouth of the Niger on the 2d of July. She proceeded up the river 
 rapidly, passed Idda on the 10th, and had nearly reached the mouth of 
 the Chadda, when she struck on a sunken rock. She was built in com- 
 partments, which alone prevented her from being a total loss ; but the 
 damage was so serious, that on reaching the model farm, Mr. Webb 
 was obliged to run her aground to have the hull repaired. This was 
 accomplished In a day or two, and the vessel got afloat again ; and, as 
 fever had already made its appearance, haste was made to reshlp the 
 goods and stores at the model farm and return down the river. It was 
 found that Moore, who had been left in charge of the undertaking, had 
 not sufficient control over his subordinates ; the latter were idle and 
 vicious; and thougl; ihc crops promised well and the natives were 
 friendly, it was thoui»ht hirt to abandon the place altogether. 
 
 Lieutenant Webl r'„>ciii;ied to Fernando Po on the 29th of July, and 
 soon afterward sailed in tl u TFi/icr/brce for England, where ho arrived 
 
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 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-S) 
 
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 Sciences 
 
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 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 
 
 (716)872-4503 
 
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560 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE NIGER. 
 
 on the 1 tth of November. Captuin Allen and the reniauKl.r of the ex- 
 „edilion had aheady arrived m September. Thus disastrously termmated 
 an imposing attempt to open the Niger to English commeree-i.ot from 
 any ^v^ant of energy or courage on the part of those who engaged m it, 
 but from the ravages of a climate into whid» few Europeans can venture 
 and live Of the total of one hundred and lorty-fivc Europeans who took 
 part in this expedition, forty-lbur died, and only fourteen escaped with- 
 out an attack of fever. 
 
MOFFAT'S 
 
 LIFE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 The Rev. Robert Moffat was sent to South Africa in the year 1817, 
 as an agent of the London Missionary Society. He immediately entered 
 on the duties of his office with zeal, courage, and alacrity, departing from 
 Cape Town, soon after his arrival, into the country of the Bechuanas, 
 where he remained many years, enduring the rude life of one of the 
 lowest varieties jf the human race, encountering many dangers and dif- 
 ficulties, but sustained through all by a truly Christian patience and hu- 
 manity. He labored in this field until 1840 — a period of twenty-three 
 years— during which time he became familiar with the character and 
 habits of nearly all the wild Bushmen tribes between the English settle- 
 ments and the mountains of Bamangwato, far beyond the Orange River, 
 and on the borders of the unknown country recently explored by Dr. 
 Livingstone. In 1842 he published in London an account of his expe- 
 rience entitled : " Missionary Labors and Scenes in Southern Africa," 
 containing much curious infoiiuation concerning the native tribes. As 
 he was not, strictly speaking, an explorer, and his work is a series of 
 observations and reflections, rather than a connected narrative, it will be 
 sufficient to extract those portions which best describe the country and 
 its inhabitants. 
 
 Mr. Moffat gives the following account of the region where so many 
 years of his life were spent : " Great Namaqua-land, as it is usually called, 
 lies north of the Orange River, on the western coast of Africa, between the 
 twenty-third and twenty-eighth degrees of south latitude ; bounded on the 
 north hy the Damaras, and on the east by an extensive sandy desert, called 
 by Mr. Campbell the Southern Zara, or Zahara. Meeting with an individual, 
 on my journey thither, who had spent years in that country, I asked what 
 was its character and appearance ? ' Sir,' he replied, ' you will find plenty 
 of sand and stones, a thinly scattered population, always suffering from 
 want of water, on plains and hills roasted like a burned loaf, under the 
 scorching rays of a cloudless sun.' Of the truth of th's description I 
 soon had ample demonstration. It is intersected by the Fish and 'Oup 
 
 36 
 
662 
 
 MOFFAT'S LIFE IN SOUTHERN A-FRICA. 
 
 Rivers, with their numberless tributary streams, if such their dry and 
 often glowing beds may be termed. Sometimes, for years together 
 they are not known to run ; when, after the stagnant pools are dried up 
 the natives congregate to their beds, and dig holes, or wells, in some in- 
 stances to the depth of twenty feet, from which they draw water, goner- 
 ally of a very inferior quality. They place branches of trees in the ex- 
 cavation, and, with great labor, under a hot sun, hand up the water in 
 a wooden vessel, and pour it into an artificial trough ; to which the 
 panting, lowing herds approach, partially to satiate their thirst. Thun- 
 der-storms are eagerly anticipated, for by these only rain falls ; and fre- 
 quently these storms will pass over with ticmendous violence, striking 
 the inhabitants with awe, while not a single drop of rain descends to 
 cool and fructify the parched waste. 
 
 " When the heavens do let down their watery treasures, it is gener- 
 ally in a partial strip of country, which the electric cloud has traversed • 
 so that the traveler will frequently pass, almost instantaneously, from 
 ground on which there is not a blade of grass, into tracts of luxuriant 
 green, sprung up after a passing storm. Fountains are indeed few and 
 far between, the best very inconsiderable, frequently very salt, and some 
 of them hot springs ; while the soil contiguous is generally so impreg- 
 nated with saltpeter, as to crackle under the feet, like hoar-frost, and it 
 is with great difficulty that any kind of vegetable can be made to grow. 
 Much of the country is hard and stony, interspersed with plains of deep 
 sand. There is much granite ; and quartz is so abundantly scattered, 
 reflecting such a glare of light from the rays of the sun, that the traveler, 
 if exposed at noonday, can scarcely allow his eyelids to be sufficiently 
 open to enable him to keep the course he wishes to pursue. 
 
 " The inhabitants are a tribe or tribes of Hottentots, distinguished by 
 all the singular characteristics of that nation, which includes Hottentots, 
 Carannas, Namaquas, and Bushmen. Their peculiar clicking language is 
 so similar, that it is with little difficulty they converse with the two former. 
 In their native state the aborigines, though deeply sunk in ignorance, 
 and disgusting in their manners and mien, were neither very warlike nor 
 bloody in their dispositions. The enervating influence of climate, and 
 scanty sustenance, seem to have deprived them of that bo' 1 martial 
 spirit which distinguishes the tribes who live in other parts of the inte- 
 rior, which, in comparison with Namaqua-land, may be said to ' flow 
 with milk and honey.' With the exception of the solitary traveler, 
 whose objects were entirely of a scientific character, those who ventured 
 into the interior carried on a system of cupidity, and perpetrated deeds 
 calculated to make the worst impression upon the minds of the natives, 
 and influence them to view white men, and others descended f om them, 
 as an * angry' race of human beings, only fit to be classed with the lions 
 which roar for their prey in their native wilds. Intercourse with such 
 visitors in the southern districts, and disgraceful acts of deceit and op- 
 pression, committed by sailors from ships which visited Angra Piquena, 
 
THE CHIEF AFRICANER. 
 
 663 
 
 and other places on the western coast, had, as may easily bo conceived, 
 the most baneful influence on the native tribes, and nurtured in their 
 heathen minds (naturally suspicious) a savage disgust for all intercourse 
 with white men, alas I professedly Christian. It was to such a people, 
 and to such a country, that the missionaries directed their course, to 
 lead a life of the greatest self denial and privation." 
 
 Among these people a chief named Africaner was the terror of the 
 colony. His tribe had removed further and further from the home of 
 their fathers, as the Dutch settlers encroached on their territory, until 
 at length they became subject to one of the farmers. Hero Africaner 
 lived several years with his diminished tribe, serving his master faith- 
 fully until the cruelties to which his people were subjected at length 
 awakened his resentment and aroused him to vengeance. His master 
 was slain, and he led the remnant of his paity to the Orange River, be- 
 yond the reach of their pursuers. In their attempts to get rid of him 
 the colonists bribed other chiefs, and a long series of bloody conflicts 
 ensued between the family of Africaner, and the chief Berend and his 
 associates, in which neither conquered. Africaner frequently visited the 
 boundaries of the colony and harassed the settlers. Some, whom he 
 knew to be engaged in a plot against him, fell victims to his fury, and 
 their cattle and other property were carried off. He thus became a 
 scourge to the colonists on the south, and the tribes on the north ; 
 mutual provocations and retaliations became common. He paid back 
 the aggressions with large interest, and his name carried dismay even to 
 the remote deserts. 
 
 The Rev. J. Campbell, in his first visit to Africa, crossed the interior 
 to Namaqua-land. During his journey he found every village in terror 
 of Africaner's name. On reaching Pella he wrote a conciliatory letter 
 to the chief, and continued his journey. Africaner sent a favorable re- 
 ply, and soon afterward Mr. Euner was sent out from Pella. It required 
 no little circumspection and decision to gain an influence over a people 
 whose hand had been against every one, but Mr. Ebner's labors were 
 blessed, and in a short time Africaner, his two brothers, and a number 
 of others, were baptized. 
 
 In 1817, Mr. Ebner visited Cape Town for supplies, where he met 
 with Mr, Moffat, who hailed him with delight as his companion and 
 guide in his future labors, upon which he .vas now entering. After 
 traveling awhile together. Mr. Moffat proceeded to Bysondermeid, in 
 Little Naraaqua-land. " Ah I approached the boundaries of the colony," 
 he writes, *' it was evident to me that the farmers, who, of course, had 
 not one good word to say of Africaner, were skeptical to the last derr- 
 alout his reported conversion, and most unceremoniously predicted my 
 destruction. One said he would set me up for a mark for his boys to 
 shoot at ; and another, that he would strip off my skin, and make a 
 drum of it to dance to ; another most consoling prediction was, that he 
 would make a drinking-cup of my skulL I believe they were serious, 
 
564 
 
 MOFFAT'S LIFE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 and especially a kind motherly lady, who, wiping the tear from her eye 
 bade me farewell, saying, ' Had you been an old man, it would have 
 been nothing, for you would soon have died, whether or no .; but you 
 are young, and going to become a prey to that monster.' " 
 
 After cpending a month at liysondermeid he proct-cded, by way of 
 Pella, to Africaner's kraal, (village), where he arrived on the 26th of Jan- 
 uary, 1818, and was kindly received by Mr. Ebner. The natives, how- 
 ever, seemed reserved, and it was some time before Africaner, the chief 
 came to welcome him. 
 
 It appeared, as Mr. Moffat afterward learned, that some unpleasant 
 feeling existed between the missionary and the people. "After reraain- 
 mg an hour or more in this situation," he continues, " Christian Afri- 
 caner made his appearance ; and after the usual salutation, inquired if I 
 was the missionary appointed by the directors in London ; to which I 
 replied in the affirmative. This seemed to afford him much pleasure ; 
 and he added, that as I was young, he hoped that I should live long with 
 him and his people. He then ordered a number of women to come ; I 
 was rather puzzled to know what he intended by sending for women, 
 tiU they arrived, bearing bundles of native mats and long sticks, like 
 fishing-rods. Africaner pointing to a spot of ground, said, ' There, you 
 must build a house for the missionary.' A circle was instantly formed, 
 and the women evidently lelighted with the job, fixed the poles, tied 
 them down in the hemispheric form, and covered them with the mats, 
 all ready for habitation, in the course of little more than half an hour. 
 Since that time I have seen houses built of all descriptions, and assisted 
 in the construction of a good many myself; but 7 confess 1 never wit- 
 nessed such expedition. Hottentot houses (for such they may be called, 
 being confined to the different tribes of that nation), are at best not very 
 comfortable. I lived nearly six months in this native hut, which very 
 frequently required tightening and fastening after a storm. When the 
 sun shone, it was unbearably hot ; when the rain fell, I came in for a 
 share of it; when the wind blew, I had frequently to decamp to escape 
 the dust ; and in addition to these little inconveniences, any hungry cur 
 of a dog that wished a night's lodging, would force itself through the 
 frail wall, and not unfrequently deprive me of my anticipated meal for 
 the coming day ; and I have more than once found a serpent coiled up 
 in a corner. Nor were these all the contingencies of such a dwelling, 
 for as the cattle belonghig to the village had no fold, but strolled about, 
 I have been compelled to start up from a sound sleep, and try to defend 
 myself and my dwellhig from being crushed to pieces by the rage of 
 two bulls which had met to light a nocturnal duel." 
 
 Mr. Moffat soon atlterward entered upon his labors and was cheered 
 by the interest which Africaner manifested in his instructions. He be- 
 came a constant reader of the Scriptures, and loved to converse on 
 religious subjects, ami at the same time greatly assisted in the labors of 
 the mission. " During the whole period I lived there," continues Mr. 
 
ERRORS OF TRAVELERS. 
 
 665 
 
 Moffat, " I do not remember having occasion to be grieved with him, 
 or to complain of any pai*t of his conduct ; his very faults seemed to 
 ' lean to virtue's side.' One day, when seated together, I happened, in 
 absence of mind, to be gazing steadfastly on im. It arrested his at- 
 tention, and he modestly inquired the cause. ^ replied, ' I was trying 
 to picture to myself your carrying fire and sword through the country, 
 and I could not. think how eyes like yours could smile at human woe.' 
 He answered not, but shed a flood of tears ! He zealously seconded my 
 efforts to improve the people in cleanliness and industry ; and it would 
 have made any one smile to have seen Christian Airicaner and myself 
 superintending the school children, now about a himdred and twenty, 
 washing themselves at the fountain. He was a man of peace ; and 
 though I could not expound to him that the ' sword of the magistrate* 
 implied, that he was calmly to sit at home, and see Bushmen or maraud- 
 ers carry off his cattle, and slay his servants ; yet so fully did he under- 
 stand and appreciate the principles of the Gospel of peace, that nothing 
 could grieve him more than to hear of individuals, or villages, contend- 
 ing with one another." 
 
 As the spot on which they lived was not suitable for a permanent 
 missionary station, it was determined to take a journey northward and 
 examine the country bordering on Damara-lond, where it was reported 
 that water abounded. On the route they occasionally met with Nama- 
 qua villages, whose inhabitants were exceedingly ignorant, though not 
 so stupid as some travelers have represented these people to be. In thia 
 connection Mr. Moffat, speaking of the liability of travelers to be led 
 astray, refers to a traveler who, having asked his guide the name of a 
 place, was proceeding to write down the answer " Vh reng,'*'' when told 
 by Mr. Moffat that the guide merely asked what he said. In another 
 instance " mountains" was the reply, instead of the name of tht mount- 
 sun. " And in reference to points of faith or extent of knowledge," con- 
 tinues he, " the traveler may be completely duped, as I was in tho 
 present journey. At an isolated village, far in the wilds of Namaqna- 
 land, I met an individual, who appeared somewhat more intelligent than 
 the rest; to him I put a nmnber of questions, to ascertain if there were 
 any tradition in the country respecting the deluge, of which vestiges are 
 to be found in almost every part of the known world. I had made 
 many inquiries before, but all to no purpose. Discovering that he pos- 
 sessed some knowledge on the subject, and being an utter stranger to 
 any of the party, and to all appearance a child of the desert, I very 
 promptly took up my pen and wrote, thinking myself a lucky discoverer. 
 I was perf jctly astonished at some of his first sentences, and, afraid lest 
 I should lose one word, I appointed two interpreters : but by the time I 
 reached the end of the story, I began to suspect. It bore the impress 
 of the Bible. On questioning him as to the source of his information, 
 he positively asserted that he had received it from his forefathers, and 
 that he never saw or heard of a misuonary. 1 secretly instituted in- 
 
566 
 
 MOFPAT'8 LIFE IN 80UTHBRN AFRICA. 
 
 quirics into his history, but could elicit nothing. I folded up my paper 
 and put it. into ray desk, very much puzzled, and resolving to leave the 
 statement to wiser hands than nunc. On our return, this man accom- 
 panied us some days southward, toward the Karas mountains, when wo 
 halted at a village ; and meeting a person who had been at Bethany 
 Mr. Schmelcn's station, lying north-west of us, I begged him to guide 
 us thither, as I was anxious to Aisit the place. lie could not, being 
 •worn out with the journey ; but pointing to the deluge narrator, he said 
 * 27iere is a man that knows the road to Bethany, for I have seen him 
 there.' The mystery of the tradition was in a moment unraveled, and 
 the man decamped, on my seeing that the forefather who told him the 
 Btory, was our missionary Schmelen. Stories of a similar kind originally 
 obtained at a missionary station, or from some godly traveler, get, in 
 course of time, so mixed up and metamorphosed by heathen ideas, that 
 they look exceedingly like native traditions." 
 
 Finding the natives unfriendly, they returned unsuccessful. Once 
 when they had been a day and a night without water, they drew near 
 some bushes Avhich seemed to skirt on a ravine, and hasted forward with 
 joy. " On reaching the spot," says Mr. Moffat, " we beheld an object 
 of heart-rending distress. It was a venerable-looking old woman, a liv- 
 ing skeleton, sitting, with her head leaning on her knees. She appeared 
 terrified at our presence, and especially at me. She tried to rise, but, 
 trembling with weakness, sank again to the earth. I addressed her by 
 the name Avhich sounds sweet in every clime, and charms even the sav- 
 age ear, ' My mother, fear not ; we are friends, and will do you no harm.» 
 I put several questions to her, but she appeared either speechless, or 
 afraid to open her lips. I again repeated, ' Pray, mother, who are you, 
 and how do you come to be m this situation?' to which she replied, 'I 
 am a woman ; I have been here four days ; my children have left me 
 here to die.' ' Your children !' I interrupted. ' Yes,' raising her hand 
 to her shriveled bosom, ' my own children, three sons and two daugh- 
 ters. They are gone,' pointing with her finger, ' to yonder blue mount- 
 ain, and have left me to die.' ' And, pray why did they leave you ?' I 
 inquired. Spreading out her hands, ' I am old, you see, and I am no 
 longer able to serve them ; when they kill game, I am too feeble to help 
 in earring home the flesh ; I am not able to gather wood to make fii-e ; 
 and I can not carry their children on my back, as I used to do.' Thia 
 last sentence was more than I could bear ; and though my tongue was 
 cleaving to the roof of my mouth for want of water, this reply opened a 
 fountain of tears. I remarked that I was surprised that she had escaped 
 the lions, which seemed to abound, and to have approached very near 
 the spot where she was. She took hold of the skin of her left arm with 
 her fingers, and, raising it up as one would do a loose linen, she added, 
 ' I hear the lions ; but there is nothing on me that they would eat ; I 
 have no flesh on me for them to scent.' At this moment the wagon 
 drew near, which greatly alarmed her, for she supposed that it was an 
 
r 
 
 AFRICANER'S VISIT TO CAPE TOWN. 
 
 567 
 
 animal. Assuring her that it would do her no harm, I said that, as I 
 could not stay, I would put her in the wagon, and take hor with mo. 
 At this remark she became convulsed with terror. Others addressed 
 her, but all to no effect. She rei>lied, that i. we took her, and left her 
 at another village, they would only do the same thing again. ' It is our 
 custom ; I am nearly dead ; I do not want to die again.' Tho sun was 
 now piercingly hot ; tho oxen were raging in tho yoke, and wo ourselves 
 nearly delirious. Finding it impossible to influence the woman to move, 
 without running tho risk of her dying convulsed in our hands, wo col- 
 lected a quantity of fuel, gave her a good supply of dry meat, some to- 
 bacco, and a knife, with some other articles ; telling her we should return 
 in two days, and stop the night, when she would be able to go with us ; 
 only she must keep up a good fire at night, as the lions would smell tho 
 dried flesh, if they did not scent her. We then pursued our course ; and 
 after a long ride, passing a rocky ridgo of hills, we came to a stagnant 
 pool, into which men and oxen rushed precipitately, though tho water 
 was almost too muddy to go down our throats." 
 
 After this journey, which lasted a few weeks, Mr. Moffat lived an 
 itinerating missionary life for several months, and then undertook a 
 journey, at the request of Africaner, to the Griqua country, east of tho 
 desert, to inspect a situation offered to him and his people. Tho journey 
 was long and difficult, but the result was satisfactory to Africaner. Mean- 
 while tho want of intercourse with the colony made it necessary for Mr. 
 Moffat to visit Cape Town, and he proposed that Africaner should ac- 
 company him. Tho chief was startled at this proposition, and asked if 
 he did not know that a thousand rix dollars were offered for his head. 
 Others also made objections, but finally all difficulties were removed, 
 and they set forward. They spent a few days at Pella, while the subject 
 of getting Africaner safely through tho territories of the colonists to the 
 Cape, was discussed. Many thought the step hazardous, but it was ar- 
 ranged that, although he was a chief, ho should pass for one of Mr. Mof- 
 fat's servants. As they proceeded, tho people oflen expressed wonder 
 that Mr. Moffat had escaped from such a monster of cruelty, and it some- 
 times afforded no little entertainment to Africaner and the Namaquas, to 
 hear a farmer denounce this supposed irreclaimable savage. A novel 
 scene which occurred at one farm is thus described : 
 
 " On approaching the house, which was on an eminence, I directed 
 my men to take the wagon to the valley below, while I walked toward 
 the house. The farmer, seeing a stranger, came slowly down the de- 
 scent to meet me. When within a few yards, I addressed him in the 
 usual way, and stretching out my hand, expressed my pleasure at seeing;: 
 him again. He put his hand behind him, and asked me, rather wildly, 
 who I was. I replied that I was Moffat, expressing my wonder that ho 
 should have forgotten me. ' Moffat !' he rejoined, in a faltering voice ; 
 ' it is your ghost .'' and moved some steps backward. ' I am no ghost.' 
 ' Don't come near me I' he exclaimed, ' you have been long murdered 
 
568 
 
 MOPPAT'S LIPB IN SOUTHERN APRIOA. 
 
 by Africaner.' ' But lam no ghost,* I Hiud, foulin}^ my hands, as if to 
 convince him and myself, too, of my materiality ; but his alarm only in- 
 creased. ' Every body says you were murdered ; and a man told me 
 ho had seen your bones ;' and he continued to gaze at me, to the no 
 small astonishment of the good wife and children, who were standing ut 
 the door, as also to that of my people, who were looking on from the 
 wagon below. At length ho extended his trembling hand, saying, 
 ' When did you riso from the dead ?' As ho feared my presence would 
 alarm his wife, wo bent our steps toward the wagon, and Africaner was 
 the subject of our conversation. I gave him in a few words my views 
 of his present character, saying, * Ho is now a truly good man.' To 
 which he replied, * I can believe almost any thing you say, but that I can 
 not credit.' By this time we were standing with Africaner at our feet, 
 on whose countenance sat a smile, well knowing the prejudices of some 
 of the farmers. The farmer closed the conversation by saying, with 
 much earnestness, ' Well, if what you assert bo true respecting that 
 man, I have only one wish, and that is, to see him before I die ; and 
 when you return, as sure as the sun is over our heads, I will go with 
 you to see him, though he killed my own uncle.' I was not before aware 
 of this fact, and now felt some hesitation whether to discover to him 
 the object of his wonder ; but knowing the sincerity of the fiirmer, and 
 the goodness of his disposition, I said, 'This, then, is Africaner!' He 
 started back, looking intensely at the man, as if he had just dropped 
 from the clouds. ' Arc you Africaner ?' he exclaimed. He arose, doffed 
 his old hat, and making a polite bow, answered, ' I am.' Tlie fanner 
 seemed thunder-struck ; but when, by a few questions, he had assured 
 himself of the fact, that the former bugbear of the border stood before 
 him, now meek and lamb-like in his whole deportment, he lifted up his 
 eyes, and exclaimed, ' O God, what a miracle of thy power ! what can 
 not thy grace accomplish !' The kind farmer, and his no less hospitable 
 wife, now abundantly supplied our wants ; but we hastened our depart- 
 ure, lest the intelligence might get abroad that Africaner was with me, 
 and bring unpleasant visitors. 
 
 " On arriving at Cape Town, I waited on his excellency the gover- 
 nor. Lord. Charles Somerset, who appeared to receive with considerable 
 skepticism my testimony that I had brought the far-famed Africaner ou 
 a visit to his excellency. The following day was appointed for an inter- 
 view, when the chief was received by Lord Chai'les with great affability 
 and kindness ; and he expressed his pleasure at seeing thus before him 
 one who had formerly been the scourge of the country, and the terror 
 of the border colonists. His excellency was evidently much struck with 
 this result of nMSsionary enterprise, the benefit of which he had some- 
 times doubted. Whatever he might think of his former views, his ex- 
 cellency was now convinced that a most important point had been 
 gained ; and, as a testimony of his good feeling, he presented Africaner 
 with an excellent wagon, valued at eighty pounds sterling. 
 
HOTTENTOT IDEAS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 569 
 
 " Africaner's appearance in Cape Town excited considerable attention, 
 as his name and exploits had been flimiliar to many of its inhabitants for 
 more than twenty years. Many were struck with the unexpected mild- 
 ness and gentleness of his demeanor, and others with his piety and accii- 
 rate knowledge of the Scriptures. Ilis New Testament was an interest- 
 ing object of attention, it was so completely thumbed and worn by uaa 
 His answers to a number of questions put to him by the friends in Capo 
 Town, and at a public meeting at the Paarl, exhibited his diligence as a 
 student in the doctrines of the Gospel, especially when it is rememberiKl 
 that Africaner never saw a catechism in his life, but obtained all his 
 knowledge on theological subjects from a careful perusal of the Scrip- 
 tures, and the verbal instructions of the missionary." 
 
 After spending some time at Griqua ToAvn, Mr. Moffat joined the 
 mission at the Kuruman in May, 1821. Hero ho had to lalsor with n 
 people ignorant in the extreme, and utterly destitute of a system of re- 
 ligion to which ho could appeal, or of idcjis kindred to those ho wished 
 to impart. To tell them of a Creator or of the immortality of the soul, 
 was to speak of what was fabulous and extravagant. " A wily rain- 
 maker," continues Mr. Moffat, " who was the oracle of the village in 
 which he dwelt, once remarked, after hearing me enlarge on the sub- 
 ject of creation, * If you verily believe that that Being created all men, 
 then, according to reason, you must also believe that in making white 
 people he has improved on his work ; he tried his hand on Bushmen 
 first, and he did not like them, because they were so ugly, and their lan- 
 guage like that of the frogs. He then tried his hand on the Hottentots, 
 but these did not please him either. He then exercised his power and 
 skill, and made the Bechuanas, which was a great improvement ; and at 
 last he made the white people ; therefore,' exulting Math an air of tri- 
 umph at the discovery, ' the white people are so much wiser than we 
 are in making walking-houses (wagons), teaching the oxen to- draw them 
 over hill and dale, and instructing them also to plow the gardens in- 
 stead of making their wives do it, like the Bechuanas.' His discovery 
 received the applause of the people, while the poor missionary's argu- 
 ments, drawn from the source of Divine truth, were thrown into the 
 shade. 
 
 " With all their concessions, they would, with little ceremony, pro- 
 nounce our customs clumsy, awkward, and troublesome. They could 
 not 'ccount for our putting our legs, feet, and arms into bags, and using 
 buttons for the purpose of fastening bandages round our bodies, instead 
 of suspending them as ornaments from the neck or hair of the head. 
 Washing the body, instead of lubricating it with grease and red ocher, 
 was a disgusting custom, and cleanliness about our food, house and bed- 
 ding, contributed to their amusement in no small degree. A native, 
 who was engaged roasting a piece of fat zebra flesh for me on the coals, 
 was told that he had better turn it wdth a stick, or fork, instead of his 
 hands, which he invariably rubbed on his dirty body for the sake of the 
 
670 
 
 MOFFAT'S LIFE IN SOUTnERN APRIOA. 
 
 precious fut. This HUgj^cstion mado liim and his companions laugh ex- 
 travugantly, and thry wero wont to repeat it as an interesting jolio 
 wherever they came. 
 
 " Among tlic Becluiana tribes, the name adopted by the niisHionariug 
 for God, is Morimo, This has the advantage of the names used by tho 
 Kailrs and Hottentots, being more deilnitc, as its derivation at once de- 
 termines its meaning. Mo is a personal prefix and rimo is from i/orimu 
 ' above.' From tho same root lef/urimo, ' lieaven,' and its plural nutijori. 
 mo, are derived. Tho genius of tho Bcchuana language warrants us to 
 expect a correspondence between tho name -.nd the thing designated • 
 but in this instance tho order is reversed. Morimo, to those who know 
 any thing about it, had been represented by rain-makers and sorcerers 
 as a malcvoler';. selo, or thing, which tho nations in the north deseribod 
 as existing in a hole, and which, like tho fairies in the Highlands of 
 Scotland, sometimes camo out and inflicted diseases on men and cattle 
 and even caused death. This Morimo sei-vcd tho purpose of a bug. 
 bear, by which tho rain-maker might constrain tho chiefs to yield to his 
 suggestions, when ho wished for a slaughter-ox, without which he pre- 
 tended ho could not make rai"^ " 
 
 Tho mission among tho beohuanas had now been established five 
 years, but the natives had become indifferent to all instruction, except 
 when it was foUoAvcd by some temporal benefit. The time of the mis- 
 sionaries was much occupied in building and in attending to the wants 
 of daily life. The light, sandy soil required constant irrigation for tho 
 production of any kind of crops, and a water-ditch some miles in length 
 had been led from tho Kuruman River, and passed in its course through 
 the gardens of the natives. Tho native women, seeing tho fertilizing 
 effects of tho water in tho gardens of tho mission, took the liberty of j 
 cutting open the ditch, often leavuig tho mission without a drop of | 
 water, oven for culinary purposes. Tho missionaries were often obliged 
 to go three miles with a spade in tho hottest part of tho day to close up 
 these outlets, and obtain moisture for their burnt-up vegetables. As 
 soon as they had left, the women would open the outlets again, and 
 thus they wero sometimes many days without water, except what was 
 carried from a distant ^ountain, under a cloudless sky, when the ther- 
 mometer at noon would trequently rise to one hundred and twenty de- 
 grees in the shade. When they complained, the women became exas- 
 perated, and going up with their picks to the dam, completely destroyed ' 
 H. Moreover, when they had with great pains succeeded in raising 
 their crops, the natives would steal them by night and by day. 
 
 " Our attendance at public worship," says Mr. Moffat, " would vary 
 from one to forty ; and these very often manifesting the greatest indeco- 
 rum. Some would be snoring ; others laughing ; some working ; and 
 others, who might even be styled the noblesse, would be employed in ; 
 removing from their ornaments certain nameless insects, letting them ; 
 run about the forms, while sitting by the missionary's wife. Never ; 
 
CKUEMONIKa OF UIJUIAL. 
 
 571 
 
 having been accustoinetl to chidrs or stools, some, by way of imitntion, 
 woiikl Hit with thuir ibet on thu bcnuhcH, huving their knees, according 
 to their usual mode of sitting, drawn up to their chins. In this position 
 one would fall asleep and tuinblu over, to the great merriment of his 
 fellows. On some occasions an opportunity would bo watcheil to rob, 
 when the missionary Avas engaged in public service. The thief would 
 just put his head within the door, discover who was in the pulpit, and, 
 knowing lio could not leave his rostrum before a certain time had elapsed, 
 would go to his liouso and take what he could lay his hands upon. 
 When Mr. Hamilton and I met in the evening, wo almost always had 
 Bome tale to tell about our lo.sses, but never about our gains, except 
 those of resignation and peace, the results of i)atience, and faith in the 
 unchangeable purposes of Jehovah. ' I will be exalted among the 
 heathen,' cheered our often baffled and drooping spirits. 
 
 "The following is a brief sketch of the ceremony of interment, and 
 the custom which prevails among these tribes in reference to the dying. 
 When they see any indications oi'».(i»-roaching dissolution in fainting fits 
 or convulsive throes, they throw a net over tho body, and hold it in a 
 sitting posture, with the knees brought in contact with tho chin, till lifo 
 is gone. The grave, which is frequenny made in tho fence surrounding 
 the cattle-fold, or in • tho fold itself, if lor a man, is about three feet in 
 diameter, and six feet deep. Tho body is not conveyed through tho 
 door of the fore-yard or court connected with each house, but an opening 
 is made in the fence for that purpose. It is carried to the grave, having 
 the bead covered with a skin, and is placed in a sitting posture. Much 
 time is spent in order to fix the corpse exactly facing the north ; and 
 though they have no compass, they manage, after some consultation, to 
 place it very nearly in the required position. Portions of an ant-hill 
 are placed about the feet, when tho net which held the body is gradually 
 withdrawn ; as the grave is filled up, the earth is handed in with bowls, 
 while two men stand in the hole to tread il down round the body, great 
 care being taken to pick out every thing like a root or pebble. When 
 the eaith i caches the height of the mouth, a small twig or branch of an 
 acacia is thrown in, and on the top of the head a few roots of grass are 
 placed ; and when the grave is nearly filled, another root of grass is fixed 
 immediately above the head, part of which stands above ground. When 
 finished, the men and women stoop, and with their hands scrape the 
 loose soil around on to the little mound. A large bowl of water, with 
 an infusion of bulbs, ia then brought, when the men and women wash 
 their hands and the upper part of their feet, shouting ' pula, pula,' rain, 
 ram. An old woman, probably a relation, will then bring his weapons, 
 bows, arrows, war-ax, and spears, also grain and garden-seeds of various 
 kinds, and even the bone of an old pack-ox, with other things, and ad- 
 dress the grave, saying, ' there are all your articles.' These are then 
 taken away, and bowls of water are poured on the grave, when all 
 retire, the women wailing, 'yo, yo, yo,' with some doleful dirge, 
 
672 
 
 MOFFAT'S LIFE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 Borrowing without hope. Thctso ceremonies vary in different local- 
 ities, and according to the rank of the individual who is committed to 
 the dust. 
 
 " Years of drought had been severely felt, and the natives, tenacious 
 of their faith in the potency of a man, held a council, and passed resolu- 
 tions to send for a rain-maker of renown from the Bahurutsi tribe, two 
 hundred miles north-east of the Kuruman station. Rain-makers have 
 always most honor among a strange people, and therefore they are gen- 
 erally foreigners. The heavens had been as brass, scarcely a cloud had 
 been seen for months, even on the distant horizon. Suddenly a shout 
 was raised, and the whole town was in m6tion. The rain-maker was 
 approaching. Every voice was raised to the highest pitch with acclama- 
 tions of enthusiastic joy. He had sent a harbinger to announce his ap- 
 proach, with peremptory orders for all the inhabitants to wash their feet. 
 Every one seemed to fly in swiftest obedience to the adjoining river. 
 Noble and ignoble, even the girl who attended to our kitchen-fire, ran. 
 Old and young ran. All the world could not have stopped them. By 
 this tune the clouds began to gather, and a crowd went out to welcome 
 the mighty man who, as they imagined, was now collecting in the hea- 
 vens his stores of rain. 
 
 " Just as he was descending the height into the town, the immense 
 concourse danced and shouted, so that the very earth rang, and at the 
 same time the lightnings darted, and the thunders roared in awfiil 
 grandeur. A few heavy drops fell, which produced the most thrilling 
 ecstasy on the deluded multitude, whose shoutings baffled all descrip- 
 tion. Faith hung upon the lips of the impostor, while L^ proclaimed 
 aloud that this year the women must cultivate gardens on the hills, and 
 not in the valleys, for these would be deluged. After the din had some- 
 what subsided, a few individuals came to our dwellings to treat us and 
 our doctrines with derision. ' Where is your God ?♦ one asked with a 
 sneer. We were silent, because the wicked were before us. ' Have you not 
 seen our Morimo ? Have you not beheld him cast from his arm his fiery 
 spears, and rend the heavens ? Have you not heard with your ears his 
 voice in the clouds ?' adding with an inteijection* of supreme disgust, 
 ' You talk of J ehovah, and Jesus, what can they do ?' Never in my 
 life do I remember a text being brought home with such power as the 
 words of the Psalmist, ' Be still, and know that I am God : I will be 
 exalted among the heathen.* 
 
 " The rain-maker foimd the clouds in our country rather harder to 
 manage than those he had left. He complained that secret rogues were 
 disobeying bis proclamations. When urged to make repeated trials, he 
 would reply, * You only give me sheep and goats to kill, therefore I can 
 only make goat-rain ; give me fat slaughter oxen, and I shall let you see 
 ox-rain.' One day, as he was taking a sound sleep, a shower fell, on 
 which one of the principal men entered his house to congratulate him, 
 bat to his utter amazement found him totally insensible to what vaa 
 
ierto ! 
 wete ' 
 
 (lean 
 lou see 
 pU, on 
 
 at vras 
 
 THE RAIN-MAKER. 
 
 573 
 
 transpiring. ' H61a ka rare (Halloo, by my father), I thought yon were 
 making rain,' said the intruder, when, arising from his slumbers, and see- 
 ing his wife sitting on the floor shaking a milk-sack, in order to obtain a 
 little butter to anoint her hair, he rephed, pointing to the operation of 
 churning, ' Do you not see my wife churning rain as fast as she can ?' 
 This reply gave entire satisfaction, and it presently spread through the 
 length and breadth of the town, that the rain-maker had churned the 
 shower out of a milk-sack. The moisture caused by this shower was 
 dried up by a scorching sun, and many long weeks followed without a 
 single cloud, and when these did appear they might sometimes be seen, 
 to the great mortification of the conjurer, to discharge their watery treas- 
 ures at an immense distance. 
 
 " The rain-maker had recourse to numerous expedients and strata- 
 gems, and continued his performances for many weeks. All his efforts, 
 however, proving unsuccessful, he kept himself very secluded for a fort- 
 night, and, after cogitating how he could make his own cause good, ho 
 appeared in the public fold, and proclaimed that he had discovered the 
 cause of the drought. All were now eagerly listening ; he dilated some 
 time, till he had raised their expectation to the highest pitch, when he 
 revealed the mystery. ' Do you not see, when clouds come over us, that 
 Hamilton and Moffat look at them ?' This question receiving a hearty 
 and unanimous affirmation, he added, that our white faces frightened 
 away the clouds, and they need not expect rain so long as we were in 
 the country. This was a home-stroke, and it was an easy matter for us 
 to calculate what the influence of such a charge would be on the public 
 mind. We were very soon informed of the evil of our conduct, to which 
 we plead guilty, promising, that as we were not aware that we were 
 doing wrong, being as anxious as any of them for rain, we would will- 
 ingly look to our chins, or the ground, all the day long, if it would serve 
 their purpose. It was rather remarkable, that much as they admired 
 my'.ong black beard, they thought that in this case it was most to blame. 
 F.owever, this season of trial passed over, to our great comfort, though 
 it was followed for some time with many indications of suspicion and 
 distrust." 
 
 In October, 1823, Mr. Moffat having occasion to visit Capo Town 
 with his family, he writes : ' .s Mothibi (the chief) was anxious that his 
 son should see the country of the white people, he sent him with us, and 
 appointed Taisho, one of his principal chiefs, to accompany him. The 
 kind reception they met with from his excellency the governor, and the 
 friends in Cape Town, and the sights they saw, produced strange emo- 
 tions in their minds. They were delighted with eveiy thing they be- 
 held, and were in raptures when they met again their old friend George 
 Thompson, Esq., who showed them no little kindness. It was with some 
 difficulty that they were prevailed upon to go on board one of the ships 
 in the bay ; nor would they enter the boat until I had preceded them. 
 They were perfectly astounded, when hoisted on the deck, with the enor- 
 
 ■1 
 
574 
 
 MOFFAT'S LIFE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 mous size of the hull, and the height of the masts ; and when they saw 
 a boy mount the rigging, and ascend to the very mast-head, they were 
 speechless with amazement. Taisho whispered to the young prince, ' A 
 ga si khatla ?' Is it not an ape ? When they entered the spkadid cabin 
 and looked into the deep hold, they could scarcely be convinced that the 
 vessel was not resting on the bottom of the ocean. ' Do these water- 
 houses (ships) unload like wagon-oxen every night ?' they inquired. ' Do 
 they graze in the sea to keep them alive ?' A ship in full sail approach- 
 ing the roads, they were asked what they thought of that. ' We have 
 no thoughts here ; we hope to think again when we get to the shore,' 
 was their reply. They would go anywhere with me or Mr. Thompson, 
 for whom they entertained a kindly feeling, but taey would trust no 
 one else." 
 
 After his return, Mr. Moffat, accompanied by some Griquas, set out 
 on the 1st of July, 1824, to visit Makaba, the chief of the Bauangketsi. 
 A few days afterward, they were joined by another party, under the 
 chief Berend. Before reaching the town the train was met by the mes- 
 sengers of Makaba, who welcomed them, and when they came near, 
 Makaba desired them to conduct the wagons through the principal 
 street, but as it was a narrow path, winding among a number of houses, 
 Mr. Moffat pronounced the thing impossible without seriously injur- 
 ing the fences. " Never mind that," says Makaba, " only let me see the 
 wagons go through my town ;" and on they went, while the chieftain 
 stood on Jin eminence before his door, looking with inexpressible de- 
 light on the wagons which were breaking down corners of fences, while 
 the good wives within were so much amazed at the oxen, and what ap- 
 peared to them ponderous vehicles, that they hardly foimd time to scold, 
 though a few did not fail to express their displeasure. 
 
 They found a dense population at the metropolis of the Bauangketsi, 
 and early next morning they were surrounded by thousands, so that it 
 was difficult to pass from one wagon to another. " The country of the 
 Bauangketski is hilly, and even mountainous toward the north and east. 
 The soil in general is very rich ; but water is rather scarce, and thoiigli 
 I believe rains are pretty abundant, yet, from what I could learn, irriga- 
 tion would be absolutely necessary to raise European A'egetables and 
 grain. The countries to the north and east abound with rivers, and 
 are very fruitful and populous. The mountains are adorned to their 
 very summits with stately trees and shrubs, unknown in the southern 
 parts of the continent, which give the country a picturesque and impos- 
 ing appearance." On their return they were att \cked by a party of 
 Barolongs, who were repulsed only after a fierce encounter and the 
 loss of several lives. Some of Berend's people likewise captured several 
 hundred of the enemy's cattle. 
 
 " In the end of the year 1826, having removed into our new habita- 
 tion, and the state of the country being somewhat more tranquil, a 
 journey was resolved on to the Barolongs, near the Molapo, in order to 
 
THE BAROLONG TRIBE. 
 
 675 
 
 labita- 
 liquil, a 
 Irder to 
 
 attend exclusively to the language, wliich hitherto it had not been 
 possible to do, owing to the succession of manual labor connected with 
 commencing a new station, when the missionaries must be at the begin- 
 ning, middle, and end of every thing. Mr. Hamilton, who felt that his 
 advanced age was a serious barrier to his acquisition of the language, 
 •<vas anxious for my progress, and cheerfully undertook the entire labors 
 of the station for a short season, preaching to the Batlapis in the neigh- 
 borhood, and keeping up public service for the few on the station. Two 
 attempts had been previously made for this very purpose, but I had not 
 long left the place before, in both instances, I was recalled on account of 
 threatened attacks." 
 
 Arrived at the village of Bogachu, a Barolong chief, Mr. Moffat spent 
 ten weeks attending to the languajje. He writes : " The people, to 
 please me, would assemble on the Sabbath, as I told them I could not 
 be happy without telling them about their souls and another world. 
 One day, while describing the day of judgment, several of my hearers 
 expressed great concern at the idea of all their cattle being destroyed, 
 together with their ornaments. They never for one moment allow 
 their thoughts to dwell on death, which is according to their views 
 nothing less than annihilation. Their supreme happiness consists in hav- 
 ing abundance of meat. Asking a man who was more grave and 
 thoughtful than his companions what was the finest sight he could de- 
 sire, he instantly replied, • A great fire covered with p\>t3 full of meat ;' 
 adding, ' how ugly the fire looks without a pot !' 
 
 " A custom prevails among all the Bechuanas whom I have visited, 
 of removing to a distance from the towns and villages persons who have 
 been wounded. Two young men, who had been wounded by the poi- 
 soned arrows of the Bushmen, were thus removed from the Kuruman. 
 Having visited them, to administer relief, I made inquiries, but could 
 learn no reason, except that it was a custom. This unnatural practice 
 exposed the often helpless invalid to great danger ; for, if not well at- 
 tended during the night, his paltry little hut, or rather shade from the 
 sun and wind, would be assailed by the hyena or lion. A catastrophe 
 of this kind occurred a short time before my ari'ival among the Baro- 
 longs. The son of one of the principal chiefs, a fine young man, had 
 been wounded by a buffalo ; he was, according to custom, placed on tho 
 outside of the village till he should recover; a portion of food was daily 
 sent, and a person appointed to make his fire for the evening. The fire 
 went out ; and the helpless man, notwithstanding his piteous cries, was 
 carried off by a lion and devoured. Some might think that this prac- 
 tice originated in the treatment of infectious diseases, such as leprosy ; 
 but the only individual I ever saw thus affected was not separated. 
 This disease, though often found among slaves in the colony, is unknown 
 among the tribes in the interior, and therefore they have no name for it. 
 " Although, as has been stated, the term savages, when applied to 
 Bechuanas, must be understood in a restricted sense, there was nothing 
 
676 
 
 MOFFAT'S LIFE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 either very comely or comfortable in the dress of either sex, yet such 
 was their attachment to it, that any one deviating from it waa consid- 
 ered a harlequin. The child is carried in a skin on its mother's back 
 with its chest lying close to her person. When it requires to be re- 
 moved from that position, it is often wet with perspiration ; and from 
 being thus exposed to cold wind, pulmonary complaints are not unfre- 
 quently brought on. As soon as a child is born, its head is shaved, leav- 
 ing a small tuft on the imperfectly ossified part of the skull ; and when 
 but a few weeks old, the little head may be seen hanging over the skm 
 iu which it is carried, shining with grease, and exposed to the rays of 
 an almost vertical sun, yet the coup de soldi is not of frequent occur- 
 rence, either in infants or adults. The natives, however, are far from 
 admiring a hot sun, and it is not uncommon. to hear them say, ' letsatsi 
 le utluega yang ?' ' how does the sun feel ?' and this exclamation is not 
 to be wondered at, for I have known the action of the sun's rays so 
 powerful on the masses of grease and black shining ocher on the head 
 as to cause it to run down their necks and blister the skin. They are 
 therefore often found carrying a parasol made of black ostrich feathers, 
 and in the absence of these will hold a small branch over their heads. 
 I have frequently observed the Matabele warriors carrying their shields 
 over their heads for the same purpose. 
 
 " For a long period, when a man was seen to make a pair of trow- 
 sers for himself, or a woman a gown, it was a sure intimation that we 
 might expect additions to our inquirers. Abandoning the custom of 
 paintmg the body, and beginning to wash with water, was with them 
 what cutting off the hair was among the South Sea islanc^ers, a public 
 renunciation of heathenism. In the progress of improvement during the 
 years which followed, and by which many individuals who made no pro- 
 fession of the Gospel were influenced, we were frequently much amused. 
 A man might be seen in a jacket with but one sleeve, because the other 
 was not finished, or he lacked material to complete it. Another m a 
 leathern or duffel jacket, with the sleeves of different colors, or of fine 
 printed cotton. Gowns were seen like Joseph's coat of many colors, 
 and dresses of such fantastic shapes as were calculated to excite a smile 
 in the gravest of us. It was somewhat entertaining to witness the va- 
 rious applications made to Mrs. Moffat, who was the only European fe- 
 male on the station, for assistance in the fabrication of dress, nor were 
 these confined to female applicants. 
 
 " Our congregation now became a variegated mass, including . ' le- 
 scriations, from the lubricated wild-man of the desert, to the clean, com- 
 fortable, and well-dressed believer. The same spirit diffused itself 
 through all the routine of household economy. Formerly a chest, a 
 chair, a candle, or a table, were things unknown, and supposed to be 
 only the superfluous accompaniments of beings of another order. Al- 
 though they never disputed the superiority of our attainments in being 
 able to manufiicture these superfluities, they would however question our 
 
HOUSES IN THE TREES. 
 
 577 
 
 common sense in taking so much trouble about them. They thought us 
 particularly extravagant in burning fat in the form of candles, instead of 
 rubbing it on the bodies, or depositing it in our stomachs. Hitherto 
 when they had milked their cows, they retired to their houses and 
 yards, to sit moping over a f'.w embers, Svildom affording sufficient light 
 to see what they were eating, or even each other ; at night, spreading 
 the dry hide of some animal on the floor, they would lie down in their 
 skin-cloaks, making a blanket of what had been their mantles all 
 day. They soon found that to read in the evening or by night required a 
 more steady light than that afforded by a flickering flame from a bit of 
 wood. Candle-molds and rags for wicks were now in requisition, and 
 tallow carefully preserved, when bunches of candles were shortly to be 
 seen suspended from the wall, a spectacle far more gratifying to us than 
 the most charming picture, an indication of the superior light which had 
 entered their abodes." 
 
 In the latter part of the year 1829, Mr. Moffat accompanied two 
 messengers of Moselekatse, a king of a division of Zoolus called Mata- 
 bele, on their return home. " Having traveled one hundred miles," he 
 writes, " five days after leaving Mosega we came to the first cattle out- 
 posts of the Matabele, when we halted by a fine rivulet. My attention 
 was arrested by a beautiful and gigantic tree, standing in a defile lead- 
 ing into an extensive and woody ravine, between a high range of mount- 
 ains. Seeing some individuals employed on the ground under its shade, 
 and the conical points of what looked like houses in miniature, protrud- 
 ing through its evergreen foliage, I proceeded thither, and found that the 
 tree was inhabited by several families of Bakones, the aborigines of the 
 country. I ascended by the notched trunk, and found, to my amaze- 
 ment, no less than seventeen of these aerial abodes, and three others un- 
 finished. On reaching the topmost hut, about thirty feet from the 
 ground, I entered, and sat down. Its only furniture was the hay which 
 covered the floor, a spear, a spoon, and a bowl full of locusts. Not hav- 
 ing eaten any thing that day, and from the novelty of my situation, not 
 wishing to return immediately to the wagons, I asked a woman who sat 
 at the door with a babe at her breast, permission to eat. This she 
 granted with pleasure, and soon brought me more in a powdered state. 
 Several more females came from the neighboring roosts, stepping from 
 branch to branch, to see the stranger, who was to them as great a 
 curiosity as the tree was to him. I then visited the different abodes, 
 which were on several principal branches. The structure of these houses 
 was very simple. An oblong scaffold, about seven feet wide, is formed 
 of straight sticks. On one end of this platform a small cone is formed, 
 also of straight sticks, and thatched with grass. A person can nearly 
 stand upright in it ; the diameter of the floor is about six feet. The 
 house stands on the end of the oblong, so as to leave a little square 
 space before the door. On the day previous I had passed several 
 villages, some containing forty houses, all built on poles about seven or 
 
 37 
 
 m 
 
578 
 
 MOPPAT'S LIFE IN SOUTHERN APRICA. 
 
 eight feet from the ground, in the form of a circle ; the ascent and de- 
 Bcent is by a knotty branch of a tree placed in front of the house. In 
 the center of the circle there is always a heap of the bones of game they 
 have killed. Such were the domiciles of the impoveiished thousands of 
 the aborigines of the country, who, having been scattered and peeled 
 by Mosclekatse, had neither herd nor stall, but subsisted on locusts 
 roots, and the chase. They adopted this mode of architecture to escape 
 the lions which abound in that country. During the day the families 
 descended to the shade beneath to dress their daily food. When the 
 inhabitants increased, they supported the augmented weight on the 
 branches, by upright sticks, but when lightened of their load, they re- 
 moved these for firewood." 
 
 The king received the missionaries with kindness, and during a long 
 visit Mr. Moffat had frequent intercourse with his majesty, who freely 
 listened to his instructions. On his return Moselekatse accompanied 
 him in his wagon, a long day's journey. Mr. Moffat concludes the story 
 of his long labors in the following words : " Before closing the account 
 of the Bechuana mission, it will be proper to state, that during the 
 years 1837, 1838, a rich blessing descended on the labors of the brethren 
 at home, at the out-stations, and indeed, at every place where the Gos- 
 pel was read and preached. Large additions of Bechuanas to the church 
 at Griqua Town have already been noticed ; and in 1838, great acces- 
 sions were made to that of the Kuruman. Under the very efficient and 
 assiduous superintendence of Mr. Edwards, the number of readers con- 
 nected with the mission had increased in equal ratio ; while the Infant 
 School, commenced and carried on by Mrs. Edwards, with the assistance 
 of a native girl, gave the highest satisfaction. The people made rapid 
 advance in civilization ; some purchasing wagons, and breaking in their 
 oxen for those labors which formerly devolved on the female sex. The 
 use of clothing became so general, that the want of a merchant was 
 greatly felt, to supply the demands for British commodities. This in- 
 duced us to invite Mr. D. Hume, in whom we placed implicit confidence, 
 who had already traded much with the natives, and traveled a great 
 distance into the interior, to take up his constant abode on the station 
 for that purpose. He built himself a house, and the measure has suc- 
 ceeded beyond our expectations." 
 
 y4>* 
 
 ■I'- r' 
 I 
 
 ^fi'--: 
 
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 fc'i -' w ,• .'%.( 
 
S T U R T' S 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE RIVER DARLING. 
 
 The climate of New South Wales is periodically subject to long and 
 fearful droughts ; one of these, which began in 1826, continued during 
 the two following years with unabated severity. The surface of the 
 ground became parched, the crops failed, and the settlers drove their 
 flocks and herds to distant tracts in search of pasture and water. The 
 interior suffered equally with the coast, and it seemed as though the 
 Australian sky would never again be traversed by a cloud. It was 
 therefore hoped that an expedition, pursuing the line of the Macquarie 
 River, would be more successful than the previous attempts to explore 
 the country, which had been obstructed by the vast marshes of the 
 interior. An expedition was accordingly decided upon, for the express 
 purpose of ascertaining the nature and extent of that basin into which 
 the Macquarie was supposed to fall, and whether any connection existed 
 between it and the streams flowing westwardly. 
 
 Captidn Charles Sturt was appointed to command this expedition, 
 which set out from Sidney on the 10th of November, 1828, and pro- 
 ceeded to Bathurst. After a few days' delay it was joined by Mr. Ham- 
 ilton Hume, who was associated with Captain Sturt, and they pursued 
 their route down the banks of the. Macquarie to Wellington Valley, 
 where they arrived about the end of the month. On the 7th of De- 
 cember they continued their journey down the river. The weather was 
 exceedingly sultry ; a few days afterward, when they left the river on 
 an excursion to Lake Buddah, a short day's journey from it, the theiv 
 mometer stood at one hundred and twenty-nine degrees of Fahrenheit 
 in the shade, at two o'clock, and at one hundred and forty-nine in the 
 sun. The rays were too powerful even for the natives, who kept as 
 much as possible in the shade. At sunset hundreds of birds came 
 crowding to the lake, to quench their thirst ; some were gasping, otherg 
 too weak to avoid the men, who shot a supply of them. 
 
 
 V\ 
 
 i 
 
 'Mi 
 1 
 
 *' I 
 
 i 
 
682 
 
 STURT'S EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 They reached the river again next day and descended to the cat- 
 aract. The natives they met with hero, as elsewhere, were timorous at 
 first, but being treated with kindness they soon throw off all reserve 
 and in the afternoon assembled below the fall to fish. They took short 
 spears and sank at once under water, at a given signal from an elderly 
 man. In a short time one or two rose with the fish they had taken • 
 the others remained about a minute under water, and then made their 
 appearance near the rook under which they had driven their prey. 
 
 The heat increased as the expedition advanced into the interior. 
 The thermometer was seldom under one hundred and fourteen degrees 
 at noon, and rose higher at two o'clock. There was no dew at night • 
 the country was bare .md scorched, and the plains were traversed by 
 large fissures. As they neared Mount Harris the Macquarie became 
 more sluggish in its flow, and fell off so much as scarcely to deserve the 
 name of a river. On encamping, Messrs. Sturt and Humetode to Mount 
 Harris. " Nearly ten years had elapsed," says Captain Sturt, " since 
 Mr. Oxley pitched his tents under tho smallest of the two hills into which 
 Mount Harris is broken. There was no diflSculty in hitting upon his 
 position. Tho trenches cut around the tents were still perfect, and the 
 marks of the fire-places distinguishable ; while the trees in the neighbor- 
 hood had been felled, and round about them the staves of some casks 
 and a few tent-pegs were scattered. Mr. Oxley had selected a place at 
 some distance from the river, in consequence of its swollen state : fi-om 
 the same ground I could not discern the waters in its channel. A re- 
 flection naturally arose to my mind on examining these decaying vestiges 
 of a former expedition, whether I should be more fortunate than the 
 leader of it, and how far I should be enabled to penetrate beyond tho 
 point which had conquered his perseverance. My eye instinctively 
 turned to the north-west, and the view extended over an apparently 
 endless forest. I could trace the river-line of trees by their superior 
 height, but saw no appearance of reeds, save the few that grew on the 
 banks of the stream." 
 
 A few days later, after passing over rich timbered flats covered with 
 luxuriant grass, and then crossing a dreary plain, they came to some 
 lofty trees, under which they found nothing but reeds as far as the eye 
 could penetrate. Contmuing their course along the edge of the reeds 
 they at length found a passage between the patches and gained the river 
 with some difficulty. They were obliged to clear away a space for the 
 tents, and thus found themselves encamped pretty far in that marsh 
 which they had been anxiously looking for, and upon which, in any 
 ordinary state of the river, it would have been dangerous to venture. 
 As they proceeded, the difliculties increased, and it became necessary 
 either to skirt the reeds to the northward, or to follow the river. Her-J 
 the party separated. Captain Sturt launching the boat, and passing down 
 the river to determine its course, and Mr. Hume procdeding northward 
 to examine the marshes. The river flowed sluggbhly among high reeds 
 
MKBTINO WITH TlIK NATIVK3. 
 
 583 
 
 which often Rhut out every other object, nnd the channel maintained itH 
 Hizo for several miles, when Huddenly it ceuaed altogether and the boat 
 grounded. Captain Sturt, linding every outlet closed, returned to the 
 camp. Ho nupposed the waters of tho river to be Hpread over the bui^ 
 rounding level country, and Mr. Hume, who had also returned, had 
 found a serpentine sheet of water, twelve miles to tho northward, which 
 he supposed to bo tho channel of tho river. 
 
 The whole party then proceeded to tho channel found by Mr. Ilunic, 
 but after a few miles it likewise became unnavigable. Thinking that 
 the Macquario must eventually meet tho Castlereagh, and their united 
 waters form a stream of some importance, Mr. Ilumo was sent north-etuit 
 to explore tho country in that direction, while Captain Sturt crossed the 
 river on an excursion to tho interior, each accompanied by two men. 
 Next day, January Ist, 1829, tho captain came upon a numerous tribe 
 of natives. A young girl, Avho first saw the approaching party, was so 
 frightened that she had not power to run away, but threw herself on 
 the ground and screamed violently. Tho people then issued from tho 
 huts, but started back on beholding tho strangers. In a moment their 
 huts were in flames, and e.^ch ono with a firebrand ran to and fro with 
 hideous yells, thrusting it into every bush ho i)as8ed. C.iptain Sturt 
 walked his horse quietly toward an old man who stood before tho rest, 
 as if to devote himself for the preservation of his tribe, but he trembled 
 80 violently that it was impossible to get any information from him ; tho 
 party therefore passed on. 
 
 They returned to the camp late on tho 5th of January, having pene- 
 trated more than a hundred miles into tho western interior, and seen no 
 traces of a stream from the highest elevations. Air. Ilumo returned next 
 day ; he had traversed the country in various directions to the north and 
 northwest, and found here and there a creek partially dried up, but 
 nothing like a channel of the river, although he had obtained an extens- 
 ive view of tho country from a high range of hills, which ho called New 
 Year's Range. 
 
 Captain Sturt now returned to Mount Harris for supplies, and prepared 
 to strike at once into the heart of the interior, being convinced that the 
 river no longer existed. Not finding tho expected suppUes, he rejoined 
 Mr. Hume, who had advanced fifteen miles, and found tho whole party 
 suffering from fatigue and the want of water. With difficulty they at 
 length passed through the marshes, and on the 13th of January proceeded 
 over a more pleasant country. In tho forest, next day, they surprised a 
 party of natives, who immediately ran away ; but presently one of them 
 returned, and stood twenty paces from Mr. Hume, until Captain Sturt 
 began to advance, when he poised his spear at him, and the captain halted. 
 The savage had evidently taken both man and horse for ono animal, and 
 when Mr. Hume dismounted, he struck his spear into the ground and 
 walked fearlessly up to him. They made him comprehend that they 
 were in search of water, when he pointed to the west, and a few hours 
 
 ['^ 
 
 I' II' 
 
 L" 
 
 ■A 
 ll 
 
 
584 
 
 STURT'S EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 aflcrwanl they came to a creek of tVesh water situated on the eustom 
 Bide of New Year's Range. Following the course of this creek, which 
 was continually diniinishing as they advanced, they proceeded in a nurth- 
 westerly direction toward Oxley's Table Land, an elevated ridge, near 
 which they encamped on the 23d. 
 
 They ascended the hill in search of some object to direct their course 
 but seeing no indications of a larger stream, they determined to make 
 an excursion to D'Urban's Group, which lay at a distance in the south. 
 west. Accordingly, Captain Sturt and Mr. Hume left the camp on tho 
 25th, and soon afterward entered an acacia scrub of the most sterile do- 
 scri])tion. The soil was almost pure sand, and tho lower branches of the 
 trees were decayed so generally as to give tho scene an indescribable 
 appearance of desolation. Next day they entered upon a plain wliich 
 was crowded with cockatoos, until within a mile of the mountain grouj), 
 where tho country was covered with luxuriant grass, which waved higher 
 than tho horses' middles as they rode through it. The view from the 
 summit was magnificent, but they were again disappointed in the main 
 object of their search. A brighter green than usual marked the course 
 of tho mountain torrents in several places, but there was no glittering 
 light among the trees, no smoke to betray a water-hole, or to tell that a 
 single inhabitant was traversing tho extensive region they were over- 
 looking. 
 
 They returned to the camp on the 28th, and leaving Oxley's Table 
 Land on the 31st, they pursued a northern course until they reached the 
 creek. It had increased in size and in the height of its banks, but was 
 perfectly dry. They therefore moved westwardly along its banks in 
 search of water, but encamped after sunset without having found any. 
 In his anxiety Captain Sturt then went down to the bed of the creek, 
 where ho was rejoiced to find a pond of water within a hundred yards 
 of the tents. At their next encampment they were again without water, 
 and at a loss what course to take, but finding traces of the natives, they 
 followed a path toward tho north, which led them to the banks of a noble 
 river. The channel of tho river was from seventy to eighty yards broad, 
 and inclosed an unbroken sheet of water, evidently very deep, and liter- 
 ally covered with pelicans and other wild fowl. " Our surprise and de- 
 light," says Captain Sturt, " may better be imagined than described. 
 Our difficulties seemed to be at an end, for here was a river that prom- 
 ised to reward all our exertions, and which appeared every moment to 
 increase in importanoe to our imagination. The men eagerly descended 
 to quench their thirst, which a powerful sun had contributed to increase; 
 nor shall I ever forget the cry of amazement that followed their domg 
 so, or the look of terror and disappointment with which they called out 
 to inform me that the water was so salt as to be unfit to drink. This 
 was, indeed, too true ; on tasting it, I found it extremely nauseous and 
 strongly impregn'^ i ed with salt, being apparently a mixture of sea and 
 fresh water. Our hopes were annihilated at the moment of their appa- 
 
was 
 iksin 
 any. 
 iveek, 
 lyards 
 'ater, 
 they 
 Inoble 
 iroad, 
 liter- 
 lid de- 
 •ibed. 
 pvom- 
 entto 
 ended 
 rease; 
 [doing 
 I'd out 
 This 
 18 and 
 ^aand 
 appa- 
 
 TUE RIVER DARLING DISCOVERED. 
 
 585 
 
 rout realization. Tho cup of joy was dashed out of our hands before wo 
 had time to raiso it to our lips. Notwithstanding this disappointment 
 we proceeded down tho river and halted at tivo miles, being influenced 
 by the goodness of tho feed to jtrovide for tho cattle as well as circum- 
 stances would permit. They would not drink of tho river water, but 
 stood covered in it for many hours, having their noses alono exposed 
 above tho stream." After the tents were formed, Mr. Ilumo walked 
 out in search of water, and coming to tho river at some distance below, 
 found a reef of rocks which formed a dry passage from one side to tho 
 other. Curiosity led him to cross it, when ho found a small pond of 
 fresh water on a tongue of land. It was too late to move, but they had 
 tho prospect of a comfortable breakfast in tho morning. 
 
 They followed tho course of tho river in a south-westerly direction, 
 and on tho 5th of January, passed through a largo nativo village. Soon 
 afterward they came suddenly upon tho tribe of tho village, who were 
 engaged in fishing. They gazed upon tho strangers a moment, then 
 starting up, assumed an attitude of horror and amazement, and presently 
 gave a fearful vol! and darted out of sight. Soon a crackling nrisc was 
 heard in the distance, and tho bush was on fire. Captain Sturt and his 
 party being ou safe ground, patiently awaited the result. \\ hen tho 
 fire had come near, one of tho natives came out from tho same spot into 
 which he had retreated, and bending forward with his hands upon his 
 knees, gazed at them awhilo, but seeing that they remained immovable, 
 he began to throw himself into tho most extravagant postures, shaking 
 his foot from time to time. When ho found that all his violence had no 
 effect, he turned his back to them in a most laughable manner, and ab- 
 solutely groaned in spirit when his last insult failed of success. 
 
 As they continued their journey down tho river they discovered that 
 there were salt springs in tho bed of the stream. They had occasionally 
 found ponds of fresh water, but these began to fail them. The animals 
 were already so weak from bad food and the effects of the river water, 
 that they could scarcely carry their loads. They therefore turned back 
 on the morning of the 6th, and started for the nearest fresh water, 
 which was eighteen miles behind them. They were still imwilling to 
 quit the pursuit of the river, and Captain i^turt proposed to take the 
 most servicoable horses down the stream, so that in the event of finding 
 fresh water they might again push forward. He accordingly set out on 
 the 8th accompanied by Mr. Hume, and two men, with a supply of pro- 
 visions and water. They made about twenty-eight miles and slept on 
 the river-side, but as the horses would not drink the river water, they 
 were obliged to give them some from their own supply. Next day they 
 crossed several creeks, in none of which they could find water, and 
 when they halted at noon the supply had diminished to a little more 
 than a pint. The day was warm and they were now forty miles from 
 the camp, consequently their further progress became a matter of serious 
 consideration, for however capable they were of bearing additional 
 
586 
 
 STURT'S BXPLORATXONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 fatigue, it was evident their animals would soon fail. Therefore, as soon 
 as the/ had bathed and finished their scanty meal, the) set out en their 
 return to the eamp. They named the river " Darling," in honor of the 
 governor. 
 
 In returning along the river they occasionally met with parties of 
 the native tribes, who, though armed with spears, were quite inoifena- 
 ive. " The natives of the Darling," says Captain Sturt, " are a clean- 
 limbed, well-conditioned race, generally speaking. They seemingly oc- 
 cupy permanent huts, but the tribe did not bear any proportion to the 
 size or number of their habitations. It was evident their population had 
 been thinned. The customs of these distinct tribes, as far as we could 
 judge, were similar to those of the mountain blacks, although their lan- 
 guage differs. They lacerate their bodies, but do not extract their 
 front teeth, as is done by the latter tribes." 
 
 At Mount Harris they found the party with supplies, awaiting their 
 arrival. The fresh horses being in excellent order. Captain Sturt made 
 preparations to explore the region of the Castlereagh, and determine 
 the course of that river. On the 1th. of March, the tents were struck 
 and the party left the Macquarie and proceeded in a north-easterly 
 course. The thickets were frequently so dense that they found it im- 
 possible to travel in a direct line ; after many difficulties tl:ey reached 
 the Castlereagh on the afternoon of the 10th. The channel at this point 
 was not less than one hundred and thirty yards in breadth, and yet 
 there was apparently not a drop of water in it. They theretbre suiFoied 
 much from thirst as they descended the river, the weather being very 
 sultry, although the heat was not so intense as they experienced in 
 crossing the marshes of the Macquarie, when it melted the sugar in the 
 canisters and destroyed all the dogs. 
 
 One day they surprised a party of natives who were engaged in 
 preparing dinners of fish, evidently for a larger party than was present. 
 They instantly fled, leaving every thing at the mercy of the strangers. 
 In the afternoon they returned and crouching Avith their spears, seemed 
 to manifest hostile intentions. Mr. Hume then walked to a tree, and 
 broke off a short branch. As soon as they saw the branch, the natives 
 laid aside their spears, and two of them advanced in front of the rest, 
 who sat down. Mr. Hume then went forward and sat down, when the 
 two natives again advanced and seated themselves close to him. 
 
 The natives of this region appeared to be dying out, not from any 
 disease, but from the scarcity of food. From the want of water it was 
 feared that the journey would have to be abandoned, when, by good 
 fortune, the party deviated from the river and came upon a creek of 
 fresh water, which again revived them. They thus continued their 
 route until the 29th, when they were checked by a broad river. " A 
 single glimpse of it," says Captain Sturt, " was sufficient to tell us it was 
 the Darling. At a distance of ninety miles nearer its source it still pre- 
 served its character. The same steep banks and lofty timber, the same 
 
THS SECOND EXPEDITION. 
 
 687 
 
 deep reaches, alive with fish, were here visible, as when we left it. 
 A. hope naturally arose in our minds that if it was unchanged in other 
 respects, it might have lost the saltness which had rendered its waters 
 unfit for use ; but in this we were disappointed— even its waters con- 
 tinued the same." 
 
 They now retraced their steps to the creek of fresh water, whence 
 they made an eflfort to penetrate the country to the north-west ; but they 
 entered a waste where all traces of the natives disappeared, and not 
 even a bird was to be seen. Captain Sturt was, therefore, convinced of 
 the inutility of further efforts, and made preparations to return with the 
 expedition. They reached Mount Harris on the 1th. of April, and, 
 moving leisurely up the Macquarie, amved at "Wellington Valley on the 
 9.1st, having been absent from that settlement four months and a half. 
 The waters of the Macquarie had diminished so much, that its bed was 
 dry for more than half a mile at a stretch, nor did they observe the least 
 appearance of a current in it until atter they had ascended the ranges 
 above Wellington Valley. 
 
 VOYAGE DOWN THE MORUMBIDGEE AND MURRAY RIVERS. 
 
 The late expedition having settled the hypothesis of an internal sea, 
 and ascertained the actual termination of the rivers it had been directed 
 to trace, it became important to determine the ultimate direction of the 
 Darling, which was evidently the chief drain for the waters falling west- 
 wardly from the eastern coast. The diflSculty of approaching that cen- 
 tral stream without suffering for want of water made it necessary to 
 regain its banks at some lower point, where it could still be identified. 
 The attention of the government was consequently fixed upon the I.io- 
 rumbidgec, a river said to be of considerable size and of impetuous cm 
 rent. Receiving its supplies from the lofty ranges behind Mount Drome- 
 dary, it promised to hold a longer course than those rivers which 
 depend on periodical rains alono for existence. 
 
 Another expedition was accordingly determined on, and the governor 
 instructed Captain Sturt to make the necessary preparations for tracing 
 the Morumbidgee, or such rivers as it might prove to be connected with, 
 as far as practicable. As it was likely they would sometimes have to 
 depend wholly upon water conveyance, he had a large v;hale-boat con- 
 structed so as to be taken in pieces for more convenient carriage ; he 
 also supplied himself with apparatus for distilling water, in the event of 
 fiuding the water of the Darling salt, on reaching its banks. 
 
 The expedition left Sidney on the 3d of November, 1829. At 
 Brownlow Hill Mr. George M'Leay, son of the colonial secretary, joined 
 Captain Sturt as his companion, and on the 19th they arrived at Yass 
 Plains, situated above the junction of the Yass River with the Morum- 
 bidgee. A few dayt afterward they encamped on the latter river, in a 
 
 M 
 
588 
 
 STURT'S EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 
 long plain surrounded on every side by hills. The scenery around was 
 wild, romantic, and beautiful. ITio stream was full, aid the waters 
 foaming among rocks or circling in eddies, gave early j^romise of a reck- 
 less course. Its waters were hard and transparent, and its bed was com- 
 posed of mountain debris, and large fragments of rock. They proceeded 
 along its banks, and on the morning of the 27th reached Whaby's Sta- 
 tion, the last settlement on the river. They were now to be thrown on 
 their own resources, yet the novelty of the scenery and the beauty of the 
 river excited in them the liveliest anticipations of success. 
 
 As they were one day passing through an open forest one of the 
 blacks took a tomahawk in order to get an opossum out of a dead tree 
 every branch of which was hollow. As he cut below the animal it Lo- 
 carno necessary to smoko it out. The fire soon kindled in the tree, and 
 dense columns of smoko issued from tho end of each branch, as thick 
 as that from the chimney of a steam-engine The shell of the tree was 
 thin, but tho black fearlessly climbed to the hitrhest branch and watched 
 anxiously for the poor creature ; and no sooner did it ai)pe!ir than ho 
 seized upon it, and threw it down with an air of triumph. The roaring 
 of the fire in tho treu, the fearless attitude of tho savage, and the asso- 
 ciation which his color and appearance, enveloped as he was in smoke, 
 called up, produced a singular effect in the lonely forest. Soon after 
 they left tho tree, it fell with a tremendous crash, and was consumed to 
 ashes. 
 
 At length tho coimtry became less hilly, and early in December they 
 saw indications of a level region before them. In a few days they 
 reached a dreary plain, where the cattle began to suffer, and they were 
 obliged to shorten their jounieys. Amid tho desolation around them 
 tho river kept alive their h'^pes. If it traversed deserts, it might reach 
 fertile lands, and to the isb .e of the journey they must look for success. 
 The apparently boundless i)lain continued, and tho sand became a great 
 obstruction to their progress. At length they came to a reedy country, 
 resembling that around the marshes of the Macquarie, and were alarmed 
 at the prospect of losing the river. Captain Sturt therefore ordered a 
 smaller boat to bo built, but on further examination being convinced 
 that they were still far from the termination of the rivei*, he had the 
 large boat put together, and resolved to send back the drays. In a 
 week they had fitted up a boat twenty-seven feet long, had felled a tree 
 from the forest, with which they had built a second of half the size, and 
 had them painted and ready for loading. 
 
 On the 6th of January, 1830, the boats were loaded, the flour, tea, 
 and tobacco, were placed in the whale-boat, and in the small one the 
 meat-casks, still, and carpenters' tools. Captain Sturt then left a portion 
 of the men with Robert Harris, and directed him to remain stationary 
 for a week, after which he would be at liberty to return ; while the 
 boats were to proceed at an early hour of the morning down the river, 
 —whether ever to return being a point of the greatest uncertainty. 
 
DISCOVERY OP A LARGE RIVER. 
 
 689 
 
 Tho ndvancing party embarked in high spiritH, and although thuy 
 used but two oars, their progrcHS down tho river was rapid. Tho chan- 
 nel offered few obstructions, but on the second day tho skiff struck 
 upon a sunken log, and immediately filling, went down in about twelve 
 feet of water. With difficulty they succeeded in hauling it ashore, but 
 the head of tho still and several articles had been thrown out. As 
 tho success of tho expedition might probably depend on tho complete 
 state of tho still, every effort was made for its recovery. Tho m hale- 
 boat was moored over tho place, and tho bottom searched with thu oars. 
 When any object was felt, it was pushed into tho sand, and ono of tho 
 men descended by tho oar to tho bottom. Tho work was most laborious 
 and tho men at length became much exhausted, without having re- 
 covered tho sLill-hcad. In the morning they resumed tho search, and 
 were finally successful. 
 
 As they advanced, the banks of tho river became lined with reeds on 
 both sides, while trees stood leafless and sapless in tho midst of them. 
 Wherever they landed tho same view presented itself—', waving ex- 
 panse of reeds, and a country perfectly flat. Their ardor was damped 
 by tho dread of marshes, as the channel became contracted and was im- 
 peded by immense trees that had been swept down by the floods. 
 
 On tho 13th they passed a stream flowing in from the south-east, the 
 first in a course of more than three hundred and forty miles. Tlie river 
 had become more open, but on this day's passage it was again filled 
 with trunks of trees whoso branches crossed each other in every direc- 
 tion, and in the evening tho danger was increased by rapids, down which 
 they wero hurried in tho darkness before they had time to foresee tho 
 difficulty. They halted at tho head of more formidable barriers, down 
 which, with great exertions, they passed in safety next morning. At 
 length the river took a general southern direction, but, in its winding 
 course, swept round to every point of the compass with tlie greatest 
 irregularity. They wero carried at a fearful rate down its gloomy and 
 contracted banks, and in the excitement of tho moment had little time 
 to pay attention to tho country through which they wero passing. At 
 three o'clock they approached a junction, and were immediately hurried 
 out into a broad and noble river. The force with which they liad been 
 shot out of tho Morumbidgee carried them nearly to the opposite bank 
 of the capacious channel into which they had entered, and when they 
 looked for the one they had left;, they could hardly believe tho insignif- 
 icant opening that presented itself was the termination of tho beautiful 
 stream whose course they had successfidly followed. This river was 
 evidently the great channel of the streams from the south-eastern quarter 
 of the island. Tho Morumbidgee entered it at right-angles, and was so 
 narrowed at tho point of junction, that it had tho appearance of an or- 
 dinary creek. 
 
 The new river was from one hundred and tiftiy to two hundred yards 
 m width, and improved as they descended. Its reaches were of noble 
 
600 
 
 STUBT'S EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 breadth an i splondid appearance. At length it began to change; the 
 banka became steep and lofly, and v ater-worn. On the 22d the boats 
 came suddenly to the head of a foami. ig rapid, which it was too late to 
 avoid, and their only safoty was in making a clear passage. But the 
 boat struck with the fore part of her keel upon a sunken rock, and turn- 
 ing round, presented her bow to the rapid, while the skiff floated away 
 in the strength of it. They succeeded, however, in getting her off 
 without great injury. 
 
 The river became wider as they advanccvl, and the wind being fair 
 they hoisted sail and made rapid progress. As they were sailing in a 
 reach with the intention of laiiding, a large concourse of natives ap- 
 peared under the trees and seemed disposed to resist them. As they 
 continued to approach, the savages held their spears ready to hurl at 
 them. Wishi/'g to avoid a conflict, Captain Sturt lowered the sail, and 
 putting the hel. l to starboard, i)asscd quietly down the stream. The 
 disappointed nati\ ".s ran along the banks, endeavoring to secure an aim 
 at the boat, but, ur able to throw 'tvith certainty, in consequence of its 
 onward motion, the y flung themselves into the most extravagant atti- 
 tudes, and worked themselves into a state of frenzy by loud and vehem- 
 ent shouting. The boat was at length stopped by a sand-bank which 
 projected into the channel, and the savages here renewed their threats 
 of attack. Finding it impossible to avoid an engagement, Captain Sturt 
 gave arms to the men, with orders not to fire till he had discharged both 
 his barrels. On nearing the sand-bank, he made signs to the natives to 
 desist, but Avithout success. He then leveled his gun, but when his hand 
 was on the trigger M'Loay called out that another party of blacks had 
 made their appearance on the left bank of the river. There were four 
 men, who ran at the top of their speed ; the foremost threw himself from 
 a considerable height into the water, and struggling across, placed him- 
 self between the savages and the boat. Forcing them back from the 
 water, he trod its margin with great vehemence ; at one time pointing 
 to the boat, at another shaking his clenched hand in the faces of the most 
 forward, and stamping with passion on the sand ; his voice, at first dis- 
 tinct and clear, was lost in hoarse murmurs. The party in the boats, as- 
 tonished at this singular and unexpected escape, allowed the boat to drift 
 .at pleasure, and after pushing off from a second shoal, their attention 
 was attracted to a new and beautiful stream, coming apparently from the 
 north. The bold savage who had so unhesitatingly interfered in behalf 
 of the whites, had been in their company for several days, and had some- 
 times assisted them in return for their kindness to him. He now contin- 
 ued in hot dispute with the natives on the sand-bar, and Captain Sturt 
 was hesitating whether to go to his assistance, when he saw a party of 
 about seventy blacks on the right bank of the newly discovered river. 
 Hoping to make a diversion in favor of his late guest, he landed among 
 them, at which the first party ceased their wrangling, and came swim- 
 ming across the river. 
 
INTKRCOUUBE WITH THK NATIVES. 
 
 591 
 
 JUNCTION OF Tint MUnRAY AND THB DARUNO. 
 
 Before proccoding, they rowed a few miles up the new river, which 
 presented a breadth of one hundred yards, and a depth of twelve feet. 
 The conviction was at length impressed upon Captain Sturt that this was 
 the Darling, from whose banks he had been twice forced to retire. Ho 
 ordered the union jack to be hoisted, and the whole party gave three 
 cheers. 
 
 On re-entering the channel of the first-discovered river, they named 
 it the Murray, in compliment to Sir George Murray, who then presided 
 over the colonial department. The skiflF was then destroyed, and on the 
 24th they proceeded down the Murray. They had now daily intercourse 
 with the natives, who sent embassadors forward regularly from one tribe 
 to another, to the great advantage and safety of Capain Sturt's party. 
 He was careful to do nothing to alarm them, although he made a point 
 to show them the effects of a gun-shot by firing at a kite or any other 
 bird that happened to be near. " Yet," continues the captain, " I was 
 often surprised at the apparent indifference with which the natives not 
 only saw the effect of the shot, but heard the report. I have purposely 
 gone into the center of a large assemblage and fired at a bird, that has 
 fallen upon their very heads, without causing a start or an exclamation, 
 without exciting either their alarm or their curiosity." They sometimes 
 became weary of this constant communication with the natives. " Their 
 sameness of appearance," observes Captain Sturt, '' the disgusting diseases 
 
592 
 
 STURT'S EXPLOUATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 that raged among them, their abominable filth, the manner in which they 
 pulled us about, and the impossibility of making them understand us, or 
 of obtaining any information from them, all combined to estrange us 
 from these people, and to make their presence disagreeable. Yet there 
 was an absolute necessity to keep up the chain of communication, to in- 
 sure our own safety." 
 
 The river at length began to flow southward, a circumstance which 
 gave much satisfaction to Captain Sturt, for ho was beginning to feel 
 some anxiety about the men. Their provision was becoming scanty, 
 their eyes were sore, and they were evidently much reduced. After a 
 long deviation to the north-west, the river again flowed southward. It 
 increased in breadth, and soon lost its sandy bed and its current, and be- 
 came deep, still, and turbid. The hills towered up like maritime cliffs, 
 and the water dashed against their base like the waves of the sea. Other 
 indications of the approach to the sea appeared from time to time. Some 
 sea-gulls flew over their heads, at which one of the men was about to 
 shoot, when Captain Sturt prevented him, for he hailed them as messen- 
 gers of glad tidings, and thought they ill-deserved such a fate. The na- 
 tives with whom they communicated on the 6th and 7th of February, 
 distinctly informed them that they were fast approaching the sea, and 
 from what they could understand, that they were nearer to it than the 
 coast-line of Encounter Bay made them. 
 
 On the 9th they found a clear horizon before them to the south. 
 They had reached the termination of the Murray ; but instead of the 
 ocean, a beautiful lake was spread out before them. The ranges of 
 mountains which were visible on the west, were distant forty miles ; they 
 formed an unbroken outline, declining gradually to the south, but ter- 
 minating abruptly at a loft,y mountain northwardly. This was supposed 
 to be the Mount Loftiy of Captain Flanders, and the range to be that 
 immediately eastward of St. Vincent's Gulf. 
 
 " Thirty-three days had now passed over our heads," says Captain 
 Sturt, " since we left the depot upon the Morumbidgee, twenty-six of 
 which had been passed upon the Murray. We had, at length, arrived 
 at the grand resei-voir of those waters whose course and fate had pre- 
 viously been involved in such obscurity. It remained for us to ascertam 
 whether the extensive sheet of water upon whose bosom we had em- 
 barked, had any practicable commimication with the ocean." The 
 greatest difliculty they had now to contend with was the wind, which 
 blew fresh from the south-west ; and the men were too much reduced 
 for any violent or prolonged effort. Before morning, however, a breeze 
 sprang up from the north-east and they set sail early for the extremity 
 of the lake. They made a good passage, and in the evening arrived at 
 the entrance of a channel about half a mile wide, leading to the south- 
 west. It was bounded on the right by some open, flat ground, and on 
 the left; by a line of hills. Upon the first of these hills they observed a 
 large body of natives, who set up the most terrific yells as they ap- : 
 
THKY REACH THE SEA-COAST. 
 
 593 
 
 proached, and came down to meet them with violent threats. They 
 were fully equipped for battle, and were not to bo pacified by any signs 
 of peace. Captain Sturt therefore drew off, and the most daring war- 
 riors crept into the reeds with their spears poised. He took up his 
 gun to return their salute, but they seemed perfectly aware of the 
 instrument and fled precipitately. He then landed on a flat a mile 
 below, where they could not be taken by surprise. " The full moon 
 rose as we were forming the camp," observes Captain Sturt, " and not- 
 withstanding our vicinity to so noisy a host, the silence of death was 
 around us, or the stillness of night was only broken by the roar of the 
 ocean, now too near to be mistaken for the wind, or by the silvery and 
 melancholy notes of the black swans as they passec^ over us." 
 
 In the morning they attempted to pass the channel to the sea, which 
 was visible at two and a half miles distance, but the passage was so 
 obstructed with shoals that they were sometimes obliged to drag the 
 boat a quarter of a mile, while wading knee-deep in mud. "While the 
 men were thus engaged Captain Sturt and M'Leay, with one of the men, 
 crossed over to the sea-shore. He found they had struck the south coast 
 deep in the bight of Encounter Bay. " Our situation," he Avrites, " was 
 one of peculiar excitement and interest. To the right the thunder of 
 the heavy surf, that almost shook the ground beneath us, broke with 
 increasing roar upon our ears ; to the left the voice of the natives echoed 
 through the brush, and the size of their fires at the extremity of the 
 channel seemed to indicate the alarm our appearance had occasioned. 
 The mouth of the channel is defended by a double line of breakers, 
 amidst which it Avould be dangerous to venture, except in calm anc 
 summer weather ; and the line of foam is unbroken from one end of 
 Encounter Bay to the other." Captain Sturt would fain have lingered 
 to examine the beautiful country between the lake and the ranges, but 
 the men were weak from scanty diet and great bodily fatigue. He 
 therefore reluctantly yielded to necessity, and returning to the head of 
 the lake, the party re-entered the river on the- 13th of February, under 
 as fair prospects as they could have desired. 
 
 For some days they were greatly assisted by the breezes from the 
 lake, but, on the 1 8th, calms succeeded and obliged them to labor con- 
 tinually at the oars. They lost ground fast, and the spirits of the men 
 began to droop under their first efforts. They fancied the boat pulled 
 heavily. The current was not so strong as when they passed down, and 
 the river had fallen so that in many places they were obliged to haul 
 the boat over the shallows. 
 
 They reached the rapids of the Murray on the 6th of March, and 
 next morning attempted to pass them with the aid of ropes. As soon 
 as the boat entered the ripple it spun round like a top, and went away 
 with the stream. The ropes were too short, and they had to get in the 
 water and haul the boat up by main force. The rain was falling fast 
 and they were up to their arm-pits in water, when suddenly a large body 
 
 3S 
 
694 
 
 STURT'S EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 of natives, Avith their spears, lint'd the banks above them. As defense 
 was impossible, nuthuig remained but to continue their exertions. It 
 required but one strong eftbrt to get the boat into still water for a time 
 but that eflbrt was beyond their strength, and they stood in the stream 
 powerless and exhausted. At length one of the natives called to them 
 and they immediately recognized the voice of him who had saved them 
 from the attack of the savages. A man swam over to him for assistance 
 which was readily given. A second, more dangerous rapid remained to 
 be passed. Fastening a rope to the mast, the men landed and pulled 
 upon it, and the boat shot up the passage with unexpected rapidity. 
 The natives were filled with wonder, and testified their admiration of so 
 dexterous a maneuver by a loud shout. 
 
 On the 16th of March, to their great joy, they re-eutered the narrow 
 and gloomy channel of the Morumbidgee.* 
 
 In the night of the 21st the blacks were discovered stealthily ap- 
 proaching the camp. They were suffered to come near, and two or 
 three had hidden behind a fallen tree, when M'Leay fired a charge of 
 small shot at them. They made a precipitate retreat, but in order to 
 alarm them more effectually a ball was fired into the reeds, which was 
 heard cutting its way through them. All was quiet until three o'clock, 
 when a poor wretch, who had probably thrown himself on the ground 
 when the shots were fired, mustered courage to get up and make his 
 escape. Next day they tried to gain favor with the whites, but Captain 
 Sturt threatened to shoot any that approached, and they kept at a re- 
 specxful distance, dogging the party from tree to tree. In the evenbg 
 they remained around the camp, which they again attempted to surprise 
 in the night, but were effectually dispersed by a shot, and retreated 
 across the river. Their spears were found at the fires in the morning, 
 and were all broken up and burned, except those of a black who had 
 befriended the party. As he had kept aloof from the others, Captain 
 Sturt took his spears, nets, and tomahawk, and set out in search of him. 
 On coming near enough, -he stuck the spears into the ground, and ap- 
 proaching the man, presented to him his tomahawk. The poor man was 
 speechless, and seemed both ashamed and surprised. He gave a short 
 exclamation at sight of his tomahawk, but refused to grasp it, and it 
 fell to the ground. While they were standing together his two wives 
 came up, to whom, after pointing to the spears and tomahawk, he said 
 something, without looking at Captain Sturt, and they both instantly 
 burst into tears and wept aloud. 
 
 * "Wherever we landed on its banks," observes Captain Sturt, "we found theca- 
 listemma in full flower, and in the richest profbsion. There was also an abundance of 
 grass, where before there had been no signs of vegetation, and those spots which we 
 had condemned as barren were now clothed with a green and luxuriant carpet. So 
 difficult is it to judge of a country on a partial and hurried survey, and so differently 
 does it appear at different periods. I was rejoiced to find that the rains had not swollen 
 the river, for I was apprehensive that heavy Ma had taken plpce in the mountains, a&d 
 was unprepared for so much good fortune." 
 
SUFFERINGS AND RETURN. 
 
 595 
 
 On tho 23(1 tliey reached the depot where tliey had first embarked 
 on the Morumbidgee, but tho men were sadly disai)pointed in finding no 
 supplies. They continued up tlie river, which now became swollen with 
 the rains, and poured along its turbid waters with great violence. For 
 seventeen days tho men pulled against tho current with determined 
 perseverance, but at length they began to give way. Their arms a|)- 
 pcared to be nerveless, their faces became haggard, their persons ema- 
 ciated, their spirits wholly sank ; nature was so completely overcome, 
 that, from mere exhaustion, they frequently fell asleep during their most 
 painful and almost ceaseless exertions. No murmur, however, escaped 
 them. Captain Sturt frequently heard them in their tent, when they 
 thought he had dropped asleep, complaining of severe pains and of great 
 exhaustion. " I must tell the captain to-morrow," some of them would 
 say, " that I can pull no more." To-morrow came, and they pulled on, 
 as if reluctant to yield to circumstances. Macnamee, one of tho men, 
 at length lost his senses. He related tho most extraordinary tales and 
 fidgeted about continually while in the boat ; he was, therefore, relieved 
 from the oars. 
 
 On the 11th of April they gained their old camp opposite Hamilton's 
 Plains, and Captain Sturt resolved to abandon the boat and send two of 
 the men forward to the plain for assistance. This decision was received 
 with joy, and Hopkuison and Mulholland set forward at the earliest 
 dawn next morning. At length tho party that remamcd at tho camp 
 had consumed all their provisions. They therefore buried their speci- 
 mens and other stores on the evening of the 1 8th, intending to break up 
 tho camp in tho morning, when their comrades returned. " They were 
 both," says Captain Sturt, " in a state that beggars description. Their 
 knees and ankles were dreadfully swollen, and their limbs so painful that 
 as soon as they arrived at the camp they sank under their efforts, but 
 they met us with smiling countenances, and expressed their satisfaction 
 at having arrived so seasonably to our relief They had, as I had fore- 
 seen, met Robert Harris on the plain, which they reached on the evening 
 of the third day. They had started early next morning on their return 
 with such supplies as they thought we might immediately want. Poor 
 Macnamee had in a great measure recovered, but for some days ho was 
 sullen and silent : the sight of the drays gave hun uncommon satisfaction." 
 They left the camp on the following morning, and reached Ponde- 
 badgery on the 28th, where they found Robert Harris, with a plentiful 
 supply of provisions. He had been at the plain two months, and in- 
 tended to move down the river immediately, had they not made their 
 appearance. On the 5th of May they pursued their journey, and in a 
 , week arrived at Yass plains; on the 14th they continued their route, 
 ' and reached Sidn y by easy stages on the 25th, after an absence of 
 \ nearly six months, during which they had made some very important 
 geographical discoveries. 
 
BACK'S 
 
 ARCTIC LAND EXPEDITION, 
 
 From tho year 1826, wlu'ti Franklin nmdc his socoiid overland jour" 
 ney to the Polar Sea, until 18;};3, no attempt was raado by land to con- 
 tinue the survey of tho northern coasts of America. But in 1832 great 
 anxiety began to be felt about the fate of Sir John lioss, who had sailed 
 from England in tho year 1820, and had not been heard of. He com- 
 maaded a small vessel called the Vicfort/y which was fitted out entirely 
 at the expense of himself and tho late Sir Felix Booth, for the purpose 
 of continuing his northern discoveries, and enabling him to vindicate his 
 reputation as an able and enterprising navigator, which latter had been 
 somewhat doubted in consequence of tho ill success of a previous voyage 
 to Baffin's Bay. 
 
 It was accordingly resolved by the friends of Captain Ross to send 
 an expedition overland to the shores of the Arctic Sea in search of him, 
 and a fitting leader for it was found in the well-tried and experienced 
 Captain Back, who, as Lieutenant Back, had accompanied Franklin in 
 both his expeditions. He no sooner heard of such a project being con- 
 templated, than he lifistened from Italy, where he happened to be at the 
 time, and offered his services. Mr. Ross, the brother of Sir John, and 
 father of Captain James Ross, drew up a petition to the king, " praying 
 his Majesty's sanction to the immediate dispatch of an expedition for 
 rescuing or at least ascertaining the fiite of his sou and brother ;" and 
 Captjun Back's name being inserted as a leader, the petition was for- 
 warded, and shortly after received the royal assent. A grant of £2,000 
 was also made by government, while a public subscription soon placed 
 at the disposal of Captain Ross's friends a sum that was more than suffi- 
 cient to defray all tho expenses of the undertaking. 
 
 So great was the anxiety felt by the public and private friends of the 
 Arctic explorer, that every thing was done that could be devised for tho 
 furtherance of the searching expedition. The Hudson's Bay Company, 
 besides supplying a large quantity of provisions, two boats, and two 
 canoes, gratis, took the expedition under their special protection, bjr 
 
 Ji 
 
508 
 
 BACK'S ARCTIC LAND EXPEDITION. 
 
 issuing n coininission umlci their seal to Captain Back as commander, 
 thtTC'lty assuring him the co-oporation of all the agents throughout tlicir 
 torritoriis. In iha instructions given to him by tho Admiralty, C;ij)tuin 
 liack was tliri'cted t«) proceed to Great Salt Lake, and to winter on op 
 near the head-waters of the Thlcw-ee-choh-dezeth, or Great Fish Uiver, 
 which was supposed to flow from that lake, to follow the river to the 
 sea the ensuing summer, and to explore the coast around Cape (Jarry, 
 where the* Fiir>/ was wrecked, searching everywhere for traces of the 
 lost explorei-8. Armed M'ith this authority, as well as hy that given to 
 him l>y the Hudson's Hay Company, Captain Back, Mr. King, siugeon 
 and naturalist to the expedition, and three men, two of whom had 
 served in a former expedition under Captain Franklin, embarked in the 
 packet-ship Ilifjernia, Captain Maxwell, from Liverpool, and on the 
 IVth February, 1833, sailed tor America.* 
 
 From Xew York, Captain Back and his party proceeded by way of 
 Montreal, the Ottawa, Lake Nipissing, and Sault St. Mario to Fort Wil- 
 liam, on Lake Superior, where they arrived on the 20th of May. Here 
 the large canoes were to bo exchanged for smaller ones, and a short de- 
 lay took place in consequence of the difticulty tho men had in dividing 
 the lading among them. Uesuming their journey, on the 0th of June 
 they reached Fort Alexander, on Lake Winnipeg, where Captain Back 
 found it necessary to remain a few days, to await tho arrival of Govonior 
 Simpson, who was expected daily. During this period ho and Mr. King 
 employed themselves in making a set of observations for the dip of the 
 needle, while the men busied themselves in unpacking and drying the 
 provision and i)ackages, which had got slightly damp during tho voyage. 
 
 As most of the men for tho expedition were yet to be engaged, 
 it was necessary that they should proceed to Norway House — a depot 
 of tho company near tho opposite extremity of liako Winnipeg— 
 where the brigades of boats from the distant regions of tho interior 
 converge on their way to the sea. Captain Back reached there on 
 
 * " Eight months after their departure, Captain Ross and tho survivors of his party, 
 whom a merciful God had brought in safety tlirough dangers and privations unparalleled 
 in arctic story, anived in England after an absence of four years and five months. During 
 this protracted period they had made very important geographical discoveries ; fixed tlio 
 position of the n /rlhern magnetic pole, and experienced hardships and privations, and 
 encountered daii^crs, that fill us with admiration and wonder at the endurance and forti- 
 tude of tho me.i .vho dared and overcame them all. Their little vofijel, the Victory, hav- 
 ing become unilt for use, had been abandoned, and tho wanderers wero at last provi- 
 dentially discovered by a whaler, the Isabella of Hull, which conveyed them from the icy 
 regions, where they had been so long immured, to the sunny shores of their native land. 
 Although the principal object of the expedition under Captain Back waa thus obviated, 
 yet the dispatches containing the intelligence did not overtake him until after he had 
 reached his winter quarters ir» the sterile and romantic regions of the north ; so that, 
 even had it been desirable, he could not have returned home. As it was, however, he 
 received the mtelligence early enough to prevent his wasting time in the now unneces- 
 sary search ; and he accordingly turned his undivided attentioa to the second object of 
 the expedition." — Tytler'a ^^ Northern Coast of America." j 
 
TUB JOURNEY NORTHWARD. 
 
 699 
 
 the 1 7th, hnt fouikd it a difficult matter to engage men, some of whom 
 wcro rchictnnt to encounter the perils of the journey, while others 
 demanded exorbitant rewards, and others again were prevented by 
 their wives. Finally, eighteen able and experienced hands wcro en- 
 gaged, 'part of whotr wore sent off in advance with Dr. King, while 
 Captain Hack, retaining sufHcient to man his canoe, remained a few days 
 longer; and then, on the 28th of June, 1833, started for Cumberland 
 House, where two boats and a large supply of stores and provisions 
 awaited him. "This," says he, " was a happy day for me; and as the 
 canoe pushed from the bank, my heart swelled with hope and joy. 
 Now, for the first time, I saw myself in a condition to verify the kind 
 anticipations of my friends. The preliminary diff'^ulties had boen over- 
 come. I was fairly on my way to the accomplishment of the benevolent 
 errand on which I had been commissioned." 
 
 Entering the Saskatchewan Kiver, they ascended its stream, and on 
 the Sth of July arrived at Cumberland House, where they were received 
 by Mr. Isbister, the company's agent, and Mr. King, who had arrived 
 without accident. Here the greater number of the party embarked in 
 two new batteatix, each being laden with a cargo of sixty-one pieces of 
 ninety pounds each, making for both ten thousand nine hundred and 
 eighty pounds, exclusive of men, bedding, clothes, masts, sails, oars, and 
 other spars. They sailed, under the command of Mr. King, on the 6th 
 of July, while Captain Back, still retaining his canoe, remained behind 
 to take some observations and wite dispatches for England. Although 
 this occupied hiiii a few days, yet in a very short time he overtook the 
 boats in his light canoe, and proceeded on his way, leaving them to ad- 
 vance more slowly to their wintering ground. 
 
 At the Pino Portage they met Mr. A. R. M'Leod, one of the gentle- 
 men who had been appointed by the governor to accompany the cxpe- 
 f'ition. This gentleman no sooner heard of the appointment, than he 
 expressed his willingness to go, and during the following year Captain 
 Back had reason to rejoice in the acquisition of a man who was eminently 
 qualified for the service in all respects. On the 29th of July they reached 
 Fort Chipewyan. Here some slight, though vague, information was ob- 
 tained from the Indians, regarding the position of the river of which they 
 were in search. They also completed their stock of provisions, leather 
 for making moccasins, guns, and implements for building an establish- 
 ment in which to pass the winter. Another canoe was also obtained, 
 which, it was thought, might prove convenient in the event of finding 
 shoal rivers to the north ; and further instructions having been left for 
 Mr. King, on his arriving with the batteauxy they left the fort late on the 
 evening of the 1st of August. 
 
 On reaching the Salt River, they met with a large body of Slave 
 Lake Indians, who notified their approach by horrible and discordant 
 sounds. As it was hoped some infoi-mation might be obtained from 
 them, a council was called by Mr. M'Leod, which was ceremoniously 
 
600 
 
 BACK'S ARCTIC I AND EXPEDITION. 
 
 opened by passing round the pipe according to Indian custom, from 
 which each counsellor drew a few puffs in solemn silence, and with im- 
 perturbable gravity ; after which thiue was a very large amount of talk, 
 resulting in a very small amount of information. On the 8th of August 
 they reached (4roat Slave Lake, and arrived at Fort Resolution. At 
 this post they remained some days to arrange about an interpreter, com- 
 plete their stock of necessaries, and repair the canoes ; and then, launch- 
 ing forth again, they coasted along the northern shores of Great Slave 
 Lake. 
 
 At the eastern extremity of this lake, a river entered it which, it was 
 supposed, flowed from the cotmtry whore the Thlow-ee-choh took its 
 rise ; and toward this river Captain ]?ack directed his course with in- 
 creasing hope, notwithstanding tliu account given of it by the Indians, 
 who assured him that it was full of rapids and waterfalls. On the way 
 he experienced the usual alternations of storm and calm, rain and sun- 
 shine, while his route was enlivened by occasionally meeting Avith Indians. 
 One of these fellows, to show his respect for the white men, put on a sw'- 
 tout which he had purchased at the fort ; and, as the surtouts sent out 
 for the fur trade are made of snufi'-oolored brown cloth, in the cut of the 
 last century — with a rolling collar about four inches wide reaching half- 
 way up the back of the head, single breast, particularly long skirt, and 
 peculiarly short waist — it may bo supposed the awkward son of the forest 
 did not improve his appearance by the adoption of such a garb. Being 
 allowed to remain unbuttoned, it disclosed the fact that he was unpro- 
 vided with inexpressibles, which produced an irresiistibly comical effect. 
 
 They now approached the eastern extremity of Great Slave Lake, 
 where was the river whose sources, it was said, rose ncir the springs of 
 the Thlew-ee-choh. Captain Hack had great difficulty here iii getting a 
 satisfactory answer from the Indians wlio accompanied him, as to the 
 whereabouts of this river. Many of them said that it existed, but only 
 one admitted that he had ever seen it ; and as that was long ago, when 
 he was a little boy, while hunting with his father in the barren grounds, 
 he expressed great doubts as to his being able to find it. We can not 
 but admire the steady persevering energy of Captain Back, in facing and 
 overcoming the innumerable and often vexatious difliculties which were 
 thrown in his way by these lazy natives. They thwarted him continually; 
 told lies with imperturbable gravity, and sometimes, under pretense of 
 paying a visit to their relations, deserted him altogether. 
 
 On the 18th of August they a. last reached the object of their search 
 — the river which was to conduct them to a chain of lakes leadmg to 
 the Thlew-ee-choh. It broke upon them unexpectedly, when rounding 
 some small rocks which shut out from their view a bay, at the bottom 
 of which was seen a splendid fall, upward of sixty feet high, rushing in 
 two white and misty volumes ir«- o the dark gulf below. Here they 
 landed, and set about thoroughly repairing the small canoe which was to 
 proceed up the rapids, whild the other, and the greater part of the hag- 
 
wm 
 
 ,uf 
 
 of ; 
 
 earch 
 igto 
 iding 
 pttora 
 (ngin 
 they 
 k'as to 
 bag- 
 
 THE ASCENT OP HOARFROST RIVER. 
 
 601 
 
 gage, was left in charge of La Prise, who undertook to delivei" them to 
 Mr. M'Leod ; that gentleman having been deputed to choose a conve- 
 nient situation, at the eastern extremity of Great Slave Lake, whereon to 
 build a winter residence, whik- Captnln Back should proceed in his light 
 canoe as far down the Thlew-ee-choii as practicable, returning again to 
 the establishment before the winter fairly oet in. 
 
 The true work of the explorers had now fairly begun. Before them 
 the gushing stream, which was called the Hoar Frost River, roared down 
 the scattered rocks like the thundering cannonade which streams through 
 the breach of a stormed fortress, while the forlorn hope of voyayeurs 
 below prepared to storm the stream, and take possession of the unknown 
 barren grounds that lay beyond. 
 
 " A new scene," says Back, " now opened upon us. Instead of the 
 gentle paddling across the level lake, by which we had been enabled to 
 penetrate thus far, we had to toil up the steep and rocky bed of an un- 
 known stream, on our way to the high lands, from which the waters take 
 an opposite course. The labors which had hitherto been so cheerfully 
 undergone, were little more than those to which voyayeurs are accus- 
 tomed ; but in what was to come, it was evident that extraordinary ef- 
 forts and patient perseverance W( jld be required to overcome the diffi- 
 cultics of our route." Up this stream, then, they went, carrying canoe 
 and provisions over rooks, mountains, and plains, in order to avokl a 
 siu'ci'ssion of rapids which intercepted them all the way up the river. 
 Their old friends the sand-flies., tDo, assailed thom here with extreme ve- 
 heracMico, and, to add to their miseries, Maufelly, the interpreter, fell 
 sick. Having only a box of common pills, and a bottle of brandy. Cap- 
 tain Back at first refused the Indian's request to doctor him, but, being 
 much pressed, he at last indulged him, first M'th tho contents of the box, 
 which made him worse, and then with the contents of the bottle, which 
 made him bettor. 
 
 The scenery hero was exceedingly wild. High beetling cliiFs over- 
 hung dark gorges, through which the Avater rushed impetuousiy, while 
 here an-I there lay quiet sheets of clear water, reflecting on their bosoms 
 the bold outlines that towered overhead, and the variously-colored mosses 
 that covered the rocks and criched the scene. Among these wild 
 rapiJs, De Charloit, the bowman, exhibited admirable adroitness and 
 dexterity. In the midst of dangers the most imminent from rapids or 
 falls, he was cool, fearless, and collected ; and often, when the pole or 
 paddle was no longer available, he would spring into the cu/ling water, 
 and, with a foot firmly planted, maintain his position, where others 
 would have been swept away in an insiunt. But, in spite of all his care 
 and exertion, the canoe was sorely buffeted, and the oark hung in shreds 
 along its sides, ripped and broken in every quarter. 
 
 On the 29th of August, Avhile the men were out scouring the country 
 in search of the Thlew-ee-choh, which it was supposed must be in the 
 neighborhood of the spot where their tent was pitched, Captain Back 
 
602 
 
 BACK'S AUCTIO LAND EXPKDITION. 
 
 sallied forth with his gun. " UcpoiiMiif,' anxious," says ho, ♦• about tho 
 men, I took my gun, and following a nortli-noith-west direction, went 
 out to look for them. Having ))aHsed a small sheet of water, I ascended 
 a hill from the top of whirl: 1 discerned, to my great delight, a r-ipid, 
 evidently connected with the stream which flowed through the narrow 
 chamiel from the lake. With a q»?i"kened step I proceeded to trace its 
 course, and, in doing so, was further gratified at being obliged to Avade 
 through the sedgy waters of springs. Crossing two rivulets Avhose lively 
 iipples r.an due north into tho rapid, tlie thought occurred to mc; that 
 these feeders might be tributaries of tho Thlcw-ee-choh ; and, yieldin" 
 to that pleasing emotion which discoverers, in tho first bound of their 
 transport, may be pardoned for indulging, I threw myself down on the 
 bank, and drank a hearty dratight of the limpid water." 
 
 That this was actually the source of tho river of which they were 
 in search, was speedily confinned by tho men, who returned soon after- 
 ward, saying that they had discovered it on tho second day, and de- 
 scribed it as being largo enough for boats. Proceeding across some 
 small lakes and portages, they traveled toward the river until their canoe, 
 which had been showing unmistakable symptoms of a broken constitu- 
 tion, became at last so rickety as to render It a<^ liable to return. 
 From the appc.avance of the country, and espe^. i '^' :no blue hills 
 
 in the distt-ince, it was conjectured that tho river m an iUii of rapids, and 
 that their work of next summer would not be child's [day. 
 
 Their route back to winter quarters was even moic harassing tlmn 
 their advance. Tho rickety canoe havinrj nearly gone to pieces in sev- 
 eral rapids, was finally abandoned, and her cargo 8trapi)ed to the backs 
 of the men, who set off to walk back over land. The .account of this 
 journey, as given by tho indefatigable leader, is particularly interesting, 
 but our limits forbid our entering upon it in detail. Over hill and dale, 
 through swamp, jungle, and morass, they jtursued their toilsome march; 
 now crashing with their heavy loads down the tangled and bushy hanks 
 of a small creek, and then slowly clambering up the craggy sides of the 
 opposite bank ; sometimes plodding through a quaking swamp, at dther 
 times driving through a wood of stunted trees ; and all the wl.ilr as- 
 sailed by a host of sand-flies and mosquitoes. At last, hon '\er, t''oir 
 sorrows, for a time, came to an end. '* We had now," .• > U^o'k, 
 "reached tho lake where, in my letter of tho 19th of Aug -,! } ■•-A 
 directed Mr. M'Leod to build an est. Mishment. Proceeding Oi^.aH 
 over the even and mossy surface of the sand-banks, we were one day 
 gladdened by the sound of tho woodman's stroke : an'', guided by the 
 branchless trunks that lay stretched along the c ' ii. 've soon came to 
 a bay, where, in agreeable relief against the darK ^^ een foliage, stood 
 the ncAvly-ereeted frame-work of a house. Mr. M'Leod was walking 
 mider the shade of the tioes with La Prise, and did not hear us till we 
 were within a fiew yards of him. We were ranged ii; 'ngle file, the 
 men having, of their own accord, fidlen into that order ;. and, with 
 
WINTER QUARTERS. 
 
 60S 
 
 swollen faces, drcascd and laden as wo were, some carrying gtins, otherg 
 t(Mit-i>olos, etc., wo must have presented a strangely wild a])])earaiicc, 
 not unlike a group of robbers on the stage." 
 
 Cajjlain Hack and his hardy companions had now reached their win- 
 tor (luartcrs. In the cold heart of the wilderness, thousands and thou- 
 sands of niik'S from the dwellings of civilized men, between whom and 
 tlicni lay the almost impjissablo l)arrier8 of broad foaming rivers and 
 sea-like lakes, whose waters were becoming crusted with the fine iiiter- 
 Rccting jjcedles of ice, which, ere long, would solidify them nearly to the 
 bottom — high, broken, rugged mountains, dreary morasses, IjojiuHc" : 
 prairies, and dense, dark, interminable forests. "The following dav," 
 says he, " being Sunday, divine service was read, and our imperfect 
 thanks were humbly offered to Almighty God for the mercies which 
 had already been vouchsafed to us ; and though in this imperious cli- 
 mate, with every thing to do, time was certainly prcciou*?, yet, feeling 
 that the first opening of the sacred volume in this distant wilderness 
 ought not to bo profaned by any mixture of common labor, I made it 
 a day of real quiet and repose." 
 
 Mr. King, who, as has been previously mentioned, was left behind 
 with the two boats, rejoined the party on the 16th of September, having 
 incurre'l not a little difficulty in consequence of his want of experience 
 in those climes, and had been occasionally imposed upon by the ^•oy• 
 ayenrs. The whole party now set briskly to work to complete their 
 buildings. Trees were soon felled, branched, squared, and put together, 
 with a celerity peculiar to Canadians and half-breeds, who, being all but 
 horn with the ax in their hands, become very expert in the use of it. 
 Though the trees were small, a^suficient number for their purpose were 
 speedily procured ; t-labs and planks were sawn, stones chipped, mud 
 and grass collected for mortar ; and, in a few days, as if by magic, a 
 dwelling-house was raised, sijfficiently weather-tight to shelter the whole 
 party during a winter that was to last fully eight months. All estab- 
 lishments in the Indian country, however lowly and innocent in appear- 
 ance, being dignified with the title cf Fort^ Captain Back thought proper 
 to c.ill this one Fc * Relinn^n. Its exact position was in latitude 02° 
 46' north, longitude i09° west. It consisted of a house fifty feet long 
 by thirty broad, having f xr separate rooms, with a spacious hall in the 
 center for the reception and accommodation of Indians. Each of the 
 rooms had a fireplace and a rude chimney. A miserable apology for a 
 room, with many a yawning crevice inviting the entrance of the cold 
 elements, was, out of courtesy, called a kitchen ; and another house, 
 •standing at right angles to this one on the western side, formed a dwell- 
 ing fcr the men. An observatory was also constructed at a short dis- 
 tance from t:;e establishment, wherein certain mysterious and complicated 
 instruments were fixed and erected ; iron in all forms being carefully 
 excluded, and a fence run round it to guard it more effectually from th^ 
 men, as they walked about with their guns, ice chisels, and axes. 
 
 i 
 
 it 
 
 %<*, 
 
604 
 
 HACK'S aikjtk; land kxi'kimtion. 
 
 Thu site of tlic t'stalilisliiiictit was ii Icvfl liiiiik of gravol nnd Hand 
 rovc't'iMl willi rcin-dccr moss, Hlinilts, ami tn><>N, looking inoro likit a park 
 tlinti an Aiiu'rifaii torcst. Il loniicd th(> nortlittrii ('xlntiiiity of a hay, 
 iVorn twelve to liftcen miltw lon^, aiul fmiii tliroe to live iiiilcN hroati 
 which was iiainetl atlor Mr. M'liiuxl, T\w river Ahlutl-deHHy fell into 
 thin buy i'rum thu wvHtwurU, uud anuthur Htuull rivur IVuiii thu uaut. lu 
 
 
 .. ..fci«(?*f^'".?jrr;^ 
 
 r\i 
 
 'V ;; fy^ij-^:':i 
 
 
 thu Ah-iu'l-dessy, not far from their winter-quartcrfi, there was ft magnifi- 
 eenl ea^cade, to whieh Captain Hack j^avo the name of AnderHon'H Kalis. 
 1 Ivvv they took tip their abode, and the miseries througli which thoy 
 were doi»ined to pas.s durin<jf that dreary winter be^an oven at this time. 
 Fish, upon which they depended hi a jfrcat nieasuro, began to fail at the 
 very eommenct'ment of the season. From one jilaee to anotluM* the nets 
 were shiHed, with the hope of finding a larger supply ; but, so far from 
 succeeding in this, the men who were sent found that thtM'e was scarce 
 suflicient to maintain themselves from day to day, and on more than one 
 occasion returned to the fort, being unable to support themselves. Deer 
 also failed them ; for, although tliere were plenty of these animals in the 
 
HTAUVATION OF THK INDIANS. 
 
 «05 
 
 coTinlry, tlioy kept h«) fiir awfiy from tlm fort, mid (toritimuxl ho lonj^ 
 ainon^ tlio liiu-rcii ^roiitxiN, wh(;ro it wiiH (!X(',<>(><liti^|y ditliriilt to >i|>- 
 pronoh tli(!m, thiit vory fow vfM'^^ obtiiiiiiul, nrid tiumo at loii^r intrrvulH. 
 Tlui biifJ^H of |)(>miiii(wui wiiich Mr. King luid broiif^ht it: liiH houtn wcro 
 intrndrd for tin; (^xpodition of tho following Hiinimcr; and ah it could 
 not he (larric'd on witlmnt that articio of lood, nothing hut the utnioHt 
 oxtrmnity would indu<rit (Captain Hack to hntak upon it. 
 
 During all thin ]Ktri(»d, and for niontliH uilcrward, the fort wan \n'.- 
 Hiogcd hy Htarving Indiann, who flocked to it in tint vain hopo of ob- 
 taining aHMiHtanee from itH ulmoHt (•(|iuilly unfortunato inmatcH. An thiH, 
 liowever, wuh a diHpoHition which it would liavo been ruinouH t< tho 
 expedition to rncouragc, (*aptain Mack positively refuH('d any aHHiKtanco 
 in tlie Hhape of food, except to those of th<'m who, from infirmity or 
 mckncHH, were ahNolutely incapultle of going forth to hunt. One of thiH 
 claHH was j)ick<'d up in the woods and brought to tlio fort. A misorahlo 
 old wonum, " clad," sayn Itack, " in d(!cr-skin, her eyes all but (ilosed, 
 her hair niatt(td and lllthy, her skin shriveled, and feeliiy supporting, 
 with tlie aid of a stick hv.Ul by both hands, a trunk whi(^li was literally 
 horizontal, she preNentecl, if HU(!h an iiXpresHion may be pardoniMJ, tho 
 sliocking atid unnatural a[>|)(^'iraiico of a human bruto. It was a humil- 
 iating spectacle, and one which I would not willingly see again. l*<(or 
 wr((tch I Her t.'ile was soon told: old and d(?crepit, sin; had rouu; to bo 
 considered as a burfhni ('ven by her own hc.x. Past sc-rvices and toils 
 wen! forgotten, and, in timir ilgurativci style, they coldly told her, that 
 'though sh(! appear(!<l to live*, she was already dead,' and must be aban- 
 doned to her fate. 'There is a new fort,' said they, 'go ther<( ; the 
 whites an* great medicin<( men, and may have power to save you.' This 
 Wiis a month Imfore ; since which time? slie had crawled and hobbhid 
 along the rocks, tho s(;anty Hup|)ly of berries which she found upon them 
 just enabling her to live." This jiitiable object was brought to the 
 fort, f(Hl and taktiii caro of — bciing permitted to live in the hall, whero 
 she crawled about on all fours at will, moaning over the fire, or ' eeping 
 into Mr. King's room, whom she found to be the only one who could 
 alleviate her suffering'.i. These, liowover, had been greater than she 
 co\ild b(!ar. Notwithstanding all their care, she sank from <lay to day, 
 until she ap|»eared a living skeleton, and was found dead at last in a tent, 
 bcsi<h! the aslies of a small fire. 
 
 Famine in its worst form now began to stare them in the face. Day 
 after day brought fresh intelligence from the various fisheries of their ill 
 success, while parties of starving natives a'^r'ved from the hunting 
 grounds, in tho hopo of getting a few scraps of foo<l at the fort. 
 Captain Back, with characteristic bcnevciencc, imparted to them as 
 much as could be spared from his own little stock, endeavoring to re- 
 vive their drooping spirits and urge them on to action. It was in vain, 
 however. The scourge was too heavy, and their exertions were com- 
 pletely paralyzed. No sooner had one party been prevailed on to 
 
 ill 
 
 »l 
 
 L 
 
606 
 
 BACK'S ARCTIC LAND EXPEDITION. 
 
 leave the fort, than another, still more bnguid and distressed, ffeebly 
 entered, and confirmed, by their half-famished looks and sunken eyes, 
 their heart-rending tale of sutfering. They spoke little, but crowded 
 in silence round the fire, as if eager to enjoy the only comfort remaining 
 to them. And, truly, fire was a comfort of no ordinary kind, when it is 
 remembered that the temperature during that terrible winter fell to 
 seventy degrees below zero of Fahrenheit 1 
 
 It is difficult, for those who have not experienced it, to comprehend 
 the intensity of this degree of cold. Captaui Back and his friend Mr. 
 King made a few experiments during their long dreary winter, which 
 will serve to convey some idea of it. A bottle of sulphuric ether was 
 placed on the snow when the temperature was sixty-two degrees below 
 zero. In fifteen minutes the interior upj)er surface of the bottle m-os 
 coated with ice, while the ether became viscous and opaque. A small 
 bottle of pyroligneous acid froze in less than thirty minutes at a tem- 
 perature of fifty-seven degrees minus ; and a surface of four inches of 
 mercury exposed in a saucer became solid in two hours, at the same 
 temperature. On the 4th of February so intensely cold M'as it, that a 
 higher temperature than twelve degrees above zero could not be ol)- 
 tained in the house, even although there were eight large logs of wood 
 blazing in the chimney of a small room. As might be imagined, cold, 
 of such a peculiarly sharp nature, used to prove inconvenient in more 
 ways than one, and Captain Back tells us that his ink froze, and tliat 
 in making an attempt to finish a water-color sketch he signally failed — 
 the material becoming frozen even while ho sat so close to a hugo fire 
 as considerably to endanger the legs of his trowsersi 
 
 On the 25th of April, 1834, while the snow still lay deep on the 
 ground, and every thing wore the same unchanging, and seemingly un- 
 changeable, aspect that it had worn ever since October, the winter- 
 ^.pcket arrived, bringing intelligence of the safe arrival of Sir J. Ross 
 and his crew in England. To those who were to have devoted the 
 ensuing summer to the search, this was a subject of unmixed pleasure, 
 both as assurhig them of the safety of their enterprising countrymen, 
 and as setting them free to devote themselves entirely to the secondary 
 object of the expedition. 
 
 Part of the men were now sent to the only clump of pines which 
 afforded trees of a sufficient size to saw up into planks for building a 
 boat — this conveyance being deemed better than a canoe for the sum- 
 mer journey. The famine still continued to press heavily ixpon them. 
 Many of the natives died, while some of them tried to allay the cravings 
 of hunger by eating parts of their deer-skin shoes and coats. At the 
 fisheries little or nothing was caught, and at the fort they Avere obliged 
 reluctantly to break upon the supply of pemmican. The solitude and 
 desolation of the establishment was extreme, and perhaps no better idea 
 of it could be conveyed than by the quotation of a paragraph from 
 Back's journal in wUch he spt^i^ks of tiie death of two tame ravens. 
 
the 
 un- 
 ntcr- 
 Ross 
 tlic 
 sure, 
 men, 
 idary 
 
 fhich 
 
 8Uin- 
 Ithem. 
 tivinga 
 ^t tbe 
 bliged 
 ic and 
 \r idea 
 from 
 kvens. 
 
 DEPARTURE FOR THE NORTH. 
 
 607 
 
 " For tho last fifteen days," says l»e, " our habitation Imtl been rendered 
 more cheerful by the presence of two ravens, which having, by my ex- 
 press direction, been left unmolested, had become so tame as scarcely to 
 move ten paces >vhen any one passed them ; they were the only living 
 things that held communion with us, and it was a pleasure to ace them 
 gambol in their glossy plumage on tho white snow. A party of men 
 had arrived over night, and among them was an Iroquois, who, per- 
 ceiving the birds together, and behig ignorant of my wishes, could not 
 resist tho temptation of a double shot, and so killed them both. In any 
 other situation 8U< ^ an event would, perhaps, have seemed too triiling 
 to bo noticed ; but in our case the ravens were the only link between 
 us and tho dreary solitude without, and their loss therefore was painfully 
 felt. * * * When they were gone, I felt more lonely, and tho 
 moaning wind seemed as if complaining of the barbarity." 
 
 On tho 7th of June, things being considered in a sufficiently ad- 
 ViUiced state to permit of operations being commenced. Captain Back 
 and his party set out onco more upon their travels. The boat, which 
 was thirty feet long, was placed upon runners, and dragged over the 
 yet unmeltod ice of the lakes and swamps, across many of which they 
 had to pass ere they could launch upon the Thlew-ee-choh. The men 
 had each a small sled, or runner, on which to drag a certain amount of 
 the baggage and i)rovisions — averaging about one hundred pounds — 
 and away they went with great merriment at the grotesque appearance 
 they cut as they stumbled and slipped over the jagged surface of the 
 ice. In a very short timo this work began to tell upon the runners of 
 the sledges, which peeled up, and otherwise evinced symptoms of very 
 speedy dissolution. In this dilemma tho captain bethought himself 
 of two pitsaws which they had with them. These were got out, 
 cut into strips, nailed to tho runners, and in a few hours away they 
 went again vith increased speed, and very much diminished tear and 
 wear. 
 
 Mr. M'Leod, with a party of Indians, was sent on ahead of the main 
 bodj to hunt, and make caches of the meat, to be picked up as the party 
 behind came uj) to them. An encamping-place of this advance-guard 
 was fallen upon by Captain BaiHc while he was straying a little from hia 
 party. As he stood looking at it, he observr d a tin kettle half buried 
 in the snow, which on examination was found to contain thirty-four 
 balls, a file broken in three pieces, an awl, a fire-steel, and a crooked 
 knife. This, the most valuable portion of an Indian's possessions, had 
 been thrown away, according to a custom prevailing Among that people, 
 either as an expiatory sacrifice for some calamity, or as a token of ex- 
 treme affliction for the loss of a wife or child. The captain usually kept 
 ahead of his party, being desirous of finding the caches, and laying the 
 meat on an exposed place in his track, so as to avoid waste of time in 
 collecting it. In this way they continued their route for many days, 
 over every sort of lake, pond, river, awamp, creek, or pool, that can or 
 
608 
 
 BACK'S ARCTIC LAND EXPEDITION. 
 
 can not bo imagined ; sometimes comfortably, and soinctiiues miserably. 
 The want of tiro was their chief discomfort. 
 
 Toward the middle of Juno the weather became very cold and bois- 
 terous, especially Midsummer's-day, which Avas the coldest, blackest 
 and most wintry day they had. On the 22d of June, being Sunday, 
 divine service was read in the tent, where, to the credit of the men, bo 
 it mentioned, they all came clean and shaved, notwithstanding the dis- 
 comforts to which they were exposed. 
 
 On the 28th they arrived near the banks of the Thlew-ec-choh, and 
 on the afternoon of tho same day were fairly launched uj)on its head 
 waters. These, however, were full of ice, and it was not until several 
 days afterward that Captain Back felt it safe to dismiss his extra hands, 
 and the Indians who had accompanied him thus far to carry provisions. 
 On the 3d of July, however, having assembled them on tho banks of tho 
 river, ho relieved them of their burdens, and arranged the party which 
 was to accompany him to tho Polar Sea. And greatly did it surprise 
 the Indians to see a boat manned by Europeans, and stored with tho 
 provision of the southern country, after having been hauled, carried, 
 and dragged over every imaginable kind of obstacle for full two hun- 
 dred miles, at last fairly launched on tho clear waters of the barren 
 lands. Mr. M'Leod was dismissed at this point, with instructions to 
 collect provisions against their return, and to meet them again in Sep- 
 tember on the banks of tho Thlow-ee-choh. 
 
 While he and his party were debating as to which part of the coun- 
 try would be best to return by, provisions being somewhat scarce, the 
 fog cleared away, and discovered the branching antlers of twenty rein- 
 deer spread over tho summit of the adjacent hills. " To see and pursue 
 was tho work of a moment, and in a few minntcs not an active hunter 
 remamed in the encampiucnt. It was a beautiful and interesting sight ; 
 for the sun shone out, and lighting up some parts, cast others into 
 deeper shade ; the white ico reflected millions of dazzlmg rays ; the 
 rapid leaped and chafed in little ripples, which melted away into tho un- 
 ruffled surface of the slumbering lake ; abrupt and craggy rocks frowned 
 on vhe right, and, on the left, the brown .Hndscape receded until it was 
 lost in the distant blue mountains. Tlu 'foreground was filled up with 
 the ocher-colored lodges of tho Indians, contrasting with our own pale 
 tents ; and to tho whole scene animation was given by the graceful mo- 
 tions of the unstartled deer, and tho treacherous crawling of the wary 
 hunters.'* 
 
 The very first day introduced them to the perils which they were to 
 encounter in that rugged river. Coming up to a strong rapid, and fall, 
 down which the boat could only be run in a light state, all the baggage 
 was carried over the rocks, and four good hands left in the boat. They 
 pushed off into the stream, and ran the first fall in safety ; but having 
 steered too much to the left, they were drawn on a ledge of rock, form- 
 ing part of the second ; this brought the boat up with a crash which 
 
ll 
 
 9. . 
 \C 
 
 isc 
 
 tbo I 
 Lcd, 
 lun- 
 rrcn 
 3 to 
 Sep- ; 
 
 coun- 
 le, the 
 
 rcin- 
 mrsuc 
 
 luntcr 
 
 Isight; 
 la into 
 ; tVic 
 the AiT\- 
 towncd 
 it was 
 HP with 
 n pale 
 lfu\ mo- 
 c wary 
 
 l\yeTe to 
 land fall, 
 saggage 
 Tbey 
 having 
 [jk, form- 
 tah which 
 
 DESCENDING THE RAPIDS 
 
 609 
 
 threatened immediate destruction, and called forth a shriek from the 
 prostrate crew. The steersman jumped out on the rock and tried to lift 
 her off, but without success. Another moment, and the fierce current 
 swung her stern round, and it seemed as if nothing could save her from 
 descending in a gush of green water straight on to a sharp rock below, 
 against which a wave of five feet high was breaking. Happily the steer- 
 ing-oar had been left projecting out astern, and, as the boat swung, it 
 caught a rock, which pitched her out broadside to the current, when 
 she was carried down in safety. 
 
 The party now consisted of eight boatmen, Mr. King, and the com- 
 mander, and seldom has so small a band of adventurers experienced such a 
 hazardous, comfortless, and truly rough-and-tumble journey as they did. 
 The weather, which had been all along boisterous and cold, became worse 
 and worse as they went on, so that they were frequently wet all day, 
 and owing to the want of firewood, they were of necessity wet all night. 
 The river expanded sometimes into immense lakes, which often detained, 
 and sometimes threatened to arrest them altogether ; at other places it 
 narrowed into a deep and rapid stream, which gushed in a black boiling 
 mass through high cliffs, or foamed over a rugged bed of broken rocks 
 and boulder-stones — terminating not unfrequently in a stupendous fall. 
 Obstacles of th:-* kind, however they may interrupt the progress of or- 
 dinary men, are no barriers in the way of nor'-westers ; so they swept 
 through the gorges, maneuvered skillfully down the rapids, and made 
 portages to avoid the falls, with a degree of facility and safety that was 
 little short of miraculous. In one place they had a narrow escape, which 
 is but a specimen of what was of daily occurrence. " A little sheet of 
 water," says Back, " bounded to the right by mounds and hills of white 
 sand, with patches of rich herbage, where numerous deer were feeding, 
 brought us to a long and appalling rapid, full of rocks and large bould- 
 ers ; the sides hemmed in by a wall of ice, and the current flying with 
 the velocity and force of a torrent. The boat was lightened of her 
 cargo, and I stood on a high rock, with an anxious heart, to see her run 
 it. I had every hope which confidence in the judgment and dexterity 
 of my principal men could inspire ; but it was impossible not to feel that 
 one crash would be fatal to the expedition. Away they went, with the 
 speed of an arrow, and, in a moment, the foam and rocks hid them from 
 my view. I heard what sounded in my ear like a wild shriek, and saw 
 Mr. King, who was a hundred yards before me, make a sign with his 
 gun, and then run forward. I followed, with an agitation which may be 
 conceived ; and, to my inexpressible joy, found that the shriek was the 
 triumphant whoop of the crew, who had landed safely in a small bay be- 
 low. This was called Malley's Rapid, in consequence of one of the 
 party, so called, having lost himself in the adjacent willows for some time.'* 
 
 On the 13th of July, a glimpse of sunshine tempted the captain to halt 
 for the purpose of taldng observations, and, while he was thus engaged, 
 the men wcte permitted to scour the country in pursuit of deer and 
 
 at 
 
 ^ 
 
610 
 
 BACK'S AllCTrC LAND EXPEDITION. 
 
 musk-oxen, whidh litorally swarmcMl in the barren grounds, nnd infused 
 life and animation into many a wild, j)icturesc|uo scene. Tiie hunters 
 Koon returned with lour fine bucks, which afforded them an agreeable 
 change from the customary meal of pemmican. 
 
 The latitude was 06" 38' 21" north, and longitude 100" .15' 23" west. 
 At this place the river began to take an easterly bend, whr h perplexed 
 and annoyed them much ; causing great anxiety as to whether it would 
 ultimately lead them to the frozen sea, or terminate in Hudson's Bay. 
 In any case, thv.y had nothing for it but to push on, and their labors 
 were rewarded afterward by their finding that the river trended again 
 in a northerly direction, and their hopes were further increased by the 
 discovery, on the 16th of July, of some old Esquimaux encampments. 
 Once, indeed, they thought they saw tents of the Esquimaux ahead, 
 but on a nearer approach they turned out to bo some luxuriant dumps 
 of willows, which were inhabited by thousands of geese. They had 
 selected the spot as being a convenient one for the operation of casting 
 their feathers. Geese, while in this condition, are most superb runners, 
 and put the hunters to their utmost mettle sometimes to catch them ; 
 leading them through bog, pool, and swamp, with a dexterity that often 
 brings their pursuers into many an awkward and Avntery predicament. 
 
 On the 28th of July, they met the first Esquimaux, who, as usual on 
 their first seeing Europeans, exhibited at once their consternation and 
 astonishment, by shouts, yells, antics, and gesticulations of the most 
 savage character ; laboring under the impression, apparently, that by so 
 doing they would frighten their new visitors away. As is also usual on 
 such occasions, of course they found themselves mistaken, for the boat 
 continued to approach the shore des[)ite the brandishing of spears and 
 other belligerent demonstrations; whereupon the whole nation formed 
 in a serai-circle rovmd the spot where the boat grounded, and stood on 
 the defensive. Captain Back, however, soon established friendly rela- 
 tions with them, by walking boldly up, unarmed and alone, at the same 
 time calling out Tlma — peace — with great emphasis, tossing u* "lis arms 
 in true Esquimaux style, and, finally, shaking hands all rou\.d. This 
 quieted them, and they soon mingled with the men, from whom they 
 received a few buttons with great delight. 
 
 A portage had to be made at this place ; bo, to divert the attention 
 of the poor natives, and prevent their being tempted to steal, Captain 
 Back went up to their tents and sketched them. He describes them as 
 being neat and well-made, not so cunning as those further to the west, 
 and altogether a harmless, inoffensive race. His description of the 
 taking of a portrait is so humorous that we give it in his own words : 
 " The only lady," says he, " whose portrait was sketched, was so flat- 
 tered at being selected for the distinction, that, in her fear lest I should 
 not suiBciently see every grace of her good-tempered countenance, she 
 intently watched my eye ; and, according to her notion of the part I 
 was penciling, protruded it or turned it, so as to leave me no excuse lor 
 
 ^.^f^ 
 
THKY REACn T rilO POLAR SEA. 
 
 611 
 
 not (lolinenting it in the full j)roi)nrti(m ofitH beauty. Tims, Hvomf^ ino 
 look at hor Iioiid, hIic inuncdiatcly bent it down, stared portentously 
 when I sketched her eyes; pufVed out her cheeks when their turn ar- 
 rived ; and, finally, perceivinj^ that I was touching in tlie mouth, opened 
 it to the full extent of her jaws, an<l thrust otit the whole lenj^th of her 
 tongue 1" From these friendly natives they received assistance in car- 
 rying tlie boat over a very bad portage — a task to which the men were 
 quite unequal ; so that to them Captain Siack was indebted for aid, with- 
 out Avhich he would not have reached the .sea at all. 
 
 ■^>^'<-co,u'. 
 
 VIEW S K \ W A R I> r R M 5f O N" T R B A T, I S I, A V D . * 
 
 Leaving these interesting denizens of the north, the party pursued 
 their w.ay, and, on the 29th of July, -were gladdened with a sight of the 
 first headland in the Polar Sea, which waa 'lamed Victoria Headland. 
 This, then, was the mouth of the Thlew-ee-choh, which, after a violent 
 and tortuous course of five hundred and thirty geographical miles, run- 
 ning through an iron-ribbed country, withoi * single tree on the whole 
 line of its banks, expanding into fine large lakes with clear horizons, 
 
 ♦ This view derives a more than ordinary interest at present from the fact that it 
 represents tho spot, where, according to the accounts of the Esquimaux, as given to Dr. 
 Rae, tho bodies of a part of Sir John Franklin's company were found. These accounts 
 state that tho unfortunate explorers perished upon the western bank of tho river, op- 
 posite Montreal Island, and consequently upon the very spot from whence the above 
 view was taken. ' . 
 
 Il 
 
612 
 
 BACK'S AUCTIC LAND EXPEDITION. 
 
 moHt cmbarrotiHing to thu navigator, and broken into flillH, caaoadeH, and 
 ra])id», to the number of no lost) than eighty-thruu in the whole, pours 
 it8 waters into the I'olur Sea in latitude 07° 11' north, and longitude 04" 
 30' west. 
 
 The mouth of tho Thlew-co-choh opened into a broad firth, the 
 western shore of which was so beset by ice, that they resolved on coast- 
 ing to tho eastward, which was more open, till some favorable opportun- 
 ity ofl'ercd for crossing over. So stormy was tho weather, however, 
 that they succeeded in this at length with great difficulty, ailer having 
 been detained several days on ai! island which they mistook for th'* 
 main. This they called Montreal Island, liy slow degrees they pro- 
 ceeded along tho ice-girt shore, sometimes advancing a few miles, when 
 a favoring breezo opened a lane in tho ice, but more frequently dctahiod 
 in their dreary encampments, in which they suffered much from cold 
 and rain. In reading tho graphic account of tho journey of Captain 
 Back, one can not fail to bo struck by the constant repetition of such 
 sentences as tho following : " Tlio morning set in with rain, for which, 
 custom had now taught us to look as a thing of course ; but a faint hope 
 was excited by the view of a narrow lane of water, which had opened, 
 how or from what cause wo knew not, outside, between the grounded 
 ice and tho main body ; and preparations Avero already making for a 
 start at high water, when tho wind suddenly chopped round from south- 
 east to north-west, and fixed us once more to tho ' t ;" and, again : 
 "A wet fog ushered in the morning of tho 14th igust, and left 
 
 every object dark and indefinable at eighty or n^^^.j paces distant. 
 Tho breezo increased, and was fast packing the seaward body of ice, 
 which now came with considerable velocity toward tho shore, and 
 threatened to lengthen our tedious and most annoying detention." To 
 render their position even more deplorable, scarcely any fuel was to be 
 found, and they experienced the greatest difllculty in procurbg sufficient 
 to cook their food, often being obliged to breakfast, dine, and sup on a 
 morsel of dry pemmican and a cup of cold water. One day three deer 
 came within shot, and were killed. No savoury steaks, however, grat- 
 ified their palates with an mj accustomed meal ; — they could not bo 
 cooked for want of dry fuel. The low flat country, too, was the pic- 
 ture of desolation. It was one irregular plain of sand and stones; and 
 had it not been for a rill of water, the meandering of which relieved the 
 monotony of the sterile scene, one might have fancied one's self in one 
 of the parched plains of the east, rather than on the shores of the 
 Arctic Sea." 
 
 Nevertheless, with unflinching ardor d'd Captain Back and his gal- 
 lant crew push forward, in the hope of re.-ching a more open sea, and 
 connecting their discoveries with those of Captain Franklin at Point 
 Turnagain. Indeed, a spirit of endurance and cheerfiilness distinguished 
 the whole party, which nothing seemed capable of damping. On the 
 7th of August they reached the extreme point of land which terminates 
 
RETURN TO KNQLAND. 
 
 613 
 
 tho wido mouth of tho rivor, nn»l wlicuro tho coast trends to tho wost- 
 wurd. This was iinmod I'oint Ogle, and another cape, soon far to tho 
 wo8t, was nanu'd Point llichardson. Several portions of the coast of 
 Boothia Felix wcro also seen in tho distance to the northward. Hero 
 they were completely baffled in every attempt made to advance. Tho 
 ico became more firmly wedged every day ; one of the men fell sick ; 
 the season was far advanced, and any ttirthcr attempts to proceed would 
 have been foolhardy ; so, under these untoward circumstances, Captain 
 Ba(ik resolved to retrace his steps. Before doing so, however, the Brit- 
 ish flag was unfurled, and tho land taken possession of, with three enthu- 
 Hiiistic cheers, in tho name of his majesty William IV. Tho latitude of 
 tho place was 08° 13' north, longitude 94° 68' west. 
 
 Our limits do not permit us to follow tho adventurous voyagcnrs as 
 they retraced their route up the foaming cataracts of thoThlew-ce-choh. 
 In the ini(hlle of August they left the cold precincts of the Arctic. Sea, 
 and on tho 1 7th September met Mr. M'Lcod, according to appointment, 
 at Sand-IIill Bay. He liad long been expecting them, and had spent 
 many an anxious hour in watching tho distant objects in the directitm 
 of tlii'lr route. With this gentleman they returned to Fort lleliunce, 
 " after an absence of nearly four months ; tired, indeed, but wt.'il in 
 health, and truly grateful for the manifold mercies we had experienced 
 in tho course of our long and perilous journey." 
 
 Preparations were soon set on foot to spend another winter in tho 
 wilderness. Once more the woods resounded with tho woodman's ax, 
 and the little rooms gloAVcd with tho blazing fires of wood. Again the 
 nets wero set and tho guns loaded, and the white man and the red 
 ranged tho woods in company ; while Captain Back and Mr. King found 
 ample and interesting occupation in mapping their discoveries and writ- 
 ing their journals. 
 
 On tho 28th of May, lRn5, Captain Back bade adieu to the polar 
 regions and returned to Engliiiid, where he arrived on the 8th of Sep- 
 tember, after an absenci^ of two years and seven months. The remainder 
 of the party returned by tho Hudson's Buy Company's ship iu October. 
 
TiiAVELS IN OMAN. 
 
 
 
 
 SCKSKKT OP OMAW. 
 
010 
 
 WKLLHTKD'H TIIAVKI.H IN OMAN. 
 
 then (Ictrnnlnctl to jMocrcd to MuHriil, viHit llio interior of the roniitry 
 <>r'.>iuiui -lliiit |iiMt ot' Aiiiliiiv liortlniiif^ on tlio r«<iHiim (Jiill' lunl en- 
 ''uvivor, if poMsihh', to |u>ii<<lnkto to Dcrn'yrli, tlic «'ii|ti(!il of |)h< Wnliii 
 hi'i'M, ill tlu> interior ot" tli(> |i4>iilnr«tilii. I'lirniHlicd with the Hiiiit'tion ^,l' 
 thi< Intliiui ^ovotnint'iit. iiiwl ii h'ltoi- to tho linain of Miisnit, ht< Niiil(M| 
 tVoiii ilotnltuy in Novnnhrr, IHIir*, tiiid on th«< 'JInI oftliiil iiionlh hniih'il 
 lit. Mnsciit. 
 
 lf|n>ii visitiiiff S«'}tl Sajiil, tho Iiimin, tlio iiittcr Hhownl th(* iiIiiuinI, 
 AvilhnijiH'SH t<» t\iith»'i' Linil ('limit WrilHtod'H vii-wn. lie iinwiHcil him 
 witli II iiohh< Nedjitl mtct'd, n brnw of gray honiidM, and ii gold-nioiiiit(>(l 
 Hword, otVcn d to dctray all tho «>.\|H'nH<iM oi' raiiu'JM, jfiiidt'M, etc., and nr- 
 dt'iiMl h'ltiMrt to 1)0 Hont. to tho fhii'ls td' tho dilU'n<iit dislrirlw of Ommi, 
 ri'(|uiiiiig them to ri'tH'iv»< him with all ]»oHHililt> attention. "To [(crHdiis 
 nrriviiijjf tVoin neaward," Hayn tho traveler, " INIiiHeut, uilli its fort, and 
 ooiitigiioiis hills, liMH lilt eNtraordinary and roinantie apitearaiice. Not, a 
 lr«'e, Nhrul), «>r other tra«'«' «>1* vep>latioii is visilile, and the whilciuMl Hiir- 
 tuoes ol'the hoiiHes luul turret ed I'orlH in the vieinity, eontrast in a Hiii^ii- 
 lar manner with tho IturiH'd and eindery aspeet, of the darkened tnasHCH 
 «)rro('k iiroiind. tSimilar in its asju-et. toinosl. eiiMteni eities when vieucd 
 from a dist.'Uiee, we fust, tliseern tlu< level roids of the dw«'lliiiifM, llic 
 domes of the mos(|iies, th(>ir lolly minarets, and other |ii'(>iniiieiit fiii- 
 tures, and the vi*>\v retains this attraetivo eharaeter until W(^ land, wlicii 
 the illusion (juiekly disappears. Narrow, emwded ntreels and fillliy 
 Itazaais, nearly blocked up liy port(>rs In'arin;' Inirdens of dal«'s, j^iuiii, 
 otc, wretehed huts inlermingh'd with low and paltry houses, and (Mlicr 
 dwellings more than half talleii to decay, hut which y<'t continiie ten- 
 anted, meet the «'yo in «'very direction." TIio [lopulalion of the city m 
 botweon lilVy niul sixty thoiiHand. 
 
 AHer visiting tho hot springs of Tinam Ali, which .are near tho coast, 
 rvbont twenty miles from Muscat, Lieuteniuit Wellstcd embarked in ii 
 boat for Sur, a small wa-port near the Hoiithern extremity of tho pi'iiin- 
 sula of Oman. Hero ho was received by tho Hliekh of the place, and 
 furnished with guards until camels and ii guide »'ould bo jirociircd for 
 the country of Jallan, inlmbitod by tho tribo of ib^ni-Abou-IIassan. llu 
 set out on the Ist of December, ami, aOcir a day's journey amoiifj; tlm 
 hills, 'Cached tho encampments of the hhephei'd-trib(> of llciii K haled, l)y 
 whe.n he was received with truo I?edouin hosi)it;ility. lie h.ad no sooner 
 Bciited himself on a skin beforo the <loor of one of their liuts, th.'ui some 
 young and liandsomo girls arrived, bringing with tb(>m a huge bowl of 
 ^uilk. *' Out of compliment to them," pays he, " T took a long drmiglit; 
 but no, this was insuOicient. Was it bad ? — try again, and ng.iiii! In 
 vmn I extolled it to tho skii's ; I was not permitted to desist until I 
 had swolhul almost to sutrocation, and sworn by tho board of the 
 Prophet th.1t I could and would tako no moro. Thoy woro then do- 
 lighted, aud wo bucomu suub uxooUout friends that, with tho assistance 
 
TIIW TimilC OK UKNf-AnOU. A I.I. 
 
 617 
 
 of ft n>w itroHonlrt luul Homo (iiir hjioooIm's, w«» j»iirl<;<l v/ith ox|in'wionH of 
 iriul.nul rof;fn'».."* 
 
 On tlio «'V(Miinj? orUin lid, \V«'IIh1('<| rnu'liivl flid I»>ti1,« of tlio iribnof 
 ]((<ni-AlMMi-llnHMiui. Ah mum iin ilic iiit,(<Hi^<<n('<< ofliiM iirrivul H|in'U)|, )io 
 M'fiH HiirnMiii(l«Ml witli iiiiitilicrN of Mm ItciloiiitiH. 'Hmir nir'nmity wn« un- 
 |)()iin<l(<<l, mill ilicy rxpn'MNcd tlirir HHtoiiiHlitiK'nt, ut. (ill Uii'y hiiw iti llio 
 inoNt iMMHtrcnniH iiiiiiiiicr, Iciipiii^ ntiil yelling iih if tliry \vcn< liiilf cnixy. 
 Tlu< mIi('1<Ii, liownvcr, ciwh'iivonxl i<» diHNiDiilr liiiii from /^<iiii(.^ on lo the 
 trilM^ of llcni-AlMMi Ali, Haying iliiif. tlit-y Imt.cd llu> Kiij^I'ihIi, wIim, iifnl'r 
 Hir Lionel Smith, liiid <l«>l'<'iil(>i| iln>in willi m'riil, Kliiiif^lilcr in IH'JI. Nn 
 Knf^liHliuiftn liiul vifii(«M| tlirir »'(iiiiilry licfttm or Hinco tliiH loniy (wliirli 
 wiw ini«l«'i1.iik»>n on (KM'oiinl of |)iiii('ic« iijlc/^cil [n li;iv«i Imtm <'oiiirnill.«Ml 
 l)y tlio iriln'), iuhI liiiMit.cniiMt. VV»'IIh»«'«1 liiniHcIf whh not, wif.lioiit. ujtjtrc- 
 lii'iiMionH of liirt i'cc«'|ition ; huL lio dclrrtnincil to pnxuM'd. 
 
 'V\w next aft«'rno(tii Ii(< rrfiHicd iIk- tnitM of lU'ni-AltoiiAli. Il<' 
 HfiyH: "No Hooner IkkI I |)ii)ciaini«-(t MiyNt-lf an l')n){liHlittian, and vk- 
 ]iroHH(<d uiy intention of paHHinj^ a few days arnon^f !!'eni, tlian tlie wliolo 
 rftiiip wan in a tnnnilt of a<-elatnatioii ; tlie few oM pjiuiH tliey liad wero 
 fired from ilie <lin'erent Iowcmh, mateli IocKh Avere k«'|tt f^oinj/ till HntiHet, 
 nnd Ixttli old and yoimj;, mule ami female, h( rove to d(» tlieir best to en- 
 tertain UH). Tliey pilelied my lent, Hlan^litered Hlieep, and Itron^lit 
 milk liy ^allonH. A recepiion ho trnly warm and lioHpitaMi" not a littl« 
 mnj)riHed me, n«'(<ire nH lay (lie vniiiH of llie fort we liad diHinantled ; 
 my tent was pitelied on the v<'ry Hpot where \\(> ha'I nearly ariTiihilated 
 their tribe, rcdiieinj^ th<'ni from beinj^ the moHt pow«'rfMl in Oman to 
 tlieir prewnt petty Mate, All, however, in the c«)nfidenee T had nhown 
 ill IhuH throwin/^ inyHelf amid I hem, wan forj^otteti. After tlieir evening 
 prayerH, the* yotin^ Hhekh, aceniii|i:mied by about forty men, eame to the 
 tent, and expnmm'd Iiih intentinn of remaining with me aH a guard during 
 lli(» night," 
 
 Aller VVellstcMl had I I lie wiP' md HlHter of the M liekh, who 
 
 wuH absent on a Journey l<< M"' r i, tie whulc of the trilx , eotiHiHting of 
 two hundred and (illy men, aHHcmldt >\ for the piiriKi^e /)f exbihlling their 
 wa^•danc(^ "Thc>y formed a c^irele, w,lhiii which live or nix of their 
 number entered. Aller walking leiHiirely aroiuul for h. ne tWne, eaeh 
 challenged one of the Hpcctatorn hy Htriking him gfintly with tlu; flat of 
 
 * At Ihis pluf Fiicutoimnt WcllKlf'd rowivoil tlio f"! wing loiter from tlio Irniirn, 
 wliirli iH curiouH im n Hiiocinioii of Oriimtul correHiioiiddtioo : 
 
 " In th(j niiiiio of (lod, MohI Merciful, from Royd tlio Hoolt.m, fo IiIh Fxrcllcnny, tljfi 
 odtooinodi rospootod, beloved, the perfwt ('nptaln WollHlfil, from tl ■a«t<!rn Oovfrnnicnt, 
 poHco \m witli you from the Mont High (Jo<l; nnd, nflor that v ttor rcneh«'d nn, wliifh 
 
 wa» a proof or your love in remembering tm, we greatly rej'c . ut your arriving at Htir, 
 and your departure for Jullun, which in m wu directed it, and from thcnco to K'tnmud, 
 and which w«h gratifying to you, nnd therefore pleuHing to us: and, fiirthcrmoro, any 
 thing whii^h you rccpiiro from im, wlictlicr littlo or much, it in oidy Pjr you to roqucat 
 it, and it ia on our part to grant it. Peace bo to you, und furuwcli. 
 
 True: Hkyd, H<xjltam." 
 
618 
 
 WELLSTED'S TRAVELS IN OMAN. 
 
 his Bword. His adversary inimodiutely leaped forth, and a feigned com- 
 bat ensued. They liavo but two cuts, one directly downward at the 
 head, and the otlier horizontally across the legs. They jjarry neither 
 Avith the sword nor shield, but avoid the blows by leaping or bounding 
 backward. The blade of their sword is three feet in length, straight, 
 thin, double-edged, and as sharp as a razor." After exercising their 
 pkill in firing at a mark, during which some capital shots were made 
 they all disj)erscd. Toward evening a largo party of Geneba Bedouins 
 tirriveil, and two of their camels were matched to run against the same 
 nuniber belonging to the Beui-Abou-Ali. The ar.imals did not appear to 
 take an equal relish in the sport with their masters, for they could not 
 be set going without much trouble, and were afterward very untractable. 
 Their speed, when at full gallop, was not very great, perhaps a third less 
 than that of a horse. 
 
 Finding that the skekh of the Genebas was a lively, intelligent fel- 
 low, Wellsted proposed to accompany hira into the desert for a few days, 
 and received a ready consent. They set off the next morning with their 
 camels, and were soon careering over the sands. "While sweeping 
 across these solitary and boundless wastes," remarks the traveler, " al- 
 though destitute of trees, mountains and water, or any of the features 
 common to softer regions, there is something in their severely simple 
 features, their nakedness and immensity, which reminds me of the track- 
 less ocean, and impresses the soul with a feeling of sublimity. The as- 
 pect of my comi)anion is in perfect keeping with the peculiar attributes 
 of his native land. Ilis sinewy form, and clean and compact Umbs, are 
 revealed by the scantiness of his garments ; his dark and ruddy coun- 
 tenance is lighted up by the kmdling of his resolute eye ; his demeanor 
 is honest and frank, and his whole appearance bxi'athes p manly contempt 
 of hardship. 'You wished,' said the shekh, 'to see the country of the 
 Bedouins — /A/.v,' ho continued, striking his spear into the firm sand, '■(his 
 is the country of the Bedouins.' " 
 
 The Beni Geneba, or " Wandering Children," are a scattered race of 
 about three thousand five hundred men, the greater number of whom 
 are found ctccupying the .south-eastern shore of Arabia. They present 
 some peculiarities which render them, in a measu^'e, distinct from other 
 Bedouins. It is a remarkable fact that a race in many respects similar 
 is found in almn-t every part of the coast of Arabia, and even aiuug the 
 north-western sluie of India. In some districts they are considered as 
 a si-parate and degraded race, with whom the Bedouins will neither eat, 
 intermarry, nor associate. The whole coast abounds with fish, and as 
 the natives have but few canoes, they generally substitute a single in- 
 flated skin, or two, with a flat board across them. The whole of this 
 tribe are in bad repute with their neighbors, and it is said that they 
 make no scruple of j)lundering boats which may be unfortunate enough 
 to fall itito their clutches. It was the Beni (ieneba who approached the 
 American sloop-of-wai- Pea x-k, whvu aground near Jlazurah, in 18;J5, 
 
ace of 
 
 wliom 
 
 resent 
 other 
 iimilar 
 
 u2 the 
 ived as 
 cr cat, 
 and as 
 igle in- 
 of this 
 It they 
 enough 
 led the 
 II 1835, 
 
 THE OASES OF OMAN. 
 
 619 
 
 with tho intention, it was supposod, of plunilering her ; this intention, 
 however, they stoutly denied to Lieutenant Wellsted. The latter was 
 two daya in reaching their encampment, where he remained hut one 
 night, and then returned to Beni-Abou-Ali. The country over which lie 
 passed was low and sandy, with here and there a few stunted bushes. 
 
 On the 10th, he resumed his journey, directing his course northward to 
 the town of Semmed, and the Akhdar Mountains. " The old men," says 
 he, " begged I Avould come again and pass a month with them, in which 
 case they promised to build a house like those in India, and keep me in 
 great state. The ladies were equally pressing in their entreaties, and the 
 whole tribe p.ucompanied me to the skirts of the village of Beni-Abou- 
 Hassan. ' if you will visit us next year,' said young Sooltan, ' my father 
 will have returned from Mecca, and I will accompany you with a party 
 of our own and the Genoba Bedouins, as far as the limits of the Maharas.' 
 This I promised, if circumstances permitted, and after shaking hands 
 with all present, which they had learned was our custom, we parted with 
 mutual expressions of regret. I can not forget the unaffected kindness 
 which I experienced from this simple people, and sliall ever recall the 
 week spent with them and their neighbors as tho most agreeable in my 
 travels." 
 
 Leaving these hospitable people, Wellsted traveled along the edge 
 of the desert until he entered the Wady Betlui, a long, shallow valley, 
 leading to the mountain rCj^ion of Oman. After a march of forty-two 
 miles he encamped at the hamlet of Bediah, in a little oasis. The water 
 is conveyed from springs in the hills, by subterranean channels, made 
 with great labor, to the fertile plains below. All the large towns and 
 oases have four or five of these artificial rivulets, which aftbrd them a 
 never-failing supply for irrigation. "The isolated spots to which water 
 is thus conveyed possess a soil so fertile, that nearly every grain, fruit, 
 or vegetable, common to India, Arabia, or Persia, is produci.l almost 
 spontaiieoiisly ; and the tales of the oases will be no longer regarded as 
 an exaggeration, since a single step conveys the traveler from the glare 
 and sand of the Desert into a fertile tract, watered by a hundred rills, 
 teeming with the most luxuriant vegetation, and embowered by lofty 
 and stately trees, whose umbrageous foliage the fiercest rays of a noon- 
 tide sun can not penetrate. The almond, fig, and walnut-trees are of 
 enormous size, and the fruit clusters so thickly on the orange and lime- 
 trees, that scarcely a tenth part nan be gathered. Above all towers the 
 dato-palm, adding its shade to the Bombci- picture.'- 
 
 For two days further the route followed the Wady Betha, and on 
 the 13th, he reached the town of Ibrah, where he was kindly received, 
 and furnished with a sheep and several bowls of milk. He gives the 
 following description of the place : " Tho instant you step from tho 
 desert within the grove a most sensible change of atmosi)here is ex- 
 perienced. The air feels cold and damp ; the ground in every direction 
 is saturated with moisture ; and, from the density of the shade, tho 
 
620 
 
 WELLSTED'S TRAVELS IN OMAN. 
 
 whole appears dark and gloomy. There are still some handsome houses 
 at Ibrah ; but the style of building is quite peculiar to this part of 
 Arabia. To avoid the damp, and catch an occasional beam of the sun 
 across the trees, they are usually very lofty. A parapet encircling the 
 upper part is turreted ; and on some of the largest houses guns are 
 mounted. The windows and doors have the Saracenic arch, and every 
 part of the building is profusely decorated with ornaments of stucco in 
 bas-relief, in very good taste. The doors arc also cased with brass, and 
 have rings and other massive ornaments of the same metal. Ibrah is 
 justly renowned for the beauty and fairnes? of its females. Those we 
 met in the streets evinced but little shyness, and on my return to the 
 tent I found it filled with them. They were in high glee at all they 
 saw : every box I had was turned over for their inspection, and when- 
 ever I attempted to remonstrate against their proceedings, they stopped 
 my mouth with their hands. With such damsels there was nothing left 
 but to laugh and look on." 
 
 Beyond Ibrah, the road was infested with predatory parties of the 
 desert Arabs, who sometimes appeared in view, but did not venture to 
 attack the caravan. One day Lieutenant Wellsted was chatting with 
 the guide Ilamcd, who rode beside him, concerning camels, and the lat- 
 ter related many singular cases of the attachment which the Bedouins 
 bear to those animals. " In order to draw further information from 
 him," says the traveler, " I professed my incredulity on certain points 
 which he had mentioned. A party at this moment happened to bo ap- 
 proaching from an opposite direction, and Ilamcd, somewhat nettled, 
 proposed to test the truth of his statements by what I should witness. 
 The parties approached : ' May God Almighty break the leg of your 
 camel !' bawled out Ilamed to the foremost of the party, who was riding 
 somewhat in advance of tho others. Without a moment's hesitation the 
 stranger threw Idmself from his beast, and advanced sword in hand on 
 Hamed, who would probably have had but little reason to congratulate 
 himself on his experiment, if several of our party had not thrown them- 
 selves before him, and explained the story. But the Arab still appeared 
 deeply offended, and replied to all that was bronght forward in explana- 
 tion by asking, * Why he abused his camel, and in what manner it had 
 harmed hun?' Tho matter was adjusted by a few presents, and I 
 passed on, determined in my own mind not to trust again to an Arab's 
 delicacy in settling a question of this nature." 
 
 On the 16th he reached the oasis of Semmed. The shekh, who lived 
 in a large and strongly-built fort, invited him to breakfast. The meal 
 was sumptuous and plentiful ; but so strictly do the Arabs regard the 
 laws of hospitality, that it required much entreaty to induce the shekh, , 
 who ':-rUi a man of high birth, to take his seat at the table with his guest. 
 He insisted upon waiting on him in the capacity of an attendant, in order ' 
 that he might not be neglected. On returning to his tent, Wellsted 
 found a great crowd collected there, who were kept in order by a little 
 
 , side. 
 
 fcrm, 
 
 supers 
 
 i andfif 
 
 I stay t 
 
 ' Neswa 
 
 Darre}/ 
 
 Th( 
 
 j'aiiu^ 
 
 -nounta 
 may ap 
 
 deavore 
 little be 
 of the 
 
"ARABT TUE BLEST. 
 
 621 
 
 urchin about twelve years of ago, whose father, a man of great influence 
 in that region, had been killed by the Bedouins a few years before. 
 The boy had taken complete possession of the tent, and allowed none 
 of his countrymen to enter but with his permission, lie carried a 
 sword longer than himself, and also a stick, with whicli he occasionally 
 laid about him. lie appeared to be perfectly well acquainted with the 
 number, resources, and distribution of the native tribes, and his conver- 
 sation on these and other subjects was free and unembarrassed, and 
 highly entertaining to the traveler. 
 
 At Scmmed, Wellsted was joined by Lieutenant Whitclock, who had 
 come from Muscat across the mountains, to meet him, and the two set 
 out for Neswah, accompanied by a guard of seventy men, as tlie road 
 was infested with robbers. On the 2l8t, after two days' journey through 
 a rugged country, they reached the town of ]\linna, which the traveler 
 thus describes : " Minna diflers from the other towns in having its culti- 
 vation in the open fields. As we crossed these, with lofty almond, cit- 
 ron, and orange-trees, yielduig a delicious fragrance on either liand, ex- 
 clamationf) of astonishment and admiration burst from us. ' Is this 
 Arabia?' wo said; 'this the country we have looked upon heretofore as 
 a desert ?' Verdant fields of gr^n and sugar-cane stretching along for 
 miles are before us ; streams of water, flowing in all directions, intersect 
 our path ; and the happy and contented appearance of the peasants 
 agreeably helps to fill up the smiling picture. The atmosphere was de- 
 liciously clear and pure, and as we trotted joyously along, giving or re- 
 turning the salutation of peace or welcome, I could almost fancy we had 
 at least reached that Araby the Blest, which I have been accustomed to 
 regard as existing only in the fictions of our poets." 
 
 The next day the travelers reached Neswah, a place of considerable 
 size, at the foot of the range of Djebel Akhdar. They proceeded at 
 once to the residence of the shekh. whom they found seated before tho 
 castle-gate, with an armed guard of about fifty men, standing on either 
 side. Tho fort, which the natives consider impregnable, is of circular 
 form, one hundred yards in diameter, and ninety feet in height, with a 
 superstructure of equal strength, rising to the height of one hundred 
 and fifty feet. The shekh gave the travelers a house, and during their 
 stay they were not molested in any way by the inhabitants. They made 
 Neswah their head-quarters, and while preparing for the journey to 
 D3rreyeh, made several excursions into the surrounding country. 
 
 The first of these was to the celebrated Djebel Akhdar or Green 
 Mountains. After a ride of three houra they reached the town of 
 Tanu^ where tho shekh resides, whose authority is paramount on the 
 nountains. Here they were lodged in the mosque, which, strange as it 
 may appear, is generally used in Oman as a caravanserai. The shekh en- 
 deavored to dissuade them from going further, representing the natives as 
 little better than savages, and drawing frightful pictures of the dangers 
 of the paths, but they persisted in setting out next morning. When, 
 
622 
 
 WELLSTED'S TUAVKL8 IN OMAN. 
 
 however, the path led up the steep eide of the rooky height, with a 
 precii)ico yawning below, they began to suspect that the dangers were 
 not much exaggerated. Along the face of on(> of these! their route con- 
 tinned for some distance ; "the path was a stair-like projection, jutting 
 out from the face of the clift', and overhung by threatening masses of 
 rock, while below it sank perpendicularly to the depth of seven or eight 
 hundred feet." 
 
 After several hours of snch travel, they reached a village called Seyk 
 liio inhabitants of which hospitably pressed them to stay for the niglit 
 but they were anxious to push on to a place called Shirazi. "Our ro- 
 <!('ption there, however," remarks Wellsted, " led me to regret that I 
 did not take advantage of the kind offer of these villagers; for a wilder 
 more romantic, or more singular spot than was now before us, caa 
 scarcely be imagined. By means of steps we descended the steep side 
 of a narrow glen, about four hundred feet in dej»th, passing in our prog- 
 ress several houses perched on crags or other acclivities, their walls 
 built up in some places so as to appear but a continuation of the preci- 
 pice. These small, snug, compact-looking dwellings have been erected 
 by the natives, one above the other, so that their appearance from the 
 bottom of the glen, hanging as it were in mid-air, affords to the 8j)ectator 
 a moat novel and interesting picture. Here we found, amid a great 
 variety of fruits and trees, pomegranates, citrons, almonds, nutmegs, 
 and walmits, with coffee-bushes and vines." 
 
 At Shirazi they were denied entrance into the houses, and conducted 
 to a sheep-pen, from which they were soon ejected by the owner of the 
 sheep. They then encamped xmder a rook to shelter them from the 
 wind, kindled a fire, and passed the night in tolerable comfort. The 
 next morning the people were a little more courteous, and brought 
 them some dates, milk, and dried fruits. They found Shirazi to bo a 
 place of about two hundred houses. The next three days were spent in 
 traversing the country in various directions, in order to determine the 
 position and extent of Djebel Akhdar. The range is about thirty miles 
 in length, and some of its peaks are seven thousand feet above the sea. 
 The valleys are extensively cultivated, and supply an abundance of fruit. 
 The most important production is the vine, which is raised on terraces 
 along the mountain-side, watered by artificial rills. In some of the val- 
 leys, where brambles and dense thickets are very numerous, wild-hoars, 
 foxes, and hyenas, are said to abound. The Beni Kiyam, who inhabit 
 this region, are a small tribe, and quite distinct from the Bedouins of 
 the plain, who call them kaffirs, or infidels. They drink wine to excess, 
 and are considered to be niggard and sullen in the exercise of their hos- 
 pitality. Their manners are far more rude and unfriendly than those of 
 the wild tribes of the desert below. 
 
 " During ray progress in this country," says Wellsted, " with a view 
 to initiate myself into their manners and <iomestic life, I mixed much 
 with the Bedouins, fre«';iently living and sleeping in their huts and 
 
a view 
 
 ll mucb 
 
 ita and 
 
 ILLNESS AND DISAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 628 
 
 tents. On all occasions I was received with kindnosM, and often with a 
 degree of hospit.i.lity above, rather than below, the means of those who 
 were called upon to exorcise it. The medical character which I assumed 
 proved then of imich service to me, althoiigh I was often teased for as- 
 sistance where it was not required, or where it Avas wholly unavailing. 
 I'ho character of the Hedouin presents some singular contradictions. 
 With a soul capable of the groati'st exertions, he is naturally indolent. 
 Ho will remain within his encampment for weeks, eating, drinking 
 coffee, and smoking his narghiloh ; and then moimt his camel, and away 
 off to the Desert, on a journey of two or three hundred miles. What- 
 ever there may be his fatigues or privations, not a murmur escapes his 
 lips. In excuse for their slothful liabits at other periods, it may, how- 
 ever, bo observed that the Koran prohibits all games of chance, and 
 that their own rude and simple manners completely relievo them from 
 the artificial pleasures and cares of more civilized life." 
 
 From what he was able to leai n from the Arabs, Lieutenant Wellsted 
 saw no reason to doubt the possiV^ilty of penetrating to Derrcyeh, the 
 capital of the Wahabees, and he tlujreforo dispatched Lieutenant White- 
 lock, who had agreed to accompany him, to Muscat, to procure the 
 necessary funds. The British Agent, however, refused to advance any 
 money, owing to some informality in Wellsted's papers, and the trav- 
 elers were in a state of great perplexity until the Imam of Muscat, hear- 
 ing of their dilemma, immediately offered to furnish them with what 
 funds they needed. The delay, however, was fatal to the present prose- 
 cution of their plans. During his stay at Ncswah, Wellsted and all his 
 servants were attacked Avith fever and delirium, and their only chance of 
 recovery was to return .it once to the soiv-coast, lie accordingly left 
 Neswah on the 22d of January, 1830, for the port of Sib. 
 
 On the 28th, the party halted at Scmmayel, the half-way station be- 
 tween the two places, and took up their quarters in a small, but neat 
 Cadjan hut. " A beautiful stream of water glided along before the door. 
 Weary and faint from the fatigue of our day's journey, in order to en- 
 joy the freshness of the evening breeze, I had spread my carpet beneath 
 a tree. An Arab passing by, paused to gaze upon me, and touched by 
 my condition aud the melancholy which was depicted in my countenance, 
 he proffered the salutation of peace, pointed to the crystal stream which, 
 sparkling, held its course at my feet, and said : ' Look, friend ; for run- 
 ning water makcth the heart glad.' With his hands folded over his 
 breast, that mute but most graceful of Eastern salutations, he bowed 
 and passed on. I was in a situation to estimate sympathy ; and so much 
 of that feeling was exhibited in the manner of this son of the desert, 
 that I have never since recurred to the incident, trifling as it is, without 
 emotion." 
 
 On the 30th they reached Sib, on the coast, the climate of wt''-'^ 
 had not been exaggerated, and the whole of the nni^- 
 Hy the 20th of February Well-*"-* ' ' 
 
624 
 
 WELLSTED'S TRAVELS IN OMAN. 
 
 Bumo their march, and accorduigly wroto tu the Imam, requesting a 
 guide to Dircimah, the frontier station of the Wohabecs. Although the 
 season was far advanced, ho hoped to bo able to join some caravan for 
 Derreyeh. He was greatly disappointed, however, on learning that the 
 Wahubecs had made a sudden irruption into the northern parts of 
 Oman, and that the inhabitants of Abrrc, on the road to Bireimah, were 
 engaged in hostilities. Nevertheless he determined to make the at- 
 tempt, and accordingly left Sib on the 24th. The party followed the 
 coast as far as the port of Suweik, where they arrived on the Ist of 
 March. Hero they wore hospitably received by the shekh, Seyd Hi- 
 lal, who was a cousin of the Imam, and who lived in more state than 
 any other chief in Oman. Wellsted says : " A huge meal, consisting of 
 a great variety of dishes, sufficient for thirty or forty people, was pre- 
 pared in his kitchen, and brought to us on largo copper dishes tM ice a 
 day during the time we remained. The shekh, after his evening meal, 
 usually passed several hours with us. On ono occasion he was accom- 
 panied by a professed story-teller, who appeared to be a great favorite 
 with him. ' Whenever I feel melancholy or out of order,' said the shekh, 
 * I send for this individual, who very soon restores mo to my wonted 
 spirit.* From the falsetto tone in wHch the story was chanted, I could 
 not follow the thread of the tale, and upon my mentioning this to him, 
 the shekh very kindly sent mo the manuscript, of which the reciter had 
 availed himself. With little variation, I found it to be the identical 
 Sinbad the Sailor, so familiar to the readers of the Arabian Nights. I 
 little thought, when first I perused these fascinating tales in my own 
 language, that it would ever be my lot to listen to the original, m a 
 spot so congenial mid remote." 
 
 On the 4th they left Suweik, and turned inland toward Bireimah. 
 They were accompanied for some distance by Shekh Hilal and his war- 
 riors, who galloped at full speed over the plains on their steeds of the 
 purest Arabian blood. The whole country was in a state of great alarm, 
 owing to an anticipated visit from the Wahabees, and the very first night 
 their guard decamped, taking with them all the camels. The travelers 
 procured others the next day, however, with a ragged guard of six men, 
 ^d, after riding several hours, encamped at the entrance of a pass in 
 a branch of the Djebel Akhdar. Their course the next day lay through 
 this pass ; the mountains rose on either hand in steep precipices of bare 
 rock, to the height of from three to four thousand feet, terminating in 
 abrupt and pointed forms. On the Yth they reached the town of Mus- 
 kin, in the territory of the Beni Kalban. Their progress through this 
 part of the country was rendered slow and tedious, in consequence of 
 its being divided into separate districts, all in a manner independent of 
 each other, and acknowledging but slightly the power of any general 
 authority. On the 10th they left Muskin and proceeded to Makiniyat, 
 the shekh of which place strongly urged them to return. Persons were 
 plundered every day on the road beyond, and the authority of the Imam 
 
 J 
 
HOSTILITY OP THE WAHABEES. 
 
 626 
 
 was but slightly regarded. Nevertheless, the travelers determined to 
 push forward, and after two days' journey over a sucoessiun of barren, 
 sandy plains, reached the town of Obri. 
 
 This is one of the largest and most populous towns in Oman. Tlio 
 inhabitants are mostly husbandmen, and agriculture is carried on to a 
 much greater extent than in any other part of the country. Toward 
 evening the travelers were visited by the shekh, who was a sinister- 
 looking person, and did not receive them in the friendly manner to 
 which they had been accustomed. " Upon ni)'- producing the Imam's 
 letters," says Wellsted, "he read them, and, without returning any 
 answer, took his leave. About an hour afterward he sent a verbal mes- 
 sage to request that I should lose no time in quitting his town, as ho 
 begged to uifonn m^-, what he supposed I could not have been aware 
 of, that it was thon filled with nearly two thousand Wahabees. This 
 was, indeed, news to us ; it was somewhat earlier than we anticipated 
 falling in with them — but we put a good face on the matter, and behaved 
 as coolly as wo could," 
 
 The next day the shekh came again. lie positively refused to con- 
 duct them to Bireiraah, and all their arguments failed to produce the 
 slightest effect. They then requested a letter to the Imam, containing 
 his refusal in writing, which he ])romi8ed to give. His object was evi- 
 dently to force the travelers away from the place, and the appearance of 
 things was such that they had no Avish to remain. The Wahabees had 
 been crowding around them in great numbers, and seemed only waiting 
 for some pretext to commence an affray. " When the shekh came and 
 presented me with the letter for the Imam," says Wellsted, " I knew it 
 would be vain to make any further effort to shake his resolution, and 
 therefore did not attempt it. In the mean time news had spread far and 
 wide that two Englishmen, with a box of ' dollars,' but in reality con- 
 taining only the few clothes that we carried with us, had halted in the 
 town. The Wahabees and other tribes had met in deUberation, while 
 the lower classes of the townsfolk were creating noise and confusion. 
 The shekh either had not the shadow of any influence, or was afraid to 
 exercise it, and his followers evidently wished to share in the plunder. 
 It was time to act. I called Ali on one side, told him to make neither 
 noise nor confusion, but to collect the camels without delay. In the 
 mean time wo had packed up the tent, the crowd increasing every min- 
 ute ; the camels were ready, and wo mounted on them. A leader, or 
 some trifling incident, was now only wantuig to furnish them with a 
 pretext for an onset. They followed us with hisses and various other 
 noises, until we got sufficiently clear to push briskly forward; and, 
 beyond a few stones being thrown, wo reached the outskirts of the 
 town without further molestation. I had often before heard of the in- 
 hospitable character of the inhabitants of this place. The neighboring 
 Arabs observe that to enter Obri a man must either go armed to the 
 teeth, or as a beggar with a cloth, and that not of decent quality, around 
 
 40 
 
626 
 
 WBLLSTBD'S TRAVELS IN OMAN. 
 
 his waist. Thus for a second time end our hopes of reaching Dorroyeh 
 from this quarter. I did not yet despair, however, but determined to 
 push on for Sib, embark there, and endeavor, I'rom the port of Schinas, 
 to cross over to Bireimah. 
 
 " On my return from Obri to Suweik," Wcllstod continues, " con- 
 trary to the wish of the Bedouins, who had received intelligence that 
 the Wahabces wero lurking around, I left the village where we had 
 halted alone, with n^y gun, in search of game. Scarcely had I ridden 
 three miles from the walls, when, suddenly turning an angle of the rocks, 
 I found myself within a few yards of a group of about a dozen horse- 
 men, who lay on the ground, basking listlessly in the sun. To turn my 
 horse's head and away, was the work scarcely of an instant ; but hardly 
 had I done so ere the whole party were also in their saddles, in full cry 
 after me. Several balls whizzed past my head, which Seyd acknowl- 
 edged by bounding forward like an antelope. He was accustomed to 
 these matters ; and their desire to possess him unharmed, alone pre- 
 vented my pursuers from bringing him down. As wo approached the 
 town, I looked behind me. A shekh, better mounted thai- his fol- 
 lowers, was in advance, his dress and long hair streaming behind him, 
 while he poised his long spear on high, apparently in doubt whether he 
 was sufficiently within range to pierce me. My good stars decided that 
 he was not, for reining up his horse, ho rejoined his party, while I 
 gained the walls in safety. 
 
 " The day before Scyd carne into ray hands he had been presented 
 to the Imam by a Nedjid shekh. Reared in domesticity, and accus- 
 tomed to share the tent of some family in that country, he possrssed in 
 an extraordinary degree all the gentleness and docility as weU as the 
 fleetness, which distinguish the pure breed of Arabia. To .n jiJ the 
 intense heat, and spare their camels, the Bedouins frequently halted 
 during my journey for an hour about mid-day. On these occasions Seyd 
 would remain perfectly still, while I reposed on the sand, screened by 
 the shadow of his body. My noon repast of dates he always looked for ' 
 and shared. Whenever we halted, after unsaddling him, and taking 
 off his bridle with my own hands, ho was permitted to roam about the 
 encampment without control. At sunset he came for his com at the 
 sound of my voice, and during the night, without being fastened, he 
 generally took up his quarters at a few yards from his master. During 
 my coasting voyages along the shores of Oman, he always accompanied 
 me, and even in a crazy open boat across the ocean from Muscat to 
 India. My health having compelled me to return to England overland, 
 I could not, in consequence, bring Seyd with me. In parting with this 
 attached and faithful creature, so long the companion of my perils and 
 wanderings, I am not ashamed to acknowledge that I felt an emotion 
 similar to what is experienced in being separated from a tried and faith- 
 ful friend." 
 
 On the 19th of March the travelers reached Suweik, where the shekh 
 
END OF niS TRAVELS. 
 
 627 
 
 received thorn with all his fonnor kindnosit. IIo was much amused, 
 but by no means surprised at their ill bucccsh, and seemed to wonder 
 that they had gotten off so well. IIo did not encourago them to per- 
 Boverc, but as they insisted on proceeding to Schinas, ho furnished them 
 with a boat. After a voyage of four days they reached the latter port, 
 which is a small, insignificant place. The shokh was absent, and from 
 the persons loft in charge of the town, they could obtain neither answers 
 to their quobtions, nor common civility. Wollsted succeeded, neverthe- 
 less, in procuring a messenger to carry a letter to the Wahabco chief, 
 at Birehnah ; but, after Trailing four days, received intelligence that tho 
 Wahabees were advancing southward. All hope of reaching Dcrreych 
 being thus cut off, ho returned to Muscat, which was the end of his 
 travels in Oman. 
 
CI 
 
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 th 
 cc 
 D 
 fle 
 
 an 
 
 ad 
 
 wli 
 
 gol 
 
 a» 
 
 bol 
 
 led 
 
 by 
 
 the 
 
 rlv£ 
 
EXPLORATIONS OF THE WHITE NILE. 
 
 "BERNE'S VOYAGE. 
 
 After the conquest of Shendy and Senna^r — (an account of which 
 wiU be found in " Cailliaud's Journey to Ethiopia") — Mohammed Ali 
 turned his attention to the exploration of the White Nile, in the hope 
 of thereby reaching the gold region of Central Africa. He had been 
 disappointed in the scanty results obtained in the mountains of Fazogl 
 by the expedition under Ismail Pasha, and by a later one, which was ac- 
 companied by the German mineralogist and traveler, Russegger, and 
 believed he should find in the White Nile a more convenient means of 
 access to the rich auriferous districts inhabited by the negro tribes. In 
 the expeditions which had been undertaken for the subjugation of the 
 countries of Soudan, the river had been ascended to the land of the 
 Dinkas, in latitude 10° north, and he now determined to send an armed 
 fleet as far as it should be found navigable. 
 
 This expedition sailed from Khartoum, at the junction of the Bluo 
 and White Niles, in November, 1839, and, by the 27th of January, 1840, 
 advanced as far as the country of the EUiabs, in latitude 6° 35' north, 
 which was the extreme point reached, without finding any tokens of tho 
 golden region. Mohammed Ali, dissatisfied with these results, appointed 
 a second voyage of discovery, the very same year. Suliman Kashif, a 
 
 ' bold Circassian, who had commanded the first expedition, was also se- 
 lected to take charge of the second. The preparations were all completed 
 
 I by the beginning of November, which is the most favorable season for 
 
 ' the voyage, as the wind is fresh from the north and north-east, and the 
 river swollen by the summer rains. They were obliged to wait, however, 
 
 ' for the arrival of Messrs. D'Aniaud and Sabatier, two French engineers, 
 who had been detained at Korosko, in Nubia, waiting for camels, and 
 the departure did not finally take place until the 23d. 
 
 Dr. Ferdinand Weme, a German physician, who, with his brother, had 
 temporarily entered the Egyptian service, traveled from Cairo to Khar- 
 toum, for the purpose of taking part in the first expedition up the river, 
 but did not succeed in his object. He spent the summer of 1840 in the 
 
 ! country of Takka, on the Atbara River, during which time he gained 
 
630 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE WHITE NILE. 
 
 the good-will of Achmct Pash.i, the Governor of Soudan, and was per- 
 mitted to accompany the second expedition. He kept a very coraploto 
 journal of the voyage, and although he devotes too much space to ill- 
 natured comments on D'Arnaud and Sabatier, and the Egyptian officers, 
 he gives a great many interesting particulars concerning the scenery and 
 inhabitants of this hitherto unexplored river. In spite of its faults, his 
 work, which was published in Berlin in 1848, with an introduction by 
 the celebrated geographer, Karl Ritter, is the most animated and pic- 
 turesque which has yet appeared on the subject. 
 
 Leaving Khartoum on the afternoon of the 23d of November, 1840, 
 the vessels of the expedition rounded the point of junction, and sailed 
 into the White Nile, before a light northern wind. " The decks of the 
 vessel," says Werne, " with their crowd of manifold figures, faces, and 
 colored skins, from the Arabian Kals who plies the oar, to the ram 
 which he thinks of eating as the Paschal Lamb ; the towering latteen 
 sails, with the yard-arms, on which the long streamers, adorned with the 
 crescent and star, wave before the swollen sails ; the large crimson flags 
 at the stern of the vessel, as they flutter lightly and merrily over the 
 ever-extending waters ; the singing, mutual hails and finding again, the 
 ships cruising to and from the limit fixed for to-day ; every thhig Wiis, 
 at least for the moment, a picture of cheerful, spiritual life. With a bold 
 consciousness, strengthened by the thought of many a danger happily 
 overcome, I looked beyond the uievitable occurrences of a threatening 
 future to a triumphant re-union with my brother." 
 
 On the '29th they passed the village of El Ais, on the road from Sen- 
 nair to Kordofan. This was the limit of Egyptian rule, and the southern 
 boundary of the dominions of the Arabian races of Ethiopia: beyond it 
 lay the territories of the native negro tribes. Cartridges were served 
 out and muskets loaded, for the vessels were now in a hostile country ; 
 but the carelessness with which this was done did not augur well for 
 the discipline of the Egyptian forces. The powder-room stood open, and 
 the men, with lighted pipes, passed continually to and fro unrestrained, 
 over the open hatchway. The vegetation on the river banks became 
 more dense and luxuriant as they advanced ; the stremn expanded m 
 breadth, and was studded with bowery islands. " Among the trees 
 standing in the water were large, white aquatic flowers, visible even at 
 a distance, which glistened forth magnificently from a floatuig world of 
 flowers, in the moist splendor of the morning. It was the double white 
 lotus." 
 
 A later traveler gives the folio whig description of the scenery of this 
 part of the river : " The forests wore taller and more dense than in 
 Egyptian Soudan, and the rivor more tiiickly studded with islands, the 
 soil of which was entirely concealed by the luxuriant girdle of shrubs 
 and water-plants in which they lay imbedded. The ambak, a species of 
 aquatic shrub, with leaves resembling the sensitive-plant and winged, 
 bean-like blossoms of a rich yellow hue, grow on the edge of the shore, 
 
came 
 cd in 
 
 trees 
 en at 
 rUl of 
 
 white 
 
 of this 
 iim in 
 Is, the 
 Ishrubs 
 Icies of 
 [ringed, 
 shore, 
 
 SCENERY OP TUB RIVER. 
 
 631 
 
 with its roots in the water and its long arms floating on the surface. It 
 formed impenetrable ramparts around the islands, and shores, except 
 where the hippopotamus and crocodile had trodden paths into the for- 
 ests, or the lion and leopard had come down to the river's margin to 
 drink. Behind this floating hem of tbliage and blossoms appeared other 
 and larger shrubs, completely matted together with climbing vines, 
 which covered them like a mantle and hung from their branches dang- 
 ling streamers of white, and purple, and yellow blossoms. They even 
 stretched to the boughs of the large mimosa, or sont-trees, which grew 
 in the center of the islands, thus binding all together in rounded masses. 
 Some of the smaller islands resembled floating hills of vegetation, and 
 their slopes and summits of impervious foliage, rolling in the Avind, ap- 
 peared to keep time with the rocking of the waves that upheld them." 
 
 After passing the island of Aba, in the country of the Shillooks, they 
 reached a spot where the river was crossed by a ledge of flat rocks, 
 upon which it can be forded during the summer. " A number of scat- 
 tered water-plants," says Werne, " form floating islands of large and 
 small dimensions, frequently presenting quite a surprising appearance. 
 At noon we came so close to such an island, which had been held to- 
 gether by a kind of water couch-grass, and was joined on to the shore, 
 that we tore off one entire portion of it, and set '' moving like a little 
 aquatic world of the most diversified description of plants. The base of 
 this floating, vegetable world was formed by the pale green velvet-plant 
 everywhere met with, and which spreads itself like the auricula, has 
 fibrous roots, and is intermixed with green reeds, but appears to have 
 no flowers. The stalk-like moss, spreading under the water, with slen- 
 der white suckers, like polypi on the long streaks beneath, was another 
 principal ingredient in the formation of this island. Then comes a kind 
 of convolvulus, with Ulac-colored flowers, with its seeds, like those of 
 the convolvulus, in capsule-like knobs, and leaves like those of butter- 
 cups. The character of the whole of this island-world acquires such a 
 blooming appearance here, that one believes one's self transported to a 
 gigantic park situated under water. Entu'e tracts are covered with the 
 blooming lotus. The trees, shrubs, and creepers, with their manifold 
 flowers, enjoy a freedom unknown in Europe, where every plant is re- 
 stricted to its fixed season." 
 
 On the 1st of December they saw the mountain of the Dinkaa, on 
 the eastern bank of the river, and the next day discovered one of the 
 villages of this tribe. Weme remarks: "The Dinkas were seen at a 
 distance, jumping in the air while they raised one arm, and struck their 
 shields with their spears. This appeared to me rather a challenge than 
 an expression of joy, as I concluded from the war-dances, the represent- 
 ation of which I had before witnessed. Their city is said to stretch far 
 beyond this ridge, which the trees prevented us from remarking. Long 
 swampy islands, with reeds and other plants, entwined one with the 
 other, extend from their country to the middle of the stream. This is 
 
632 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE WHITE NILE. 
 
 the case also, tliongh on a reduced scale, on the other side. The dis- 
 tance of the shores from one to another is more than an hour. The 
 reeds form in this manner a protection, which even when the water is 
 at the highest is not to be overcome. In the same manner the Shillookn 
 on the western shore have a marsh of reeds, under water, for protect 
 lion. 
 
 " The right shore is a magnificent low conntry. Tamarinds, creepers 
 of a large species, and the lotus shining in great numbers, like double 
 white lilies. This stellated flower opens with the rising of the sun, and 
 closes Avhen it sets. I noticed, however, afterward, that where they 
 are not protected in some Avay from the ardent heat, they likewise close 
 when the sun approaches the zenith. Some of their stalks Avere six feet 
 long, and very porous ; from Avhich latter qtiality these stems, as well 
 as the flower and the larger leaves — dark-green above, and red-bro\vn 
 beneath, with a flat serrated border — have a magnificent transparent 
 vein ; but become so shriveled, even during the damp night, that in the 
 morning I scarcely recognized those which I had over night laid close 
 to my bed on the shore. The ancient Egyptians must, therefore, have 
 been quick in ofl*ering up the lotus. The extraordinarily small white 
 seed lies in a brownish, wool-like envelop, and fills the whole capsule. 
 Not only arc the bulbs, as large as one's fist, of the lotus eaten, but also 
 the seed just mentioned; they mix it with sesame, and other grain, 
 among the bread-corn, which circumstance I ascertained afterward, as 
 we found a number of these lotus-he.ads strung in lines to dry. To our 
 taste, the best way to dress the bulbs, and to free them from the 
 marshy flavor they leave behind m the mouth, is to drain the water off 
 several times in cooking them ; they then taste nearly like boiled celery, 
 and may be very noui'ishing." 
 
 For several days they sailed slowly over this sea of Avater and grass, 
 past marshy shores fringed with the lotus. The river became na^ 
 rower, with firm banks, at some points, and here they were enabled to 
 notice the densitj' of the population. The lower grounds were culti- 
 vatcd Avith fields of okra and rice, and flocks of sheep were seen. 
 Werne estimates the Shillook tribe at two millions of souls, which is 
 probably not an exaggeration. He says: "There is certainly no river 
 in the world, the shores of which are, for so great a distance, so uninter- 
 ruptedly covered with habitations of human beings. Wo cannot con- 
 ceive whence so many people derive their nourishment. There are some 
 negroes on the left, shore, lying without any clothing on them, in the 
 grass; therefore the ground can not be covered to any height with 
 water. They made gestures, and greeted us with nplified arms ; but 
 onr people thought thac we could not trust such a friendly welcoming, 
 for they might have concealed their spears in the grass, in which, pe^ 
 haps, a whole troop of men were hidden Neither these Shillooks nor 
 the Jengaha, up the river, possess horses )r camels, but merely sheep and 
 cows. When they take a horse or camel from the Turks, they do i ''* 
 
A MA.N OVERBOARD. 
 
 683 
 
 grass, 
 
 lax- '\ 
 cd to 1 
 culti- I 
 seen, 
 hich is 
 o river 
 ninter- 
 ot con- 
 re some 
 in the 
 ht with 
 ns; hut 
 coming, 
 
 oks noT 
 
 eep an^ 
 
 do 1 "* 
 
 kill it — probubly not eating the flesh of these animals — but put out its 
 eyefl as a punishment for having brought the enemy into their country." 
 
 They here met with the beautiful dhelleb-Tpaim, which has a long, 
 slender shaft, swelling in the middle, and tapering toward the top and 
 bottom, crowned with a feathery crest of leaves. The giant adansonia 
 digitata, or baobab-treo of Senegambia, also made its appearance. On 
 the afternoon of the "Zth, they i^assed the mouth of the River Sobat, the 
 only tributary stream which comes to the White Nile from the east. 
 Its pource is supposed to be in the country of the Gallas, south of the 
 kir.gdom of Shoa. Its breadth, at its entrance into the Nile, is six 
 hundred and fifty feet. Werne ascended it about eighty miles, on the 
 return voyage of the expedition, and found that its shores are higher 
 than those of the Nile, and that the surface of the country became more 
 elevated as he ascended. From this fact he infers that the White Nile, 
 as far as it has been explored, flows in a depressed basin of the table- 
 land of Central Africa. They here left the territories of the Shillooks 
 and the Dinkas, and entered the land of the Nuehrs. Giraffes and 
 cst'-iches were occasionally seen on the shores. 
 
 On the 9th, the river expanded into an immense shallow lake, cov- 
 ered with reeds and water-plants, through which they made their way 
 by naiTOW and winding channels. In some points the firm land was in- 
 visible from the mast-head. Swarms of gnats hovered over this stagnant 
 region, and became a dreadful pest to the voyagers. On this day an 
 accident occurred, which gave Werne an opportunity of gaining the con- 
 fidence and good- will of the black soldiers who accompanied the expedi- 
 tion. " One of them," he writes, " a tokniri, or pilgrim from Dar-Fur, 
 had, in a quarrel with an Arab, drawn his knife and wounded him. He 
 jumped overboard to drown himself, for he could not swim, and was just 
 on the point of perishing when he drifted to our ship, where FeizrlJa- 
 Captain no sooner perceived him than he sprang do\\Ti from behind the 
 helm and saved hir.i, with the assistance of others. He was taken up 
 and appeared nearly dead, and on intelligence being conveyed from the 
 other vessels that he hrd murdered a Moslem, some of our people wished 
 to throw him again immediately into the water. This, however, being 
 prevented, they thought of making an attempt to resuscitate him, by 
 standing him up on his head. I had him laid horizontally upon his side, 
 and began to rub him with an old cloth belonging to one of ray servants. 
 For the moment no one would assist me, as he was an ' abd' (slave), 
 until I threatened the captain that he should be made to pay the Pasha 
 for the loss of his soldiers. After repeated rubbing, the tokruri gave 
 some signs of life, and they raised him half up, while his head still hung 
 down. One of the sailors, who was a fakeer, and pretended to be a sort 
 of awakener of the dead, seized him from behind, under the arms, lifted 
 him up a little, and let him, when he was brought into a sitting posture, 
 fall thrice violently on his hinder end, while he repeated passages from 
 the Koran, and shouted in his ears, whereupon the tokruri answered 
 
 III 
 
634 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE WHITE NILE. 
 
 with a similar prayer. Superstition goes so far hero, that it is asserted 
 Buch a pilgrim may bo completely and thoroughly drowned, and yet re- 
 tain the power of floating to any shore he pleases, and stand there alive 
 again." 
 
 On the 10th, Werne writes: "A dead calm throughout the night. 
 Gnats ! No use creeping under the bed-clothes, where the heat threat- 
 ens to stifle me, compelled as I am, by their penetrating sting, to keep 
 my clothes on. Leave only a hole to breathe at ; in they rush, on the 
 lips, into the nostrils and ears, and should one yawn, they squeeze thcni- 
 Bolves into the throat and tickle us to coughing, causuig us to sufier real 
 torture, for with every respiration again a fresh swarm enters. They 
 find their way to the most sensitive parts, creephig in like ants at every 
 aperture. My bed was covered in the morning with thousands of these 
 little tormenting spirits — compared with which the Egyptian plague is 
 nothing — which I had crushed to death with the weight of my body, by 
 continually rolluig about. I was not only obliged to have a servant be- 
 fore me at supper-time, waving a largo fan, made of ostrich-feathors, 
 under my nose, so that it was necessary to watch the time for seizing 
 and conveying the food to my mouth, but I could not even smoke luy 
 pipe in peace, though keeping my hands wrapt in my woollen bounius, 
 for the gnats not only stung through it, but even crept up under it from 
 the ground. The blacks and colored men were equally ill-treated by 
 these hungry and inq)udent guests." 
 
 Tho grassy sea in which they found themselves was the Bahr El- 
 Qhazal^ or Gazelle Lake, into which an unexplored stream, called the 
 Gazelle River, flows from tho south-west, and adds its waters to those 
 of the White Nile. They wore throe days in crossing this lake, as the 
 wind was very light. The plague of gnats continued, and the vessels 
 were in some danger from tho herds of hippopotami, which threatened 
 to overturn them, by rising suddenly from tho muddy bottom. On the 
 12th they left- tho lake, and entered a region of marshes, through which 
 the Nile found its way in a number of narrow and tortuous channels. 
 " High reeds," says Werne, " but more low ones, water couch-grass, and 
 narrow grass, the pale-green aquatic plant, the lilac convolvulus, moss, 
 water-thistles, plants like nettles and hemp, form on the right and left a 
 soft, green mixture, upon which groups of the yellow-flowing ambak- 
 tree rose, and which itself was partly hung round with luxuriant creep- 
 ers, covered with largo cuj>-liko flowers, of a deep yellow color. * * * 
 One can scarcely form an idea of the continual and extraordinary wind- 
 ings of the river. Half an hour ago we saw, on the right, the Musco- 
 vite's vessel, and on the left the other vessels ahead on a line y^\i\i us, 
 separated, however, by cue high grass, from which their masts a'id sails 
 joyfully peeped forth. I could scarcely persuade myself that we had 
 proceeded from the one place, and shadl steer to the other. There is 
 something cheerful and tranquilizing in this life-like picture of ships 
 seeking and finding each other again m the inuueasurable grass-sea, 
 
which gives U8 a fec'Jim, nr • ^a. 
 
 selves, as the SlnlL^i, "^'" ^-'^lor, and nik.ul . *k Wretched 
 
 tectio; agail; '&"" ^t T' '^ '^'^^d^rTT ^"^"^• 
 creatures lifted bofl. i ^f ^"^'«- ^n seeing th.. 7 . ' '^ " I"'o- 
 wav of greetint a ^'""^^ ^'t''' "' the air a d k!,, '''"h ^'^^^^ P^"*" 
 clo.;o toC body idT" "'"^'^^' -^"t^'^ S by r -^'T'^ ^^"' ^^ 
 had an ivory ^2'^ ?.''"^' ^''' '"^»J«> with the rL^^""^' *''''' ^''^"^'« 
 I-t must h7v"bia S' '"■ '"^^' -J --the/'riT "P™i. «he 
 head in lier you.; ^^'' wgoniously put to.4rr . "'''^' ^^'"'^J' 
 
 vUch after L°,L., '"™'""' ""'^ 'he deccntiv„ T ' ?' '"•'""''°' "^ "'» 
 Pte, llmt „„ one oceaZ'., " ™'"°«» "«» «> Cu™ 1 1" ''""''• 
 
 and the ''''' "' ^^'^J'^Jations, which an- ?^' .^ """' ^^''^^''^'d by I 
 
 ; S r; sr> ^'^ forth wahtLts;:;'' '"""'^'"■-r *» i 
 
 '0 the center nf X .^ ™^ ^^y^ »nd flames of trnW v . "'^ ^^'^s 
 
 kindled wkh 1 • "*' *^''P *>'»« ««rtain 2 borl *^^''^^ themselves ' 
 
086 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP TUB WIIITK NILPJ. 
 
 turned, and iho suils cover tho sun, bo as not to Aveakcn the first im. 
 |iri'H»ion." 
 
 On the 27th, they landed at a Kek villap:e, tho inhabitants of wliioh 
 had lU'd, except one man, who was surrounded and taken on board tho 
 (■oinmander's vessel. Ho was of a livid color, owing to the ashes In which 
 he had slept. Suliman Kashif was able to converse with him, throucfh 
 some Dinka slaves M'ho were on board. " When ho approached the 
 (■:ibin," said Werno, " bending his body forward in a comically awkward 
 and ape-liko position, perhaps to denote subjection, he slid round on the 
 ground, dropped on his knees, and crept into it, shouting repeatedly with 
 all his might, ' Waget tohn agehn, agiht agiht-waget tohn agehn agiht 
 agiht,' by which words ho greeted lis, and expressed his astonishment. 
 He had several holes in the rims of h\H ears, containing, however, no 
 other ornament than a single little stick. Strings of beads were brought out 
 and hung about his neck ; there was no end to his transports ; he struck 
 tho ground so hard with his posteriors, that it resounded again, and 
 raised his hand on high, as praying. When I bound a string of beads 
 round his wrist, he could not leave off" jumping, at such an invaluable or- 
 nament, and never once kept still ; ho sprang up, and threw himself down 
 again, to kiss the ground ; again he rose, extended and contracted him- 
 self, held his hands over all our heads, as if to bless us, and sang a very 
 pretty song, full of the simple melody of nature. He had a somewhat 
 projecting mouth ; his nose and forehead quite regiilar, as avoU as the cut 
 of the face itself; his hair was sheared away short, to about the length 
 of half an inch. Ho might have been about thirty years of age ; an an- 
 gular, high-shouldered figure, such as we have frequently perceived 
 among the Dinkas. There were two incisors wanting above, and four 
 below, which is also tho case with the Dinkas ; They pull them out, that 
 they may not resemble wild beasts. His attitu'''.e and gestures Avere very 
 constrained, arising, perhaps, partly from the situation in which he found 
 himself; his shoulders were raised, his head bent forward in unison with 
 his bent back ; his long legs, tho calves of which were scarcely to be per- 
 ceived, seemed as if broken at the joints of his knees ; in short, his 
 whole person hung together like an orang-outang's. Added to this, he 
 was perfectly naked, and no hair, except on his head, to bo seen. His 
 sole ornament consisted of leathern rings above tho right hand. What 
 a grade of humanity is here ! This poor man of nature touched me with 
 his childish joy, in which he certainly felt happier than any of us. He 
 was instructed to go forward and tell his countrymen not to fly before 
 US: Kneeling, sliding along, jumping, and kissing the ground, he let 
 himself be led 'way by the hand like a child, and would certainly have 
 taken it all for a dream, had not the glass-beads convinced him to the 
 contrary.'* 
 
 On the 3d of January, 1841, they reached a largo Kek village, and 
 Werno perceived, to his surprise, that the men and women lived in sepa- 
 rate portions of it. " Polygamy prevails here," he remarks, " as gener- 
 
THE KUKS AND DOHRS. 
 
 687 
 
 ally on tho White Nilo ; only, however, the more opulent enjoy this 
 privilege, for tiie women are bought. I remarked here, for tho first 
 time, bodily defects, whicli, like elephantiasis, are so very rare in the 
 whole land of Soudan. (Jne had hernia, and many suffered from diseasos 
 of the eyes, and wanted medical assistance. Their eyes, indeed, were 
 nearly all sutfused with red, as I had j)reviously remarked ; and it seems 
 that these people must sull'er uncommonly in tiie rainy season, when they 
 lie, as it were, in the morass. The hair of some of them, who wore it 
 long, was of a reddish color, having lost its natural black hue by tho ley 
 of the ashes and water, and heat of the sun ; for we did not perceive this 
 in the shorter hairs, and they did not know how to explain the cause of 
 this tinge. The cattle are generally of a light color, of moderate size, 
 and have long beautifully-twisted horns, some of which are turned back- 
 ward. The bulls liavo largo speckled humps, such as are seen in the 
 hieroglyphics ; tho cows, on tho contrary, only a little elevation on the 
 shoulders. The small reed tokuls, with half-flat roofs, are neat, and serve 
 throughout the day for protection against the sun. I wandered about 
 here quite alone, without being molested or sent back by the people." 
 
 The voyage now became a little less diflicult : the firm shores ai>- 
 peared on either hand, the main current of the river was no longer lost 
 in broad morasses, and the plague of gnats ceased to torment the voy- 
 agers. On the 8th they reached the territories of a tribe called the 
 Bohrs, who are thus described : " Tho men, though only seven feet high, 
 look like trees, in their rough and naked natural forms. Their tonsure 
 is various ; large ivory rings adorn the upper part of their arms. They 
 would like to strip these ott*, but they sit too tightly, because they were 
 placed on the arm before it was thoroughly Ibrmed. Now the flesh 
 protrudes above and below the rings. They seat themselves on the 
 shore, sing, and beg for beads, pointing with their forefinger and thumb 
 to the roundness of them. They have bad teeth, almost without excej>- 
 tion ; from this circumstance, perhaps, that they chew and smoke to- 
 bacco, partly to alleviate the etenial tooth-ache. If they did not com- 
 plain of tooth-ache, yet they showed us the entire want or decay of their 
 teeth, when we gave them biscuit to masticate." 
 
 On the 10th, while walking on the shore, "Werne was seized by a 
 violent attack of fever, and fell upon the ground in a swoon. When he 
 awoke it was ah'eady dark ; he fired a gun for assistance, and stumbled 
 along in the direction of the vessels, but suddenly came upon twenty 
 large crocodiles, stretched out in the sand. The beasts ujstantly began 
 to move, scenting human flesh : he hastened away, plunging through 
 the reeds, and was fortunately found by his servants just as his strength 
 was beginning to fiul. For four or five days after this, he had repeated 
 attacks of delirium, and was only saved from death by profuse bleeduig. 
 At the end of this time the fever gradually left him, but he remained in 
 a weak condition, and for two or three weeks was unable to support the 
 full luster of the noonday sun. 
 
688 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE WniTE NILE. 
 
 Monnwhilo tho voshcIa continued slowly to ascend tho stream, Imv- 
 inpf already passed the extreme point attained by the expedition of the 
 previous winter. Leaving behind them tho IJohrs and the Zhirs, they 
 passed through two other tribes, called the Itundurialsand the Tshierrs. 
 Tho river still came from the south-east, and flowed with a full, strong 
 current. On the allernoon of tho 17th, Werne was startled by the cry 
 of" DJcfulf" (a moiuitain !) " In spito of tho sun," he says, "and all 
 remonstrances, T drag myself up on deck, and sec the mountain to the 
 south-west, at a distance of about twenty hours. It seems to form an 
 accumulation toward one point, and may surely be tho foreruimer of 
 other mountains ; therefore, atler all, there arc Mountains of the Moon. 
 City crowds on city ; and tho Kgyptians look out from the mast for 
 herds of cattle, which are not, however, ninnorous. An iimumerablc 
 pojmlation moves on the shores ; to express thi'ir number our crew say, 
 ' As many as flies ;' and wo sail always by tho shore, which is quite black 
 with people, who are standing as if benumbed with astonishment." 
 
 These scenes Averc constantly repeated during the folloAving three or 
 four days. Tho shores were firm and fertile, tho vegetation wonderfully 
 rich and luxuriant, the sky clear, and tho jieoplo of giant stature, finely 
 developed, and vi^ry agile. Every thing indicated their entrance into 
 a region of totally diff'ereiit character from any they had yet seen. The 
 country appeared to be populous as that of tho Shillooks, but the na- 
 tives, although naked likr the former, gave evidenco of superior intelli- 
 gence. Tho Egyptian captains, liowover, looked upon all these tribes 
 with equal contempt, calling them " slaves." On tho afternoon of the 
 20th, a great crowd of natives collected on tho bank, making signs that 
 they wished for beads, such aa l»ad been given to the tribes below. 
 They threatened, in a laughing, jeering manner, to prevent tho sailors 
 from towing tho vessels imless their requests were heeded. The captain 
 of one of tho vessels immediately ordered liis men to fire, and ten or 
 twelve of tho negroes fell. Tho remainder of tho tribe came running 
 from tho villages, but soon Ijesitated, fearing tho eflect of these myste- 
 rious weapons which they had never before seen. " Wo halted a mo- 
 ment," remarks Werno ; " tho mih.appy creatures or relatives of the slain 
 came closer to the border of i\n\ shore, laid their liands flat together, 
 raised them above their head, slid upon their knees nearer to us, and 
 sprang again high in the air, with their compressed hands stretched aK)ft, 
 as if to invoke tho pity of heaven, and to implore mercy of us. A slim 
 young man was so conspicuous by his passionate grief, that it cut to my 
 heart, and — our barbarians laughed with all their might." 
 
 Fortunately for the expedition, tho poor creatures wero too much 
 overawed to resent this inhumanity, and tho vessels proceeded on their 
 course. They learned that they had entered tho land of the Baris, the 
 sultan of which, named Lakono, resided at a town further to the south. 
 The bed of the river was now broken with islands ; tho current became 
 more clear and swift, and on the 23d they reached an island called 
 
 J 
 
TERMINUS OF THK KXri-'DITION. 
 
 689 
 
 Tsankcr, or Tdhankcr, at tho end of which wj < a reef of rocks, cxtcinl- 
 ing across tho stream, forming a rapid heyond wliich, it was evident, at 
 the low Btago of tho water, llio v»!ssels could »ot pass. " We landed 
 soon afterward on tho riglit shore, as tlie nearest i.mding-placc to tho 
 capital, Uelenja, on the mountain of tho satno name, whi(;h was at sonio 
 distance. They gave us tho names of all thj mountains lying around 
 in tho horizon. As I onco looked for the alpino world from Montpelier, 
 and found it, trusting to my good eye-sight, so now I gazed for a long 
 time on this region of heights ; their jieaks were clearly hung roimd with 
 a girdlo of clouds, apparently shining with a glimmering light in opposi- 
 tion to tho clotids hanging beforo them in our neighborhood." 
 
 Of tho Haris, Worno says: "The features and form of the head aro 
 quite regular among these giganti(! people, and are a striking contrast 
 to thoso of our black soldiers, with their more negro-like physiognomy, 
 although they aro not, on the whole, ugly. I compare the true (.aucatJ- 
 ian races, who aro present, \\\\\\ these men, and Hnd that the latter have 
 a broader forehead. The inhabitants of the kingdom of IJari might bo 
 designated a protoplasma of the black race \ for not only do they shoot 
 up to a height of from six and a half to seven Parisian feet, Avhich wo 
 have seen also in tho other nations, but their gigantic mass of limbs 
 arc in the noblest proportions. Tho form of the fiice is oval, tho fore- 
 head arched, tho nose straight, or curved, with rather wide nostrils — tho 
 ala', however, not projecting disagreeably ; the mouth full, like that of 
 the ancient Egyptians ; tho orifice of tho ears large, and tho temples a 
 little depressed. The last w(^ do not lhi<l in the Barabras, and tho races 
 akin to them in Abyssinia. The men of Bari have, besides, well-pro- 
 portioned legs, and muscular arms. It is a j/ity that they also extract 
 tho four lower incisors, for not only is the face disfigure d by this custom 
 when they aro laughing, but their pronunciation also becomes indistmct. 
 Some wear their hair like a cock's (!omb from the forehead down to tho 
 nape of the neck ; others have scarcely the crown of the head covered ; 
 the most, however, wear tolerably long hair, in the natural manner, 
 which gives a significant look to many facoK, Their good-natured 
 countenances correspond also to their jokes among themselves, which 
 are, perhaps, occasionally directed against us." 
 
 The no: t day tho vessels were visited by King Lakono and his suite, 
 whose appiorch •r^ts previously announced by his brother, a gigantic 
 naked negro, smeared from head to foot with red ashes. In the after- 
 noon the king camo, attended by a largo retinue of followers. His 
 cotton garment and head-dress distinguished his tall figure above all 
 the others. He carried with him his throne — a little wooden stool — 
 together with a scepter, consisting of a club, the thick knob of which 
 was studded with largo iron nails, to inspire greater respect. On enter- 
 ing the cabin, he took Selim Capitan, the second in command, to be tho 
 leader of the expedition, and saluted him by sucking the ends of his 
 fingers. " When Nve little expected it," says Werne, *' the sultan nused 
 
640 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OK T II K WIIITK NILK. 
 
 Lirt vuii-(>, witlioiit commuiiiliii^ Hilcncc botorohuiid with Iuh accptcr, and 
 Huii^ — hirt j'yea (Urocted liriuly and Mliiiiiiij{ on »js — ii hoiij? of wulcoum, 
 with a HtroiiK, uloar voi(!u. Tiiirt wus «uoa eiidc-d, and tlio Bonj? iuid 
 brifj;hti>uc'd him up Murpmiugly, for lio looked qiiitu merrily around, um 
 far as h'm cyoM, which woro apparently atli'rtod by a cataract, would 
 allow him. This luisfoitunc mi^^ht bo tlio cauHo also why ho walked, uh 
 if in u mist, with an inMi'curo Htep on the vcHsel. According to the trans- 
 lation ])a8Hed by two interpretern from one to thu other into Arabic, 
 he chanted uh aN being bulls, lions, and defenders of the virgins. IIu is 
 of an imposing figure, with u regular countenance, nuirked ieatures, and 
 lias somewhat of u Roman nose. We noticed on all the bare parts of liis 
 body remains of ocher, apparently not agreeing very well with the skin, 
 for liere and there on the hands it was cracked. He was thu ilrat luuu 
 whom we had hitherto found clothed." 
 
 . On the 'JPth Werne writes : " King Lukono visited us to-day a socond 
 time, and brought with him a young wife from las harem. lie took oft' 
 his hand the orange-colored ring, on which Selim Cupitan fixed a long- 
 ing eye, and presented it to him with a little iron stool, plaudy forged 
 in a hurry. We gathered further intelligence about the country, and 
 Lukono was com[>laisant enough to communicate to us some general iu- 
 ibrmution. Witli respect to the Mile sources, wo learn that it requires 
 a month, the signification of which was interpreted by thirty days, to 
 come to the country of Anjan toward the south, where the Tubirih 
 (White Nde), separates hito four shallow arms, and the water only 
 readies up to the ankles. Thirty days seems indeed a long time, but 
 the chain of mountauis itself may present great impediments, and husitile 
 tribes and the hospice stations may cause circuitous routes. 
 
 " The favorite sultana had certainly not much to boast of in the way 
 of beauty, but she was an amiable-looking Avoman : she was not at all 
 shy, and looked freely around her. A number of glass-beads were 
 given to her, and she was too much of a woman and negress not to be 
 exceedingly delighted at them. Lukono restrained huuself, as at the 
 first time, on tho sight of such presents, within the limits of pleasing 
 surprise, without betraying the least symptom of the childish joy which 
 is indigenous in these men of nature. She was, however, very cordial 
 with him, and he with her ; he helped her even to pack together her 
 ornaments in a handkerchief, and gave it over to her with a benevolent 
 look. I had the honor also of a friendly smile from her, which I 
 naturally returned. She remarked this immediately to her lord and 
 master, whereupon the latter bowed Lis entire approbation, and 
 smiled at me. 
 
 " We could not get a clear conception of tlieir ideas of religion— 
 the less so, because the interpreter translating into Arabic was a heathen 
 Dinka. It seems that they worship a spirit of nature, for we had been 
 previously told that their god was grander than the mast of our vessel 
 Whether they reverence him under a tree, as the ciiminal court of La- 
 
DKPAUTUUK FUOM TUE DARIS. 
 
 641 
 
 kono Booms to denote, in a iiuuHtion I do not vunturo to decide. ilornH, 
 tooth, and oiuuluts point to houio Hort of worHhip. Lcgialation appeurH 
 to be ill a peculiur Htuto in the country of liuri. We were told that 
 King Lukono alow criniinals with \m own hand, by u thrust with a 
 8pcar, and very quiukly (^ouni, guuni), without any cerenlonie^t ; he sitti 
 under a large tree, with a heavy Hpear in his hand, to pass judgment, 
 and assumes a very angry look." 
 
 On the 28th of January, Suliinan Kasliif determined to return, 
 pfreatly to the joy of the Egyptian wddicrs, and to the regret of Werno, 
 who was anxious to ])ii.sh on to the mountains which beckoned from the 
 southern horizon. '' We have remained here at the island three entire 
 days," ho writes, " and the ne plus ultra is not so much inscribed on the 
 Pillars of Hercules in the water, as deuired in the hearts of the whole 
 expedition. The war-dance, which the blacks performed yesterday, has 
 contributed certouily to the final determination to return. Even I 
 thought yesterday that I lieard and saw in the fearful battle-song, a 
 declaration of war, and a challenge to th' contest. It was almost im- 
 possible to persuade one's self that it was merely a mark of honor. The 
 natives inarched up and dowii the island, in columnn, brandishing their 
 lances in the air, sang their war-songs, with threatening countenances 
 and dreadful gestures, then fell into still greater ecstasy, ran up and 
 down, and roared their martial chant. It was the middle of the day, 
 about two o'clock, when Sclim Capitan, ui order to take his leave, and 
 to employ the dreaded people at the moment of our departure, and keep 
 them far from us, threw ten cups of beads on shore, and the cannons on 
 all the vessels were discharged, to bid solemn farewell with twenty-ono 
 shots to the beautiful country which must contain so many more inter- 
 esting materials." The island of Tsapker, according to the observations 
 made by D'Amaud and Selim Capitan, lies in 4° 30' north latitude, but 
 accorduig to later calculations in 4" 40'. 
 
 The descent of the White Nile was a repetition of the scenes wit- 
 nessed on the upward voyage, except that whenever the north wind 
 blew strongly, the vessels became unmanageable, and created great 
 damage and confusion by driving agamst each other. They landed oc- 
 casionally ill the lands of the Keks, Elliabs, and Nuehrs, and invariably 
 found the natives well-disposed, though exceedingly ignorant and stupid. 
 After threading again the bewildering mazes of the region of grass, suf- 
 fering insupportable torments from the clouds of gnats, they debouched 
 once more into the Gazelle Lake, on the 4th of March, and halted three 
 days to allow D'Arnaud to make a survey of its shores. On the 11th, 
 they bade farewell to gnats, and reached the mouth of the Sobat, which 
 Suliman Kashif designed to explore. The vessels accordingly entered 
 the river, heading to the south-east, and slowly advanced for twelve 
 days, in which time they only made eighty miles, whan their further 
 progress was stopped by sand-bars, and they were forced to return. 
 The banks of the river were steep and bold, and the upland country 
 
 41 
 
642 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP THE WHITE NILE. 
 
 lying behind them abounded with herds of deer and antelopes, some of 
 which numbered three or four thousand. 
 
 During this excursion, Werne met with an exciting adventure. He 
 went out to sho^t some birds, and wua just taking aim at two beautiful 
 finches, when an immense lion suddenly stood before him, as if he had 
 arisen from the earth. " At first," says he, *' we stared at each other 
 mutually ; he measured me from top to toe, but disregarded the Turk- 
 ish accouterments and sun-burnt countenance, for my red cap which ho 
 seemed not to despise. At last he turned his face from me, and went 
 away slowly with a dreadfully pliable movement of his hinder parts, and 
 his tail hanging down, but could not restrain himself from turning round 
 to look at me once more, while I was trusting to the effect of one or two 
 shots in the eyes or jaws, if it came to a contest of lifr or death; but I 
 cast a searching look over my shoulders every now and then, right and 
 left, expecting that he might make a spring like a cat, and I kept him 
 in sight before me, when I was about to jump down from the shore on 
 to the sand where the vessels and crew were. I confess openly that I 
 felt an evident throbbing of the heart, and that my nose seemed to have 
 turned white." 
 
 On the 26th of March, the vessels again entered the White Nile, and 
 resumed their course toward Khartoum. Their progress was slow, on 
 account of head-mnds, and they did not approach the capital until the 
 22d of April, when messengers came forsvard to welcome them. On the 
 following day they descended to the junction, and sailed up the Blue 
 Nile to the city, having been absent exactly five months. Worne's jour- 
 nal closes with the following words : " The thunder of cannon rolled 
 down from the vessels — joy and pleasure. I wished to describe our re- 
 turn, but I did not see my brother. Blacl: thoughts suddenly shook me 
 as if a fit of ague had attacked me. When I saw even the window-shnt- 
 ters of our divan closed, where he might wait for me so comibrtably in 
 the shade, I trembled violently, and my knees tottered so that they laid 
 me on the bed. I soon, however, got up, and sat before the cabin ; and 
 just at the moment when our vessel touched the land, some one pointnd 
 him out standing on the shore. I jumped ashore from the deck, and fell 
 down : my brother raised me up. Eleven days after this happy meet- 
 ing he died in my arms, completely broken by the effects of the climate." 
 
 DOCTOR KNOBLECIIKR'S VOYAGE. 
 
 Tho Government Expedition up the White Nile demonstrated the 
 fact that the native negro tribes possessed an abundance of ivory, and 
 suggested to the Egyptian merchants the benefit of establishing a trade 
 with them. The experiment was tried, and found successful ; the natives 
 willingly exchanged their rings and elephants' teeth for glass beads and 
 other cheap trinkets, and a system of barter was thus established, which 
 
DR. KNOBLEOHER'S DEPARTURE. 
 
 643 
 
 has bcon coi.*inuod up to the present time. An annual fleet of trading 
 vessels leaves Khartoum in November, and after obtaining all the ivory 
 which has been collected during the year, returns in March or April. 
 None of these expeditions, however, have contributed much to our 
 knowledge of the river beyond the point reached by Worne. r::cept that 
 which left Khartoum in 1849, and was accompanied by Dr. Knoblecher, 
 the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicar for Central Africa, an account of 
 which was published in the Augsburg Allrfemtine Zeitunt/, in 1851.* 
 
 Dr. Ignatius Knoblecher was specially educated, in the Propaganda 
 at Rome, as a missionary for Central Africa. After studying the Arabic 
 language for a year in Syria, he proceeded to Khartoum, where a 
 Catholic mission had already been established. There, however, the 
 mission found its sphere of operations circumscribed by the jealousy 
 of the government, .'s all attempts to make proselytes of Mussulmcn are 
 forbidden, and the hi^^hest ambition of the slaves who are brought from 
 the interior is to be considered faithful followers of the prophet. Dr. 
 Knoblecher was therefore directed to accompany the annual trading 
 expedition up the White Nile, for the purpose of ascertaining the prac- 
 ticability of establishing a missionary station among some of the native 
 negro tribes near the oquator. He experienced much difficulty at the 
 outset, on account of the jealousy of the Egyptian traders, who find 
 the company of a rviroj)eau a restraint upon their violent and lawless 
 practices, but through the influence of the pasha, who was at last 
 brought to give his consent, the passionaries secured a place in the 
 expedition, and on the 13th of November, 1849, set sail from Khartoum. 
 There were seven vessels in the flotilla, and that of Dr. Knoblecher, though 
 the smallest, proved to be the best sailer and usually kept the lead. He 
 
 *"0n the day of my arrival at Khartoum, Dr. Reltz proposed a visit to Dr. Kno- 
 blecher, the Apostolic Vicar of the Catholic Missions in Central Africa, who had returned 
 from Europe about twenty days previous. Preceded by two attendants, wo walked 
 through the town to the Catholic Mission, a spacious one-story building in a large garden 
 near tlie river. Entering a court, in the center of which grew a tall tamarind-tree, we 
 were received by an Italian monk, in flowing robes, who conducted us into a second 
 court, inclosed by the residence of the Vicar. Hero we met two other priests, a German 
 and a Hungarian, dre.ssed in flowing Oriental garments. They ushered us into a largo 
 room, carpeted with matting, and with a comfortable divan around the sides. The win- 
 dows looked into a garden which was filled with orange, flg, and banana-irees, and fra- 
 grant with jasmin and mimosa blossoms. Wo had scarcely seated ourselves when the 
 monks rose and remained standing while Dr. Knoblecher entered. lie wai a small man, 
 slightly and rather delicately built, and not more than thirty-tivo years of af;e. His com- 
 plexion was fair, his eyes a grayish blue, and his beard, which he wore flowing upon hisi 
 breast, a verv decided aubuni. His face was one of those which wins not only kindness, 
 but confiiience from all tho world. His dress consisted of a white turban, and a flowing robe 
 of dark purple cloth. Ho is a man of thorough cultivation, conversant with several lan- 
 guages, and possesses an amount of scientiflc knowledge which will make his future ex- 
 plorations valuable to tho world. During my stay in Khartoum, I visited him frequently, 
 and derived from him much information concerning tho countries of Souddn and their in- 
 habitants." — Bayard Taylor's "Journey to Central Africa." 
 
644 
 
 KXPLOllATIONS OF TUE WHITE NILE. 
 
 had on hoard a faithful and experienced Nubian pilot, named Suleymau 
 Abou-Zeid. 
 
 After fourteen days' sailing, the expedition passed the islands of the 
 Shillooks, and reached that part of the liver where the banks are covered 
 with continuous villages. The number of these is estini;:ied at seven 
 thousand. It is worthy of notice that their circular tokuls of mud and 
 roods are precisely similar in form and constru(!tion to those of the 
 tribes on the Niger and Senegal liivej's, with whom the Shillooks have 
 no communication, and from whom they differ in language, appearance, 
 and character. While threading the mazes of the archipelago, a violent 
 whirlwind passed over the river and com})letely dismasted one of the 
 boats. Beyond the island^ the river expands so that the marshy shores 
 are barely visible in some })laces. The lotus grows abundantly in the 
 shallows, and the aj)pearance of the thousands of snowy blossoms as they 
 flash open at suinuse, is described as a scene of vegetable pomp and 
 splendor, which can be witnessed in no other part of the world. 
 
 On the 28th of November the expedition succeeiled, after some diffi- 
 culty, in establishing an intercourse with the Dinkas and Shillooks, wlio 
 inhabited the opposite banks of tiie river. The latter in consideration 
 of some colored glass-beads, furnished a number of oxen for provisions. 
 Dr. Knoblecher described their running, when they drove the cuttle 
 together, as resembling that of the ga/clle ; they leap high into the air, 
 drawing up their long k'gs as they rise, and clear the grou'id at a most 
 astonishing speed. The next tlay the vessels reached a !;> n town 
 called Vav, where the j)eople received tiiem without the leawc appear- 
 ance of fear, and brought quantities of elephants' tusks to trade for 
 beads. Herds of wild ele{)hants and giraffes were now frecjuently seen 
 on the banks of the river, ami the former sometimes threw up their 
 trunks and spirted water into the air when they saw the vessels. K um- 
 bers of Avhite herons were j»erched composedly upon their backs and 
 heads. The giraffes, as they gazid with wonder at the fleet, lifted tin ir 
 heads quite above the t()ps of the mimosa-trees. On the '2d of Decen, 
 ber, the expedition jtassed the mouth of the Sobat River, 
 
 From latitude 9^ 2(5' to G ' 50' north th^^re is a complete rhain^e in 
 the scenery. Tlie magnificent forests disaj>pear, and (he shores heconic 
 marshy and unhealthy, covered with tall grass, whose prickly i^iiilks 
 render landing ditticult, and embarrass the navigation of the kIijiIIow.-:. 
 The air is lieavy with noxious miasmas and filled with countli ss swanns 
 of gnats and mosquitoes. The water of tlu; river is paitially stagnant, 
 and green with vegetoble matter, occasioning serious disorders to those 
 who drink it. J)r. Knoblecher clarified it by means of aliun, and escaped 
 witli a sore mouth. In order to sleep, however, he was obliged to wear 
 thick gloves and muflie up his face, almost to suftocation. The Jiahr 
 el-Ohazdl, or Gazelle Lake, lies in latitude 9° 16' north. It is thus 
 named from the (xazelle River, wliieh flows into it on the western Me, 
 and which has never yet been explored. Its depth is al>out uUm fett, 
 
INTERCOURSE WITH THE NATIVE TRIBES. 645 
 
 but the reeds and water-planta vnth which it is filled reach to i\e sur- 
 face, and render the navigation difficult. Its shores are inhal d by 
 the Nuehr negroes, a stupid, Imbruted race, many of whom are fre- 
 quently carried off by the traders and sold as slaves. For this reason it 
 is ncv very difficult to procure elephants' teeth from them. 
 
 Afler leaving the Gazelle Lake, the course of the White Nile be- 
 comes exceedingly tortuous, and its current sluggish. Innumerable 
 estuaries, or blind channels, which lose themselves among the reeds, 
 perplexed the pilots, and delayed the progress of the expedition. The 
 land of the Kyks succeeded to that of the Nuehrs, which terminated 
 about the eighth parallel of latitude. The former are a race of herds- 
 men, who have great numbers of cattle and sheep. Dr. Knoblecher 
 found them exceedingly shy, on account of the threats of one of their 
 hogiurSy or soothsayers, who had warned them against holclug any 
 intercourse with the traders. On the 2 2d of December they reached 
 the village of Angwen, where the king of the Kyks resided. The 
 monarch received t'hom with groat kindness, and paid distinguished 
 homage to Padre Angclo Vinco, Dr. Knoblecher's companion, whom, 
 on account of his spcctaclps and gray beard, he took to be a magician. 
 He begged the Padre to grant him four favors, viz. : abundance of 
 children ; the death of the enemy who had slain his father; victory in 
 all his fi'^hts, and a cure for the wound in his head. The latter gift 
 was easily bestowed, by means of a plaster, but he was not satisfied 
 until an image of th(^ Virgin had been hung around his neck. 
 
 South of the Kyks dwell the Klliabs, who are less timid than the 
 southern tribes, because thoy come less frequently into contact with the 
 traders. In their coi'ntry the White Nile divides into two branches, 
 and here the expedition separated, each division taking a different chan- 
 nel. The water wu3 so Ioav that the vessels stuck fast in the mud, })nt 
 were relieved by the friendly natives, who dragged them through the 
 shallows by means of long tow-ropes. For this service they were ^^aid 
 m glass-beads. The further the vessels went into regions v/here inter- 
 course with the Egyptian traders is rare, and therefore fewer outrages 
 are perpetrated, the more friendly, confiding, and unconcerned was the 
 behavior of the natives. 
 
 On the 3Ist of December the expedition reached the coimtry of the 
 Zhirs. The jieople came down to the water's edge to greet them, the 
 women clapping their hands and singing a song of welcome. On the 
 2d of January, 1850, Dr. Knoblecher saw in the south-east the granite 
 mountain of Nierkanyi, which lies in the Bari country, in about the fifth 
 degree of north latitude. It was the first elevation he had seen since 
 leaving Djebel Deflifangli, in the country of the Dink.as, in latitude 10° 
 35'. All the intervening space is a vast savannah, ir/lersitersed with 
 reedy swamps of stagnant water. The Zhirs own nur.ieroiis flocks and 
 herd* and cultivate large fields of sesame and dourrn Tliey are very 
 superior to the Nuehrs and Kyks in stature, symmei'-y of fi)rtn, and 
 
646 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OK T 11 li WlllTK NILK. 
 
 tlu'ir nianiKM' towunl strmi^tTs. In all tlu^so tribes, tho iiion go entirely 
 naked, wliilo tliti women wear a narrow ginlle of 8luH'|)-Hkin around the 
 loins. Dr. Knobliurher, li()wev('r, conlirnied tlie statement ot'Werno as 
 to tlio modesty of their demeanor and the evident morality of their 
 domestic life. 
 
 Alter leavinj^ thi^ Zhirs the expedition entered the country of the 
 IJaris, and on the 14th of January reached the rapids of the White Nile, 
 at the island of Tsanker, in 4" 40' north. This was the furthest j»oiht 
 reached by all previous expeditions, as they foimd it inipossiblu to ad- 
 vance further with their vessels. The Mubian pilot, Suleynian Abou- 
 Zeid, determined to nuike the attempt, and on the following day, aided 
 by a strong north win»l, stemmed the rapi«l and reached the broad, lake- 
 like expanse of river above it. Oontinuing his voyage, Dr. Knoblecher 
 sailecl sixteen miles further, to the IJari village of Tokiman. The country 
 was exceedingly rich and beautiful, abounding in trees, and densely 
 peopled. The current of the riv«r w:i8 more rapid, its waters jmrer, and 
 the air seemed to havu entirely lost the depressing miasmatic exhalations 
 of the regions fuither north. The inhabitants of Tokiman showed great 
 astomshment at the sight of the vessels and their white occupants. 
 Nothing, however, afteetcd iheni so much as the tones of a harmonica, 
 l)layed by Dr. Knoblecher. Many of the people shed tears of delight, 
 and the chief olVered the sovereignty of his tribe in exchange for the 
 wonderful instrument. 
 
 On the 10th, the expedition reached the village of Logwek, which 
 takes its ii;ime from a solitary granite peak, about six hundred feet high, 
 which st.inds on the lell bank of the Nile. It is in latitude 4" 10' north, 
 and this is the most southern point which has yet been reiiched on tlio 
 White Nile. Dr. Knoblecher ascended the mountain, which connnandcd 
 a view of almost the entire IJari country. Toward tho south-west the 
 river wound out of sight between the mountains Uego and Kidi, near 
 which is the mountain of Kereg, containing rich iron mines which arc 
 worked by the natives. Toward the south, on tho very verge of the 
 horizon, rf)S(! a long range of liills, whose Ibrms could not be observed 
 with exa(!ln»ss, owing to tho great distance, lieyond the Logwaya 
 range, which apjtcared in the east, dwell the IJerri tribes, whoso language 
 is distinct from the liaris, and who are neighbors of the CJallas — that 
 M arlike race, whose domain extends from Abyssinia to the wilds of Mo- 
 zand)i(}ue, along tho great central plateau of Uniamesi. The natives of 
 Logwek knew nothing whatcer of the country to the south. The fur- 
 thest mountain-range was probably under tlio parallel of latitude 3' 
 north, so that tho White N lo lias now been traced nearly to the cjuator. 
 At Logwek, it -■.•.•><« about six hundred and fifty feet wide, and from five 
 to eight feet deep, ,it the time of Dr. Knoblecher's visit, which was dur- 
 ing tho dry season. Such an abimdance of water allows us to estimate 
 with tolerable certainty the distance to its uuknowu Buurces, wliicli 
 must undorbtedly lie beyond tho equator. 
 
SOURCE OF THK WHITE NILE. 
 
 647 
 
 Tlio proat snow innuntalii of Kirnnandjuro, ilisoovorod in 1850 hy 
 Dr. Krapf, the (loniiaii missionary, on his journey inland from Momlcis, 
 on Iho coast of Zanzibar, has hocn located hy j^eof^raphers in latitii(l(> :<" 
 Houth. It is theretl)ro most probable that the sourco of the White Nile 
 will bo foinid in the ranj^o of mountains, of which Kiliinamljaro is tho 
 prowning apex". The f^t'ograjtluT Her;^haus, in a lonj? and la)>ored arti- 
 cle, endeavors to prove that the (Jazellu River is the tru«' Nih', and 
 makes it risi; in tlie peat lake N'Yassi, in latitude I'A" south. Dr. Knob- 
 lecher, however, who e,\amincd the Hahr cMJIiazul at its mouth, says it 
 is an unimportant stream, with a sciareely perceptible^ current. IFc! con- 
 siders the White Nile as bein{», beyond all qtiestion, the true river. He 
 also states that, while at Logwek, some of the natives spoke of people 
 white like himself, who lived far toward the south. 
 
 Tho shortness of ])r. KnoMeciher's stay among tho Baris did not per- 
 mit hiui to obtain mucli in*()rmation concerning them. They iippi-anul 
 to be Avors'iipers of tnM's, like the Dinkas and Shillooks, but to havi! a 
 glimmering ide .. of tho future existence of the soul. They are brave and 
 fearless in tin n* <h;meanor, yet tiheerful, good-natured, and affectionate 
 towanl «'ach other. Werne frequently observed the men walking along 
 the shore with their arms around each other's necks. They are i-ven 
 more colossal in their stature tlum tlie Shillooks, many of them reiiching 
 a height of seven feet. Their forms are well-knit, symmetrical, and in- 
 dicate great strength and activity. In smelting and working up the iron 
 or(^ of ]Monnt Kereg they show a remarkable skill. Many of th(( spears 
 in Dr. Knoblecher's possession are as elegantly formed and as admirably 
 tempered as if they had come from the hands of a European blacksmith. 
 They also have war-(!lnbs of ebony, wliich are nearly as hai<l and lieavy 
 as iron. Onc! end is of a sloping, oval f()rm, .and the other shurp, and 
 tlioy ani said to throw tliem a distance of fifty or a hundred yanls with 
 such precision that tlu; sharp point strikes fu'St, and the elub passes 
 through th(! body like a lance. 
 
 On the 1 7th of January the expedition left Logwck on its return to 
 Khartoum, the traders having procunsd all the ivory whicli the nativi's 
 had colle(^ted since the previous yonr. Tlu! missionaries were prevented 
 from accomplishing tlieir object by the jealousy of the traders, wlio per- 
 Huaded the IJari (ihiefs that they were niagicians, and that if tliey were 
 allowed to remain, tliey would bewitch tho country, [)rcvont tlu- rains 
 from falling, and destroy tlie crops of dourra. In consequence of these 
 reports the chiefs and i)eople, who had licen on tho most friendly terms 
 with Dr. Knoblecher and Padre Angclo, suddenly became shy and sus- 
 picious, and refused to allow the latter to take up their rcsl !t>i!( e among 
 them. Tho design of the mission was thus frustrated, an(t the vicar 
 returned with the expedition to Khartoum. 
 
 The pictures w)ii(;h these recent explorations presen;, to us, add to 
 the stately and sublime associations with which the Nile is invested, and 
 that miraculous flood will lose nothing of his interest when the mystery 
 which vails hh origin shall be finally dispelled. 
 
was 
 
MAJOR HARRIS'S 
 
 MISSION TO SHOA. 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1841, the government of the East India 
 Company determined to send a mission to the kingdom of Shoa, in South- 
 em Abyssinia, for the purpose of making a commercial treaty with Sahela 
 Selassie, the monarch of that country. With the exception of Drs. Krapf 
 and Isenberg, German missionaries, the former of whom was then resid- 
 ing at Aiikober, the capital of Shoa, the country had not been visited by 
 Europeans for nearly two centuries. The nearest point of access by sea 
 was the port of Tajura, in the country of the Danakil, a short distance 
 west of the Straits of Babelmandeb, and thither the mission was directed 
 to proceed. The command was given to Major \V. Cornwallis Harris, 
 of the Bombay Engineers, assisted by Captain Douglas Graham ; the 
 othor persons attached t> it were Drs. Kirk and Impey, surgeons; 
 Lieutenants Horton and Barker ; Dr. Roth, natural historian ; Messrs. 
 Bernatz and Scott, arti-vts; two sergeants, fifteen privates, and five 
 other assistants. 
 
 The members of the embassy left Bombay toward the close of April 
 in the steamer Auckland, and were conveyed to Aden, whence they 
 shipped for Tajura in the brig-of-war Euphrates, on the 15th of May. 
 Dawn of the 17th revealed the town of Tajura, not a mile distant, on 
 the verge of a broad expanse of blue water, over which a gossamer-like 
 fleet of fishing catamarans already plied their busy craft. The tales of 
 the dreary Tehama, of the suffocating .Shimal, and of the desolate plains 
 of the blood-thirsty Adaiel, were for thv^ moment forgotten. The bold 
 gray mountains filled up the landscape, and, rising tier above tier, 
 through coral limestone and basaltic trap, to the majestic Jebel Goodah, 
 towering five thousand feet above the ocean, were enveloped in dirty 
 red clouds, which imparted a wintry tone to the entire landscape. 
 Verdant clumps of date and palm-trees embosomed the only well of 
 fresh water, around which numerous Bedouin females wore drawing 
 their daily supply of the precious fluid. 
 
 The next day the members of the embassy lauded, with their horses, 
 
 
■ I iiLiit ,uMi.-pi i<ip«p muu 
 
 650 
 
 MAJOR HARRIS'S MISSION TO SHOA. 
 
 baggage, presents, and merchandise. In a spacious crimson pavilion 
 «rectcd as a hall of audience, Major Harris received a nsit of ceremony 
 from the sultan and his principal chiefs. " A more un, irincely object " 
 says ho, " can scarcely be conceived than was presented in the imbecile 
 attenuated, and ghastly form of this most meager potei itate, who, as he 
 tottered into the marquee, supported by a long vitch-'iko wand, tend- 
 ered his hideous bony claws to each of the party in sut i!ession, with all 
 the repulsive coldness that characterizes a Dankal. sha :e of the hand. 
 Ilis decrepit frame was enveloped in a coarse cotton mantle, which, with 
 a Mue cheeked wrapper about his loins, and an ample turban perched 
 on the very apex of his shaven crown, was admirably in liarmony with 
 the dirt that pervaded the attire of his i)rivy council and attendants. 
 
 " The ashes of ancient feuds were still smoking on the arrival of the 
 British ; and although I endeavored to impress the minds of all parties 
 with the idea that the amount disbursed at the time of our departure 
 for Shoa, would bo diminished in the exact ratio of the delay that wc 
 experienced — and although, to judge from the surface, affairs looked 
 prosperous enough toward the speedy completion of carriage, yet there 
 was ever an adverse under-c ^rrent setting ; and the apathy of the savage 
 outweighed even his avarice. Thus for a weary fortnight we were 
 doomed to endure the merciless heat of the Tajura sun, whose tardy de- 
 parture was followed by a close, muggy atmosphere, only occasionally 
 alleviated by the bu" sting of a thunder-storm over the peak of Jebel 
 Goodah. Perpetually deceived by the falsest promises, it was yet im- 
 possible to discover where to lay the blame. Bribes were lavished, in- 
 creased hire acceded to, and camels repeatedly brought into the town ; 
 but day after day found us again dupes to Danakil knavery, still seated 
 like shipwrecked marmers upon the shore, gazing in helpless melancholy 
 at cndlc-iis bales which strewed the strand, as If washed up by the waves 
 of the fickle ocean." 
 
 Finally, after a series of most provoking delays, the necessary num- 
 ber of camels was procured, the sultan's brother appointed to accom- 
 pai>y the mission to Ankober, and the march was commenced on the 
 30th of May. On reaching the village of Ambabo, however, a few miles 
 from Tajura, another delay of three or four days took place, and noth- 
 ing but the presence of the war-schooner Constance, which was ordered 
 to follow the march of the embassy along the coast, as far as the head 
 of the Gulf, prevented the chiefs from committing further extortions. 
 These delays obliged them to traverse the desert of Tehama at the hot- 
 test season of the year. On the night of the 3d of June they started 
 again, traveling westward over the loose rocks of the sea-shore, until 
 they reached the extremity of the gulf, when their path led up the 
 steep sides of the barren hills to the table-land of Warelissan. Dawn 
 disclosed the artillery mules in such wretched plight from their fatiguing 
 night's labor, that it was found necessary to unlimber the gun, and place 
 it with its carriage on the back of an Eesah camel of Herculean 
 
FEARFUL SUFFERINGS OF THE PARTY. 
 
 651 
 
 gtrength, and altliougli little pleased during the loading, the animal 
 arose without ditticulty, and moved freely along with its novel burden. 
 
 They spent the day on the scorching tal>le-land, one thousand seven 
 hundred feet above the sea, and having purchased with some cloth the 
 good will of the wild Bedouin tribes, who had mustered to attack them, 
 set out the next night, at moonrise, down the yawning pass of llah 
 Ecsah, which leads to the salt lake of Assiil. It was a bright and cloud- 
 less night, and the scenery, as viewed by the uncertain moonlight, cast 
 at intervals in the winduigs of the road upon the glittering spear-blades 
 of the warriors, was wild and tcrrillo. The frowning basaltic clitfs, not 
 three hundred yards front summit to summit, Hung an impenetrable 
 gloom over the greater portion of the frightful chasm, until, as the moou 
 rose higher in the clear vault of heaven, she shone full upon huge shad- 
 owy masses, and gradually revealed the now «lry bed, which in the rainy 
 season must oftentimes become a brief but impetuous torrent. Skirting 
 the base of a barren range, covered with heaps of lava blocks, and its 
 foot oraamented with many ai.ificial jjiles, marking deeds of blood, the 
 lofty ^jonical peak of Jebel Seearo rose presently to eight, and not long 
 afterward the far-famed Lake Assal, surrounded by dancing mirage, was 
 seeri sparkling at its base. 
 
 " In this xmventilated and diabolical hollow," says the narrative, 
 " dreadful indeed were the sufferings in store both for man and beast. 
 Not li drop of fresh water existed within many miles ; and, although 
 every human precaution had been taken to secure a supply, by means of 
 skins carried upon camels, the very great extent of most impracticable 
 country to be traversed, which had unavoidably led to the detention of 
 nearly all, added to the difficulty of rcjitraining a multitude maddened 
 by the tortures of burning thirst, rendered the provision quite insuffi- 
 cient ; and during the whole of this apiialling day, with the mercury in 
 the thermometer standing at one hundred ami twenty-six degrees under 
 the shade of cloaks and umbrellas, in a suffocating Pandemonium, de- 
 pressed five hundred and seventy feet below the ocean, where no zephyr 
 fanned the fevered skin, and where the glare, arising from the sea of 
 white salt, was most painful to the eyes ; where the furnace-like vapor 
 exhaled, almost choking respiration, created an indomitable thirst, and 
 not the smallest shelter existed, save such as was afforded, in cruel mock- 
 ery, by the stunted boughs of the solitary leafless acacia, or, worse still, 
 by black blocks of heated lava, it was only practicable, during twelve 
 tedious hours, to supply to each of the party two quarts of the most me- 
 phitic brickdust-colored fluid, which the direst necessity could alone 
 have forced down the parched throat, and which, aftier all, far from alle- 
 viating thirst, served materially to augment its horrors." 
 
 The sufferings of tho party were so terrible, that they were obliged 
 j to leave the baggage to the care of the guides and camel-drivere, and 
 I push on to the ravine of Goongoonteh, beyond the desert, where iiiore 
 I was a spring of water. All the Europeans, therefore, set out at midnight, 
 
652 
 
 MAJOR HARRIS'S MISSION TO SIIOA. 
 
 but at the very moment of starting, tho camol carrying the watcr-sliins 
 fell, btUHt tlio skins, and lost tho last remaining supply. '• Tho horrors 
 of th.'it dismal night," says ]\[ajor Harris, " sot the efforts of description 
 nt defiance. An iinliinitod supply of water in prospect, at tho distance 
 of only sixteen miles, had for the moment buoyed up the drooping spirit 
 Avliich tenanted each way-worn frame ; and when an exhausted mule was 
 unable to totter further, his rider contrived manfully to breast the steep 
 hill on foot. But owing to the long fasting and privation endured by all, 
 the limbs of the weaker soon refused tho task, and after the first two 
 miles, they dropped fast in tho rear. 
 
 " Fanned by the fiery blast of tho midnight sirocco, the cry for water 
 uttered feebly and with difficulty, by numbers of i)archod throats, n(jw 
 became incessant ; and tho supply of that precious clement brought for 
 tho whole party falling short of one gallon and a half, it was not long to 
 bo answered. A sip of diluted vinegar for a moment assuaging the burn- 
 ing thirst which raged in tho vitals, again raised their drooping souls ■ 
 but its effects were transient, and after struggling a few steps, over- 
 whelmed, they sunk again, with husky voice declaring their days to be 
 numbered, and their resolution to rise no more." One of tho guides 
 pushed forward, and after a time returned Avith a single skin of muddy 
 water, which he had forcibly taken from a Bedouin. This supply saved 
 the lives of many of tho party, who had fallen fainting on the sands, and 
 by simriso they all reached tlio little rill of Goongoonteh. 
 
 Here terminated tho dreary passage of the dire Tehama — an iron- 
 bound waste, which, at this inausjtieious season of the year, opposes diffi- 
 culties almost overwhelming in the path of tho traveler. Setting aside 
 the total absence of water and forage throughout a burning tract of fifty 
 miles — its manifold intricate mountain passes, barely wide enough *o ad- 
 mit tho transit of a loaded camel, the bitter animosity of the wild blood- 
 thirsty tribes by which they arc infested, and the uniform badness of the 
 road, if road it maybe termed, everywhere beset with tho jagged blocks 
 of lava, and intersected by perilous acclivities and descents — it is no ex- 
 aggeration to state, that tho stifling sirocco which sweeps across the un- 
 wholesome salt flat during the hotter months of the year, could not fail, 
 within eight and forty hours, to destroy the hardiest European adven- 
 turer. 
 
 The ravine in which they were encamped was the scene of a terrible 
 tragedy on the following night. Favored by the obscurity of the place, 
 some marauding Bedouins succeeded in stealing past the sentries; a 
 wild cry aroused tho camp, and as the frightened men ran to the spot 
 whence it proceeded, Sergeant Walpole and Corporal Wilson were dis- 
 covered, in the last agonies of death. One had been struck with a creese 
 in tho carotid artery immediately below the ear, and the other stabbed 
 through the heart ; while speechless beside their mangled bodies was 
 stretched a Portuguese follower, with a frightful gash across the ab- 
 domen. No attempt to plunder appeared as an excuse for tho outrage, 
 
THE CHIEF OP THE DEBKNI. 
 
 658 
 
 and the only object doubtless wtis tlio acquisition of that barbiirous 
 estimation and distinction which is to bo arrived at through deeds of 
 assassination ami blood. For every victim, sleeping or waking, that 
 falls under the murderous knife of one of these fiends, he is entitled to 
 display a white ostrich-plume in his woolly hair, to wear on the arm an 
 additional bracelet of copper, and to adorn the hilt of his reeking creese 
 with yet another stud of silver or pewter. Krc the day dawned the 
 mangled bodies of the dead, now stiff and stark, were consigned by 
 their sorrowing comrades to rude but compact receptacles — untimely 
 tombs constructed by the native escort, who had voluntarily addressed 
 themselves to the task. 
 
 Nine miles of gradual ascer>t next day, brought the caravan safely to 
 the cncampuig ground at the head of the strcani — a swamp surrounded 
 by waving jialms and verdant rushes, on a high table-land, atVording 
 abundance of green forage to the famished cattle. The next night 
 they made sixteen miles, and on the forenoon of the 12th, reached the 
 village of Suggadera, in the country of the Danakil Debeni — the first 
 habitations they had seen since leaving the sea-coast, ninety miles dis- 
 tant. The banks of the shallow stream ut this place were fringed with 
 dwarfpalms, and drooping tamarisks. Flocks of goats, diligently 
 browsing on the livt pods which fiiU at this season from the acacin, 
 were tended by Uedouin crones in greasy leathern j)ettic()ats, who 
 plaited mats of the split date-leaf; while groujis of men, Avomen, and 
 children, lining the eminences at every turn, watched the progress of 
 the stranger jtarty. 
 
 Jou"neying forward over waste and dreary plains, crossed here ami 
 there by almost exhausted water-courses, they reached on the 15th, the 
 inclosed valley of Gobaad, one thousand and fifly-seven feet above 
 the sea. Hearing that Makobunto, Chief of the Debeni Arabs, was in 
 the neighborhood. Major Harris sent a messenger to him demanding an 
 interview, which took place on the following day. " Attended by m 
 numerous and disreputable retinue, dragging as a gift an obstinate olii 
 ho-goat, the potent savage sauntered carelessly into our camp during 
 /the early hours of the forenoon. Not one whit better clad than tlu' 
 ragged and greasy ruffians in his train, he was yet distinguished by 
 weapons of a superior order — the shaft of his spear, which resembled a 
 weaver's beam, being mounted below the broad glittering blade with 
 rings of brass and co])pcr, while the liilt and scabbard of a truly for- 
 midable creese Avere embellished in like ostentatious fashion. Tlie 
 wearer's haughty air, and look of wild determination, were well in 
 unison with the reputation he had acquired as a warrior chief. Long 
 raven locks floated like eagles' feathers over a bony and stalwart frante. 
 A pair of large sinewy arms, terminated in fingers tii)ped with nails 
 a! .a to birds' claws, and the general form and figure of the puissant 
 M kobdnto brought forcibly to mind the Ogre in the nursery tale. 
 
 " This had been a day of feasting and carousal ; for both Izhdk, and 
 
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654 
 
 MAJOR HARRIS'S MISSION TO SHOA. 
 
 the son of the Rookliba chief had likewise received sheep, and the 
 slaughter of each had been followed by a general tussel for the pos- 
 session of the caul. For the purpose of larding the head this is a 
 prize infinitely preferred even to the tail, which appendage in the Adel 
 sheep is so copiously furnished, that the animal is said to be capable of 
 subsisting an entire year upon the absorption of its own fat, without 
 tastin<if water. It was truly delightful to witness the process of hair- 
 dressing at the hands of the Danakil barber. The fat having been 
 melted down in a wooden bowl, the operator, removing his quid, and 
 placing it in a secure position behind the left ear, proceeded to suck up 
 copious mouthfuls of the liquid, which were then sputtered over the 
 frizzled wig of a comrade, who, with mantle drawn before his eyes to 
 exclude stray portions of tallow, remained squatted on his haunches, 
 the very picture of patience. The bowl exhausted, the operator care- 
 fully collects the suet that has so creamed around his chaps as to render 
 him inarticulate ; and having duly STneared the same over the filthy 
 garment of him to whom it in equity belongs, proceeds, with a skewer, 
 to put the last finishing touch to his work, which, as the lard con- 
 geals, gradually assumes the desired aspect of a fine full-blown cauli- 
 flower."* 
 
 A WANDERIKO AFRICAN TRIBE. 
 
 The next march led over the high table-land of Hood Ali, a stony 
 level thickly studded with dry grass, and extending in one monotonous 
 plateau as far as the eye could reach. The fetid carrion-flower here pre- 
 
 * Tliis original stylo of hair-dressing is practiced also among tho Ababdehs, the 
 Bisharees, and, in fact, all tho native tribes of tho Nubian Desert and of SennaSr. 
 Though absurd and disgusting in appearanco, it is doubtless a useful protection to the 
 head, as these racea wear no turban or any other covering. 
 
INSOLENCE OP THE NATIVES. 
 
 655 
 
 sented its -globular purple blossoma among the crevices, and a singular 
 medicinal plant, termed Lab-lubba, was detected by the keen eye of a 
 savage. The usual encamping ground at Arabdera was found to be 
 pre-occupied by a nomad tribe of Bedouin goat-herds, who monopo- 
 lized the scanty water. For several days afterward, the character of the 
 journey did not materially vary. The table-land gradually ascended, 
 and the peaks of distant mountains appeared on the horizon. The em- 
 bassy frequently met with companies of the Avandering tribes, moving 
 from one watering-place to another, with their goats and camels. At- 
 tempts were made to steal the horses, and the travelers were annoyed 
 by the impudent curiosity of the natives ; but they kept a strict watch, 
 and were not threatened with open hostility. 
 
 On the 23d they reached the Wady Killulloo, which is considered 
 exactly half-way from the sea-coast to the frontier of Shoa. The worst 
 portion of the road was now behind them, but they were destined to 
 waste manj' days in that vile spot, in annoying debates and discussions, 
 which at one time caused them to fear that their only chance of pro- 
 cecding would be to abandon all their baggage. Izhak, the brother of 
 the Sultan of Tajura, the chief of the Hy Somauli tribe, and the chief 
 of the Woemas, all disputed which should have the management of the 
 expedition. The opportUi^ity was also taken of arbitrating old feuds 
 and private quarrels : a vast concourse of armed natives, members of 
 the various tribes, sat day and night in a wide circle, loudly discussing 
 the various questions brought before them. " Throughout this period 
 of irksome detention," says Major Harris, '' the thermometer stood daily 
 at 112°, and the temperature of the small tent, already sufficiently op. 
 pressive, was considerably raised by the unceasing obtrusions of the 
 wild, dirty, unmannerly rabble who filled the ravine. Imperiously de- 
 manding, not suing, for snuff, beads, and tobacco, with paper whereon 
 to write charms and spells for defense against evil spirits, swarms forced 
 themselves in from the first dawn of day to the mountuig of the guard 
 at night. Treating the pale-faced proprietors with the most marked in- 
 sult and contumely, they spat upon the beds, excluded both air and light, 
 and tainted the already close atmosphere Avith every abominable smell." 
 
 At length, on the 28th, it was announced that every point at issue 
 had been satisflictorily arranged, and the journey was to be resumed on 
 the morrow. But other difficulties arose, and meanwhile the ruffians 
 endeavored to plunder the camp of the embassy by night, and vented 
 their spite in throwing stones at the sentries. On the 30th, after a 
 week's delay, they got off and soon afterward met a messenger who 
 had been sent forward from Tajura, with a letter to King Sihela Selassie, 
 requesting assistance on the road. He brought a note from Dr. Krapf 
 to Major Harris, but merely assurances of Avelcome from the king, who 
 was absent from his capital on a military expedition. The rainy season 
 had now fairly set in, and it was believed that the pools along the road 
 would furnish a sufficient supply for the caravan. Their course lay over 
 
656 
 
 MAJOR HARRIS'S MISSION TO SHOA. 
 
 the extcnHivo plain of Merihiin, along the base of the grass-clad Bun- 
 doora Hills. Water, however, was not so plenty as tliey had anticipated 
 and they suflered great distress on the plain of Sultelli, from which they 
 were providentially relieved by a heavy fall of rain at night. 
 
 " Singular and interesting indeed," remarks Major Harris, " is the 
 wild scenery in the vicinity of the treacherous oasis of Sultelli. A 
 field of extinct volcanic cones, encircled each by a black belt of vitrified 
 lava, environs it on three sides ; and of these Mount Abida, three thou- 
 sand feet in height, would seem to be tlie parent, its yawning cup, en- 
 veloped in clouds, strctchuig some two and a half miles in diameter. 
 Beyond, the still loftier crater of Aiiilloo, the ancient landmark of the 
 now decayed empire of Ethiopia, is visible hi dim perspective ; and iu 
 the extreme distance, the great blue Abyssinian range, toward which 
 our toil-worn steps were directed, arose in towering grandeur to the 
 skies." 
 
 On the 9th of July, they left these waste volcanic plains, and passuig 
 over a narrow ridge of land, descended into the valley of Ilalik-diggi 
 Zughir, styled by the Adaiel the great Ilawash — its breadth being about 
 two and a half miles, and the bed a perfect level, covered with line grass 
 on which grazed a troop of wild asses. Mules, horses, and camels, in 
 considerable uiunbers, Avcre abandoned before the termination of this 
 tedious and sultry march — fatigue, want of water, and lack of forage, 
 liavhig reduced all to such positive skeletons, that they walked with dil- 
 ficulty. Ascending three successive terraces, each of liftyfeet elevation, 
 the road finally wound into the confined and waterless valley of Ildo, 
 famous for the number of parties that have at various times been sur- 
 prised and cut up by the neighboring Galla. 
 
 From the sunnnit of the lieight they obtahicd an exhilarating pros- 
 pect over the dark lone valley of the long-looked-for Hawash. The 
 course of tho shining river was marked by a dense belt of trees and 
 verdure, which stretched toward the base of the great mountain range, 
 Avhereof the cloud-capped cone that frowns over the capital of Shoa 
 formed the most conspicuous feature. Although still far distant, the 
 ultimate destination of the emb.assy seemed almost to have been gained; 
 and they had little idea of the length of tune that would elapse before 
 their feet should press the soil of Ankober. ; 
 
 The Ilawash, here upward of two thousand two hundred feet above 
 the ocean, forms in this direction the nominal boundary of the domm- 
 ions of the King of Shoa. It was about sixty yards wide, but swollen 
 from the recent rains, and the current had a velocity of three miles an 
 hour. With the dawning day, preparations were commenced for cross- 
 ing the river on ten frail rafts which had already been launched — trans- 
 verse layers of drift-wood rudely lashed together, being rendered suffi- 
 ciently buoyant, by the addition of numerous inflated hides and water- 
 skins, to support two camel loads. This was the handiwork of the 
 Danakil ; and their sharp creeses soon clearing a passage through the 
 
THE MOUNTAINS OP SHOA. 
 
 657 
 
 jungle, every portion of the baggage was in the course of a few hours 
 dcpoHitcd at the r. ater's edge. 
 
 The passage of the river was safely accomplished, and the mission 
 proceeded to Wady Azboti, where they were visited by a spy from the 
 capital. From their camp the lofty peak of Mamrat, the " Mother of 
 drace," was plainly visible, and they saw the distant glimmer of Anko- 
 ber, on the mountain-side. The next day they commenced ascending 
 the hills, " Three thoiisand feet above the ocean, with an invigorating 
 breeze and a cloudy sky, the climate of this principal pass into Southern 
 Abyssinia was that of a fine summer's day in England, rather than of 
 the middle of July between the tropics. But from the summit of an 
 adjacent basaltic knoll, which we ascended toward the close of day, 
 there burst upon our gaze a magnificent prospect of the Abyssinian 
 Alps. Hill rose above hill, clothed in the most luxurious and vigorous 
 vegetation ; moimtain towered over mountain ; and the hail-elad peaks 
 of the most remote range stretched far into the cold blue sky. Villages, 
 dark groves of evergreens, and rich fields of every hue, checkered the 
 broad valley ; and the setting sun shot a stream of golden light over the 
 mingled beauties of wild woodland scenery, and the labors of the Chris- 
 tian husbandman." 
 
 They were now fairly within the dominions of Sahela Selassie, and 
 were surprised that no escort arrived to welcome them. A letter ar- 
 rived from Dr. Krapf, however, stating that this was owing to the jeal- 
 ousy of the Moslem governor of Farri, the frontier town, who had sent 
 the escort back under the false pretense that the Franks had not been 
 heard of. The next day Dr. Krapf himself arrived, and was able to 
 afford them great assistance, by his intimate acquaintance wit!, the lan- 
 guage. The king also sent a message inquiring after their health, and 
 they were abundantly supplied with beef, sheep, bread, beer, and hydro- 
 mel. The expected escort at length made its rppearance, and the em- 
 bassy was conducted forward with something of the pomp and state 
 which its leader seemed to think was required by its character. 
 
 He gives the following accotmt of the final ascent to the elevated 
 mountain region in which Ankober is situated : " Loaded for the thirty- 
 fifth and last time with the baggage of the British embassy, vhe caravan, 
 escorted by the detachment of Ayto Katama, with flutes playin;* and 
 muskets echoing, and the heads of the warriors decorated -.vith »'hite 
 plumes, in earnest of their bold exploits during the late expedition, ad- 
 vanced, on the afternoon of the 16th of July, to Farri, the frontier town 
 of the kingdom of Efat. It was a cool and lovely morning, and a fresh 
 invigorating breeze played ovei the mountain-side, on which, though 
 less than ten degrees removed from the equator, flourished the vegeta- 
 tion of northern climes. The rough and stony road wound on by a 
 steep ascent over hill and dale — now skirting the extreme verge of a 
 precipitous cliflP— now dipping into the basin of some verdant hollow, 
 whence, after traversing the pebbly course of a murmuring brook, it 
 
 42 
 
658 
 
 MAJOR nARRTS'S MISSION TO 8II0A. 
 
 Audddnly ctnorpjpd into n HU(ioo«sion of slindy Iam>rt, bounded by flower- 
 ing lu«dj^»'-r«)WH. Tlio wild riwc, tim fern, the tantunn, and the honoy. 
 BUflkI(>, Hiniliid iiruund u Huoct^sHion of highly cultivulcd turriuics, Into 
 which tho entire range wiis broken by biinkH supitorting the soil ; and 
 on every eminence stood a clusttir of eonieally-thatehed h<ms((H, envi- 
 roned by green hedgt!H, and i)arti!illy embowered amid dark trees. As 
 the troops jwissed on, the peasant abandoned liis occupation in the field 
 to gaze at the novel procession ; while merry groups of hooded women 
 <h'tfked in scarlet and crimson, attracted by the renewal of martial 
 strains, letl their avocations in the hut to w<>leomo the king's guests 
 with a slirill zuyhnreet^ which rang from every liamlet. 
 
 " Lastly, the viewopemul upon the wooded site of Ankober, occupy- 
 ing a central position in a horso-shoo crescent of mountains, still liigh 
 uoove,wl»ii!h inclose a magnifuHMit amphitheater of ten miles indianietor. 
 This is clothed throughout with n s|)lendidly varied and vigorous v(!g(h 
 tation, and choked by minor abutments, converging toward its gorge 
 on the confmes of the Adel plains. Here the journcty was for the pres- 
 ent to terminate, and, thanks to Abyssinian jealousy and suspicion, many 
 days were yet to elapso ore tlie nMuaining height should be climbed to 
 the capital of Shoa, now distant only two hours' walk." 
 
 The mission had enemies at court, and was detained day .iflcr day, 
 waiting for permission to visit the king at Ank«'iber. Kemonstraiices 
 sent to him were answered by pitlite promises, which were not fulliiled, 
 mid the monarch appeanul (juile indiflerent to beliold the splendid pres- 
 ents tlu^y had brought liim. The most probable explanation of his con- 
 duet was, that he desired to maintain a due respect in tlie (!ycs of liis 
 subjects, and perhaps also to impress his foreign visitors with a belitting 
 sense of his power and importance. While they were passing tlie weary 
 days in tlu' little market-town of Alio Amba, robberies became freciueiit, 
 and a thief-eateher was sent for by some of the inhabitants. Major Har- 
 ris gives the following curious account of the operations of the detective 
 police at Shoa : " A ring having been formed in the market-place by the 
 cTowded spectators, the diviner introduced his accomplice, a stolid-loel;. 
 ing lad, who seated himself upon a bullock's liide with an air of deep 
 resignation. An intoxicating drug was, under many incantations, ex- 
 tracted from a mysterious leathern scrip, and thrown into a horn filled 
 with new milk; and this potation, aided by several hurried uihalations 
 of a certain narcotic, l»ad the instantaneous effect of rendering the vm\> 
 lent stupidly frantic. Springing upon his feet, he dashed, foaming at the 
 mouth, among the rabble, and without any respect to age or sex, dealt 
 vigorously about him, until at length ho was secured by a cord about 
 the loins, when he dragged his master round and round from street to 
 street, snuflling through the nose like a bear, in the dark recesses of 
 every house, and leaving unscrutinized no hole or corner. 
 
 " After 8craj)ing for a considerable time with his nails under the found- 
 ation of a hut, wherein he suspected the delinquent to lurk, the impen- 
 
 I 
 
KINO SAIIhLA HKLAHSIH, 
 
 or>9 
 
 tonnl, Hpianj^ upon thci back of (Jus propriotor, and Ixx-iiinc totally inM((tiH- 
 ililc. TIk! man was foi-lhwilh urraigiKMl hffoio a trilituial of jiiHti(M>, at 
 wliifl* Ayto KiitaniaVVork pruHidt'd ; and altlioiif^h nocvidtMuro cor' I \tr, 
 uitiliu'cd, and lio Hworo nipcatiMlly to Iiih iinioccniut hy tlit! lilii t. tlio 
 king, li«! wart m!nlt'n<'.od by tin; just jndf^crt to pay forty pi('(;cM ol ilt. 
 Tliirt lino waH exactly double tin; untount ullugcd to havo bttcn 
 Htolcn." 
 
 After a fortniglit's utuu^rtainty, ncwH came that the king had taken 
 up liis i'e.sid(>n<^e in the neighboring palaco of Maehal-wanH, and that hit 
 would ree(!ive the embassy on the following Monday. Major Harris ap- 
 ])li(>d for permission to fn'(! a Hahit(! of tw«!nty-one guns; )>ut the most 
 extravagant n^torts were in eiriMilation relative to tint powctrs of the ord- 
 nance imported, the nusre r»'port of which was Ix^licived suilicient to set 
 lire to tint earth, to Hhiv<u' rocks, and dismantle mountain liistnesses. 
 Mv.i\ were said to have arrived with " i-opper higs," whose duty it waH 
 to serve these tremendous and tiirrible engin(!s; and thuH, in alarm for 
 tlic safety of Ins pala(H<, capital, and treasures, the; HUS|)icious monarch 
 still peremptorily insisted upon witldiolding the desired license. 
 
 Still another rcmonstran(!o was ne(H!ssary before the king would eon- 
 H(int to bo Huluted, or to njceive them. The nu)rrow was at last aj)- 
 |i(iiiitcd, and the oflicerH, mounted on horHeback, in full-dress uniform, 
 rode up the hill to the palace, while the gun which they had Itrought 
 with so nuich difliculty, bellowe*! its salutation to tlu^ opposite hills, 
 ''.lusi as the last peal of ordnance was rattling in broken echoes along 
 the mountain chain," says Major Harris, "we Btepped over the high 
 threshold of the reception hall. (Circular in form, and d(!stitnte of tlu- 
 wonted Abyssinian pillar in the centtu', the massiv<i and lolly clay walls 
 oftliechandu'r glittered with a profusion of silver ornaments, end)Iazoned 
 sliii'ids, matchlocks, and doubUi-barreled guns. IV^rsian carpets ami rugs 
 of all sizes, colors, and i)atterns, covered the 11oor,and crow<lsof Alakas, 
 governors, chiefs, and |>rincipal ollicers of tint court arrayed in tlurir holi- 
 day attire, stood around in a posture of nisptfct, uncovered to the girdle. 
 Two wide alcoves receded on either side, in one of which blazed a cheer- 
 ful wood fire, engrossed by indolent cats, while in the other, on a ilow- 
 creJ satin ottoman, surrounded by withered eumichs and juvtfnih; pages 
 of lienor, ami supportcnl by gay velvet cushions, reclined in Ethioide 
 slate, his Most C-hristian Majesty Sahela Selassi(!. 
 
 "The king was attired in u silken Arab vest of grcjen brocade, par- 
 tially conceaUid under tlic ample folds of a white cotton robe of Abys- 
 sinian nianufacituro, adorned wi^a sundry broa<l crimson stri|)e3 and bor- 
 ders. Forty summers, whereof eight-and-twenty had been passed under 
 the uneasy cares of the crowTi, had slightly furrowed his dark brow, and 
 somewhat grizzled a full bushy head of hair, arranged in (daborate curls, 
 after the fashion of George the First ; and although considerably disfig- 
 ured by the loss of tlio left eye, the expression of his manly features, 
 open, pleasing, and commandiDg, did not, in their tout ensemble, belie 
 
660 
 
 MAJOR HARRIS'S MISSION TO SIIOA. 
 
 t'lo character for impartial justice which the despot has ohiained far and 
 vide — oven the Danakil comparing him to "a fm(> liaiance offrold." 
 
 Till', presiifits for the king, inchuling Cashmere sliawls, music hoxcs 
 cloth, velvet, and three hundred stand of arms, filled the court with 
 wondiir and deli<?ht, which was raised to its highest [litch by u second 
 peal of twenty-one guns from the cannon, and the tearing into shreds 
 of a sheet suspended on the opposite side of the valley, by a di«cli;u-go 
 of canister-shot, " Compliments from the throne, and j)ersonal con- 
 gratulations from the principal courtiers and utUcers of state, closed the 
 
 WARRIORS OP SnOA. 
 
 evening of this unwonted display ; and the introduction, by the hands 
 of the favorite page, of a huge pepper pie, the produce of the royal kit- 
 chen, with a command that ' the king's children might feast,' was accora- 
 jKinied by the unheard-of honor of a visit from the dwarf father confessor, 
 who might without difficulty have concealed his most diminutive person 
 beneath the ample pastry. Enveloped in robes and turbans, and armed 
 with silver cross and crosier, the deformed little priest, whose entire 
 long life has been passed in doing good to his fellow-creatures, seating 
 his hideous and Punch-like form in a chair placed for its reception, in 
 squeaking accents delivered himself thus: 
 
 " Forty years have rolled away since Asfa Woosen, on whose mem- 
 ory be peace, grandsire to our beloved monarch, saw in a di'cam that 
 the red men were bringing into his kingdom curious and beautiful com- 
 modities from countries beyond the great sea. The astrologers, on 
 being commanded to give an interpretation thereof, predicted with one 
 accord that foreigners from the land of Egypt would come into Abys- 
 sinia during his majesty's most illustrious reign, and that yet more and 
 
RKSIDENCK AT ANKOBER. 
 
 061 
 
 1 
 
 ji\ands 
 falkit- 
 Iccom- 
 Itessor, 
 icrson 
 
 I entire 
 icating 
 lion, in 
 
 tbat 
 111 coro- 
 ners, on 
 Ith one 
 
 bre an^ 
 
 wealthier would follow in that of his son, and of his son's son, who 
 should sit next upon tho throni;. I'ruiso bo unto (lod that tlio dream 
 and its interpretation have now been fulfilled ! Our eyes, thougl ♦-liey 
 be old, have never beheld wonders until this day, and during the rcij^jn 
 over IShoa of seven successive kings, no such miracles as these have been 
 wrought in Ethiopia.' 
 
 " No suitable lodging being obtainable at Machalwans," continues 
 Major Harris, " I deemed it advisable to adopt the king's proposal of 
 proceeding at once into winter-<|uarters at tho capital. I'reparatory to 
 setting out thither we had an audience of tho king. 'My children,' 
 quoth his majesty, 'all my gun-people shall accompany you ; may you 
 enter in safety ! Whatsoever your hearts think and wish, that send 
 word unto me. Saving myself, you have no relative in this distant land. 
 Ye have traveled far on my aflairs. I will give you what I can, accord- 
 ing to that which my country produces. I can not give you what I do 
 not possess. Be not afraid of me. Listen not to the evil insinuations 
 of my people, for they are bad. Look only unto Suhela Selassie. May 
 his father die, ho will accomplish whatsoever yo desire !' 
 
 "Instantly on emerging from the forest, tho metropolis of Shoa, 
 spreading far and wide over a verdant mountain, shaped like Africa's 
 appropriate emblem, the fabled sphinx, presented a most singular if not 
 imposing appearance. Clusters of thatched houses of all sizes and 
 shapes, resembling barns and hay-stacks, with small green inclosures 
 and splmter palings, rising one above the other in very irregular tiers, 
 adapt themselves to all the inequalities of the rugged surface ; some 
 being perched high on the abru[)t verge of a cliff, and others so involved 
 in the bosom of a deep fissure as scarcely to reveal tho red earthen pot 
 which crowns the apex. Connected with each other by narrow lanes 
 and hedgerows, these rude habitations, the residence of from twelve to 
 fifteen thousand inhabitants, cover the entire mountain-side to the ex- 
 treme pinnacle — a lofty spire-like cone, detaching itself by a narrow 
 isthmus to fonn the sphinx's head. Hereon stands the palace of the 
 Negoos, a most ungainly-looking edifice with staring gable ends, well 
 fortified by spiral lines of wooden palissades. They extend from the base 
 to the summit, and are interspersed wi*,h barred stockades, between 
 which are profusely scattered tho abodes of household-slaves, with brew- 
 eries, kitchens, cellars, store-houses, magazines, and granaries." 
 i The embassy being at length settled in the capital, and favored with 
 i the friendship of the grateful king. Major Harris and his associates soon 
 , became familiarized to their novel situation, and during a stay of nearly 
 two years, made themselves intimately ^quaintcd with the people and 
 country of Shoa. There is no space here to describe his excursions with 
 Sahela Selassie ; his hunting trips in the forests of the lowlands, or the 
 many curious and striking ceremonies which he witnessed. A few lead- 
 ing illustrations must suffice. With regard to their religion, he says : 
 " Ethiopia derived her faith from the fountain of Alexandria ; but how 
 
I" 
 
 662 
 
 MAJOR nAllUIS'S MISSION TO SlIOA. 
 
 ia her Christianity disfigurecl 1»y fully and Bupcrstition ! Tho intolerance 
 of the bigoted olorgy, who nilo with the iron hand of religious aHcend- 
 ancy, soon ])roc>lainied tho British worse than l*agans, for tho non-oh- 
 servMiee of absurd fasts, and blasphemous doetrines. Nevertheless, wo 
 were permitted to attend ])ivino service in tho less initnical of the Hvo 
 churches of the capital, and offerings were made according to the custom 
 of tho country. The cathedral of St. Michael, distinguished above all 
 its comjjeers by a sort of Clnnese lantern on tho apex, being invariably 
 attended by the monarch, came iirst in ord.fr ; and after wading through 
 the miry kennels that f«)rm tho avenues of access, our slippers were put 
 off in accordance with Jewish prejudice, and giving them in charge of 
 a servant to prevent their being stolen, wo stepped over the threshold. 
 Tho scowling eye of tho bigoted and ignorant priest sparkled with a 
 gleam of unrepressed satisfaction at tho sight of a rich altar-cloth, glow- 
 ing with silk and gold, which was now unfolded to his gaze ; and a sinilo 
 of delight played around tho corners of his mouth, as the hard dollars 
 rung in his avaricious palm. 
 
 " The high-priest havhig proclaimed thonmniticencoof the strangers, 
 pronounced his solemn benediction. Then aroso a burst of praise tlio 
 most agonizing and unearthly that ever resounded from dome dedicated 
 to Christian worship. No deep mellow chant from the chorister— no 
 eoul-inspiring anthem, lifted the heart toward heaven. The Abyssinian 
 cathedral rang alone to the excruciating jar of most unmitigated dis- 
 cord ; and amid howling and screaming, each sightless orb was rolled in 
 the socket, and every mutilated limb convulsed with disgusting vehera- 
 ence. A certain revenue is attached to the performance of the duty ; 
 and for one poor measure of black barley bread, tho hired lungs were 
 taxed to extremity ; but not the slightest attempt could be detected at 
 music or modulation ; and the dissonant chink of the timbrel was ably 
 seconded by the cracked voice of the mercenary vocalist. 
 
 " Tlie Abyssinian Christian will neither eat with the Jew, nor with 
 the Galla, nor with the Mohammedan, lest he should thereby participate in 
 the delusions of his creed. The church and the church-yard are equally 
 closed against all who commit this deadly sin ; and the Ethiopian is 
 bound by the same restrictions which prohibited the Jews from partak- 
 ing of the flesh of certain animals. The Jewish Sabbath is strictly ob- 
 served throughout the kingdom. The ox and the ass are at rest. Ag- 
 ricultural pursuits are suspended. Household avocations must be laid 
 aside, and the spirit of idleness reigns throughout the day. 
 
 " Caucasian features predominate among the Amhara, notwithstand- 
 ing that the complexion passes through every shade, from an olive brown 
 to the jet black of the negro. An approximation to the thick lip and 
 flattened nose is not unfrequently to be seen ; but the length and silki- 
 ness of the hair invariably marks the wide difference that exists between 
 the two races. The men are tall, robust, and weil-formed ; and tho 
 women, although symmetrically made, are scarcely less masculme. The^r 
 
:istand- 
 . brown 
 
 [lip an^ 
 rid 8ilki- 
 jetwecn 
 md the 
 TheJ 
 
 HABITS OP THE FBOPLE. 
 
 668 
 
 aro rarely beautiflil; and (heir attempts arc indeed ingenious to render 
 hideous the broad, unmeaning expanse of countenance bestowed upon 
 them by nature. 
 
 " From the king to the peasant the costume of the men consiMts of 
 a large, loose web of coarse cotton-cloth, enveloping the entire person in 
 graceful folds, but well-nigh inea{>acituting the wearer from exertion. 
 Frequently disarranged, and falluig ever and anon upon the ground, the 
 troublesome garment must be constantly tucked up and folded suiew 
 about the shoulders, from which it is removed in deference to every 
 passing superior. A cotton waist-cloth of many yards in length is 
 swathed about the loins, and a pair of very wide, loose trowsers, termed 
 smdphily hang barely to the knee. 
 
 •' The bulk of the nation is agricultural ; but on pain of forfeiting 
 eight pieces of salt, value twenty pence sterling, every Christian subject 
 of Shoa is compelled, whenever summoned, to follow his immediate gov- 
 ernor to the field. A small bribe hi cloth or honey will sometimes ob- 
 tain leave of absence, but the peasant is usually ready and anxious for 
 the foray ; presenting as it does the chance of capturing a slave, or a 
 flock of sheep, of obtaining honor in the eyes of the despot, and of 
 gratifying his inherent thirst for heathen blood. 
 
 " iVIeals are taken twice during the day — at noon and after sunset. 
 The doors are first scrupulously barred to exclude the evil eye, and a 
 fire is invariably lighted before the Ainhdra will venture to appease his 
 hunger — a superstition existing that, without this precaution, devils 
 would enter in the dark, and there would be no blessing on the meat. 
 Men and women sit tlown together, and most affectionately pick out 
 from the common dish the choicest bits, which, at arm's length, they 
 thrust into each other's mouth, wiping their fingers on the pancakes 
 which serve as platters, and which are afterward devoured by the do- 
 mestics. The appearance of the large, owlish black face, bending over 
 the low wicker table, to receive into the gaping jaws the proffered mor- 
 sel of raw beef, which, from its dimensions, requires considerable strength 
 of finger to bo forced into the aperture, is sufliciently ludicrous, and 
 brings to nlind a nest of sparrows in the garden-hedge expanding their 
 toad-Iikc throats to the whistle of the school-boy. Mastication is ac- 
 companied by a loud smacking of the lips — an indispensable sign of 
 good-breeding, which is "aid to be neglected by none but mendicants, 
 'who eat as if they were ashamed of it ;' and sneezing, which is frequent 
 during the operation, is accompanied by an invocation to the Holy 
 Trinity, when every bystander is expected to exclaim, Mdroo ! ' God 
 bless you !' 
 
 "A commercial convention betwixt Great Britain and Shoa was a 
 subject that had been frequently adverted to; and his majesty had 
 shaken his head when first assured that five hundred pair of hands 
 efficiently employed at the loom would bring into his country more 
 permaiicnt wealth than ten thousand warriors bearing spe ud shield. 
 
664 
 
 MAJOR HARRIS'S MISSION TO SIIOA. 
 
 But ho had j.jra(luttlly begun to comprehend how commerco, equitably 
 conducted, might prove a truer source of wealth than forays into the 
 territories of the heathen. This conviction resulted in the expression 
 of his desi that certain articles agreed upon might bo drawn up on 
 parchment, and presented for f'gnaturc, which had accordingly been 
 done ; and the day fixed for the return of the embassy to Ankober was 
 appointed for tho public ratification of the document by the annexure 
 thereto of the royal hand and seal. 
 
 " Nobles and captains thronged tho court-yard of tho palace of An- 
 golltila, and tho king reclined on the throno in the attic chamber. A 
 highly illuminated sheet, surmounted on tho one side by the Holy Tri- 
 nity — tho device invariably employed as the arms of Shoa — and on tho 
 other by tho royal achievement c" England, was formally presented, 
 and the sixteen articles of tho convention in Amh&ric and English, read, 
 commented upon, and fully approved." 
 
 As tho mission to Shoa has not been renewed of lato years, it may 
 bo presumed that no particular advantage was derived from this treaty. 
 Major Harris, in his work, gives no accotint of his return to the sea- 
 coast. 
 
PARKYNS'S 
 
 LIFE IN ABYSSINIA 
 
 Mb. Mansfield Paukyns, an English gcntlcir".': with a tasto for 
 traveling, left homo about the year 1841, and after r.iiubling over the 
 Continent, and visiting Constantinople and Asia Minor, joined Mr. 
 Monckton Milnes (the poet and member of Parliament), at Smyrna, with 
 whom he ascended the Nile during the winter o^" 1H42-43. On returning 
 to Cairo he determined to set out for Abyssinia, prompted not less by a 
 desire to explore that interesting country than bj- a native relish for 
 savage life and adventure. In both these objects ho succeeded to his 
 hv;art'8 content, and after years spent iu Abyssinia, Soudan, and Egypt, 
 returned to England in 1850. Three years afterward he published the 
 results of his experiences — a quaint, picturesque, half-savage narrative, 
 which, in its descriptions of Abyssinian life and customs, is more com- 
 plcte and satisfactory than any thing which ha*" appeared since the 
 famous work of Bruce. In this respect, it is greatly superior to the 
 narratives of Mr. Salt and of Bishop Gobat, and may be taken as the 
 most important contribution to our knowledge of the country, which the 
 present century has produced. 
 
 Leaving Cairo on the 5th of March, 1843, Mr. Parkyns proceeded to 
 Suez, whence he sailed, on the 25th, in a miserable Arab boat, bound for 
 Djidda. "She was filled to the deck," says he, "cabin and all, with 
 empty rice-bags belonging to that prince of merchants, Ibrahim Pasha ; 
 the deck only remained for the passengers, and well- filled it was with 
 them and their luggage. We mustered, I should think, nearly a hun- 
 dred persons of all races — ^Turks, Greeks, Albanians, Beclouins, Egypt- 
 ians, and negroes — men, women, and children, all crowded together, 
 formed a motley group — picturesque, I should perhaps have said, if it 
 had been a little further off." in this craft he spent twenty-three days, 
 the wind being contrary during the greater portion of the time. During 
 his stay in Djidda he formed a plan for visiting Mecca, but was dis- 
 suaded by the English consul, who considered the risk of the journey 
 much too great to be encountered. He therefore took passage a second 
 
666 
 
 PARKTNS'S LIFE IN ABYSSINIA. 
 
 time en an Arab boat, bound for Sowakin, on the Nubian coast, and 
 Massawa, the principal sea-port of Abyssinia, where, after a very tedious 
 voyage, he landed sbout the end of May. 
 
 Concerning Massawa and its climate, ho makes the following re- 
 marks: "In a conversation about the comparative heat of different 
 places, an officer of the Indian navy remarked, that he believed Pondi- 
 cherry to be the hottest place in India, but still that it was nothing to 
 Aden, Avhile again Aden was a trifle to Massawa. He compared the 
 climate of the first to a hot-bath ; that of the second to a furnace ; while 
 
 the third, he said, could be equaled in temperature by nothing but ■ 
 
 3 place which he had never visited, and which it is to be hoped neither 
 he nor any of us wUl. Toward the latter end of the month of May I 
 have known the thermometer rise to about 120° Fahrenheit in the 
 shade, and in July and August it ranges much higher. Such a climate 
 is of course most unhealthy, especially so during the summer months, 
 when a number of dangerous diseases prevail, such as dysentery and 
 the usual fevers of the tropical countries. The island is a mere rock of 
 coral, without a vestige of vegetation to enliven its fair face. There are 
 cisterns for collecting the rain-water (no spring existing), but most of 
 these have been allowed to fall into disuse, and the inhabitants of the 
 island are obliged to trust to Arkiko, a village on the main-land, distant 
 some three or four miles, for their supply. This water, moreover, is 
 rather brackish. The extreme heat of the place would not appear 
 extraordinary to any one acquainted with its position. Massawa is open 
 on the one side to the sea, while the other is shut in by an amphitheatre 
 of distant hills, sufficiently near, however, to prevent its receiving a 
 breath of air from that direction, but, on the contrary, to collect, as it 
 were, the rays of the sun into the narrow slip of land they inclose." 
 
 At this place he was received by a Jew merchant named Angelo, 
 who furnished him with a house, where he remained ten days, while 
 making the necessary arrangements for a journey into the interior. 
 " One part of these arrangements," he says, " and truly a very essential 
 one, was to divest myself of every needless incumbrance, and pack up 
 my stores in a safe place. Accordingly, my best articles of European 
 dress were offered to my friend Angelo, as a recompense for his kind- 
 ness. I had already given away a large portion at Cairo, and now pos- 
 sessed only three Turkish shirts, three pair of drawers, one suit of Turk- 
 ish clothes for best occasions, a pair of sandals, and a red cap. From 
 the day I left Suez (March 25th, 1843), till about the same time in the 
 year 1849, 1 never wore any article of European dress, nor indeed ever 
 slept on a bed of any sort — not even a mattrass ; the utmost extent of 
 luxury which I enjoyed, even when all but dying of a pestilential fever 
 that kept me five months on my beam-ends at Khartoum, was a coverlid 
 vmder a rug. The red cap I wore on leaving Massawa was soon bor- 
 rotoed of me, and the sandals after a month were ^ven up ; and so for 
 more than three years (that is, till I reached Khartoum) I wore no cov- 
 
ENTRANCE INTO ABYSSINIA.. 
 
 667 
 
 erbg to my head, except a little butter, when I could get it ; nor to my 
 feet, except the horny solo which a few months* rough usage placed un- 
 der them. During the whole of this time I nevei' had a headache, 
 though exposed to the sun at all hours of the day, and was never foot- 
 sore, though I walked constantly in the roughest imaginable places." 
 
 Setting out on foot with a guide and two servants, he proceeded to 
 the neighboring village of Moncullou, where he was hospitably enter- 
 tained by the lady of the French Consul at Massawa. It was now the 
 most sultry season of the year, and the heat was so great that the party 
 were obliged to start before daylight, and halt during the hours of mid- 
 day. The next night they reached the village of Ailat, where Parkyns 
 remained for two or three weeks, amusing himself with shooting ante- 
 lopes dnd wild boars, and bathing in the natural warm-springs near the 
 place. "The inhabitants of Ailat are Bedouins of the Bellaw tribe, 
 which occupies all the tract of country lying about Arkeeko, and thence 
 to the neighborhood of Ailat. Those of the latter district are by caste 
 mostly soldiers, if they may be so designated. They are easily distin- 
 guished from their more peaceful brethren, the herdsmen, by their wear- 
 ing their hair close-shaved, while the herdsmen arrange their bushy wigs 
 in tufts or tresses on the head. Their manners are most purely pastoral. 
 In the morning they eat a little bread and milk, and the same simple 
 meal repeated in the evening, and seasoned with contentment and a 
 good appetite, completes their daily nourishment." 
 
 Two other Englishmen, Messrs. Plowden and Bell, had preceded 
 Mr. Parkyns, and one day, during his sojourn at Ailat, a letter from the 
 former was sent to him from Kiaquor, a village about three days' jour- 
 ney distant, where he lay in a state of great weakness from the eflfects 
 of a severe fever, which both he and his companion, Mr. Bell, had con- 
 tracted during their stay at Massawa. They had started for the inte- 
 rior ; but Plowden, being unable to continue the journey, remained at 
 Kiaquor, while Bell went on to Adoua to prepare a place for his recep- 
 tion. The fever, however, continued to attack him at intervals, and had 
 reduced him to such a state of weakness that he had remained in this 
 place for several weeks, unable to proceed, till accidentally hearing of 
 the arrival of Parkyns, he wrote to him begging him to join him with 
 all possible dispatch. 
 
 Parkyns at once determined to comply with this request. " Having 
 little preparation to make," says he, " we were afoot the next morning 
 long before the sun was up, and when he arose we were some way ad- 
 vanced on our road, with our backs turned to him. I say we had little 
 preparation to make. Our party consisted of four persons — myself, a 
 countryman aa guide, a negro servant of Bell's, called Abdallah, from 
 Sennaar, and an Abyssinian lad who had lately entered my service. The 
 whole of our baggage at starting was a email bag of flour, sufficient for 
 three days' provision, half a pint of honey in a drinking horn, a change 
 of raiment, and my ammunition and arms. Each of us carried his share. 
 
668 
 
 PARKTNS'S LIFE IN ABYSSINIA, 
 
 The plain which we had to cross before arriving at the hilla literally 
 teemed with guinea-fowl, which at that early hour appeared unwilling 
 to quit their roosting-places on the trees ; and when, as wo approached 
 them, they did condescend to budge, they collected on the ground in 
 coveys of some hundreds each. The road, as we advanced, became 
 more and more rough and diflScult, till at last we found ourselves as- 
 cending and descending almost perpendicular hills, covered with large, 
 round, loose pebbles, and well garnished with the usual proportion of 
 thorny trees, neither of which, as may be imagined, contributed to the 
 comfort of a barefooted pedestrian in one of the hottest climates in the 
 world. 
 
 " My boy, wishing to have especial care of the honey, had taken it 
 from the guide, and was carrying it in his leathern case by a strap round 
 his neck ; but now, tired and hot, he threw himself down and spilled it 
 on the ground ; forgetting that a wide-mouthed drinking-horn will not 
 carry a fluid like clear honey on a hot day, unless it is kept in a vertical 
 position. Without stopping to speak, we all rushed forward knocking 
 our heads together from eagerness, and sucked up the little honey that 
 the greedy sand had left on its surface." Their supply was now reduced 
 to a Uttle flour, " but," adds Parkyns, with the most cheerful resigna- 
 tion, " a man who knows how to appreciate bread and water may with 
 that simple diet go more comfortably through a hard days' march in a 
 hot climate than if attended by the best cook in England with all his 
 batterie de cuisine; and for this plain reason, that though the culinary 
 art may procure him some enjoyment at the half-way halt, yet he will 
 find that such temporary pleasure must be severely paid for in the after- 
 noon's walk ; meats and all other strong food being of too heating a 
 nature. But, if hungry, don't eat your bread greedily, and then wash it 
 down with buckets of water to prevent choking ; sop your bread in the 
 water, and then eat it ; you will thus at once appease your hunger and 
 quench your thirst, without being in danger of strangulation, or of hav- 
 ing to carry a few extra pounds weight of water rattling about in your 
 stomach for the remainder of the day ; above all things, make it an in- 
 variable rule always to drink as little toater as possible^ remembering 
 that the more you drink the more you will thirst." 
 
 Aft,er a long day's march, they reached at night an encampment of 
 the wandering tribe of the Shohos. " We were hospitably received by 
 these people, who lent us skins for beds, and provided us with fire-wood, 
 as we preferred the society of the cows outside to that of their masters' 
 parasites within the huts. Shortly after, the cows being milked, we 
 were supplied with a large bowl of milk for our supper, and, havin? 
 made our homely repast, were soon all sound asleep. Next morning, 
 having carefully wrapped up the skins on which we had slept, we started 
 before either the sun or our good hosts had risen." On arriving at Kia- 
 quor, Parkyns found Mr. Plowden much better, though still in a deplor- 
 able state of weakness. Thinking that a change of air might be benefi- 
 
ARRIVAL AT ADOUA. 
 
 669 
 
 cial to him, they determined to proceed together to Adoua, aa soon as 
 possible. But at the end of the first day's march, Plowden became much 
 worse, and the hut offered to them was so close and disagreeable that 
 they went on to a village called Maiya, about six miles further, in the 
 hope of finding better accommodation. " But it was a vain hope !" says 
 Parkyns. " At first we found none at all ; and it was not till after a 
 vast deal of persuasion and great promises that we induced the good 
 people of the village to consent to our occupying a dwelling for the 
 night ; and when they did bo, that which they offered was so bad, so 
 very far inferior even to the last, that, rather than be stifled in a hut, we 
 preferred lying in the open air, covered M'ith hides as a protection from 
 the rain, which kept pouring for several hours. Plowden's continued 
 illness compelled us to remain here two days and nights, during which 
 time we amused ourselves as well as we could, contriving tents and huts 
 among the rocks near the inhospitable village." 
 
 The invalid was now carried in a litter made of boughs, but on reach- 
 ing a village named Kouddofelassy, he became so much worse that they 
 were obliged to halt there for five days, during which time they could 
 procure nothing to eat except some honey and a few starved fowls. The 
 rainy season had now set in, and when they resumed their journey, they 
 were frequently interrupted by the heavy showers which fell every day. 
 After fording the river March, which flows down from the Abyssinian 
 highlands to lose itself in the sapds of the d(!sert bordering the Red Sea, 
 thoy traveled more rapidly, and at noon of tlie second day, through f 
 heavy shower, caught sight of Adoua, the capital of the kingdom of 
 Tigro. 
 
 "When we arrived in sight of Adoua," says Parkyns, "I galloped on 
 ahead of the party, anxious to obtain shelter as soon as possible ; but 
 being mounted on a weak and tired mule, and the road being of a stiff 
 and greasy clay, and in many places very steep, I gained but little by my 
 haste ; for the mule slid down all the hills, and stumbled or tumbled 
 over all the inequalities of the plain. My attention being thus occupied, 
 and the rain driving in my face, I had not leisure to enjoy a distant view 
 of the city we were approaching ; nor could I, till within a short distance 
 of it, see enough to enable me to determine whether Adoua was built in 
 the Grecian or Moorish taste. I own I rather expected to see columns 
 or obelisks, if not an acropolis on some of the neighboring hills. Judge 
 then of my astonishment when, on arriving at this great city, the capital 
 of one of tlie most powerful kingdoms of Ethiopia, I found nothing but 
 a large straggling village of huts, some flat-roofed, but mostly thatched 
 with straw, and the walls of all of them built of rough stones, laid to- 
 gether with mud, in the rudest possible manner. Being wet, moreover, 
 with the rain, the place presented the most miserably dirty appearance. 
 Before entering the town we had to cross a brook, and to scramble up a 
 steep bank, in ascending which more than one of our party measured his 
 length in the mud, to the extreme delight of some young gentlemen col- 
 
670 
 
 PARKTNS'S LIFE IN ABTSSTNIA. 
 
 lected on the top, who laughed and yelled at each successive mishap. 
 This rather annoyed mc, especially as, when I took my turn to rise from 
 the recumbent posture, with my nice white trousers considerably dark- 
 ened by the dirt collected in this and several previous falls, I was wel- 
 comed by a double allowance of shouting. It was explained to me that 
 I should only get more if I took any notice of it ; and I afterward dis- 
 covered that it was the fashionable amusement during the rainy season 
 for the young men about town to collect in the vicinity of any slippery 
 place, and, standing there, amuse themselves at the expense of the 
 passers-by. After winding down two or three streets, filled with green 
 
 ABTSSINIAN WARRIORS. 
 
 mud nearly a foot f'eep, and barely broad enough to allow a man to pass 
 mounted, we arrived at the house thnn occupied by Mr. Bell, whom we 
 were glad to find considerably better in health than we had ventured to 
 hope. Right glad also was I to find myself housed, with a prospect of 
 our getting something to eat." 
 
 The day afterward, Parkyns's baggage, which he had left behind at 
 Massawa, reached Adoua, md as the governor of the place demanded a 
 heavy duty upon it, he resolved at once to visit Oubi, the Prince of 
 Tigre, who was then in his camp at Howazayn, and ask his interference. 
 Accordingly he left Adoua the next day, and after a journey of several 
 days through the rain reached Oubi's camp, where he was lodged in a 
 grasa hut, seven feet long and five feet high. Knowing that it was cus- 
 
THE CAMP OF OUBI. 
 
 671 
 
 tomary for tho king to send food to travelers as soon as ho heard of 
 their arrival, Parkyns expected to be treated in a similar manner, and 
 took no provis: "ns with liim. Ho was disappointed in his expectations, 
 however, and found great difficulty in procuring enough to satisfy his 
 appetite. It was not until the fourth evening after his arrival that he 
 recuived a supply of food from Oubi. It consi; ted of forty thin cakes, 
 thirty being of coarser quality for the servants, and ten of white " teff '» 
 for their own consumption. These were accompanied by two pots of a 
 sort of sauce composed of common oil, dried peas, and red pepper, but, 
 it being fast time, there was neither meat nor butter. To wash all down, 
 there was an enormous horn of honey beer. 
 
 " Tho appearance of an Abyssinian permanent camp," says Parkyns, 
 "is singular, but by no means impleasing. The diversity of tents — some 
 bell-shaped, some square, like an English marquee, some white, and 
 others of the black woolen stuff made principally in the southern prov- 
 inces of Tigro ; huts of all sizes and colors, and their inmates scattered 
 about in groups, with their horses, mules, etc., form altogether a pictu- 
 resque and very lively scene. In the center is the dwelling of Oubi, 
 which consists of three or four large thatched wigwams and a tent, in- 
 closed by a double fence of thorns, at the entrances through which 
 guards are stationed, the space between them being divided into courts, 
 m which the soldiers or other persons craving an audience of the king 
 await his pleasure." This audience, on the part of our traveler, was not 
 granted until the sixth day after his arrival. While strolling through 
 the camp, he was summoned by a soldier, and, having hastily gathered 
 together the presents he had brought for Oubi, betook himself to the 
 royal tent. He gives the following account of his reception : 
 
 " We had to wait a considerable time in tho outer court and door- 
 way before his majesty was pleased to admit us. A crowd of soldiers 
 collected round us, and amused themselves with many facetious remarks 
 on our appearance, sach as ' Cat's eyes,' ' Monkey's hair,' ' What nice 
 red morocco their skin would make for a sword-sheath !' etc. These 
 expressions were afterward made known to me ; for in those days I was 
 in a state of ignorance as regarded the language ; and having myself a 
 tolerably good opinion of my appearance, I judged that their remarks 
 must be highly complimentary. I remember, some years after this, ask- 
 ing a person with whom I had become intimate, and who had never seen 
 any white man but my«elf, what impression my first appearance had 
 T""f'p on him. He answered me very simply that I resembled a rather 
 good-looking Abyssinian who had lost his skin. But I must own that 
 our appearance at the time of our first visit to Howazayn was calculated 
 to excite much amusement. We had only recently adopted the Abys- 
 sinian costume, and as yet were not altogether well-practiced in the mode 
 of putting on the cloth. Beside which, our straight hair, not yet long 
 enough to be tressed, was plastered back with butter, and the faces of 
 
672 
 
 PARKYNS'S LIFE IN ABYSSINIA. 
 
 those of our party who were incased in a thin skin, which I am happy 
 to say never was my fate, were as red as a fresh capsicum. 
 
 "At last we entered the great hall of the ma(7n(/?cen<j»aface of Oubi. 
 It was a round hut, of about thirty feet in diameter, with a large wood 
 fire burning on the floor, which had not even a carpet of grass strewed 
 to hide the dirty face of the original earth. Having been previously in- 
 structcdj we each of us on entering made a polite but vaguely-directed 
 bow. On such occasions the natives usually put their heads to the 
 ground, but, as we were foreigners, such a mark of humility was dis- 
 pensed with. I have said that our bow was vaguely directed, because 
 in passing from the glare of a tropical sun at noon into a largo apart- 
 ment lighted only by a small door, over which was suspended a curtain 
 and Avhich communicated with a tent without, it may be imagined that 
 we could not so much as distinguish a single object within. Oubi, in a 
 very patronizing tone, asked us how we were. An humble bow was the 
 customary answer. He then desired us to be seated, and we accord- 
 ingly sat ourselves down on the ground, there being no seat in the hut 
 except the one appropriated for his highness's throne. My sight was 
 just beginning to accustom itself to the darkness when we received this 
 permission, but my place being directly under the lee of the horrible 
 Avood fire, and sitting as I did within a yard of it, I was nearly suffo- 
 cated, and in a moment my eyes began to stream from the effect of the 
 smoke, which nearly blinded mo. I bore it with the utmost fortitude 
 till I could endure it no longer, and then started up with an exclamation 
 something like ' Oof!' and my eyes red and pouring Avith tears, at which 
 Oubi laughed amazingly. Great men, I suppose, require more heat than 
 others in these countries, as I can not otherwise account for Oubi's taste 
 in having a large fire in the middle of August, especially in a tropical 
 climate. 
 
 " Oubi was seated, reclining on a stretcher, which was covered with 
 a common Smyrna rug, and furnished with a couple of chintz cushions, 
 from beneath one of which appeared the hilt of a Turkish saber. We 
 found him a rather good-looking, slight-made man, of about forty-five 
 years of age, with bushy hair, which was fast turning gray. His phys- 
 iognomy did not at all prepossess me in his favor. It struck me as in- 
 dicative of much cunning, pride, and falsity ; and I judged him to be a 
 man of some talent, but with more of the fox than the lion in his na- 
 ture. Our presents were brought in covered Avith cloths, and carried by 
 our servants. They consisted of a Turkey rug, two European light cav- 
 alry swords, four pieces of muslin for turbans, and two or three yards of 
 red cloth for a cloak. He examined each article as it was presented to 
 him, making on almost every one some complimentary remark. After 
 having inspected them all he said, ' God return it to you,' and ordered 
 his steward to give us a cow. Toward evening c • promised cow ar- 
 rived from Oubi — such a cow ! as thin as a cat — an absolute bag of 
 bones, which could never have realized any thing approaching to two 
 
THE CITY OP AXUM. 
 
 673 
 
 dollars in the market ; such as she was, however, she was immecliatcly 
 slaughtered, and before night not an eatable morsel was left. 
 
 After this interview and the adjustment of the difficulties concerning 
 his baggage, Parkyns returned to Adoua. " Shortly after this Plowden 
 returned from Axum, and he and Bell set out on u tour to visit Mr. 
 Coffin, at Antichaou, while I prepared for a journey into Addy Abo, a 
 province on the northern frontier of Tigro, then so little known as not 
 to be placed on any map. My principal object in going there was the 
 chase, and if possible to learn something of the neighboring Barca or 
 Shangalla — a race totally imknown except by the reputation they have 
 gained in many throat-cutting visits paid to the Abyssinians. Except 
 for such objects, the nations have not been on visiting terms for many 
 generations. I was told much of the dangers I was to meet with from 
 the climate and the people, and that the only two Europeans who had ever 
 been there had died. My curiosity, however, was raised, and I felt that 
 I could trust to my own prudence not to expose myself to any unneces- 
 sary danger. I have, moreover, always found that, of the perils de- 
 scribed to a traveler before he undertakes a journey, not more than half 
 need be believed." 
 
 Toward the end of September, 1843, he started on this journey, ac- 
 companied only by a few native servants. "The road skirts the foot of 
 the hills for a considerable distance, till at last a small plain obelisk, on 
 the right hand, and further on, to the loft, a large stone tablet inscribed 
 in Greek characters, proclaim to the traveler his near approach to the 
 city of Axum. From the tablet a sharp turn to the right brings him 
 in view of half the town, which, being situated in an amphitheater of 
 hills, and possessing a tolerably well-built square church, probably of 
 Portuguese construction, forms altogether a rather agreeable covp (feed. 
 Tlie church is prettily situated among large trees, and surrounded by 
 rustic but neatly-built huts. From the tablet, however, to the church, 
 there is a distance of several hundred yards, along which lie scattered, 
 every here and there, unfinished or broken columns, pedestals, and other 
 remnants of the civilization of former ages. The remaining part of the 
 town, with the beautit'ul obelisk and splendid sycamore-tree, at last come 
 in view, having been hidden by *,he projecting foot of one of the hills. 
 The obelisk and tree are both of great height, but the latter is remark- 
 able for the extraordinary circumference of its trunk and the great 
 spread of its branches, which cast their dark shade over such a space of 
 ground as would be sufficient for the camp of the largest caravan. The 
 principal obelisk is carved on the south side, as if to represent a door, 
 windows, cornices, etc. ; while under the protecting arms of the vener- 
 able tree stand five or six smaller ones, without ornament, most of which 
 have considerably deviated from the perpendicular. Altogether they 
 form a very interesting family party." 
 
 Ho was obliged to remain at Axnm a few days, having met with 
 some difficulty in procuring provisions for the journey. On starting 
 
 43 
 
674 
 
 PARKTNS'S LIPK IN ABYSSINIA. 
 
 again, ho pasgcd tlio ancient church, which is considered the most flacrod 
 in Abyssinia. The custom of the country obliges all persons to dis- 
 mount and walk, while passing. For some clistance after heaving the 
 town, he continued in the high-road to (iondar. " ThiN appellation," 
 Bays he, "may give an idea of inaeadainizing, with footpaths along-side 
 mile-stones, fences, etc. ; but here the high-road is only a track worn by 
 use, and a little larger than the sheep-paths, from the fact of more feot 
 passing over it. The utmost labor bestowed on any road in this country 
 is when some traveler, vexed with a thorn that may happen to scratch 
 his face, draws his sword and cuts oft' the spray. Even this is rarely 
 done ; and I h.avo been astonished at seeing niany high-ways, and 
 even some of those most used, rendered almost impassable by tho 
 nund)er of thorns which are allowed to remain spread across tlu^rn. 
 An Abyssiiiian's maxim is, 'T may not i)ass by this way for a 
 year again ; why should I give myself trouble for other i)copIe'8 con- 
 \ enience ?' " 
 
 Immediately after describing this rough experience, the traveler 
 Avith wondtM'fid cheerfulness, bursts into the following rhapsody : " How 
 little are the gifts of nature .appreciated by those who, living in fho 
 midst of luxury, are accustonu-d only to wish for a thing in order to ob. 
 tain it! Ye who liavo already sati.ated yourselves with the bounties of 
 I'rovidence, autl from constant enjoyment of every thing can no lojiger 
 find pleasure in any thing, take my advice — leave for a time yotu' lives 
 of luxury, shoulder your rille, and take a few months' experience of 
 hardship in a hot elimate. You will suffer much at first, but in tlic end 
 will learn what real enjoyment is. You will sleep soundly when yoii 
 throw yourself down on tho bare! ground, while in yotn* bed of down at 
 home you might have been tossing about in a fever all night. You will 
 find more real plcasin'o in a draught of water, even if it bo a little dirtv, 
 or fl.avored Avith tar from the leather bag in which it has been carried, 
 tlian you ever did in the choicest wine to bo got in England, You will 
 devour a halt-bimicd piece of gazelle, and find it more palatable tlian the 
 cuisine of tho greatest gourmand in Paris. And as lor fruit, it is true 
 we have none to speak of in Abyssinia, but a good raw onion is not a 
 bad thing by way of luncheon. Shade, a bit of green grass, even coarse 
 though it be, a rippling stream, a cloud — all these are treasures in 
 Africa, though not cared for or heeded in a land where you have trees 
 in every hedge-row, a velvet turf in every garden and in many fields, a 
 river almost every three or four miles, and, as for clouds, perhaps rather 
 too m.any of them. 
 
 " On my arrival at a village I have always found it the better plan 
 to do as native travelers would — wait under a tree till some one asks mo 
 in. This is generally soon done, though a little patience is sometimes 
 needed. People often gather round you to look at you, and occasionally 
 make rather personal remarks, though generally they are very civil. 
 Only answer their questions good-naturedly, and take pleasure in making 
 
iQr plan 
 lasks inc 
 linetlmoa 
 isionaliy 
 
 Iry 
 
 civil. 
 
 AN ABYSSINIAN 8UPKUSTITI0N. 
 
 675 
 
 , mating 
 
 yourself a^rccablu, which you Avill iiiul will booomo a Imbit, and you 
 will bo welcome everywhere. 
 
 " I'art of our next day's journey," ho continues, "was disagreeably 
 rouj^h. The road iti many places reminded me of the ascent or descent 
 of the pyratnids of (iizeh, but Avas even more difficult, being literally a 
 Btaircasc, ibrmed by enormous blocks of stone, with often a depth of 
 four feet or more between (\ach step. Had I been shod, instead of 
 being barefoot, it would have been scarcely possible for me in many 
 places to have reached the bottom without a fall. It was not till thc^n 
 that I thoroughly understood w!iy the Abyssinians in gmeral never wear 
 shoes, aiul why those fiiw who have borrowed from their neighbors on 
 the lied Sea the custon* of wearing sandjils, should only use them in 
 town, and immiMliatcly take them off when going on ajouniey." 
 
 After three days' travel Parky ns reached the town of Addiiro, whero 
 he was hospitably received by the chiefs, but was greatly annoyed by 
 the constant crowd of visitors who flocked into his hut, many of whom 
 had never before aovn a European. They also had a superstition that 
 he possessed the secret of making money by magical arts, and carefully 
 watched him wherever ho Avent, in order to detect the process, " I 
 happened to have a good many new dollars," says he, " and whenever I 
 circulated any of them the receiver would sometimes exclaim : 'Wal 
 this is only just made ; look, bow it shines!' 1 often retire to the neigh- 
 boring hills, when about to take an observation, or for some other 
 reason wishing to be undisturbed, ami seek out some snug little nook or 
 corner among the rocks. Scarcely, however, have I time to make my 
 preliminary arrangements, when lookhjg up I (ir»d two or three heads 
 curiously peering into my retreat, fully persuaded that tlu'y are about 
 to behold the entire proc<'ss of oV)taining dollars from the (jarth, ready 
 stamped with the august head of her imperial majesty. If a servant 
 of mine returns from market with an ass laden with corn or other pro- 
 visions, the people at once say it is dollars, Avhich, having been mado 
 by me during the week, I h.ad left liidden in the rocks, and that tho 
 servant had been to fetch them." 
 
 From Addaro ho proceeded to Kohabaita, on tho northern frontier 
 of Abyssinia, where ho remained nine months, familiari/.ing himself with 
 the livnguage and habits of tho people. He became, to all intents and 
 purposes, a genuine Abyssinian, adopting the dress and mode of life of 
 the country, which ho retained during the remainder of his residence 
 there. The regular narrative of his travels terminates at this point, but 
 the interest of the remaining portion of his book, which is devoted to 
 an account of the country and people, illustrated with many curious ad- 
 ventures and experiences, is not diminished by this want of continuity. 
 " After waiting two years Avithout receiving any supplies or communica- 
 tions from Europe," ho remarks, " I began to think that I should be 
 compelled to remain at any rate for a long period in Abyssinia. So, to 
 be prepared for the worst, I applied to Dejatch Lemma for a govern- 
 
676 
 
 PARKTNS'S LIFE IN ABTSSINIA. 
 
 ment in those parts, offering not only that a regular tribute should bo 
 paid him, but also that I would engage to keep in order the hostile 
 Barea, without his putting himself to any inconvenience on their score. 
 Ho accepted my terms, ottering to receive a certain number of guns in 
 lieu of tribute ; but tho matter was not concluded for some months, as 
 he had to ask his father's consent, and in tho mean while, my supplies 
 arriving, I left tho country. Notwithstanding that tho affair was, both 
 by his wish and my own, kept as secret as possible, it became known 
 to some of the people of the country, and many of those who had 
 fled to the distant provinces came, bringing me presents, and anx. 
 iously inquiring when they should bo able to return to their former 
 homes. 
 
 " I had made my plans for governing, as I thought, to perfection. I 
 considered that if once regularly appointed I should feel myself bound to 
 remain till at least I had done some littlo good to my i)oor people, and 
 arranged matters for them, so as to leave them in comparative security. 
 Had I received the sum I expected (£300), after having entered upon my 
 government I should have invested a portion of it in plows, oxen, and 
 seeds. These I should have lent out to poor peOvSants, counting £2 for 
 each outfit. One or two good harvests would have enabled them to re- 
 fund the money, not only for these articles, but also for any provisions 
 of corn, etc., with which I might have supplied them during the first 
 year. Thus, at the ex|)iration of two years, up to which time I should 
 have required no taxes, they would have been in comfortable circum- 
 stances, and able to look forward to a chance of fimeliorating their con- 
 dition. In this way, without much difficulty, and (if properly arranged) 
 with little risk of loss to myself, I should in a short time have mustered 
 a thick and thriving population. 
 
 " During my whole stay at Rohabaita I was looked upon by the 
 people as a chief, or man of importance among thorn (be it known we 
 were in a state of scmi-rcbellion), and consulted on all the most import- 
 ant occasions. I, for my part, felt myself as one of them, and entered 
 with the greatest sympathy and zeal into all their proceedings. At a feast 
 no one enjoyed the dance and song more than I did. I had the most 
 guns discharged at a funeral. No hunting party or foraying expedition 
 but I was in it. I took my turn in scoutings and outlyings ; and I am 
 afraid I must add, that even on one or two occasions, though of course I 
 liad no hand in the act, I was privy to the getting rid of a few disgreea- 
 ble soldiers who came to annoy our peaceful village, and to rob the poor 
 peasantry of what little their predecessors had left them. The truth is, 
 I did not, nor do even now, consider these other than justifiable homi- 
 cides. Be it always remembered, the Amhara are not the lawful ru'crs 
 of the country ; but having conquered it, partly by force, but principally 
 by treachery, they hold it under an iron rod, and pillage the inhabitants 
 to their utmost. 
 
 " The high lands of Abyssinia enjoy probably as salubrious a climate 
 
:> most 
 dition 
 11 am 
 
 lUVSC 1 
 
 9«reea- 
 |ic poor 
 ruth is, 
 shoiw- 
 i\ ru'ew 
 icipiilly 
 inVitants 
 
 1 cUma^fi 
 
 SLEEPING BETWEEN FIRES. 
 
 677 
 
 as any country on thu faco of tho globe. The heat is by no means op- 
 pressive, a fine light air countenictiiig tho power of the sun. At certain 
 seasons of the year the low valleys, as of the Mareb and Teccazzt', espe- 
 cially tho former, are much to be feared, from tho malaria which j»re- 
 vails, and which brings on, in persons exposed to its influence, most ter- 
 rible inflammatory fevers, of which four cases out of five are fatal ; and 
 even in a case of escape from death, tho effects on the constitution are 
 Buch that it will be years before tho suttbror recovers its shock, if indeed 
 ho should ever do so entirely. More than one of tho few Europeans 
 who have visited Abyssinia within the present century have fallen vic- 
 tims to it. Many have died also from dysentery — a complaint which ot- 
 ten comes on in the rainy season as an epidemic. These two are the 
 most commonly fatal complaints of Abyssinia. 
 
 " The season most to be dreaded is immediately after tho rains (about 
 September), and the two or three following months. I once traveled 
 through a whole ' krumt,' or rainy season, across one of the most ftorilo 
 districts in this part of Africa, viz., the provinces of Shire, Waldabba, 
 and Walkait, in Abyssinia, and the plains of the Atbara and Soufi, on 
 ray way to the capital of Nubia; but then I had tho experience of three 
 years, a great part of which time had been passed in the backwoods 
 about the Mareb. When I could gcst wood, I invariably lighted two 
 largo fires, and slept between them. This plan, though not very agree- 
 able till you are used to it, is a capital preventive of disease ; for during 
 the day the sun's heat raises tho moisture in steam, which, when the 
 evening becomes cool, descends in tho form of dew or fog, and in this 
 form is one of tho greatest helps to a fever. The heat you have around 
 you answers the i)urposo of a local sun, and you are in no more danger 
 than during tho daytime. But when I say I lay between two fires, it 
 must be understood that they were so close together that I was obliged 
 to cover myself with a piece of hide or a coarse native woolen cloth, to 
 prevent the sparks or embers, which might fly out, setting fire to my 
 cotton clothes. Another plan, which is always adopted by the natives, 
 is not, I think, a bad one : Roll your head completely up in your cloth, 
 which will then act as a respirator. 
 
 " As a general rule, abstinence docs no harm in these climates, but, 
 on the contrary, it is always a good thing, and often necessary. I never 
 felt lighter in my life, or more free from the many ills that vex human- 
 ity, than during this my long period of semi-starvation. Wounds of all 
 kinds healed on me like magic, and I never knew what it was to feel 
 lazy or fatigued. On one or two occasions I remembered being much 
 astonished at the little I suffered from otherwise ugly wounds about the 
 feet. Once, in running down the stony and almost precipitous path 
 which leads to the MareL, I struck my bare foot against an edge of 
 rock, which was as sharp as a razor, and a bit of flesh, with the whole 
 of the nail of my left foot little toe, was cut off, leaving only the roots 
 of the nail. This latter I suppose to have been the case, as it has grown 
 
678 
 
 I'ARKYNS'S LIFK IN ADY8SINIA. 
 
 all right npaiii. I couKI not Btop longer than to polish off tho bit which 
 was hanging by a Hkin, lor wo woro in vhana of a i»arty of Harva, who 
 had cut the throat.s of tlneo of Waddy IIiI'h nophowH tho night Iwroro— 
 (by thi' way I Ml ti'll that Htory allorwanl, to hIiow what cowardly loutH 
 Bonjo of tlu! Abyssinians ari") — but was obliged t<» go on running for 
 about twenty niiles that afternoon, the greater jiart of the way up to 
 our ankles in burning Hand. Whether this cured it I know not, but I 
 •carceiy Hullered at all from it next day, and forgot it the day after. 
 Another day I was running after an antelope wWiv.h I had wounded, and 
 ill my eagerne.ss jumped over a buHli, and on to thu trunk of a fallen 
 tree. Now it ho happened that a bough h:id once stood exa(!tly where 
 my foot now lighted, but, having been broken off, had left a jagged 
 Btump, one Hplinter of which, of about tho thicknens of a tenpenny nail, 
 entering th«) ball of my foot, pansed so far through that the point ap- 
 peare«l like a black npot immediately under tho skin, half an inch 
 above tho junction of tho third and fojirth toea, toward the instep, and 
 then broke short off. I got my game, butchered it, and carried it homo 
 (some two miles), with tho splinter in my foot, which I then drew out 
 with u nail-wrench. A (piantity of blood issued from the wound, but, 
 with the exception of a little stiffness for a day or two, which however 
 nowise jtrevented my walking, I sutlered no pain at all. Now, had this 
 occurred to me in Europe, and under a good European diet, I should 
 have been at least a fortnight laid up with a bad foot. 
 
 " As for thorns in the feet, it may be easily imagined that, in a coun- 
 try where there is scarcely a tree unfurnished with these appendages, 
 and Bome of them of tho length of three or four inches, the whole 
 ground must be strewed with them, and, consequently, that the feet of 
 a person going barefoot must frecjuently act, to all intents and purposes, 
 the part of pincushions ; yet I can truly say that, after some time, such 
 is the force of h.-tbit and the thickness of skin that one gets by use, I 
 tliought no more of ])icking half-a-dozcn thorns out of my feet than an 
 SInglish 8i)ortsman Avould of kicking away the clod of clay he may have 
 accumulated on his shooting-boots in crossing a soft-plowed field." 
 
 In June, 1844, Parkyns returned to Adoua, where he lived during 
 the greater portion of his stay in Abyssinia. From his interesting pic- 
 tures of tho life and customs of the country, we have only space for a 
 few extracts. "The slaughtering of animals in Abyssinia," he remarks, , 
 " is attended with a regular ceremony, us in Mohammedan countries. : 
 Tho animal is thrown down with its head to the east, and the knife ! 
 passed across its throat while the words, ' In the name of the Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost,' are pronounced by the butcher. Almost before 
 tho death struggle is over persons are ready to flay tho carcase, and 
 pieces of raw meat are cut off and served up before this operation is 
 completed ; in fact, as each part pres^^nts itself it is cut off, and eaten 
 while yet warm and quivering. In this state it is considered, and justly 
 80, to be very superior in taste to what it is when cold. Raw meat, if 
 
r 
 
 llAUITH OF TllK AUYSSINIANH. 
 
 679 
 
 kept a Httlo time, goU tuuffh ; whorooH if oaten frt'sli ntiil warm it is far 
 tundurcr than tliu niuHt tendur joint thnt Iiuh buun hung » wuck in En- 
 glitnd. Thi! tuHti! IH, i)urhii|m I'runi iintijj^in.'ition, ruthcr uiHiigreuuhlu ut 
 lirHt, but titr otliurwiso wlii>n on*.; K('t»* uc(Hi.sl«jni(!(l to it ; and I can 
 ri'udily belicvtt that raw moat woidd bo proti^rrod tu cuukud niout by u 
 man who from (;liiidhood had boon uccU8t«>ino<l to it. 
 
 " From tho fon-j^oinj^ doHoription, <tno is upt to run away willi tho 
 iniprossion that tlioso jH-opK^ aro by no nioanK dolioato in tluir (ihoioo of 
 food, whilo, in truth, n(» nation \h moro HorupulouHly ho atlor its own 
 fashion. Mo.sidos rofuHing all aninmlH wliioh havu tooth in thoir uppur 
 jaw — as tlio haro ; and all such as have not cloven foot — as tho caniol, 
 whoso foot is only dovon abovo ; and many others, from religious prej- 
 udice, of which [ shall say moro hereatler; they have also various points 
 of delicacy which differ in tho several parts of tho country. An animal 
 killed by a lion or leopard is by most persons considitrod eatable, thoso 
 beasts being reckoned Christian ; while, on tho contrary, no one could 
 touch the meat of an animal whicrh had fallen u prey to the hyaena, that 
 disgusting scavenger being eonsidored as of tho Mussulman religion. 
 Tho Moslems are very lax in these points, some of them enting tho llosh 
 of the wild boar, or tho uuslaughterod (and, consequently, forbidden) 
 leavings of their brother hyujna. 
 
 " When the master of an Abyssinian house takes las meals, all his 
 Bcrvants stand round tho doorway and look on ; which custom, though 
 it has at lirst a disagreeable eil'oct to a stranger, is in reality a mark of 
 respect to their superior, showing that thoy are in attendance on him, 
 and not merely eating his bread, and idling thoir time away. Tho 
 master's feoding-timo, in fact, is a sort of muster for tho servants. Tho 
 dinner-tables in great houses aro usually of wood, roughly made, but 
 frequently also of wicker-work neatly put together. When a party is 
 expected, fresh grass is spread on tho floor, and tho tables aro ranged of 
 various sorts and sizes — tho highest nearest tho master's end of the room 
 — some wooden, some wicker, some broad, others narrow, it being only 
 in a few fashionable establishments that two or three of corresponding 
 size can bo found. All of course aro very low, being nuide of tho height 
 most convenient for a person seated on the ground ; for chairs aro un- 
 known in the country. Tho t.-ible being spread, tho broad is brought hi 
 by servants in large baskets carried on thoir heads. 
 
 "The Abyssinians are of middle stature, averaging, I should think, 
 about five feet seven inches, rather more than less. I have seldom seen 
 natives above six feet, and only one or two reached six feet two inches. 
 In color some of them are perfectly black ; but tho majority are brown, 
 or a very light copper or nut color. This variety of complexion, ob- 
 servable in both sexes, is, I should think, attributable to the mixture of 
 races of which the nation is composed. The women of the higher classes 
 have remarkably pretty feet and shapes, owing to the absence of tho 
 horrible confining fashions: thoy, however, soon fall off, chiefly, I 
 
680 
 
 PARKTNS'S LIFE IN ABYSSINIA. 
 
 imagine, from climate, though partly perhaps from want of the artificial 
 supports which are usual in European countries. But this to the traveler 
 matters little, as in passing through the country he seldom sees any 
 thing hut the beautiful forms of young girls, who go half naked ; Avhile 
 married women, always wearing long loose shirts, and quarries over 
 them, effectually conceal their figures, whether they be good or bad. In 
 feature, as in form, the young Abyssinian won^en are, perhaps, among 
 the most beautiful of any on the earth. 
 
 AH ABTSSIKIAK LADT OF FASHION. 
 
 " For dress, the male Abyssinians wear a pair of tight cotton inex- 
 pressibles, a large belt, and a ' quarry,' or mantle of the same material. 
 As I have before remarked, the dress of the soldiers and peasantry is 
 nearly alike; that of the former being only of a rather more stylish cut. 
 The trowsers are of a soft-textured but rather coarse cotton stuff, made 
 in the country, and are of two sorts ; one called * calliss,' the other 
 * coumta.' The former reaches half-way down the calf of the leg, the 
 latter to about three or four inches above the knee. Both, if the wearer 
 be a dandy, are made skin-tight. I might enter into a long account of 
 the peculiar fashions to which these trowsers are subject, parts being 
 doubled, parts single. One year it may be the fashion to have the seam 
 at the side of the *■ calliss,' below the knee, of about two inches long 
 
DRESS AND HAIR-DRESSING. 
 
 681 
 
 only, before it branches off on the thigh ; while another year it will be 
 lengthened to six jr eight inches. The last was the measure at which I 
 left it. This, however, was considered so very ultra fashionable, that, 
 except Dejatch Shetou, niyseltj and one or two others, few dared to 
 attempt it. 
 
 "The women of Abyssinia are dressed quite as decently as any 
 women in the world, without having a particle of the trouble of the 
 ladies of more civilized nations. There is a distinguishing costume for 
 young girls, and those who, from being married or otherwise, are no 
 longer considered as such. The drejs of the former is indeed rather 
 slight, though far more picturesque than that of the latter. Down in 
 our part of the coimtry (about Shire) the girls merely wear a piece of 
 cotton stuff wrapped round the waist and hanging down almost to the 
 knee, and another (or the end of the former if it be long enough) thrown 
 over the left shoulder, so as to leave the right arm and breast exposed. 
 In other parts of Tigre a black goat-skin, ornamented with cowries, is 
 often substituted for this latter. An ordinary woman wears a large 
 loose shirt down to the feet, Avith sleeves made tight toward the wrist. 
 This, with a ' quarry' similar to those of the men, but worn rather dif- 
 ferently, and a parasol when out of doors, is a complete suit. 
 
 " In general, neither sex wears any covering on the head, preferring 
 to tress and butter that with which nature has provided them. The 
 hair of the Abyssinians is admirably adapted for this purpose, being nei- 
 ther short and crisp like a negro's, nor yet of the soft elasticity of a 
 European's, but between the two ; sufficiently long to tress well, and 
 even often to hang luxuriantly over the shoulders, but at the same time 
 sufficiently woolly to prevent its being liable to come out of plait as soon 
 as it is done, which ours always does. I had the greatest bother in the 
 world with mine. In the first place, it required twice as much pulling 
 as any body else's, otherx^ase it would not have remained a moment in 
 its place ; and then it had to be tied at the ends and stuck with a ' fixa- 
 ture' of boiled ootton-seeds ; and, after all, it never lasted in plait more 
 than a week. 
 
 " The Abyoisinians, when startled or alarmed, are in the habit of ex- 
 claiming, ' In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost !' — as a Roman Catholic would cross himself if similarly situated. 
 Great care must be taken to avoid using these words in the presence of 
 a person supposed to be possessod by an evil spirit, when she is in an 
 animated or dancing fit ; for even to whisper them to one's self would 
 assuredly cause a terrible convulsion and entire relapse of the sufferer. 
 A friend of mine cautioned me against thiswhile we were going together 
 to visit a sick person. He told me that once, hearing that there was an 
 extraordinary case in a village where he was a perfect stranger, he went 
 to the place, and found a lady engaged in dancing amid a crowd of her 
 friends. No sooner did he approach Ihan she sprang toward him, and 
 ordered him to dance with her ; at the same time filling her mouth with 
 
 i 
 
682 
 
 PARKYNS'S LIFE IN ABYSSINIA. 
 
 milk from a can near her, she spirted it into his face. Naturally startled 
 by this unexpected reception, and being a man of decidedly nervous 
 temperament, my poor friend, not approving of this proximity of the 
 devil, ejaculated the fatal words. Scarcely, however, had they passed 
 his lips, when the woman, uttering a terrific scream, threw herself on 
 tht ground and tore off all her clothes and ornaments, while her husband, 
 who also, it appears, was more or less affected by the Tigritiya, drew 
 his shotel, and made a ferocious attack on the unwitting offender. 
 
 "In Abyssinia the trade of blacksmith is hereditary, and considered 
 as more or less disgraceful, from the fact that blacksmiths are, with very 
 rare exceptions, believed to be all sorcerera, and are opprobriously called 
 ' Bouda.' They are supposed to have the power of turning themselves 
 into hyenas, and sometimes into other animals. I remember a story of 
 some little girls, who, having been out in the forest to gather sticks, 
 came running back breathless with fright ; and on being asked \.hat 
 was the cause, they answered that a blacksmith of the neighborhood 
 had met them, and, entering into conversation with him, they at length 
 began to joke him about whether, as had been asserted, he could really 
 turn himself into a hyena. The man, they declared, made no reply, but 
 taking some ashes which he had Mith him, tied up in the corner of his 
 cloth, sprinkled them over his shoulders, and, to their horror and alarm, 
 they began almost immediately to perceive that the metamorphosis was 
 actually taking place, and that the blacksmith's skin was assuming the 
 hair and color of the hyena, while his limbs and head took the shape 
 of that animal. When the change was complete he grinned and laughed 
 at them, and then retired into the neighboring thickets. They had re- 
 mained, as it were, rooted to the place from sheer fright ; but the mo- 
 ment the hideous creature withdrew they made the best of their way 
 home. 
 
 In June, 1845, Parkyns received the funds for which he had so long 
 waited, and in the following month took a final leave of Adoua. Trav- 
 eling slowly northward, he passed through the dangerous and almost 
 unknown region along the Atbara River, and succeeded in reaching the 
 Bine Nile, below Sennaar. On arriving at Khartoum he was attacked 
 with a fever which confined him to his bed for five months. He ap- 
 pears to have passed two or three years in Soudan and Nubia, but of 
 his experiences in those countries he has as yet given no account. His 
 story of Abyssinian life closes with the following words, which few trav- 
 elers have ever been able to say : *' During nine years of travel I met 
 with companions of every color, station, and religion ; but never picked 
 up with one who gave me a moment's cause to quarrel with him, or from 
 whom 1 parted otherwise than with regret." 
 
W D' S 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE OXUS 
 
 After the voyage of Sir Alexander Burnes up the Indus to Lahore, 
 in 1830, the Indian Government undertook a survey of that stream and 
 the adjacent countries. The right to navigate the river for the purposes 
 of commerce was obtained by treaty Avith the countries of Scinde, La- 
 hore, and the smaller principalities bordering upon it, in 1832, and three 
 years afterward a survey of the sea-board of Scinde was made. Toward 
 the close of the year 1836, Captain Burnes was appointed by the Govern- 
 or General of India, chief of a commercial mission, which was to pro- 
 coed to Affghanistan by way of the Indus, with lieutenant John "Wood, 
 of the Indian Navy, and Lieutenant Leech, of the Bombay Engineers, as 
 assistants. 
 
 The mission left Bombay on the 26th of November, 1836. On ap- 
 proaching the coast of Scinde, Captain Burnes directed Lieutenant Wood 
 to make a careful survey of the Indus, from its mouth to the fortress of 
 Attock, below its egress from the Himalayas, where it receives the wa- 
 ters of the river of Cabul. This survey was not completed until the 18tb 
 of August, 1837, when he reached Peshawur, on the Affghan frontier, 
 where Captain Burnes and the remainder of the mission had already ar- 
 rived. They all set out soon afterward for Cabul, and after safely thread- 
 ing the defiles of the famous Khyber Pass, reached that city on the 20th 
 of September, and were favorably received by the Ameer, Dost Moham- 
 med Khan. One of the objects which Captain Burnes had greatly at 
 heart, was to obtain materials for the construction of an entirely new 
 map of Affghanistan, in which actual survey should supersede hearsay 
 information. He obtained permission to visit the valley of Koh Daman, 
 in which are the celebrated gardens of Istalaf, lying north of Cabul, at 
 the foot of the great range of the Hindoo Koosh, or Indian Caucasus. 
 
 While Lieutenant Wood was engaged in the survey of this valley, he 
 was summoned back to Cabul, to accompany Dr. Lord on a mission to 
 Turkestan. Toward the end of October, Murad Ali Bey, of Koondooz, 
 had arrived at Cabul with presents for Dost Mohammed, seeking medi- 
 
684 
 
 WOOD'S JOURNEY TO THE OXUS. 
 
 cal assistance for his brother, Mohammed Bey, who was a martyr to 
 ophthalmia. Captain Bumes resolved not to lose so favorable an oppor- 
 tunity of securing the good will of these Uzbcck chieftains, and accord- 
 ingly appointed Dr. Lord and Lieutenant Wood to accompany Murad 
 All back to Koondooz. On the 3d of November, all the necesstry ar- 
 rangements beuig completed, they set out, intending to cross the Hindoo 
 Koosh ^y the Pass of Parwan. After a journey of six days, they ap- 
 proached the highest part of the pass, but the snows were so deep, that 
 it was impossible to advance ; the guides soon lost the road, the Indian 
 servants were on the roint of perishing, from the severe cold, and noth- 
 ing remained but to return to Cabul, where they arrived on the 13th. 
 
 " Our experience of the eastern passes," says Lieutenant Wood, 
 *' taught us the importance of not ^ arrying long in Cabul. We allowed 
 ourselves, therefore, only one day lor repose and for reducing our bag- 
 gage to light marching order ; and having got rid of the useless Hindus- 
 tani servants, now as anxious to remaiv' behind as they were formerly 
 solicitous to go with us, at an early hour on the 15th of November, 
 we set out by the Bamian route for Koondooz." On the morning of the 
 19th, they crossed the ridge of Hadjikak, which divides the waters of 
 the Affghan river of Hehnund from those which flow into the Oxus. 
 This pass being considerably lower than that of Parwan, they met with 
 but little difficulty from the snow ; the descent through the wild mount- 
 ain tribes to the plains of Turkestan was safely accomplished, and they 
 entered Koondooz on the 4th of December. 
 
 Lieutenant Wood gives the following account of Koondooz, its chief, 
 and its people : " Koondooz, though the capital of Murad Bey, is one of the 
 most wretched towns in his dominions. Five or six hundred mud hovels 
 contain its fixed population, while dotted among these, and scattered at 
 random over the suburbs, are straw-built sheds intermixed with the Uz- 
 beck tent- or kirgah. Gardens and corn-fields alternate in its suburbs 
 and extend even into the town. Nothing, in short, can be imagined 
 less resembling a metropolis. Overlooking the east end of the town is 
 the fortress. This is merely a mound, of an oblong figure and consider- 
 able extent, strengthened by a mud wall, and a dry ditch. The wall is 
 in a dilapidated state on all sides but the south, on which is the principal 
 entrance by the bazaar gate. On the north-east end of the fortress is the 
 citadel, the winter residence of Murad Bey. It is an irregular structure 
 of kiln-dried brick, surrounded by a moat. It has many loop-holes for 
 match-locks ; there are also guns within it, but none are mounted on the 
 walls. 
 
 " Murad Bey, the head of this Uzbeck state, is one of those promi- 
 nent political characters that unsettled times, and a disorganized state 
 of society produce. Such were Mohammed Ali in Egypt and the late 
 Runjeet Singh in Hindustan. But with all his high qualifications Murad 
 Bey is but at the head of an organized banditti, a nation of plunderers, 
 whom, however, none of the neighboring powers can exterminate. Able 
 
THE UZBECKS AND THEIR HORSES. 
 
 685 
 
 as he is to bring together, in a surprisingly short space of time, a body 
 of fifteen thousand horsemen, inured to predatory warfare, and to those 
 stealthy attacks for which Turkoman and Uzbeck are equally celebrated, 
 he feels himself perfectly secure from the assault of any of the chieftains 
 by whon he is surrounded, nor, indeed, were they to league together 
 could they successfully oppose him. 
 
 " The Uzbecks of Koondooz have genuine Tartar features, though 
 the physiognomy of their chiefs is becoming softened by intermarriage 
 with the Tajik, a Cr •'^asian race whom I believe to be the indigenous 
 inhabitants of Persu, anu porhaps of Transoxiana also, and who are now 
 found widely scattei -^d on bum sides of the Paropamasian chain. A 
 Tajik is not permittetl to marry the daughter of an Uzbeck ; but this 
 unjust distinction is the only social difference that now exists between 
 them. Ihe Uzbecks are Sunnee Mohammedans, and consider an intoler- 
 ant persecution of the other sect as the best evidence of the sincerity of 
 their own faith and of their attachment to the Prophet. They are much 
 fettered by their priests, or Ishan Kajahs, to whom they yield implicit 
 obedience in all things, temporal and spiritual. 
 
 "The Koondooz breed of horse is very inferior to that of the Turko- 
 man, or even to that which their countrymen rear about Shehr Sabz 
 and the environs of Bokhara. The animal, to suit Murad Bey and his 
 subjects, must be small and hardy, adapted to the hilly country as well 
 as to the plain. Speed is a secondary consideration ; endurance every 
 thing. Their fore and hind quarters are remarkably large. One year 
 from the day on which a colt is foaled, it is mounted and ridden by a 
 light weight for a considerable distance at full speed, after which for 
 two years it is not again saddled, and at three years old it is regularly 
 broken in. Shoes are used only upon the fore feet, and in shape are a 
 perfect circle. Like. the rest of their race, the Uzbecks are extremely 
 fond of horses and racing. Many idioms in their colloquial language 
 have reference to them. For instance, if you inquire how far any par- 
 ticular place is distant, you are answered ' ek doweedah' (a gallop) ; or 
 if you ask what time any operation will require, the answer is the 
 same — ' while you may gallop so many miles.' " 
 
 There was every probability that Dr. Lord would be compelled to 
 remain the whole winter, in attoiidaiico on his royal patient, and Lieu- 
 tenant Wood determined to employ his time as profitably as possible 
 during this delay. He says : " The great object of my thought by day 
 and dreams by night had for some time past been the discovery of the 
 source of the river Oxns, and, thanks to my fellow traveler's tact and 
 Mirza Buddi's good-will, Murad Bey on the 10th of December conceded 
 his permission to me to trace the Jihun, an appellation by which this 
 river is better known among the Uzbecks. 
 
 "Monday the 11 th of December was fortunately a market day in 
 Koondooz ; so that the articles required for our expedition were at once 
 obtained; and lest Murad Bey might recall the permission he had 
 
686 
 
 WOOD'S JOURNEY TO THE OXUS. 
 
 given, wc started that same evening for Uadakhshan and the Oxus. Wo 
 adopted the costume of the country, as a measure calculated to smooth 
 our intercourse with a strange people, and we had little baggage to ex- 
 cite cupidity or suspicion. Coarse cloth(?s to barter for food with the 
 inhabitants of the mountains, was our stock in trade ; and my chronom- 
 eters and other instrimients the only articles of value which I took with 
 me. Dr. Lord accompanied us for the first few miles, and parted from 
 us with cordial wishes for the success of our expedition. 
 
 " The most important of my fellow travelers was Gholam Hussein, 
 Munshi, cook, and ' servant of all work,'' in whom were more sterling 
 good qualities than I at one time believed it possible to find in the 
 breast of a Hindustani. More intimate acquaintance with eastern coun- 
 tries has considerably modified my unfavorable opinion of their inhabit- 
 ants, and taught me to dissent from those wholesale terms of abuse which 
 Europeans too often lavish on the native population. It Avill generally 
 be found that our opinions of the people rise as our acquaintance with 
 them increases. Another of our small party was Abdul Glnuii YesaAval, 
 a Tajik by descent, and at heart a genuine Uzbcck. He had been edu- 
 cated for a mollah (priest), but had long ago renounced the cloister for 
 the field, and M-as now, as the affix ' yesawal' implies, an officer of Murad 
 Bey's household. He was a jocund, good-hearted soul, though, perhaps, 
 a little too susceptible of the tender passion. After a day's march, when 
 a glowing fire, and the enlivening cup of tea had mellowed his rugged 
 nature, I have listened to him expatiating on what he termed the three 
 best friends of man, and what, next to life, should be most cared for. 
 These were the Koran, a horse, and a sword. The first he would un- 
 case from its numerous clumsy leather coverings, kiss the volume, and 
 holding it out to the Munshi, swear by Khoda there was no book like 
 it. A good horse, he would sagely remark, was a f/reat blessing, it was 
 invaluable ; for what did it not do ? — it procured a man his livelihood, 
 and obtained for him his wives. That, in fact, without the horse, it 
 would be impossible to steal, and then the Kattaghan's occupation and 
 glory would be no more. His sword was a very poor one, but that 
 mattered nothing." 
 
 For two days they traveled eastward over the open plains of the 
 Oxus, to the town of Talikhan, where they were detained a day on ac- 
 count of the rain. Beyond this place rose a mountain ridge, the frontier 
 of Badakshan. From the top of the pass there was a superb prospect 
 of the snowy peaks of the Hindoo Koosh, and the lateral spurs of the 
 great chain, gradually lessening down into the plains of Tartary. Cross- 
 ing another pass next day, six thousand five hundred feet above the sea, 
 Lieutenant Wood descended into the valley of the Kokcha River, up 
 the banks of which he proceeded to the town of Jerm, which he reached 
 on the 18th, The country appeared to be depopulated. He did not 
 meet a single traveler on the road ; and except partridges, which were 
 very plentiful, and the tracks of wild hogs, there were no indications of 
 
DETENTION AT JERM. 
 
 687 
 
 animal life. Of the city of Fyzabad, once so celebrated throughout the 
 east, scarcely a vestige is Icit, except the v^ithered trees which onco 
 ornamented its gardens. 
 
 " On arriving at Jerm," says Lieutenant Wood, "our first applica- 
 tions for food and shelter were unsuccessful, but, after repeated disap- 
 pointments, we at length prevailed upon an honest Tajik to receive us 
 as his guests, and had soon wherewithal to appease our keen appetites, 
 sharpened by cold and a twenty-four hours' liist. The town of Jerm, 
 although the largest place in Hadakhshan, is little more than an exten- 
 sive cluster of scattered hamlets, containing at the very utmost one 
 thousand five liundred people. The fort is substantially built, and is the 
 most important of any we saw in Murad Bey's dominions." On deli\ 3r- 
 ing his letters to Mirza Suleiman, the Governor of Jerm, and informing 
 him of his desire to trace the Oxns to its source, as well as to visit the 
 mines of ruby and lapiz lazuli in the neighborhood, Lieutenant Wood 
 was informed that it was too early for the first of these journeys. He 
 received, however, a guide to the mines of lapiz lazuli, which lie in the 
 depths of the Hindoo Koosh, near the head-waters of the Kokcha. 
 They had not been worked for several years, on account of the poor 
 returns. 
 
 " From the 2Gth of December to the .30th of January," says Lieu- 
 tenant Wood, "we were detained in Jerm by the inclemency of the 
 season. The snow took the good people of Badakhshan completely by 
 surprise. Not expecting so hard nor so early a winter, they had made 
 no adequate provision for their live stock ; and no sooner did the snow 
 cover the ground than there was a cry for fodder and fire-wood. We 
 took up our abode with Hussain, our former host, who, though at first 
 suspicious of his guests, became ere long our warm friend and almost 
 constant companion. It is customary in these countries for relations to 
 live in the same hamlet, often to the number of six or eight families. 
 An outer wall surrounds this little knot of friends, Avithin which each 
 family has its separate dwelling-house, stable, and cattle-shed ; and a 
 number of such hamlets form a kishlak, or village." 
 
 "The hill-men always go armed, but the inhabitants of the open val- 
 leys very rarely do so. Nevertheless there is not a house in Badakh- 
 shan without its quota of rusty old matchlocks. In dress the people 
 differ little from the Uzbecks. They wear the same peaked skull-cap, 
 and when a turban is superadded, its color is generally white. At the 
 season of our visit every man wore thick colored worsted stockings, and 
 warm woolen cloaks, or chupkuns. On the cold days three of these 
 cloaks were not an uncommon allowance. The shoes in use resembled 
 half-boots, made from goats'-skin, and mostly of homo manufacture. 
 Instead of the heavy kammerband, or shawl, round the waist, the Ba- 
 dakhshi ties a handkerchief, and no native of the country ever thinks of 
 Betting out on a juurney withotxt a staff in his hand. 
 
 " In former times Badakhshan was noted for the social qualities ot its 
 
688 
 
 WOOD'S JOURNEY TO THE OXUS. 
 
 inhabitants, and we could still discern indications of this generous spirit, 
 but few have now the means of being hospitable ; and poverty under 
 a task-master has produced a selfishness that exists not among Tajiks 
 who are free. Among those communities which were styled Yaghi, or 
 rebellious, we always experienced a more hearty welcome than from 
 their kinsmen iu the lower valleys, who, though richer, were galled and 
 irritated by their Uzbeck oppressors. Where independence is wanting, 
 it is seldom that man retains his generous feelings. 
 
 " On new-year's day, 1838, we visited Ahmed Shah, the pir, or head 
 mollah of Jerm, who had emigrated from Hindustan when the British 
 mission of 1809 was at Peshawur. He had traveled much, and made a 
 long abode in China, which country he entered by the road of Wakhan, 
 and left by that of Kokand. The difficulties of the first of these routes 
 he described as great, arising chiefly from the height of Pamir, the 
 severity of its climate, and the almost total absence of inhabitants. Of 
 that by Kokand he spoke more fiivorably. The pir was a large, stout, 
 cheerful, old man, who looked much younger than he reported himself 
 to be. He was in China when the lamented Moorcroft's messenger ar- 
 rived in Yarkand to recjuest permission for his master to visit that city ; 
 on which occasion, a mandarin of Ahmed Shah's acquaintance told him 
 that the Chinese had determined not to admit Mr. Moorcroft, for, added 
 the noblemen, we are persuaded were a,firingi (European), to enter the 
 country scrae dreadful evil would befall us. 
 
 " All our visitors spoke in high terms of Yarkand, and appeared de- 
 lighted with its climate, and its inhabitants. They expatiated on the pe- 
 culiarities of the Chinese, and the contrast which they exhibit when com- 
 pared with other nations. Many accounts of their customs, and habits, 
 which I received when at Jerm, were afterward confirmed by a traveling 
 Jew, who had tried, but failed, to accomplish a journey through their 
 territories. This man was a Russian by birth, and had been for many 
 years a traveler in the countries bordering the Caspian and the lake of 
 Aral. Hearing that records of the missing tribes were to be obtained in 
 Cashmere, or Thibet, he Avas journeying thither when my Munshi, Gho- 
 1am Hussein fell in with him at Balkh. This man's original plan was, to 
 penetrate by the route of Kokand, Kashghar, and Yarkand ; but, though 
 skilled in the various languages of Central Asia, and conforming to the 
 dress and habits of its people, the cunning of his nation M'as no match 
 for the honest zeal with which the public functionaries of Kashghar exe- 
 cuted the orders of their emperor. Suspicion attached to his character ; 
 and after proceeding as far as that town, he was forced to retrace his 
 steps. A large guard, he said, was stationed in a tower above the city 
 gate, from which all caravans could be seen, while yet distant. Before 
 they are permitted to enter the city, each individual is strictly examined ; 
 their personal appearance is noted down in writing, and if any are sus- 
 pected, an artist is at hand to take their likenesses. Interpreters for 
 every current dialect are also present. To each of the persons subjected 
 
THE YAK. 
 
 689 
 
 to this vexatious investigation, the Chinese make a present of a few cop- 
 per coins." 
 
 On the 30th of January, Lieutenant Wood learned that the Upper 
 Oxus was frozen, an occurrence which would enable him to visit the ruby 
 mines, and he accordingly set out at once. On approaching the mines, 
 however, the ice became soft and insecure, and as there was no other 
 practicable road except the bed of the river, ho was obliged to give up 
 the attempt, and endeavor to ascend the Oxus to its source. The weather 
 promised to be favorable, although the cold was still severe " Proceed- 
 ing up the valley of the Oxus," continues the narrative, " with the mount- 
 ains of Shekh Durah on our left hand, and those of Chitral on our right, 
 both rising to a vast height, and bearing, far below their summits, the 
 snows of ages, we arrived early in the afternoon at the hamlet of Ish- 
 trakh. We reached the village in the middle of a heavy snow-fall ; and 
 its houses built among fractured pieces of the neighboring mountains, 
 must have been passed u»\noticed, but for a Yak, or Kash-gow, as the 
 animal is here called, standing before a door with its bridle in the hand 
 of a Kirghiz boy. There was something so novel in its appearance, that 
 I could not resist the impulse of mounting so strange a steed ; but in 
 doing so I met with stout resistance from the little fellow who had it in 
 charge. In the midst of our dispute the boy's mother made her appear- 
 ance, and very kindly permitted me to try the animal's paces. It stood 
 about three feet and a half high, was very hairy and powerful. Its belly 
 reached within six inches of the ground, which was swept by its bushy 
 tail. The long hair streamed down from its dewlap and fore legs, giving 
 it, but for the hoi*ns, the appearance of a huge Newfoundland dog. It 
 bore a light saddle with horn stirrups ; and a cord let through the cartil- 
 age of the nose, served for a bridle. The good Kirghiz matron was not 
 a less interesting object than her steed. She was diminutive in stature, 
 but active and strong, and wore some half dozen petticoats under a 
 showy blue striped gown, the whole sitting close to her person, and held 
 there, not by ribbons, but by a stout leather belt about the waist. Her 
 rosy cheeks and Chinese countenance, were seen from under a high white 
 starched tiara, while broad bands of the same color protected the ears, 
 mouth, and chin. Worsted gloves covered the hands, and the feet were 
 equally well taken care of. She chid her son for not permitting me to 
 mount the Kash-gow ; and I quite won the good woman's heart by prais- 
 ing the lad's spirit, and hanging a string of beads about his neck. Strut- 
 tmg up to her steed with the air of an Amazon, she took the bridle out of 
 her son's hand, and vaulted astride into the saddle. The sight appeared 
 to be new not only to us, but to the inhabitants of Wakhan ; for the 
 villagers had thronged round to see her depart. They inquired if 
 she would not take the boy up behiid her? 'O no,' was her answer, 
 'he can walk.' As the mother and sc i left us, a droll looking calf leis- 
 urely trode after its dam ; and when the party disappeared amid the 
 falling snow-flakes, the rugged half-clad Wakhanis exclaimed, as if taken 
 
 44 
 
090 
 
 WooK'rt JiUJUNKY TO TUM OXUH. 
 
 Iiy Hurprims ' Nonn but a Kii-^hir. l»oy I'oulil thrive iindnr mich rnti^h 
 trciUnu'Mt.' 
 
 "Tito Vnk, iM to llio iiilinl»itiititN ot'Tliiliot aikI runiir, wlint tlm rein. 
 door In to tlio l<H|tlnti(lor in iiortlM<rn Kiircipo. Wlioro u tiitui cnu wnik n 
 KuHh-irdW tuny •»•' ritltloii. Mko tlio (>lo)ili)Uit lio pohhohhon iv woiwlorliil 
 kiiowlotlnjjo (it'wiiiit will lioiir IiIm woi^ht. IT tnivcloin nro lit Duilt, «mi<> 
 of th<>Mo luiitimlM is <lrivoii Itol'oro tlioiii, luiil it In Niiiil that lin (ivnidH tho 
 lii<lilon il(>|)<liM mill oliiiNiiiM with luhnimltlo Nii^ncity. IIIm Inotiti^ in niii <>. 
 Should 11 liill of Riiow oloNo H nii»iiiilniii-p)iHN to li iriitn luiil hoiHO, n m<ori< 
 of Vuks tirivon iihoitil iuihwoi* tho piirpoMo of pioiiooi-ft, luxl iniiko, nn iny 
 infoi'iniint oxproNnos it, *n k'hif/H /n'lf/imiit/.* In IIiIn riwo, howovor, tlin 
 tnww iniiNt hiivo rocoiitly Oilloti ; for whon otKut itn Miirfticn \h fro/,oti idmI 
 itH<lopth oonMiili<nil)lo, no iiniiiiid oait for<v« it^ wtiy through it, Otlmr 
 oiittlo roiptiro tho provitioiit oiiro of nitm to gidiHiHt thotti through tlio 
 winfor. Tho niont htirdy nln'op would Ihro lint hiidly without itw hniimti 
 protootion, hnt tlio KiihIi-j^ow in loll ontiroly to itHolf Ilo fr«>(pn<ntM tho 
 moiintnin Hlop«'« luid Ihoir lovol HiiniinilM. WluM-ovor tho nn<roury docs 
 not Hho nbovo Koro, iw n olinitito for tho Yiik. If tho wiow on tho olo- 
 vntod (1i»1h lioH <oo doop for liini to orop tho horlt(»f»o, ho nilh hiiiiHolf 
 down Iho HlopoM and <'!»1h hin wiiy np iij^jiiin. Win ii nrrivod lit tho top, 
 ho ])orfonns ii hoooiuI Ninninoi-Mot, iiinl ooniplolcH IiIm moid hm ho diNpliicrH 
 !inoth«>r groove of hiiow in hiw wooond iiNoont, Tho hoiit of Hinninor Honds 
 tho iinitnul to what is tornu'tl tho old iiM>, that is to tho rogions of otoiriiil 
 Hliow; tho oalf Immiii^ n<tainod Im'Iow as a plodgo for tho nioth«>i''H ro- 
 turning, in which hIh? nt'vor failn. 
 
 "Tho first Vuks w<« Haw woro grazing among tho Hnow on th«» vory 
 nimimit of tho rnggod \y.\»n of Ish KiiHhin, and at tin* villago of tliii* 
 niimo, T proonrod «»no for Dr. liord, and (liHpntohotl it to Koondoo/, in 
 chargo of two trusty nion. Hut ho ooM a olimato <lo thorn* singular ani- 
 mals ro(piiro, that thoiigli winter Htill roigno<l in tho Koondoo/, plain, 
 tho hoat was too groat, and tho Yak diod within a nian^h or two of tho 
 town. In laot it hogan to droop as Hfion as it had passod .lorin. Some 
 yoars h.'iok, an Affghan nobloinaii Hiioooodo<| in bringing two <»r throo of 
 those animals to (.^ibnl, but <>V(>n tho tcinporaturo of that city, thouj^h 
 sittiatod six thousand foot abovo soa-h^vol, is not Hu(!i<'iontly cold to Niiit 
 thoir oonstitntion. Thoy duolinod jih tho Know loft tho ground, and died 
 early iu tho spring."* 
 
 After following tho course of th<» river for three or four days, sholtcr- 
 ing themselves by night in tho huts of th(f Kirghiz, Liouteiiant Wood 
 JMid his .ittendants reached a plac^o called Tssar, whcro tho Oxus divides 
 
 • M. do Monliprny, Into Frpnch ronmil nt Slinnpflmi, w'i<i flnrt introdiicod tlio IHoseona 
 haiaiaa, or CliiiioNo yam, into l<juropo, miocoeiiod in bringinj? four livin(? Yaks to Franco 
 in tlio yoar 185.1. A fow wo(>k.s before M. do Montifrny's doparturo from Rhaiinliai, I Haw 
 tho8o Y.iks in his 8tj»Mc« at that placo. Thoy had alroady pasHod two yearn in that 
 •cmi-tropiral dimat(\ and it ia therofuru probablo that thoy luuy bo HUUCosafUlly natural- 
 ir,od in Franco. — B. T. 
 
IIRAD-MT ATKHH OIT TMK OXUH. 
 
 HOI 
 
 Into two hrfitifilH'H. Il»» wftN for ii limn iirulooirlcd which to chcwmi', tm 
 thn vohiiiio of wilt pr wim iioiirly i>«|ii)il, but Ihr Kir^^hi/. iiHHur«(l him that 
 thn fMMinir of ihn rivrr wiih a liilto ii|ioii ih(i /Itim-i-itooniuh^ or " Hoof 
 of t\w Woi-lil," ill I'liiiiir, iukI thiit, tlio tnoHt. northerly of thn hrarichnn 
 fli)W<i<l rrr>iii thiM Inki'. (^(Htn CiirthiT cxHininatioii, hi* (lixrovftrod that 
 till* nirrotit of thin hriiiKtli wih iiiiirJi iiioro rapid than that of ttin othnr, 
 and thiit itH ti'tnpnraliint waH <rold«*r. Thn point of jiinrtion wan tnn 
 thoiiHiind fvvi iihovn i\u> ni>h. A Hiipply of proviHioiiH for ri^ht dayH wm 
 pniiMirod ni thiM platMt, and \]w party, (■nvclopin^ thcMiHclvrM in cloaltH 
 and HkiiiH, to protivt thcni fioni thn cxtrcnxt cohl, Hnt out, up thn nar- 
 row vaiii'y of Hir i kol. I'locpcdiii)^ Hlowly forward throiif^h thn Hmtw, 
 which wan very deep, and Hiiircrin^ from i\w intrriHi' cftld, they nncamptMl 
 on tho third ni/^lit at a hcij/ht of thirtcrri thoiiHiuid iivo htindrnd tovi 
 ttlif>vn thn Hca. Somn of thi^ nu-n wcrr ho itxhatiHtnd that thny wnrn Icfl 
 h<'liinil licro, to hunt and ki't-p j^iiard ovi^r a nn'/u: of proviHionH, whilo 
 IjiMitciiant Wood piiHhod forward with four attcndantH. 
 
 (hi th«i Hccoiid (hiy nWvr thin divimoti of th«' party, th«' intrnpid and 
 pprm'vnriii)^ travnh>r arhicvcil hiH ohjcct, " Wr had no ocnaHion t(» ro- 
 innrk tlm ahHcncd of tlin hiiow thiM <hiy," he HayH, " for «!V«!ry Htnp wn ad- 
 viinncd, it lay dnopcr and deeper ; and near nn we ha<l now a|iprf>ae.hnd 
 to the Noiire(f of tlm Oxiim, we Hhoiild not liave Hiie.eiuided in reae.hiti^ it 
 had not tlie rivnr lieen frozen. We were fully two hoiirn in foreinj;^ our 
 way through a Held of hiiow not live hundred yardn in extnnt. Kach \n- 
 dividual of tlio party l»y turnn took the lead, and forend hin horHe to 
 Htniff^lo onward until (>xhauHtion lirouf^ht it «lown in thn Hnow, whc^re it 
 wiw allowed to Vui and re<^ruit while the* lujxt wan urj^ed forward. It 
 was HO f^freat a relief when we a}j;;iin {^ot up«»n the rivnr, that in thn ehim 
 ticity of my npiritx I puHlied my pony t,(» a trot. ThiH a Wakanni per- 
 ceiving, Nei/.ed hold of thn hridle, aixl eaution(>d mi; a^ainnt thn wind <tf 
 tlio tnoimUiiii. Wn had, indeecl, f(^lt the* (ffTectH of a highly rariliftd at- 
 numphern ever Hinctt leavinjx Waklian ; but the aHcent beinj^ gradual, 
 they W(u'o h^HH than wliat would be experieneed in nlimbing an abruf>t 
 mountain of tnunli Ichm altitudi;. 
 
 " Ah Avn iicanul thn hniwl-waterH of tlio Ox us thn \vAt )M!camn weak 
 and brittle. 'V\w Hudd(!n diHappearaiHM' of a yabu fjfav«' uh the first warn- 
 ing of thiH. Though thn water waH d»M'p whero thn accident occiurred, 
 tlmro fortunately waH litthi current, ami, as thn animal waH Hficured }»y 
 hia haltnr to a companian, he was <>xtricatod, but bin fumitun; and la«ling 
 worn loHt. Tho kind-hoartnd Khirakush to whom the animal belonged 
 wrapped him in fhlts, took off his own warm ijostec-n, and bound it 
 round tlio Hhivcring brute. Had it bi-en hiH son instead of bin yabu he 
 could not have paswid a more anxious night afl to tho cfTectH of this 
 ducking. Tlio next morning, hownvor, tho yabu was alive and well, and 
 the pood mule-driver was most eloquent in his thanks X*) Providence for 
 its proservation. 
 
 " Shortly after this accident we came in sight of rough-looking build- 
 
092 
 
 VVOOltS JomiNKY TO Til K OXIIH. 
 
 iti^, tliM'knl out with liorim of lli<« \vil)l Hlicrp, mid all liiil, hiiriod 
 itinonpr \\u\ Hiiow. It wiiN II KliirfTJ/. iMiriiil-^roiiiitl. On roinin^ nlinniHl 
 of it, l!io IcHiliiiji: litiiHt'iiiiiii, nlio rlitiiiriMl to ho of tliiit tribe, |miII(m| up 
 mitl tiisinoiiiitcil. Ills roiiipitiiion Collowt'tl IiIh (<.\itiii|>li>, iiixl wiuliii;; 
 thriHif^h llio tit'cp (IriO. tlit7 iciicIumI h toiiilmtoiH>, tho top of wliidi wuh 
 uucovcrctl. |{i<toi'*> litis they kiirll, till niiiilM>r<'*l uh tlii>y wrn*, uimI willi 
 lltcir liii<;«« lorkt'il iiiiit«'hlorKH Ktmppi'd to tlirir Imi'kH, uihI olVrrnl up 
 pray»>i'N to |Im< t-vor-pn'sciit .Irliovuli. 'I'lio whole oi'thepiirty iiivoliintiir- 
 ily r<<iiitMl in their hoiNe^ till the Iwonien liiitl eonehuletl their devolioiiH. 
 
 " AHer tpiiltin^ th(> Niirllu'e of the river we triiv(>leil tihout an Imiir 
 nloni; itH ri^ht hank, iitnl then aNrendeil a low hill, whi(^h apparently 
 houniletl the valley to the eiistwanl ; on Nurnionntin^ thiH, at live oV-loik 
 in the ai\ernoon of the llMh of l''ehniary, IHIIH, weNlootI, lo nrte a native 
 expression, upon ihe /Imn i/hinin/i, or ' h'onj' of thv ll'orA/,' while he- 
 fore UH lay nlrelehed a nohle hut fro/.en nhei't of water, from whose 
 western end issned th«^ infant river of the Oxiin. ThiH line lake Hcm in 
 the form of a eresceni, ahont fonrteen miles lonf{ from east to w«'st, hy 
 an averam' hreadth «»f one mile. On three nides it is bordered hy HWell- 
 in^ hills, about fiv(< himdred feet hif4;h, whiht alon^ \\h Nonthern bank 
 they rise into mountains three thonsainl live hundred feet above the 
 lake, or nineteen thousand above the nea, and covered with perpetual 
 Hiiow, from wiiieh never-failinu; Honree the lake is Niipplied. Kroni oh- 
 Hervations at the western end I found the latittide to b(> ;i7" 27' north, 
 and lon^ritiide V.'t" 10' east ; its elevation, nn-asnreil by the teinpeiaturo 
 of boiling water, is llOeen thousand six hundred feet, as my th<>nn<>- 
 meter marked I HI" of Fahrenheit. The temperature of the water below 
 the iee was H'J" — tlw lV«'ezin>j; point. 
 
 "This, tlu'n, is the position of Ihe Honrees of this celebrated river, 
 which, at\er a course of upward of a thousand mih>H in \\ tlireetion gen- 
 «'rally n«)rth-w»'st, IiiIIh into llw Nouth(>rn end of tin* nea of Aral. As I 
 had the gooil fortune lo b(> the first Kiiropean who in later times liiiil 
 succeetled in reaching the Nources of this river, and as, nhortly beforo 
 setting out on my journey, we had received the newH of her gracious 
 majesty'^ accession lo the throne, I wan much tempted to apply llio 
 name of Victoria to this, if I may ho term it, newly re-discovered lake; 
 but on considering that by thus intrcHlucing a new name, however hon- 
 ored, into t)ur maps, great confusiv>n i'l geography inighl arise, I dcciuod 
 it better to retain the name of Sir-; kol, the appellation given to it by 
 our guides. The description of this spot given by that good old trav- 
 eler Marco I'olo, nearly hix uonturios ago, is correct in all its luuding 
 points. 
 
 " The aspect of tho landscape was wintry in tho extreme. Wherever 
 the eyo fell, one dazzling sheet of snow carpeted the ground, while tho 
 sky overhead was everywhere of a dark and angry hue. Clouds would 
 have been a relief to the eye, but they were wanting. Not a breath 
 moved along tho surface of tho lake ; not a beast, uot oven a bird, was 
 
"TIJI'! H()(tK OK TIIK WOULD. " 
 
 098 
 
 virtililo. Tlio nnuiu) of n liiimnii voint avoiiM Imvn been iniiHic !«• the 
 rnr, liiit no otui nt IIiIh iiiiiuipiliiMo Hnimiii ihinkN orinviMlin^ ilicHc ^(•|ii| 
 (lotiiiiiiiN. Hilniro rei^nod nroiiiMl-Nilrnc)* ho prorDiiml iJhiI, it ii|i|ir)!MH 
 rd till) lii'iirt, iukI, uh I coiiictiipliiicd tlio hnnvy Hiiiiiiiiils oC ^\u^ i>vitr- 
 IilMiliK iiiountiiiiiH, wlKiro hiniiHii Cool hii<l never trode, iiiid wlieni Iny 
 piled (ho HtidWH ol'iif^eH, my out! deiir eoiintry and ull tlie Hoeiiil lileHMinKH 
 itcontitinN piiNNed mtnmH my mitid with n vividneNH of rccolhti-.tioti timt I 
 hud never fell Ix'lore, 
 
 *' In wiilkinft over the liike I eoiihl not but refleet how miniy eoim- 
 tricH ouo tlieir importimeo nnd their weulth to riverH tlie Honreen of 
 whi«'h eim Ihi triiee<l to thn hxiely inoiuitfiinH whieh ure pih'd up on it^ 
 Nouthorn niiirKin. ThiH ehiviited eimin in common to India, ('hiiia, and 
 TurkiNtnn ; nnd iVom it, uh from a central p<»int, tht'ir Nev<*ral ntreamH 
 diviM-Kc, each an^nK'ntin^ m it rollH onward, until the ixmiui and the 
 lake of Aral rti<H>ivc the Hwollen trilnite, a^ain to ho ){iven up, nnd in a 
 circuit aH ondlcHH aH it Ih wotiderlul to he Hwe|»t )ta(;k hy the winds of 
 heaven, and Hhow(<red down in Htiowy ftakcH upon tln^ Helf-Hann! niount- 
 aiiiH from which it Mowed. How Htranj^e and how inten^Ktin^ »i >^roup 
 would bu i'oriru>d if an individual iVom each tuition whom; riverH have 
 their (irKt HtHin^t in I'atnir wen; to imtet upon itn Hinnmit; what varieticH 
 would tbero hit in perHon, huif^uaire, and niamuMH ; what contraNtH ho- 
 twccn tliu rou^h, untamed, and lierco Mio(uitaine(!r and the more civil- 
 ised ami Innominate dweller on the plain ; how niu<;h ot virtue and of 
 vice, luidor a thouHund different aNpet^tM, would he nua with anion^ them 
 nil; and liow Ntron^ly would the onviction proHS upon th(! mind that 
 the amelioration of the Avhole could roHult only from the din'uHion of 
 cnrly education and n purer religion ! 
 
 "1 'amir in not only a radiating point in the hydnt^raphical HyHtem 
 of C!ciitral Awia, but it is the IIkmih from which ori^^inato its prinrtipal 
 niountain-chainH. Tlu; Wakhanis nanu; tluH plain Ham-i-l)nniah, or 
 'U(tof of tho World,' ami it would indeed npp(>ar to bo the hif^hoBt 
 tahh'-lanil in Asia, and probably in niiy part (»f our ^lobc. From I'amir 
 tlio (ijroimil HinkH in ovory dinuttion except to tho Houth-eaHt, wh(;ro 
 Hiniilar plateaux extend along tin; nortlu'rn litco of tho Himalayas into 
 TliilHit. An individual who had hih'u tho rogion botwon Wakhan and 
 Cashmoro infonned nu? that tho Kunor Uivor had its principal Kourco in 
 a lake roHombling that in which the Oxuh has its rinc, and that tho whole 
 of this country, comprehending tho districts of Gilgit, Gnngit, and (Jhi- 
 tral, is a series of mountain defiles that act an water-courHos to drain 
 Pamir. 
 
 " As early in tho morning of Tuesday, the 20th of February, as tho cold 
 permitted, wo walked out about six hundred yards upon the lake, and 
 liaving cleared tho snow from a portion of its surface, commenced break- 
 ing tho ice to ascertain its depth. Tliis was a matter of grcatcu- <lif!iou!ty 
 than it at first sight appeared, for the water was frozen to tho depth of 
 two feet and a half, and, owing to tho great rarity of the atmosphere, 
 
694 
 
 WOOD'S JOUBNEY TO THE OXUS. 
 
 a few strokes of the pick-ax produced an exhaustion that stretched us 
 upon the snow to recruit our breath. The sounding-lead sti uck bottom 
 at nine feet. The water emitted a slightly fetid smell, and was of a red- 
 dish tinge. The bottom was oozy and tangled with grassy weeds. I 
 tried to measure the breadth of the lake by sound, but was baffled by 
 the rarity of the air. A musket, loaded with blank cartridge, sounded 
 a3 if the charge had been poured iiito the barrel, and neither wads nor 
 ramrod used. When ball was introduced the report was louder, but 
 possessed none of the sharpness that mcrks a similar charge in denser 
 atmospheres. The ball, however, could be distinctly heard whizzmg 
 through the air. The human voice was sensibly affected, and conversa- 
 tion, especially if in a loud tone, could not be kept up without exhaus- 
 tion : the slightest muscular exertion was attended with a similar result. 
 Half a dozen strokes with an ax brought the workman to the gro'ind ; 
 and though a few minutes' respite sufficed to restore the breath, any 
 thing like continued exertion was impossible. A run of fifty yards at 
 full speed mads the runner gasp for breath. Indeed, this exercise pro- 
 duced a pain in the lungs and a general prostration of strength which 
 was not got rid of for many hours. Some of the party complained of 
 dizziness and headaches ; but, except the effect thus described, I neither 
 felt myself nor perceived in others, any of tLose painful results of great 
 elevation which travelers have suffered in ascending Mont Blanc. This 
 might have been anticipated, for where the transition from a dense to 
 a highly-rarefied atmosphere is so sudden, as in the case of ascending 
 that mountain, the circulation can not be expected to accommodate 
 itself at once to the difference of pressure, and violence must accrue to 
 some of the more sensitive organs of the body. The ascent to Pamir 
 w 3, on the contrary, so gradual, that some extrinsic circumstances were 
 necessary to remind us of the altitude we had attained. The effect of 
 great elevation upon the general system had, indeed, been proved to me 
 some time before in a manner for which I was not prepared. One even- 
 ing in Badakhshan, while sitting in a brc ti study over the fire, I charnd 
 to touch my pulse, and the galloping rate at which it was throbbing 
 reused my attention. I at once took it for granted that I was in a rag- 
 ing fever, and, after perusing some hints on the preservation of health 
 which Dr. Lord, at parting, had kindly drawn out for me, I forthwith 
 prescribed for myself most liberally. Next morning my pulse was as 
 brisk as ever, but still my feelings denoted health. 7 now thought of 
 examining the wrists of all our party, and, to my surprise, found that 
 the pulses of my companions beat yet faster than my own. The cause 
 of this increased circulation immediately occurred to me ; and when we 
 afterward commenced m:;rching toward Wakhan I felt the pulses of 
 the party whenever I registered the boiling point of vater. The mo- 
 tion of the blood is in fact a sort of living barometer by which a man ac- 
 quainted with his own habit of body can, in ^eat altitudes, roughly 
 calculate his height above the sea.'* 
 
A WILD SHEEP— RETURN. 
 
 695 
 
 " After getting a clear and beautiful meridian altitude of the sun on 
 the 20th, we saddled, and casting a last look at Lake Sir-i-kol, entered 
 the defile leading to Wakhan. On arriving at the station where we had 
 left the hunters, wr were agreeably surprised to find they had been suc- 
 cessful in the chase, and had slaughtered a Kutch-kar^ or wild sheep. It 
 was a noble animal, standing as high as a two-year-old colt, ^vith a ven- 
 erable beard, and two splendid curling horns, which, with the head, 
 were so heavy as to require a considerable exertion to lift them. Though 
 in poor condition, the carcase, divested of ofial, was a load for a bag- 
 gage-pony. Its flesh was tough und ill-tasted ; but we were told that in 
 autumn, when the 8' limal is in prime condition, no venison is better fla- 
 vored." 
 
 Returning by way of Jerm, Lieutenant Wood reached Koondooz on 
 the 11th of March, having been absent just three months. Murad Bey, 
 whose health was much shattered, died soon afterward, and Dr. Lord 
 and himself accordingly returned to Cabul, where they arrived on the 
 1st of May. 
 
i 
 
FREMONT'S 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND CALIFORNIA. 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 In the year 1842, Captain John C. Fremont, of the United States 
 Topographical Engineers, was ordered to explore the country hetween 
 the frontiers of Missouri and the South Pass in the Rocky Mountains, 
 and on the line of the Kansas and Great Platte rivers, which was then 
 but imperfectly known, exce^t by the traders and trappers. He left 
 Washington om the 2d of May, and arrived at St. Louis, by way of New 
 York, on the 22d. Here he collected twenty-one men, principally Creole 
 and Canadian voyageurs, who had become familiar with prairie life in the 
 service of the fur companies in the Indian country. Mr. Charles Preuss, 
 a native of Germany, assisted in the toj^graphical part of the survey, 
 and Christopher Carson (more familiarly known, for his f xploits in the 
 mountains, as Kit Carson) was their guide. Tliey traveled by steam, 
 boat to Chouteau's landing, about four hundred miles by water from St. 
 Louis, and near the mouth of the Kansas river, whence they proceeded 
 twelve miles to Mr. Chouteau's trading-house, where they completed 
 the final arrangements for the expedition. 
 
 They set forward on *he 10th of June, and on the 14tn, late in the 
 t.'temoon, reached the ford of the Kanb. s. Tlie river was so much 
 «^ ilon by late rains that they crossed it with difficulty. Journeying 
 Tc-siTard near the Kansas, and afterward along vCe banks of the Platte, 
 ;hi , caught the first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains on the morning 
 ofiui^ 9th. The day was bright, but there was a slight mist, and the 
 mountains, seen at a distance of sixty miles, appeared like clouds along 
 the horizon. On the evening of the 10th they reached St. Vrain's fort, 
 situated on the south fork of the Platte, immediately under the mount- 
 ams, and about seventeen miles east of Long's Peak. The elevation of 
 the Platte at this point is five thousand four hundred feet above the 
 level of the sea. The neighboring mountains were covered with snow, 
 which extended several himdred feet below the summits on the northern 
 
698 
 
 FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 They resumed their journey on the morning of the 12th. Their 
 next point of dostiualion .vas the fort at tlie mouth of Larumie'H Oeeli 
 fiituateJ about own hiuidred and twenty-five miles to the north. On the 
 14th (hey encamped on a fork of Horse Creek, near a point where it 
 j)asses between two ranges of precipitous hills, Huppt)sed by Fremont to 
 be tlic locality called (.ioshen's Hole. These hills are wrought by the 
 winds and rains into a variety of singular forma. One on the western 
 side resembles a injvsaive fortified jJace, with remarkable precision of 
 detail. The rock is marl and earthy limestone, white, without the least 
 ajjpearance of vegetation, and much resembles masomy at a little dis- 
 tance. Along the whole line of the i)arapets a])pear domes and slender 
 minarets, forty or fitly feet high, giving it every appearance of an oM 
 fortified town. On the waters of VV^hite Iliver, where this fonnation exists 
 in great extent, it presents appearances which excite the admiration of 
 the solitary voyagenr, and form a frequer.t theme of their conversation 
 when speaking of the wondi'rs of the country. Sometimes it offers the 
 perfectly illusive n' v,p.ivance of a large city, with numerous streets and 
 magnificent builui niong which the Canadians never fail to see their 
 
 cabaret — and somelji s it takes the form of a. solitary house, Avith many 
 large chambers, into which they drive their horses at night, and sleep in 
 these natural defenses perfectly secure from any attack of prowling savages. 
 
 On the Iflth they reached the post of the American Fur Company, 
 above the junction of the Laramie with the Platte, called Fort John, or 
 Fort Laramie. It M-as a large post, h:iving more the air of military con- 
 struction than the fort at the mouth of the river. It is on the letl bank, 
 ou a rising ground, some twenty-five feet above the water ; and its lofty 
 walls, whitewashed and picketed, with large bastions at the angles, gave 
 it quite an imposing ajipearance. During their stay at the fort the men 
 were engaged in repairs, and in {>repa:ing for the chances of a rough 
 road anc' mountain travel. Fremont engaged an interpreter, and all 
 preparations bein^ made, they struck their tents on the morning of the 
 21st, and were ready to de|)art, when a deputation of Indian chiefs 
 waited on them for the purpose of inducing them to stay. The Indians 
 represented that their young men, who hatl gone to the mountains, were 
 eager to avenge the blood of their relations, which had been shed by the 
 whites; that they would believe Fremont's party were carrying goods 
 and ammunition to their enemies, and would fire upon thera. They 
 urged many reasonable objections, but being aware that their object 
 was merely to prevent him from going further into the country. Colonel 
 Fremont replied at length to their speeches, then broke up the confer. 
 ence and set out immediately. 
 
 After crossing the Platte on tlie 28th, they encountered a band of 
 Sioux, who gave them a discouraging picture of the country. The great 
 drought and the plague of grasshoppers had swept it so that scarcely a 
 blade of grass was to be seen, and there was not a buffalo to be found in 
 the whole region. Their people had been nearly starved to death, and 
 
THE SOUTH PASS. 
 
 609 
 
 had marked the road by lodges which they had thrown away in order to 
 movo more rapi^lly, and by the carcasscH of horses which they had eaten, 
 or which had i)eriBhed from Btarvation. When the interpreter, Biuso- 
 nettc, had conveyed this hitelligence, he urged Colonel Fremont to aban- 
 don the further prosecution of his exploration, and turn back at once, 
 lie was himself about to return, havhig gone as far as he had engaged 
 to attend the expedition. Colonel Fremont replied by calling up his 
 nic<i, and conununicating to them the inlbrraation he had received. lie 
 tlien expressed his determination to proceed to the end of the enterprise 
 on which he had been sent ; but lelt it optional with them to continue 
 with lum or to return. They had still ten days* provisions ; and should 
 no game bo found when this stock was expended, they had their horses 
 and mules as a last resource. But not a man flinched from the under- 
 takuig. " We'll eat the mules," said Basil Lajcimesse ; and thereupon 
 they shook hands with their interpreter and his Indians, and parted. 
 With them Colonel Fremont sent back one of tho men, whom the effects 
 of an old wound in the leg rendered incapable of continuing the jounjey 
 on foot. They then deposited the carts and all the baggage not abso- 
 lutely necessary to their future operations, and next morning continued 
 their route along the I*latte, finding an abundance of grass and other 
 vegetiition, as well sis of game, notwithstanding the representations of 
 the Indians. On the last day of July they left the Matte, and began 
 to asci'ud the Sweet Water River. On the 3d of August, as they passed 
 over a slight rise near the river, they caught the tirst view of the Wind 
 River Mountains, which, at the distance of about seventy miles, appeared 
 10 be a low and dark ridge. " The view," says Colonel Fremont, " dis- 
 t)ipat(>d in a moment the pictures which had been created in our minds, 
 by many travelers who have compared these mountains with the Alps in 
 Switzerland, and speak of the glittering peaks which rise in icy majesty 
 amidst the eternal glaciers nine or ten thousand feet into the region of 
 eternal snows." 
 
 Following the <!ourse of tho Sweet Water they gradually ascended 
 the niountaini), and on the 7th, encamped on rts banks near the South 
 I'asti. Early in the morning they sot out for tho dividing ridge. " About 
 six miles from our encampment," continues Colonel Fremont, " brought 
 us to the summit. The ascent had been so gradual that, with all the in- 
 timate knowledge possessed by Carson, who had made the country his 
 home for seventeen years, wo were obliged to watch very closely to find 
 the place at which we had reached the culminating point. This was be' 
 tween two low hills, rising on either hand fifty or sixty feet. Whei, I 
 looked back at them, from the foot of the immediate slope on th'j west* 
 cm plain, their summits appeared to be about one hundred and twenty 
 feet above. From the impression on my mind at this time, and subse* 
 quently on our return, I should compare the elevation which we sur^ 
 mounted immediately at the pass, to the ascent of the Capitol hill from 
 the avenue, at Washmgton. It is difficult for me to fix positively tho 
 
700 
 
 KIU«M()NT'H ICX I'l.Oll ATIONH. 
 
 Iiroiiildi of IIiIm |)!ihh. l*'rom lli»> Itritkm ^^^llnl| wln'io il, cittninotioim, ni, 
 llio fltot of llio \\ imi Uivcr «<lmiii, tli«* viiMV ti» \\\v hmihIi (mimI, In ovor ti 
 <<hiiiii|)iti)^ii roimlrv, Itniki'H, al lln' (liHliuic<< oC niiii>(i>)>ii iiiilt-M, hy (||„ 
 Tiiltlc UiM'k ; whii'li, willi tlio oIImt iNnlii(<Mi liillH in its vi<Miii(y,N<'('iM in 
 Htiiiitl on fi <<i)n)|)itrtitiv«> |iliiiii. 'I'IiIm I Jll(l^^'^l l«t \tv Uh (ri'iiiitifiliiiti, llm 
 vitly;o rccovcrinjr itH ni^f^i'tl <>litiriii'l(<r with llic Tuldn IJnok. Il, will iio 
 Rocntliiit it iiiuo miuinrr nwinitli'M (lif |iIihm'h fo wliit'li Hii' term Im cmmi- 
 inoiily n|»|»ii<'<l ii<itliiii|^ of (In' lioi);" like • liiiriu-<<>r iiiul wiinliii^ iiHmitM 
 of llic Allo^liiiiiy pHNHCM ill AiiitM'ii'ii ; imlliiiii^ of llic (Jiciit Si. Iti>riiiiri| 
 niitl Siiiiplnn ptiNNt'M ill Kiii-o|i(>. Apiiriiiirliiii^ it iVoiii Hit* iiiontli nt' ilio 
 SwiM't Water, a Hainly plain, <»iu» Iiiiii<Ii-«mI ami twniiy iiiilfH Inii^, fun. 
 «liiotn, liy a ^;ra<liial aii<l lofriiliir asiMMit, to tlu> Ntininiit, alHint Mi'vni tlioiH 
 nn<l lt><>t altovp tlio n<mi; ami tli<< tiiivrlrr, williont lirin^ n>ininil(M| nrnny 
 oliaiifi"(» Ity (oilHoino aHi'i'iit^t, Hmlil<<nly limlH liiniMi'lC on tim watciH wliicji 
 (low to (lie I'arilic Oi'cun. \\\ tln< ronio «■»' liad (ravrliMl, Ilii> (JiMlaiico 
 IVoin K«»rt liiuainio in tlin>(> linmlrt><| ami Iwcniy niilcH, or niiir liniKJicd 
 aiitl t!t\y iVoin tlio niontli ortlic KaiiNiis." 
 
 (Ntntiiuiin^r tli<>ii' iiiarcli, tlwy r<>arliiM| in ri^lit niilt'^ from llin |iiinh, 
 tlu» Mttli' Samly, ii trilmtary of tin' Coloiiitjo, or < Jrcfii Kivt-r oC llm 
 <»nll'olTalitornia, inni w* tlicy ailMun'cil.cioNHcd otlirr trilintarirM ortliut 
 ri\ cr, tlowiiifr down iVom tlii' Wiml Kivcr MoimlMiiiH, wIiomc loiVicst r;iii|r(> 
 tlu'v wvvo now approacliini!;. Al\<'r wimliiif^ llirir way n|» ii lonir raviim 
 on tlio liMli, tlicy oainc nm'\|i('<'l('<lly in vit'w ol' a iHanlilnl lake, wliicli 
 lay a«Mo«JS the diri'dion tlicy lia*i Ihm'ii pniHninjjr. " Here," sayw I'ltiiiDiil, 
 "a \n'w ot' till' ntinost iiiap;nitic(<m>(' ami ^ramlciir IhiihI upon our I'ycH. 
 Willi lotliiiitj iM'twi'i'u ns ami tlit'ir t'ci't to IrHHcn tlic clli'ct ot'tlic wIkiIc 
 lit'iulit, a >>iaml Im'<I «it* Hiiow-rapptMl tnonntaiiiH rose licCon' iih, pile n|i(iii 
 pilo. I'lowinu: in tlsc Inijflit lijj;lit ol'an Ahj^iimI day. linimMlinicly liclmv 
 tlu'tn lay tlio lake, i>»>lwtM'n two riil^'M, covi'icd witli dark pim«H, wliifli 
 Hwopt down tVoin tlio tmiin rliain to tlw spot w licit' w<> utood. 'Never 
 lu'l'ori',' said IMr. IVt'iiss, ' in tlii?* fonnlry or in Kiinipf, liavf I hccii niicIi 
 fjrand, nia^nitioiMit rooks.' 1 waw so niiit'li plfaseil with tlu' lit'aiily t)!' 
 llu' pl'uv, that I tlotonninod to niako tlio iiiaiii vamp lit'rc, wlicrc tiiir 
 animals w«ni1<l find jjjood past lira jfr, ami ovploro tlio inoiintaiiiN MJtli ii 
 wnall party of nit'ii." 
 
 Karly on tin* inorninjij of tlic lV.Mli tlicy It'll tlio «'amp, liilecii in 
 nuinlior, wt'll arnu'd, and iu<»nnti'd on tlu'ir Ix'st tnnlt's, A pat-k .iniinai 
 oarriod tlioir pri>vision», ami ovcry man liati ft blanket strapped over liis 
 Rftddle, to serve tor liis betl, vliile tlie iiiHtnunentH were earrieil liy turns 
 on their backs. After erossinj; the lirst lt»w range, and paHNiinij threuijli 
 dense forests with a rioh nndergnnvth of jilants, they nt length struck 
 the RUinniit of the ritlge. " We had reaehed ii very elevatctl puiiit,'' 
 continues Fremont, " ami in the valley below, ami ntnong the hills, wero 
 a number of lakes of ditVerent levels; st^ne two or three huntlred lot't 
 above others, with which they conununicated by foaming torrents. Kvcu 
 to our great height the roar of the cataracts canio uj), and wo could soo 
 
TIIIC WINr» lltVKIl MOIINTAINH 
 
 701 
 
 llioiii l)>ii|)iii^ ilowii ill liiM'M of MiDMvy liiiuii. I''niiii tliin Ncctic of Inmy 
 ntiti'i'H, \vi> tiirncil iilini|illy iiilti tlii> MlilliicHH (li'ti tiircHt, wlii'ti* w«! r(>«ii> 
 anions {\w o|m>ii IimIIh nrthi' piiicM, hvit h Iuwii of vcnluiit ^iuhh, liiivin^ 
 Hlrikiii^ly lln' iiir mI' nilliMiicd mimiiilH. TIiih ImI iih, hIIit ii (iiiH-, 
 miinli^ iiiiiHNi'H (irriM-k whirl) liuil iim vi-^i'tiilil*' fiiitli liiil in liollow^ iiiifi 
 n-cviccH, (liMii|{li Mlill tlio |tiiM' loicMt, roiiliiiiH'il, 'riMVfii'l rvtiiiiij^ wi< 
 ri<ii<*lii<<| II «li>lil<>, Ml- iiillicr fi IimIc in the fiioiinlitiiiH, oiiliifly hIiiiI in l»y 
 ilurk pine CMVi'icil im kn," 
 
 'I'liry wiiimIciciI iiImmiI, (iiiiriM<_r (li(-riHirM himI riiviiH'fl until (1)11 k, (ukI 
 tlicti IihmIciH'iI down to tlif <;nn|i. In llic tiioriiiii^ llicy (iH(!(>n<|((| u 
 inoniitiiiii-Hti'ciini, (liroii^li ii tlclilc wlicro llii> |iiiMHa^f wan HOMKliMii'H difli- 
 cull, until tlicy ri'iulii'ij a hiiiiiII Iuwii wIimi', in a litllo laki-, the Htriam 
 had ilH H(uir('(\ " llcii','" HayH l'"n>inoni, "I «h!l,«'rmiiic(l td Icavn our 
 aiiiinalH, aiid make tlio rent oroiir way on loot. Tlin peak appfarcd ho 
 m-ar that, tln'i«f waH no (hmlil of oiir n-lnriiiiij^ licfiiiJ- nij^ht. ; anil a (cw 
 iiicii wcin ji'd in rliar^n ol'tlm niiih'M, with onr proviHiotiH anil MunkitH, 
 W<i took with iiH niithin^ lint, onr uhiih and inntniiiii-nt,M, and, as thr day 
 had licconio waini, tint f^ii-ati'i- part, lidl our roat,H. Huvinj^ niadi- an 
 early dinner, wo Htartcd a^aiii. VVf wcro noon involvcil in thu niimt 
 nif,'H('d priM-ipici-H, nrarin/r tim mitral chain vi-ry nlowly, and riMini^ hut 
 little. Tim lirHt ridgn hid a Hiirri'HHion ofothciH; and whi-n, with ynat 
 litti^jriii* and dillicully, wi< lia<l I'liniiii'd ii|) five hundred feet, it w.'i.s Imt 
 t(i make an eipial deseent on the other Hiile; all tlicHe intervening plneen 
 were lilled with Hiiiall deep lakeH, which met the eye in every direction, 
 ilesci'tidin^ Irom ono level to another, HonietitneH under lirid^es f'orined 
 hy liut^u IVa^^inentu of granite, heneath which wiim heard the roar of fho 
 wuler. 'riicHi" coiiHlantly idislriicted our path, (oicinjjr uh to make lonj,( 
 (lilDiifn; IVeijiienlly oMi^ed to retrace our HtepH, and fre»(iifntly IJiilinj^ 
 .'imontr the iocKh. INIaxweil wiih precipiljited toward the liice ofa prec- 
 ipice, and Haved hiniself Irom f^oinj^ over by throwinj^ hiniHcir flat fin 
 llio (ground. AVo <'laiiil»ered on, alwayH c^xpectinj^, with every rid^o 
 that we (;ro,HHed,to reach the foot of the peakn, and alwayH diHappointed, 
 until ahout four o'clock, when, pretty well worn out, wi; reached the 
 sliuru of a littlo laki>, in which wart a ro(;ky island. 
 
 "liy tilt) (inio wo had n-ached the further Hid(! of the lake, we f'>'ind 
 oai'HelveH all exceedingly fatigued, and, much to the Katisfartion of the 
 whole party, we (ineamptid. Tho Hpot we had clioHcn was a l*road flat 
 rock, in sonm nieasiiro protected from the windrt by the Hurroundin^ 
 craf^H, and llio trunkn of fiillen pincH afforded us Itright fires. Near by 
 was a foaininjif torrent, which tumbled into the litth; lake about one hun- 
 dred and fifty feet below uh, and wliich, by way of distinction, we have 
 culled Island I/iko. We had reached tins nppiir limit of th(! piney 
 region ; as, above this point, no tree was to be set^n, and iiatchcs of 
 snow lay everywhcri! around us, on the cold sides of the rock. From 
 Imronietrical observations made (luring our three days' sojourn at this 
 place, its elevation above the Gulf of Mexico is ten thousand feet." 
 
702 
 
 K U K M N T'M K X I' 1. U A T I O N H. 
 
 Soon litVor tUvy <<ni<iuu|H<i|, t'dloiii'l l^'rcmont wiih fiik«<ii ill, niul ron« 
 tiniu'tl HO till Iiu«< in tli<> ni>{lit, with violoiit li<>!uliirliit hikI viMiiitin^. 'Wm 
 wnn pruhiihly owiiifj to fiiliguo, tin' want of ((hhI, iuuI, in nmiw iiii«iiHnrn, 
 (o till' rnrily of tho ntiiioHiihcrc. T\u\ u'mUi wiw rnM, nnd their >(miiii,<) 
 hciJM woro not (iivomltlo to Hlorp, tlu'niliirc, hh tli.«y wcri' not «lc|iiy»M| 
 l.y !Hiy iiri'|tiinitif»n for l»nMikliiNt. in ilic morning, they ml. «Mit iiimu!. 
 (lialoly. 
 
 "On every Mth\ iih we inlviniee(|," eonliinieH Kreniont, " wiw Iwiml 
 tlie roin* of wuterH, iin»l of* ii torrent, wliieli we ('ollowe«| npii mIioiI. (IIm- 
 tiinee, initil it expnntied into a lake uboiit one mile in len^tli. On t|in 
 noiiliern Hide of the liik(< wiih n hinik of ice, or rather of Hnow, covered 
 with a cruHt of ieo. C'arnon had heeii our miide into the niotintainH, and, 
 a^;reeal)ly to liiH advice, wo letl thiM lilth> valley, ami took to the ridden 
 aj^ain, which wo found i'xtromely broken, and where wo woro aj^aiti in- 
 volved amonjif precipiccH. Hero were ice-lieldn, amoii)^ which we worn 
 all disporHod, nookinj? each the bent path to aHcetid the peak. Mr. IVciinh 
 attempted to walk nlon^ the upper edj^e of ono of these Ihtldn, which 
 nlopcd away at an an^lo of about twenty deiyn'en ; but hiw fi-et nlippcd 
 tVom \nider him, and he went plun^iu)^ down the plain. A few hundred 
 feet below, at the bottom, were Home fr:i^mentH ofHharp rock, on which 
 he landed ; nnd, though ho turned a eoupio of HomerHotN, fortunately re- 
 ceived no injurv beyond a few briUHeH." 
 
 Two of the m(>n had beeji taken ill, and Krcmont liintNelf mum iij^aiti 
 unwell ; an ho grow worse h«» neiit. ItaHil IjajetmeNHc, with four men, hack 
 to the pl;ioo whoro tho nniles had been left. Kindin^ it unpleaHatitly 
 cold on tho rock, th«'y at length set out to return f«» tho camp, wlicni 
 1 hey .all came Htr;ijjf»Iinj^ in one af\er tlu< other. 'r<»ward evening Col- 
 on»>l Kremont r<><'t)ver«'d ami (hey were relieved by the appearanci^ of 
 Uiusil and four men with mnlen and a Hupply of l)laid<etH an<l provisions. 
 
 In tho morninpt Fremont HOt ont, with Mr. IVouhh and foin- men, to 
 ascend (ho peak t«>ward which all their ofVorts had been <lirected. Tliis 
 time (hey de(orminod to proceed quietly ami cautiouHly, beinj^ resolved 
 io acoompliHh (heir object if it wan within tim compuHH of human means. 
 They w»>nt forward by n lonjpf dolilo, which wan of easy nscc-nt, hut 
 rutrjxcd and sometimes hiippory M ilh ice, and soon h:ul th(> salisfaction 
 oC lidinuf alon^; tho Inij^o wjUI which f5»rintid tho central Hununits of tho 
 mount.iin. It rose at their sidos, n nearly jK'rpondicular massof j^ranitc, 
 terminating at two or throo thousand foot above their heads in a sor- 
 rated line of broken, jajjjjod cones. At long(h thoy roaclied a level at 
 tho ba.Ho of tho main poak, cAllod Snow I'eak by Fremont, nnd finding 
 pood grass thoy turned tho miilus loose to grnzo. Tho party now began 
 loisun'ly to climb the ascent. Colonel Frein«int availed hinisolf of a 
 comb of tho mountain, which stood against tho wall like a buttress, and 
 which tho wind and sun, joined to tho smoothness of tho rock, had kept 
 almost free from snow. Up this he niado liis way very rapidly, until 
 ho reached a pouit where tho buttress woa overhanging, and thcro 
 
\tMHi 
 
 Vol 
 11, to 
 
 Tirw 
 
 iioans. 
 
 I, ^">t 
 act ion 
 
 of tho 
 ri\niU', 
 •V ser- 
 L.vol at, 
 
 began 
 
 l>\f of a 
 ani\ 
 
 , until 
 thcro 
 
 TIIR HITMMIT OK T II K I' K A K 
 
 708 
 
 wnM no oUicr wny of NurindiinlitiK Ijio ilifliciilty Umn by piiHNin^ hrouii<l 
 Olio HwUi of it, whirli wuh (Iki Humi ofn viirlitiiil itnuMpim of mtvoml Itiiii^ 
 (Ii'imI t<M>t. 
 
 *' i'littiiiK IiiukIn (UkI f«M-l ill i)u* crdvircN Ixitwdcii tlii' MocUn,'* lin 
 coiiliiMKiH, " I Hiirct'iiili'tl ill ^<>^lill^ «»v(ir it, luid, wIikii I ntnclicd ttix to|i, 
 CuiiimI my roiii|iuiiiotiH in a hiiihII viilhiy ImiI«iw. 1)cM(M>M<iinf{ to lliciii, wo 
 <i<iiitinii<<<| cliinliiii^, niul in n Mlioit tiiiiii n>uc.li<!<l tint otcHt. I H|ii'iiiif{ ii|ion 
 tliii Hiiiiiniit, iiiid niiotlior Ntrp woiiM Imvo prcciiiitatrd iiio into an ini- 
 iiiiiiiNU HiiowfioM tivd liiiiMir«<(| li't't Itolow. To thii ctl^n of tliiH liold wnn 
 n hIioci- iiiy iinuiipim ; uiid tiioii, with u ^nwliiiil full, tiio field Hlopcd nil* 
 for liboiit n iiiilo, until it Htnick thii foot of tuiotiior lowor rUl^fi: I Htood 
 on n narrow iiroNt, about tlirco fii'i't in width, with an inclination ofalHtiit 
 '20" north, Al" I'liHl. Ah hmoii aH I IiimI ^ratitidd tho firnt frolin^H of < ii- 
 rioHity, \ dcix^rndcd, and oacJi inaii aHccntbid in hiH turn ; ibr I would 
 only allow ono at a tinio to inoinit tho iinHtabht and procarioiiH HJab, 
 whii^h it HdoiiK'd a broath would hurl into tlio abyriH bolow. Wo nioiintod 
 the barotnotor in tlio nnow of tho Minnntit, and, fixiiif^ a rant rod in a orov- 
 ico, iinfiirlod tliu national ila^ to wavo in tho brocKo whcro novor ttny; 
 wavod boforo. Diiriiif^ our niornin^'H aHoont, wo had mot no Kij^n of 
 aniinal lifo, oxoopt a Hiiiall H[iarrow-liko liinl. A HtillnoHH th«t moHt pro- 
 found and a iorriblo Holitiido forood thoniNolvoH oonHtantly on tho mind 
 as tho ^roal foatiiroH of tho placo. Iforo, on tht^ Hiitnmit, whoro tho 
 HlillnoHH waH abNoItito, unbroken by any Hoiind, and Holitudo (;(*mploto, 
 wo thought oui'MoIvoH bi'yond tlio rogion of animatitd lifit ; but whiio 
 wo woru nitting on IIkj rcxik, a Holitary boo (hromnH, ihv, hmnhk-hn) 
 cunio winging hiH iliglit from tho oantorn valh-.y, and liton tho knoo ofono 
 of tho mon. 
 
 ** ft waH a Htrungo plaoo, tho ioy rook and tin; higlu'Ht |)oak of tho 
 Uooky MountainH, Ibr a lovor of warm Huimhino and lloworH ; an«l wo 
 ploasod oufHolvoH with tho idi-a that ho waH the first of hiH hjiooioh to 
 croHH tho mountain barrittr — a solitary pioneor to fbroioll tho adv.inoe of 
 civili/Jition. I boliovo that a nKmionrs tbought would havo mado iih l(;t 
 him cuiitinuo bin way itnharmod ; but wo (;arriod out tho law of tluH 
 country, whoro all animated naturi; Hocmv at war ; and, Hoi/jng )iim im- 
 mediately, put liim in at least a fit placo — in the UiavoH of a large book, 
 among tho floworH wo bad colhictod on our way. The baronriett^r stood 
 at IH"20U, tho attJMiliod tberniomctor at 44" ; giving for tho elovutifni (»f 
 this summit iJJ/iVO feet above tho Gulf of Mexico, wbicih may br; <;:iil(!d 
 tho highest flight of tho boo. It i» certainly tlio bighest known flight 
 of that insect. From the dcscnption given by Mackenzie of tho mount- 
 aioH wlioro he crosRod thein, with that of a Freaoh ofTicor still furtJior 
 to the north, and Colonel Long's nioasuromentH to tho south, joined to 
 the opinion of tho oldest trad(!rs of the country, it is prosnme<l that this 
 is the highest peak of tho llocky Mountains. Tho day wsis sunny and 
 bright, but a slight shuiing mist hung over the lower plains, which in- 
 terfered with our view of tho aurrounding country. On one side wo 
 
704 
 
 F H K M () NT'S I'lX I" L (HI A T 1 NS. 
 
 ovoilookiul inniniu'mblc lakes and HtnmniH, llio spring of tlic Colorado of 
 tho (tiilf of Ciiliforniii; and on the other wuh the Wind Itiver valley, 
 where \v<'re the heads of the Yellowstone brancli of the Missouri ; liir 
 to the north, we eould just discover the snowy heads of the 'IVoin 7h(o/m, 
 where! were the sources of the Missouri and Columbia Uivers ; and at the 
 southern extremity of the ridge, the peaks were jilainly visible, among 
 which were some of the Hj)rings of the Nebraska or Platte Itiver. 
 Around »is, the whole sceno liad one main, striking feature, which was 
 that of terrible convulsion. I'arallel to its length, the ridge was split 
 into chasms and fissures ; between which rose the thin lolly walls, tenni- 
 nated with slender minarets and columns." 
 
 They reached the camp on the evening of the next day, and on the 
 17th the party turned their faces homeward. At Kock Independence, 
 where they arrived at their old encampment on the 22d, Colonel Fre- 
 mont embarked for the purpose of making a survey of the Platte River 
 on their return, but after dragging their boat a mile or two over the 
 sands, he gave up the tmdertaking tmtil reaching the mouth of the Sweet 
 Water Uivcr, where they embarked on the 25th. Proceeding rapidly 
 down the river, they soon approached a ridgo where the stream passes 
 between perpendicular rocks of great height, which frccpiently ajtproach 
 each other so closely overliead as to form a kind of tunnel over the stream, 
 while it foams along below, half choked up by fallen fragments. To this 
 jiass the Spanish term " canon" has been applied. As they neared the 
 ridge, the river made a sudden turn and swept square down against one 
 of the walls of the canon, witli great velocity, and ho steep that it had 
 the a|)pearanco of an inclined plane. When they launched into this the 
 men jumped overboard to check the velocity of the boat, but were soon 
 in water up to their necks, and the boat ran on. They succeeded, how- 
 ever, in bringing lier to a small point of rocks on the right, at the 
 mouth of the canon. From the summit of the rocks the passage ap- 
 peared to be a continued cataract, foaming over many obstructions, and 
 broken by a number of small falls. They all again embarked, and at first 
 attempted to check the way of the boat ; but they narrowly escaped 
 being swamped, and were obliged to let her go in the full force of the 
 current, and trust to the skill of the boatmen. In some places the stream 
 was contracted to fi-om three to five feet by huge rocks whi(!h had fallen 
 in, and was precipitated over them in a fall, or rushed through the con- 
 tracted opening with tremendous violence. The boat, being of India- 
 rubber, was unhurt by every shock. In this way they passed three 
 cataracts in succession, where about a hundred feet of smooth water in- 
 tervened, and finally issued from the tunnel with a shout of joy. They 
 stopped at eight o'clock to breakfast on the banks below the cailon, for 
 all were wet, fatigued, and hungry. 
 
 They re-embarked at nine, and in about twenty minutes reached the 
 next canon. Landing to reconnoiter, they found portage was out of the 
 question ; the jagged rocks pointed out the course of the canon on a 
 
ADVKNTURK IN TIIK RAPIDS. 
 
 705 
 
 windinpj lino of 8(!V(>ii or ciglit inilc.s. It waH Himply a narrow, dark 
 cliaHrn in the rock ; the luTpctuiiciilar faccH wcro mudi liiglicr than in 
 the i)rt'vi()iiH pasH, bcinjn from two to tliroo hundred feet at tliii uppor 
 end, and ilvi! Imndrcd f»;».'t further down. Kvory Ihiuy; boinj^ now 
 8ccurc(i aH firmly as poHsil)h', they j)iiNht>d into tho Htream and came tr» 
 the first, difliriilt pass. A stroiij,' ropi; had been fiistt-ntsd to tho storn of 
 the boat ; tlircc men damh(>rcd ahdif^ iho rocks, and with this ropo let 
 licr slowly throiij^h tho pass. In on(! of tho narrows, formed hy the hij^h 
 rocks which lay scattincd about tin; channel, the boat stuck liist for an 
 instant, and the wat«!r flew ov<'P thci.i, sweeping; away only a pair of 
 Haddlo-bags, but tliey quickly forced her through and came into smoother 
 water. Tho n(;xt jtassago was much Avorse, and they found themselves 
 in a rather bad position. To go l»ack was inipossibhi ; before them tho 
 cataract was a wheot of foam ; and shut up in tho chasm by tho rocks, 
 wliich seemed almost lo mcutt overliead, tho roar of tho water was deaf- 
 ening. They pushed off again ; but soon tho current became too strong 
 for tho men on shore, and two of lh('m let go the rope. Lajounosso 
 hung on and was jerked head foremost into the rivor from a rock about 
 twelve feet liigh ; tho boat shot forw ird, IJasil following in the rajnd 
 current, his liead only seen occasionally in tho white foam. They suc- 
 ceeded at length in turning the boat into an eddy, and IJasil Lajeunesso 
 arrived immediately .aller, declaring tliat lio had boon swimmi'ig half a 
 mile. They tlien took him and the two others on board, and again be- 
 gan the rapid descent. They cleared rock after rock, and shot past iiiU 
 after iiill, until they became familiar with the danger, and, yielding to 
 the excitement of the occasion, they broke forth into a Canadian boat- 
 song. They were in the midst of tho chorus when the boat struck a 
 hidden rock at tho foot of a fall, which whirled her over in an instant. 
 They saved themselves on tlie rocks upon either side, although with 
 considerable difticulty, as three of the men could not swim. For a hun- 
 dred yards below the stream Avas covered with books and boxes, bales 
 and blankets ; all their books — almost every record of tho journey — 
 their journals and registers of astronomical and barometrical observa- 
 tions, had been lost in a moment. 
 
 Colonel Fremont immediately set about endeavoring to save some- 
 thing from the wreck. They descended the stream on each side, and 
 Lajeunesso in the boat alono proceeded down the canon. The search 
 was continued for a milo and a half, when the bed of the river became 
 choked up with fragments of the rock and the boat could pro-icod no 
 fiirthcr. Fortunately they recovered all their registers, excc^ . one of 
 Fremont's journals, containing notes and incidents of travel, and various 
 descriptions and observations, many of which were supplied by the other 
 journals. As tho day was now declining they set forward over tho 
 rocks and joined tho rest of the party at Goat Island, a short distance 
 below this rocky pass. 
 
 They reached Fort Laramie on tho last day of August, and after a 
 
 45 
 
706 
 
 FUEMONT'S KXI'LORATIONS. 
 
 two »lay»' rest continuod tluur liomoward journoy down tlio Platto, 
 which wa.s glorioutt wit)i thu autumnal H[)kmd()r of iiinuiuorablo tlowern 
 in full hlooin. On thi; morning ofOotobor lOth they arrivml at thn 
 nioutli of tlio Kansas, just four months since thoy had led Chouteau's 
 trading-|)ost, ton miles above, and on the 17th thu expedition arrived 
 safely in St. Louis. 
 
 JOURNKY TO ORKOON AND CALIFORNIA. 
 
 In order to connect the explorations of 1842 with tho surveys of 
 Commander Wilkes on tho coast of tho l'acifi(!, so as to give a connect- 
 ed survey of tho interior of our continent, Colonel Fremont was dis- 
 patclicd to tlie West in tho spring of 184.1, to organize another exploring 
 party. After passing two weeks at the little town of Kansas, he com- 
 pleted the preparations necessary for the expedition contemplated hy 
 his instructions. Tho i)arty, consisting principally of Creole and Cana- 
 dian French, and Americans, amounted in all to thirty-nine men ; among 
 whom were several who had been on the first expedition. They sot out 
 on the 20th of May ; tho route now determined on was up the valley of 
 the Kansas liiver .and to the head w.ators of tho Arkansas. 
 
 They ascended the Kepiiblican Fork of tho Kansas, and on crossing 
 M\ elevated range of rolling hills, on the !?Oth of June, found themselves 
 overlooking a broad valley, wlu're, about ten miles distant and a tliou- 
 sand feet below them, the south Fork of Iho Platte flowed along, swollen 
 by tho w.aters of tho melting snows. "Traveling along up tho valley of 
 the river, hero four thousand feet above tho sea, in the afternoon of July 
 1st," says Colonel Fremont, "wo caught a far and uncertain view of a 
 faint blue mass in tho west, .as the sun sank behind it ; and from our 
 camp in the morning, at the mouth of Bijou, Long's Peak and the neigh- 
 boring mountains stood out into the sky, grand and luminously white, 
 covered to their bases with glittering snow." 
 
 On the 4th of July they reached St. Vrain's fort, and afterward pur- 
 sued their route down tho Boiling-spring River to its mouth on the 
 Arkansas, where they arrived on tho 14th. Here they had expected a 
 re-enforcement of mules and supplies from Taos, but tho natives having 
 pillaged the iidiabitants of that place, these supplies were cut off. Hero 
 Colonel Fremont had the satisfaction of meeting with their old buffalo- 
 hunter. Kit Carson, whose services ho again secured. As a supply of 
 mules was absolutely necessary, he sent Cai'son to tho post of Mr. Bent, 
 on the Arkansas, about seventy-five miles below Boiling-spring River, 
 with directions to proceed across the country with what animals he 
 could find, and meet the party at St. Vrain's fort. Returning thither 
 on the 2.3d, they found Fitzpatrick, tho guide, and his party, in excel- 
 lent health and spirits, and tho reliable Kit Carson, who had brought 
 ten mules with their pack-saddles. Mr. Fitzpatrick, who was inured to 
 
CR088INO THE ROOKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 707 
 
 moiintrun life niul know w«Il tho vnluo of proviMions in thin country, had 
 socuhhI nn iihiuulant Hiipply in tho camp. 
 
 " Ilavint; iU'tcnnincd to try the passiigo by a pasa through a spur of 
 tho inountuiiis mailo by tho (-acho-ii-Ia-I'oudro llivcr, which riacB in the 
 high bod of mountaitiH around Long's peak," continues Fremont, " I 
 thought it advisable to avoid any encumbrances which would oi^casion 
 detention, and accordingly again separated tho party into two divisions 
 — one of which, und(!r the command of Mr. Fitzpatrick, was directed to 
 cross tho plains to the mouth of Laramie Iliver, and continuing thence 
 its route along tlus usual emigrant road, meet mo at Fort llall, a post 
 belonging to tho Hudson IJ.iy (!omj>any, and situated on Snake River, 
 as it is commonly called in the Oregon Territory, although bettor known 
 to us as Lewis's fork of the Columbia. Our Delaware Indians having 
 determined to return to their homes, it became necessary to provide 
 this party with a good hunter; and I accordingly engaged in that 
 capacity Alexander Godcy, a young man who had been in this country 
 six or seven years, all of which time had been actively employed in 
 hunting for tho support of tho posts, or in solitary expeditions among 
 tho Indians." 
 
 On tho l.^th of August Colonel Fremont crossed the dividing ridge 
 which separates tho Atlantic from tho Pacific waters, by a road some 
 miles south of the one followed on his return in 1842. They crossed 
 near tho Table Mountain, at the southern extremity of tho Squth Pass, 
 which is near twenty miles in width, and was already traversed by sev- 
 eral different roads. The elevation of their route on this pass was seven 
 thousand four hundred and ninety feet. Entering here the valley of the 
 Green River — the great Colorado of tho West — and inclining southward 
 along the streams which form tho Sandy River, tho road led for several 
 days over dry and level plains, and on tho 15th they encamped in the 
 Mexican territory, on the Green River, sixty-nine miles from the South 
 Pass, and one thousand and thirty miles from the mouth of the Kansas. 
 This was tho emigrant trail to Oregon, which they followed along the 
 Green River, and thence toward the Salt Lake. After crossing the di- 
 viding ridge of the Rocky Mountains, the plants were few in variety, the 
 grass became poor and insufficient, and in this portion of tho journey 
 they lost several of their animals. 
 
 To avoid delay, Colonel Fremont sent Carson in advance to Fort 
 Hall on the 19th, to make arrangements for a supply of provisions. On 
 tho 2l8t they entered the fertile and picturesque valley of Bear River, 
 the principal tributary to the Great Salt Lake. The stream is here two 
 hundred feet wide, fringed with willows and occasional groups of haw- 
 thorns. *' We were now entering a region," observes Colonel Fremont^ 
 " which, for us, possessed a strange and extraordinary interest. We wer« 
 upon the waters of the famous lake which forms a salient point among 
 the remarkable geographical features of the country, and around which 
 tho vague and superstitious accounts of tho trappers had thrown a de- 
 
708 
 
 FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 lightful obscurity. In our occasional conversations with tho few old 
 hunters who had visited tho region, it had been a subject of frequent 
 speculation ; and the wonders which they related were not the less agree- 
 able because they wore highly exaggerated and impossible." 
 
 Next morning they crossed Smith's Fork, a clear, broad stream, flow- 
 ing in through a wide mountain pass. Below, the valley of the Bear 
 River was broad and beautiful, but contracted as they advanced, and at 
 length swept through an open canon where high vertical rocks rose up 
 from tho water's edge. Night came on as they wero crossing the ridge 
 around this canon, and they had great difficulty in groping their way 
 down the steep mountain side, which it was necessary to descend for 
 water and grass. In the morning the'"" found they had encamped near a 
 large party of emigrants, and others were moving along tho road below. 
 In an hour's travel they met a small party of Shoshonees, who informed 
 them that a large village had lately come into the valley, from a hunting 
 excursion among the mountains on the west. Colonel Fremont unmedi- 
 ately set off to visit their encampment. He had approached within about 
 a mile when, he observes, " suddenly a single horseman emerged ii-om it 
 at full speed, followed by another and another in rapid succession ; and 
 then party after party poured into the plain, until, when the foremost 
 rider reached us, all the whole intervening plain was occupied by a mass 
 of horsemen, which came charging down iipon us with guns and naked 
 swords, lances, and bows and arrows — Indians entirely naked, and war- 
 riors fully dressed for war, with the long red streamers of their war- 
 bonnets reaching nearly to tho ground, all mingled together in the 
 bravery of savage warfare. They had been thrown into a sudden tumult 
 by the appearance of our flag, which, among those people, is regarded 
 as an emblem of hostility — it being usually borne by the Sioux and the 
 neighboring mountain Indians, when they come hero to Avar ; and wo 
 had, accordingly, been mistaken for a body of their enemies. A few 
 words from the chief quieted the excitement ; and tho whole baud, in- 
 creasing every moment in number, escorted us to their encampment." 
 
 They purchased eight horses and a quantity of berries and roots from 
 the Indians, and encamped near them for the night. On the 26th, they 
 reached tho famous Beer Sj)rin</s. They are situated in a basin of mine- 
 ral waters inclosed by tho mountains, which sweep around a circular 
 bend of the Beai River. A stream of clear Avater enters the upper part 
 of the basin from an open valley in the mountains, and discharges into 
 the river. They encamped a mile below, in the vicinity of the springs. 
 In tho bed of tho river, for a space of several hundred yards, they were 
 very abundant, the effervescing gas rising up and agitating the water in 
 countless bubbling columns. In the vicinity wero numerous springs of 
 an entirely different and equally marked mineral character. One of 
 these, at sorao distance below the camp, throws up a variable jet of 
 water to the height of about three feet. 
 
 *' Remaining in camp until nearly eleven o'clock, on tho 25th," con- 
 
NAVIGATION OF THE SALT LAKE. 
 
 709 
 
 tinucs Fremont, " wc travcle J a short distance down the river, and halted 
 at noon on the bank, at a point where the road quits the valley of Bear 
 River, and, crossing a ridge which divides the Great Basin from the Pa- 
 cific waters, reaches Fort Hall, by way of the Portneuf River, in a dis- 
 tance of probably fifty miles, or two and a half days' journey for wagons. 
 An examination of the great lake which is the outlet of this river, and 
 che principal feature of geographical interest in the basin, w^as one of the 
 main objects contemplated in the general plan of our survey, and I ac- 
 cordingly determined at this place to leave the road, and, after having 
 completed a reconnoissance of the lake, regain it subsequently at Fort 
 Hall." 
 
 Pursuing his route, he made preparations on the 1st of September for 
 reaching the lake. He remarks: "Among the useful things which 
 formed a part of our equipage, was an India-rubber boat, eighteen feet 
 long, made somewhat in the form of a bark canoe of the northern lakes. 
 The sides were formed by two air-tight cylinders, eighteen inches in 
 diameter, connected with others forming the bow and stern. To lessen 
 the danger from accidents to the boat, these were divided into four dif- 
 ferent compartments, and the interior space was sufficiently large to con- 
 tain five or six persons, and a considerable weight of baggage. The 
 Roseaux being too deep to be forded, our boat was filled with air, and 
 in about one hour all the equipage of the camp, carriage and gun in- 
 cluded, ferried across. Thinking that perhaps in the course of the day 
 v/c might reach the outlet of the lake, I got into the boat with Basil La- 
 jeuncsse, and paddled down Bear River." 
 
 The channel of the river became so obstructed that they were obliged 
 to leave the boat next day and proceed by land, and on the 3d sent back 
 men and horses for the boat and baggage. Their provisions were begin- 
 ning to fliil, when Carson came up on the 4th with a light supply from 
 Fort Hall. After many difficulties, they saw, on the 5 th, an isolated 
 mountain, twelve miles distant, toward which they directed their course, 
 in the hope of obtaining from it a view of the lake, but the deepening 
 marshes obliged them to return to the river, and gain higher ground. 
 On the Cth they again made the attempt. " This time," he continues, 
 "we reached the butto without any difficulty, and, ascending to the sum- 
 mit, immediately at our feet beheld the object of our anxious search — the 
 waters of the inland sea, stretching in still and solitary grandeur far 
 beyond the limit of our vision. It was one of the gnat points of the explo- 
 ration ; and as we looked eagerly over the lake in the first emotions of 
 excited pleasure, I am doubtful if the followers of Balboa felt more enthu- 
 siasm when, from the heights of the Andes, they saw for the first time 
 the great Western Ocean. It was certainly a magnificent object, and a 
 noble terminus to this part of our expedition ; and to travelers so long 
 shut up among mountain ranges, a sudden view over the expanse of si- 
 lent waters had in it something sublime. Several large islands raised 
 their high rocky heads out of the waves ; but whether or not they wero 
 
710 
 
 FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 timbered, was still left to our imagination, as the distance was too great 
 to determine if the dark hu^a upon them were woodland or naked rock." 
 
 They returned to a grove which was the nearest point to the lake 
 where a suitable camp could bo found, and next day built an iuclosure 
 for the animals and a small fort for the men who were to remain. 
 
 "The provisions which Carson brought with him being now cx- 
 liausted, and our stock reduced to a small quantity of roots, I deter- 
 mined to retain with me only a sufficient number of men for the execu- 
 tion of our design ; and accordingly seven were sent back to Fort Hall, 
 under the guidance of Frangois Lajeunesse, who, having been for many 
 years a trapper in the country, was considenid an experienced mount- 
 aineer. Though they were provided with good horses, and the road 
 was a remarkably plain one of only four days' journey for a horseman, 
 they became bewildered (as we afterward leanied), and, losing their 
 way, wandered about the country in parties of one or two, reaching the 
 fort about a week afterward. 
 
 " We formed now but a small family. With Mr. Preuss and myself, 
 Carson, Bemier, and Basil Lajeunesse, had been selected for the boat- 
 expedition — the first attempted on this interior sea ; and Badeau, ■with 
 Derosier, and Jacob (the colored man), were to bo left in charge of the 
 camp. 
 
 " In view of our present enterprise, a part of the equipment of the 
 boat had been made to consist in three air-tight bags, about three foet 
 long, and capable each of containing five gallons. These had been Ullcd 
 with water the night before, and were now placed in the boat, with our 
 blankets and instruments. We left the camp at sunrise on the 8th, and 
 had a pleasant voyage down the river, in which there was generally eight 
 or ten feet of water, deepening as we neared the mouth in the latter 
 part of the day. In the course of the morning we discoverd that two 
 of the cylinders leaked so much as to require one man constantly at the 
 bellows, to keep th- .u sufficiently full of air to support the boat. On 
 the 9th the chamiel became so shallow that our na^-igatiou was nt an 
 end, being merely a sheet of soft mud, with a few inches of water, and 
 sometimes none at all. Wc took off our clothes, and, getting overboard, 
 commenced dragging the boat, making, by this operation, a very curious 
 trail, and a very disagreeable smell m stirring up the mud, as avo sank 
 above the knee at every step. The water here was still fresh, ■with 
 only an insipid and disagreeable taste, probably derived from the bed 
 of fetid mud. After proceeding in this way about a mile, we came to 
 a small black ridge on 'he bottom, beyond which the water became sud- 
 denly salt, beginning gradually to deepen, and the bottom was sandy 
 and firm. It was a remarkable division, separating the fresh waters of 
 the river from the briny water of the lake, which was entirely saturated 
 with common salt. Pushing our little vessel across the narrow bound- 
 ary, wc sprang on board, and at length were afloat on the waters of the 
 unknown sea." 
 
THE ISLAND CAMP. 
 
 711 
 
 They steered first for one of the islands, from which to begin their 
 operations. As they advanced into deep water they encountered a 
 strong north wind and a rough sea, and when they were half way across, 
 two of the divisions between the cylinders gave way, so that the bellows 
 were in constant use to keep in a sufficient quantity of air. For i\ long 
 time they made slow progress, but finally gained the smoother water 
 under the lee of the island, and about noon reached the shore. Carry- 
 ing with them the instruments, in the afternoon they ascended to the 
 highest point of the island — a bai'e, rocky peak, eight hundred feet 
 above the l.-xko. From the summit they had an extended view of the 
 lake, inclosed in a basin of rugged mountains, which in some places rose 
 directly from the water in bold and precipitous blufl*3. " Following 
 with our glasses the irregular shores," continues Fremont, " wo searched 
 for some indications of a communication with other bodies of water, or 
 the entrance of other rivers ; but the distance was so great that we 
 could make out nothing with certainty. As we looked over the vast 
 expanse of water spread out beneath us, and strained our eyes along the 
 silent shores over which hurg so much doubt and uncertainty, and which 
 were so full of interest to us, I could hardly repress the almost irresist- 
 ible desire to continue our explorations ; but the lengthening snow on 
 the mountains w.is a plain indication of the advancing season, and our 
 frail Unen boat appeared so in-^ocure that I was unwilling to trust our 
 lives to the uncertainties of the lake. I therefore unwillingly resolved 
 to terminate our survey hero, and remain satisfied for the present with 
 what Ave had been able to add to the unknown geography of the region. 
 Out of the drift-wood, wo made ourselves pleasant little lodges, open to 
 the water ; and, after having kindled large fires to excite the wonder 
 of any straggling sav.agc on the lake shores, lay ilown, for the first time 
 in a long journey, in perfect security ; no one thinking about iiis arms." 
 
 Leaving the lake next day they pro( ltd toward Fort Hall, and 
 on the 18th emerged on the plains of the ( oluinbia, in sight of the 
 famous " Three Buttes," a well-known landmark in the country. At 
 sunset they encamped with their friends who had proooded them u, 
 Fort Hall, and in the morning Colonel Fremont rode up to tho fort ami 
 purchased several very indifferent horses, and five oxen in fine <jr(ler, 
 which wore received at the camp with great satisfaction. Here the I'arly 
 approach of winter and the difliculty of supporting a large party, ttter- 
 mined Fremont to send back a number of the men who had bicoine 
 satisfied that they were not fitted for the laborious service and frequent 
 privation to which they were necessarily exposed. 
 
 The party with Colonel Fremont now proceeded down the Sri 
 River, holding occasional intercourse with the Indians by the way, and 
 on the morning of December 0th, arrived at Fort Boise, a simple 
 dwelling-houso on the bank of the river below the mouth of Riviere 
 Boisce. Here they were hospitably received by Mr. Payette, an oflUcer 
 of the Hudson Bay Company, in charge of the fort, all of whose gar- 
 
712 
 
 FREMONT'S KXPLOU ATIONS. 
 
 risoii consisU'd in .1 Canadian oigaije. On tlic l;Uh tlioy loft the valley 
 of the jj;roat sonthorn branch of llio Cohinibia Itivcr, to which tho ah- 
 Honcc of timber and tho scarcity of water gavo tho api)caranco of a 
 desert, and crossing over to tho valley of Hurnt Uiver, entered a 
 inoiuitain region, where tho soil i.s good and the face of tho country 
 covered with nutritions grasses and dense forests. C\)ntinuing their 
 Journey northward, they reacluul the I'owder Kiver, whoso course tlu^y 
 followed a few days, then leaving the emigrant route, they crossed tho 
 mount ai'is by an Indian trail to the head-waters of the Umatilah. They 
 were sometimes obliged to cut their Avay through tho forests, whicii 
 hero consist of several vari('lies of spruce, larch, and balsam-pine, of a 
 regular conical figure. The trees were from sixty to two Imndred feet 
 in height, tho usual circumference being ten to fitleen feet, and in tho 
 j)ines sometimes twenty-one feet. 
 
 On the 23d tho trail led along one of tho spurs of tho mountain on 
 Avhieh they had been traveling, descending gradually toward the jilain, 
 and they at length emerged from the forest in full view of tho plain bo- 
 low, and saw the snowy mass of Mount Hood standing high out above 
 the surrounding country at tho distance of ono hundred and eighty 
 miles. Hero they reacluid the Wallahwallah Uiver, just after it has is- 
 sued from narrow ravines, walit-d with precipices. Next day thoy 
 crossed a principal fork, below which tho scattered waters of tho river 
 were gathered into one channel ; and passing on the way several unfin- 
 ished houses and some cleared patches where corn and potatoes were 
 cultivated, they reached, a few miles further, the missionary establish- 
 ment of Dr. Whitman, which consisted at this time of ono adobe 
 house. 
 
 "Ilie road on tho i25th," says Colonel Fremont, "led over a sandy, 
 undulating jtlain, through which a scantily-timbered river takes its 
 course. We halted about three miles abovo tho mouth, on account of 
 grass ; and tho next morning arrived at the Nez l*erce fort, one of the 
 trading establishments of tho Hudson Bay Company, a few lumdrcd 
 yards abovo tho junction of tho Wallahwallah with the Columbia Kiver. 
 Hero we had the first view of this river, and found it about twelve hun- 
 dred yards wide, and presenting the appearance of a fine navigable 
 stream." Continuing down the valley of the Columbia, he reached the 
 Methodist missionary station at tho l)alli"<, on tho 4th of November. 
 
 "Our land journey," says he, "found Iuto its Avestern termination. 
 Tho delay involved in getting our camp to tho right bank of the Colum- 
 bia, and hi opening a road through the continuous forest to Vancouver, 
 rendered a journey along the river impracticable ; and on this side the 
 usu.al road across the mountain required strong and fresh animals, there 
 being an interval of three days in which they could obtain no food. I 
 therefore wrote immediately to Sir. Fitzpatrick, directing him to aban- 
 don the carts at the Wallahwallah missionary statin, and as soon as the 
 necessary jjack-saddles could be made, which his party required, meet 
 
NEW EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 713 
 
 mo at tho Dallies, from which pouit I proposed to commence our homo- 
 Avard journey." 
 
 lie then descended the river to Fort Vancouver, where he found tho 
 hark (■olumbia, lying at anchor near tho landing. She was ahout to 
 start on a voyage to England, and was now ready for sea ; being de- 
 tained only in waiting tho arrival of tho express batteaux, which descend 
 tho ('oluml)ia and its north fork with tho overland mail from Canada 
 and Hudson's IJay, which had bc(!n delayed beyond the usual lime. He 
 immediately waited upon Dr. McLaughlin, the executive officer of the 
 Hudson Bay Company, who supplied him with stores and provisions for 
 his party in their coutem[)lated winter journey to the States ; and, also 
 with a boat, and canoes, and men, for their transportation to the Dalles 
 of tho Columbia. Near sunset on the 10th tho boats lell the fort, and 
 in tho afternoon of tho 18th tho party arrived again at the Dalles. 
 
 Tho camp was now occujjied in making preparations for the home- 
 ward journey, for which he contemplated a new route to the south and 
 Boutli-west, and tho exploration of tho Great Basin between the llocky 
 Mountains and tho Sierra Nevada. Colonel Fremont wished to ascer- 
 tain tho character or existence of tlireo principal objects reported to be 
 on this route, which ho assumed as leading points on the projected lino 
 of return. "Tho lirst of these points was the Tlamath Lake, on the 
 table-land between the head of Fall Itiver, which comes to the Columbia, 
 and tho Sacramento, which goes to tlie Bay of San Francisco ; and from 
 which lake a river of the same name makes its way westwardly direct to 
 the ocean. From this lake our course was intended to bo about south- 
 east, to a reported lake called Mary's at some days' journey in the Great 
 Basin ; and thence, still on south-east, to the reputed Buenaventura 
 Kiver, which has had a place in so many maps, and countenanced the be- 
 lief of tho existence of a great river flowing from the Rocky Mountains 
 to the Bay of San Francisco. From the Buenaventura the next point 
 Avas intended to bo in that section of the Rocky Mountains which in- 
 cludes the heads of the Arkansas River, and of the opposite waters of 
 the California Gulf; and thence down the Arkansas to Bent's fort, and 
 home. This was our projected lino of return — great part of it abso- 
 lutely new to geographical, botanical, and geological science — and the 
 subject of reports in relation to lakes, rivers, deserts, and savages, hardly 
 above tho condHion of mere wild animals, which inflamed desire to 
 know what this terra incognita really contauicd. 
 
 "It was a serious enterprise, at the commencement of winter, to un- 
 dertake the traverse of such a region, and with a party consisting only 
 of twenty-five persons, and they of many nations — American, French, 
 German, Canadian, Indian, and colored — and most of them young, sev- 
 eral being under twenty-one years of ago. All knew that a strange 
 country was to be explored and dangers and hardships to bo encoun- 
 tered ; but no one blenched at the prospect. On the contrary, courage 
 \ and confidence animated tho whole party. Checrfuhiess, readiness, sub- 
 
714 
 
 FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 ordination, prompt obedience, characterized all ; nor did any extremity 
 of peril and privation, to 'vbich we were afterward exposed, ever belie, 
 or derogate from the line spirit of this brave and generous commence- 
 ment. 
 
 " For the support of the party, I had provided at Vancouver a sup- 
 ply of provisions for not less than three months, consisting principally 
 of flour, peas, and tallow — the latter being used in cooking ; and in ad- 
 dition to this, I had purchased some California cattle, which were to 
 be driven on the hoof. We had one hundred and four mules and horses, 
 for the sustenance of which our reliance was upon the grass wluoli we 
 should find, and the soft; porous wood which was to be substituted 
 when there was none." 
 
 The preparations being fully completed, they set out on the 25th of 
 November, and after proceeding along the tributaries of Fall River, 
 the last branch of which they crossed on the 8th of December, they 
 reached a spring of cold water on the 10th, situated on the edge of a 
 grassy meadow, which their guides informed them was an arm of the 
 Tlamath Lake. A few miles further they entered an extensive meadow, 
 or lake of grass, surrounded by timbered mountains. This was the 
 Tlamath Lake. It was a picturesque and beautiful spot, and rendered 
 more attri.ctive to the travelers by the abundant and excellent grass, 
 which the animals, after traversing pine forests, so much needed ; but 
 the broad sheet of water which constitutes a lake was not to be seen. 
 Overlooking it on the west were several snowy knobs belonging to the 
 Cascade range. Next day they visited an Indian village, on the stream 
 at the outlet of the marsh. Numbei*8 of singular-looking dogs, re- 
 sembling wolves, were sitting on the tops of the huts. The language 
 spoken by these Indians is different from that of the Shoshonee and 
 Columbia River tribes. They told Colonel Fremont that tliey Avere at 
 war with the people who lived southward and eastward, but he could 
 obtain no certain information from them. 
 
 " From Tlamath Lake," says Colonel Fremont, " the further con- 
 tinuation of our voyage assumed a character of discovery and explora- 
 tion, v/hich, from the Indians here, we could obtain no information to 
 direct, and where the imaginary maps of the country, instead of assbt- 
 ing, exposed us to suffering and defeat. In our journey across the des- 
 ert, Mary's Lake, and the famous Buenaventura River, were two points 
 on which I relied to recruit the animals and repose the party. Forming, 
 agreeably to the best maps m my possession, a connected water-line from 
 the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, I felt no other anxiety than 
 to pass safely across the intervening desert to the banks of the Buena- 
 ventura, where, in the softer climate of a more southern latitude, our 
 horses might find grass to sustain them, and ourselves be sheltered from 
 the rigors of winter, and from the inhospitable desert." 
 
 Continuing their explorations they reached a considerable stream on 
 the 13th, which seemed to be the principal affluent to the lake, and the 
 
DISCOVERY OP SUMMER LAKE. 
 
 716 
 
 head-water of the Tlaniath River. Next day they struck upon another 
 stream, which issued from the moimtain in an easterly direction, and 
 turned to the southward below. The natives gave them to understand 
 that it continued a long distance in that direction, uniting with many 
 other streams, and giadually becoming a great river. They now be- 
 came satisfied that this was the principal stream of the Sacramento. On 
 the 16th they traveled through snow about 'hrec feet deep which being 
 crusted, cut the feet of the animals very badly. They were now ap- 
 proaching the summit of a mountain up which they had been ascending 
 through thick forests since the morning of the previous day. 
 
 " Toward noon," continues Fremont, " the forest looked clear ahead, 
 appearing suddenly to terminate ; and beyond a certain point we could 
 see no trees. Riding rai)idly ahead to this spot, we found ourselves on 
 the verge of a vertical and rocky wall of the mountain. At our feet — 
 more than a thousand feet below — we looked into a green prairie coun- 
 try, in which a beautiful 1 ike, some twenty miles in length, was spread 
 along the foot of the moiiUtuins, its shores bordered with green grass. 
 Just then the sun brok< out among the clouds, and illuminated the 
 country below, while aroawd us the storm raged fiercely. Not a par- 
 ticle of ice was to bo seen on the lake, or snow on its borders, and all 
 was like summer or spring. The glow of the sun in the valley below 
 brightened up our hearts with sudden pleasure; and we made the 
 woods ring with joyful shouts to those behind ; and gradually, as each 
 came up, he stopped to enjoy the unexpected scene. Shivering on snow 
 three feet deep, and stift'ening in a cold north wind, we exclaimed at 
 once that the names of Summer Lake and Winter Ridge should bo ap- 
 plied to these two pro.ximate places of such sudden and violent contrast. 
 Broadly marked by the boundary of the mountain wall, and inunediately 
 below us, were the first waters of that Great Interior Basin which has 
 the "Wahsatch and Bear River Mountains for its eastern, and the Sierra 
 Nevada for its western rim ; and the edge of which we had entered up- 
 ward of three months before, at the Great Salt Lake. 
 
 " When we had sufliciently admired the scene below, we began to 
 thuik about descending, which here was impossible, and we turned 
 toward the north, traveling always along the rocky wall. We continued 
 on for four or five miles, making ineffectual attempts at several places, 
 and at length succeeded in getting down at one which was extremely 
 difficult of descent. Night closed in before the foremost reached the 
 bottom, and they Jundled fires to light on the others. One of the mules 
 rolled over and over two or three hundred feet into a ravine, but re- 
 covered himself with no other injury than to his pack." 
 
 On the 18th they followed an Indian trail along the strip of land 
 between the lake and the high rocky wall from which they had looked 
 down two days before, and on the 20th came to n. much larger lake, 
 bordered on its eastern side by a high black ridge which walled it in 
 with a precipitous fiice. This lake presented a handsome sleet, twenty 
 
716 
 
 FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 miles in length, to which Colonel Fremont gave the namo ofLakeAbert, 
 in honor of the chief of the corps to which he belonged. When they 
 came near, the white efflorescences which lined the shore like a bank of 
 Know, and the disagreeable odor which filled the air, told them too 
 l^lainly that the water belonged to one of those fetid salt lakes which 
 are common in this region. Pursuing their route, they attained an ele- 
 vated position on the 23d, from which they saw another small lake about 
 ten miles to the southward, toward which a broad trail led along the 
 ridge ; and as this appeared the most practicable route, Fremont deter- 
 mined to continue the journey in that direction. 
 
 Still moving southward in search of an outlet toward the Pacific, 
 they came, on the 10th of January, 1844, to the end of a basin they 
 had been traversing, where they found a hollow extending into the 
 mountain inclosing it. Colonel Fremont and Mr. Preuss, who were in 
 advance, continued their way up the hollow, to see what lay beyond the 
 mountain. "The hollow," says Fremont, "was several miles long, 
 forming a good pass ; the snow deepening to about a foot as we neared 
 the summit. Beyond, a defile between the mountains descended rapidly 
 about two thousand feet ; and, filling up all the lower space, was a sheet 
 of green water, some twenty miles broad. It broke upon our eyes like 
 the ocean. The neighboring peaks rose high above us, and we ascended 
 one of them to obtain a better view. The waves were curling in tlie 
 breeze, and their dark-green color showed it to be a body of deep 
 water. For a long time Ave sat enjoying the view, for wo had become 
 fatigued with mountains, and the free expanseof moving waves was very 
 grateful. It was set like a gem in the mountains, which, from our posi- 
 tion, seemed to inclose it almost entirely. At the western end it com- 
 municated with the line of basins we had left a few days since ; and on 
 the opposite side it swept a ridge of snowy mountains, the foot of the 
 great Sierra." 
 
 As they advanced along the shores of the lake, the most conspicuous 
 object was a remarkable rock rising from the surface of the water, which 
 attracted their attention for many miles. It rose six hundred feet above 
 the surface, in the form of a pyramid. This striking feature suggesting 
 a name for the lake, Colonel Fremont called it Pyramid Lake. The In- 
 dians whom they met told them of a large river at the southern extremity, 
 which they reached on the 15th, but instead of an outlet, they found the 
 inlet of a large fresh-water stream. They were at once satisfied they 
 had discovered a large interior lake, which had no outlet. On the 16th 
 they continued their journey along this stream, and in a week found 
 themselves in the heart of the mountains. The snow deepened as they 
 advanced ; their moccasins, which were wet in the heat of the day, 
 froze perfectly stiff as the sun declined, and they had great difficulty to 
 keep their feet from freezing. The mountain passes became diflScult, and 
 they endured great hardships from fatigue and cold, but they still pushed 
 pn, expecting at every stream to find some outlet from the great laby- 
 
THE SIERRA NEVADA. 
 
 717 
 
 rinth of mountains which inclosed them. Holding a comicil with somo 
 Indians on the 29th, they found that thoy were still on waters flowing 
 into the Gioat Basin, in the edge of v/Mch they had been since the IVth 
 of December. 
 
 " We explained to the Indians," continues Fremont, " that we were 
 endeavoring to find a pass across the mountains into the country of the 
 whites, whom wo were going to see ; and told them that we wished 
 them to bring us a guide, to whom wo would give presents of scarlet 
 cloth, and other articles, which were shown to them. They looked at 
 the reward wo oftered, and conferred with each other, but pointed to the 
 snow on the mountain, and drew their hands across their necks, and 
 raised them above their heads, to show the depth ; and signified that it 
 was impossible for us to get through. They made signs that we must 
 go to the southward, over a pass through a lower range, which they 
 pointed out : there, they said, at the end of one day's travel, we would 
 find people who lived near a pass in the great mountain ; and to that 
 point they engaged to furnish us a guide." 
 
 They set forward next day, and on the evening of the 31st held an 
 mteresting council with the Indians who had assembled at their camp- 
 fires. The Indians told Fremont that, before the snows fell, it was six 
 sleeps to the place where the whites lived, but that now it was impossible 
 to cross the mountains on account of the deep snow. Fremont said that 
 the men and the horses were strong, and would break a road through 
 the snow ; and then showed what he would give for a guide. The In- 
 dians told him that if they could break through the snow, at the end of 
 three days they would come down upon grass, where the ground was 
 entirely free. Afterward a young man was brought in who had seen 
 the whites, and who was at length prevailed upon to be their guide. 
 
 In the morning Colonel Fremont acquainted the men with his decis- 
 ion, and assured them that from the heights of the mountain before them 
 they would doubtless see the valley of the Sacramento, and with one ef- 
 fort be again in the midst of plenty. They received this decision with 
 cheerful obedience, and immediately prepared to carry it into effect. On 
 the 2d of February they continued their journey. The snow deepened 
 rapidly, and it soon became necessary to break a road. On the 3d they 
 ascended a hollow directly toward the main chain, but the depth of the 
 snow at length obliged them to travel along the steep hill-sides, and next 
 day they had to abandon it altogether. They cut a footing as they ad- 
 vanced along the mountain side, and trampled a road through for tho 
 animals ; but occasionally one plunged outside the tnul and slid along 
 the field to the bottom, a hundred yards below. 
 
 " The camp," continues Fremont, " had been occupied all the day in 
 endeavoring to ascend the hill, but only the best horses had succeeded ; 
 the animals, generally, not having sufficient strength to bring themselves 
 up without the packs ; and all tho line of road between this and the 
 springs was strewed with camp-stores and equipage, and horses flounder- 
 
718 
 
 FREMONT'S KXPLORATIONS. 
 
 ing in snow. I therefore iramtHliatoly encamped on the grouml with my 
 own mess, which was in advance, and directed Mr. Fitzpatrick to encamp 
 at the springs, and send all the animals back to the place where they had 
 boon pastured tho night before. 
 
 "To-night we had no shelter, but wo made a largo fire around the 
 trunk of ono of the huge pines ; and covering tho snow witli small boughs, 
 on which we spread our blankets, soon made ourselves comfortable. Tho 
 night was very bright and clear, though the thermometer was only at 
 ten degrees. Accompanied by Mr. Fitzpatrick, I set out on the Ctli, 
 with a reconnoitering party on snow-shoes. We marched all in single 
 file, trampling the snow as heavily as wo could. Crossing tho open basin, 
 in a march of about ten miles wo reached the top of one of tho peaks, to 
 the left of the pass indicated by our guide. Far below lis, dimmed by 
 the distance, was a largo snowless valley, bounded on tho western siile, 
 at the distance of about a hundred miles, by a low range of mountains, 
 which Carson recognized with delight as the mountains bordering the 
 coast. ' There,' said he, ' is tho little mountain — it is fifteen years since 
 I saw it ; but I am just as sure as if I had seen it yesterday.' Between 
 us, then, and this low coast range, was the valley of the Sacramento ; 
 and no one who had not accompanied us through tho incidents of our 
 life for the last few months could realize tho delight with which at last 
 we looked down upon it. At the distance of apparently thirty miles be- 
 yond us were distinguished spots of prairie ; and a dark Une which could 
 be traced with the glass, was imagined to be the course of the river ; 
 but we were evidently at a great height above the valley, and between 
 us and the plains extended miles of snowy fields and broken ridges of 
 pine-covered mountains." 
 
 They returned late in the day, and next morning Fremont advanced 
 with one party, drawing sleighs loaded with baggage, leaving Fitzpatrick 
 with another party to form an intermediate station. On the 11th ho re- 
 ceived a message from Fitzpatrick, stating that it was impossible to get 
 the mules and horses along — they had broken through the snow, and 
 were plunging about or lying half buried in it. He gave orders for the 
 animals to be sent back to their old pastures, and all the party to turn 
 out with mauls and shovels to beat a road through tho snow. Fremont 
 and his party worked at their end of tho road, and on tho 13th had the 
 satisfaction of seeing the people working down the face of the opposite 
 hill, three miles distant. By the 16th, they succeeded in getting the 
 animals to the first grassy hill, and the same morning Colonel Fremont 
 started on a reconnoitering expedition beyond the mountam. He found 
 some grassy spots where the snow was melting away, and encamped in the 
 evening on a little creek where at last the water found its way toward the 
 Pacific. Following the creek next day, it acquired a regular breadth of 
 about twenty feet ; he was now satisfied they had struck the stream on 
 which Mr. Sutter lived, and turning about, reached tho camp at dark. 
 The labor of making a road and bringing up the baggage continued, and 
 
DESCENT INTO CALIFORNIA. 
 
 719 
 
 finally, on the 20th of February, they encamped, with all the animals and 
 baggage, on the summit of the pass in the dividing ridge, one thousand 
 miles from the Dalles of the Columbia. The elevation of the encamp- 
 ment was nuio thousand three hundred and thirty-eight feet above the 
 level of the sea. 
 
 Tliey now considered the difficulties of the mountain to bo overcome, 
 having only the descent before them and the valley under their eyes ; 
 but this descent was not easy. Deep fields of snow still lay between, 
 and there was a large intervening space of rough mountains, through 
 which they had yet to wind their way. The 23d was their most difficult 
 day. They were obliged to take to the mountain sides, which were 
 steep and slippery with snow and ire, and where the tough evergreens 
 impeded their way. Some, whose moccasiws were slippery, were fre- 
 quently obliged to crawl across the snov-beds. Continuing down the 
 river, which pursued a westerly course through a narrow valley, they 
 occasionally met with excellent grass at their encampments, but some- 
 times the animals suffisred greatly from the scarcity of pasture. The 
 valleys were covered with magnificent forests ; some of the pines were 
 ten feet in diameter. 
 
 On the 2d of March Mr. Preuss, who was in advance when they en- 
 camped, was lost. For several days his absence caused great uneasiness 
 to the party, when, on the evening of the 5th, he made his appearance. 
 Knowing that Fremont would keep near the river, he had Avalkcd on 
 without much concern on the first day, going right and left to obtain 
 good views of the country, but the next day it became more serious. 
 He knew not whether the party was in advance or not, but still he kept 
 on, and on the second night again encamped alone. His principal means 
 of subsistence were a few roots, which he obtained with great labor. 
 In the pools ho caught some of the smallest kind of frogs, which ho 
 swallowed, not so much for the gratification of hunger as in the hope 
 of obtaining some strength. At length he foimd a fire left by the party, 
 and the tracks of the horses, and following as fast as he could, rejoined 
 bis companions in the evening. 
 
 On the 6th th sy descended into broad groves on the river, and, as 
 they passed alonw, the valley was gay with flowers, some of the banks 
 being absolutely golden with the Californian poppy. Here the grass 
 was smooth and green, and the groves very open ; the large oaks throw- 
 ing a broad shade among sunny spots. Soon afterward they passed a 
 neat adobe house with glass windows, but found only Indians, They 
 now pressed eagerly forward ; the hills lowered as they advanced, and 
 on entering a broad valley they came unexpectedly into a large Indian 
 village, where the people wore cotton shirts and various other articles 
 of dress. While they were trying to communicate with the natives, a 
 well-dressed Indian came up and made his salutations in well-spoken 
 Spanish. 
 
 " In answer to our inquiries," continues Fremont, " he informed us 
 
720 
 
 FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 that we were upon tho Jlio de los Americanos (the river of the Ameri- 
 cans), and that it joined tho Sacramento Uiver about ten miles below. 
 Never did a name sound more sweetly ! Wo felt ourselves among our 
 countrymen ; for the name o( Atiierican^ in these distant parts, is applied 
 to the citizens of the United States. To our eager inquiries he answered, 
 ^ I am a vaqucro (cowherd) in tho servicu of Captain Sutter, and the 
 people of this ranchcria work for him.' Our evident satisfaction made 
 liini communicative ; and ho went on to say that Captain Sutter was a 
 very rich man, and always glad to see his country people. We asked 
 for his house. lie answered that it was just over tho hill before us ; and 
 offered, if wo would wait a moment, to take his horse and conduct us to 
 it. We readily accepted this civil offer. In a short distance we came 
 in sight of tho fort; and passing on tho Avay tho house of a settler on 
 the opposite side (a Mr. Sinclair), wo forded tho river, and in a few 
 miles were met, a short distance from tho fort, by Captain Sutter him- 
 self, lie gave us a most frank and cordial reception — conducted us 
 immediately to his residence — and under his liospitable roof we had a 
 night of rest, enjoyment, and refreshment, which none but ourselves 
 could appreciate. But the party left in the mountains, with Mr. Fitz- 
 patrick, were to bo attended to ; and the next morning, supplied with 
 fresh horses and provisions, I hurried off to meet them. On the second 
 day we met, a few miles below tho forks of the Rio de los Americanos; 
 and a more forlorn and pitiable sight than they presented, can not well 
 be imagined. They were all on foot — each man, weak and emaciated, 
 leading a horso or mule as weak and emaciated as themselves. They 
 had experienced great difficulty in descending the mountains, made 
 slippery by rains and melting snows, and many horses fell over precipices, 
 and were killed ; and with some were lost tho packs they carried. 
 Among these was a mule with tho plants which we had collected since 
 leaving Fort Ilall, along a lino of two thousand miles' travel. 
 
 "The next d.-xy, March 8th, we encamped at tho junction of the two 
 rivers, the Sacramento and Americanos; and thus found the whole 
 pai-ty in the beautiful valley of the Sacramento. It was a convenient 
 place for tho camp ; and, among other things, was within reach of the 
 wood necessary to make tho pack-saddles, which we should need on our 
 long journey home, from which wo were further distant now than we 
 wci-e four months before, when from the Dalles of the Columbia we so 
 cheerfully took up the homeward line of march." 
 
 On the 24th they took leave of Captain Sutter, who accompanied 
 them a few miles on their way, and set out on their journey homeward. 
 They encamped at the Rio de los Cosumnes, and next evening halted at 
 the ford of the Rio de los Mukelemnes, whence the route led through a 
 pleasant country toward the San Joaquin. They touched this river on 
 the 3d of April, ascended its bank for a i^v,- days, then crossed a prai- i 
 rie country to the tributaries of the Tule Lake, one of which thej- 
 ascended toward the pass of tho Sierra. " On the 13th," says Fremont, ; 
 
TIIK SPANISH TRAIL. 
 
 721 
 
 "a Christian Indian rode into the camp, well drcssod, with long spur^ 
 and a sombrero^ and speaking Spanish fluently. It was an unexpected 
 apparition, and a 8tran,<;c and pleasant sight in this desolate gorge oi* a 
 mountain — an Indian face, Spanish costume, jingling spurs, and horso 
 equipped after the Spanish manner." The Indian undertook to guide 
 them through the pass, where two others joined him. They here letl 
 the waters of the bay of San Frai.ci ico, and on the 15th the desert was 
 in full view on their lell, apparently illimitable. " Our cavalcade," con- 
 tinues Fremont, " made a strange and grotesque appearance ; and it 
 was impossible to avoid reflecting upon cur position and composition in 
 this remote solitude. Within two degrees of the Pacific Ocean — already 
 far south of the latitude of Monterey — and still forced on south by a 
 desert on one hand, and a mountain range on the other — guided by a 
 civilized Indian, attended by two wild ones from the Sierra — a Chinook 
 from the Columbia, and our mixture of Americans, French, Germans — 
 all armed — four or five languages heard at once — above a hundred horses 
 and mules, half wild — American, Spanish, and Indian dresses and equip- 
 ments intermingled — such was our composition. Our narch was a sort 
 of procession. Scouts ahead and on the flanks ; a front and rear divi- 
 sion ; the pack-animals, baggage, and horned-cattle in the center ; and 
 the whole stretching a quarter of a mile along our dreary path. In this 
 form we journeyed, looking more as if wo belonged to Asia than to the 
 United States of America." 
 
 On the 1 7th they left their guide and turned directly eastward along 
 the trail, which was hardly visible. Still continuing in this direction, 
 along a diflferent route, they struck upon the Spanish Trail on the 19th, 
 tl»e great object of their search. The road itself, ar-^ nj course, Avhich 
 was due north, were happy discoveries to the party, as they wished to 
 bear several degrees northward before crossing the Rocky Mountains. 
 Relieved from the rocks and the brush, they now advanced more rapidly 
 and pleasantly along the beaten road. In the afternoon of the 24th 
 they were surprised by the sudden appearance in the camp of two Mex- 
 icans — a man and a boy, named Andreas Fuentes and Pablo Hernandez. 
 They belonged to a party of six persons who had left Pueblo de los 
 Angelos with about thirty horses. The remaining four were the wife 
 of Fuentes, the father and mother of Pablo, and Santiago Giacomo, who 
 had charge of the cavalcade. While waiting at Archilete for a Spanish 
 caravan, they had been attacked by a large party of Indians, whose ob- 
 ject was to get possession of the horses. P^blo and Fuentes, in obedi- 
 ence to Giacomo, drove the animals over and through the assailants and 
 made off at full speed across the plain. After riding sixty miles they 
 had left the horses at Agua de Tomaso, a watering-place on the trail, 
 and were hurrying on to meet the caravan, when they discovered Fre- 
 mont's camp. 
 
 On the 25th, Fremont's party arrived at Agua de Tomaso, the spring 
 where the horses had been left, but they had been driven o£f by the In- 
 
 48 
 
722 
 
 FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 dians. Carson and Godey volunteered, with the Mexican, to pursue 
 them ; and, well-mounted, the three set off on the trail. In the even- 
 ing Fuentcs returned, his horse having failed, but Carson and Godey 
 had continued the pursuit. Next evening a war-whoop was hoard, 
 and soon Carson and Godey appeared, driving before them a baud of 
 horses, recognized by Fuentcs to be part of those they had lost. Two 
 bloody scalps were dangling from Godcy's gun. They had entered the 
 mountains toward night-fall and followed the trail by moonlight to a 
 narrow defile, in which they closed upon the Indians in the morning, re- 
 gardless of the number which the four lodges would imply. " The In- 
 dians received them with a flight of arrows shot from their long-bows, 
 one of which passed through Godey's shirt-collar, barely missing the 
 neck ; our men fired their rifles upon a steady aim, and rushed in. Two 
 Indians were stretched iij^)on the ground, fatally pierced Avith bullets ; 
 the rest fled, except a little lad that was captured. The scalps of the 
 fallen were instantly stripped off; but in the process, one of them, who 
 had two balls through his body, sprang to his feet, the blood streaming 
 iivm his skinned head, and uttering a hideous howl. The frightful spec- 
 tacle appalled the stout hearts of the men, but thoy quickly dispatched 
 the gory savage." They released the boy, gathered up the surviving 
 horses, returned upon their trail, and rejoined their friends at their 
 camp, in the afternoon of the p;vmo day. They rotie about a hundred 
 miles in the pursuit and return, all in thirty hours. 
 
 Continuing their journey northward over a gloomy and sterile waste, 
 they came on the evening of the 29th to a sandy basin, in which a grassy 
 spot, with its 8j)rings and willows, forms a camping-place in the desert, 
 called the Archilete. "The dead silence of the i>lace," says Colonel 
 Fremont, " was ominous ; and, galloping rapidly up, we found only the 
 corpses of the two men ; every thing else ivas gone. They were naked, 
 mutilated, and pierced w:iu arrows. Hernandez had evidently fought, 
 and with desperation. Tie lay in advance of the willow half-facod tent, 
 which sheltered his family, as if he had come out to meet danger, and 
 to repulse it from that asylum. One of his hands, and both his lega, 
 had been cut off. Giacomo, who Avas a largo and strong-looking man, 
 was lying in one ot the willow shelters, jticrci'd with arrows. 
 
 " Of the women no tr.icc could bo found, and it was evident thoy 
 had been carried off captive. A little lap-dog, which had belonged to 
 Pablo's mother, remained with the dead bodies, and Avas frantic Avitli 
 joy at seeing Pablo ; he, poor child, Avas frantic with grief, an<l filled 
 the air with lamentations for his fathi and mother. Mi Padre ! Mi 
 Madre! — Avas his incessant cry. When aa'c LeheM ♦his pitiable sight, 
 and pictured to ourselves the fate of th.^ two women, carried off by sav- 
 ages so brutal and so loathsome, all compunction for the scalped-alivo 
 Indian ceased ; and avc rejoiced that Carson and (lodey had been ablo 
 to give so useful a lesson to these American Arabs, who lie in wait to 
 murder and plunder the innocent traveler." 
 
■A"WM1 
 
 J they 
 
 Icilto 
 
 with 
 
 tilled 
 
 1/ Mi 
 
 jsight, 
 
 ly sav- 
 
 [v able 
 Isut to 
 
 EBTURN OF THE EXPEDITION. 
 
 723 
 
 On the 3d of May they encamped at Las Vegas, and next day came 
 to the Rio do los Angeles. Along the route they had frequent visits 
 from the Indians, who were sometimes very tronblesome. From the 
 camp at which they remained over the 9th, the horses were sent with a 
 strong guard in charge of Tabcau to a neighboring pasture for the day. 
 In the afternoon Carson reported that Tabeau, who early in the day 
 had left his post and rode back to the camp they had left, in search of a 
 lame mule, had not returned. Search was immediately made, and at 
 length the mule was found, mortally wounded by an arrow, and in an- 
 other place, something like a puddle of blood, which the darkness pre- 
 vented them from verifying. " In the morning," says Colonel Fremont, 
 *' I set out myself with Mr. Fitzpatrick and several men, in search of 
 Tabeau. We went to the spot where the appearance of puddled blood 
 had been seen ; and this, we saw at once, had been the place where he fell 
 aiid died. Blood upon the leaves, and beaten-down bushes, showed that 
 he had got his wound about twenty paces from where he fell, and that 
 he had struggled for his life. He had probably been shot through the 
 lungs with an arrow. From the place where he lay and bled, it could 
 be seen that he h:A been dragged to the river bank, and thrown into it. 
 No vestige of what had belonged to him could be found, except a frag- 
 ment of his horse equipment. Horse, gun, clothes — all became the prey 
 of these Arabs of the New World." 
 
 On the lYth they left the Spanish trail, which had been their road 
 for four hundred and forty miles, and again found themselves under the 
 necessity of exploring a track through the wilderness. The trail bore 
 off south-eastwardly, across the Wah-Satch range, to Santa Fe, while 
 their course led north-eastwardly along the foot of that range, toward 
 the Utah Lake. They reached the lake on the 25th, having made a cir- 
 cuit of three thousand five hundred miles since leaving the northern ex- 
 tremity of the same sheet of water in September, 1843. 
 
 Turning their faces once more eastward, they left the Utah Lake on 
 the 2Vth, and bearing southward from thei: old route, crossed the sum- 
 mit of the Rocky Mountains on the 13th of June, at an affluent of the 
 Platte, called Pullam's Fork. Tlience they ascended the Platte to ex- 
 amine the mountains at the three remarkable coves called the Parks, in 
 which the head waters of the Platte, the Arkansas, and the Grand River 
 Fork of the Colorado take their rise. From this pass, which Colonel 
 Fremont found to be the best he had seen on the dividing ridge of the 
 Rocky Mountains, he descended the waters of the Arkansas, and arrived 
 at Bent's fort on the 1st of July. Twenty miles below Bent's fort he 
 left the river, and crossing over to the Smoky Hill Fork, he proceeded 
 down the waters of the Kansas, and on the last day of July encamped 
 again at the little town of Kansas, on the banks of the Missouri River. 
 
Em 
 
 elaj) 
 
 ncscl 
 
 entij 
 
 fror 
 
 and 
 
 Were 
 
 pern I 
 
•"f^lwilfBPSBfWTTWim*™" 
 
 HUC'S 
 
 TRAVELS IN TARTARY, THIBET, AND CHINA. 
 
 JOURNEY THROUGH TARTARY AND THIBET. 
 
 /. 
 
 PEKIN. 
 
 The French C.atliolic Mission .it Pokin, which had been very flour- 
 ishing during the last century, w.is broken up and scattered by tho 
 Emperor Kia-king, who ascended the throne in 1799, and a long time 
 elapsed before the priests connected with it dared to return to the Chi- 
 nese capital. When they ventured back again, they found the mission 
 entirely deserted : many of the native Christians, to withdraw themselves 
 from the pursuit of the Chinese authorities, had passed the Great Wall, 
 and had /one to seek peace and liberty in the deserts of Tartary ; they 
 were '. , .g i.oie and there on some patches of land, which the Mongols 
 pern „ed them to cultivate. By dint of persoveranco, the missionaries 
 
728 
 
 nUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 at length succeeded in rc-assembling these scattered remnants; they 
 established themselves in the midst of them, and directed from thence 
 the ancient mission of Pekin, the immediate care of which was intrusted 
 to some Chinese Lazarists. 
 
 Among the French priests who were sent out to re-establish the mis- 
 sion, were Messrs. Gabet and Hue, the latter of whom reached Pekin 
 in the year 1840, and devoted himself to acquiring the Chinese and 
 Maiitchoo languages. In visiting the Christians of Mongolia, Hue and 
 (Jabct had more than once occasion to make excursions into the Land 
 of Grass, and to sit beneath a Mongol tent ; and having thus become 
 acquainted with this nomadic people, they became interested in thorn, 
 and earnestly desired to undertake the task of Christianizing thom. 
 From that time they devoted all their leisure to the study of the Tartar 
 languages, and in the course of the year 1842 the Holy See crowned 
 their wishes by erecting Mongolia into an apostolic vicariate. 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1844, Hue and Gabet, Avho Avere then 
 living at He Chuy, the " Valley of the Black Waters," received a mes- 
 sage from the Apostolic Vicar of Mongolia, commanding them to under- 
 take an extensive journey into the interior, for the purpose of studying 
 the character and manners of the Tartars, and of ascertaining, if possible, 
 the extent and limits of the vicariate. They had long been contem- 
 plating such a journey, and had prepared themselves for it by all the 
 means in their power. They at once dispatched a young Lama, who 
 had recently been converted, to procure camels and rejoin them at I*ic- 
 lie-Keou, the " Contiguous Gorges." Here they waited for many days, 
 employing themselves in translating books of prayer and doctrine into 
 the Mongol language, and were finally on the point of engaging a Chi- 
 nese cart to the town of Tolon-nor, a distance of one hundred and tifty 
 miles, when the Lama arrived with their camels. After completing their 
 preparations, service was performed in the chapel, and they proceeded 
 the first day to an inn kept by one of the Chinese converts. Beyond 
 this all was unknown ; Mongolia, untraveled for centuries by a European, 
 lay before them ; but they were full of courage and enthusiasm, and did 
 not shrink from the dangers and uncertainties of their undertaking. 
 
 " The day had scarcely dawned," says Hue, " when we were again 
 on foot ; but, before setting oflT, wo had to effect a metamorphosis in 
 our costume. The missionaries who reside in China all wear the dress 
 of the Chinese merchants, and have nothing in their costume to mark 
 their religious character. This custom, it appears to us, has been ii 
 some measure an obstacle to the success of their missions. For among 
 the Tartars, a * black man,'' that is, a secular person, who undertakes to 
 speak of religion, excites only contempt. Rel'p;ion they consider as an 
 affair belonging exclusively to the Lamas. We resolved, therefore, to 
 adopt the costume worn on ordinary occasions by the Lamas of Thibet ; 
 namely, a long yellow robe fastened by a red girdle, and five gilt but- 
 tons, with a violet velvet collar, and a yellow cap surmounted by a red 
 
' IJ ilU*"^P"*"W^ 
 
 immimijmr'' 
 
 SAMDADCIIIEMBA. 
 
 729 
 
 rosette. Wc also thought it expedient from this time to give up the use 
 of wine and tobacco, and when the host brought us a smoking urn full 
 of the hot wine so much in favor among tlie Chinese, we signiticd to him 
 that we were about to change our modes of life as well as our dress. 
 ' You know,' wo added, laughing, ' that good Lamas abstain from smok- 
 ing and drinking.' But our Chinese friends regarded us with compas- 
 sion, and evidently thought wo wer- about to perish of privation. 
 
 " After leaving tliis inn wc may be considered to have fairly com- 
 menced our pilgrimage, and the only companion of our wayfaring for 
 the future was to be the camel driver, Samdadchiemba. This young 
 man was neither a Chinese, a Tartar, nor a Thibetan, but a little of all 
 three, a Dchiahour. At the first glance it was easy to perceive his 
 Mongol origin ; he had a deeply- 
 bronzed complexion — a great mouth, 
 cut in a straight lino — and a large nose 
 insolently turned up, that gave to his 
 whole physiognomy a disdainful aspect. 
 When he looked .it you with his little 
 eyes twinkling between li<l3 entirely 
 Avithout eye-lashes, and with the skin 
 of his forehead wrinkled up, the feeling 
 he inspired was something between 
 confidence and fear. His life had been 
 spent in rather a vagabond manner, in 
 rambling, sometimes about the Chinese 
 towns, and sometimes in the deserts of 
 Tartary — for he had run away, at the ago of eleven, from a Lama col- 
 lege, to escape the excessive corrections of his master. This mode of 
 life had of course not ten led much to polish the natural asperity of his 
 character, and his intellect was entirely uncultivated ; but his muscu- 
 lar strength was immense, and he was not a little proud of it. After 
 having been instructed and baptized by M. Gabet, he had wished to 
 attach hhnself to the service of the missionaries, and the journey we 
 were about to undertake was precisely in harmony with his rambling and 
 adventurous humor." 
 
 Tlioir first undertaking was to cross the rugged mountain of Sairi- 
 oukty which is infested with bands of robbers. This, however, they ac- 
 complished in safety, and encamped on the other side, on the borders 
 of the great imperial forest. Hue remarks : " The robbers of these 
 countries are in general remarkable for the politeness with which they 
 flavor their address. They do not put a pistol to your head, and cry 
 roughly, ' Your money or your life !' but they say, in the most courteous 
 tone, ' My eldest brother, I am weary of walking on foot. Be so good 
 as to lend me your horse !' or, ' I am without money — will you not lend 
 me your pui-se ?' or, ' It is very cold to-day — be kind enough to lend 
 me your coat.' If the eldest brother bo charitable enough to comply, he 
 
 8AUDADCHIBMBA. 
 
 
780 
 
 HUG'S TRAVELS. 
 
 receives thanks ; if not, the request is enforced by two or three blows 
 of the cudgel, or, if that is not sufficient, recourse is had to the saber. 
 
 " The sun was about to set, and we were still on the innnense plateau 
 which forms the summit of the mountain, and whence you obtain an 
 extensive view over the plains of Tartary, and the tents of the Mongols 
 ranged in the form of an amphitheater on the declivities of the hills. 
 The imperial forest extends from north to south for three hundred miles, 
 and nearly eighty from east to west, and it has been used as a hunting- 
 ground by many successive emperors of China ; but, for about twcntv- 
 seven years past, these huntings have been discontinued, and not only 
 stags and wild boars, but also bears, panthers, wolves, and tigers abound 
 in it. Woe to the woodcutter or the hunter who should venture alone 
 into its recesses. Those who have done so, have disappeared Mithout 
 leaving a vestige behind them." 
 
 After three or four days' journey, they crossed the Mongol kingdom 
 of Gechekten, and entered that of Tliakar, where they met a camp of 
 Chinese soldiers, whose duty it was to keep the roads safe. They learcd 
 these soldiers, however, more than the native robbers, and pitched their 
 tent between two high rocks, where it would bo difficult for thieves to 
 approach them. While thus engaged, they saw, on the opposite side of 
 the moimtain, several horsemen, " two of whom," says Hue, " hastened 
 toward us, and, dismounting, prostrated themselves at the entrance of 
 our tent. They were Mongol-Tartars. ' Men of ])rayer,' said they, with 
 much apparent emotion, ' we come to beg you to draw a horoscope. Two 
 horses have been stolen from us to-day, and we have vainly sought to 
 discover the thieves. Oh men Avhosc power and knowledge are without 
 bounds, teach us how we may find them !' 'My brethren,' we roi)lic(l, 
 ' we arc not lamas of Buddha ; we do not believe in horoscopes ; to 
 pretend to such knowledge is false and deceitful.' The poor Tartars 
 redoubled their solicitations ; but when they saw that our resolution 
 could not be shaken, they remounted their horses, and returned to the 
 mountains. 
 
 " Samdadehiemba, during this conversation, had remained crouched 
 in a corner by the fire, holding in both hands a bowl of tea, which he 
 never once took from his lips. At length, as they were taking their de- 
 parture, he knitted his brows, rose from his seat abruptly, and went to 
 the door of the tent. The Tartars were already at a considerable dis- 
 tance ; but he uttered a loud shout, and made gestures with his hands 
 to induce them to come back. Thinking, probably, that we had changed 
 our minds, and would consent to draw the horoscope, they returned ; 
 but, as soon as they camo within hail, Samdadehiemba addressed 
 them : 
 
 " ' My Mongol brothers,' ho said, ' in future bo moro prudent ; take 
 better care of your animals, and they will not be stolen. Remember 
 these words, for they are worth moro than all the horoscopes in the 
 world.' And having finished his speech, he marched gravely back to 
 
THE TOWN OP TOLON-NOOR. 
 
 781 
 
 his tent, and sat do>vn again to his tea. At first we were vexed with 
 him ; but, as the Tartars did not appear angry, we ended by laugliing. 
 
 " On the following day, the numerous Tartars and Chinese travok is 
 whom we met on the way were a sign to us that we were approaching tlio 
 large town of Tolon-Noor ; and already we could see before us, glitter- 
 ing in the sun, the gilded roofs of the two magnificent lama convents to 
 the north of the town, 
 
 " Two motives," Hue continues, " had induced us to visit Tolon- 
 Noor. We wished, in the first place, to complete our stock of traveling 
 utensils ; and we also considered it desirable to place ourselves in rela- 
 tion with the lamas of the country, and obtain information concerning 
 some important points in Tartary ; and in pursuit of these objects, we 
 had to traverse almost every quarter of the town. Tolon-Noor is not a 
 walled town, but a vast agglomeration of ugly and ill-arranged houses, 
 and in the middle of its narrow and tortuous streets you see open mud 
 holes and sewers ; and while the foot passengers walk in single file along 
 the slippery pavement, mules, camels, and carts, make their way through 
 the deep black foul-smelling mud. Often enough the wheeled carriages 
 upset ; and then it is impossible to describe the confusion that takes 
 place in these miserable streets. Goods are either stolen by the thieves 
 who watch for such opportunities, or lost in the mud, and the animals 
 are not unfrequently suffocated. But notwithstanding the few attrac- 
 tions of Tolon-Noor, the sterility of its environs, the extreme cold of its 
 winter, and the suffocating heat of its summers, its population is im- 
 mense, and its commerce prodigious. Russian goods find their way here 
 by the way of KiaJcta ; the Tartars are constantly bringing vast herds 
 of oxen, camels, and horses, and taking back tobacco, linen, and brick 
 tea. This perpetual coming and going of strangers ; the hawkers run- 
 ning about with their wares ; the traders erdeavoring to entice custom- 
 ers into their shops ; the lamas, in their showy dresses of scarlet and 
 yellow, endeavoring to attract admiration by the skill with which they 
 manage their fiery horses in the mo?l difficult passes — all these things 
 give the streets a very animated appearance. After having maturely 
 considered the information we had obtauied, wo determined to direct our 
 course toward the west, and quitted Tolon-Noor on the 1st of October. 
 
 " We had not been more than an hour on our way on the followinir 
 day, when we heard behind us a confused noise as of a number of men 
 and horses, and turning our heads perceived a numerous caravan a<l- 
 vancing toAvard us at a rapid pace. We were soon overtaken by three 
 horsemen, and one of them whom we recognized by his costume for a 
 Tartar mandarin, roared out to us in a deafening voice — ' Lord lamas, 
 where is your country ?* 
 
 "'We are from the sky of the west.' 
 
 " 'Across what countries have you passed your beneficent shadows?' 
 
 " ' We come from the town of Tolon-Noor.' 
 
 " ' Has peace accompanied your route ?» * 
 
732 
 
 nUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 " * So far wo have journeyed happily — and you — r. 5 you at peace ? 
 What is your country ?' 
 
 " * Wc are Khalkas, from the kingdom of Mourgucvan.' 
 " ' Has tlje rain been abundant ? Arc your flocks in prosperity ?' 
 " ' All is at peace in our pastures. Whither is your caravan pro- 
 ceeding ?' 
 
 " ' Wc arc g ling to bow our foreheads before the Five Towers.' 
 " During this short conversation the rest of the troop had come up. 
 Wc were near a brook, the banlcs of which were bordered with bushes, 
 and the chief of the caravan gave orders to halt, and immediately the 
 camels arriving in a file described a circle, into the midst of which was 
 drawn a vehicle on four M'heels. 
 
 " ' Sok!'' *Sok!* cried the camol-drivers, and the camels obedient to 
 tho order lay down all at once as if struck by the same blow. Then, 
 while a multitude of tents rose suddenly, as if by enchantment, along tho 
 banks of the brook, two mandarins, decorated with the blue ball, ap- 
 proached the carriage, opened the door, and immediately we saw de- 
 scending from it a Tartar woman, clothed in a long robe of green silk. 
 It was tho queen of tho country of the Khalkas, who was going on a pil- 
 grimage to the famous lama convent of the Five Towers, in the Chinese 
 province of Chan-Si. Immediately on perceiving us, she saluted us by 
 raising her two hands, and said, ' My lord ' las, wc are going to en- 
 camp here — is tho place fortunate ?' ' Royal pilgrim of Mourguevan,' 
 wo replied, * you can hero light the fire of your hearth in peace. For 
 us, wo arc about to continue our route, for tho sun was already high 
 when wo folded our tent.' " 
 
 After traveling all day in a heavy rain, they encamped that evening 
 on tho plain, and were soon afterward visited by tho Tartars, who fur- 
 nished them Avith some dry fuel. " While wc ate our frugal meal," says 
 Hue, " I observed that one of the Tartars was the object of particular 
 attention to the other ; and on inquiry wo found that the superior had 
 had two years before the honor of serving in tho war against the ^rebels 
 of the South," that is, the English, having marched with the banners of 
 Tchakar. He had, however, never been called upon to fight ; for the 
 Iloli/ ^faster (the emperor of China) had in his immense mercy granted 
 peace to the rebels soon after, and tho Tartar troops had been sent back 
 to their flocks and herds. He had been told, however, by the Chinese, 
 what kind of people, or monsters rather, these English were — they lived 
 in tho Avator like fish, and when you least expected it they would rise 
 to the surface, and cast at you fiery gourds. Then as eoon as you 
 bend your bow to send an arrow at thera, they plunge into the water 
 like frogs. 
 
 "Tho Tartar mode of presenting one's self is frank, simple, and free 
 from the innumerable forms of Chinese courtesy. On entering the tent, 
 you wish peace to every body in general, saying Amor or Mendou, and 
 then go at once and seat yourself at the right hand of the head of the 
 
TUE COUNTRY OP TOIIAKAR. 
 
 733 
 
 family, who is crouching down opposite the door. A littlo tobacco is 
 then mutually presented, and a few polite common-places exchanged. 
 *Are your pastures lilt and abundant '<" — 'Are your flocks in good 
 order?' — 'Have your mares been fruitful?' etc., pronounce •! with c 
 tremo gravity, and then the lady of the tent stretches out her naiid 
 toward the strangers, without speaking, and forthwith they produce the 
 little wooden bowl, which is an undispensable vade mecum in Tartary, 
 and she returns it to them filled with tea and milk. In tolerably opulent 
 families, a tray is usually j)laced before visitors, with a modest collation 
 of butter, oatmeal, and slices of cheese, all in separate boxes of varnished 
 wood ; and those who mean to be magnificent in their hospitality, plunge 
 into the warm ashes near the Are a small earthenware bottle full of 
 Mongol wine, a sort of spirit rudely distilled from milk, which one must 
 have been born a Tartar to relish. 
 
 "Tchakar — a Mongol word signifying border-country — lies to the 
 nori.^ of the great wall of China, and east of Toumet. It is about four 
 hundred and fifty milon in length, and three hundred in breadth, and its 
 inhabitants are all soldiers of the emperor of China, and recoivp r.n;i'.)ally 
 a certain sum regulated according to their titles. It is divided into 
 eight l.anners, distinguished by their color, blue, red, white, and yellow, 
 and bluish, reddish, whitish, and yellowish. Each banner has a separate 
 territory, and possesses a kind of tribunal which takes cognizance of its 
 aflairs, and a chief called Oii-Gourdha; and from among these eight 
 ou-gourdhas, a governor-general is chosen. Tchakar is, in fact, nothing 
 but a vast camp ; and in order that the army shall be at all times in 
 readiness to march, the Tartars are prohibited under severe penalties 
 from cultivating the ground. They are required to live on their pay 
 and the produce of their flocks." 
 
 While on their journey through this country, they encamped one 
 night near a collection of Tartar tents, and when prep.iring to start next 
 morning, found that their horses had disappeared. All their searching 
 proved vain, and nothing was left but to go to the Mongol tents, ?.id 
 declare that the horses had been lost near them. " According to T.'irtar 
 law," says Hue, " when the animals of caravans go astray, whoever is 
 in the neighborhood is bound to go in search of them, and even to give 
 others in their place, if they can not be found. This would appear a 
 very strange law in Europe. You come and encamp in the neighbor- 
 hood of a Mongol without his consent, without his knowledge ; yet for 
 your cattle, your baggage, your men, he is responsible : if any thing dis- 
 appears, the law supposes him to be the thief, or at least the accomplice. 
 As soon as we had made our declaration to our Mongol neighbors, the 
 chief said, ' My lord lamas, do not allow grief to enter your hearts ! 
 your animals can not be lost. Here are neither roads nor thieves, nor 
 associates of thieves. We will search for your horses, and if they are 
 not found, you shall choose at pleasure among all our herds. Wo wish 
 you to leave us in peaco as you have come.* 
 
734 
 
 IIUC'8 TRAVELS. 
 
 •* While ho was npcaking, eight Tartars mounted their horses, and 
 taking the long polo and cord whi<!h they use, they commenced their 
 search. At first they dispersed in all directions, performing various 
 evolutions, and often returning on their stops. At length they all united 
 in a squadron, and set olF at a gallop in the direction by which we had 
 come. ' They are on their track,' said the Mongol chief, who, as well 
 as ourselves, had been watclung them. 'My lord lamas, come and 
 seat yourselves i.. my tent, and wo will drink a cup of tea while we 
 await the return of your horses.' 
 
 " In about two hours' time a child came in and informed us that the 
 horsemen were returning ; and, going out, we saw a cloud of dust ad- 
 vaneing, and were soon able to distinguish tlu* eight mounted Tartars, 
 and our two lost animals drawn along by the halter, all coming on at 
 full gallop. As soon as the Tartars came up, they said with the air of 
 satisfaction that succeeds a great uneasiness, that in their country noth- 
 ing was ever lost. Wo thanked the generous Mongols for the signal 
 service they had rendered us ; and after taking leave of them wo finished 
 our packing up, and set off for the Blue Town, the route to which we 
 had quitted to come and furnish ourselves with provisions. 
 
 " Wo had gone nearly three days' march when we came to an im- 
 poslngf and m.TJestio antiquity. It was a great forsaken city, Avith bat- 
 tlement ramparts, watch-towers, four great gates directed to the lour 
 cardinal points, all in perfect preservation, but all sunk three parts into 
 the earth, and covered with thick turf. Since the abandonment of the 
 place, the soil around it has risen to that extent. Wo entered the city 
 with solemn emotion ; there were no ruins to be seen, but only the form 
 of a large and fine town, half buried and enveloped in grass as in a 
 funeral shroud. The inequalities of the ground seem still to poi:it out 
 the direction o? streets and the principal buildings ; but the only hiiniiin 
 being we saw was a young Mongol shepherd, who, seated on a mound, 
 was silently smoking his pipe, while his goats grazed on the deserted 
 ramparts around him. Similar remauis of cities are not unfrequently to 
 be met with in the deserts of Mongolia, but their history is buried in 
 oblivion. Probably, however, they do not date beyond the thirteenth 
 century ; for it is known that at this epoch the Mongols had made them- 
 selves masters of the Chinese empire, and according to the Chinese his- 
 torians, numerous and flourishing towns existed at that time in Northern 
 Tartary. The Tartars could give no information concerning this inter- 
 esting ruin, but merely say that they call it the old town." 
 
 One day they met a Tartar carrying with him the corpse of a rela- 
 tive, whereupon Hue remarks : " In the deserts of Tartary, Mongols are 
 frequently met with carrying on their shoulders the bones of their kin- 
 dred, and journeying in caravans to the Five Towers, there to purchase, 
 almost at its weight in gold, a few feet of earth whereon to erect a 
 mausoleum. Some of them undertake a journey of a whole year's dura- 
 tion, and of excessive hardship, to reach this holy spot. The Tartar 
 
DUIUAL OK TARTAIl KINOS. 
 
 735 
 
 sovereigns nro Romctimes intorrecl in a nmniior whii-h appears the very 
 height of extravagance and barbarism; the royal corpse is placed in an 
 edifice of brick, adorned with Htorie images of men, lions, tigers, elo- 
 pliants, and divers eubjcets from the Lliuldiiist mythology. Witii the 
 illustrious defunct they inter, in a large vault in the center of the build- 
 ing, considerable sums in gold and silver, precious stones and costly habits. 
 
 "These monstrous uitcrments fre(iuently cost also the lives of a num- 
 ber of slaves : children of both sexes distinguished for their beauty are 
 taken, and conipelled to swallow mercury till they are suft'ocated ; by 
 thi:^ njcans, it is asserted, the color and freshness of the victims is pre- 
 served so well that they appear alive. They arc then ranged standing 
 round the corpse of their master to serve him as in life. They hold in 
 their hands the pipe, fan, the little vial of snuff, and the other numerous 
 baubles of Tartar roy.alty. To guard these buried treasures there is 
 placed in the vault a kind of bow, constructed to discharge a number of 
 arrows one after tho other. This bow, or rather these bows, are bound 
 together, and tho arrows fixed. This species of infernal muchine is so 
 placed that the act of opening the door of tho vault discharges the first 
 arrow, the discharge of the first releases tho second, and so on to the 
 last. The bow-makers keep these murderous machines all ready pre- 
 pared, and the Chinese sometimes purchase them to guard their houses 
 in their absence. 
 
 " After some days' march we quitted the country of tho Eight Ban- 
 ners and entered Western Toumet. The Mongol Tartars of Western 
 Toiunet arc not nomadic : they cultivate the earth, and apply them- 
 selves to the arts of civilized life. We had been moro than a month in 
 the desert ; our taste had been insensibly modificii, and our tempera- 
 ment accommodated by its silence and solitude, and, on re-entering cul- 
 tivated lands, the agitation, i)erplexity, and turmoil of civilization op- 
 pressed and suffocated us ; the air seemed to fiiil us, and we felt every 
 moment as if about to die of asphyxia. The sensation, however, was of 
 no long duration. After a time we found it more convenient and moro 
 agreeable after a day's march to take up our lodging at an inn, well 
 warmed, and well stocked with provisions, than have a tent to pitch, 
 fuel to collect, and our scanty supper to cook, before we could take a 
 little rest. Every thing throughout Toumet bears the stamp of great 
 abundance ; nowhere did wo see, as m China, houses half in ruins, nor 
 human beings with emaciated bodies half covered with rags ; all the 
 country-people seemed neatly and comfortably clothed, and in nothing 
 was their superior condition moro evident than in the number of mag- 
 nificent trees surrounding tho villages, and bordering the roads." 
 
 Three days after entering Toumet they reached the city of JCoui- 
 Nba-Tc/ien, or the Blue Town^ and after wandering through the streets 
 for some time, put up at a tavern with the following sign : " Hotel of 
 the Three Perfections ; Lodging for Travelers on Horse or Camel ; AU 
 sorts of business negotiated with Unfailing Success." M. Hue says of 
 
736 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 this place: "The commercial importance enjoyed by the Blue Town 
 arises from the lama convents, whose celebrity attracts hither Mongols 
 from the most distant parts ; hence the commerce is almost exclusively 
 Tartar. The Mongols bring great herds of oxen, horses, camels, and 
 sheep ; they also sell here skins, mushrooms, and salt, the only produce 
 of the deserts of Tartary ; and they take in return brick tea, clothes, 
 saddles for their horses, sticks of incense to burn before tlieir idols, oat- 
 meal, millet, and some domestic utensils. Koukon-Khoton is also famous 
 for its camel trade. The place of sale is a vast square, into which run 
 all the principal streets of the town. Elevations shelving on both sides 
 from one end of the square to the other, give this market the appear, 
 ance of a field deeply furrowed. The camels are placed in a line, so that 
 their fore feet rest on these elevations, and this position displays, and 
 in a manner, increases the stature of the animals, already so gigantic. 
 It would be difficult to describe the confusion and uproar that prevails 
 in this market. To the cries of the buyers and sellers who are quarrel- 
 ing or talking, as people talk when a revolt is at its height, are joined 
 the long groans of the poor camels, whose noses are incessantly tweaked 
 to try their address in kneeling or rising. 
 
 *' When we were about to set oiT, we summoned the master of the 
 hotel, according to custom, to settle our account ; and we calculated 
 that, for three men and six animals for four days, we should have to ])ay 
 at least two ounces of silver. But we had the agreeable surprise of 
 hearing him say, 'My lord lamas, let us not make any reckoning. 
 Put 300 sapecks (30 cents) into the chest, and let that suffice. My 
 house,' added he, ' is recently established, and I wish to obtain for it 
 a good reputation. Since you are from a distant country, I wish you 
 to tell your illustrious compatriots that my hotel is worthy of tlieir con- 
 fidence.' ' We will certainly speak of your disinterestedness,' we re- 
 plied ; ' and our countrymen, when they have occasion to visit the Blue 
 Town, will not fail to stop at the Hotel of the Three Perfections.'" 
 
 On leaving the Blue Town, the travelers determined to direct their 
 cour.ie to the west, through the country of the Ortous, in the ho])e of 
 being- able, finally, to join some caravan for Lhassa, the capital of Tliibet, 
 the holy city of the Buddhist faith. After several days of fatiguing 
 travel, they reached the town of Chagan-Kouren, on the banks of the 
 Hoantj-IIo, or Yellow lliver, which it was necessary for them to cross. 
 The next morning, Ijowever, they found that a sudden rise of the water 
 had taken place. " The Yellow River," says Hue, " had become like a 
 vast sea, to which no limit could be perceived, but merely here and 
 there verdant islets, houses, and small villages that seemed to float upon 
 the water. We consulted several people as to what we should do ; but 
 opinions were not unanimous. It was necessary to take some resolu- 
 tion. Turning back was out of the (juestion. We had said that, pleaso 
 God, we would get to Lhassa, leL the obstacles be what they might. To 
 turn the river, by going in a northerly du-ection; would greatly lengthen 
 
1 
 
 THE "LAND OP GRASS." 
 
 737 
 
 our journey, and compel us auo to pass the great desert of Gobi. To 
 remain at Chagan-Kouren till the waters had retired, and till the ground 
 had become hard and dry enough for the feet of our camels, would be 
 the safest course ; but this might detain us, perhaps a month, and our 
 purse was too slenderly furnished to admit of our remaining all that 
 time at an inn with five animals. The only alternative then was to place 
 ourselves under the care of Providence, and go on in spite of mud or 
 whatever else there might be ; and this at last we determined to do. 
 Samdadchiemba, who had been in an extremely bad humor, expressed 
 himself well satisfied with our intention of going on. ' When one under- 
 takes a journey like ours,' he observed, 'one mustn't be afraid of the 
 five elements. Those who are afraid of dying on the road should never 
 set out — that's the rule.' " 
 
 With a great deal of diflSculty ant' longer they finally succeeded in 
 transporting themselves and their camc-lH across tho Yellow River, and, 
 after some days spent among tho marshes bordering it, across a second 
 inundated arm, called the Paga-Gol. " We had now left behind us the 
 Yellow Rivor and the inundated country," continues the narrative, " and 
 had entered on the Land of Grass, if that name could be given to a 
 country so barren as that of the Ortous. Whichever way you turn, you 
 find nothing but rocky ravines, hills of muc, and plains encumbered with 
 fine movable sand, which the wind sweeps about in all directions. The 
 only pasturage consists in a few thorny shrubs JHid thin heaths of a fetid 
 odor. Here and there you find a little thin brittle grass, whijh sticks 
 80 closely to the ground, that the animals can not browse it, without 
 scnvpiiig up the sand at the same time, and the whole was so dry, that 
 we Hoon began almost to regret the marshes that had grieved us so 
 much on the banks of the Yellow River. There was not a brook or a 
 spring whore the traveler could quench his thirst, only from time to time 
 we met with a pool or tank filled with muddy and fetid water. 
 
 " The lamas with whom we had been acquainted in the Blue Town, 
 had warned us of what we should have to endure in this country from 
 scarcity of water, and by their rdvico we had bought two pails, which 
 proved very serviceable. Wherever we had the good fortune to meet 
 with ponds or Avells dug by the Tartars, we filled our buckets, without 
 minding the bad quality of the water, and always took care to use it as 
 sparingly as possible, as if it were some rare and precious liquor. Care- 
 ful as we were, however, we often had to go whole days without a drop 
 to moisten our lips ; and yet our personal privations were nothing com- 
 pared with tho suffering of seeing our animals almost without water, 
 when the scanty inrbage that they got was nearly calcined by niter. 
 They grew visibly thinner every day ; the aspect of our horse became 
 quite pitiable ; he went along, drooping his head quite to the ground, 
 and seeming ready to faint at every step ; and the camels seemed to 
 balance themselves painfully on their long legs, while their lean humps 
 hung down like empty bags." 
 
 47 
 
788 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 One afternoon, while traveling through this desolate country, they 
 were overtaken by a violent storm, and after seeking for a long time for 
 shelter, at last, to their great surprise, discovered a series of chambers 
 excavated in the rocky walls of a ravine. Here they found a protection 
 from the weather and a supply of fuel, and were so rejoiced that they 
 sat up nearly all night for the purpose of enjoying the unexpected 
 warmth. " Our animals," says Hue, " were no less happy than ourselves, 
 for we found them stables cut out oft!:'.* mountain, and, what was more, 
 an excellent supply of forage — a grotto full of oaten straw and millet- 
 stalks. Had it not been for the tempest, in which we imagined wo were 
 to perish, our poor beasts would never have had such a feast. We sat 
 for a long time, rejoicing ia our preservation, and, at last, lay down on 
 a well-warmed kang, that made us forget the terrible cold that we had 
 endured during the tempest. 
 
 "On the fifteenth day of the new moon," he continues, " we met nu- 
 merous caravans, following, like ourselves, the direction from east to 
 west. The way was covered with nien, women, and children, mounted 
 on camels or oxen, all going, as they said, to the lama convent oi Jiache- 
 Churin. AVhen they asked whether our journey had the same goal, and 
 heard our answer in the negative, their surprise was extreme ; and this, 
 and the number of pilgrims we saw, piqued our curiosity. At the turn- 
 ing of the detile, we suet an old huna, who, having a heavy burden on 
 his back, seemed to get along with extreme difficult;'. ' Brother,' saiil 
 we, ' you are advanced in age ; your black hairs are not so numerous as 
 your white ; you must be imich fatigued. Place your burden on one of 
 our camels, and you will journey more at your ease.' 
 
 " The old man prostrated himself in token of his gratitude, and we 
 made one of our camels kneel down, Avhilc Samdadchiemba added the 
 lama's baggage to ours. As soon as the pilgrim was relieved of the 
 load that had weighed upon him, his step became lighter, and a pleased 
 expression spread over his features. ' Brother,' said we, ' we know very 
 little about the aftairs of your country ; but we are astonished to nut't 
 BO many pilgrims in the desert.' ' We are all going to Ilache-Churin,' 
 he replied, in a tone of profound devotion. ' Some great solenuiity. 
 doubtless, calls you thither V ' Yes ; to-morrow is to be a great day. 
 A Lama Jiokte will display his power. He will kill himself, but will 
 not die.' 
 
 " We understood in a moment the kind of solemnity which had put 
 the Tartars in motion. A lama was to open his belly, take out his en- 
 trails and place them before him, and then return, immediately, to tiis 
 former st; kte. This spectacle, atrocious and disgusting as it is, is very 
 common i i the lama convents of Tartary. The Bokte who is to <lisp!ay 
 his powet, as the Mongols say, prepares himself for the act by long 
 days of fasting and prayer ; and during the whole time he must main 
 tarn the most absolute silence, and refrain from all commuuicatiou with 
 men. 
 
A LAMl MIRACLE. 
 
 789 
 
 " When the appointed hour has arrived, the whole multitude of pil- 
 grims repair to the great court of the lama convent, where an altar is 
 erected. At leng1,h the Bokk makes his appearance ; he advances 
 gravely amid the acclam' ,tions of the crowd, seats himself upon the altar, 
 and taking a cutlass fr >ra lus girdle, places it between his knees, while 
 the crowd of lamas, ranged in a circle at his feet, commence the terrible 
 invocations that prelude this frightful ceremony. By degrees, as they 
 proceed in their recitation, the .Bokte is seen to tremble in every limb, 
 and gradually fall into strong convulsions. Then the song of the lamas 
 becomes wilder and more animated, and the recitation is exchanged for 
 cries and bowlings. Suddenly the Bokte flings away the scarf M'hich he 
 has worn, snatches off his girdle, and with the sacred cutlass rips him- 
 self entirely open. As the blood gushes out the multitude prostrate 
 themselves before the horrible spectacle, and the sufferer is immediately 
 interrogated concerning future events, and things concealed from human 
 knowledge. His answers to all these questions are regarded as oracles. 
 
 "As soon as the devoutcuriosity of the pilgrims is satisfied, the lamas 
 resume thei • recitations and prayers ; and the Jiokte, taking up in his 
 right hand a quantity of his blood, carries it to his mouth, blows three 
 times upon it, and casts it into the air with a loud cry. He then passes 
 his hand rapidly over his st omach, and it becomes as ifhole us it teas before^ 
 without the slightest trace being left of the diabolical operation, with 
 the exception of an extreme lassitude. The Jiokte then rolls his scarf 
 again round his body, says a short prayer in a low voice, and all is over ; 
 every one disperses except a few of the most devout, who remain to con- 
 tonii)late and adore the bloody altar." 
 
 Hue and Gabet, on learning that this ceremony was to take place at 
 the convent of Rache-Churin, ri'solvf d to //o thither, witness it, and at 
 the pi'oj)er moment come forth, declare its diabolical nature, and com- 
 mand the liokte to refrain from the exercise of his infernal power. For- 
 tunately for theniselvt's, they letl the road to procure supplies at a Chi- 
 nese eneaniptnent, lost their way, a id did not reach the convent until 
 after the magical operation had been performed. " We made but a short 
 stay at Kache-Churin," says Hue, " for as it had not been the will of 
 (»<)<l tliat we should reach it at the time favorable to our purpose, of an- 
 nouncing the true faith to the people of Oitous, we were eager to press 
 forward to Thibet, the source of the immense superstition of which we 
 saw here but a few insignificant streams. Shortly after leaving it we fell 
 in with a track very well marked, and frequented by a great number of 
 trav<'|('rs, but commerce, and not devotion, was the spring that had set 
 them in movement. They were going to the Dobsoon-Noor, or Salt 
 Lakf , ct'lebrated ovt-r all the west of Mongolia, which furnishes salt, not 
 only to the neighboring Tartars, but to several provinces of the Chinese 
 empire." 
 
 Some days aftc- passing the Dobsoon-Noor, they came upon a Mon- 
 gol encampment in a long, narrow valley. They were very kindly re- 
 
 !il 
 
 m 
 
740 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 ceived by the natives, from whom they purchased a sheep. The Mon- 
 gol butcher who slaughtered it surprised thorn by detaching the flesh 
 from the bones in one single piece, leaving the clear skeleton hanging. 
 In mentioning this circumstance, Hue remarks : " All the Mongols know 
 the number, name, and place of all the bones of an animal's frame, and 
 never fracture one in cutting up a sheep or an or. With the point of 
 their large knivei, they go straight to the jomt, which they sever with a 
 speed and address truly astonishing. These frequent dissections, and 
 the habit of living in the midst of their flocks and herds, render the Tar- 
 tars extremely skillful in the cure of the maladies of animals. The reme- 
 dies they employ are the simples they collect in the fields, and which 
 they adi>>inister with a cow's horn, in the form of a decoction. If the 
 animal will uot open its mouth, they make him swallow the liquid through 
 his nostrils." 
 
 The intention of Hue and Gabet had been to continue their course 
 westward througii the Tartar country of Alechan, but on meeting with 
 some Tartar princci;^ on their way to Pekin, the latter informed them 
 that this country had been rendered almost uninhabitable by a severe 
 drought, and was ravaged by troops of brigands. One other route re- 
 mained open to them. This was to recross the Yellow River, which 
 here makes a long bend northward, pass again the Great Wall, and 
 roach the Tartar city of JTou-Ivou-noor, through the Chinese province of 
 Kan-Sou. " Formerly," says Hue, " such a project would have made 
 us shudder. It would have been to us clear as the day that strangling 
 for ourselves, and the persecution of all the Chinese missions, would 
 have been the inevitable consequences of so foolhardy an attempt. Bp* 
 the season of fear was now passed for us. Our abode in several grc. t 
 towns — the necessity we had been under of transacting our own busi- 
 ness — had rendered us more familiar with the habits and usages of the 
 Chinese. The language was no longer an embarrassment. We could 
 speak the Tartar language, and were acquainted with the popular Chi- 
 nese phrases, a knowledge diflicult to acquire while resident in the mis- 
 sions, beeause the Christians, out of flattery to the missionaries, study 
 to employ only the brief nomenclature that the latter have learned from 
 books. In addition to these moral and intellectual advantages, our long 
 journey had been of great service to us physically. The rain, wind, 
 and sun, had in the course of two months so tanned and hardened our 
 European complexions, that our aspect had become very tolerably 
 savage ; and the fear of being recognized by the Chinese no longer 
 affected us." 
 
 A few days after this they le-c^pd the Yellow River, at the to^vn 
 of Che-TsinrDzc, and re-entered China proper, leaving behind them 
 Mongolia and its nomadic life. Hue, at this point, makes the following 
 remarks upon the country through which they had passed : " The gen- 
 eral aspect of Mongolia is wild and gloomy ; never is the eye relieved 
 by the charm and variety of a landscape. The monotony of the steppes 
 
DESCRIPTION OP THE ENGLISH. 
 
 741 
 
 is broken only by ravines, great fissures, and stony sterile hills. Toward 
 the north, in the country of the Khalkas, nature appears more animated ; 
 the summits of the mountsuns are crowned by forests, and the rich past- 
 urage of the plain is watered by numerous rivers ; but during the long 
 season of winter the earth is buried under a thick covering of snow. 
 From the side of the Great Wall, Chinese industry glides like a serpent 
 into the desert. Towns begin to rise on all sides ; the ' Land of Grass' 
 is being gradually covered by crops, and the Mongol shepherds are 
 by degrees driven back to the north by the encroachments of agri- 
 culture. 
 
 " The sandy plains occupy perhaps the greater part of Mongolia : 
 and in these not a tree is to be seen ; short brittle grass makes its way 
 with difficulty through the barren soil, and creeping thorns, and some 
 scanty tufts of heath, form the only vegetation, the sole pasturage, of 
 Gobi. Water is extremely scarco, being only found in deep wells dug 
 for the use of travelers who are obliged to cross this miserable region." 
 
 The travelers proceeded forward, through the cities of Ning-hai, Ho- 
 hia-po, and other unheard-of Chinese towns, in the flourishing province 
 of Kan-Sou. Their disguise was so complete that their real character 
 was not once suspected, except at the " Hotel of Social Relations," in 
 the town of Choang-Long, the landlord of which was a sharp and satir- 
 ical Chinese. " To give us a proof of his penetration," says Hue, " he 
 asked at once whether we were not English {Ing-Kie-Id)^ the marine 
 devils who were making war at Canton. ' We are not Enjjlish,' we 
 replied, ' nor are we devils of any sort — land or sea.' * Don't you know,' 
 said a man who was lounging about, addressing the landlord, ' that all 
 those marine devils have blue eyes and red hair ?' ' Besides,' said we, 
 ' if we were marine monsters, how could we live on shore, and go on 
 horseback ?' ' Yes, that's true, that's true,' said he ; ' the Ing-Kie-Li 
 never dare to quit the sea ; as soon as ever they come on shore they 
 tremble and die like fish.' " 
 
 A little further, they came to the town of Ho-Kiaou-Y, and finding 
 that the backs of their animals had been severely galled, determined to 
 halt for some days. They established themselves in the " Tavern of the 
 Temperate Climates," and gave Samdadchiemba permission to visit his 
 parents, who lived but a short distance off, and whom he had not seen 
 for eighteen years. " During this eight days' rest," says Hue, " our 
 cattle had recovered sufficiently to attempt the painful road we should 
 have to traverse. But the rugged path by which we had to climb the 
 mountain of Ping-Keou presented difficulties which our camels found 
 almost insurmountable ; and we were continually obliged, as wo went 
 on, to utter loud cries to warn muleteers who might be advancing to- 
 ward us on this narrow and dangerous road, where two animals could not 
 pass abreast, that they might have time to turn aside their mules, lest 
 they should be terrified by the sight of our camels, and rush down the 
 precipice. When we had passed the mountain, we came to a village 
 
742 
 
 HUG'S TRAVELS. 
 
 whose Chinese appellation signifies the Old Duck ; and what struck us 
 most in this place was, that the art of knitting, which we had imagined 
 unknown in China, was hero carried on very busily ; and, moreover, not 
 by women, but by men. Their' work appeared to be very clumsy ; the 
 stockings they made were like sacks ; and their gloves had no separation 
 for the fingers. It looked very odd, too, to f ee mustachioed fellows 
 sitting before their doors spinning, knittmg, and gossiping, like so 
 many old women." 
 
 In January, 1 845, four months after their departure from the " Val- 
 ley of the Black Waters," the travelers reached the trading town of 
 Tang-Keou-Eul, on the frontier of Thibet, and congratulated themselves 
 on being beyond the reach of the Chinese authorities. " So far," says 
 the narrative, " we had followed pretty well the Itinerary that we had 
 traced for ourselves ; but by what means were we to penetrate to Lha- 
 Ssa, the capital of Thibet ? "We learned that almost every year caravans 
 left Tang-Keou-Eul for this destination, and in the end reached it ; but 
 a terrible account was given to us of the road. A journey of four months 
 had to bo made across countries entirely uninhabited, and where travel- 
 ers were often frozcTi to death or buried under the snow. During the 
 summer, it was said many Avere drowned ; for it was necessary to cross 
 great rivers without bridge or boat ; and beside this, these deserts were 
 ravaged by hordes of robbers, who plundered those who fell into their 
 hands even of their clothes, and left them naked and starving in the 
 wilderness," 
 
 A few days after their arrival, however, a small caravan of Khalkhas 
 Tartars passed through the town, on their way to Lha-Ssa, from tlie 
 borders of Russia. They desired Hue and Gabet to join their party, 
 which the latter were about to do, when they learned that the Tartars 
 expected to make tlic journey with great rapidity : their :\nimals would 
 not be able to koop up with such a march, and they had not funds to 
 buy others. They therefore reluctantly gave up this opportunity, and 
 resolved to Avail for the return of the Thibetua embassy from Pekiii, 
 M'hich was not expected for six or eight months. In order to occupy 
 themstlves j)rofital)ly in the mean time, they procured a teacher from the 
 famous Lamasery of Kounboum, which was only forty miles distant, and 
 commenced the study of the Thibetan language. The teacher, who was 
 called Sandara the Bearded, avus a shreivd, intelligent young man, undor 
 whose instructions they made rapid }>rogress in Tiiibetan. lie jjreteiided, 
 moreover, to be deeply interested in the Christian doctrines which they 
 taught him, but, as they afterward discovered, Avas something of a hypo- 
 crite, and they gaA'e up the idea of his conversion. 
 
 Atler some time had been spent in this way, Sandara invited them 
 to visit the Lamasery, and take up their abode there. They acceded to 
 this proposal with joy, Samdadchiemba had already been sent off to 
 the valley of Kou-kou-noor, to pasture the camels ; so they mounted their 
 horses, an<l, after a long day'3 ride, reached the famous Buddhbt monas- 
 
RESIDENCE AMONG THE LAMAS. 
 
 748 
 
 tery of Kounboum, where they were at first entertained in Sandara's 
 house. '• During the night," remarks Hue, " we tried in vain to sleep — 
 sleep would not come. This country of Amdo, a country unknown in 
 Europe — this great Lamaserai of Kounboum, so renowned among the 
 Buddhists — these conventual manners — the lama's cell in which we were 
 lying — all seemed to float through our brains like the vague, impalpable 
 forms of a dream. We passed the night in forming plans, and as soon 
 as day dawned we were on foot. All was still profoundly silent while 
 we made our morning prayer, not without a sensation of joy and pride 
 that we had been permitted thus to invoke the true God in this famous 
 Lamaserai, consecrated to an impious and lying worship. It seemed to 
 us as if we were about to conquer the vast realms of Buddhism to the 
 faith of Jesus Christ. 
 
 " Sandara soon made his appearance, and served us with milk, tea, 
 dried grapes, and cakes fried in butter, and while we were occupied with 
 breakfast he opened a little closet, and took from it a wooden trencher, 
 neatly varnished, and ornamented with flowers and gilded on a red 
 ground. After having dusted it with his red scarf, he spread over it a 
 sheet of rose-colored paper, ]>laced on it four fine pears symmetrically 
 arranged, and covered them with an oval silk handkerchief, called a 
 Khata. It was with this present, he said, we were to go and borrow a 
 house. 
 
 " This Khata^ or ' scarf of happiness,' plays so important a part in 
 Thibetan manners, that it is veil perhaps to say a few words about it. 
 It is usually a piece of bluish-white silk fringed at the two ends ; but as 
 it is an article indispensable to rich and poor, it of course varies greatly 
 in richness and value. No one ever tra''^els v ithout a stock of khatas; 
 if you go to pay a visit of ceremony or to ask a service, or to return 
 thanks for one, you always begin by disj. laying a khata to the person 
 whom you wish to honor. If two friends have not seen each other for 
 a long time, and have met by accident, their first care is to offer each 
 other a khata ; when you write a Ictfer you inclose a khata in it : in 
 short, the importance attached, by the Thibetans, the Si-Fan, and all the 
 nations who inhabit the country to the west of the Blue Sea, to this 
 ceremony of the khata, is scarcely credible. They foru. a most consider- 
 able article of commerce for the Chinese at Tang-Keou-Eul ; and the 
 Thibetan embassies, when they pass throiisrh the town, carry away a pro- 
 digious (juantity of them. As soon as avo had done breakfast, we went 
 out to borrow a lodiring, preceded by Sandara the Bearded, beanng 
 solemnly in his two hpnds the famous dish of four pears. This proceed- 
 ing appeared to us so odd that we felt ashamed of it, and thought all 
 eyes must be fixed upon us. But the lamas whom we met weiit silently 
 on their w.ay, without turning their heads or paying the slightest atten- 
 tion to us. The little Chabis, merry and mischievous as school-boys 
 always are, were the only persons who appeared to know or care what 
 we were doing. 
 
 
r" 
 
 744 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 ** At length ve entered a small bouse, the master of which was in the 
 yard, busied in spreading out horse-dung tu dry in the sun ; but secbg 
 us, he wrapped himself in Ms scarf and went into his cell. We followed 
 him with Sandara, who offered the khata and the plate of pears, and ac- 
 companied them with an harangue in the Oriental Thibetan language, of 
 which we did not understand a word. During this time we kept our- 
 selves modestly retired, like unfortunate men who were not even capable 
 of asking a favor for ourselves. The lama made us sit down on a car- 
 pet, offered us milk tea, and said to us in the Mongol language, ' that 
 he was happy that strangers from the far west should have deigned to 
 cast their eyes on his poor habitation.' Had we been speaking French 
 we might have responded by some equivalent compliment ; but in Mon- 
 gol, we could only say that we were indeed from far off; but, that o ie 
 found in some measure a country wherever one met with such hospitality 
 ajs his. After drinking a cup of tea, and talking a minute or two of 
 France, Rome, the pope, and the cardinals, we rose to visit the dwelling 
 assigned to our use. For poor wanderers like us it was superb. There 
 was a vast chamber with a great kang, a separate kitchen with stoves, a 
 kettle, and some utensils ; and even a stable for our horse and mule. 
 We took possession of our house the same day ; and the neighboring 
 lamas helped us to move our baggage, carrying the things for us on 
 their shoulders, as if it were a real pleasure to them to give their assist- 
 ance. They swept our rooms, lighted the f.re under the kang, and set 
 the stable ready for the reception of our animals ; and when all was done, 
 the master of the house, according to a rule of hospitality among them, 
 prepared a feast for us. It is thought that, on a moving d.y, one can 
 not have time to attend to cookery. 
 
 " The situation of the Lamaserai of Kounboum is enchanting. Im- 
 agine a mountain intersected by a broad, deep ravine, whence spring up 
 large trees, filled with a numerous population of ravens, magpies, and 
 yellow-backed crows. On either side the ravine, and up the sides of the 
 mountain, rise, in amphitheatrical form, the white dwellings of the lamas, 
 each with its little terrace and wall of inclosure, adorned only by clean- 
 liness, while here and there tower far above them the Buddhist temples, 
 with their gilt roofs glittering with a thousand colors, and surrounded 
 by elegant peristyles. The houses of the superiors are distinguished by 
 pennants, floating above small hexagonal turrets, and on all sides the 
 eye is struck by mystical sentences, in the Thibetan character, in red 
 and black, on the doors, on the walls, on the stones, on pieces of linen 
 fixed, like flags, on masts reared above the houses. Almost at every 
 step you meet with conical niches, in which incense and odoriferous 
 wood are burning ; and through the streets of the Lamaserai circulates 
 the population of lamas, in their red and yellow dresses, grave in their 
 deportment, and, although under no obligation to silence, speaking little, 
 and that little in a low voice. 
 
 *' It is to a legend concerning Tsong-Kaba, a great Buddhist reform- 
 
 f^.: 
 
A WONDERFUL TREE. 
 
 746 
 
 cr, that tlio Lamascrai of Kounboum owes its name. It signifies '' Ten 
 Tliousand Images ;^' and it is said tliat when the mother of tlio reformer, 
 in devoting him to a religious life, according to custom cut oif his hair 
 and threw it away, a tree sprang up from it, which bore on every onu of 
 its leaves a Thibetan character. This tree is still to be seen at the foot 
 of the mountain on which the principal Buddhist temple stands, in a 
 large square inclosure formed by four brick walls. Within this stands 
 the wonderful tree, which appears of great antiquity ; and though now 
 not more than eight feet high, three men could hardly embrace its 
 trunk. The wood is of a reddish color, and exquisite odor, very much 
 resembling cinnamon. We were told that during the summer, toward 
 the eighth moon, it produces superb large red flowers ; but what most 
 excited our "stonishment was that every leaf was really, as we had been 
 before told it was, distinctly marked with a Thibetan character, some- 
 times lighter, sometimes darker than the leaf, but quite plain. After 
 the most mmute investigation, wo could discover no traces of fraud on 
 the part of the lamas ; and though, doubtless, people will smile at our 
 ignorance, that will matter little if they do not suspect the veracity of 
 our account."* 
 
 They remained for three months at Kounboum, but they were living 
 in opposition to a positive law of the Lamaserai, which ordained that 
 those who wished to make a long stay should put on the sacred vest- 
 ments of a lama. This was brought to their notice, and as they could 
 not conscientiously comply with the law, they offered to withdraw. 
 Thereupon the government of the convent invited them to take up their 
 abode at the little Lamaserai of Tchogortan, half an hour's ride from 
 Kounboum, where they would be at liberty to wear what dress they 
 pleased. " The aspect of Tchogortan is very picturesque, especially in 
 summer. The habitations of the lamas, at the foot of a high mountain, 
 rising almost perpendicularly above them, arc shaded by trees, centuries 
 old, whose thick branches serve for a retreat to numerous kites and 
 crows. A few yards below the houses there flows an abundant stream, 
 intersected by numerous dams, constructed by the lamas to turn their 
 prayer mills. At the bottom of the valley, and on the neighboring hills, 
 appeared the black tents of the Si-Fan, and some flocks of goats. The 
 mountain-wall itself serves as a habitation to a few contemplative anchor- 
 
 ♦ Colonel Sleemnn, in his work on India, speaks of mysterious trees in the forests in 
 certain parts of that country, every leaf of which is marked with the names of the god 
 Rama, and his wife, Sita, in Sanscrit oharacters. He examined several of these trees, 
 which the natives call the Silver-tree, and invariably found the leaves marked with the 
 sacrod names, as if written with a blunt pencil The Hindoos consider the writing aa 
 miraculous, and the Colonel was nearly ready to agree with them, when he one day 
 chanced to see one of the trees growing on the edge of a cliff, in a position where it could 
 not be reached without great difficulty and danger. Curiosity prompted him to run the 
 risk of examining it, and he found its leaves entirely free from the mysterious characters. 
 This led him to believe that in the other instances they had been secretly inscribed upon 
 the leaves by the Hindoo devotees, probably as a devotional act — ^B. T. 
 
746 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 ites, who have built their eyries, like eagles' nests, on the highest and 
 most inaccessible spots ; some have hollowed them out of the lace of the 
 rock, others have stuck a little wooden cell, like a swallow's nest, to its 
 side, and some [(ieces of wood fastened to the rock serve for a ladder, 
 by which thoy ascend to their singular habitations. 
 
 " In the beginning of July there fell very heavy rains, and when 
 these were over, the country clothed itself, as if by magic, with llowers 
 and verdure. For our camels, too, this was a moment of Palingcnosia. 
 Their hair had all fallen off in bunches like old rags, and, for a few days, 
 they were quite naked, and perfectly hideous. But now the hair began 
 to appear again, and in another fortnight they were clothed in their 
 new attire, and really handsome. The old hair furnished us with a new 
 and useful occiipation. An old lama, who was a skillful rope-maker, had 
 suggested to us that we might make with it a store of cords for our 
 baggage ; and after some lessons from him we set to work. In a short 
 time we could manage it very well, and every morning, when we went 
 to visit our cattle at their pasture, we used to take a bundle of camels' 
 hair, and Avork as we went along. 
 
 " At length, toward the end of the month of September, we heard 
 news that the Thibetan embassy had arrived at Tang-Keou-Eul, and was 
 to stop there but a few days. It Avas necessary, therefore, that without 
 lods of time we should set about our preparations for this long-lookod-for 
 journey to the capital of Thibet. Among other stores we bought a 
 good quantity of garlic, which we were recommended to take as a remedy 
 to the pernicious and even poisonous exhalations proceeding from a cer- 
 tain mountain that we should have to pass. We also got another earned ; 
 for, though ours were in magnificent order, three were not sufficient for 
 such an enterprise as this ; and we hired a young lama, whom wc had 
 known at Kounboum, in the quality of assistant camel-driver. After ex- 
 changing a great number of khatas with our friends and acquaintances, 
 wo set out on our march toward the Blue Sea, where we were to wait 
 the passing of ttic Thibetan emb.assy. 
 
 " The Blue Lake or sea, called by the Mongols the Kou-kou-Noor, is 
 an immense reservoir of water more than four 'lundred miles in circum- 
 ference. The name of sea is applicable to it, not only on account of its 
 extent, but because its waters arc bitter and salt like those of the ocean, 
 and it is subject to the periodical ebb and flow of tide. The marine 
 odor which it exhales is perceptible far off" in the desert. Toward the 
 western part there is a little rocky island inhabited by twenty contem- 
 plative lamas, who have built there a Buddhist temple, and some habita- 
 tions where they pass their days in the most profound retirement, far 
 from the anxieties of the world. It is impossible to pay them a visit, 
 for there is not a boat on the whole expanse of waters — at least we 
 never saw one, and the Mongols assured us that no one among their 
 tribes occupied himself with navigation. During the severest cold of 
 winter, however, when the waters are covered by a solid crust of ice, 
 
TIIBY JOIN TKK THIBKTAN EMBASSY. 
 
 747 
 
 the shepherds of tho noighhorliood go on pilgrimages to the island, and 
 carry to tho contemplative- hunas their modest oflTeringa of tea, and but- 
 ter, and Tsaraba, receiving in exchange blessings on their flocks and 
 pastures. 
 
 " We had sojourned by tho Kou-kou-Noor nearly a month, and had 
 been compelled, five or six times, to decamp and follow the Tartar tribes, 
 who, at the least alarm of robbers, changed their place — though they 
 never went far — when, toward the end of October, tho Thibetan embassy 
 arrived. Wo joined this immense troop, which was now further in- 
 creased by tho addition of several Mongol caravans, wishing like our- 
 selves to profit by this excellent opportunity of making the journey to 
 Lha-Ssa. We stopped on the road tho following day, that wc might see 
 this vast multitude of travelers defile before us ; and we made tho fol- 
 lowing estimate of their numbers : There were fifteen thousand long- 
 haired oxen, twelve hundred horses, about the same number of camels, 
 and two thousand men — ^Thilietans and Tartars — some going on foot, 
 and directing the disorderly march of the cattle ; others mounted on 
 horses, camels, and oxen, and fully armed. The embassador traveled in 
 a litter borno by two mules, and escorted by three hundred Chinese 
 soldiers furnished by tho province of Kan-Sou, and two hundred bravo 
 Tartars, charged by the princes of tho Kou-kou-Noor to protect tho holy 
 embassy of the Talo Lama as far as tho frontiers of Thibet. 
 
 " On the 15th of November wo quitted the magnificent plains of the 
 Kou-kou-Noor, and entered the country of tho Tsaidam Mongols, after 
 crossing the river of tho srmo name. Here the landscape underwent a 
 great change, and became wild and gloomy, and tho dry and stony soil 
 bore nothing but brambles impregnated with saltpeter. The people, too, 
 have a morose manner, as if they had been affected by the physical 
 character of their country : they speak very little, and that in so low and 
 guttural a tone that other Mongols have difliculty hi comprehending 
 thorn. In this arid soil salt and bora?: abound ; there is nothing more 
 to be done than to dig a hole two or three feet deep, and the salt col- 
 lects in it, and crystallizes and purifies of itself. The borax is also col- 
 lected in little reservoirs, which are soon entirely filled. 
 
 "Wc rested two days in this country in order to collect all the 
 strength possible for the ascent of the dreaded Bourhan-Bota — our long- 
 haired oxen and camels enjoying themselves on the niter and salt, and 
 wc feasting on Tsamba and some goats which we got from the herdsmen 
 in exchange for brick tea ; and then sotting out about three o'clock in 
 the morning, we arrived at nine at the foot of the mountain. The cara- 
 van stopped for n moment, and we gazed with anxiety upward at the 
 steep and roug'i put] s, on which we perceived with anxiety a light vapor 
 resting, which vas saM to be the noxious gas before mentioned. We 
 adopted the prei ;vutior>.ary measure, recommended by tradition, of chew- 
 ing some cloves of giirlic, and then commenced the ascent. In a short 
 time the horses appeared to be incapable of bearing their riders ; every 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
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 Sciences 
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 33 WEST MAIN STREIT 
 
 WFBSn«,N.Y. 14SS0 
 
 ^716) 872-4S03 
 
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748 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 one slackened his pace, all faces turned pale, the heart beat faintly, the 
 limbs refused their office ; many lay down, then got up again, made a 
 few steps, then lay down again, and in this deplorable manner toiled up 
 the side of the famous Bourhan-Bota. A part of our troop stopped in a 
 deep hollow of the mountain, where it was said the pestilential vapor 
 was less thick ; the rest exerted their utmost energies to reach the top, 
 where, at last, the lungs could play freely, relieved from the murderous 
 carbonic acid gas that had so long oppressed them. To descend on the 
 other side was mere play, for there the air was pure and easily respir- 
 able. The people told us that when there was a strong wind, the per- 
 nicious effect was little felt ; but that it was very dangerous in calm 
 weather, for then, being heavier than the atmospheric air, it remains 
 near the surface of the ground, instead of being in some measure dis- 
 persed." 
 
 This mountain, however, was but an apprenticeship to Mount Chuga, 
 which was much higher and more rugged. The cold they endured in 
 crossing it was almost insupportable : M. Gabet became very sick, and 
 continued so for many days. In a lake which they passed, they saw a 
 number of dead wild oxen, who had been frozen in, while in the act of 
 swimming across. " By the time we were approaching the most elevated 
 point of Central Asia," says Hue, " a terrible wind had set in from the 
 north, which lasted fifteen days, and increased the rigor of the cold to 
 a degree that threatened us with great misfortunes. The sky was still 
 clear, but the cold was so terrible that even at mid-day the influence of 
 the sun was scarcely perceptible. Even during the day, and of course 
 still more during the night, we were under the continual apprehension 
 of being frozen to death. I may mention one circumstance that will 
 give an idea of the extremity of the cold. Every morning before setting 
 off, the caravan used to take a meal, and then not ag^n till they en- 
 camped ; but as the Tsamba was a kind of food so little agreeable, that 
 it was difficult to take enough of it at once to support us during the 
 day, we used to soak in tea two or three balls of it to keep in reserve 
 for the day's journey. We wrapped up this boiling paste in very warm 
 linen, and placed it on our breasts ; and over this we had our clothing, 
 namely a garment of sheep-skin, then a waistcoat of lamb's-skin, then a 
 short garment of fox's-skin, and over all a great woolen coat. Now 
 during this fortnight we constantly found the balls of Tsamba frozen, 
 and when we drew them from our bosoms, they were so hard that we 
 almost broke our teeth in attempting to eat them. The cattle suffered 
 terribly, especially the mules and horses, which are not so strong as the 
 oxen. We had to dress them in felt carpets, and tie camels'-skin round 
 their heads; and in any other circumstances their appearance would 
 certainly have excited our hilarity, but now we were in no humor for 
 laughing, for, notwithstanding all precautions, the cattle of the caravan 
 were decimated by death. 
 
 *'■ As we advanced toward Lha-Ssa, we perceived that we were get- 
 
ARRIVAL AT LHA-SSA. 
 
 749 
 
 ting into a more and more inhabited country ; the numerous pilgrims, 
 the caravans, the frequent inscriptions on stones by the road-side, con- 
 tributed much to lighten the weariness of the road. The Thibetans wo 
 met were now no longer exclusively nomadic, cultivated fields appeared, 
 and houses took the ^lace of black tents. On the fifteenth day of our 
 departure, we arrived at Pampou (erroneously set down in maps as Panc- 
 tou), which, on account of its proximity to Lha-Ssa, is regarded by pil- 
 grims as the vestibule of the holy city. It is a beautiful plain, watered 
 by a large river, the waters of which, distributed into many canals, 
 spread fertility through the country. There is no village in it, properly 
 so called, but extensive farms are seen in all directions, the houses with 
 terraced tops, and surmounted by little turrets, whence float streamers 
 of various colors, covered with Thibetan inscriptions. Afler three 
 months' traveling through those terrible deserts, where no living thing 
 was to be met with, but robbers and wild beasts, the plains of Pampou 
 appeared to us the most beautiful country in the world. This long and 
 painful journey had brought us so near the savage state, that we were 
 in ecstasy with every thing that belonged to civilization. The houses, 
 the agricultural implements, even a simple furrow, attracted our atten- 
 tion. But wLat struck us most was the prodigious elevation of tempera- 
 ture which we noticed in the cultivated country. Although we were 
 still in the month of January, the river and the canals were merely bor- 
 dered by a light covering of ice, and we met no one clothed in furs. 
 
 " "We were now only separated from Lha-Ssa by a mountain ; but it 
 was one extremely steep and difficult of ascent. The Thibetans and Mon- 
 gols, however, climb it with great devotion ; as they believe that those 
 who have the happiness to arrive at its summit, receive a complete re- 
 mission of their sins ; and, certainly, if the mountain have not the power 
 to remit sins, it has that of imposing a pretty severe penance. We had 
 set off an hour after midnight, and we did not arrive until ten o'clock in 
 the morning ; having been compelled, on account of the steep and rocky 
 character of the paths, which makes it nearly impossible for a horse to 
 keep his footing, to walk almost the whole way. The sun was just about 
 to set, when, issuing from a defile at the foot of the mountain, we saw 
 lying before us the renowned Lha-Ssa, the metropolis of the Buddhist 
 world, encircled by a multitude of grand old trees, which form with their 
 foliage a girdle of verdure around it ; its white houses, with their terraces 
 and turrets ; its numerous temples, with their gilded roofs ; and high 
 above all, the majestic palace of the Tale Lama. At the entrance of the 
 town, some Mongols with whom we had made acquaintance on the roads, 
 had come to meet us, and invite us to alight at a lodging which they had 
 prepared for us. It was the 13th of January, 1846 ; just eighteen months 
 after we had quitted the valley of the Black Waters." 
 
750 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 RESIDENCE AT LHA-SSA. 
 
 " The day following that of our arrival at Lha-Ssa, we took a guide 
 and traversed the different quarters of the town, in quest of a lodging. 
 The houses of Lha-Ssa are generally large, several stories high, and ter- 
 minated by a terrace, slightly inclined, to facilitate the running off of the 
 water ; they are whitewashed all over, with the exception of some bor- 
 ders, and the door and window-frames, which are painted red or yel- 
 low. The reformed Buddhists are particularly fond of these two colors ; 
 they are in some sort sacred in their eyes, and are called lamanesque 
 colors. The houses of Lha-Ssa are painted every year, and have, conse- 
 quently, an admirable appearance of freshness ; but the inside is far from 
 being in harmony with the out. The rooms are smoky, dirty, and foul- 
 smelling, and generally encumbered with all sorts of utensils, in most 
 disgusting disorder. Thibetan houses are so many whited sepulchers, 
 true images of all false religions, which vail corruption and falsehood by 
 a certain number of dogmatic truths, and some principles of morality. 
 
 " After a long search we found a small lodging in a large house con- 
 taining already fifty lodgers. Our humble abode was in the upper story, 
 ascended by twenty-six stairs, unfurnished with any kind of balustrade, 
 and 60 steep and narrow, that to avoid the risk of breaking our necks, 
 every time we mounted them, it was necessary to make use of both 
 hands and feet. Our apartment was composed of one large square room 
 and a small corridor : the former lighted by a narrow window, garnished 
 with three thick wooden bars, and a round skylight. The latter hole 
 served a variety of purposes ; it admitted the light, the wind, the rain, 
 and the snow ; and also afforded egress to the smoke from our hearth. 
 In order to protect themselves in some measure from the winter's cold, 
 the Tliibetans place in the middle of their chambers a basin of baked 
 clay, in which argol may be burned. As this kind of fuel gives more 
 smoke than heat, the advantage of a hole in the roof is obvious ; and 
 this inestimable aperture in our chamber enabled us to make a little firo 
 without being quite stifled. It is true this good had its attendant evil 
 in admitting, at times, the rain and snow upon our backs, but Avhen we 
 have led a nomadic life for some time we cease to be disturbed by trifles. 
 
 " As soon as we had organized our household, we began to make ac- 
 quaintance with Lha-Ssc and its inhabitants. Lha-Ssa is not more than 
 two leagues in circumference, and is not shut within ramparts like the 
 Chinese towns. In the suburbs the number of gardens planted with 
 large trees afford a magnificent girdle of verdure to the town. The 
 principal streets are very wide, straight, and tolerably clean ; the sub- 
 urbs most disgustingly filthy. In the latter there is a quarter where the 
 houses are entirely built of ox and rams' horns ; these bizarre edifices 
 have not an unpleasant aspect, and are of great solidity. The ox horns 
 being smooth and white, and those of the sheep black and rough, form a 
 
PALACE or THE TALE LAMA. 
 
 751 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 multitude 01 singular combinations ; the interstices are filled up with 
 mortar ; these houses are never whitened — the Thibetans have the good 
 taste to leave them in their savage and fantastic beauty, without at- 
 tempting to improve them. 
 
 " The palace of the Tale Lama well deserves the celebrity it enjoys. 
 Toward the northern part of the town, at a small distance from it, there 
 rises a rocky mountain of no great elevation, and conical in form, bear- 
 ing the name of Buddha-La, that is, the Divine Mountain, and on this 
 gra.- 1 site the adorers of the Tale Buddha have reared a palace to their 
 living and incarnate divinity. This palace consists of a cluster of tem- 
 ples, varying in size and beauty ; the center temple has an elevation of 
 four stories ; the dt me is entirely covered with plates of gold, and is 
 surrounded by a peristyle, of which the columns are likewise gilded. 
 Here the Tale Lama has fixed his residence, and from the height of his 
 sanctuary can contemplate, on days of high solemnities, his countless 
 worshipers, thronging the plain and prostrating themselves at the base 
 of the Sacred Mountaui. The secondary palaces grouped around, ac- 
 commodate a crowd of lamas whose continued occupation is to serve and 
 wait on the living Buddha. Two fine avenues, bordered with magnifi- 
 cent trees, lead from Lha-Ssa to this temple, and there may be seen a 
 multitude of pilgrims unrolling between their fingers the long Buddhist 
 rosaries, and the lamas of the court splendidly dressed, and mounted on 
 horses richly caparisoned. There is continual motion in the vicinity of 
 the BuddharLa, but the multitude is genei-ally silent and serious. 
 
 " The Thibetan women adopt a custom, or I'ather submit to a regu- 
 lation certainly unique in the world. Before going out of their houses, 
 they rub their faces with a sort of black sticky varnish, a good deal like 
 conserve of grapes. As the object is to render themselves hideous, they 
 daub their flices with this digusting cosmetic, till they scarcely resemble 
 human creatures. The following was, we are told, the origin of this 
 monstrous practice : 
 
 " About two hundred years ago, the Nomekhan, or Lama King of 
 Anterior Thibet, was a man of the austerest char .'^tei At that period, 
 the Thibetan women were not more in the habit of try; ig to make them- 
 selves look ugly than the women of other countries ; n the contrary, 
 they were extravagantly addicted to dress and luxury. By degrees, 
 the contagion spread even to t^e holy family of the lamas ; and the 
 Buddhist convents relaxed their discipline, in a manner that threatened 
 a complete dissolution. In order to arrest the progress of this alarming 
 libertuiism, the nomekhan published an edict, forbidding women to 
 appear in public unless disfigured in the fashion above mentioned ; the 
 severest punishments and the heaviest displeasure of Buddha were threat- 
 ened to the refractory. It must have required no ordinary courage to 
 publish such an edict ; but that the women obeyed it was still more ex- 
 traordinary. Tradition makes no mention of the slightest revolt on their 
 part. The fair Thibetans vie with each other in making themselves 
 
752 
 
 IIUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 frightful, and she who ia most offensively besmeared passes for the most 
 pious ; the custom appears to be considered as a dogma to be accepted. 
 In the country the law is most rigorously observed ; but at ^^a-Ssa, 
 women are to be met with who venture to appear with their faces as na- 
 ture made them ; but those who permit themselves this license are con- 
 sidered as women of bad reputation, and they never fail to hide them- 
 selves when they catch sight of an agent of the police." 
 
 The travelers soon became objects of attention from the populace, 
 and there were many conjectures afloat concerning their character and 
 origin. To avoid all difficulty, they resolved to conform to a regulation 
 which requires all foreigners desirous of dwelling at Lha-Ssa, to present 
 themselves to the authorities. They repaired to the chief of police, to 
 whom they declared they wore from the west, fiom a great kingdom 
 called France, and that they had come to Thibet to preach the Christian 
 religion. The official received this information with apparent satisfac- 
 tion, and the travelers retired, congratulating themselves on their good 
 fortune. Soma days after this, however, they were visited by spies, and 
 presently were summoned before the regent. Their reception was not 
 unfavorable, but they were greatly alarmed on being also conducted be- 
 fore the Chuieso embassador, who, they knew, would endeavor to pre- 
 vent them from remaining in the city. 
 
 After a long examination, during which they stated very frankly their 
 true character, the seal of the Grand Lama was affixed to every article 
 of their baggage, and they were kept as prisoners for the night in the 
 regent's house. They were, nevertheless, treated with great kindness, 
 and received assurances of friendly interest from several of the Thibetan 
 officials. The next day their trunks were opened, in the presence of the 
 regent and the Chinese embassador. Hue thus describes the result: 
 " We took off the seal of the Tale Lama, and the two trunks that every 
 body had been long devouring with their eyes, were at -fxst laid open. 
 We took out the contents, one after another, and displayed them on a 
 large table. First appeared some volumes in French and Latin ; then 
 some Tartar and Chinese books, church linen and ornaments, sacred 
 vases, rosai'ies, crosses, medals, and a magnificent collection of litho- 
 graphs. Every body was lost in admiration at the sight of this little Eu- 
 ropean museum. They stared, jogged each other with the elbow, and 
 clucked with their tongues in sign of approbation. No one had over 
 seen any thing so wonderful or so beautifiil. Every shining white object 
 was silver, every thing that shone yellow was gold. Every countenance 
 expanded, and it seemed to be quite forgotten what dangerous people 
 we were. The Thibetans put out their tongues and scratched their cars ; 
 the Chinese made us the most sentimental reverences. The bag of med- 
 als made all eyes turn in their sockets. They hoped, probably, that we 
 should make a public distribution of these brilliant pieces of gold on 
 leaving the hall of judgment." 
 
 The most suspicious objects were their maps, but Hue succeeded, by 
 
PLAN OF A MISSION IN LIIA-SSA. 
 
 753 
 
 appealing to the knowledge of the Chinese embassad r, and thereby flat- 
 tering his vanity, in obtaining his testimony that \ 'j were engraved, 
 and not made by the travelers themselves. This stunony was con- 
 clusive ; " the good-natured regent," says Hue, " looked quite radiant 
 and triumphant when, after all, there appeared nothing among our 
 eifects to compromise us. ' You see,' said he to the embassador, ' those 
 men are ministers of the Lord of Heaven, and honest men ; what would 
 you have of them ? Let them go in peace !' Thei?e flattering words 
 were received in the hall with a murmur of approbation ; and we 
 responded from the bottom of our hearts, ' Deo gratias.'' Our baggage was 
 again shouldered by the people pressed into the service, and wo returned 
 to our home with much greater briskness than when we had quitted it. 
 The news of our acquittal quickly spread through the town ; the people 
 flocked from all sides to salute us, and the French name w^as in every 
 mouth." 
 
 On the day of their liberation, the regent furnished them with a splen- 
 did house, and gave them entire permission to commence the work of 
 proselytism. They erected a chapel in their dwelling, and held daily 
 conversations with many intelligent natives, who came to question them 
 about the religion of the West. Two or three of these appeared to bo 
 sincere and devout in their inquiries, and the missionaries began to in- 
 dulge in splendid dreams of establishing Christianity in the very sanc- 
 tuary of Buddhism. 
 
 " The tranquillity we enjoyed," continues Hue, " the distinguished 
 protection accorded by the government, the sympathy of the people — 
 all gave us the hope that, with the aid of God we might lay, in the very 
 capital of Buddhism, the foundation of a mission whose influence would 
 soon extend to the nomadic tribes of Mongolia. As soon as we imagined 
 our position secure in Lha-Ssa, we began to think of re-establishing com- 
 munications with Europe. The way of the desert was impracticable ; 
 and even supposing it infested neither by robbers nor Avild beasts, tlio 
 length of the passage made us shudder. The route by India seemed the 
 only one possible. From Lha-Ssa to the first English station it was not 
 more than a month's march ; and by establishing a correspondent be- 
 yond the Himalayas, and another at Calcutta, communication with France 
 became, if not prompt or easy, at least practicable. As this plan could 
 not be executed without the concurrence of the government, we com- 
 municated it to ihe regent, who entered into our views; and it was 
 agreed that when the fine season commenced, M. Gabet should under- 
 take the journey to Calcutta with a Thibetan escort as far as Boutan. 
 Such were our plans for the establishment of a mission at Lha-Ssa ; but, 
 at this very moment, the enemy of all good was at work to drive us 
 from a country which he seems to have chosen for the seat of his empire." 
 
 This enemy was the Chinese minister, who even became jealous of 
 the popularity of the two foreigners. He endeavored to persuade the 
 regent to expel them, alleging that their design was to overthrow the 
 
 48 
 
754 
 
 nUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 power of the Talc Lama ; but the regent remained fru'jndly, and refused 
 to believe these assertions. " The quarrel grew more bitter every day, 
 and matters came to such a pass, that prudence compelled us to resolve 
 on yielding to circumstances, and no longer maintaining a resistance 
 which might compromise the regent our protector, and even become, 
 perhaps, the cause of serious dissensions between China and Thibet. 
 We decided, then, that it would be better to bow the head, and ac- 
 cept our persecution with resignation. Our conduct would at least 
 prove to the Thibetans that we had come among them with pacific in- 
 tentions, and had no intention of establishing ourselves in the country 
 by violence. Having adopted this resolution, we went to the palace of 
 the regent, who, hearing that we had decided upon quitting Lha-Ssa, 
 looked sorry and embarrassed. lie told us that it was his warmest wish 
 to assure us a free and tranquil abode in Thibet, but that alone, and de- 
 prived of the support of his sovereign, he was too feeble to repress the 
 tjTanny of the Chinese, who, profiting by the infancy of the Tale Lama, 
 arrogated to themselves rights before unheard-of in the country.'* 
 
 On communicating their decision to the Chinese embassador, he at 
 once assumed complete authority over them. It had been their inten- 
 tion to proceed direct from Lha-Ssa to Calcutta, a journey of forty days 
 only ; but this he at once prevented, announcing his design of forward- 
 ing them through the whole breadth of the Chinese empire to Canton, 
 and giving them but eight days to make the necessary preparations. 
 Samdadyhiemba, as a Chinese subject, was not allowed to accompany 
 them, but the minister promised to allow him to return to his parents. 
 Two mandarins and a guard of fifteen Chinese soldiers were appomted 
 to attend the missionaries on their jcumey. Their farewell interviews 
 with the regent and the other Thibetan officials, were of the most 
 friendly character, and they left the holy city with deep rriortification 
 and regret. " Outside of the town," says Hue, " a number of the inhab- 
 itants with whom we had been on terms of friendship, and many of 
 whom appeared sincerely disposed to embrace our holy religion, had as- 
 sembled to salute us once more. Among them was a young physician, 
 still wearing on his breast the cross that we had given him. We 
 alighted from our horses to give them some parting words of consola- 
 tion, to exhort them to abandon courageously the superstitious worship 
 of Buddha, and adore the God of the Christians, confiding always in his 
 infinite goodness and mercy. When we had remounted our horses, we 
 cast a long last look on the city of Lha-Ssa, still visible in the distance; 
 and said in the depths of our hearts, * God's will be done !* It was the 
 15th of March, 1846." 
 
 JOURNEY FROM LHA-SSA TO CANTON. 
 
 On their return journey, the missionaries determined to change en- 
 tirely their course of conduct. As two mandaiins Avere to attend thcra, 
 
DIPLOMACY OP THE MISSIONARIES. 
 
 765 
 
 their fear of these personages abated, knowing that they were strong 
 against the weak, but weak against the strong. Iheir position gave 
 them some advantages, and the only security for their lives seemed to 
 be, to make themselves respected. On reaching the town of Ta-tsien-lou, 
 on the frontier of the Chinese empire, they demanded palanquins and 
 bearers. The governor at first refused, but after a violent debate yielded 
 the point. They then determmed to revolt against the decrees of the 
 "Tribunal of Rites," on the subject of costume. "We cast aside," says 
 Hue, " our Thibet dress — the frightful wolf-skin cap, the checked hose, 
 and the long fur tunic, that exhaled so strong an odor of beef and mut- 
 ton, and we got a skillful tailor to make us some beautiful sky-blue 
 robes in the newest fashion of Pekin. We provided ourselves with mag- 
 nificent black satin boots, adorned with soles of dazzling whiteness. So 
 far the aforesaid tribunal of rites had no objection ; but when we pro- 
 ceeded to gird up our loins with red sashes, and cover our heads with 
 embroidered yellow caps, we caused a universal shudder among all be- 
 holders, and the emotion ran through the town like an electric current, 
 till it reached the civil and military authorities. They cried aloud that 
 the red sash and the yellow cap were the attributes of imperial majesty 
 — allowable only to the family of the emperor, and forbidden to the 
 people wider pain of perpetual banishmeiit. On this point the tribunal 
 of rites would be inflexible, and we must reform our costume accord- 
 ingly. We, on our side, alleged, that being strangers traveling as 
 such, and by authority, we were bound to conform to the ritual of the 
 empire — ^but had the right of following the fiishion of our own country, 
 which allowed every one to choose the form and color of his garments, 
 according to his own fancy. They insisted — they became angry — they 
 flew into a furious passion ; we remained calm and immovable, but vow- 
 ing that we would never part with our red sashes and yellow caps. Our 
 obstinacy was not to be overcome, and the mandarins submitted — as 
 they ought to do." 
 
 After passing a terrific mountain-chain, the summits of which were 
 covered with snow, they descended into the populous and fertile plains 
 of the province of Sse-Tcliouen. It was now the month of June, and 
 they were delighted with the sight of rich fields and ripening harvests. 
 In this thorough and patient cultivation they recognized China. Hue 
 also noticed a peculiar musky odor in passing through the villages, a 
 jDTopos of which subject he observes: "Travelers in remote countries 
 have often remarked, that most nations have an odor which is peculiar 
 to them. It is easy to distinguish the negro, the Malay, the Tartar, the 
 Thibetan, the Hindoo, the Arab, and the Chinese. The country itself 
 even, the soil on which they dwell, diffuses an analogous exhalation, 
 which is especially observable in the morning, in passing either through 
 town or country ; but a new-comer is much more sensible of it than an 
 old resident, as the sense of smell becomes gradually so accustomed to 
 it as no longer to perceive it. The Chinese say they perceive also a 
 
756 
 
 HUG'S TRAVELS. 
 
 peculiar odor in an European, but one less powerful than that of the 
 other nations with whom they come in contact. It ia remarkable, how- 
 ever, that in traversing the various provinces of China, we were never 
 recognized by any one except by the dogs, which barked continually at 
 ua, and appeared to know that we were foreigners. We had, indeed, 
 completely the appearance of true Chinese, and only an extremely del- 
 icate scent could discover that we did not really belong to the ' central 
 nation.' " 
 
 After a march of twelve days, during which they traveled a distance 
 of three hund'-ed miles from the frontier, they reached the large town 
 of Tching-tou-fou, the capital of the province of Sae-Tchouen. Here an 
 examination was held, and they were at first in some doubt as to their 
 future fate. They were taken before the chief provincial commissioner 
 and the inspector of crimes, both of whom asked them many questions, 
 which they answered with so much dignity, propriety, and good-humor, 
 that at last the balance turned in their favor. The next day they were 
 taken before the viceroy of the province, who, after another examina- 
 tion, the particulars of which were taken down, to be forwarded to 
 Pekin, decided to send them to Canton, there to be delivered over to 
 the French embassador. This trial, and the subsequent preparations for 
 their further journey, detained them seventeen days, during which time 
 they had ample leisure to inspect the place. Hue gives the following 
 description of it : 
 
 " Tching-tou-fou, the capital of the province of Sse-Tchouen, is one 
 of the finest towns in the empire. It is situated in the middle of an ad- 
 mirably fertile plain, watered by beautiful streams, and bounded to- 
 ward the horizon by hills of graceful and varied forms. The principal 
 streets are of a good width, paved entirely with large flagstones, and so 
 clean that you can scarcely, as you pass through them, believe yourself 
 to be in a Chinese town. The shops with their long and brilliant signs, 
 the exquisite order with which the merchandise displayed in them is 
 arranged, the great number and beauty of the tribunals, pagodas, and 
 of what we must call literary institutions, all contribute to make of 
 Tching-tou-iou a town in some measure exceptional ; or at least this is 
 the impression we retained concerning it, when subsequently we had 
 ^'isited the most renowned cities of the other provinces." 
 
 The viceroy, in framing the regulations to be observed during their 
 journey, ordered that the same honors should be paid to them on the 
 road as to functionaries of the very highest rank. Those who failed to 
 show them the proper respect were sometimes harshly treated by the 
 mandarins who had them in charge, and the character they had assumed 
 obliged them to maintain an indifierence to this tyranny which they did 
 not feel. After two or three days they reached the great Yang-tse- 
 Kiang (Son of the Sea), or Blue River, and the mandarins proposed to 
 travel by water. The fatigues of the land-journey made this a desired 
 change, but their pleasui'e was less than they had imagined. At mid- 
 
THEY LODGE IN A THEATRE. 
 
 757 
 
 L 
 
 r 
 r 
 
 M 
 
 ro , 
 
 la- 
 
 to 
 
 to 
 
 for 
 
 imc 
 
 ing 
 
 night tlioy lialtcd at the town of K ien-tohcou, and lodged at the " Hotel 
 of Accomplished Wishes." In this place, they had a violent dispute 
 Avith the mandarins, "who wished to jjrevent them from visiting the eom- 
 munal palace, where they insisted upon taking up their residence. All 
 sorts of threats, objections, and entreaties were made, but the nussion- 
 arios were inflexible in their resolution, and finally achieved their design. 
 Every victory of this kind added to the respect with which they were 
 treated. Their journey for some weeks was a repetition of these scenes, 
 but their knowledge of Chinese character always enabled them to come 
 oif victorious. Their route followed the course of the Yang-tse-Kiang, 
 sometimes in boats on the river, and occasionally leading over moimtain- 
 chains, in order to cut off some of its many windings. In the town of 
 Leang-Chan thoy carried their effrontery so far, as to take the place of 
 judges, and try three Chinese Christians, who had been brought before 
 the proper tribunal. This was not only allowed by the authorities, to 
 the groat astonishment of the missionaries, but the decision of the 
 latter, liberating the accused converts, was accepted, and carried into 
 effect ! 
 
 At the town of Yao-Tchang, they had rather a picturesque expe- 
 rience. They took lodgings at the " Hotel of the Beatitudes," which w.as 
 the reverse of what its name indicated. They then sent one of the man- 
 darins to seek a better place, and in a short time he returned, saying 
 that they should occupy the theater, which was spacious and airy. " A 
 porter appeared, who took up our baggage," says Hue, " and in the 
 twinkling of an eye, we had left the Hotel of Beatitudes to become ten- 
 ants of the theater of Yao-tchang. This theater formed part of a great 
 Bonze convent, and was situated in an immense court-yard opposite to 
 the principal pagoda. Its construction was rather remarkable, in com- 
 parison with the numerous edifices of this kind to be met with in China. 
 Twelve great granite columns supported a vast square platform sur- 
 mounted by a pavilion richly onianientcd, and supported on pillars of 
 varnished wood. 
 
 " A broad stone staircase, situated at the back of the building, led 
 to the platform, first into an apartment intended for thp actors, and 
 thence to the stage by two side doors, which served for entrances and 
 exits. UpoL. the stage were placed some chairs and a table, and there 
 we supped by the light of the moon and stars, as well as of a number of 
 lanterns, which the directors of the theater had had kindled in our honor. 
 It was really a charming spectacle, and one altogether unlooked for. If 
 we had not taken the precaution to have the great gate of the Bonze 
 convent shut, we should soon have had the whole population of Yao- 
 tchang in the space that was intended to serve for a pit. It is certain 
 that the inhabitants of this place had never seen on their stage any thing 
 they would think as curious as ourselves. W ' r'ard a tumultuous mob 
 outside, demanding with loud cries to be allowed a sight of the two men 
 from the western seas at supper. They seemed to think we must have 
 
758 
 
 IIUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 Bomo quite peculiar and extraordinary method of eating. Some suc- 
 ceeded in getting upon the roof of the Bonze convent, and some had 
 climbed over the incloauro and up into some high trees, whence they 
 could command a view of us, and where we saw them jumping about 
 among the leaves like large monkeys. These curious and intrepid per- 
 sons must have been much disappointed to see us eating our rice with 
 chop-sticks, quite in the established Chinese fashion. 
 
 " The evenuig was delightfully fine, and the air delicious on this plat- 
 form, where we begged our servant to place our beds, as wo desired to 
 pass the night there. All was made ready, and we wished to go to bed; 
 but our watchful observers manifested no inclination to quit their posts, 
 and at last wo had to put out the lanterns, in order to drive them home. 
 As they departed, we heard some of thi'm say, ' Why these men are just 
 like us !' ' Not quite,' said another ; ' the little devil has very large eyes, 
 and the tall one a very pointed nose. I noticed that dittbrence.' " 
 
 Continuing their voyage down the Yang-tse-Kiang, they reached the 
 town of Pa-toung, in the province of Hi peh, the capital of which is the 
 great city of Wou-chang-fou. Hue remarks : " We passed without acci- 
 dent a place dangerous from its numerous reefs ; some of the last met 
 with on this fine river, which beyond this place goes on increasing from 
 day to day, and spreading richness and fertility around it. There is 
 certainly no one in tho world to bo compared witb it for the multitude 
 of men whom it feeds, and tho prodigious number of vessels that it bears 
 on its waters. Nothing can be more grand and majestic than the de- 
 velopment of this river during its course of one thousand nine hundred 
 and eighty miles. At Tchoung-king, nine hundred miles from the sea, 
 it is already a mile and a hall* broad ; at its mouth it is no less than 
 twenty-one." 
 
 Some days after this, however, they encountered a violent gale. The 
 waves rose so high that the junk became almost unmanageable : they 
 were twice driven upon sand-bars, and narrowly escaped shipwreck. 
 At last, after a day of great terror and danger, they reached the town 
 of Kin-tcheou, and found that two boats which liad preceded them had 
 been wrecked, and three men drowned. At this place they left the 
 river, and took again to their palanquins. The heat was so great, as it 
 was now the middle of summer, that they traveled mostly by night, ac- 
 companied by horsemen bearing torches. Their strength, however, had 
 been so exhausted by the long duration of their fatigues, that on reach- 
 ing a town called Kuen-kang-hien, they both became seriously ill, and 
 were compelled to suspend their journey. " Every one of the company," 
 Bays Hue, " delivered his opinion of our condition in the most technical 
 terms, and it was settled by the obliging members of this impromptu 
 consultation that our ' noble and illustrious malady proceeded from a 
 disturbance in the equilibrium of the vital spirits.' The igneous princi- 
 ple, they thought, too long fed by the excessive heat, had ended by ex- 
 ceeding beyond all measure the proper bounds assigned to it, and that, 
 
 ney. I 
 stilj 
 seasc 
 ingi^ 
 
 day, 
 Tl 
 
 peh, 
 
 there I 
 
 ^ake,| 
 
 Jong, 
 
 they 
 
ac- 
 aad 
 Lch- 
 land 
 
 ici- 
 
 ex- 
 
 Lbat, 
 
 CHINESE rilYaiOLOOY. 
 
 759 
 
 conocquently, a firo, so to speak, hnd been kiiidlcil in tho subliiuu 
 organization of our body." 
 
 For tho purpose of subduing this igneous principle, they prescribed 
 green peas, cucumbers, and melons ; but before tho prescription could 
 bo tested, a celebrated ])hy8ician arrived, who made a long and careful 
 examination of the illustrious patients. " By some means or other," 
 said he, shaking his head, '■'■ the cold air has penetrated into the interior, 
 and has put itself in opposition, in many of the organs, with the igneous 
 principle ; thence arises tho struggle, which must rocessarily manifest 
 itself by vomitings and convulsions ; wo must therefore combat the evil 
 with warm substances." In order to re-establish the said equilibrium 
 there needed only to bo introduced hito the body a certain quantity of 
 cold, and to lower the extravagant temperature of this igneous principle ; 
 therefore it was necessary to favor the return of moisture into all the 
 members. After hanging between life aiid death for two or three days, 
 the constitutions of the missionaries prevaiiod, and they gradually recov- 
 ered their health and strength. 
 
 After traveling for some time longer down the Yang-tse-Kiang, they 
 reached the large town of Ou (or Wou)-Chatig-fou, tho capital of IIou- 
 peh, and tho chief center of tho internal trade of China. They were at 
 first very disagreeably lodged in a little pagoda, and the mandarins 
 seemed disposed to treat them with contempt and arrogance. It was 
 necessary for them to make a strong diplomatic movement : they forced 
 themselves into the presence of tho governor of the province, and boldly 
 claimed better treatment. Their boldness had its usual effect: they 
 were installed in a magnificent Buddhist convent, culled the " Garden 
 of the Western Gate." Hero the mandarins and escort who had accom- 
 panied them from Sse-tchouen were dismissed, and they were furnished 
 with others, for the journey to Canton. Tho principal mandarin was 
 called Lieou^ or " Willow ;" but as he had very large gogglo eyes, 
 which were weak and easily provoked to tears, tho missionaries gen- 
 erally called him " Tho Weeping Willow." 
 
 " After four days' rest in tho Garden of the Western Gate," says 
 Hue, " we began to think of resuming our seemingly interminable jour- 
 ney. We felt our strength and courage nearly exhausted, and we liad 
 still nearly nine hundred miles to travel, and that during the hottest 
 season of the year, and constantly ia a southerly direction. But trust- 
 ing in the protection of Providence, we did not doubt of arriving some 
 day safe and sound at Macao." 
 
 They traveled for some time eastward through tlie province of IIou- 
 peh, and finally reached tho imperial road from Canton to Pekin. Here 
 there were two routes to Nan-Chang, tho capital of Kiang-Si, a very 
 rugged path over mountains, and a voyage across the great Pou-Yang 
 Lake, which is dangerous at certain seasons. The lake is forty-five miles 
 long, by from fifteen to eighteen in breadth. After some consultation 
 they chose tho latter route. " Our navigation on the Lake Pou-yang," 
 
760 
 
 HUC'S TRAVELS. 
 
 says Hue, " was performed without accident ; but it was much siower 
 than we had anticiiiated, for instead of one day's journey we had two. 
 We hiivi not gone more than half way when the wind changed, a;.d be- 
 gan to blow right a-head, so that we were compelled to make some lonr; 
 tacks. During these two days we seldom saw land, and we could hardly 
 liersuadc ourselves that we were really in the center of the Chinese em- 
 jiiro. The iiiimense extent of water — the long waves raised by the wind 
 — the large vessels that were moving about in all directions, made it 
 look more like a sea than a lake. The innumerable junks that are con- 
 stantly plowing the surface of the Pou-yang make really a very pretty 
 sight. 
 
 " From the Lake Pou-yang to Nan-tchang-fou, the capital of the 
 province of Kiang-si, the country that wo traveled through for two 
 days, was a mere desert, in which were seen here and there a few 
 wretched huts built of reeds and some patches of ground half cultivated 
 by poor peasants. The extreme heat of the weather, and our own need 
 of repose, decided us to continue our journey by water. From Nan- 
 tchang-fou we could follow the course of a large river as far as the 
 Mountain Mei-ling, which is just halfway, and can be crossed in a single 
 day ; after this, the River Kiang W'ould take us all the rest of the way 
 to Canton. We knew that this route was infinitely preferable to the 
 land-journey, particularly if we were furnished with government junks, 
 and well-provisioned. Our efforts were crowned with perfect success ; 
 we W' ere provided with a well-armed vessel of war for escort, and two 
 superb junks, one for the mandarins and their suite, and one for our- 
 selves. 
 
 " After a delightful voyage of fifteen days we arrived at the foot of 
 the Mountain Mei-ling, when we bade adieu to our mandarin jimks, and 
 returned to our palanquin. We arrived toward noon at the summit of 
 the mountain, where there is a sort of triumphal arch, in the fonii of an 
 immense portal ; on one side of which ends the province of Kiang-si, 
 and on the other begins that of Canton. We could not cross this front- 
 ier without emotion, for we had now at last set foot in the province 
 which is in direct communication with Europe. It seemed as if we were 
 only a short way from Canton, and Canton represented to us Europe — 
 France, that country so dear to our recollections. We descended the 
 mountain slowly and cautiously, on account of the masses of rock with 
 , which the way was thickly strewn, and we arrived in the evening at 
 Nan-hioung. 
 
 " On the sixth day after our departure from Nan-hioung, the Tigris 
 had ceased to roll its blue waters through mountains ; and we entered 
 on a richly cultivated plain, where from time to time we inhaled a 
 poAverful and invigorating breeze, that seemed to expand our chests. 
 It was a breeze from the sea, and Canton was not far off ! Standing 
 motionless on the deck of the junk, straining our eyes in that direction, 
 we felt all the tremor that precedes the strong emotions of a return 
 
RETURN TO CIVILIZATION. 
 
 761 
 
 after long absence. The last rays of the sun were just fading on the 
 horizon, when we perceived something like an immense forest, stripped 
 of its leaves and branches, and retaining only the trunks of tlie great 
 trees. The current, the breeze, and the tide, were now sweeping us on 
 rapidly to the roads of Canton ; and soon, among the innumerable masts 
 of Chinese junks, we distinguished some more elevated than the rest, 
 and the peculiar structure of whose yards made us give a sudden start, 
 and filled our eyes with tears. Among the native vessels of China arose 
 the grand and imposing forms of a steam-ship and several East India- 
 men ; and amid the flags of all colors that were waving in the air, we 
 perceived those of the United States, of Portugal, and of England. 
 That of France was not among them ; but when one has been long at 
 the other side of the world, on an inhospitable soil, in China, in short, it 
 seems that all the people of the west form one great family. The mere 
 sight of a European flag makes the heart beat, for it awakens all the 
 recollections of our country. 
 
 "In traversing the pet of Canton on our mandarin junk, our eyes 
 sought with eager curiosity for all that was not Chinese. We passed 
 alongside of an English brig, and wo could not gaze enough at the 
 sailors in their glazed hats, who, ranged in a line along the deck, were 
 watching us passing ; assuredly without suspecting that they had under 
 tl- nv eyes two Frenchmen just returned from the high table-land of 
 Asia. Probably they were amusing themselves at our Chinese costume, 
 while we were going into ecstasies at their astonishing physiognomies. 
 Those rubicund visages, those blue eyes, those long noses and fair hair, 
 those curious narrow clotlies, pasted, as it seemed, upon their limbs — 
 how droll it all was ! A pretty trim little vessel, painted green and 
 covered with a white awning, now passed us ; and in it were seated three 
 European gentlemen, smoking cigars, enjoying apparently a pleasure- 
 trip. How grotesque in the eyes of an Asiatic would their costume 
 have appeared ! They wore black hats and white trowsers, waistcoats, 
 and jacket^. A Thibet man would have burst out laughing to see those 
 faces, naked of beard or mustache, but having instead a bunch of red 
 curly hair on each cheek. We understood now V w absurd Europeans 
 must look in countries which have "' knowledge of their customs and 
 fashions. At length, then, we had reached Canton! This was in the 
 month of October, 1 846, six months after our departure from Lha-Ssa. 
 
 " In one of the very first newspapers that chance threw into our 
 hands, we read an article that we thought rather curious. It was as 
 ioUows : ' We have lately received the intelligence of the lamentable 
 death of the two fathers of the Mongol Tartar Mission.' After a slight 
 glance at the Tartar countries, the author of the article contiimes : ' A 
 French Lazarist of the name of Hue, took up hie abode about three 
 years ago among some Chinese families estabhshed in the vailey of 
 Black Waters, about six hundred miles from the Great Wall. Another 
 Lazarist, whose name is not known to us, joined him with the purpose 
 
762 
 
 HUC'8 TRAVELS. 
 
 of forming a mission for tho conversion of tho Mongol Buddhists. They 
 studied the Tartar language with tho lamas of the neighboring monas- 
 teries ; and it appears that, having been regarded as foreign lamas, they 
 were treated in a friendly manner, especially by the Buddhists, who are 
 very ignorant, and who took the Latin of their breviaries for Sanscrit, 
 which they do not understand, but for which they have much venera- 
 tion. When tho missionaries believed themselves sufficiently instructed 
 in tho language they proceeded into tho interior, with the intention of 
 commencing tho Avork of conversion. After that period very little was 
 heard of them, until in May last information was received that they had 
 been fastened to the tails of wild horses and dragged to death The im- 
 mediate cause of this event is not yet known.' It may well bo imagined 
 that this article astonished us a little ; and wo thought wc had some 
 reason to doubt its perfect accuracy. 
 
 " Two days afterward wo had clasped in our arms our old friends 
 and dear brethren at Macao. For a long time we felt in the midst of 
 them like men awakened from a deep sleep. We were astonished to sec 
 no longer around us tho Thibetan, Tartar, and Chinese physiognomies, 
 and to hear sounding in our cars only that beautiful native tongue 
 whose harmonious accents made every fiber of our souls thrill with joy, 
 and our eyes gush full of delicious tears. Franco was still far from us, 
 and yet wc scented to have found it again. 
 
 " A month after c ur arrival at Macao, M. Gabet, forgetting his in- 
 firmities and sufferings, and listening only to his devotion to the sacred 
 cause in which ho was engaged, embarked for Europe, in the hope of 
 exciting tho zeal and charity of tho Catholics in favor of the interesting 
 populations of Tartary and Thibet, for whose salvation he would gladly 
 have laid down his life. Wc hoped at the time soon to meet again this 
 companion of all our wanderings, the friend whoso existence was in some 
 measure identified with our own. But such was not the will of God. 
 One day we received the afilicting news that this indefatigable and cour- 
 ageous missionaiy had yielded his last breath on the coast of Brazil. 
 When amid the snows of high Asia, we had been so solicitous to recall 
 the vital warmth into tho nearly frozen limbs of our friend, we little 
 thought that God had appointed him to find a grave on the burning 
 shores of South America. 
 
 "After a tolerably long residence at Macao, we ourselves set off 
 once more on the road to Pekin, thus traversing China for the third 
 time, and as we have already stated in our former work, the shattered 
 state of our health subsequently obliged us to return to Fiu.iCe, after 
 having visited on our way India, Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. We em- 
 barked first for China in the year 1888, and wo were not permitted to 
 see our native country again till 1852." 
 
F R T U N E'S 
 
 JOURNEYS TO THE TEA COUNTRIES OP CHINA. 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE GREEN TEA DIfJTRIOTS. 
 
 Mb. Robkut FonxuNK, an English botanist and horticulturist, was 
 led to visit China with the object of procuring new varieties of orna- 
 mental plants and trees. Ilis success was even beyond his expectations ; 
 he procured and forwarded to England many very beautiful and valua- 
 ble specimens, and after his return published, in 1847, a narrative of his 
 experiences, under the title of " Three Years' Wanderings "n the North- 
 em Provinces of China." Shortly after the publication o:' this volume, 
 he was appointed by the court of directors of the East India Company 
 to proceed again to China, for the purpose of obtaining the finest varieties 
 of the tea-plant, as well as native manufactures and implements, for the 
 government tea plantations in the Himalayas. Leaving England in June, 
 1848, he reached Hong-Kong, by the overland route, in August. 
 
 Mr. Fortune continued his voyage northward to Shanghai, which is 
 nearer the tea-districts. It was a matter of great importance to procure 
 the best seeds and shrubs from those parts of the country where the best 
 teas are produced. He therefore designed to visit the celebrated hill of 
 Sung-lo, in the Hwuy-chow district, where the very finest green teas are 
 grown. But this place is two hundred miles inland, and except the 
 Jesuit missionaries, no European had over entered the sacred precincts 
 of Hwuy-chow. Mr. Fortune says : *' I had two Hwuy-chow men in my 
 service at this time. I sent for them, and inquired whether it was possible 
 to penetrate so far into the country. They replied that wo could easily 
 do so, and that they were quite willing to accompany me, only stipulating 
 that I should discard my English costume and adopt the dress of the 
 country. I knew that this was indispensable if I wished to accomplish 
 the object in view, and readily acceded to the terms. My servants now 
 procured me a Chinese dress, and had the tail which I had worn in for« 
 mer years nicely dressed by the barber. Every thing was soon in readi* 
 ness except the boat which had to be engaged for the first stage of our 
 journey." 
 
764 
 
 FORTUNE'S TRAVELS IN CHINA. 
 
 Having engaged a boat, had liis head shaved and his tail fastened on, 
 and adopted the complete Chinese costume, Mr. Fortune left Shanghai 
 for the large city of JIang-chow-foo, and arrived there after a three days' 
 voyage on the grand canal. " On the evening of the 22d of October," 
 says he, " I approached the suburbs of Ilang-chow-foo, one of the largest 
 and most flourishing cities in the richest district of the Chinese empire. 
 The Chinese authorities have always been most jealous of foreigners 
 approaching or entering this town. As I drew nearer the city, every 
 thing which came under my observation marked it as a place of great 
 importance. The grand canal was deep and wide, and bore on its waters 
 many hundreds of boats of different sizes, all engaged in an active bust- 
 ling trade. Many of these were sailing in the same direction as our- 
 selves, while others were leaving the city, and hurrying onward in the 
 direction of Soo-chow, Iloo-chow, Kea-king, and other towns. Canals 
 were seen branching off from the grand canal in all directions, and form- 
 ing the high roads of the country." 
 
 The boatmen dissuaded Mr, Fortune froni entering the city, but as 
 it was necessary for him to reach the Ilang-choAv, or Green River, about 
 eight miles distant, he engaged a sedan chair and some bearers to con- 
 vey him around the walls. The latter, however, to his great surprise, 
 took him directly through the heart of the city — a walk of some dis- 
 tance. Fortunately ho was not detected, and was equally successful, 
 after reaching the Green River, in engaging a boat to take him up the 
 river to Ilwuy-chow. This was a Chinese craft, full of cargo and with 
 twenty passengers on board, mostly merchants and servants, and all 
 quiet and inoffensive people. There were berths in which the passengers 
 slept, and the price of passage also included meals, which consisted prin- 
 cipally of tea, sweet potatoes, and boiled rice. 
 
 " Tlie slow progress which wo necessarily made suited my purposes 
 exactly, and enabled mo to explore the botanical riches of the country 
 wuth convenience and ease. I used to rise at break of day, and spend 
 the morning inspecting the hills and valleys near the sides of the river, 
 and then return to the boat in time for breakfast. Breakfast over, I 
 generally ".•ent on shore again, accompanied by my men, who carried the 
 seeds, plants, or flowers "we might discover during our rambles. The 
 first thing we did on these occasions M'as to ascend the nearest hill and 
 take a survey of the windings of the river, with the number of rapids, 
 in order that we might form some idea of the progress our boat would 
 make during our absence." 
 
 During these rambles. Fortune discovered a new variety of palm- 
 tree, the only species to be found in the northern or central provinces 
 of China. It grew upon the hill-sides, in great perfection. It is par- 
 ticularly valuable to the northern Chinese, who use its large, brown 
 hair-like bracts for many purposes. Ropes and cables for their junks 
 are made out of this substance, and seem to last, even under water, 
 for a very long time. Agricultural laborers and coolies are fond of 
 
NEW TRKES FOUND. 
 
 765 
 
 wearing hats and cloaks made out of the same substance, which in 
 wet weather keeps out a great deal of rain ; and there are many other 
 purposes to which this useful tree 
 is applied. 
 
 " I am in hopes," says Fortune, 
 "that one day we shall see this 
 beautiful palm-tree ornamenting 
 the hill-sides in the south of En- 
 gland, and in other mild European 
 countries. With this view I sent 
 a few plants home to Sir William 
 Hooker, of the Royal Gardens at 
 Kew, with a request that he would 
 forward one of them to the gar- 
 den of his Royal Highness Prince 
 Albert, at Osborne House, Isle of 
 Wight."* 
 
 " But the most beautiful tree 
 found in this district is a species 
 of weeping cypress, which I had 
 never met with in any other part 
 of China, and which was quite new 
 to me. It was during one of my 
 daily rambles that I saw the first 
 specimen. About half a mile dis- 
 tant from where I was I observed 
 a noble-looking fir-tree, about 
 
 ..-!'' %. 
 
 
 sixty 
 stem as 
 
 feet in height, 
 straight as the 
 
 having 
 
 a 
 
 Norfolk 
 
 THE HEMP PALM. 
 
 Island pine, and weeping branches 
 Uke the willow of St. Helena. Its branches grew at first at right angles 
 to the main stem, then described a graceful curve upward, and bent 
 again at their points. From these main branches others long and slen- 
 der hung down perpendicularly, and gave the whole tree a weeping and 
 graceful form. It reminded me of some of those largo and gorgeous 
 chandeliers sometimes seen in theaters and public halls in Europe. 
 
 " On the evening of the 31st of October," h? continues, " we reached 
 Wae-ping. It is a city of considerable size, walled and fortified, and 
 probably contains one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. This 
 place is just on the borders of the district of Hwuy-chow. Soon after 
 leaving Wae-ping one of my guides informed me that we were now on 
 the border of another province, and that here I had better not go much 
 out of the boat. I found that this advice was good and worth attendmg 
 
 * In the BotankaX Magazine for March, 1850, Sir William Hooker thus writes of it : 
 " A palm, Chamarops excelsa, (t) sent to the Royal Gardens by Mr. Fortune, has braved, 
 unharmed, and unprotected by anj sort of covering, the severe winter now passed" 
 (1849.60). 
 
766 
 
 FORTUNE'S TRAVELS IN CHINA. 
 
 to. The river here is considered the highway or passage from the one 
 district to the other, and this pass is well guarded by soldiers. Each 
 province has its own guard-town. On the Che-kiang side we passed a 
 long, straggling town on the river's banks, chiefly inhabited by troops, 
 who were the guards of the pass, and under the orders of the Ilang-chow 
 mandarins. As soon as the boundary-lino was crossed we came to an- 
 other place of like size and appearance, also filled with soldiers, who 
 were under the orders of the authorities of Hwuy-chow-foo, in the prov- 
 ince of Kiang-nan. These two parties formed a sort of border guard, 
 and bore each other, I believe, little good-will. They reminded me of 
 our own border clans in ancient feudal times. Boats passing up and 
 down the river were generallly boarded, and had their papers examined 
 by one of the oflScers." 
 
 After a voyage of several days, the boat arrived at the town of Tun- 
 che, distant about twenty miles from the city of Hwuy-chow-foo. The 
 great article of trade here is green tea. For the principal part of the 
 journey, the river had been shut in by high hills, but at this place they 
 retired, leaving an extensive and beautiful valley, which was almost 
 entirely covered ^vith tea plantations. The soil was very fertile, and the 
 tea-shrubs showed a most luxuriant growth. Fortune remained but an 
 hour or two at Tun-che ; he hired a chair, took the road for Sung-lo, 
 and before dark saw the far-famed Sung-lo-shan, the hill where green 
 tea is said to have been first discovered. Of this hill he says : '* Sung, 
 lo-shan appears to be between two and three thousand feet above the 
 level of the plains. It is very barren, and, whatever may have formerly 
 been the case, it certainly produces but little tea now ; indeed, from dl 
 I could learn, the tea that grows upon it is quite neglected, as far as 
 cultivation is concerned, and is only gathered to supply the wants of the 
 priests of Fo, who have many temples among these rugged wilds. 
 Nevertheless, it is a place of great interest to every Chinaman, and has 
 afforded a subject to many of their writers. 
 
 " When we reached the Sung-lo country I took np my quarters in 
 a house which belonged to the father of my servant Wang. It was 
 nearly dark before we arrived at the house, which was situated among 
 the hills within two miles of the foot of Song-lo. Had I fixed upon the 
 spot myself I could not have found one better suited to the purposes I 
 had in view. Old Mr. Wang was a farmer who at one time had been 
 well off in the world, but, like many others, had been unfortunate, and 
 was now very much reduced in circumstances. He received us in the 
 kindest manner, and seemed to have great affection for his son. His 
 wife also came to welcome us, at the same time apologiang for the poor 
 reception they gave us, as they were so ^ or. I tried not to be out- 
 done in politeness, and we were soon on the best possible terms. 
 
 " Sung-lo Mountain, which in ordinary weather I could have seen 
 from the windows, was now enveloped in a cloak of mist, and every tree 
 and bush was bent down with heavy drops of rain. At last, on the 
 
THE GREEN TEA DISTRIOT. 
 
 767 
 
 foarth day, tho clouds cleared away, the sun shone out again with his 
 usual brilliancy, and the whole face of nature wore a cheerful and 
 smiling aspect. I was now out every day, from morning until evening, 
 busily employed in collecting seeds, in examining the vegetation of the 
 hills, and in obtaining information regarding the cultivation and manu- 
 &cture of green tea. By this means I obtained a good collection of 
 those tea-seeds and young plants from which the finest green teas of 
 commerce are prepared, and much information of a useful kind. 
 
 " I spent a week in the neighborhood of Sung-lo, and then began to 
 think of returning eastward with the collections I had made. All our 
 arrangements being complete, the seeds put up, and the plants packed, 
 I hired a chair, and on the afternoon of the 20th of November, bade 
 adieu to Wang's family, and to th 3 country of the far-famed Sung-lo- 
 shan. In three days we arrived at the city of Yen-chow-fou, a journey 
 which occupied twelve days in going up ; and in three days more, that 
 is on the sixth day after leaving Tun-che, we arrived at the town of 
 Nechow. 
 
 " Nothing worthy of note occurred until I reached the town of Ning- 
 po. It was as welcome a sight as I had seen for many a day, when the 
 old town, with its pagoda, temples, and ramparts, came in view. It 
 was well known to me in former years, and I felt myself ' quite at 
 home,' after a long and somewhat perilous, although in many respects a 
 pleasant journey." 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE BOHBA MOUNTAINS. 
 
 After carefully packing his tea-plants in Shanghai, Mr. Fortune took 
 them to Hong-Kong and there shipped them to India, where they after- 
 ward arrived in good condition. He then proceeded to Fou-chow-foo — 
 one of the five ports opened to commercial intercourse with foreigners — 
 intending to travel to Ning-po, if possible, by way of the celebrated 
 Bohea Mountains. Having engaged a boat, he sailed up the River Min 
 as far as the tow. of Sing-kow, a distance of seventy or eighty miles, 
 but on arriving there found that his funds were insuflicient for the jour- 
 ney ; whereupon he dispatched his servants, with instructions to procure 
 fine specimens of the tea-plant, and returned to Foo-chow. He then 
 sailed > o Ning-po in a Portuguese vessel, and awaited the return of his 
 servants at the temple of Tien-tung, near that place, devoting himself 
 in the mean time, to his favorite botanical researches. 
 
 In speaking of the fine bamboo woods near Tien-tung, Fortune gives 
 the following description of that most useful of trees : " The bamboo is 
 one of the moat valuable trees in China, and is used for almost every 
 conceivable purpose. It is employed in making soldiers' hats and shields, 
 umbrellas, soles of shoes, scaffolding-poles, measures, baskets, ropes, 
 paper, pencil-holders, brooms, sedan-chairs, pipes, flower-stakes, and 
 
768 
 
 FORTUNE'S TRAVELS IN CHINA. 
 
 trellis-work in gardens ; pillows are made of the shavings ; a kind of rush 
 cloak for wet weather is made from the leaves, and is called a So-e, or 
 " garment of leaves." On the water it is used in making sails and covers 
 for boats, for fishing-rods and fish-baskets, fishing-stakes and buoys; 
 catamarans are rude boats, or rather floats, formed of a few logs of bam- 
 boo lashed firmly together. In agriculture the bamboo is used in mak- 
 ing aqueducts for conveying water to the land ; it forms part of the 
 celebrated water-wheel, as well as of the plow, the harrow, and other 
 implements r>f husbandry. Excellent water-pipes are made of it for con- 
 veying springs from the hills, to supply houses and temples in the val- 
 leys with pure water. Its roots are often cut into the most grotesque 
 figures, and its stems finely carved into ornaments for the curious, or 
 into incense-burners for the temples. The Ning-po furniture, the most 
 beautiful in China, is often inlaid with figures of people, houses, temples, 
 and pagodas in bamboo, which form most correct and striking pictures 
 of China and the Chinese. The yoimg shoots are boiled and eaten, 
 and sweetmeats are also made of them. A substance found in the joints, 
 called tabasheer, is used in medicine. In the manufacture of tea it helps 
 to form the rolling-tables, drying-baskets, and sieves ; and last, though 
 not least, the celebrated chop-sticks — the most important articles in 
 domestic use — are made of it. 
 
 " However incredulous the reader may be, I must still carry him a 
 step further, and tell him that I have not enumerated one half of the 
 uses to which the bamboo is applied in China. Indeed it would be 
 nearly as dilficult to say what it is not used for as what it is. It is in 
 universal demand, in the houses and in the fields, on water and on 
 land, in peace and in war. Through life the Chinaman is almost de- 
 pendent upon it for his support, nor does it leave him until it carries 
 him to his last resting-place on the hill-side, and even then, in com- 
 pany with the cypress, juniper, and pine, it waves over and marks his 
 tomb. 
 
 " I was not quite satisfied," continues Fortune, " with the result of 
 my journey up the river Min. Although one of my men had brought 
 me a fine collection of tea-plants and seeds from the celebrated black-tea 
 country, and although the expedition was planned so that he could 
 scarcely have procured them elsewhere, had he wished to deceive me, 
 I confess I felt that it would be much more satisfactory if I could visit 
 the district myself. I did not like the idea of returning to Europe with- 
 out being perfectly certain that I had introduced the tea-plant from the 
 best black-tea districts of China into the government plantations in tho 
 north-western provinces of India. There may also have been a lingering 
 desire to cross the Bohea Mountains, and to visit the far-famed Woc-e- 
 shan. At all events I made up my mind to make another attempt, and 
 determined to start from Ning-po, where the people are not so greatly 
 prejudiced against foreigners as they are further to the south, about 
 Foo-chow and Canton." 
 
VOYAGE UP THE GRKEN RIVER. 
 
 769 
 
 He left Ning-po on the 15th of May, 1849, so completely disguised 
 as a Chinaman that he scarcely knew himself, and set sail for the town 
 of Nan-che, on the southern branch of the Green River. His servant 
 was the possessor of a mandarin flag, of triangular shape, which procured 
 great respect whenever it was displayed, and on more than one occasion 
 was of much service. In two days ho reached the Green River, which 
 he ascended rapidly, favored by a iliir wind. "There were several pas- 
 sengers on board our boat, besides ourselves," he remarks. " They Avcrc^ 
 all country people from the westward, kaew little of foreigners, aiul 
 seemed to have no idea that I was one. My servant, I believe, told 
 them that I came from some far distant province beyond the Great Wall, 
 and with this information, indefinite as it was, they seemed to be per- 
 fectly satisfied. Besides, I was now well acquainted with their habits 
 and manners, I could eat with the chop-sticks as well as any of them, 
 and my dress was, I believe, scrupulously correct, even to the glossy 
 black tail, which had been grafted on my own hair, and which hung 
 gracefully down nearly to my knees." 
 
 After a pleasant sail of several days up the beautiful valley of the 
 Green River, Fortune arrived at Nan-che, which he thus describes: 
 " Nan-che, or, as it is sometimes called in the maps, Lanchee, is about 
 thirty-five miles wcstwai'd from Yen-chow-foo. It is one of the 
 prettiest Chinese towns which I have seen, and reminded me of an 
 English place more than a Chinese one. The houses are generally 
 two-storied, and have a clean and neat appearance. It is built along 
 the banks of the river, and has a picturesque hill behind it : an old 
 tower or pagoda in ruins heightens the general effect of the scene. 
 The town is about two and a half or three miles round, and probably 
 contains about two hundred thousand inhabitants. The river in front 
 of it is covered with boats, which are constantly plying between it 
 and Yen-chow, Hang-Chow, and many other towns both to the east 
 and west." 
 
 After leaving Nan-che, the traveler continued his voyage to Chang- 
 shan, near the head-waters of the Green River. From this place it was 
 necessary to take a sedan-chair across the country to the town of Yuk- 
 shan, on the head-waters of a river which flows westward into the great 
 Pou-yang lake. On crossing the boundary between the provinces of 
 Che-Kiang and Kiang-Si, Fortune was narrowly watched by some 
 Chinese merchants, who, being accustomed to seeing foreigners, sus- 
 pected his true character. His dexterity in using the chop-sticks at 
 dinner, and his familiarity i^'ith Chinese customs, however, misled them, 
 and he proceeded without hmderance. On reaching Yuk-shan, he en- 
 gaged a boat, and sailed down the river Kin-kiang to the large town of 
 Hokow, the great emporium of the black-tea trade. Here it was neces- 
 sary to leave the river, and hire a sedan-chair with coolies, to caxrj him 
 across the Bohea Mountains. 
 
 Leaving Hokow on the second day after his arrival, he set out in a 
 
 49 
 
770 
 
 FORTITNK'S TRAVELS IN CHINA. 
 
 OBIKESEi TEA-OARRIER. 
 
 Bedon-chair, and ])y noon reached Yuen-shnn, at the foot of the mount- 
 ains. Coolies, carrying tea-chests, 
 wore now met in great num- 
 bers. Many of them carried only 
 one chest. These were the finer 
 teas ; the chest was never allowed 
 to touch the ground during the 
 journey, and hence these teas 
 generally arrive at their destina- 
 tion in much better order than the 
 coarser kinds. The single chests 
 are carried in the following man- 
 ner : Two bamboos, each about 
 seven feet long, had their ends 
 lashed firmly to the chest, one 
 on each side. The other ends 
 were brought together, so as to 
 form a triangle. By this moans a 
 man could carry the chest upon 
 his shoulders, with his head be- 
 tween the bamboos in the center 
 of the triangle. A small piece 
 of wood was lashed under the chest, to give it an easy seat upon the 
 shoulders. When the coolie wanted to rest, he placed the end of the 
 bamboos upon the ground, and raised them to the perpendicular. Tlie 
 whole weight now rested upon the ground, and could be kept in this 
 position without any exertion. 
 
 " For some time past I had been, as it were, among a sea of mount- 
 mns," ho writes, " but now the far-famed Bobea ranges lay before me in 
 all their grandeur, with their tops piercing through the lower clouds, 
 and showing themselves far above them. They seemed to be broken up 
 into thousands of fragments, some of which had most remarkable and 
 striking outlines. It is difficult to form an estimate of their height, but, 
 comparing them with other mountains known to me, the highest here 
 may be six or eight thousand feet above the level of the sea. There are 
 some spots on the sides of the lower hills under cultivation, but all above 
 these is rugged and wild. 
 
 " We arrived at last at the celebrated gates or huge doors which 
 divide the provinces of Fokien and Kiang-see. The pillars of these 
 gates have been formed by nature, and are nothing less thar the " ever- 
 lasting hills" themselves. The arched door^ways of the place bore a 
 great resemblance to the gates of a Chinese city. As we passed through 
 the archway I observed a guard of soldiers lounging about, but they 
 did not take any notice of us, or attempt to examine our baggage. We 
 were soon through the pass, and in another provmce. The province of 
 Kiang-see had been shut out and lefl behind us, and our view now 
 
THE HILLS OP WOO-E-SPAN. 
 
 771 
 
 opened on Fokien. Never in ray life had I seen such a view an thia, so 
 grand, bo BubUme. High ranges of mountains were towering on my 
 right and on my left, while before me, as far oi the eye could reach, the 
 whole country seemed broken up into moimtuns and hills of all heights, 
 with peaks of every form." 
 
 The next day ho traversed another pass, of lesser elevation, and 
 spent the evening at a tea-house among the hills. *' I was now," ho 
 says, " on the outskirts of the great black-tea country of Fokien. I ob- 
 served large quantities of tea-plants under cultivation. They were gen- 
 erally to be found on the lower sides of the hills, and also in the gardens 
 of the villagers. About ten o'clock in the forenoon we arrived at 
 Tsong-gan-hien, a large town in the midst of the black-tea country, 
 where nearly all the teas of this district are packed and prepared for ex- 
 portation. As soon as I was fairly out of the suburbs f>f the town, I 
 had my first glimpse of the far-famed Woo-e-shan. It stands in the 
 midst of the plain, and is a collection of little hills, none of which appear 
 to be more than a thousand feet high. They have a singular appear- 
 ance. Their faces are nearly all perpendicular rock. It appears as if 
 they had been thrown up by some great convulsion of nature to a 
 certain height, and as if some other force had then drawn the tops of 
 the whole mass slightly backward, breaking it up into a thousand bills. 
 By some agency of this kind it might have assumed the strange forms 
 which were now before me. 
 
 " Woo-e-shan is considered by the Chinese to be one of the most 
 wonderful, as well as one of the most sacred, spots in the empire. One 
 of their manuscripts, quoted by Mr. Ball, thus describes it : * Of all the 
 mountains of Fokien those of Woo-e are the finest, and its water the 
 best. They are awfully high and rugged, surrounded by water, and 
 seem as if excavated by spirits ; nothing more wonderful can be seen. 
 From the dynasty of Gsin and Han, down to the present time, a succes- 
 sion of hermits and priests, of the sects of Tao-czo and Fo, have here 
 risen up like the clouds of the air and the grass of the field, too numer- 
 ous to enumerate. Its chief renown, however, is derived from its pro* 
 ductions, and of these tea is the most celebrated.* '* 
 
 We have no space to copy Mr. Fortune's picturesque account of his 
 visits to the thousand temples, monasteries, and hermitages of Woo-e- 
 shan. He was very hospitably received and entertained by the Bud- 
 dhist priests, and inspected all the curiosities of this remarkable region. 
 He then continues : " We now proceeded across the hills in the direc- 
 tion of the small town of Tsin-tsun, another great mart for black tea. 
 Our road was a very rough one. It was merely a foot-path, and some- 
 times merely narrow steps cut out of the rock. When we had gone 
 about two miles we came to a solitary temple on the banks of a small 
 river, which here winds among the hills. This stream is called by the 
 Chinese the river or stream of nine windings, from' the circuitous turns 
 which it makes among the hills of Woo-e-shan. It divides the range 
 
772 
 
 FORTUNE'S TRAVELS IN CHINA. 
 
 into two districts — tho north nnd Houth : tho north range is said to pro> 
 duco thu bcHt teas, lloru tho iincst souchongs and pukoos are ])roduocd, 
 but I bc'Hcvo thi'Ho raroly find thoir way to Europe, or only in very 
 small quantities." 
 
 At the temple, which was inhabited by an old Buddhist priest and 
 his wife, ho took up his residence, and at once entered upon the object 
 of his journey. "Having given tho old man some money to jmrclmse a 
 (limier for myself and my men," nays ho, " I made a hasty meal and went 
 out to e.vploro the hills. I visite<l many of the tea-farms, and was sue- 
 cessful ill procuring about four huiidred young plants. These wore taken 
 to Shanghai in good order, und many of them are now growing vigor* 
 ously in the government tea j)lantation hi the Himalayas. 
 
 " I remained two days under tho roof of tho hospitable Taouist, and 
 saw a great part of tho Woo-o hills and their productions. On tho 
 evening of the second day, having entered into a fresh agreement with 
 my ohair-bearers and coolies, I hitiinated to the old priest that I intended 
 to proceed on my journey early next morning. He kuidly pressed rao 
 to stay a little longer, but, when lie saw I was in earnest, ho went out 
 to his tea plantations and brought ino somo young plants which ho 
 bogged mo to accept. I felt highly i>lcased with his gratitude for tho 
 small present I had given him, and gladly accepted tho plants, which 
 increased my store very considerably ; these with tho other plants were 
 carefully packed with their roots in damp moss, and tho whole package 
 was then covered with oil-paper. The latter precaution was taken to 
 screen them from the sun, and also from the prying eyes of the Chinese, 
 who, although they did not seem to show any great jealousy on the 
 point, yet might have annoyed us with impertinent questions. Early in 
 the morning, our arrangements being completed, we bade adieu to our kind 
 host and hostess, and set oif across the hills in tho direction of Tsin-tsun." 
 
 At tho latter place he was upon tho head-waters of the River Min, 
 by descending which he might have arrived in four days at Fou-chow- 
 fou ; but ho decided to return to Ning-po by another route, lying to the 
 eastward of that by which ho had come, and passing through the town 
 of Pouching-hien, in the midst of a district which produces tea some- 
 what inferior to that of Woo-e-shan. A further journey of nearly a 
 hundred miles in a sedan-chair brought him to Ching-faoo, on a branch 
 of the Green River, where ho again embarked. Hia return journey, 
 down the river to Hang-chow-fou, and thence by the grand canal to 
 ^anghai, was mostly over the same ground which he had traversed on 
 his way to the green-tea hills of Sung-lo. " I arrived at Shanghai in 
 dne time," says he, in conclusion, " having been absent on this long 
 joarney nearly three months. Although I had been eating with chop- 
 stidcB all this time, I had not forgotten the use of knives and forks, and 
 I need scarcely say I heartily enjoyed my first English dinner. The 
 tea-plants procured in Woo-e-shan reached Shanghai in good order, and 
 most of them are now floarishiog on the slopes of the Himali^as." 
 
RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA/ 
 
 KYRE'S JOURNEY. 
 
 In tho spring of 1840, public attention in tho town of Adelaide 
 (Southern Australia,) btuij; uiuch engrosHed with the Hubject of an 
 overland oommunioatiou between Southern and Western Australia, 
 Mr. Edward John Eyro, who hud already been engaged in exploring 
 tho southern and western interior, volunteered to take tho command of 
 any party that might bo sent, and bear ono third of tho oxpeuHes. An 
 expedition was accordingly fitted out, and on tho IBth of June left 
 Adelaide for tho head of Spencer's Gulf. Tho party consisted of Mr. 
 Kyro ; Mr. Scott, his assistant ; liaxter, his overseer ; Corporal Coles ; 
 two men driving each a three-horse dray ; and two aboriginal boys to 
 drive the sheep, etc. They had thirteen horses and forty sheep, and 
 stores sufficient for three months, besides nn additional supply sent by 
 sea to meet them at tho he.td of Spencer's Gulf. 
 
 They encamped near Moimt Arden, at the head of the gulf, on tho 
 3d of July, and on the Gth Mr. Eyre set out on horseback, with ono of 
 the boys, to reconnoiter Lake Torrens, tho great inland Australian sea, 
 which he had previously discovered, and to examine tho country north 
 of the depot, as to the practicability of a route in that direction. He 
 found the basin of the lako to bo from fifteen to twenty miles wide, 
 but its shallow waters left an uncovered belt of three or four miles in 
 width, which Vt'as strongly incrusted with a briny deposit, and was so 
 soft as to prevent all access to its waters. He spent several days north- 
 ward of the dep6t, and followed the Flinders' Range, until the hills 
 became lower and more detached, with intervals of stony valleys, while 
 barren sandy plains still formed the lower level. Water became very 
 scarce, but at length, finding a place which promised a temporary sup- 
 ply, he returned to the camp, after an absence of sixteen days, and con- 
 ducted it over tho region he had explored. The rugged and desolate 
 country, and the Avant of water, rendered their progress slow and pain- 
 
 • For tho routes of Mitchell and Leiohhardt, see tho map of Eastern Australia pre- 
 fixed to tho narrative of Sturt's Expedition, page 680. 
 
774 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 ful; and on exploimg the dreary region beyond the limits of iu i-iers' 
 Range, Mr. Eyre found it to be completely surrounded by Lake Tor- 
 rens, which, commencing near the head of Spencer's Gulf, takes a cir- 
 cuitous course of fully four hundred miles, with an apparent breadth of 
 from twenty to thuty, and, following the sweep of Flinders' Range, en- 
 circles it in the form of a horse-shoe. From a high summit, which he 
 named Mount Serle, Mr. Eyre perceived that he was hemmed in on 
 every side by an impassable barrier, and had no alternative but to con- 
 duct his party back to Mount Arden. 
 
 On reaching the depot, the stores were dug up and repacked for 
 traveling, Mr. Eyre having resolved to continue his explorations west- 
 ward toward the Great Bight of Australia, still in the hope of finding 
 in that direction an opening toward the interior. On the 13th of Sep- 
 tember they set forward, and having crossed with some difficulty the 
 narrow channel connecting the head of Spencer's Gulf with Lake Tor- 
 rens, the main body was sent forward under the charge of the overseer, 
 while Messrs. Eyre and Scott, accompanied by a man and boy, with a 
 dray and several horses, went down for supplies to Port Lincoln, on the 
 west side of Spencer's Bay, intending to rejoin the party at Streaky 
 Bay. Not finding the requisite stores at Port Lincoln, Mr. Scott re 
 paired to Adelaide in a small cutter on the 9th of October, and returned 
 on the 22d with an abundant supply. The cutter was retained to 
 co-operate with the expedition, and sent round to communicate at once 
 with the party at Streaky Bay, while Messrs. Scott and Eyre proceeded 
 overland, and rejoined their companions early in November. On the 
 6 th the whole party moved westward near the coast, and encamped at 
 Fowler's Bay on the 19th. On the way they had frequent intercourse 
 with the natives, who were very polite and friendly toward them, and 
 by guiding them to places where water could^be procured, enabled them 
 to move with confidence and celerity. On conducting them to any of 
 the watering-places, the natives gave it up entirely to them; and, 
 although thirsty themselves, would not take a drink without asking per- 
 mission. 
 
 Leaving his party in camp at Point Fowler, Mr. Eyre made several 
 attempts to roiind the head of the Great Bight ; but, after a month 
 spent in fruitless endeavors to penetrate the desolate, parched-up region, i 
 in which he lost three horses, and encountered great privations, he dis- 
 patched the cutter to Adelaide for assistance, and reduced the party by 
 sending two of the men with her. 
 
 Meanwhile he continued his explorations, and finally succeeded in 
 reaching the head of the Bight on the 7th of January, 1841. On the 
 same day he was guided by the natives to some small holes containing 
 excellent water. The natives all assured him that there was no water 
 of any description in the interior, and that the next water along the 
 coast was ten days distant. The whole party was actively engaged 
 until the arrival of the cutter, and had succeeded in examining the coast 
 
PRIVATIONS OP THE PARTY. 
 
 775 
 
 beyond the he.id of the Great Bight, which, however, presented a 
 dreary pi'ospect for further explorations. 
 
 The cutter ai'rived on the 26th of January, bringing an ample supply 
 of provisions and presents from friends m Adelaide, and havhig on board 
 a native of King George's Sound, named Wylie, who had been with 
 Mr. Eyre on former expeditions. The cutter was at his disposal Avithiu 
 the limits of South Australia ; but, being under charter, he could not 
 take her to Cape Arid, or beyond the boundaries of the province. He 
 therefore determined to reduce the party still further, and attempt to 
 force a passage almost alone. He accordingly retained Wylie and the 
 two native boys, and also the overseer, who resolved to continue Avith 
 him, and prevailed on Mr. Scott and one of the men to return with the 
 cutter, which sailed back on the 31st of January. Having completed 
 all preparations by the 24th of February, ho was about setting out on 
 his fearful undertaking, when a shot was heard in Fowler's Bay, and 
 presently Mr. Scott and the commander of the cutter made their ap- 
 pearance. They had been sent back by the governor to bring Mr. 
 Eyre to Adelaide ; but as he had matured his plans, and resolved to 
 accomplisli the object he had in view, or perish in the attempt, he bade 
 farewell to his friends, and set forward on the 25th. 
 
 The continuation of the journey, after passing the Great Bight, was 
 through unheard-of difficulties and privations. The horses at length 
 began to give out under excessive heat and the want of water. One 
 after another was abandoned, as the stock of Avater which they earned 
 with them began to fail. Every expedient was resorted to ; they col- 
 lected dew, dug up the roots of trees, until finally the overseer began to 
 despond. On the 30th of March a well was dug in a place which in- 
 dicated moisture, and, to the unbounded joy of all, pure water was ob- 
 tained. The party remained here a few days to rocriut, during which 
 time a large quantity of supplies, which they had been compelled to 
 leave fifty miles behind, was brought up,, after making one unsuccessful 
 attempt. They remained twenty-eight days among the sand-hills at this 
 statioii, during which time their last sheep was killed, and one of the 
 remaining horses slaughtered for food. 
 
 On the 27th of April they entered upon the last desperate stage of 
 the journey, in which they had probably one hundred and fifty miles to 
 the next supply of wa+.er. On the 27th Mr. Eyre took the first watch 
 of the night, and at half past ten was heading the scattered horses at 
 some distance from the camp, when a sudden flash and the report of a 
 gun startled him, and, on running up, he fomid the overseer Aveltering 
 in his blood. The two younger boys had deserted, and carried off a 
 large quantity of provisions, two double-barreled guns, and other small 
 article? , Next day, with only Wylie for a companion, whom ho sus- 
 pected to have been cognizant of the plot to plunder the camp, he 
 collected the horses, and set forward. In the afternoon the two natives 
 were seen advancing, but they kept their distance, and seemed only 
 
776 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 anxious to induce Wylie to come with them. After a forced march 
 of several days they came, on the 3d of May, to an abundant supply of 
 water, and, fearuiy the natives no longer, Mr. Eyre halted for three 
 days to recruit. He then continued his cheerless route over the un- 
 hospitable rej^ion, in which, however, the game was more abundant os 
 he advanced toward the west, and the unwholesome flesh of jaded 
 horses was agreeably relieved by that of kangaroos and opossums. 
 
 On the 2d of June he was cheered by the sight of two boats, and 
 was soon afterward welcomed on board the whaler Mississippi by Cap- 
 tain Rossiter. He remained on board until the 14th, and then, much 
 recruited, and supplied with provisions and clothing, resumed his jour- 
 ney. On the last of Juno he caught the first glimpse of the hills behind 
 King George's Sound, and on the 7th of July crossed King's River, 
 and entered the town of Albany, himself and Wylie oeing the sole 
 wanderers to close the eventful and disastrous journey, which was 
 entered upon under the most hopeful auspices. On the 13th of July ho 
 embarked for Adelaide, where he arrived on the 26th, after an absence 
 of one year and twenty-six days. 
 
 TT 
 
 MTCHELL'S JOURNEY TO TROPICAL AUSTRALIA. 
 
 As the colonists of Australia gradually pushed their settlements 
 into the interior, and began to pasture their sheep on the Macquairie 
 and the Darling, they became interested in the exploration of the 
 northern mterior of the country, in i .e hope of finding an overland 
 route to the nearest part of the Indian Ocean, by which the dangerous 
 navigation of the Torres Straits might be avoided. A trade in horses 
 to supply the Indian cavalry made this a desirable object, and not less 
 important to them was the opening of a more direct communication 
 with England ; for it was not to be doubted, that on the discovery of 
 a good overland route between Sydney and the head of the Gulf of 
 Carpentaria, a line of steam communication would bo introduced from 
 that point to moot the English line at Singapore. 
 
 la this view of the subject, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir T. L. Mitchell, 
 the Surveyor General, in 1843 submitted a plan of exploration to Sir 
 (ieorgo Gipps, the Governor. The subject was referred to Lord Stan- 
 I'y, tho Secretary for the Colonies, whose reply was favorable to the 
 expedition ; but the governor of the colony still declined to allow the 
 journey to be undertaken. The Legislative Council, however, renewed 
 the petition for this undertaking, to which tho governor at length as- 
 sented v: 1845, and the sum of £2,000 was unanimously voted for the 
 outfit of tho party. 
 
 Preparations were accordingly made, and the expedition set out from 
 
THE PASTURES OF THE NARRAN. 
 
 777 
 
 Buree toward the interior on the 15th of December, 1845. The ex- 
 ploring party consisted of Sir T. L. Mitchell, chief of the expedition ; 
 Edmund B. Kennedy, Becond in command ; W. Stephenson, surgeon 
 and collector of objects of natural history ; and twenty-six men, who 
 were mostly prisoners of the crown in different stages of probation. 
 The means of conveyance were strong bullock-drays and portable boats. 
 After an unsuccessful attempt to discover a direct northern route, 
 where they were foiled for want of water, the party turned to the east- 
 ward, and followed Sturt's route to the Darling, which they forded on 
 the 4th of March, near the mouth of the Macqtiarie. They had great 
 difficulty with some of their heavy vehicles in the soft and mud<ly bed 
 of the river, and were obliged to pave it with logs and branches, cov- 
 ered with earth, before the rest could bo got across. 
 
 On the 5th they proceeded northward. As they advanced the coun- 
 try opened into slight xmdulations, well clothed Avith grass, and good for 
 traveling over, the soil being full of the same hard rock found n the 
 rising grounds nearest to the Darling, in the lowest parts of that river 
 previously explored by Colonel Mitchell. Their guides at length 
 bronght them to some water-holes, among verdant grass on a piain, 
 where they encamped fifteen miles from the Darling. On the 7th, the 
 country still improved, and after traveling about seven miles the guides 
 pointed forward to a line of trees as the Narran River. On arriving 
 there they found pure water in great abundance, into which the natives 
 who were with the expedition jilunged and rolled about like porpoises. 
 This, however, was but a swampy plain, emanating from the river, which 
 lay among the trees beyond. Hero they were obliged to wait several 
 days for the arrival of the drays, during which time they built a bridge 
 over the swampy outlet of the Narran. Meanwhile Colonel Mitchell 
 took the native guides and rode forward to examine the country. He 
 says : " Wo proceeded along the margin of the Narran, which led us 
 nearly due north, until we forded it, at the desiro of our guides, on a 
 good gravelly bottom, the water reaching to our saddle-flaps. We then 
 continued along its banks for about thirty miles, until near sunset, when 
 we tethered our horses, and lay down for the night. The Narran was 
 full of water everywhere, and with this abundance of water there was 
 also plenty of most excellent grass. The Panicum lawinode of Dr. 
 Lindley seemed to predominate, a grass whereof the seed is made by 
 the natives into a kind of paste or bread. Dry heaps of tiiis grass, that 
 had been pulled expressly for the purpose of gathering the seed, lay 
 along our path for many miles. I counted nine miles along the river, in 
 which we rode through this grass only, reaching to our saddle-girths, 
 and the same grass seemed to grow back from the river, at least as far 
 as the eye could reach through a very open forest. I had never seen 
 such rich natural pasturage in any other part of New South Wales." 
 
 All the drays came in on the 11th, and it now became necessary to 
 wait and refresh the jaded bullocks. On the 13th, the party once more 
 
778 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 moved onward, having before them tlie prospect of water and grass in 
 abundance, to an indefinite distance. In continuing the journey they 
 sot out early each morning and traveled only a few miles, in order that 
 the exhausted animals might have time to feed and rf fresh. The in- 
 habitants of this region were few, and they Avere invisible, like the 
 animals of the forests, but they frequently saw impressions of the bare 
 feet of men, Avomen, and children, as well as the prints of emus, kanga- 
 roos, and other animals obliged to go to the water. " Here still," ob- 
 serves JMitchrli, " was our own race among other animals all new and 
 strange to Europeans. The prints of the foot of man alone were familiar 
 to us. But here ho was living in common Avith other animals, simply 
 on the bounty of nature ; artless, and apparently as much afraid of us, 
 and as shy, as other animals Df the forest. It seemed strange, that in a 
 climate the most resembling ti.at of Milton's paradise, the circumstances 
 of man's existence should bo the most degrading." 
 
 By the last of March they began to lose the Narran in the numer- 
 ous water-courses spread over tl. e country, and it became necessary to 
 find the Balonnc, a large river, whose waters were here distributed into 
 different channels. On the 31st they met Avith some natives who 
 undertook to guide them to the ford " Congo," where white men had 
 crossed the Balonne. As they proceeded, they saAv some native Avomen 
 running off at a great distance, tAvo of whom carried unseemly loads un- 
 der their large cloaks. The eldest of the guides ran and overtook them, 
 to assure them that the Avhite men a\ ould do no harm, when it was 
 found that the burdens they carried were mummied bodies. Proceed- 
 ing AvestAvard they came to the Balonne on the evening of April 1st, 
 which they forded next morning, and continued across a watered coun- 
 try until the 3d, Avhen they encamped on the Culgoa, another outlet of 
 the Balonne. Next day they proceeded along the Culgoa to its outlet 
 from the TJiJper Balonne, whence they continued to ascend the latter 
 river toward the north, Avith the intention of following it to the Avater- 
 sbed between the northern and southern streams. 
 
 On the 1st of May they left the main river and ascended a tributary 
 flowing in from the north-Avest. There Avas a marked difference be- 
 tween this stream, as well as the country along its banks, and the large 
 river by which they had traveled so far. Its waters, meandering through 
 various narrow channels, lay between finely rounded grassy slopes, Avith 
 a few trees about the water's edge, marking their course at a distance. 
 On the 2d a large grassy flat brought them to a lake of crystal water, 
 fringed with Avhite lotus flowers. An immense number of ducks floated 
 on its surface. " During the night," observes Colonel Mitchell, " natives 
 were heard near our camp, and we perceived the smoke of their fires, in 
 the bushes behind, in the morning. Yuranigh, the guide, Avent up to 
 them, accompanied by one of the party bearing a green branch, and he 
 prevailed on three of their tribe to come to our tents. One stood 
 among the carts and tents, apparently quite absorbed in observation. 
 
ENTERINa ON NEW GROUND. 
 
 779 
 
 Intense curiosity iu these men liaJ evidently overcome all their fears of 
 such strangers. They were entirely naked, and without any kind of 
 ornament or weapon, oflfensivo or defensive. With steady fixed looks, 
 eyes wide open, and serious, intelligent countenances, what passed in 
 their minds was not disguised, as is usual Avith savages." From these 
 people he learned that the river was named Cogoon. In the evening he 
 ascended a hill at a short distance from their place of encampment, 
 " from which," he remarks, "the most interesthig sight to me was that 
 of blue peaks at a great distance to the north-west, the object of all my 
 dreams of discovery for years. No white man had before seen these. 
 There we might hope to find the cUvisa aquarwn, still undiscovered ; 
 the pass to Carpentaria, still miexplored : I called this hill Mount First 
 View, and descended, delighted with Avhat I had seen from its rocky crest. 
 " On the 8th of May I ascended an elevated north-eastern extremity 
 of Mount Abundance, and from it beheld the finest country I had ever 
 seen in a primaeval state. A champaign region, spotted with wood, 
 stretched as far as human vision, or even" the telescope, could reach. It 
 was intersected by rivcr lines from the north, distinguishable by colunuis 
 of smoke. A noble mountain mass arose in the midst of that fine coun- 
 try, extendmg in a range from south-west to north-east." He named 
 this country Fitzroy Downs. 
 
 BOTTLE-TREE OF AUSTRALIA. 
 
 "Trees of a very droll form chiefly drew my attention here. The 
 
780 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 trunk bulged out in the middle like a barrel, to nearly twice the diame- 
 ter at the ground, or of that at the first springing of the branches above. 
 These wore small in proportion to their great girth, and the whole tree 
 looked very odd. These trees were all so alike in general form that I 
 was convinced this was their character, and not a lustts naturce.^^ On 
 Mount Bindango, which he ascended on the 11th, these remarkable 
 trees grew in several spots ; some of them much resembling bottles, but 
 tapering near the root. 
 
 On descending from the latter hill, he found eight natives who had 
 come up to the party in his absence. They were colored with iron-ocher, 
 and had a few feathers of the white cockatoo, in the black hair of their 
 foreheads and beards. A paity who had visited them, some days before, 
 were thoughtful and reserved ; these were merry as larks, and their 
 white teeth, constantly visible, shone whiter than even the cockatoo's 
 feathers on their brows and chins. Sun never shone upon a merrier 
 group of mortals than these children of nature appeared to be. One 
 among them was a fine powerful fellow, whose voice soimded so strongly, 
 that it seemed as if his very whisper might be heard half a mile off. 
 
 On the 14th they were invited by some natives to a ceremonious in- 
 terview with one who was seated in advance. They found, however, 
 that he was in great terror and had nothing to say, but as he was dis- 
 posed to handle every thuig he could lay hold of, they left him as civilly 
 as they could, but ho hung on their rear for some time, with his whole 
 tribe. Early next morning some natives were observed occasionally 
 peeping from a hill overlooking the camp. " Some time after," says 
 Mitchell, " I perceived a figure resembling a large black quadruped, with 
 head erect like a lion, prowling about, among the long grass beside my 
 after breakfast tree. Taking my glass, I recognized the identical big 
 savage of yesterday. He had evidently been watching us all night, and 
 his party Avere concealed behind the hill. I fired a carbine so that the 
 fellow should hear the bullet whistle near him into the long grass ; and 
 at the same time shouted, expressive of my disgust at his conduct, 
 making the men join in a loud J eerinff cheer as he galloped off on all- 
 fours toward his camp." 
 
 After pursuing a westerly course for some days they came, on the 
 18th of May, to a large river, skirted by a dense line of trees, and flow- 
 ing from north to south. Here Mitchell established the camp for a few 
 days, and made excursions to the neighboring hills. On the 27th he 
 visited a conical peak at some distance to the Bouth-west, which prom- 
 ised an extensive view. " On gaining the summit," he remarks, " the 
 land around me was fair to look on ; nothing could be finer than the 
 forms of the hills, half clear of wood — the disposition of open grassy 
 downs and vales — or the beauty of the woods. Water was not wanting, 
 at least there seemed to be enough for the present inhabitants, and to 
 an admirer of nature there was all that could be desired. Deeply im- 
 preased with its sublime and solitary beauty, I sketched the scene, and 
 
 I'i 
 
 ^1 
 
MARCH UP THE MARANOA. 
 
 781 
 
 descended from that hill, resolved to follow the river upward, as more 
 favorable, in that direction, to the chief object of my mission. I named 
 the hill overlooking that lonely dale, Mount Lonsdale, m honor of my 
 valuable geological friend." 
 
 One morning after he had left the camji two natives who were painted 
 white and well armed, came boldly up, followed by two women bearing 
 loads of spears. They Avere ordei'cd to halt, but, pointing after Mitchell, 
 they motioned to the party to follow him. Finding the men firm, the 
 speaker edged off toward a man at a distance, in charge of the horses. 
 Corporal Graham got between, when the savages came bokVy upon him, 
 quivering their poised spears. At length the foremost man turned round 
 and made vulgar gestures of defiance ; at this the old soldier discharged 
 his carbine over the head of the savage, who first sprang some teet into 
 the air, and then ran off with all the others. Ho was afterward seen 
 creeping up under the cover of some large trees, the rest following, and 
 on being met he began to recite what seemed to be a description of tlie 
 surrounding country, pointing to various localities. Ho then stuck a 
 spear into the ground and seemed to propose that on one side tlio 
 ground should be occupied by the strangers, and on the other, by them. 
 Graham assenting to this, they seemed better satisfied, and departed. 
 
 Colonel Mitchell now made preparations for continuing his explora- 
 tions up the river, and set out on the 4th of June, leaving Mr. Kennedy 
 behind M-ith a party, to cultivate a garden, and if possible obtain some 
 information respecting the final course of the river, the native name of 
 which was ascertained to be the Maranoa. After a few days' marching, 
 the branch of the river which they ascended became nearly dry, so that 
 they continued near its channel until the 17th of June, when they en- 
 camped for a week among some high ridges near the head of the river. 
 The highest ridge they crossed before encamping was eighteen hundred 
 and thirty-three feet above the sea. Next morning Colonel Mitchell 
 sent out parties in search of water, and then went to ascend a mountain, 
 seven miles off to the north-west. A number of mountain tops were 
 visible from this summit. That eastward of the depot camp, was seen 
 in the distance, and named Mount Kennedy, from the officer in charge 
 of the party there. " I was now," observes Colonel Mitchell, " at a loss 
 for names to the principal summits of the country. No more could be 
 gathered from the natives, and I resolved to name the features, for 
 which names were now requisite, after such individuals of our own race 
 as had been most distinguished or zealous in the advancement of science, 
 and the piu-suit of human knowledge. I called this hill Mount Owen ; 
 a bald-forest bill to the north-east of it, Mount Clift ; a lofty truncated 
 cone, to the eastward of these, the center of a group, and one of my zero 
 points. Mount Ogilby ; a broad-topped hill far in the north-west, where 
 I wished to continue my route, Mount Faraday ; a high table-land inter- 
 vening, Hope's Table-Land ; the loftiest part of the coast ranges, viable 
 on all sides, Buckland's Table<Land.** 
 
782 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS TN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 The party moved forward on the 26th of June, certain, from exam- 
 ination already made, of finding water for at least three days' journey, 
 and hopeful of a water-course being betore them. In passing tlie foot 
 of Mount Owen they found the elevation to be two thousand and eighty, 
 three feet ; the summit was about seven hundred feet higher. On the 
 28th they came to a river which they followed hopefully, but in a few 
 days it ttirned gradually to the south-west, and they abandoned it. They 
 now proceeded north-west, in the hope of finding the basin of northern 
 waters, beyond a range of summits which appeared in that direction. 
 On the 2d of July, as Colonel Mitchell and some of the party were in 
 advance, near Mount Faraday, they found a nmning stream, among 
 some reeds in the hollow of the valley. " The water," says Mitchell, 
 " was clear and sparkling, tasting strongly of sulphur, and Yuranigh, the 
 guide, said this was the head of a river that never dried up. In this 
 land of picturesque beauty and pastoral abundance, within eighty miles 
 of the tropics, we had discovered the first running stream seen on this 
 journey." 
 
 They now moved on along the banks of this stream which descended 
 through an open valley toward the north and promised them an abund- 
 ant supply of water on their proposed route. At length, however, the 
 bed of the river became muddy, the banks became lined with reeds, and 
 on the 7th it expanded into a lake covered with them. When they 
 approached the northern limits of this reedy lake, which they named 
 Salvator, no river flowing out of it was visible, although they found a 
 dry channel which bore marks of a considerable stream at some seasons. 
 Following this dry channel they found its course bore northward, and 
 finally turned to the north-east. " Thus," says Mitchell, " in one day 
 vanished the pleasing prospect we had enjoyed in the morning, of a 
 stream flowing in the direction of our intended route. This might be, 
 I then thought, the tributary to a larger river, which I still hoped would 
 be found to flow westward from the coast ranges, and, finally, take the 
 desired north-west direction." 
 
 In a few days they left the banks of this river, and proceeded to the 
 north-west, through an almost impassable thicket. " After working out 
 our way thus, for about ten miles," he continues, " our toils were re- 
 warded with a scene of surpassing beauty, that gradually opened to us. 
 That long-lost tree, the graceful acacia pendula, received us in the 
 foreground, and open plains, blended with waving lines of wood, ex- 
 tended far into bluey distance, beyond which an azure coronet of mount- 
 ains of romantic forms terminated the charming landscape." 
 
 Traversing a broken country, in which they crossed several water- 
 courses bearing westward, they reached, on the 14th, the borders of 
 extensive plains and open downs, extending far to the eastward. " All 
 this rich land," continues Mitchell, " was thickly strewed with pmall 
 fragments of fossil wood, in silex, agate, and chalcedony. Many of the 
 stones, as already observed, most strikingly resembled decayed wood, 
 
 J 
 
MEETING WITH NATIVE TRIBES. 
 
 783 
 
 and in one place the remains of an entire trunk lay together like a heap 
 of ruins, the dilapidated remains of a tree ! I obtained even a por- 
 tion of petrified bark ; but specimens of this were rare." 
 
 On the 21st they came to the bed of a river, with water in the 
 channel, bearing northward. Along this they now advanced, believing 
 they had at length discovered the head of a north-western river. 
 On the 25th of July they passed the Tropic of Capricorn ; much thun- 
 der had been heard through the night toward the north, which, at this 
 season of the year, indicated their approach to that line. " There was 
 no hill or other geographical feature near our route," observes Mit- 
 chell, "whereby it might have been possible to mark the limit of 
 tropical Australia. We were the first to enter the interior beyond that 
 line." 
 
 
 
 
 MATITBS or AUSTRALIA. 
 
 At length it became evident that this river also bore too far east- 
 ward for the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the western tributaries, which 
 they examined, still led them too far to the south-west. On the 7th 
 of August they came to a river bearing westward, which was as large 
 and important as the one they had been following, and contained ponds 
 of water ; but its course was /rom the west, and left them no hope that 
 the channel they had been pursuing would turn westward. They en- 
 camped for several days in this region, exploring the water-courses of 
 the neighborhood, and determining the route to be pursued. Mean- 
 while they were occasionally visited by natives. On the 10th, during 
 the absence of jColonel Mitchell, a party armed with clubs came up 
 with evidently hostile inter tions. They were suddenly checked, how- 
 ever, when they saw five m jn drawn up in a line, with incomprehensible 
 weapons in their hands. Just then three dogs from the camp ran ?-t 
 them, and they all took to their heels, greatly laughed at, even by the 
 rest of their tribe. The only casualty befell the shepherd's dog, which, 
 biting at the legs of a native running away, he turned round, and hit 
 
784 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 the (log so cleverly, that it was dangerously ill for months afterward. 
 The whole of thcni then disappeared, shouting through the woods to 
 their women. It was remarkable, that on sceuig the horses, they ex- 
 claimed, " Ycrraman," the colonial natives' name for a horse, and that 
 of these animals they were not at all afraid, whereas they seemed in 
 much dread of the bullocks. 
 
 On tracing the river below the junction, Mitchell found its height 
 to be little more than six hundred feet above the level of the sea. " I 
 could no longer doubt," he continues, "that the division between 
 eastern and western waters was still to the westward. I accordingly 
 determined to retrace our wheel-tracks back to the head of theSalvator, 
 and to explore from thence the country to the north-west, as fiir as our 
 stock of provisions and the season would permit." 
 
 On the 24th they re-crossed the line of Capricorn, having been 
 exactly one month hi the interior of tropical Australia. On the 5th of 
 September they encamped on the Salvator a few miles above the lake, 
 where they formed a depot, and remained a few days to refresh the 
 horses, before setting out with the bcbi of them toward the west. 
 Meanwhile Colonel Mitchell prepared dispatches to the governor, giv- 
 uig an account of his proceedings and discoveries, and left them at the 
 dc])6t, to be forthcomuig in the event of any misfortune befalling him 
 or his party. They set forward on the 10th, and proceeded westward 
 from the valley of the Salvator, hoping to find beyond the distant hills 
 what had so long been the object of these researches — a river flowing 
 to the Gulf of Carpentaria. On the 14th day they discovered a rocky 
 gap leading to the north-west, and hastily descended toward it. Witli 
 eager stops they followed a slight channel downward to a little valley, 
 verdant with young grass, where the red sky of sunset shone reflected 
 from several broad ponds of water. 
 
 " As soon as daylight appeared," says Mitchell, " I hastened toward 
 the gap, and ascended a naked rock on the west side of it. I there be. 
 held downs and plains extending westward beyond the reach of vision. 
 Ulloa's delight at the first view of the Pacific could not have surpassed 
 mine on this occasion, nor could the fervor with which he was impressed 
 at the moment have exceeded my sense of gratitude, for being allowed 
 to make such a discovery. From that rock, the scene was so extensive 
 as to leave no room for doubt as to the course of the river, which, thus 
 and there revealed to me alone, seemed like a reward direct from 
 heaven for perseverance, and as a compensation for the many sacrifices 
 I had made, in order to solve the qutstiou as to the interior rivers of 
 tropical Australia." 
 
 They traced the course of this river in a north-westerly direction 
 until the 23d, when it fell off to the south-west. On the 22d they passed 
 a large river coming in from the north-east, below which the united 
 channel formed a broad, deep river, as large as the Murray. This deep 
 reach continued but a few miles, below which the channel contiuned 
 
THE VICTORIA RIVER. 
 
 785 
 
 ponds only, and next day they followed a dry river. The term of one 
 montli, to which this western cjccursion was limited, was now half 
 elapsed, but Mitchell resolved to follow the course of this interesting 
 river a few days longer. Their horses, however, began to droop, and it 
 became necessary to return while the stock of provisions lasted ; the na- 
 tives, too, whose language was unintelligible, manifested a hostile dispo- 
 sition ; they therefore turned eastward on the 25th. They returned by 
 the left bank, intending to cut off the great sweep which the river de- 
 scribed toward the north, and to meet with any tributaries it might re- 
 ceive from the south. Before leaving the river Mitchell bestowed upon 
 it a name, in which connection lie remarks : " It seemed to me, to de- 
 serve a great name, being of much importance, as leading from temper- 
 ate into tropical regions, where water was the essential requisite. This 
 river seemed to mo typical of Clod's providence, in conveying living 
 waters into a dry parched land, .and thus affording access to open and 
 extensive j)astoral regions, likely to be soon peopled by civilized inhab- 
 itants. It was Avith sentiments of devotion, zeal, and loyalty, that I 
 therefore gave to this river the name of ray gracious sovereign, Queen 
 Victoria." 
 
 On the Cth of October lie climbed Mount Pluto, to make some ob- 
 servations. From this point the camp on the Salvator was visible. '* "We 
 reached it before sunset," he continues, " and were received with loud 
 cheers. All were well, the natives had not come near, the cattle were 
 in a high condition. The grass looked green and luxuriant about the 
 camp, and the spot proved a most refreshing home both to us and to our 
 jaded horses, on whose backs we had almost constantly been for nearly 
 a month." 
 
 They set out on the 10th of October to return, and on the 18th, en- 
 camped within a d.ay's ride of the depot on the Maranoa. They were 
 anxious to know how Mr. Kennedy and the natives had agreed, and 
 looked forward with impatience to the morrow. The main body of the 
 party had been stationary four months and a half, a long time to remain 
 imdisturbed in a country still claimed and possessed by savages. 
 
 "On the 19th," continues Colonel Mitchell, "the party was early in 
 motion — old tracks of cattle, when the earth had been soft, and the print 
 of a shoe^ were the first traces of the white man's existence we met with ; 
 nor did wo see any thing more conclusive, until the tents on the cliffs 
 overhanging the river were visible through the trees. We saw men, 
 also, and even recognized some of them, before our party was observed ; 
 nor did they see us advancing, with a flag on the cart, until Brown 
 sounded the bugle. Immediately all were in motion, Mr. Kennedy 
 coming forward to the cliffs, while the whole party received us with 
 cheers, to which my men heartily responded. Mr. Kennedy ran down 
 the cliffs to meet me, and was the first to give me the gratifying intelli- 
 gence that the whole party were well ; that the cattle and sheep were 
 
 Kafe and fat 
 
 L 
 
 and, that the aborigines had never molested them. 
 50 
 
786 
 
 RECENT EXPLOUATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 good stook-yartl liad been Hct up ; a storehouse had also been built ; a 
 garden had been fenced in, and contained lettuce, radishes, melons, cu- 
 cumbers, etc. Indeed, the whole establishment evinced the good effects 
 of order and discipline.'* 
 
 Proceeding by the most direct route homeward, the expedition 
 crossed the Darling on the 9th of December, and on the 14th reached 
 Snodgrass Lagoon, where Colonel Mitchell left the party and proceeded 
 by the settlements on the Nammoy. Of the conclusion of the expedi- 
 tion he says: "The party which I had left in charge of Mr. Kennedy 
 near Snodgrass Lagoon arrived in the neighborhood of Sydney on the 
 20th of January, and the new governor. Sir Charles Fitzroy, kindly 
 granted such gratuities to the most deserving of my men as I had rec- 
 ommended, and also sent the names to England of such prisoners as 
 his excellency thought deserving of her majesty's gracious pardon." 
 
 LEICIIHAIIDT'S OVERLAND JOURNEY 
 TO PORT ESSINGTON 
 
 Dr. Lcichhardt, a German who liad settled in Australia, spent the 
 two years after his arrival, in various exploring trips through the coun- 
 try northward of Moreton Bay. On returning to the latter place, at 
 the end of this time, he found the attention of the public, as well as the 
 legislative council, occupied by the subject of an overland expedition to 
 Port Essington on the north coast of Australia. lie at once desired to 
 imdertake the journey, and confident of success, he prevailed against the 
 solicitations of his friends, and began to make arrangements for the 
 undertaking. Aided by the contributions of a few friends, the prepara- 
 tions were rather hurriedly completed by the 13th of August, 1844, 
 when he set sail from Sydney for Moreton Bay. His companions were 
 Messrs. Calvert and Roper ; a lad named Murphy ; Wm. Phillips, a 
 prisoner of the crown ; and " Harry Brown," a native of the Newcastle 
 tribe; making with himseli six persons. At Brisbane he received fresh 
 contributions from his friends, and was reluctantly prevailed upon to 
 increase his party. Mr. Hodgson, a resident of the district ; Mr. Gil- 
 bert, a zealous naturalist ; Caleb, an American negro ; and " Charley," an 
 aboriginal of the Bathurst tribe, were added to the expedition. 
 
 In the latter part of September the party crossed the coast range, 
 and proceeded over the Darling Downs to Jimba, the last settlement 
 on their route. On the Ist of October they left this place, and set out, 
 full of hope, into the wilderness of Australia. In a few days they came 
 to the Condamine, a large sluggish stream, flowing in a north-westerly , 
 course, parallel to the coast range, from whose western slope it receives 
 its tributaries. They followed this river until it bore off toward the 
 
 J 
 
PROORESS 
 
 interior on tho Ir.ft ♦! ' 787 
 
 P-rty with animal «,„., „',,7'|, '"..f™" «» m.uffl«„, ,,-, ,„,,,,"JS 
 
 • maze of channel^ fr„„ which Iv '.° '"""' '""•J" "■« whole vaU J 
 themselves. The ipen f„T^ '''f «"•« ""'y with difflonlty mS 
 ™j bright yellow blo^om'thlle ,h:T'r ,°."' '"'Se Sel/ofTC 
 rnhgrw. TheyfolWe<lthrrivor>. •^''"'""■'^'Mcklyeovrred 
 until the 14th, when it bore off to ,L* f '' "'"^ "»"■'«' the Da^„ 
 iSZ fr™- O" ""-^fn^t"" '"'■<' «l'«y continued 3 
 lighted bythoviewofalakesnL J f.'^™™ "'i<''«>t they were T 
 
 Jlt^""^ Vme. in thta"^„:*'j°'f .«»•«'■• There were n™"^': 
 — __^ '='' '"o»"tain ranges at the head 
 
788 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 of this crock. Here tlioy oncampetl a few day^ to reconnoiter the 
 country. 
 
 At first the jiarty had siiffcrc*! from change of diet and habits, but 
 latterly constant exposure and ex'jrtion had sharpened their appetites. 
 Iguanos, opossums, and birds o' all kinds, were cooked, neither good 
 bad, nor indilFoioMt being rgectod. Dried kangaroo's meat, one of 
 their luxuries, resembled dried beef in flavor, and afforded an excellent 
 broth. They realized how soon man becomes indifferent to the nice- 
 ties of food. One day a bullock had toni one of the flour bags, and 
 about fifteen pounds of flour were scattered over the ground. They 
 all set to work to scrape it up, and when it became too dirty to mix 
 with the flour, rather than lose so much, they collected about six pounds 
 of it, well mixed with dried leaves and dust, and of this made a por- 
 ridge, which every one enjoyed highly. 
 
 On the 4th of December tViey crossed the range ; thence passing 
 over a country traversed by several creeks and water-courses, that were 
 mostly dry, they c:m)o to the foot of Expedition Range on the 9th. 
 The channels of this intervening basin led to the north-east, converging 
 toward a plain that appeared unlimited in that direction. Beyond Ex- 
 pedition Range Lcichhardt spent several days rcconnoitcring the sur- 
 rounding country, while the men increased the stock of provisions by 
 slaughtering a fat bullock. After Christmas they proceeded northward 
 along the channel of a creek, to which they gave the name of Comet 
 River, and which led them, on the 12th of January, 18-15, to a large 
 river coming in from the west, and flowing cast ar.d north. On the 
 13th they encamped near the lino of Capricorn, o:i the new river, to 
 which Lcichhardt gave the name of Mackenzie. Having ascertained, 
 by following its course a few days, that it flowed to the north-east, ho 
 lefl it, and resumed his course to the north-west, across beautiful plains 
 and a highly-timbered country. At length they approached a high 
 range of mountains, which ros'^ up fi-om the level plain before them in 
 isolated, gigantic, conical peaks, and on the 2d of February passed 
 through a defile east of two of these summits which he called Scott's 
 and Roper's Peaks. From these the chain extended north-west in a 
 high broken range, which received the name of Peak Range. Leaving 
 I*eak Range on the left, they directed their course northv:ai-d through 
 a hilly country, in which the streams bore eastward, and on the lOtu 
 of February came to a creek Avell supplied av . ' h water, wliich they fol- 
 lowed a few days in an easterly direction. As they descended it the 
 water soon disappeared in a sandy bed ; it led them to the broad, deep 
 channel of a r«ver, now perfectly dry. They named this river the 
 Isaacs, and now turning their course, they ascended ?t to the north-west 
 and north, until they reached its sources in a high mountain gorge. 
 They had followed the river about seventy miles, through a country 
 well adapted to pastoral pursuits: water was, however, very scarce, 
 although it was found, by digging, at a short distance below the sur&ce. 
 
DISCOVERY OF NEW RIVERS. 
 
 789 
 
 On the Yth of March the party moved through the gorge, and in a 
 few miles came to another system of water, which collected in a creek 
 flov/ing westward. This stream led them to a large river, to which 
 they gave the name of Suttor, and which they followed by a circuitous 
 course, at iirst toward the south-west, and afterward to the north, until 
 it joined another called the Burdekin, and the united channel bore off 
 to the east. Tliey found the usual scarcity of water in the Suttor, its 
 bed being only occasionally supplied with water-holes; several miles 
 before its union with the Burdekin, the Suttor is joined by a river as 
 large as it? >lf, coming from the south-west, to which Leichhardt gave 
 the name of Cape River. Within the bed of the Burdekin, which was 
 a mile wide at the junction, there were narrow and uninterrupted belts 
 of small trees, separating broad masses of sand, through which a stream 
 ten yards wide, and two or three feet deep, was meandering, but which 
 at times spread into large sheets of water, occasionally occupying the 
 whole width of the river. 
 
 On the 3d of April they set out along the banks of the Burdekin, 
 and ascended the river in a north-westerly direction, until they reached 
 its head waters in a high basaltic table-land, about the middle of May. 
 On this route, as on the Suttor River, they sometimes saw traces of the 
 natives, Avho, however, were mostly invisible ; and if they chanced to 
 come upon any by surprise, they were shy ai.d reserved, and quickly 
 made their escape, or showed signs of hostility. The approaches to the 
 basaltic plains were most difficult, and for a few days they made little 
 progress. Mr. Roper's horse lost its footing on the steep banks of the 
 river, and broke its thigh. As the animal was young and healthy, they 
 saved the meat, anu although there was some prejudice against horse- 
 flesh, they found it a good substitute for beef. 
 
 Beyond the sources of the Burdekin they passed a series of high 
 mountain ranges, in the eighteenth degree of south latitude, and came on 
 the 23d of May to a river flowing north-west, down which they continued 
 their course. For several days they passed through the most mountain- 
 ous and rocky country they had seen. The ranges formed the banks of 
 the river itself, which gr^'^ually enlarged, tnd was formed by several 
 channels fringed with drooping tea-trees. As soon as it had left the 
 basaltic formation, fine large flats of sandy soil succeeded on both sides, 
 and further down the country was broken by low ranges of various 
 extent, formed by rocky hills and peaks, which lifted their rugged crests 
 above the open forests that covered their slopes. As they proceeded, 
 the water-holes in the river became largo and numerous, and soi" of the 
 tributaries contained running water. 
 
 On the 16th of Jimc they came to a large river flowing in from the 
 east, to which the one they had been following, which they named the 
 Lynd, became a tributary. The new river was called the Mitchell. The 
 bod was broad, sandy, and quite bare of vegetation, showing the more 
 frequent recurrence of floods. A small stream meandered through tho 
 
790 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AU^jTRALIA. 
 
 sheet of sand, and from time to time expanded into largo water-holes. 
 The united river continued in a north-westevly course, along which they 
 advanced over a comparatively level coimtry until the 25th of June, 
 when they had passed the sixteenth degree of south latitude, and were 
 considerably beyond the head of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Dr. Leich- 
 hardt then fore detemiined to leave the Mitchell at this point, to ap- 
 proach the jea-coast, and pass around the bottom of the Gulf. 
 
 Accordingly, on the 26th they set forward to the south-west. On 
 the 27th, as Charley and Brown were in search of game, they saw a na- 
 tive sneaking up to the bullocks, while a party of his black companions 
 were waiting with poised spears to receive them. The men hurried up 
 to prevent them, when the native gave the alarm, and all took to their 
 heels, except a lame fellow, who tried to persuade his friends to stand 
 fight. Charley, however, fired his gun, which had the intended effect of 
 frightening them, for they deserted their camp in a great hurry, leaving 
 several articles behind. The women had previously retired, a proof that 
 mischief was intended. 
 
 Next day they saw by the smoke rising in every direction that the 
 country was thickly inhabited, and near the lagunes froqu' '^h. 
 cemed marks of the camp-fires of the natives. In the afternoon uiuj en- 
 camped in the belt of tre^s bordering on a lagune, and Dr. Leichharht 
 had just retired in the evening, sleeping on the ground, as usual, at a 
 little distance from the fire, when he was suddenly roused by a loud 
 noise and a call for help from Calvert and Roper. Nati^ es had attacked 
 the camp. They had doubtless marked the position of the different 
 tents, and as poon as it was dark they sneaked up and threw a shower 
 of spears at the tents of Calvert, Roper, and Gilbert, a few at that of 
 Phillips, and one or two toward the fire. Charley and Brown called for 
 caps and discharged their guns into the crowd of natives, who instantly 
 fled, leaving Roper and Calvert pierced with several spears, and severely 
 beaten by their clubs. Several of the spears Avere barbed, and could not 
 be extracted without difficulty. Murphy had succeeded in getting be- 
 hind a tree, whence he fired at the natives, and severely wounded one 
 of them before Brown had discharged his gun. Hearing that Mr. Gil- 
 bert had fallen, Dr. Leichhardt hastened to the spot and found lum lying 
 on the gi'ound av a little distance from the fire, but ^ ery sign of life had 
 departed. 
 
 As soon as they recovered from the panic into which they were 
 thrown by this fatal event they extinguished the fires an' ivrivched 
 through the night to prevent another surprise. The night was ^ pleas- 
 antly cold, and they passed it in a state of most painful suspense as to 
 the fate of their surviving companions. The dawn of next morning was 
 j^ladly welcomed, and Dr. Leichhardt proceeded to examine and dr >• 
 the wounds of his companions. Mr. Roper had recoived twoortbvi: 
 spear-wounds on his head, one spear had passed through his left ari;, 
 another into his cheek and injured the optic nerve, and another in his 
 
 ■>,t, 
 
THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA. 
 
 791 
 
 ring 
 had 
 
 
 L 
 
 loins, besides a heavy blow on the shoulder. Mr. Calvert had received 
 several heavy blows, one on the nose which had crushed the nasal-boncK, 
 and others on his arm and hands ; besides which a barbed spoar had en- 
 tered his groin, and another his knee. Both suflfered great pain, and 
 were scarcely able to move. The spear that terminated Gilbert's exist- 
 ence had entered the chest ; from the direction of the wound he had re- 
 ceived it when stooping to leave his tent. In the afternoon they buried 
 the body of their ill-fated companion, and afterward made a large fire 
 over the grave, to prevent the natives from detecting it. 
 
 Calvert and Roper recovered rapidly, considering the severe injuries 
 they had received, and as it was thought hazardous to remain long at 
 the place, the party set out on the 1st of July. On the 6th they ob- 
 tained the first sight of the gulf, which was hailed by all >vitli feelings 
 of indescribable pleasure, although Dr. Leichhardt's joy was mingled 
 with regret at not having succeeded in bringing his whole party to the 
 end of what he considered the most difticult part of the journey. Ho 
 had now discovered a line of communication by land between the 
 eastern coast of Australia and the Gulf of Carpentaria, and had traveled 
 along never-failing, .tiid for the most part, running waters, and over an 
 excellent country, available, almost In its whole extent, for pastoral pur- 
 poses. 
 
 At dusk, on the Yth, a native glided into the camp, and walked up to 
 the fire. Instantly the cry of •' blackfellow !" was raised, and every gun 
 was ready. But the stranger was unarmed, and evidently unconscious 
 of his position ; and when ho saw himself sudftenly surrounded by the 
 horses and the men ho nimbly climbed a tree and stood immovable in 
 the summit, "without heeding the calls and signs for him to descend, or 
 the discharge of a gun. At length Charley was sent up a neighboring 
 tree, whereupon the black began calling and shouting most lustily, until 
 he made the forests re-echo with the wild sounds of his alarm. The 
 horses were frightened, and those that were loose ran away, and the 
 men were much sifraid that his v "ies would bring the whole tribe to his 
 assistance. Dr. Leicbhardt then went to a fire at a short distance, 
 where the man could see him distinct' , and made signs for him to de- 
 scend and go away. He began to be more quiet and to talk ; but soon 
 hallooed again, and threw sticks at Leicbhardt, at his comi)anions, and 
 at the horses. The whole party now retired a few yards to allow him 
 to escf.pe ; and after continuing his lamentations for some time, he 
 ' <;ised ; in a few minutes a slight rustling was heard, and he was gone ; 
 doubtless delighted at havr/ig escaped the pale-faced cannibals. Next 
 morning the whole tribe, well armed, watched them from a distance, 
 but allowed them quietly to load their bullocks and dei)ai-t, without 
 offering them the least annoyance. 
 
 While the party Avere butchering a steer on the 11th, some natives 
 made their appearance. Leicbhardt held out a branch as a sign of peace, 
 Mhen they ventured up to hold a parley, though evidently with great 
 
 I 
 
792 
 
 RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 suspicion. They examined Brown's hat, and expressed a great desire to 
 keep it. While Ur. Leichhardt went to the tents for some pieces of 
 iron as a present to them, Brown, wishing to sm-prise them, mounted 
 his horse and began trotting, which frightened them so much that they 
 ran away and did not come again. In passing around the southern ex- 
 tremity of the gulf they had occasional interviews with the nativea., 
 who appeared quite amicably disposed, eapecially on receiving some 
 trifling presents. 
 
 After a most tedious and fatiguing march around the head of the 
 gulf, during which their progress was greatly obstructed by the numer- 
 ous lagunes and creeks along the coast, they approached the head of 
 Limmcn Bight, the western extremity of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the 
 0th of October. The whole country around the gulf, particularly in 
 the southern part, and on the plains and approaches to the rivers and 
 creeks, • aj well covered with grass. The large water-holes were fre- 
 quently . J led with a thick turf of small sedge, upon which the 
 liorses greo' , ibd. Stiif grasses made their appearance near the sea- 
 coast, on the plains as well as in the forest. From the coast of Limmen 
 Bight tliey ascended a large river of brackish watei*, which they named 
 Limmcn Bight River. After following its banks to the south-west for 
 about a week, they took a north-westerly course, and on the 19th of 
 October, came to the banks of a fresh- water river, five to eight hundred 
 yards wide, and flow- ing westwardly to the Bight. They continued their 
 route to the north-west along the banks of this river, which was called 
 th3 Roper. On the 21st they had the misfortune to lose three of their 
 most vigorous horses, Avhich were drowned in the river. In consequence 
 of this diminution of their number, the remaining animals had to bear 
 their burdens continually, and became so much reduced that it was oft;en 
 necessary to rest a day to recruit them. 
 
 By the Cth of November they had left; all the eastern waters, and 
 came upon the margin of a sandy table-land, from which they overlooked 
 a large valley bounded by high ranges to the westward. As thej" ad- 
 vanced the country became mountainous, and on the 17th they were 
 proceeding along the high banks of a western creek, when suddenly the 
 extensive view of a magnificent valley opened out before them. They 
 stood on the brink of a deep precipice, of about eighteen hundred feet 
 in descent, which extended far to the eastward. A large river, joined 
 by many tributaries from different quarters, meandered through the 
 valley, which was bounded by high ranges. They had great difiiculty 
 in finduig a passage down the precipices, but finally succeeded, and on 
 the 20th arrived safely in the valley. Their horses and cattle were, 
 however, in a distressing condition. The passage along rocky creeks 
 had rendered them very foot-sore, and their feed had latterly consisted 
 of coarse grasses or a small sedge which they did not like. But in the 
 valley all the tender grasses reappeared in the utmost profusion, on which 
 the horses and bullocks fed most greedily. 
 
 J 
 
APPPOACH TO PORT ESSINGTON. 
 
 793 
 
 By observations on the 24tli, Dr. Leichhardt found they Avcrc at the 
 South Alligator River, about sixty miles from its mouth, and one hun- 
 dred and forty from Port Essington. As they advanced the river grad- 
 ually increased in size, and its banks were fringed with luxuriant 
 vegetation. In a few days their progress along the river was checked 
 by extensive swamps which filled the intervals between densely wooded 
 ridges, and leaving its course they proceeded toward the north. On 
 the 1st of December they encamped near the head of Van Dicmen's 
 Gulf. While they were waiting for their bullocks next morning a fine 
 native stepped out of the forest with the confidence of a man to whom 
 the white race was familiar. Ho was unarmed, but a great number of 
 his companions Avere watching the reception he should meet with. They 
 received him cordially, and on being joined by one of his party, he 
 uttered distinctly the words, " Commandant !" " Come here !" " Very 
 good !" " What's your name ?" The travelers from the Avildcrncss were 
 electrified ; their joy knew no bounds, and they were ready to embrace 
 the fellows, who, seeing the happiness they inspired, joined with a merry 
 grin in the loud expression of their feelings. These natives knew the 
 white people of Victoria, and called them Balanda, a name which they 
 derived from the Malays, signifying " Hollanders." They were very 
 kind and attentive to Dr. Lcichhardt's party, brought them roots and 
 shell-fish, and invited them to accompany them to their camping-place, 
 where a plentiful dinner was ready. 
 
 After crossing a plain next morning they were stopped by a large 
 sheet of salt water, at the opposite side of which a low range was visible, 
 and the natives informed them they would have to go far to the south- 
 east and south before they could cross the river. This was the East 
 Alligator River, which obliged them to make a detour of several days, 
 after which they continued their journey northward. Every day they 
 were visited by the natives in great numbers, some of whom spoke a few 
 English words they had picked up in their intercourse with the people 
 at Victoria. They imitnted with surprising accuracy the noises of the 
 various domesticated animals they had seen at the settlement ; and it 
 was amusing to hear the croA\Tng of the cock, the cacklmg of the hen, 
 the quacking of ducks, grunting of pigs, mewing of the cat, etc., evident 
 proofs that these natives had been at Victoria. 
 
 The party were now seized with impatience to come to the end of 
 their journey, but were obliged to content themselves with the slow prog- 
 ress of their animals, and at length, on the 14th of December, they 
 came to the sea-shore. A large bay lay before them, with islands and 
 headlands stretching far out into the ocean, which was open and bound- 
 less to the north. It was Mount Morris Bay, and they were now enter- 
 ing the neck of Coburg Peninsula. Guided by the natives, they made 
 their way slowly up the peninsula, and on the 17th came to a cart-road 
 which wound around the foot of a high hill ; and having passed a fine 
 grove of cocoa-nut palms, the white houses and a row of snug thatched 
 
794 
 
 RECENT EXPLOllATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 cottages burst suddenly upon them. They were kmdly received by 
 Captam Maearthur, commandant of Port Essmgton, and by the other 
 officers, who supplied them with every thmg they needed 
 
 After a month's stay at Port Essington they embai4ced m the 
 schooner //erome, and sailing by way of Torres Strait and the Inner 
 Barrier, a route only once before rttempted with success, they amved 
 safelv in Sydney on the 29th of March, 1846. A year afterward, Dr. 
 Ldhhardt^et out with another party, to cross the heart of the Austra- 
 nrcontinent, from Moreton Bay to Swan R ver, on the western coast 
 
 a iournev which, he estimated, would require two years and a half. 
 ^ncftZ hlever, nothing has been heard of hun or any of h.s party 
 "m e^^^^^^ hie no doubt either perished by hunger and 
 thirst, or been murdered by the natives. 
 
L V i\ ir s 
 
 EXPLORATION OF THE DEAD SEA. 
 
 After tho surrender of Vera Cruz, Lieutenant W. F. Lyncli, of the 
 American navy, aj)plied to tho government for periuission to explore the 
 Dead Sea. An act appropriating $10,000 for this purjjose havhig been 
 passed by Congress, Mr. Lynch received orders from the Secretary of 
 the Navy to make preparations for tho expedition. On the 2d of Octo- 
 ber, 1847, he was ajipointed to the command of tho store-ship Supply. 
 "While tho ship was fitted up for service he hud two metallic boats con- 
 structed, and shij)ped ten seamen for their crews. lie selected young, 
 muscular, native-born Americans of sober habits, from each ofM'homhe 
 exacted a pledge to abstain from intoxicating drinks. To this abstuionco 
 lie ascribes their final recovery fi-om the extreme prostration to which 
 they were reduced by fatigue and exposure. Lieutenant Dale and 
 Passed-Midshipman Aulick, both excellent draughtsmen, were chosen to 
 assist him in the i)rojected enterprise. 
 
 In November he received orders to proceed to Smyrna, and, through 
 the American Minister at Constantinople, apply to the Turkish govern- 
 ment for permission to pass through its dominions hi Syria, for the pur- 
 pose of exjiloring tho Dead Sea, and tracing the river Jordan to its 
 source. For the transportation of tho boats two low trucks were made, 
 and stowed away in the hold. 
 
 The oxjjedition sailed from New York on the 26th of November, 
 and on the 15th of February, 1848, entered the port of Smyrna. Cajjtain 
 Lynch proceeded to Constantinople and applied for the necessary firman 
 from the Porte. Atler some delay this was received on the 6th of 
 March: it w^as addressed to the pashas of Saida and Jerusalem, the 
 highest dignitaries in Syria, calling on them to give Captain Lynch and 
 his companions, seventeen in number, all duo assistance in their explora- 
 tions, and to protect and treat them with a regard due to the friendship 
 existing between the American government and the Sublime Porte. 
 
 From Smyrna Captain Lynch embarked for Syria, and anchored oflf 
 Beyrout on the 25th of March, where the Rev. Eli Smith, of the Amer- 
 
 li 
 
 I 
 
796 
 
 LYNCirS EXPLORATION OP THE DEAD SEA. 
 
 ican Prcabytcrian mission, kindly exerted himself in behalf of the ex- 
 pedition. An intelligent young Syrian, named Ameuiiy, was procured 
 for dragoman of the party, and an Arab, named Mustafa, engaged as 
 cook. The other members of the mission rendered all the assistance in 
 their power. Sailing thence toward Acre, the expedition landed at 
 Ilaifo, under Mount Carmel, and made preparations at Acre for march- 
 ing into the interior. The miserable horses, which they obtained with 
 difficulty, were found to be wholly unused to draught, and after much 
 perplexity the experiment of substituting camels for draught-horses was 
 tried, and happily proved successful. The huge animals, three to each 
 truck, with the boats, marched off with perfect case. This novel experi- 
 ment was witnessed by an eager crowd of people, and the successful 
 result taught them a new accomplishment of that patient and powerful 
 animal. 
 
 The trucks moved on in advance, and on the 4th of April the party 
 took up the line of march after the boats, having sixteen horses, eleven 
 loaded camels, and a mule. From the plains of Acre the road lay over 
 a rugged country, sometimes attaining an elevation of fifteen hundred 
 feet. On the Gth Captain Lynch giiined the heights overlooking the 
 Sea of Galilee, and soon afterward reached the city of Tiberias, on its 
 margin. The boats had been dragged with difficulty along a series of 
 valleys and ridges, and with the utmost exertions they were only 
 brought to the preci})itous range overlooking the lake, by sunset on the 
 7th. Next morning all hands went up to bring them down. Some- 
 times it was feared that, like the herd of swine, they would rush precip- 
 itately into the sea, but at length they reached the bottom in safety, and, 
 with their flags flying, were borne triumphantly beyond the walls and 
 amid a crowd of spectators launched upon the waters of Galilee — the 
 Arabs meanwhile singing, clapping their hands, and crying for bak- 
 sheesh. Buoyantly floated the two Fannies, bearing the stars and 
 stripes. Since the time of Josephns and the Romans no vessel of any 
 size had sailed upon this sea, and for many ages but a solitary keel had 
 furrowed its surface. 
 
 They had not time to survey this lake, on account of the advancing 
 season and the lessening flood in the Jordan, and therefore left the ne- 
 cessary observations until their return. The bottom is a concave basin ; 
 the greatest depth previously ascertained was twenty-seven and a half 
 fathoms, but from copious rains and rapid evaporation, the depth is 
 constantly varying. 
 
 Captain Lynch now assigned to each man his special duty. In the 
 land party Mr. Dale was to take the topographical department. Dr. 
 Anderson the geological, Mr. Francis Lynch the botanical, while Mr 
 Bedlow (an American gentleman Avho joined the party) was to note the 
 aspect of the country and the incidents of the route. In the water 
 party Lynch assigned to himself, in the Fanny Mason, the physical 
 aspect of the river and its banks, the productions, animal and vegetable, 
 
DESCENT OP THE JORDAN. 
 
 797 
 
 with a journal of events. To Mr. Aulick, who had charge of the 
 Fanny Skinner, waa assigned the topographical sketch of the river 
 and its shores. 
 
 It was found necessary, from the best information they could obtain 
 respecting the river, to employ camels. As the Jordan was represented 
 to run between high banks, and the navigation to be dangerous, the 
 safety of the party, and the success of the expedition, might depend 
 materially upon the vigilance and alacrity of the land party. Captain 
 Lynch, therefore, placed it under command of Mr. Dale, with directions 
 to keep as near the river as possible, and hasten to the assistance of the 
 water party, should a given signal be heard. To aid in transportation 
 down the Jordan, and upon the Dead Sea, an old frame boat Avas pur- 
 chased and fitted up, with the name of Uncle Sam. 
 
 Proceeding down the river, the party in the boats soon came to a 
 rapid, at the ruins of the bridge of Semakh. From the disheartening 
 account lie had received of the river, Captain Lynch had conio to the 
 conclusion that it might be necessary to sacrifice one of the boats to save 
 the rest. Ho therefore decided to take the lead in the Fanny Mason, 
 which, being of copper, could be more easily repaired. The boats 
 passed down the rapids without serious injury. Next day they reached 
 a series of rapids, where the channel was so completely obstructed, that 
 it became necessary to transport the boats around the most difficult. 
 Hero they labored, up to their waists in water, for several hours. 
 Starting again, they descended a cascade at the rate of twelve knots, 
 and immediately afterward passed down a shoal rapid, w'hero the fore- 
 most boat struck, and hung for a few moments on a rock. In passing the 
 eleventh rapid, the velocity of the current was so great that one of the 
 seamen, who lost his hold, was nearly swept over the fall, and with 
 great difficulty gained the shore. In the evening they anchored at the 
 head of the falls and whirlpool of BUk'ah. 
 
 Next morning the Uncle Sa)n was shattered upon the rocks and 
 foundered, consequently the hope of transporting the tents from place 
 to place along the Dead Sea was abandoned. The metallic boats passed 
 down the first rapid in safety ; down the second, a desperate-looking 
 cascade, with a bluff rock obstructing the channel at its foot, they were 
 lowered by ropes, and by the assistance of some Arabs who accompanied 
 the land party, the dangerous passage was made without accident. In 
 this manner they proceeded down the rocky bed of the Jordan, whose 
 winding course enabled the land party to keep equal pace with the 
 boats in their descent. 
 
 In the afternoon of the 11th they arrived at El Meshra, the bathing- 
 place of Christian pilgrims. This ford is consecrated as the place where 
 the Israelites passed over with the Ark of the Covenant, and where the 
 Saviour was baptized by John. " Feeling that it would be a desecra- 
 tion to moor the boats at a place so sacred," says Captain Lynch, " we 
 passed it, and with some difficulty found a landing below." Tliey en- 
 
798 
 
 LYNCIl'S EXPLORATION OP THE DEAD SEA. 
 
 camped witli the land party, who had pitclu'd their tents on the bank, 
 but M'erc aroused at three o'eh)ck in tho morning with tlic intelligenoo 
 that tlio pilgrims were eoniing. Itisiiig hastily they beheld thousands 
 of torcli-lights moving rapidly over tho hills, and had searocly tinie t > 
 remove their tents and eftects a sliort distance, when the procession 
 was upon them — men, women and children, mounted on camels, horses, 
 mules and donkeys, rushed impetuously on toward the river. The 
 motley procession continued until daybreak, and, dismounting as they 
 anived, they disrobed with jtrecipitation, rushed down the bank, and 
 threw themselves into tho stream. Absorbed by an impulsive feeling, 
 tliey seemed perfectly regardless of observation. Each one plunged, or 
 was dipped, three times below tho surface, and then filled a bottle from 
 tlie river. The bathing-dress of many of the pilgrims was a white gown 
 with a black cross upon it. As soon as they had dressed, tliey cut 
 branches from the ay nun castus, or willow, and, dipping thcin in tho 
 consecrated stream, bore them away as memorials of their visit. In an 
 hour they began to depart, and in less than three hours the whole crowd 
 was gone. Tho pageant disappeared as ra[)idly as it had approached, 
 and left the travelers once more in the silence and solitude of the \vil- 
 derness. Eight thousand hiunan beings had passed and repassed before 
 their tents, and left no vestige bchiiul them. 
 
 Tlie expedition moved on in the afternoon, and in a few hours the 
 boats entered the Dead Sea. On rounding tho point, they endeavored 
 to make a west course toward the encamjjment of their friends ; but a 
 fresh north-west wind was blowing, and increased so rapidly, that it was 
 impossible to head it. Tho sea rose with the incrcjasing wind, and pre- 
 sented an agitated surface of foaming brine ; tho spray left incrustations 
 of salt upon their clothes, hands and faces; it conveyed a prickly sensa- 
 tion whenever it touclied the skin, and was exceedingly painful to the 
 eyes. Tho boats, lieavily laden, struggled sluggishly at first ; but when 
 the wind freshened in its fierceness, it seemed as if their bows " were 
 encountering the sledge-hammers of tho Titans, instead of tho opposing 
 •waves of an angry sea." In tho evening the wind suddenly abated, 
 the waves fell, and tho boats now glided rapidly over an unrippled sur- 
 face. On reaching the camp the men made a frugal supper, and then, 
 wet and weary, threw themselves upon the ground beside a fetid 
 marsh; — the dark, fretted mountains behind; the Bea, like a huge 
 caldron, before them, with its surface shrouded in lead-colored mist, 
 "Toward midnight, while the moon was rising above the eastern 
 mountains, and the shadows of the clouds were reflected, wild and fan- 
 tastic, on the surface of the somber sea ; when every thing, the mount- 
 ains, the sea, the clouds, seemed specter-like and unreal, the sound of 
 the convent-bell of Mar Saba struck gratefully upon the ear ; for it was 
 the Christian call to prayer, and told of human wants and human sym- 
 pathios to the wayfarers on the borders of the Sea of Death." 
 
 Akil, an Arab shekh of the border, who had accompanied them from 
 
CAMP AT ENQADDI. 
 
 709 
 
 Acre, and to whom they had all become much attached, catno to see 
 them next morning, previous to liis departure. Learnuig that ho was 
 well ac(iuauttcd with the tribes on the eastern shore, and on friendly 
 terms with them, Captain Lynch prevailed on him to proceed there by 
 land, to apprise the tribes of the approaching party, and make arrange- 
 ments to supply it with provisions. 
 
 On the 20th the boats were sent to sound diagonally and directly 
 across to the eastern shore. At a lato hour they returned, having been 
 retarded by a fresh wind and the corresponding heavy swell of the soa. 
 The distance in a straight lino to the Arabian shore was nearly eight 
 statute miles, the greatest depth one hundred and sixteen fathoms. In 
 a lino running diagonally to the south-east the depth was one hundred 
 and seventy fathoms, almost from shore to shore. 
 
 Next day they broke up the camp and moved southward, taking 
 every thing in the boats except a load for the only remaining camel. 
 Soon after noon on the 22 1 tiny hauled uj) the boats below Wady 
 Sudeir and pitched their ten :3 at a little distance from the fountain- 
 stream of Engaddi. They found a broad, sloping delta, whoso dusty 
 surface was covered with coarse ])ebbles and flinty stones, with here and 
 there a lotus-tree or an osher. The course of the stream across the 
 plain was marked by a narrow strip of luxm-iant green. In the evening 
 some of the tribe of Ta 'Amirah came in, and being hungry, had begun 
 to devour a pot of rice which was given them, when one of tlicni sug- 
 gested that perhaps pork had been cooked in the same vessel. Their 
 countenances fell when they learned that this I.ad been the case, and 
 although nearly famished they would not touch the rice, and there was 
 nothing else to give them. Fearing that his provisions woidd fall short. 
 Captain Lynch advised them to return to their tents. The principal food 
 of the Arab, as of all southern nations of this continent, is rice. These 
 Arabs were such pilferers that strict watch had to be kept over every 
 thing except the pork, which, being an abomination to the Moslem, 
 was left about the camp, in full confidence that it would bo untouched. 
 
 Provisions were becoming scarce when Dr. Anderson returned on the 
 23d with a supply from Jerusalem. They were seen shortly after noon 
 creeping like mites along the lofty crags, but did not reach the camp 
 for three hours afterward. With them came four Tv :kish soldiers, to 
 guard the camp in the absence of the party. The scv^uo at sunset was 
 magnificent ; on one hand the wild, towering cliffs, on the other the dull, 
 Dead Sea, and the shadows climbing up the eastern mountain. And 
 Eerak stood castled on the loftiest summit of the range. 
 
 Next morning Captain Lynch started with Dr. Anderson for the 
 peninsula, which was visible in the south-east, while Mr. Aulick pulled 
 directly across to Wady Mojeb (the river Amon of the Old Testament), 
 to sound in that direction, and Mr. Dale remained with the rest of the 
 party to make observations at the camp. Mr. Aulick found the width 
 of the sea to be about nine statute miles, and the greatest depth one hun- 
 
800 
 
 LYNCU'S EXPLORATION OP THE DEAD SEA. 
 
 drctl and cighty-oif^lit fatlioms. Captain Lynch returned directly across 
 to the western Bhore, and thus tliey continued their measurements into 
 the southern sea. On the L'Sth they jiassed Wady Seyul Scbbeh (Uavino 
 of Acacias), above which tho cliff of Scbbeh, or Masada, rose perpen- 
 dicularly to the height of twelve or fifteen hundred feet. It is isolated 
 by a deep ravine on each side ; on the level summit stands a lino of 
 broken walls, tho remains of a fortress built by Herod. "Tho peculiar 
 purple hue of its weather-worn rock is so like that of coagulated blood 
 that it fijrccs tho mind back upon its early history, and summons images 
 of the fearful immolation of Eleazar and tho nino hundred Sicarii, tho 
 blood of whoso eelf-alaughtcr seems to have tinged tho indestructible 
 cliff forever." 
 
 On tho 20th they started early and steered in a direct lino for RAs 
 Ilish (Capo Thicket), tho northern point of the salt mountains of Us- 
 dum, sounding every few minutes for the ford. Soon after passing tho 
 point, to their astonishment they saw, on the eastern side of Usdum, a 
 lofty, round })illar, standing apparently detached from tho general mass, 
 at the head of a Jeep, narrow, and abrupt chasm. On examination they 
 found the pillar to bo solid salt, cai)ped with carbonate of lime, cylin- 
 drical in front and pyramidal behind. The upper or rounder part is 
 about forty foot high, resting on a kind of oval pedestal, from forty to 
 sixty feet above the level of tho sea. It slightly decreases in size up- 
 ward, criunblcs at the top, and is one entire mass of crystallizatior 
 
 At length they approached tho southern extremity of tho s 
 from the shallowness of the water tho boats grounded three hundred 
 yards from the shore. Mr. Dale landed to observe the latitude. His 
 feet sank first through a layer of slimy mud a foot deep, then through a 
 crust of salt, and then another foot of mud, before reaching the firm 
 bottom. The beach -was so hot as to blister the feet. From tho water's 
 edge he made his way with difficulty for more than a hundred yards 
 over black mud, coated with salt and bitumen. In returning to tho 
 boat one of tho men attempted to carry Mr. Dale to the water, but sank 
 down, and they were obliged separately to flounder through. They 
 ran when they could, and described it as like running over burning 
 ashes, 
 
 "It was indeed," says Captain Lynch, "a scene of unmitigated deso- 
 lation. On one side, rugged and worn, was the salt-mountain of Usdum, 
 with its conspicuous pillar, which reminded us at least of the catastrophe 
 of the plain ; on tho other were the loft,y and barren cliffs of Moab, in 
 one of the caves of which the fugitive Lot found shelter. To the south 
 was an extensive flat intersected by sluggish drains, with the high hills 
 of Edom semi-girding the salt plain where the Israelites repeatedly over 
 threw their enemies ; and to the north was the calm and motionless sea, 
 curtained with a purple mist, while many fathoms deep in the eliray 
 mud beneath it lay imbedded the ruins of the ill-fated cities of Sodom 
 and Gomorrah. The glare of light was blinding to the eye, and the 
 
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 a 
 tl 
 w 
 
 ♦I 
 
 to 
 thi 
 
 the 
 
 hlat 
 
 and 
 
 Lyn 
 
 I Bteoj 
 
 I othe 
 
 I undo 
 
 nieta 
 
 I 0'cl0( 
 
 j ofwa 
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 I theth 
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 parchej 
 
 i ^yg 
 
 wins at 
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 The 
 Notwit 
 irresisti 
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 was fast 
 »lone k( 
 stupor, 
 night, 
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 the Work 
 working 
 They 
 •teered a( 
 from »Aki 
 ^^f> white 
 snrfece oi 
 shore; an 
 them. Oi 
 
SUPFERINOS PROM TUB HEAT. 
 
 801 
 
 atmoflphere difficult of rcipiration. No bird fanned with itn wing tho 
 attenuated air, through whioh the 4un poured his scorohing rays upon 
 tho mysterious element on which we floated, and whioh alone of all the 
 works of its Maker, contains no living thing within it. 
 
 "While in full view of the peninsula, I named its northern extremity 
 * Point Costigan,' and its southern one ' Point Molyneux,' as a tribute 
 to two gallant Englishmen who lost their lives in attempting to explore 
 this sea." 
 
 Toward evening a hot, blistering hurricane arose from tho sonth-east, 
 the thermometer being at 102°. The men, closing their eyes to the 
 blast, were obliged to pull with all their might to stem the rising waves, 
 and after an hour they gained the shore, much exhausted. Captain 
 Lynch had his eyelids blistered, being unable to protect them while 
 steering the boat. Some went up a ravine to cHcape the Htilling wind; 
 others, driven back by tho glare, returned to tho boats and crouched 
 under the awning. One mounted spectacles to protect his eyes, but the 
 metal became so heated that he was obliged to remove them. At five 
 o'clock, finding tho heat intolerable, they went up a dry ravine in search 
 of water, and discovering some pools, they washed and bathed in them, 
 but the relief was only momentary. Tt • wind rose to a tempest, and 
 the heat rather increased than lessened after sunset. At eight o'clock 
 the thermometer was 106°. 
 
 The Arabs who accompanied the expedition were indispensable ; they 
 brought food when the mon were nearly famished, and water when 
 parched with thirst. They acted as gui<lo8 and messengers, and faith- 
 fully guarded the camp. A decided course tempered with courtesy 
 wins at once their respect and good will. Although an impetuous race, 
 not an angry word passed between them and Captain Lynch's party. 
 
 The expedition now returned northward to complete the survey. 
 Notwithstanding the high wind, the tendency to drowsiness became 
 irresistible. The men pulled mechanically, with half-closed lids, and 
 except the oarsmen and Captain Lynch, every one in the copper boat 
 was fast asleep. The necessity of steering and observing every thing, 
 alone kept him awake. The drowsy sensation, amounting almost to 
 stupor, was greatest in the heat of the day, but did not disappear at 
 night. Every day this stupefying influence became more painfully ap- 
 parent, but Captain Lynch resolved to persevere and leave no part of 
 the work undone, endeavoring to be as expeditious as possible without 
 working the party too hard. 
 
 They reached Point Costigan in the afternoon of the 30th, and 
 steered across the south-eastern bay, to search for water and for signals 
 from 'Akil. The heat was still intense, and rendered less endurable by 
 the white spiculse of the peninsula and the dazzling reflection from tho 
 surface of the sea. There were Arabs among the low bushes on the 
 shore ; md preparing for hostilities they pulled directly in and hailed 
 them. One of them proved to be Jum*ah, a messenger of 'Aldl, who 
 
 51 
 
802 
 
 LTNCH'S EXPLORATION OP THE DEAD SEA. 
 
 had arrived at Kcrak. In the evening the son of Abd' Allah, Christian 
 shekh of Kerak, came with an invitation to visit his father at his mount- 
 ain fortress, seventeen miles distant. An invitation was also received 
 from the Moslem shekh. Captain Lynch accepted it with a full sense 
 of the risk incurred, but the whole party was so much debilitated by 
 the sirocco and the subsequent heat, that it became absolutely necessary 
 to invigorate it at all hazards. 
 
 The deputation from Kerak expressed great delight at seeing fellow- 
 Christiaus on the shores of tliis sea, saying that if they had known of 
 their first arrival they would have gone round and invited them over. 
 It was a strange sight to see these wild Arab Christians uniting them- 
 selves so cordially to the Americans. These people had never seen a 
 boat, and could h£\rdly believe that any thing so large could be made to 
 float. One of the fellahs from Mezra'a, when he first beheld them, stood 
 for some time lost in thought and then burst forth in joyful shouts of 
 recognition. He was an Egyptian by birth, and being stolen away 
 when young, had forgotten every thing connected with his native coun- 
 try until the sight of the boats reminded him of having seen things 
 resembling them ; and the Nile, and the boats upon it, and the familiar 
 scenes of his childhood, rushed upon his memory. 
 
 On the 1st of May the horses and mules for which they had sent, 
 arrived, and with them came Mohammed, the son of Abd' el Kadir, the 
 Moslem shekh, and Abd' Allah, the Christian shekh. Mohammed was 
 overbearing in his manners, and his aim jst insulting conduct awakened 
 distrust. He had come down with al/out eight men, his brother with 
 fourteen more, and by two and three at a time they continued to drop 
 in, until by nine o'clock there were upward of forty around the camp. 
 Early next morning the party set out ; the sailors mounted on miserable 
 cradles, extending along the backs of their mules, while the horses were 
 little better caparisoned. One of the seamen, who had been least af- 
 fected by the heat, remained at his own request. To him and the Be- 
 douin Jum'ah, who had several Arabs with him. Captain Lynch gave 
 charge of the boats. 
 
 Arriving at the brow of a hill, three thousand feet above the Dead 
 Sea, they had before them a high rolling pldn, where the grass was 
 withered and the grain blighted by the sirocco and the locust. Turn- 
 ing to the north, they passed along the walls and towers of the town, 
 into which they entered by an arch cut through the rock. The passage 
 was thirty feet high and twelve wide, and about eighty feet long in an 
 irregular line. 
 
 The people assembled on dirt-heaps and mud roofs to see the 
 strangers pass, and the room they occupied was crowded the whole day; 
 the doorway sometimes blocked up. It seemed to be regarded as a 
 sort of menagerie. When at length the men were left to themselves, 
 they lay down under a roof for the first time in twenty-three days, har- 
 bg first enjoyed the unwonted luxury of a draught of sweet milk. 
 
VISIT TO KERAK. 
 
 i party „„„M gladly C;e2..T° V" °<'«'»"-y P«rokLor"""r 
 mountain air and f. ^™Mne(I another day for th. r^™' ""> 
 
 the Arabs were in . , .*''''^ "^^^^^ preparations for ^^ ^''''' 
 
 sr • . ^- '^'^^"-Tr Ss t\tri ^^'^^^^ ^-s^'. 
 
 «°d. tteir horses were procured m^ 1 ^°'^ ^°"J*J «tand by the^ 
 again demanded baksheesh and T- " ^'^'^ ^'^'^« ^^^rting, MohamlTi' 
 
 toward the riL A^ Uulmt:" '"^ ""^^"^ *»g «!« o„a,t 
 of he pnncipal eities of the Mon^^,?, ""'"'' "P"" which Aroer „„' 
 It'd^ '"P""-^ Mo "ftt°\:-*«od. Eight X'orth 
 TOwed the promised land A. ,i "" "'o ^'immit of whi<.|, Ar 
 
 St :f '; ^'>— til- 1 tSeTt"' "'° ^-^"-^ - ^-o' 
 
 unes of green oane and tamarisk n,„i ' " """<'' w™ marlced l,v 
 
 «h of May they stopped for «„' ° 1 " ''"'"'""" "'^-palm, ft, .to 
 
 fttieritlnt 'T'"^'^^^'^^ "Z'^''"''^ 
 sea TK "^^^^ ^^<^ep, rushed onf ,v.m stream, twelve 
 
 oft r-J^'"? ™^*^« their innumeiable « '^'"'"' ^«"^ ^^^ter of 
 
 fare 7 ? ^J""* ' '^ ''^' '^ifScult to k" o !'• ^ '''^'"' ^t' the soa 
 could « ^ ^"^^ ^^^^'-^^ they had tHod u, r ^''' '^^"^^^h the s.u- 
 to on ? '" *^" «^^ ^thout turlL 1 '^'''^^' ^ horse and donkey 
 
804 
 
 LYNCH'S EXPLORATION OP THE DEAD SEA. 
 
 to two hundred and eighteen fathoms ; the bottom soft hrown mud, 
 with rcctangL'lar crystals of salt. At Ain Tur&beh they found their 
 tents in the charge of Sherif. Two Arabs were sent to meet Mr. 
 Aulick, at the mouth of the Jordan ; he returned next day, having 
 completed the topography of the shore, and taken observations at the 
 mouth of the river. Dr. Anderson had collected many specimens in the 
 geological department, and the exploration of the sea was now com- 
 plete. 
 
 On the 9th Mr. Dale went with the interpreter to reconnoiter the 
 route over the desert toward Jerusalem. Two sick seamen were sent 
 to the convent at Mar Saba. In the evening the party bathed in the 
 Dead Sea preparatory to their spending their twenty-second and last 
 night upon it. They had now carefully sounded this sea, determined 
 its geographical position, taken the exact topography of its shore, as- 
 certained the temperature, width, depth, and velocity of its tributaries, 
 collected specimens of every kind, and noted the winds, currents, 
 changes of weather, and all atmospheric phenomena. 
 
 On the 10th the tents were struck, and the party ascended the pass 
 of Ain Turabeh. They proceeded to the convent of Mar Saba, and 
 thence continued their route toward Jerusalem, where they arrived on 
 the 17th. There were many Jewish women and children, clothed in 
 white, under the olive-trees in the valley as they passed. They were 
 families from the city, who thus came to spend the day beneath the 
 shade, away from the stifling air of the Jews' quarter Next day the 
 boats were sent to Jafia, under the care of Sherif, and the party re- 
 mained in camp until the 22d, during which time the officers and men 
 had time to recruit, and to visit Jerusalem and its vicinity. On break- 
 ing up the camp, they started to run a line of level across to the Med- 
 iterranean, ' ♦lirty-lhree miles distant, in a direct line. The desert being 
 passed, they substituted mules for camels, to transport the baggage. 
 They found the depression of the surface of the Dead Sea below that 
 of the Mediterranean to be a little over thirteen hundred feet. 
 
 After remaining a few days at Jaffa, the land party, under the com- 
 mand of Mr. Dale, started on the morning of June 6th, for Acre. In 
 the evening Captain Lynch embarked w ith the remainder in an Arab 
 brig, and arrived at Acre on the next evening. Charles Homer, a sea- 
 man, with the land party, was severely wounded on the way by tho 
 accidental disv barge of a gun. He was sent immediately to Beyrout, 
 in charge of Mr. Bedlow and a few men, and placed under medical ui- 
 tendance. 
 
 On the 10th, Captain Lynch started for Nazareth, whence he pro- 
 ceeded to tho sources of the Jordan, still taking observations to con- 
 nect with the preceding ones. Receiving intelligence, on the 19th, that 
 Homer was out of danger, and that Messrs. Aulick and Bedlow were 
 on the way to rejoin him, he started to lead tho party over the Anti- 
 Lebanon into the plain of Damascus. After spending a few days in 
 
DEATH OP LIEUTENANT DALE. 
 
 805 
 
 Damascus, they proceeded by a mountainous road toward the sea. On 
 the 30th they were four thousand feet above the level of the sea ; the 
 road was difficult, and some of the men were sick. Mr. Dale, who was 
 the worst, was sent ahead with Mr. Bedlow, that he might obtain the 
 best medical advice as soon as possible. On arriving at Beyrout next 
 day, nearly the whole party wore exhausted, and some required im- 
 mediate medical attendance, but in a few days they were mostly con- 
 valescent. On the 10th Mr. Dale rode to Bhamdun, twelve miles 
 distant, in the hope of being more speedily invigorated by the mountain 
 air. It was on the dreadful Damascus road, which they had traveled 
 eleven days before, and he arrived thoroughly exhausted, but was much 
 recruited next day. On the second day, however, a sirocco set in, 
 which lasted for three days, and completely prostrated him. He 
 lingered until the 24th, when he died. Determined to take the remains 
 home, if possible, Captain Lynch started immediately with iliuir. for 
 Beyrout, and proceeded by a slow, dreary ride do^vn the rugged 
 mountain by torchlight. 
 
 On the 30th the physicians advised them to leave at once, as there 
 was no hope of recovery of the sick at Beyrout, Captain Lynch there- 
 fore chartered a small French brig for Malta. An accident in transport- 
 ing the remains to the vessel, and the superstitious fears of the captain 
 and crew, compelled him to land them, and at sunset, as the Turkish 
 batteries Avere saluting the first night of the Ramadan, they escorted the 
 body to the Frank cemetery, and laid it beneath a Pride of India-tree. 
 A few appropriate chapters of the Bible were read, and some effecting 
 remarks made by the Rev. Mr. Thompson ; allcr which tlie sailors ad- 
 vanced and fired three volleys over the qfrave. 
 
 At 9 r. M. they embarked on bo ' the Perle (P Orient and after a 
 tedious passage of thirty-eight days, dn. tig which tliey suffered mucli 
 from sickness, debility, and scarcity of food Jind water, they r(>ache<l 
 Malta, where they received every possible attentiun from tlie An't-rican 
 Consul, Mr. Winthrop. On the 12th of September, tlie iSiqypli/ havinir 
 arrived, the expedition re-embarked, with only three of its members c 
 the sick-list. They touched at Naples, Marseilles, and Gibraltar, in the 
 hope of procuring supplies, but in the two former they W' le refused 
 pratique, and from the latter they were peremptorily ordered away. 
 Depending therefore on the rains to replenish their supply of wattT, tliey 
 pursued their homeward voyage, and early la December reached ae 
 United States. 
 
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 L A Y ARD'S 
 
 EXPLORATIONS AT NINEVEH AND BABYLON. 
 
 FIRST '5XCAVATION8 AT NINEVEH. 
 
 THK MOCND or NIMBOTTD (NINEVKH). 
 
 Mr. Austen Hbnky Layaud first visited the East in 1839, and 
 daring that and the following year traversed almost every part of Syria 
 and Asia Minor, in company with Mr. Ainsworth, the author of " Travels 
 in the Track of the Ten Thousand." Extending their journey to the 
 eastward, they reached Mosul, floated down the Tigris to Baghdad, 
 crossed to Persia, visited the ruins of Susa and Persepolis, and after 
 being plundered by a band of robbers in the mountains, returned through 
 Armenia to Europe. While descending the Tigris, from Mosul to 
 Baghdad, Laniard stopped to examine the lofty mounds of Nimroud, 
 sixteen miles below the former city. He was impressed by the con- 
 viction that extensive remains, perhaps those of a part of ancient Nine- 
 veh, were concealed under those shapeless piles of earth, broken pottery 
 and bricks, and then formed the determination of returning to explore 
 them, at some future time. 
 
 On passing through Mosul in the summer of 1842, on his return to 
 Constantinople, he found that M. Botta, the French Consul, had com- 
 
L~|.H mm 
 
 810 
 
 LAYARD'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 menced excavations in the large mound of Kouyunjik, on the opposite 
 side of the Tigris. Only some fragments of brick and alabaster, upon 
 which were engraved a few letters in the cuneiform, or arrow-headed 
 character, had then been discovered. After reaching Constantinople, 
 Layard wrote to M. Botta, advising him to excavate in the mounds of 
 Nimroud ; but the latter gentleman, following the advice of some of 
 the natives, turned his attention to a large mound, upon which the vil- 
 lage of Khorsabad was built. After sinking a well for some distance 
 through the rubbish, the workmen came to a wall built of sculptured 
 slabs of gypsum. M. Botta at once directed a wider trench to be 
 formed, and to be carried in the direction of the wall. Ho soon found 
 that he had opened a chamber, which was connected with others, and 
 constructed of slabs of gypsum covered with sculptured representations 
 of battles, sieges, and similar events. His wonder may easily be imag^ 
 ined. A new history had been suddenly opened to him — the records 
 of an unknown people were before him. He was equally at a loss to 
 account for the age and the nature of the monument. The art shown in 
 the sculptures ; the dresses of the figures ; their arms and the objects 
 which accompanied them, were all new to him, and afforded no clew to 
 the epoch of the erection of the edifice, and to the people who were its 
 founders. However, it was evident that the monument appertained to 
 a very ancient and very civilized people ; and it was natural from its 
 position to refer it to the inhabitants of Nineveh, a city, which, although 
 it could not have occupied a site so distant from the Tigris, must have 
 been in the vicinity of the place. M. Botta had discovered an Assyrian 
 edifice, the first, probably, which had been exposed to the view of man 
 since the fall of the Assyrian empire. 
 
 The excavation was continued, and by the beginning of 1845, the 
 monument had been completely uncovered. The researches of M. Botta 
 were not extended beyond Khorsabad, and, having secured many fine 
 specimens of Assyrian sculpture, he returned to Europe with a rich col- 
 lection of inscriptions, the most important result of his discovery. This 
 success increased Layard's desire to explore the ruins of Assyria. He 
 was more than ever convinced that Khorsabad was not the only relic of 
 Assyrian art, and that, as it could not represent Nineveh, the remains 
 of that city were to be found at Nimroud. He received little encourage- 
 ment in his desires, until, in the autumn of 1845, Sir Stratford Canning, 
 British Minister at Constantinople, expressed his readiness to incur, for 
 a limited period, the expenses of an exploration. Layard accepted tiie 
 proposal, set out from Constantinople at once, and, traveling with all 
 speed, reached Mosul by the last of October. 
 
 " There were many reasons," says Layard, " which rendered it nftces- 
 sary that my plans should be concealed, until I was ready to put them 
 into execution. Although I had always experienced from M. Botta the 
 most friendly assistance, there were oth -ts who did not share his senti- I 
 ments ; from the authorities and the people of the town I could only ! 
 
ij: 
 
 FIRST DISCOVERIES AT NIMROUD. 
 
 811 
 
 expect the most decided oppos'tion. On the 8th of November, having 
 secretly procured a few tools, and engaged a mason at the moment of 
 my departure, and carrying with me a variety of guns, spears, and other 
 formidable weapons, I declared that I was going to hunt wild boars in a 
 neighboring village, and floated down the Tigris on a small raft con- 
 structed for my journey. I was accompanied by Mr. Ross, a British 
 merchant of Mosul, my cawass, and a servant." 
 
 On reaching Nimroud, Layard succeeded in engaging six Arabs to 
 work under his direction. The next morning he commenced operations, 
 and was not long left in suspense. Seeing a piece of alabaster projecting 
 above the soil, he ordered his men to dig around it, and found that it 
 was the upper part of a large slab. Its exhumation revealed a second, 
 then a third, and in the course of the morning ten were discovered, the 
 whole forming a square, which was apparently the top of a chamber. 
 Digging down the face of the stones, an inscription in the cuneiform 
 character was soon exposed to view. The next day he hired more work- 
 men, and completed the excavation of the chamber, which was built of 
 slabs eight feet high. " In the rubbish near the bottom of the chamber," 
 says he, " I found several ivory ornaments, upon which were traces of 
 gilding ; among them was the figure of a man in long robes, carrying 
 in one hand the Egyptian crux ansata, part of a crouching sphinx, and 
 flowers designed with great taste and elegance. Awad, who had his 
 own suspicions of the object of my search, which he could scarcely per- 
 suade himself was limited to mere stones, carefully collected all the scat- 
 tered fragments of gold leaf he could find in the rubbish ; and, calling 
 me aside in a mysterious and confidential fashion, produced them wrapped 
 up in a piece of dingy paper. ' O Bey,' said he, * Wallah ! your books 
 are right, and the Franks know that which is hid from the true believer. 
 Here is the gold, sure enough, and, please God, we shall find it all in a 
 few days. Only don't say any thing about it to those Arabs, for they 
 are asses and can not hold their tongues. The matter will come to the 
 ears of the pasha.' The shekh was much surprised, and equally disap- 
 pointed, when I generously presented him with the treasures he had col- 
 lected, and all such as he might hereafter discover." 
 
 The news of this discovery soon reached Mosul, and created quite a 
 sensation. It was rumored that immense treasures had been found, and 
 the pasha, who was very oppressive and unpopular, determined to inter- 
 fere, and stop further excavations. Layard, to avoid difficulty, pretended 
 to acquiesce, but asked for a guard to protect the sculptures, while he 
 made drawings of them. During the few days which intervened whL'e 
 the subject was under discussion, the work had been vigorously prose- 
 cuted, and several bas-reliefs representing battles and sieges, and winged 
 bulls, fourteen feet in length, were discovered. The experiment had 
 been fairly tried ; there was no longer any doubt of the existence not 
 only of sculptures and inscriptions, but even of vast edifices in the inte- 
 rior of the mound of Nimroud, as all parts of it that had yet been ezam- 
 
 l| il i 
 
812 
 
 LATARD'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 inedf furnished romains of buildings and carved slabs. IIo lost no time, 
 therefore, in acquainting Sir Stratford Canning with his discovery, and 
 urging the necessity of a firman, or order from the Porte, which would 
 prevent any future interference on the part of the authorities, or the in- 
 habitants of the country. 
 
 About this time word reached Mosul that the pasha was to be re- 
 moved, and another appointed in his place. The country was very 
 unsettled, and as it was impossible to continue the excavations at Niin- 
 roud, Layard proceeded to Baghdad, to consult Major Ilawlinson, and 
 to make arrangements for the removal of the sculptures to England. 
 Returning to Mosul in January, 1846, he found the new governor, Ismail 
 Pasha, who received him with courtesy, and gave him full permission to 
 continue his researches at Nimroud. He took up his residence at Nim- 
 roud, and engaged a party of Nestorian Christians to assist him in the 
 work. About the middle of February, the excavations wore recom- 
 menced, in the north-western side of the mound. One chamber opened 
 into another, and these into halls and courts, the walls of which wore of 
 alabaster, covered with bas-reliefs and inscriptions. The sculptures as- 
 sumed a more interesting character, the further they advanced; the 
 monarch, with his attendant niinistei's and servants, tributary kings, 
 battles, sieges, and finally the gods of a lost religion, colossal iigures 
 carved with the most astonishing minuteness of detail, were one after 
 another exposed to view. 
 
 " On all these figures," says Layard, " paint could be faintly distin- 
 guished, particularly on the hair, beard, eyes, and sandals. The slabs on 
 which they were sculptured had sustained no injury, and could be with- 
 out difficulty packed and moved to any distance. There could no longer 
 be any doubt that they formed part of a chamber, and that, to explore 
 it completely, I had only to continue along the wall, now partly un- 
 covered. 
 
 " On the morning following these discoveries, I rode to the encamp- 
 ment of Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman, and was returning to the mound, when 
 I saw two Arabs of his tribe urguig their mares to the top of their 
 speed. On approaching me they stopped. ' Hasten, O Bey,' exclaimed 
 one of them — ' hasten to the diggers, for they have found Nimrod him- 
 self. Wallah, it is wonderful, but it is true ! we have seen him with our 
 eyes. There is no God but God ;' and both joining in this pious ex- 
 clamation, they galloped oft", without further words, in the direction of 
 their tents. 
 
 " On reaching the ruins I descended into the new trench, and found 
 the workmen, who had already seen me, as I approached, standing near 
 * heap of baskets and cloaks. While Awad advanced, and asked for a 
 present to celebrate the occasion, the Arabs withdrew the screen they 
 had hastily constructed, and disclosed an enormous human head sculp- 
 tured in full out of the alabaster of the country. They had uncovered 
 the upper part of the figure, the remainder of which was still buried in 
 
 f 
 
DISCOVERY OP COLOSSAL STATUES. 
 
 818 
 
 the earth. I naw at onco thsit the head must belong to a winged lion or 
 bull, similar to those of Khorsabad and P'»"''?polifl. It was in admirable 
 preservation. Tiie expression waa calm, yet majestic, and the outline 
 of the features showed a freedom and knowledge of art, scarcely to be 
 looked for in the works of so remote a period. The cap had three horns, 
 and, imlikc that of the human-headed bulls hitherto found in Assyria, 
 was rounded and without ornament at the top. 
 
 " I was not surprised that the Arabs had been amazed and terrified 
 at this apparition. It rc<iuired no stretch of imagination to conjure up 
 the most strange fancies. This gigantic head, blanched with ago, thus 
 rising from the bowels of the cart'., might well have belonged to one of 
 those fearful beings which crz pictured in the traditions of the country, 
 as appearing to mortals, slowly ascending from the regions below. One 
 of the workmen, on catching the first glimpse of the monster, had thrown 
 down his basket and run off toward Mosul as fast as his legs could carry 
 him. I learned this with regret, as I anticipated the consequences. 
 
 " While I was superintending the removal of the earth, which still 
 clung to the sculptare, and giving directions for the continuation of the 
 work, a noise of horsemen was heard, and presently Abd-ur-rahman, fol- 
 lowed by half his tribe, appeared on the edge of the trench. As soon 
 as the two Arabs had reached the tents, and published the wonders 
 they had seen, every one mounted his marc and rode to the mound, to 
 satisfy himself of the truth of these inconceivable reports. When they 
 beheld the head they all cried out together, ' There is no God but God, 
 and Mohammed is his Prophet!' It was some time before the shekh 
 could be prevailed upon to descend into the pit, and convince himself 
 that the image he saw was of stone. ' This is not the work of men's 
 hands,' exclaimed he, ' but of those infidel giants of whom the Prophet, 
 peace be with him ! has said, that they were higher than the tallest date- 
 tree ; this is one of the idols which Noah, peace be with him ! cursed 
 before the flood.' In this opinion, the result of a careful examination, 
 all the b)rstanders concurred. I now ordered a trench to be dug due 
 south from the head, in the expectation of finding a corresponding figure, 
 and before night-fall reached the object of my search about twelve feet 
 distant.'* 
 
 The sensation caused by this discovery, and the prejudices of the 
 Moslem Cadi of Mosul, obliged him to suspend operations for a time. 
 By the end of March, however, he uncovered a pair of winged human- 
 headed lions, the human shape being continued to the waist and fur- 
 nished with arms. " In one hand each figure carried a goat or stag, 
 and in the other, which hung down by the side, a branch with three 
 flowers. They formed a northern entrance into the chamber of which 
 the lions previously described were the southern portal. I completely 
 uncover-^d the latter, and found them to be entire. They were about 
 twelve feet in height, and the same number in length. The body and 
 lunbs were admirably portrayed; the muscles and bones, although 
 
814 
 
 LAYARD'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 Strongly developed to display the strength of the animul, showed at the 
 same time a correct knowledge of its anatomy and form. Expanded 
 wings sprung from the shoulder and spread over the bnek ; n knotted 
 girdle, ending in tassels, encircled the loins. Those magnificent speci- 
 mens of Assyrian art were in peri'ect preservation ; the most miimte 
 lines in the details of the wings and in the ornaments had been retained 
 with their original freshness. Not a character was wanting in the in- 
 scriptions." 
 
 The operations having been suspended until further means should ar- 
 rive from Constantinople, Layard determined to pay a visit to Sofuk, 
 the shekh of the great Arab tribe of Shammar, which occupied nearly 
 the Avholo of Mesopotamia. On this excursion he ^vas accompanied by 
 Mr. Rassara, the English vice-consul, and his wife, and Mr. Ross. On 
 his return, ho received the firman from Constantinople, and a further 
 supply of money, which enabled him to resume the Avork of excavation. 
 About thirty men, chiefly Arabs, were employed, and their labors were 
 rewarded by the discovery of many more chambers, filled with bas- 
 reliefs of the most interesting character, in perfect i)rcservation. Layard 
 now determined to remove the most valuable specimens, for transporta- 
 tion to England. The slabs were sawed into several pieces, and all the 
 superfluous stone cut away ; after which they were packed in felts and 
 matting, and deposited in rough wooden cases. They were then floated 
 down the Tigris to Baghdad, on a raft made of poplar wood and inflated 
 skins. 
 
 By this time the summer had arrived, and the heat became so great 
 that the explorer's health began to suffer from his continued labors on a 
 spot where the thermometer frequently reached 115° in the shade. lie 
 therefore returned to Mosul, and excavated for a time in the mound of 
 Kouyunjik, where he discovered an entrance formed by two winged 
 figures, leading into a chamber, paved with limestone slabs. As the 
 figures were mutilated and the walls of the chamber without inscriptions, 
 he gave up any further exploration, and returned to Nimroud in the 
 middle of August. His health, however, again gave way, and he then 
 determined to make an excursion to the Tiyari Mountains, inhabited by 
 the Chaldean Christians, and to the Alpine country of Koordistan. His 
 description of this journey, which occupied some weeks, and of the an- 
 nual religious festival of the Yezidis, or Devil-Worshipers, in the valley 
 of Shekh Adi, are of great interest and value. After his return to Mo- 
 sul, he accompanied the pasha on a military expedition into the Sinjar 
 Mountains. 
 
 " On my return to Mosul," he writes, " I received idtters from En- 
 gland, informing me that Sir Stratford Canning had presented tho 
 sculptures discovered in Assyria, and bad made over all advantages 
 that might be derived from the order given to him by the sultan, to the 
 British nation ; and that the British Museum had received a grant of 
 funds for the continuation of the researches commenced at Nimroud, 
 
DISCOVERY OF AN INSCRIBED OBELISK. 
 
 816 
 
 and clauwhere. Tho grant was small, and scarcely adequate to the 
 objects in view." Nevijrthuless, he determined to persevere, and accom- 
 plish as much as possible, with tho limited means. Mr. Ilormuzd lias- 
 sam took the part of overseer and pay-master, and soon acquired an 
 extraordinary iulluenco among tho Arabs. Atler building a winter- 
 residence ibr hitusult' and servants, Layard recommenced the excavations, 
 on a large scale, on the 1st oi November. 
 
 The six weeks Ibllowing the commencement of excavations upon a 
 largo scale, were among tho most prosperous, and fruitful in events, 
 during his researches in Assyria. One of the most remarkable discov- 
 eries M'as made in tho center of tho mound, near where the colossal 
 winged bulls had been found. After quarrying out a shaft of about fifty 
 feet in length, and finding nothing but fragments of sculptures in yellow 
 limestone, Layard was about to abandon the work, when a corner of 
 black marble was uncovered, which proved to be part of an obelisk, 
 about seven feet high, containing twenty small bas-reliefs, and an in- 
 scription of two hundred and ten lines. The whole was in the best 
 preservation ; scarcely a character of tho inscription was wanting ; and 
 the figures were as sharp and well defined as if they had been carved 
 but a few days before. Tho king is twice represented, followed by his 
 attendants ; a prisoner is at his feet, and his vizir and eunuchs are in- 
 troducing men leading various animals, and carrying vases and other 
 objects of tribute on their shoulders, or in their hands. The animals 
 are the elephant, the rhinoceros, the Bactrian, or two-humped camel, the 
 wild bull, the liuri, a stag, and various kinds of monkeys. 
 
 " I lost no time hi copying the hiscriptions," savs Layard, " and draw- 
 ing tho bas-reliefs, upon this precious relic. It AvaS then carefully packed, 
 to be transported at onco ^o Baghdad. A party of trustworthy Arabs 
 were chosen to sleep near it at night ; and I took every precaution that 
 the superstitions and prejudices of the natives of the country, and the 
 jealousy of rival antiquaries, could suggest." 
 
 Early in December, a sufficient number of bas-reliefa had been col- 
 lected to load another raft, and preparations were accordingly made for 
 sending a second cargo to Baghdad. " On Christmas day," says Layard, 
 " I had tho satisfaction of seeing a raft, bearing twenty-three cases, in 
 one of which was the obelisk, floating down the river. I watched them 
 until they were out of sight, and then galloped into Mosul to celebrate 
 the festivities of the season, with the few Europeans whom duty or 
 business had collected in this remote corner of the globe. 
 
 "The north-west palace," he continues, "was naturally the most 
 interesting portion of the ruins, and to it were principally directed my 
 researches. I had satisfied myself beyond a doubt that it was the most 
 ancient building yet explored in Assyria. Not having been exposed to 
 a conflagration like other edifices, the sculptures, bas-reliefa, and in- 
 scriptions, which it contained, were still admirably preserved. When 
 the excavations were resumed after Christmas, eight chambers had beea 
 
816 
 
 LATARD'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 discovered. There w^re now so many outlets and entranced, that I had 
 no trouble in finding new rooms and halls— one chamber leading into 
 another. By the end of the month of April I had explored almost the 
 whole building; and had opened twenty-eight chambers cased with 
 alabaster slabs." 
 
 Before his means should be completely exhausted, Layard deter- 
 mined to make some excavations in the mounds of Kalah Shergat, fur- 
 ther down the Tigris — mounds which equal in extent those of Nimroud 
 and Kouyunjik. The only important object he discovered at this place 
 was a headless sitting figure of black basalt, of the size of life. On his 
 return to Nimroud, hd set about the task of removing two of the winged 
 bulls and lions, for transportation to England. With the scanty mechan- 
 ical contrivances of the country, this was a work of immense labov -.n<i 
 difficulty, and weeks were employed in taking the colossal figures from 
 their stations at the doorway of the palace, bringing them to the bank 
 of the Tigris, and shipping them on large rafts, ready to proceed to 
 Bassora. Every thing was at last safely accomplished, and some sheep 
 having been slaughtered to insure a propitious voyage, the rafls disap- 
 peared on their doubtful way down the Tigris. 
 
 " By the middle of May," says Layard, " I had finished my work at 
 Nimroud. My house was dismantled. The windows and doors, which 
 had been temporarily fitted up, were taken out ; and, with the little 
 furniture that had been coH.Jcted together, were j)laced on the backs of 
 donkeys and camels to be carried to the town. The Arabs struck their 
 tents and commenced their march. I remained behind until every one 
 had letl, and then turned my back upon the deserted village. We were 
 the last to quit the plains of Nimroud ; and, indeed, nearly the whole 
 country to the south of Mosul, as far as the Zab, became, after our de- 
 parture, a wilderness." After making further excavations at Kouyunjik, 
 sufiicient to convince hi'n that the mound covered the ruuis of a palace 
 of great exteat and magnificence, Layard determined to return to 
 Europe, as the funds placed at his disposal were exhausted, and he 
 learned that the British Museum was not inclined to encourage further 
 explorations. Leaving Mosul on the 24th of June, 1847, he took the 
 road to Constantinople, on his way to England. 
 
 SECOND VISIT TO NINEVEH. 
 
 Layard remained some months in England to recruit his health, and 
 publish the results of his travels and researches. In 1848, he returned 
 to Constantinople and resumed his post as dtlache to the British em- 
 bassy. The interest which his work excited, however, and the acknowl- 
 edged importance of his discoveries, induced the trustees of the British 
 Museum to propose to him a second expedition into Assyria. He at 
 once accepted this offer, and drew up an extended plan which should 
 
RETURN TO NINEVEH. 
 
 817 
 
 embrace the thorough exploration not only of the Assyrian remains, but 
 also those of Babylonia, but this was not accepted. Ho was merely 
 directed to resume the excavations at Nimroud. Mr. Cooper, an artist, 
 was selected by the trustees of the Museum to accompany him — in addi- 
 tion to whom he was joined at Constantinople by Mr. Hormurzd Ras- 
 sam, and Dr. Sandwith, an English physician. Cawal Yusuf, the head 
 of the preachers of the Yezidis, with four chiefs from the neighborhood 
 of Diarbekir, who had been for some months at Constantinople, com- 
 pleted his party. 
 
 On the 28th of August, 1849, the expedition left the Bosphorus in a 
 steamer for Trebizond, where they landed on the 31st, and continued 
 their journey by way of Erzeroum, the lake of Wan, and the mountain 
 country of the Koords, to Mosul. Ti;e jouriiey was accomplished with- 
 out accident, and on arriving at their destination Layard was received 
 with the greatest enthusiasm by his old friends and workmen. Ho im- 
 mediately hired his former assistants, secured the services of a hundred 
 men, and commenced a thorough excavation of the mound of Kouyunjik. 
 The accumulation of earth was so great that it was necessary to adopt a 
 .wstem of tunneling, removing only as much earth as was necessary to 
 show the sculptured walls. While the preparations were going forward, 
 he accepted an invitation from the Yezidis, and again witnessed their 
 peculiar religious festival in the valley of Shekh Adi. 
 
 On the 1 8th of October, Layard rode to Nimroud for the first time. 
 Ho says : "Tiic mound had undergone no change. There it rose from 
 the plain, the same sun-burnt yellow heap that it had stood for twenty 
 centuries. The earth and rubbish, which had been heaped over the ex- 
 cavated chambera and sculptured slabs, had settled, and had left uncov- 
 ered in sinking the upper part of several bas-reliefs. A few colossal 
 heads of winged figures rose calmly above the level of the soil, and with 
 two pairs of mnged bulls, which had not been reburied on account of 
 their mutilated condition, was all that remained above ground of the 
 north-west palace, that great storehouse of Assyrian history and art. 
 Since my departure the surface of tho mound had again been furrowed 
 by the plow, and ample crops had this year rewarded the labors of the 
 husbandman. The ruins of the south-west palace were still uncovered. 
 The Arabs had respected the few bas-reliefs which stood against the 
 crumbling walls, and Saleh Shahir pointed to them as a proof of the 
 watchfulness of his people during my long absence." 
 
 Collecting together a number of his former workmen, ho ordered 
 them to continue the excavations at the points where they had formerly 
 been abandoned. For two months his time was divided between Kou- 
 yunjik and Nimroud, excavations being carried on at both places with- 
 out interruption. "By the end of November," he writes, "several 
 entire chambers had been excavated at Kouyunjik, and many bas-reliefs 
 of great interest had been discovere<l. Tlio four sides of a hall had now 
 been explored. In the center of each side was a grand entrance, guarded 
 
 62 
 
 
819 
 
 LAYAED'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 by colossal hutnnn-hcaded bulls. This magnificent hall was no loss than 
 one Iiundred and twenty-four feet in length by ninety feet in breadth, 
 the longest sides being those to the north and south. It appears to 
 have formed a center, around which the principal chambers in this part 
 of the palace were groujjcd. Its walls had been completely covered 
 with the most elaborate ,'"id highly-finished sculptures. Unfortunately 
 all the ')as-reliefs, as well as the gigantic monsters at the entrances, had 
 suflTercd more or less iVom the lire which had destroyed the edifice ; but 
 enough of them still remained to show the subject, and even to enable 
 mo in many places to restore it entirely. 
 
 " There can be no doubt that the king represented as superintending 
 the building of the mounds and the placing of the colossal bulls, is 
 Sennacherib himself, and that the sculptures celebrate the building at 
 Nineveh of the great palace and its adjacent temples described in the 
 inscriptions as the Avork of this monarch. The bas-reliefs were accom- 
 panied in most instances by short epigraphs in the cuneiform character, 
 containing a description of the subject with the name of the city to 
 which the sculptures were brought. The great inscriptions on the bulls 
 at the entrances of Kouyunjik record, it would seem, not only historical 
 events, but, with great minuteness, the maimer in which the edifice itself 
 was erected, its general plan, and the various materials employed in 
 decorating the halls, chambers, and roofs. When comi)letely deciphered 
 they will perhaps enable us to restore, with some confidence, both tho 
 general plan and elevation of the building." 
 
 During the month of December, several discoveries of the greatest 
 interest and importance were made, both at Kouyunjik and Nimroud. 
 At the former place, the grand entrance to the palace of Sennacherib, 
 was discovered, guarded by two human-headed, winged bulls, twenty 
 feet long, and when entire, more than twenty feet high. This entrance 
 led to the uncovering of the whole south-eastern facade of tho palace. 
 Ten colossal bulls, with six human figures of gigantic proportions, were 
 here grouped together, and the length of tho whole, without including 
 the sculptured walls continued beyond the smaller entrances, was one 
 hundred and eighty feet. Oi. the great bulls forming tho center portal 
 of the grand entrance were inscriptions containing tho annals of six years 
 of the reign of ScLnacherib, besides numerous particulars connected with 
 the religion of the Assyrians. In one of these inscriptions, which has been 
 deciphered by Dr. llincks, there occurs a most interesting confirmation 
 of the historic record of the Bible. " Ilezekiah, khig of Judah," says 
 the Assyrian king, " who had not submitted to my authority, forty-sii 
 of his principal cities, and fortresses, and villages depending upon theni, 
 of which I took no account, I captured, and carried away their spoil. I 
 shut up (?) himself within Jerusalem, his capital city. Tho fortified 
 towns, and the rest of his towns, which I spoiled, I severed from his 
 country, and gave to the kings of Ascalon, Ekron, and Gaza, so as to 
 make his country small. In addition to tho former tribute unposcd upon 
 
I 
 
 DISCOVERY OF ASSYRIAN RELICS. 
 
 819 
 
 their countries, I added a tribute, the nature of which I fixed." Tljo 
 next passage is somewhat defaced, but the substance of it appears to bo 
 that he took from Ilczckiah the treasure lie had collected in Jerusalem, 
 thirty talents of gold and eight hundred talents of silver, the treasure of 
 liis palace, besides his sons and his daughters, and his male and female 
 servants or slaves, and brought them all to Nineveh. 
 
 At Nimroud, Layard made discoveries which proved to him that the 
 high conical mound at the north-' /estern corner of the ruins, was the 
 remains of a square tower, which he conjectured to have been the tomb 
 of Sardanapa'us. From the amount of rubbish, ho supposed the tower 
 to have been at least two hundred feet high. In another part of the 
 ruhis a vaulted drain was discovered, near which was a perfect arch of 
 brick-work. One of the bronze sockets of the palace-gate, weighing 
 several pounds, was also found in ono of the chambers. But the most 
 important discovery of all was made at thu commencement of January, 
 1850. A new chamber was opened in the north-west palace, adjoining 
 the great central-hall. The walls Avere of plain, sun-dried bricks, and 
 there were no sculptured slabs, but in the earth and rubbish which filled 
 it, were some of the most interesting Assyrian relics yet found. The 
 first objects discovered were two plain copper vessels or caldro' ., two 
 feet and a half in diameter, and three feet deep, with their mouths closed 
 by largo tiles. They were completely filled with small articles, among 
 which were bronze bells with iron tongues, hundreds of buttons and 
 .studs, made of mother-of-pearl and ivory, hooks, rosettes, and the feet of 
 tripods. Near these caldrons were two circular flat vessels, nearly six 
 feet in diameter, and two feet deep. 
 
 Behind the caldrons was a heap of curious and interesting objects. 
 In one jilaco were piled without order, ono above the other, bronze cups, 
 bowls, and dishes of various sizes and shapes. The upper vessels having 
 been most exposed to damp, the metal had been eaten away by rust, 
 and was crumbling into fragments, or into a green powder. As they 
 Avere cleared away, more perfect specimens were taken out, until, near 
 the pavement of the chamber, some were found almost entire. Many 
 of the bowls and plates fitted so closely, one within the other, that they 
 have only been detached in England. It required the greatest care and 
 patience to separate them from the tenacious soil in which they were 
 embedded. Around the vessels were heaped arms, remains of armor, 
 iron instruments, glass bowls, and various objects in ivory and bronze. 
 The arms consisted of swords, daggers, shields, and the heads of spears 
 and arrows, which being chiefly of iron fell to pieces almost as soon as 
 exposed to the air. 
 
 The most interesting of the ivory relics were, a carved staff*, perhaps 
 a royal scepter, part of which has been preserved, although in the last 
 stage of decay ; and several entire elephants' tusks, the largest being 
 about two feet fivo inches long. In the further corner of the chamber, 
 to the lell hand, stood the royal throne. " Although it was utterly im- 
 
820 
 
 LAYARD'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 possible, from the complete state of decay of the materials, to preserve 
 any [)art of it entire," says Layard, " I was able, by carefully removing 
 the earth, to ascertain that it resembled in shape the chair of state of 
 the king, as seen in the sculptures of Kouyunjik and Khorsabad, and 
 particularly that represented in tlie bas-reliefs already described, of Sen- 
 nacherib receiving the captives and spoil, after the conquest of the city 
 of Lachish. With the exception of the legs, which appear to have been 
 partly of ivory, it was of wood, cased or overlaid with bronze, as the 
 throne of Solomon was of ivory, overlaid with gold. 
 
 " By the 28th of Jaimary," ho writes, "the colossal lions forming the 
 portal to the great hall in the north-west j)alacc of Nimroud were ready 
 to be dragged to the river-bank. The walls and their sculptured panel- 
 ing had been removed from both sides of them, and they stood isolated 
 in the midst of the ruins. W«. rode one calm cloudless night to the 
 mound, to look on them for the last time before they were taken from 
 their old resting-places. The moon was at her full, and as avc drew 
 nigh to the edge of the deep wall of earth rising around them, hor soft 
 light was creeping over the stern features of the Imman heads, and 
 driving before it the dark shadows which still clothed the lion forms. 
 One by one the Umbs of the gigantic sphin.xos emerged from the gloom, 
 until the monsters were unvailed before ns. I shall never forget that 
 night, or the emotions which those venerable figures caused within mo. 
 A few hours more and they were to stand no longer where they had 
 stood unscathed amidst the wreck of man and his works for ages. It 
 seemed almost sacrilege to tear them from their old haunts to make 
 them a mere wonder-stock to the busy crowd of a new world. They 
 were better suited to the desolation around them ; for they had guarded 
 the palace in its glory, and it was for them to watch over it in its ruin. 
 Shekh Abd-ur-rahman, who had ridden with us to the mound, M-as 
 troubled with no such reflections. He gazed listlessly -at the grim 
 images, wondered at the folly of the Franks, thought the night cold, 
 and turned his mare toward his tents. We scarcely htedod his gohig, 
 but stood speechless in the deserted portal, until the shadows again be- 
 gan to creep over its hoary guardians." 
 
 Layard had long wished to examine the river Khabour ^tho Chebar 
 of the Old Testament), a branch of the Euphrates, the greater portion 
 of which had never been explored by Europeans. Having procured tlie 
 escort of Suttum, a shekh of one of the branches of the Shammar tribe, 
 he left Mosul about the end of March, accompanied by Mr. Kassam and 
 the rest of his party. They were absent on this excursion until the 10th 
 of May, having been treated with the greatest hospitality b;/ all the Be- 
 douin tribes whom they visited. They discovered some ir.teresting re- 
 mains at Arban, on the Khabour — colossal winged bulls and lions, 
 Egyptian scarabei and ornaments, and a curious glass bottle, upon which 
 were old Chinese characters. 
 
 During this time the excavations at Kouyunjik had been actively 
 
ASSYRIAN HISTORICAL TABLETS. 
 
 .821 
 
 carried on. A great munber of interesting liistorioal bas-reliefs had 
 been exhumed, together with a colossal figure of Dagon, the fish-god of 
 the Assyrians. Much the most iini)ortant discovery, however, was that 
 of two small chambers which appear to have been a depositary for the 
 historical archives of the kingdom. To the lieight of a foot or more 
 they were covered with tablets of baked c*~y, some entire, but the 
 greater part broken into fragments. " These documents," says Layard, 
 " aj)pcar to be of vn.rious kinds. Many arc historical records of wars, 
 and distant cxpedi lions imdcrtakcn by the Assyrians ; some seem to be 
 royal decrees, and are stamped with the name of a king, the son of 
 Essarhaddon ; others again, divided into parallel columns by horizontal 
 lines, contain lists of the gods, and probably a register of offerings made 
 in their temples. On one Dr. Ilincks has detected a table of the value 
 of certain cuneiform Icftors, expressed by certain alphabetical signs, ac- 
 cording to various modes of using them ; a most import-int discovery : 
 on another, apparently a list of the sacred days in each month ; and on 
 a third, what scorns to be a calendar. The adjoining chambers contained 
 similar relics, but in far smaller numbers. Many cases were filled with 
 these tablets before I lefl Assvria, and a vast number of them have been 
 found, I understand, since my departure. A largo collection of them is 
 already deposited in the British Museum. We can not overrate their 
 value. They furnish lis with materials for the complete decipherment 
 of the cuneiform character, for restoring the language and history of 
 Assyria, and for incpiiiing into the customs, sciences, and, we may per- 
 haps even add, literature of its people. The documents that have thus 
 been discovered at Nineveh probably exceed all that have yet been af- 
 forded by the monuments of Egypt." 
 
 As the summer came on the party was increased by the arrival of 
 several European travelers, among whom was the Honorable Mr. Wal- 
 pole. The increasing heat prostrated one member of the party afler 
 another ; they were attacked with fever, and were driven to the cooler 
 region of the Koordish' Mountains to recruit. Layard still remained 
 behind, to ship other cargoes of relics on rafls to Baghdad and Bussora, 
 but on the II th of July was obliged to leave, like the others. In a few 
 days the scattered invalids were collected, and set off on a summer ex- 
 cursion through Koordistan. They proceeded as far as the Lake of 
 Wan, whence some of the party returned to Europe ; Layard and the 
 remainder again dirccti-d their course toward Mosul, where they arrived 
 on the 30th of August, afler an absence of seven weeks. During this 
 time the workmen had all been employed at Kouyunjik, and had suc- 
 ceeded in opening many new chambers, together with a hall, one hun- 
 dred and forty by one hundred and twenty-six feet, the sides of which 
 werp covered with grand historical sculpturoa. 
 
822 
 
 LATARD'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 EXPL0RA7I0NS AT BABYLON. 
 
 As the winter drew near, and the season became more favorable for 
 a \'i8it to the marshy country of the Euphrates, Layard determined to 
 devote some tune to an exploration of the ruins of Babylon. Taking 
 with him a small jiarty of experienced workmen, he left Mosul on the 
 18th of October, and set out on a raft for Baghdad, accompanied by 3Ir. 
 Rassam and Mr. Romaine, an English traveler. After a voyage of eight 
 days the party reached Baghdad, but found the country so overrun with 
 Bedouins and other tribes in open revolt against the government, that 
 it was some time before they could venture to leave the city for the 
 ruins of Babylon. 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^^^^^S^^ 
 
 RUINS OP 11 A BY L ON. 
 
 Finally, on the 5th of December, he left Baghdad, provided with let- 
 ters from the pasha and from influential Arab shekhs, to the principal 
 chiefs of the southern tribes, and proceeded to Ilillah, on the Euphrates. 
 " After riding about four hours," he says, " we perceived a huge hill to 
 the south. As we drew nearer, its flat table-like top and perpendicular 
 sides, rising abruptly from an alluvial plain, showed that it was the work 
 of man, and not a natural elevation. At length we could plainly distin- 
 guish around it great embankments, the remains of walls and canals. 
 Gradually, as the caravan slowly advanced, the ruin assumed a definite 
 
THE "BIRS NIMROUD." 
 
 B2H 
 
 shape. It was the monnd of Dabel, better known to travelers as the 
 Mujelibe, a name not now given to it by the Arab inhabitants of the 
 surrounding country. 
 
 *' This is the first great ruin Bcon on approaching ancient Babylon 
 from the north. Beyond it long lines of ])alms hem in the Euphrates, 
 which now winds through the midst of the ancient city. To the vast 
 mound of Babel succeed long undulating heav)3 of earth, bricks, and pot- 
 tery. A solitary mass of brickwork, rising from the summit of the larg- 
 est mound, marks the remains known to t'.ie Arabs as the ' Mujelibe,' 
 or the ' overturned.' 
 
 " Other shapeless heaps of rubbish cover for many an acre the face 
 of the land. The lofty banks of ancient canals fret the country like nat- 
 ural ridges of hills. Some have long been choked with sand ; others 
 still carry the waters of the river to distant villages and palm-groves. 
 On all sides, fragments of glass, marble, pottery, and inscribed brick are 
 mingled with that peculiar nitrous and blanched soil, which, bred from 
 the remains of ancient habitations, checks or destroys vegetation, and 
 renders the site of Babylon a naked and hideous waste. Owls start from 
 the scanty thickets, and the foul jackall skulks through the furrows. 
 Truly * the glory of kingdoms and the beauty of the Chaldces' excellency 
 is as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Wild beasts of the 
 desert lie there ; and their houses are full of doleful creatures ; and owls 
 dwell there, and satyrs dance there. And the wild beasts of the island 
 cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces,' for 
 her day has come. 
 
 *' Southward of Babel, for the distance of nearly three miles, there is 
 almost an uninterrupted line of moimds, the ruins of vast edifices, col- 
 lected together as in the heart of a great city. They are inclosed by 
 earthen ramparts, the remains of a lino of walls which, leaving the foot 
 of Babel, stretched inland about two miles and a half from the present 
 bod of the Euphrates, and then turning nearly at right angles completed 
 the defenses on the southern side of the principal buildings that mark 
 the site of Babylon, on the eastern bank of the river. 
 
 "The Birs Nimroud, the 'palace of Nimrod' of the Arabs, and ' the 
 prison of Nebuchadnezzar' of the Jews ; by old travelers believed to be 
 the very ruins of the tower of Babel ; by some, again, supposed to 
 represent the temple of Belus, the wonder of the ancient world ; and, 
 by others, to mark the site of Borsippa, a city celebrated as the high- 
 place of the Chaldean worship, is a vast heap of bricks, slag, and broken 
 pottery. The dry nitrous earth of the parched plain, driven before the 
 furious south wind, has thrown over the huge mass a thin covering of 
 soil in which no herb or green thing can find nourishment or take root. 
 Thus, unlike the grass-clothed mounds of the more fertile districts of 
 Assyria, the Birs Nimroud is ever a bare and yellow heap. It rises to 
 the hight of one hundred and ninety-eight feet, and has on its summit a 
 compact mass of brickwork, thirty-seven feet high by twenty-eight 
 
 I 
 1 
 
824 
 
 LATARD'S EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 broad, the whole being thus two hundred and tliirty-five in perpendic- 
 ular height. Neither the original form or object of the edifice, of which 
 it is the ruin, have hitherto been determined. It is too solid for the 
 walls of a building, and its shape is not that of the remains of a tower. 
 It is pierced by square holes, apparently made to admit air through the 
 compact structure. On one side of it, beneath the crowning masonry, 
 lie huge fragments torn from the pile itself. The calcined and vitreous 
 surface of the bricks fused into rock like masses, show that their fall may 
 have been caused by lightning ; and, as the ruin is rent almost from top 
 to bottom, early Christian travelers, as well as some of more recent 
 date, have not hesitated to recognise in them proofs of that Divine 
 vengeance, which, according to tradition, arrested by fire from heaven 
 the impious attempt of the first descendants of Noah." 
 
 The excavations at Babylon produced no important result. The 
 vast accumulation of rubbish, much of which had been already explored, 
 rendered it very difllcult and dangerous to carry shafts or tunnels to 
 any distance, as the loose mass continually fell in upon the workmen. 
 The principal articles found were coffins, the contents of which fell to 
 dust when exposed to the air, arrow-heads, glass bottles, and vases of 
 earthenware. Relinquishing, finally, any further explorations at this 
 place, Layard set out on the 15th of January, 1851, for the mounds of 
 Niffer and Wurka, in the country of the Afaij Arabs, about fifty miles 
 south of Ilillah, in the midst of the marshes which lie between the 
 Euphrates and the Tigris. This was a perilous journey, as the road 
 was infested with tribes of marauding Arabs, but they were fortunate 
 enough to escape attack. Excavations were carried on for some days 
 in the mounds of Niflfer, and great numbers of coffins of glassed earthen- 
 ware, containing bones and dust, discovered. The mound of Wurka is 
 composed almost entirely of these coffins, which must amount to many 
 hundred thousands. 
 
 In a few days Layard was stricken down by fever, and the situation 
 of his party became perilous, on account of the warfare among the Arab 
 tribes. He therefore judged it prudent to return, and succeeded in 
 reaching Baghdad in safety, though completely exhausted, while his 
 Ar.ib workmen were attacked and plundered on the road. He left 
 Baghdad for Mosul on the 27th of February, traveling by land under 
 the protection of Sahiman, one of the shekhs of the Shammar Arabs. 
 After his return to Mosul the excavations at Kouyunjik and Nimroud 
 were carried on for some time, until it became evident that the richest 
 treasures of the mounds had been discovered and secured. The funds 
 appropriated for the purpose were also nearly exhausted by this time, 
 and Layard determined to return to Europe with his collections, leaving 
 Mr. Hodder, an artist who had been sent out by the trustees of the 
 British Museum, to take charge of the exhumed palaces. On the 28th 
 of April he bade adieu to his faithful Ar^ib friends and left Mosul Hii 
 second work was published in 1863, and in the foUowmg year he ww 
 
VALUE OP HIS NARRATIVE. 
 
 825 
 
 elected a member of Parliament. Few works published in modem 
 times are more interesting and valuable than the narratives of hia ex- 
 plorations, and his visits to the tribes of the Assyrian Desert, and the 
 mountains of Koordistan. This outline of his discoveries scarcely gives 
 more than a glimpse of the wealth of information contained in his 
 volumes. 
 
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 OOLOeSAL WINQEU UON, fROH MINIVIS. 
 
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 Olympi 
 
TRAVELS OF IDA PFEIFFER. 
 
 JOURNEY TO PALESTINE AND EGYPT. 
 
 Triis celebrated traveler is a native of Vienna, where she was born 
 toward liu; dose of the last century. From her earliest childhood, alio 
 chcrislu'd an intense desire to see the different courtr:::a of the world. 
 She could hot even meet a traveling carriage without stopping to watch 
 it as it i)ass(d out of sight, regarding the jjostilion, who had accompa- 
 nied it, as si; ;];ouglit, during tlit; long journey, as the happiest of m'?n. 
 When a little girl often or twelve years old, she eagerly devoured every 
 hook of travels that came within her reach, .and secretly envied the navi- 
 gator or discoverer, who was permitted to explore the secrets of the 
 natural world. The sight of a distant hill that slif could not climb 
 would affect her to tears. Her taste for traveling was gratified by fre- 
 quent journeys with her parents, and also after her marriage, with her 
 husband, until the cares of a family, which occupied all her time, rom- 
 pellcd her to forego the enjoyment. 
 
 After the education of her two sons was coni])1eted, she once more 
 indulged in the dreams and fancies of her youth, and so insatiable was 
 her longing to visit the scenes of sacred history, that in spite A every 
 obstacle, she resolved to undertake the enterprise. Leaving 7ienna on 
 the '22d of March, 1842, she commenced her adventurous journey to the 
 Holy Land. The -voyage down the Danube was marked by no incident 
 of special nionu-nt, and on the morning of April 0th, she entered tho 
 harbor of Constantinople. Tho sun was just rising over the imperial 
 city, which presented n spectaclo of gorgeous magnificence to the eyes 
 of the astonished traveler. 
 
 She remained about six weeks in Constantinople, feasting her curios- 
 ity with tho wonders of the city, but adding no new information to tho 
 descriptions given by previous travelers. During her stay in Constanti- 
 nople, she was invited to make one of a party consisting of Mr. Sattler, 
 the painter of the celebrated cosmoramas, and two German noblemen, 
 on an excursion to Itroussa, a beautiful littlo town at the foot of Mount 
 Olympus. The route was across tho Sea of Marmora to Gemlik, tho port 
 
828 
 
 TRAVELS OP IDA PFEIFPER, 
 
 of Bythinia, and thcnco by land, a distanro of four German miles, to 
 liroussa. This part of the journoy wan to be aecomplished on horseback, 
 and aH Ida had never attempted that mode of traveling, slio felt some 
 natural misgivings as to the result. Her experience shall be told in her 
 own words. " At haU'-past two o'tilock the horses arrived. I swung 
 myself boldly upon my Kosinante, called on my good angel to defencl 
 me, and awf / wo started, slowly at first, over stock and stone. IMy joy 
 was boundless wlien I found that I could sit steadily upon my horse ; 
 but shortly afterward when wo broke into a trot, I began to feel particu- 
 larly uncomfortable, as I could not get on at all with the stirrup, which 
 was continually slipping to my heel, Avhile sometimes my foot slid out 
 of it altogether, and I ran the risk of losing my b.alance. Oh, wliat 
 would I not have given to have asked advice of any one ! iJut unfortu- 
 nately I could not do so without at onco betraying my ignorance of 
 horsemanship. I therefore took care to bring up the rear, under the 
 pretense that my horse was shy, and Avould not go well unless it saw the 
 others before. My real reason was that I wished to liide my manetivers 
 from the gentlemen, for every moment I expected to fall. Frequently I 
 clutched the saddle with both hands, as I swayed from side to side. I 
 looked forward in terror to the gallop, but to my surprise found that I 
 could manage this pare better than the trot. My courage brought its 
 reward, for I reached the goal of our jouriu-y thoroughly skaken, but 
 withoiit mishap." 
 
 Upon applying for her passports to the Austrian consul, slio was 
 strongly advised not to venture on a journey to the Holy Land. The 
 disturbances on Mount Lebanon were then at their height ; the plague 
 was prevailing to a fearful extent ; and no traveler, she was told, should 
 encounter such Ibrmidable dangers without the most urgent neccrsity. 
 But she Mas deaf to these friendly warnings. Poinding that notliing 
 could shake her from her purpose, her advisers tried to persuade her to 
 perform the journey in male attire. She refused to do this, shrewdly 
 foreseeing the annoyances to which it would expose lier. Her short, 
 spare figure would have seemed to belong to a youth, while her face was 
 like that of an old man. This incongruity, together with the absence of 
 a beard, could not fail, as she thought, to expose her disguise, and hence 
 she determined to retain the cimple costume which she then wore, con- 
 sisting of a kind of blouse, and wide Turkish trowsers. 
 
 Embarking on board an Austrian steamboat, she left Constantinople 
 on the 17th of May, not without a certain desolate feeling at finding lior- 
 self alone among a crowd of people with nothing to sust:un her but her 
 trust in heaven. Every thing around her was strange. There was not 
 a person on board to whom she could speak. But, as she glanced up- 
 ward at the unchanging stars, her despondency passed away, and slio 
 soon began to contemplate the new scenes in which she was placed with 
 her usual interest. Her satisfhction was increased, after the vessel Imd 
 got out of the harbor, by finding among the swarthy Oriental passcn- 
 
JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM. 
 
 829 
 
 gers, nn intelligent European gontlonian, intending, llko heraolf, to visit 
 the Holy Land. After conversing with hiiu for some time m the French 
 language, Hhe discovered that lie was an Knglisliman, and the wcU-ltnown 
 artist and author, Mr. W. H. Hartlett. Tiiey agreed to make the jour- 
 ney from Heyrout to Jerusalem in company. 
 
 A pleasant voyage of eight days among the islands of tlie Clrecian 
 An^liijH'lago brought them to IJeyrout, where, witliout remaining over 
 night, they at once took passage in a sailing vessel for Jop|»a. In tho 
 afternoon of the second day, they camo imder tho walls of that ancient 
 city, and entered tho harbor, which is partially closed up with sand, 
 •with less difliculty than had been anticipated. She soon had an oppor- 
 tunity of becoming hiitiated into tho customs of oriental liospitality, but 
 the first impression on her mind was far from agreeable. This was at 
 an entertainment at the house of the Austrian consul. " Mats, carpets, 
 and pillows were spreatl out on the terrace of tho house, and a very 
 low table placed in the center, liound this tho family f "xt, or rather re- 
 clined, cross-legged. I was accommodated with a chair somewhat higher 
 than the table. lieside my plato and that of the consul were laid a kiiifo 
 anil fork, that appeared to !>ave been hunted out from some lumber- 
 closet ; tho rest ato with a species of natural knife and fork, namely — 
 fnigers. Tho dishes wen* not at all to my taste. I liad still too much 
 of the European about me, and too little ai)petitc, to be able to endure 
 what these good people seemed to consider immense delicacies." 
 
 Early the next morning slic left Jopp.!, and after a ride on horaeback 
 of some eleven hours, over bad roads, and in extreme he.it, she was 
 seized with such a violent giddiness, that she "ould scarcely keep from 
 falling from her horse. She was ashamed to infor.n her comjtanion of 
 her Hurterings, lest lu! should regard her as a puny truveler, and perhaps 
 separate from lier on the return from Jerus.alem to Joppa. She there- 
 fore dismounted, and thus saved herself from n fall, staggering along 
 beside her horse, until she felt strong enough to mount and move. Mr. 
 IJartlett had Avished to complete tho journey — a sixteen hours' ride — at 
 one stretch, and, upon liis asking her if she could endure so much 
 fatigue, she assured him that she could hold out for live or six hours 
 longer without much difficulty. Fortunately for her rej)Utation, how- 
 ever, ho was soon afterward attacked with tho sar.io symptoms which 
 had troubled her, and begun to think th.it it might be advisable to rest 
 for a few hours in the next village, especially as they could not liope in 
 any case to reach Jerusalem bclbro 8un.set. Ida felt an inward joy at 
 tho opporttmo occurrence, and well knowing the course ho would 
 choose, left the decision entirely to her fellow-traveler. " Thus," says 
 she, " I accomplished my object without being obliged to confess my 
 weakness." 
 
 Their resting-place was in the neighboring village, which was on tho 
 site of the ancient Emmaus, where tho risen Saviour nu^t the disciples, 
 and where there is still a ruin of a Christian church in a tolerable stato 
 
 L 
 
830 
 
 TRAVELS OP IDA PPBIPPBR. 
 
 of preservation. She took possession of the entrance-hall of a mosque, 
 near which a delicious spring sparkled forth from a grotto. Tlie water 
 was singularly grateful and refreshing, and she so completely recovered 
 from her indisposition, as to be able to enjoy the beautiful evening. As 
 soon as the shokh of the village heard that a party of Franks had ar- 
 rived, ho dispatched four or five dishes of provisions to them, but they 
 were able to eat only the buttermilk. Soon after, the shekh came in 
 person to jjay his respects, and through the medium of the dragoman, 
 kept uj) a conversation with Mr. Bartlett for some time, much to the 
 discomfiture of Ida, who, wearied with the journey, wished to seek re- 
 pose. He at length took his leave, but the tired travelers were doomed 
 to enjoy no 8leei> that night. Mr. Bartlett was seized with the fancy 
 of pursuing the journey at midnight, and to his somewhat strange pro- 
 posal, Ida unhesitatingly consented. She acknowledged that she felt a 
 little afraid to venture upon the wild and dangerous road at that hour ; 
 but she kept her fears to herself, her pride not allowing her to confess 
 the truth. 
 
 In the gray morning twilight they approached the holy city; 
 silently and thoughtfully watching for the ^rst glimpses of it in the dis- 
 tance ; hoping with the ascent of every hill to behold their sacred goal, 
 till at length the Mount of Olives lay spread before them, and just as 
 the red streaks of dawn had begun to tinge the eastern sky, they stood 
 before the Avails of Jerusalem. " I w:is so lost in reflection, and in thank- 
 ful emotion," says Ida, " that I saw and heard nothing of what was 
 passing around me. And yet I should find it impossible to describe 
 what I thought, "vvhat I felt. My emotion was deep and powerful ; my 
 expression of it would be poor and cold." 
 
 After devoting a Aveek to visiting the consecrated localities of Jeru- 
 salem and its vicinity, she joined a party of German travelers on an 
 excursion to the river Jordan and the Dead Sea. The cavalcade, con- 
 sisting of Mr. Bartlett, five German nobles, two doctors and lu^-solt; 
 together with half a dozen servants, and a body-guard of twelve Arabs, 
 under two Bedouin chiefs, started on the afternoon of June 7th. All 
 "were strongly armed with guns, pistols, swords, and lances, presentinir a 
 quite formidable appearance to any person with hostile intentions. The 
 road lay through the Via Dolorosa, through St. Stephen's Gate, past the 
 Mount of Olives, over hill and dale. J^verywhere the scene was bar- 
 ren. Though many fruit trees were in bloom, there was not a trae;' of 
 grass or flowers. The gord of the first day's jou ney was the Greek 
 convent of St. Saba in the Waste about eight miles from Jcriisaloin. 
 About half an h.our before reaching the convent, they entered upon tlio 
 wilderness Avhere Christ fasted forty days, and was afterward " tempted 
 of the devil." Vegetation liere entirely ceases ; not a shrub nor a root 
 appears; and the bed of the brook Kedron is completely dry. A 
 deathly hilenco brooded over the whole landscape, broken only by the 
 foot-falls of the horses echoing sullenly from the rocks. At length, on 
 
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ADVBNTUEB AT A OB.BEK OONVBNT. 
 
 881 
 
 taming sh&rply round an ai.gle of the road, the caravan came in sight 
 of a large handsome buUding, surromidcd by a strong fortified wall, and 
 rising in the form of terraces toward the brow of a hill. Several other 
 edifices, and hi front of all a church, with a small cupola, plainly showed 
 that St. Saba stretched below. 
 
 The priests had observed the procession winding down the hill, and 
 at the first knocking the gates were opened. Masters, servants, Arabs, 
 Bedouins, all passed through ; but a woman was an unexpected spccta* 
 cle ; and on the approach of Ida, the cry was " Shut the gate ;" and she 
 was thus prevented fi'om entering, with the prospect of passing the 
 night in the open air — a fate by no means agreeable considering the 
 dangers of the neighborhood. At length, a lay-brother made his ap- 
 pearance, and pointing to a square solitary tower, some seven or eight 
 hundred paces from the convent, i-.'timated to her that she would find a 
 night's lodging in that place. He j>rocured a ladder from the convent, 
 and going with her to the tower, they mounted by its aid to a little low. 
 doorway of iron. The conductor pushed this open, and they crept in. 
 A wooden stair-case led still further to two tiny rooms, situated near 
 the center of the tower. One of these miniature apartments, dimly 
 lighted by the rays of a lamp, contained a small altar, and served as a 
 chapel, while the second was used as a lileeping-room for female pilgrims. 
 A wooden divan was the only piece of furniture in the room. The con- 
 ductor then took his leave, promising to return shortly, with some pro- 
 visions, a bolster, and a coverlet. Ida found herself in a strange condition. 
 She was guarded, like a captive pnncess, by bolt and bar. She could not 
 have fled had she wished to do so, for the conductor had locked the 
 creaking door behind him and taken away the ladder. After examininj; 
 the capabilities of her prison-house, she mounted the stair-case and' 
 gained the summit of the tower. Her elevated position enabled her ta 
 gain a wide view of the surrounding country. She could distinctly 
 trace the desert, with its k.<^veral rows of hills and mountains skirting the 
 horizon. Every thing was bare and desolate. Not a tree, nor a shrub, 
 nor a human habitation was to be seen. Silence brooded heavily over 
 the landscape, and as the sun sunk beneath the mountains, the place 
 seemed ordamed as a memorial of our Saviour's fasting, and in an 
 ecstasy of devotion, the pious traveler fell on her knees, to oftcr up her 
 prayers and praise to the Almightly amid the rugged grandeur of the 
 desert. 
 
 The increasing darkness at length drove her back into the little 
 chamber. Shortly afterward, a priest and a lay-brother appeared, and 
 M'ith them Mi\ Bartlett. The priest had brought her supper and bed- 
 ding, while her English fellow-traveler proposed to send a few servants 
 as a guard to relieve the dreariness of the night in the lonely tower. 
 Summoning all her courage, she disclaimed every emotion of fear, and 
 declined the considerate offer. 
 
 Aft^r a quiet nighVs rest, she rose with the sun, and at five o'clock 
 
682 
 
 TRAVELS OP IDA PPEIFPBB. 
 
 in the morning the cavalcade took up their lino of march toward the 
 Dead Sea. They reached the object of their journey in safety, and on 
 tlio second day again turned their faces in the direction of Jerusalem. 
 A few days after her return from this excursion, she loft the holy city, 
 with a feeling of grateful happiness that she liad been permitted to 
 behold those regions, to visit which had so long been a favorito day- 
 dream of her life. On the 11 th of Juno, with the same party which she 
 had accompanied to the Dead J>oa. she started for Beyrout by land, in- 
 tending to go by the way of Nazareth, Galilee, Canaan, and other places 
 of j)eculiar interest to the Christian traveler. They reached Nazareth 
 on the third day. In the morning, she had been seized on the road with 
 violent headache, nausea, and other feverish symptoms, but she was 
 obliged to concesil her illness, as she had done on the journey to Jeru?- • 
 lem, through fear of being loft behind. She was also unwilling to give 
 up visiting the holy places in Nazareth, and hence making a great effort, 
 fthe accompanied the p-irty through the whole day, though she wiis 
 obliged every moment to retire into the back-ground that her condition 
 should not be observed. Thanks to her sunburnt skin, through which 
 no pak'Moss could penetrate, her secret was not detected, and toward 
 evening she began to grow bettor. On the return of her appetite, no 
 more savory refections could be obtained than some bad mutton-broth, 
 and an omelette made Mith rancid oil. A little bread and wine, how- 
 ever, was lit last procured, and served as a substitute for more substan- 
 tial viands. 
 
 After a journey of ton coni,«.'CUtive days, the party arrived at Bey- 
 rout on the 21st of June. The distance from Jerusalem is about two 
 hundred miles, allowing for the circuitous route by way of Tiberias. 
 The journey through Syria was ono of great toil .and hardship. Tho 
 horses suffered dreadfully, as they were constantly obliged to climb over 
 rocks, stones, and mountains, or to wade through hot sand, in which 
 they sank .above tho fetlocks at every step. The temperature was sub- 
 jopu to sudden changes. By day tho heat fluctuated between 18"aj. I 
 30° Ucaumur, .and the nights, too, were no less capricious, being some- 
 times opju-essively sultry, and sometimes bitterly cold. 
 
 After passing two very unsatisfactory days .at Beyrout, she again ft-II 
 in with the artist Sattler, who proposed that she should join a party 
 ■with which he was traveling Lo Damascus. She gladly accepted the 
 proposal, and soon completing liti arrangements, was on the way to 
 Mount Lebanon, A European woman is seldom seen in those regions. 
 Ida w.as an object of great curiosity to all the inhabitants. Wherever 
 the" h.alted, many women .and chiklren would gather round her, b» sily 
 pulling her dress, putting on her straw hat, and looking at her from all 
 »id( s, while they attempted to coii verse with her by signs. 
 
 They arrived at Damascus on the .3d of July, and after remainins; 
 two days in that city set off on a tour to Balbeck, Il.aving visited those 
 celebrated ruius they proceeded on their journey toward Lebanon. In 
 
ORIENTAL "COMMUNISM." 
 
 883 
 
 a narrow passage of tho road, so shut in by chasms and abysses on one 
 Bide, and walls of rock on the other, as scarcely to admit a foothold for 
 a horse, they suddenly heard the call to " halt." It came from a soldier 
 who was escorting a wornau afflicted with the plague. She had been 
 sent from tho vihi^^e where she had been the first victim of the terrible 
 disease to another where it was raging. It >v as impossible to turn aside. 
 Tho soldier could only drag tho sick woman a few paces up the steep 
 rocky wall, and then they came close to her as they passed. He told 
 tho party to cover their mouths and noses. Ho had anointed the lower 
 part of his own face with tar, as a preventive against contagion. The 
 poor victim was bound on an ass — she appeared resigned to her fate — 
 and turned her sunken eyes upon tho company with an expression of 
 entire indifference. Tho only visible trace of the plague was the yel- 
 low appearance of tho face. Tho soldier seemed as cool as if he were 
 walking besiile a person in perfect health. As the plague prevailed 
 throughout tho valleys of Leba:ion, the caravan avoided the villages 
 aiilicted by the scourge, encamping for the night in the open fields. 
 
 On the 10th of July they arrived safely at Beyrout, having accom- 
 plbhed the jounu'y to Damascus and back, a distance of one hundred and 
 eighty miles, in ten days. No vessel was ready to sail for Alexandria 
 until tho 28th, when our traveler embarked on board a Greek brig, and, 
 after a voyage of ten days, reached the harbor of that city. The trip 
 was tedious in tho extreme. The vessel was crowded with passengers 
 and merchandise. There was no room either by night or day but on 
 deck. During the day-time, she had nothing but an umbrella to screen 
 her from the sun, and at night her cloak was soon wet through by the 
 dew. There was not even an awning of sail-cloth. The company was 
 no better than the accommodations. Their manners were vulgar and 
 offensive, and the Arabs and Greeks seemed disposed to caiTy the theory 
 of common property into practical effect. A knife, a pair of scissors, a 
 drinking-glass, or any other small article would be taken from the owner 
 without permission and given back, after being used, in a soiled condition. 
 A negro and his master would not hesitate to lie down on the mat or 
 carpet wliich you had brought on board for your own bedding. One 
 day Ida was using her tooth-brush, when laying it down for a moment, 
 it was snatched up by a Greek sailor, who after coolly cleaning liis teeth 
 with it, returned it to the owner with an expression of entire satisfaction. 
 Tho diet was shocking. As the common fare they had for dinner pilau, 
 stale cheese, and onions, and in the evening anchovies, olives, stale cheese 
 again, and ship-biscuit instead of bread. The provident Ida, however, 
 took no share in these dainties, as she had brought with her a few Uve 
 fowls, some rice, butter, dried bread, uad coffee with M-hich she prepared 
 a comfortable meal for herself 
 
 Upon arriving at Alexandria, tho passengers were put in quarantine 
 for ten days. At length they were permitted to disembark at the 
 quarantine hospital, and treading on the soil of Africa for the first time, 
 
 53 
 
884 
 
 TRAVELS OP IDA PFEIPFBR. 
 
 Ida could not but wonder at the courage and perseverance which had 
 enabled her thus lar to fulfill what had seemed her almost chimerical 
 project. Her stay in Alexandria was short. On the 1 7th of August, 
 the same day that she left the quarantine-house, she proceeded to the 
 Nile canal, and took passage for Atfe, on the route to Cairo. In four 
 days she arrived at Cairo, after an interesting and agreeable passage. 
 On the 25th, she made an excursion to the pyramids of Gizch, and 
 ascended the loftiest of them, the pyramid of Cheops. Returning to 
 Cairo, she was tempted to try an excursion on a camel, and selected a 
 trip to Suez, for that purpose. The journey proved monotonous and 
 wearisome, and she had no wish to attempt another of a similar kind. 
 Leaving Cairo on tho 2d of September, she returned to Alexandria, and 
 on ti«o Vtli embarked on board a French steam-packet for Malta. She 
 reached this port in just one week, and after an interesting visit, took 
 j)a8sage in a steamer, October 4th, for Palermo. 
 
 After i\ sojourn of five days in that city, she embarked for Naples, 
 where she gpent about three weeks, diligently exploring the wonders of 
 art and nature presented by that capital, and on the 8th of November 
 arrived at Rome. Here she remained a fortnight, walking about the 
 streets from morning till night, visiting St. Peter's almost every day, 
 and the Vatican several times. Her journey to Jerusalem obtained her 
 an audience of the pope. His holiness received her in a great hall ad- 
 joining the Sistine chapel. He was at that time seventy-eight years of 
 a<;c, but Avith a noble presence, and most winning manners. He asked 
 Bome questions of the enterprising pilgrim, gave her his blessing, and 
 permitted her at paiting to kiss the embroidered slipper. She now 
 hastened to complete the tour of Italy, and in the first weel of Decem- 
 ber returned to Vienna in safety and perfect health, hcving endured 
 hardships of no slight magnitude in her various wanderings, but with 
 her thirst for seeing foreign lands by no means abated. 
 
 JOURNEY TO ICELAND. 
 
 Iceland was one of the countries which, from her earliest recollection, 
 had cast a spell over the imagination of Ida PfeifTer, and within three 
 years from her return from the East, she resolved to brave the perils 
 of an expedition to that inhospitable clime. She left Vienna on the 10th 
 of April, 1B45, and passing through Prague, Dresden, Leipsic, and Ham- 
 burg, arrived at Copenhagen on the 29th, at which port she took 
 passage in a s.ailing vesr"! for Iceland, on the -ith of May. On the 
 Beventh day they came within sight of Iceland, but as they approached 
 the coast, a contrary wind sprang up, and they were kept beating about 
 for several days and nights, until at the close of the eleventh day, they 
 reached the harbor of Havenfiord, two miles from Reikjavick, the 
 capital of Iceland. In spite of the remains of sea-sickness, which made 
 
ICELAND DWELLINGS. 
 
 835 
 
 every thing dance around her, Ida at once sallied forth to examine the 
 place, which she found to consist of three dwellings built of wood, a few 
 warehouses of the same material, and several huts inhabited by the 
 peasantry. 
 
 " The wooden houses," she says, " occupied by the merchants or 
 their factors, are of a single story, with five or six windows in front ; a 
 low flight of steps leads to an entrance, in the center of the building, 
 Avhich opens into a vestibule, with two doors communicating with the 
 rooms to the right and left. In the rear is the kitchen, and the court- 
 yard is beyond. Such a house contains four or five rooms on the ground 
 floor, and a few small ch.ambcrs under the roof. 
 
 " The arrangements are entirely European ; the furniture, a gro.it 
 deal of which is mahogany, is all brought from Copenhagen, as avcU .as 
 the mirror!?, and the cast-iron stoves. Handsome rugs are spread in 
 front of the sofas, ncrt curtains hang before the Avindows ; the white- 
 washed walls are ornamented with English engravings, .and china, silver, 
 cut-glass, etc., are displr.yed upon the chests or corner-tables. The 
 rooms are scented with roses, mignonette, and pinks, and I even s.aw 
 one piano-forte here. Any person who should suddenly be set down in 
 a house like this, without having made the journey, would be sure to 
 imagine himself in some town on the continent of Europe, and not in 
 that distant region of poverty and barrenness, the island of Iceland. I 
 next entered some of the huts, Avhich I found to bo decidedly more Ice- 
 landic. They are small and low, built of lava blocks, filled in with earth, 
 the whole sodded over with grass, and they might easily be mistaken 
 for natural elevations in the ground, if the wooden chimneys, the low 
 doors, and almost imperceptible windows, did not betray that they were 
 tenanted by human beings. A dark and narrow i)assagc, not more than 
 four feet high, leads on one hand to the dwelling-room, and on the other 
 to the store-room, where the provisions arc kept, which is also used in 
 winter to stable the cows and sheep. The fireplace is generally at the 
 end of this passage, which is purposely built so low in order to exclude 
 the cold. The Avails and floors of these huts arc not bearded ; the 
 dwelling-rooms are barely large enough to sleep in, and perhaps to turn 
 round; the Avhole furniture consists of the bedsteads, with a very scanty 
 supply of bedding, a small table, and a few chests ; the latter are used 
 for seats as well as the beds. Poles are fastened in the walls to Avhich 
 clothes, shoes and stockings, and other things of that kind are sus- 
 pended ; and a little shelf, with a few books on it, is generally found in 
 each hut. No stoves are needed in these crowded rooms, which i.re 
 suflSciently heated by the Avarmth of their numerous inmates." 
 
 On arriving at Reikjavick, she Avas received into a private family, 
 Avhich treated her with a rare degree of cordiality and affection dnring 
 her long residence with them. Her host was a Avorthy baker, to whom 
 she Avas introduced by the owner of the vessel in which she had been a 
 passenger. Ida soon formed a warm attachment to all the members of 
 
 r 1 
 
 I 
 
836 
 
 TRAVELS OF IDA PFEIPFER. 
 
 his excellent Iiouschold, but was less charmed with tho manners of tho 
 higher classes in the society of tho capital. 
 
 " Nothing," says she, " struck mo so much as the great dignity of 
 carriage at which the ladies here all aim, and which is so apt to degen- 
 erate into stiffness where it is not perfectly natural, or has not become a 
 second nature by habit. Tliey incline their head very coolly when you 
 meet them, with less civility than wo should use toward an inferior or 
 a stranger. Tho lady of the house never accompanies her guests beyond 
 the door of tho room, after a call ; if tho husband is present he goes a 
 little further, but when this is not the case you are often at a loss which 
 way to turn, as there is no servant on the spot to open the street-door 
 for you, unless it may ha]»pen to be in the house of the Stiftsamt- 
 mann, the first dignitary of the island. I had already observed traces 
 of this formality in Hamburg, and the further I advanced toward 
 the north, the more it increased, till in Iceland it reached its greatest 
 height." 
 
 The flicilitics for traveling in Iceland are not so extraordinary as to 
 tempt the pleasure-seeking tourist. The best season for a journey is 
 from the middle of June to the end of August. Before that time the 
 streams are still so much swollen by the melted snows that it is danger- 
 ous to ford them, anc" many patches of snow cover deep pits and heaps 
 of lava, obstructing tho way of the traveler. On the other hand, heavy 
 storms of rain and flurries of snow occur as early as September, 
 
 *' Upon the whole," says Ida, " I found the difficulties and discom- 
 forts of traveling in this country much greater than any I had encount- 
 ered in the East. I suffered more from the violent tempests, the sharp 
 air, the drenching rain, and the cold, than I had ever done from the 
 heats of Palestine. Tlie latter did not cause my face and lips to chap ; 
 but on the fifth day of my journey hero, my lips were bleeding, and my 
 foco M'as all in scales, as if I had had the measles. My long dresses 
 were another great drawback to my comfort ; it was necessary to be 
 warmly dad, and the Avcight of my clothes, often increased by tho 
 wet, made me at times quite heli)les3 when I was to get on or off' my 
 horse. IJut the greatest annoyance of all, was to stop to rest in a 
 meadow during a violent shower, when my long skirts would soak up 
 all the water from the wet grass ; and at such times I often had not a 
 dry thread about me." 
 
 Toward the end of Juno, Ida sot off" for tfio Geiwr and Ilecla, riding 
 tho first day .as far as the lake of Tliingvalla. Coming within sight of 
 the object of her eager curiosity, she found the basin .and prinripal 
 caldron filled with water as dear as crystal and slightly boiling. In this 
 state tho neighborhood is dangerous, as they might overflow at any 
 moment. " For fear of missing an explosion," says the traveler, " it is 
 customary to watch during tho whole night. An occasional vigil would 
 present no great difficulty to many travelers, but for me it was a serious 
 undertaking. However, there was no remedy, for an Iceland peasant 
 
THE GEISER AND MOUNT IIECLA. 
 
 837 
 
 I 
 
 is not to be dependeil upon, and few of thciu would bo roused by an 
 outbreak of Ilccla itself. 
 
 "At last, after waiting till the second day of njy sojourn at the Goiser, 
 the long-desired explosion took i)lace on the 2<th of June, at half-past 
 nine o'clock in the morning. The peasant, who came twice a day to in- 
 quire if I had yet seen an eruption, was with me when the first dull 
 sounds which announced the event "were heard. We hurried to the spot, 
 and as the Avaters boiU^d over as usual, and the noise died away, I 
 thought I was doomed to disappointment again ; but the last tones were 
 just expiring when the explosion suddenly took place. I have really no 
 words to do justice to this magnificent spectacle, which once to behold 
 in a lifetime is enough. 
 
 "It uifinitely surpassed all my exj)ectations. The waters were 
 spouted with great power and volume ; colunui rising above column, as 
 if each were bent on outstripping the others. After I had recovered in 
 some degree from my first astonishment, I looked round at the tent — 
 how small, how diminutive it seemed, compared to those pillars of 
 water ! And yet it was nearly twenty feet high ; it was lying rather 
 lower, it is true, than the basin of the Geiser; but tent might have been 
 jiiled on tent — yet, by my reckoning, which may not have been perfectly 
 accurate, however — five or six, one above the other, would not have 
 reached the elevation of these jets, the largest of which I think I can 
 affirm, without any exaggeration, to have risen at last to the height of a 
 hmidred feet, and to have been three or four feet in diameter." 
 
 Iler accoimt of Mount Hecla presents a different view of that cele- 
 brated volcano from the description gi -en by most previous travelers : 
 "At last the summit was attained, after two more hours of laborious 
 climbing, and I stood ujwn the hi<;hest peak of Hecla ; but T looked in 
 vain for a crater — there was no u-ace of any to be fomid ; at which I 
 was all the more astonished, as I hal • ead nxinuto accounts of it in sev- 
 eral books of travels. I walked around the whole summit of the mount- 
 ain, and clambered to the jokul which lies next to it, but still I saw no 
 opening or crevice, no sunken wall, or any sign whatever, in fact, of a 
 crater. Much lower down on the sides of the mountain I found some 
 vnHc rents and chinks, from whence the streams of lava must have 
 flowed. The height of this mountahi is said to \jC four thousand three 
 hvmdred {eet. 
 
 "The sun had been obscured during the last hour of our ascent, and 
 thick clouds now rushed down uj)on us from the neighboring glaciers, 
 which concealed the whole prospect from our sight, and prevented our 
 distinguishing any thing for more than ten paces before us. After 
 awhile they dissolved, fortunately not in rain, but in snow, which soon 
 covered the dark crisp lava with large and innumerable flakes ; they did 
 not melt, and the thermometer showed one dtgree of cold (Reaumur). 
 
 " (iradually the clear and inimitable blue of the heavens reappeared, 
 and the sun once more rejoiced us with his presence. I remained on 
 
888 
 
 TRAVBL3 OF IDA PPBIPFER. 
 
 the top of the mountain till the clouds had opened in the distance and 
 aflbrdod a welcome and extensive view, which I fear my pen is much 
 too feeble to describo. I despair of conveying to my readers a distinct 
 idea of the immense waste which lay displayed before me, with its ac- 
 cumulated masses of lava,, and its peculiar appearance of lifeless desola- 
 tion. I seemed to stand in the midst of an exhausted fn-o. The blocks 
 were piled in heaps above each other, till they formed high liills ; the 
 valleys were choked by vast streams of rock, whoso length and breadth 
 I Avas not able to distinguish, although the course of the last eruption 
 could be plainly traced among them. I was surrounded by the most 
 dreadful ravines, caves, streams, hills, and valleys ; I could hardly un- 
 derstand how I had reached this point, and was seized with a feeling of 
 horror at the thought which forced itself upon me, that perhaps I might 
 never bo able to find my way out of this terrrible labyrinth of ruin." 
 
 ilaving visited every part of Iceland which possessed any claims 
 upon her attention, Ida embarked for Copenhagen on the 29th of July, 
 and traveling through part of Norway and Sweden, returned once more 
 to Vienna afler an absence of about six months. 
 
 FIRST JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 In a little more than six months wo find Ida Pfeiifer again on her 
 travels, engaging in a far greater and more perilous enterprise than that 
 from which she received her initiation into the marvels of distant climes. 
 On the 1st of May, 1840, she left Vienna with the intenti. n of embarking 
 at Hamburg for Rio Janeiro. It was not until the middle of June that 
 she sailed from that port, having waited several weeks for the arrival 
 of Cc mt Berchthold, ono of her traveling companions in the East, who 
 had engaged to accompany her on the voyage to Brazil. On the 16th 
 of September, they etitered the bay and port of Rio Janeiro, where Ida 
 remained above two months, exclusive of the time devoted to different 
 excursions into the interior of the country. 
 
 On one of these rural excursions, she met with an adventure in which 
 she had a narrow escape of her life. She was going to Pctropolis, a 
 colony founded by Germans in the neighborhood of Rio Janeiro, 
 situated in a region of remarkable beauty, and approached by a romantic 
 road through the virgin forests of the country. They found the journey 
 delightful. Gathering a rich harvest of flowers, plants, and insects, they 
 loitered idly amid the enchantments of the scene without observing that 
 they were followed by a negro, who suddenly sprang upon them in a 
 lonely spot, with a knife in one hand and a lasso in the other, indicat- 
 ing more by gestures than words that he intended to murder and then 
 drag them into the forest. Her description gives a vivid idea of the 
 rencontre. 
 
 " Wo had no arms, as we had been told that the road was perfectly 
 
ADVKNTURK IN BRAZIL. 
 
 889 
 
 nafe, and the only weapons of defense wo possessed wore our parasols, 
 if I except a clasped knife, which I instantly drew out of my pocket and 
 opened, fully determined to sell my life as dearly as possible. We par- 
 ried our adversary's blows as long as wo could with our parasols, but 
 these lasted but a short timo ; besides, ho caught hold of mine, which, 
 as we were struggling for it, broke short off, leaving only a piece of tho 
 handle in my hand. In tho struggle, however, ho dropped his knife, 
 which rolled a few steps from him ; I instantly made a dash, and thought 
 I had got it, when he, more quick than I, thrust mo away with his feet 
 and hands, and once more obtained possession of it. He waved it 
 furiously over my head, and dealt mo two wounds, a thrust and a deep 
 gash, both in tho upper part of the left arm ; I thought I was lost, and 
 despair .alone gave mo tho courage to use my own knife. I made a 
 thrust t his breast ; this ho warded off, and I only succeeded in wound- 
 ing him severely in the hand. Tho Count sprang forward, and seized 
 the fellow from behind, and thus afforded me an opportunity of raising 
 myself from the ground. The whole affair had not taken mure than a 
 few seconds. The negro's fury was now roused to its highest pitch by 
 the wounds ho had received : ho gnashed his teeth at us like a wild 
 beast, and flourished his knife with frightful rapidity. The Count, in 
 his turn, had received a cut right across tho hand, and wo had been 
 irrevocably lost, had not Providence sent us assistance. We heard tho 
 tramp of horses' hoofs upon tho road, upon which tho negro instantly 
 left us, and sprang into tho wood. Immediately afterward two horse- 
 men turned a corner of tho road, and we hurried toward them ; our 
 wounds, which were bleeding freely, and the way in which our parasols 
 were hacked, soon made them understand the state of affairs. They 
 asked us which direction tho fugitive had taken, and, springing from 
 the horses, hurried after him ; their efforts, however, would have been 
 fruitless, if two negroes, who woro coming from the opposite side, had 
 not helped them. As it was, the fellow was soon captured. He was 
 pinioned, and, as he would not walk, severely beaten, most of the blows 
 being dealt upon tho head, so that I feared the poor wretch's skull 
 would be broken. In spito of this ho never moved a muscle, and lay, as 
 if insensible to feeling, upon tho ground. The two other negroes Avero 
 obliged to seize hold of him, when he endeavored to bite every one 
 within his reach, liko a wild beast, and carry him to tho nearest house. 
 Our preservers, as well as tho Count and myself, accompanied them. 
 We then had our wounds dressed, and afterward continued our journey ; 
 not, it is true, entirely devoid of fear, especially when we met one or 
 more negroes, but without any further mishap, and with a continually 
 increasing admiration of tho beautifu'i scenery." 
 
 On relating their story, after their return to Rio Janeiro, thoy would 
 scarcely have been believed, had they not been able to show the wounds 
 which they had received in the conflict. The negro was at first thought 
 to have been drunk or insane, but it was afterward discovered that he 
 
840 
 
 TRAVELS OP IDA PPBIFPEB. 
 
 had been punished by his master for on ofiensc, and took that method 
 to wreak his vengeance upon the whites. 
 
 The Indians in the interior of Brazil naturally excited the curiosity 
 of the traveler. With a view to observing their manners, she proceeded 
 into the heart of the forest, and in the wretched huts of the Puras foimd 
 a degree of want and misery, which surpassed all her previous experience 
 of human degradation. 
 
 " On a small space, under lofty trees, five huts, or rather sheds, 
 formed of leaves, were erected, eighteen feet long, by twelve feet broad. 
 The flames were formed of four poles stuck in the groimd, with another 
 reaching across, and the roof of palm-leaves, through which the rain 
 could penetrate with the utmost facility. On three sides, these bowers 
 were entirely open. In the interior hung a hammock or two ; and on 
 the ground glimmered a little fire, under a heap of ashes, in which a 
 few roots, Indian corn, and bananas, were roasting. In one corner, un- 
 der the roof, a small supply of provisions was hoarded up, and a few 
 gourds were scattered around : these are used by the savages instead 
 of plates, pots, water-jugs, etc. The long bows and arrows, which con- 
 stitute their only weapons, were Icoubig in the background against 
 the wall. 
 
 " I found the Indians still more ugly than the negroes. Their com- 
 plexion is a light bronze, stunted in stature, well-knit, and about the 
 middle size. They have broad and somewhat compressed features, and 
 thick, coal-black hair, hanging straight down, which the women some- 
 times wear in plaits fiutened to the back of the head, and sometimes 
 falling down loose about them. Their forehead is broad and low, the 
 nose somewhat flattened, the eyes long and narrow, almost like those 
 of the Chinese, and the mouth large, with rather thick lips. To give a 
 still greater effect to all these various charms, a peculiar look of stupid- 
 ity is spread over the whole face, and is more especially to be attributed 
 to the way in which their mouths are always kept open Most of them, 
 both men and women, were tattooed with a reddish or blue color, though 
 only round the mouth, in the form of a moustache. Both sexes are 
 l^assionately fond of smoking, and prefer brandy to every thing. Their 
 dress was composed of a few rags, which they had fastened round 
 their loins. 
 
 " The good creatures oflfered me the best hut they possessed, and 
 invited mo to pass the night there. Being rather fatigued by the toil- 
 some nature of my journey on foot, the heat, and the hunting ex- 
 cursion, I very joyfully accepted their proposition : the day, too, was 
 drawing to a close, and I should not have been able to reach the settle- 
 ment of the whites before night. I therefore spread out my cloak upon 
 the ground, arranged a log of wood so as to serve instead of a pil- 
 low, and for the present seated myself upon my splendid couch. In 
 the meanwhile, my hosts were preparing the monkey and the parrots, 
 by sticking them on wooden spits, and roasting them before the fire. 
 
VOYAGE TO CHINA. 
 
 841 
 
 In order to render the meal a peculiarly dainty one, they also buried 
 Bomo Indian corn and roots in the cinders. They then gathered a few 
 largo fresh leaves off the trees, tore the roasted ai>c into several pieces 
 with their hands, and placing a largo poition of it, as well as a parrot, 
 Indian corn, and some roots upon tho leaves, put it before mo. My 
 appetite was tremendous, seeing that I had tasted nothing since the 
 morning. I therefore immecUately fell to on the roasted monkey, which 
 I found superlatively delicious : the flesh of the parrot was far fiom 
 being so tender and palatable.*' 
 
 Leaving liio Janeiro on tho 9th of December, Ida embarked in an 
 Englibh vessel fur Valparaiso, which port she reached on tho 2d of 
 March. Tho passage round tho Capo enabled them to see tho shore of 
 Terra del Fuego so distinctly, that they could make out every bush 
 with the naked eye. The coast appeared steep, but not high. Tho fore- 
 ground wsis composed of meager pasture alternating with tracts of sand, 
 and in the background were ranges of woody hills, beyond which rose 
 snow-covered mountains. The country struck Ida as being more inhab- 
 itable than Iceland. 
 
 The society of Valparaiso did not accord with her ideas of propriety 
 or good taste. She was shocked by tho immodest character of tho na- 
 tional dances, which were unscrupulously performed in public, and before 
 spectators of the most tender age. Nor did another singular feature of 
 Valparaiso habits find more favor in her sight. " I was equally dis- 
 pleased," says she, " with a remarkable custom prevalent here, in accord- 
 ance with which tho death of a little child is celebrated by its parents as 
 a grand festival. They name tho deceased child an amjeUto (little angel), 
 and adorn it in every possible way. Its eyes are not closed, but, on tho 
 contrary opened as wide as possible, and its cheeks are painted red ; it 
 is then dressed out in the finest clothes, crowned with flowers, and 
 placed in a little chair in a kind of niche, which also is ornamented with 
 flowers. Tlio relations and neighbors then come and wish the parents 
 joy at possessing such an angel ; and during the first night, the parents, 
 relations, and friends execute tho wildest dances, and fcivst in the most 
 joyous &shion before the angelito. I heard that in the country it was 
 not unusual for the parents to carry the little coffin to tho churchyard 
 themselves, followed by the relations with the brandy bottle in their 
 hands, and giving vent to their joy in the most outrageous manner." 
 
 On the IVth of March, she took passage for Canton, lind on the 9th 
 of July arrived in Macao Roads, having devoted some three weeks to a 
 thorough exploration of Tahiti, where the vessel stopped to discharge a 
 cargo of provisions for the French garrison on that island. Her arrival 
 at Canton brought her into a new scene of perils, through her ignorance 
 of tht ctisioins of the country. "It is only during the iast few years 
 that A\o Enr »pean women have been allowed to visit or remain in the 
 factorie-; at Canton. I left the vessel without any apprehension ; but 
 first I had to consider how I should find my way to the house of a gen* 
 
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 TRAVELS OP IDA PFEIFPER. 
 
 tleman named Agassiz, for whom I had brought letters of recommenda- 
 tion. I explained to the captain, by signs, that I had no money with 
 me, and that he must act as my guide to the factory, where I would 
 pay him. He soon understood me, and conducted me to the place, and 
 the Europeans there showed me the particular house I wanted. On 
 seeing me arrive, and hearing the manner in which I had traveled, and 
 the way that I had walked from the vessel to his house, Mr. Agassiz was 
 ex< remely surprised, and would hardly credit that I had met with no 
 difficulties or injury. From him I learned what risks I, as a woman, had 
 run in traversing the streets of Canton, with no escort but a Chinese 
 guide. Such a thing had never occurred before, and Mr. Agassiz assured 
 me that I might esteem myself as exceedingly fortunate in not having 
 been insulted by the people in the grossest maimer, or even stoned. 
 Had this been the case, he told me my guide would have immediately 
 taken to flight, and abandoned me to my fate." 
 
 She sailed from Canton on the 25th of August, and after a voyage of 
 nine days arrived at the port of Singapore. The climate of this island, 
 compared to that of other countries, seemed to her delightful ; the tem- 
 perature was uniform ; the days and nights were of equal length, as the 
 place was near the equator ; and scarcely an interval of twilight attended 
 the rising or setting sun. Her next stage was Ceylon, which she reached 
 on the 1th. of October. After remaining on that island about three 
 weeks, she sailed for Calcutta, and arrived in that city on the 4th of No- 
 vember. Here she soon found herself more at home than she had been 
 for many months of miscellaneous wanderings. She received numerous 
 friendly attentions from Sir Lawrence Peel, the chief judge of Calcutta, 
 and Mr. Cameron, a member of the supreme council of India. In the 
 first circles of society she was warmly welcomed as an intelligent trav- 
 eler, while she accepted their hospitality with her usual unaffected sim- 
 plicity. " During my stay in Calcutta," she tells us, " I was invited to 
 a large party in honor of Mr. Peel's birthday ; but I refused the invita- 
 tion, as I had no suitable dress. My excuse, however, was not allowed, 
 and I accompanied Lady Cameron, in a simple colored muslin dress, to 
 a party where all the other ladies were dressed in silk and satin, and 
 covered with lace and jewelry ; yet no one was ashamed of me, but con- 
 versed freely with me, and showed me every possible attention." 
 
 After a stay of more than five weeks, Ida left Calcutta for Benares, 
 arriving at the holy city of India on the 28th of December. Her recol- 
 lections of the Ganges were far from agreeable. During her whole 
 voyage of about a thousand miles, she did not meet with a single spot 
 remarkable for its especial beauty, or one picturesque view. Leaving 
 Benares on the 7th of January, 1848, ehe proceeded to Allahabad, 
 Cawnpore, and Agra, the former residence of the Great Mogul of India. 
 Thence she went to Delhi, where she remained for ten days, leaving 
 that renowned imperial city for Bombay. Her mode of traveling was 
 by a wagon drawn by oxen, until her arrival at Kottah, the chief city of 
 
ENCOUNTER WITH A TIGER. 
 
 843 
 
 the kingdom of Rajpootan, when the king Kam-Shegh, who w^as pro- 
 fuse in his attentions to so great a noveUy as a female European trav- 
 eler, offered her the use of as many camels as she required for the 
 remainder of the journey, and two sepoys on horseback as attendants. 
 In the course of the tour, while making an excursion to the rock tem- 
 ples of Ellora, ten miles from Roja, she had an adventure with a tiger, 
 which she relates as follows : 
 
 " I had scarcely left the gates of the town behind, when I perceived 
 a number of Europeans seated upon elephants, coming from the bunga- 
 low. On meeting each other we pulled up and commenced a conversa- 
 tion. The gentlemen were on the road to search for a tiger-lair, of 
 which thoy had received intimation, and invited me, if such a sport 
 would not frighten me too much, to take part in it. I was greatly de- 
 lighted to receive the invitation, and was soon seated on one of the ele- 
 phants, in a howdah about two feet high, in which there were already 
 two gentlemen and a native — the latter had been brought to load 
 the guns. They gave me a large knife to defend myself with, in case 
 the animal should spring too high and reach the side of the howdah. 
 Thus prepared, we approached the chain of hills, and, after a few 
 hours, we were already pretty near the lair of the tigers, when our serv- 
 ants cried out sofi.'y, ' Bach, Hach /* and pointed with their fingers to 
 some brushwood. I had scarcely perceived the flaming eyes which 
 glared out of one of the bushes before shots were fired. Several balls 
 took effect on the animal, who rushed, maddened, upon us. lie made 
 such tremendous springs, that I thought every moment he must reach 
 the howdah, and select a victim from among us. The sight was terrible 
 to see, and my apprehensions were increased by the appearance of an- 
 other tiger ; however, I kept myself so calm, that none of the gentlemen 
 had any suspicion of what was going on in my mind. Shot followed 
 shot ; the elephants defended their trunks with great dexterity by throw- 
 ing them up or drawing them in. After a sharp contest of half an hour, 
 we were the victors, and the dead animals were triumphantly stripped 
 of their beautiful skins. The gentlemen politely offered me one of them 
 as a present ; but I declined accepting it, as I could not postpone ray 
 journey sufSciently long for it to be dried." 
 
 After a tedious journey of seven weeks, she reached Bombay, where 
 she was invited to stay at the country-house of the Hamburg consul, 
 Mr. Wattembach. Leaving Bombay, April 23d, she bent her course 
 for Baghdad, by way of Bassora, and reached the latter city in one 
 month from the time of her departure. From Baghdad she made two 
 long excursions, oi.e to the ruins of Ctesiphon, and the other to those of 
 Babylon. She then joined a caravan going through the desert to Mosul, 
 a distance of three hundred miles, visited the ruins of Nineveh, and on 
 the 8th of July, started on a journey to Persia. Extending her travels 
 to Asiatic Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and Mingrelia, she ariived at 
 Odessa on the 30th of September. The previous day she stopped at 
 
844 
 
 TRAVELS OF IDA PFEIFFER. 
 
 what she calls " the strong and beautiful fortress of Sebastopol." Her 
 description presents a clear idea of the condition at that time of the 
 place which has since become so famous in the annals of modern warfare, 
 " The works are partly situated at the entrance of the harbor, and 
 partly in the harbor itself; they are executed in massive stone, and pos- 
 sess a number of towers and outworks which defend the entrance to the 
 harbor. The harbor itself is almost entirely surrounded by hills, and is 
 one of the safest and most excellent in the world. It can hold the 
 largest fleets, and is so deep that the most gigantic men-of-war can lie 
 at anchor close to the quays. Sluices, docks, and quays have been 
 constructed in unlimited splendor and magnificence. The whole of 
 the works were not qiute finished, and there was an unparalleled activity 
 apparent. Thousands of men were busy on all sides. Among the work- 
 men I was shown many of the captured Polish nobles who had been 
 sent here as a punishment for their attempt, in 1831, to shake oif the 
 Russian yoke. The works of the fortress and the barracks are so large 
 that they will hold about thirty thousand men." 
 
 From Odessa she took her departure for Constantinople, and after 
 visitmg the principal object of interest in Greece, completed her " First 
 Journey round the World," by returning to Vienna on the 1st of 
 November, the day after it was stormed by the revolutionists of 1848. 
 
 SECOND JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. 
 
 On the 18th of March 1851, Ida Pfeiffer once more resumed her 
 journeyings, leaving her native city for London, with the intention of 
 embarking for Australirv. The discovery of the gold fields in that coun- 
 try, however, prevented the accomplishment of her purpose, as the rush 
 of emigrants thither was so great as to enhance the cost of living beyond 
 her restricted means. For some time she was at a loss as to what part 
 of the world she should direct her steps, but at length deciding in favor 
 of the Dutch settlements in the East Indies, she set sail for that quarter 
 on the 24th of May, in a vessel bound for the Cape of Good Hope. 
 After a voyage of seventy-five days, she arrived at Cape Town, where 
 she remained about four weeks, and on the 26th of August sailed for 
 the Straits of Sunda. The voyage was completed in forty days, and 
 sailing through the Sea of Java, along the coast of Sumatra, she reached 
 Singapore on the 10th of November. From Singapore, she proceeded 
 to the west coast of Borneo, for the purpose of visiting Sarawak, the 
 independent territory of the English Rajah Brooke. 
 
 After exploring this region, she started on the 6th of January, 1852, 
 for a circuitous journey by land and water for Fontianah, a Dutch 
 colony on the west coast of Borneo. The route lay through the coun- 
 try of the Dyaks, a nation of wild and savage tribes, among whom her 
 life was supposed to be not free from danger. She performed the journey, 
 
CANNIBAL BATTAKERS IN SUMATRA. 
 
 845 
 
 however, without xiniisual inconvenience, and on the 6th of February, 
 found herself safe and sound at Pontianah. After numerous excursions 
 into the interior, she embarked for Batavia, and having visited the 
 most important objects of interest on the island of Java, proceeded to 
 Sumatra. She reached Padang, the chief town of the Dutch settle- 
 ments in Sumatra, on the 10th of July, and shortly after commenced a 
 journey to the interior among the cannibal Battakers. Her acquaint- 
 ance strongly advised her against this project. They told her that in 
 1835, twf American missionaries, Messrs. Lyman and Munson, had been 
 killed and eaten by the Battakers, and that no European could venture 
 among them without a military escort. She, however, turned a deaf 
 ear to their protests. On the 19th of July she started on horseback, 
 and in ten days reached the borders of the Battaker territory. Here 
 she was kindly entertained by the comptroller of the settlement, who 
 sent for the regents of the different villages, in order to speak Avith them 
 concerning her intended journey. 
 
 " In the evening," says she, " we sat in solemn conclave surrounded 
 by regents, and by a great crowd of the people, for it had been noised 
 abroad far and wide that here was a white woman who was about to 
 venture into the dreaded country of the wild Battakers. Regents and 
 people all concurred in advising me to renoimce so perilous a project ; 
 but I had tolerably avcU made up my mind on this point, and I only 
 wanted to be satisfied as to one thing, namely, whether it M'as true, as 
 many travelers asserted, that the Battakers did not put their victims 
 out of their pain at once, but tied them living to stakes, and, cutting 
 pieces off them, consumed them by degrees with tobacco and salt. The 
 idea of this slow torture did a little frighten me ; but ray hearers assured 
 me, with one accord, that this was only done to those who were re- 
 garded as criminals of a deep dye, and who had been on that account 
 condemned to death. Prisoners of war are tied to a tree and beheaded 
 at once ; but the blood is carefully preserved for drinking, and some- 
 times made into a kind of pudding with boiled rice. The body is then 
 distributed ; the ears, the nose, and the soles of the feet are the exclusive 
 property of the rajah, who has besides a claim on ot:A";r pirtions. The 
 palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, the flesh of the i ead, and the 
 heart and liver, are reckoned peculiar delicacies, and the fit,-; \ in general 
 is roasted and eaten with salt. The regents assured me, with a certain 
 air of relish, that it was very good fo d, and that they had not the least 
 objection to cat it. The women are not allowed to take part in these 
 grand public dinners. A kind of medicinal virtue is ascribed to the 
 trees to which prisoners have been tied when they have been put to 
 death, and the stem is usually cut into sticks five or six feet long, carved 
 into figures or arabesques, and decorated with human hair ; and these 
 sticks are taken in the hand by people who go to visit the sick, or when 
 any medicine is to be given." 
 
 Resuming her journey the next day, Ida met with no startling 
 
846 
 
 TRAVELS OP IDA PFEIFFER. 
 
 adventure until the 13th of August, ^vhen matters began to assume 
 rather a serious aspect. "More than eighty armed men," says she, 
 " stood in the pathway and barred our passage, and before we were 
 aware of it, their spear-men had formed a circle round me and shut ^« 
 in, looking the while indescribably terrible and savage. They were tall 
 robust men, full six feet high : their features showed the most violent 
 agitation, and their huge mouths and projecting teeth had really more 
 resL'mblanco to the jaws of a wild beast than to any thing human. They 
 yelled and made a dreadful noise about me, and had I not been in some 
 measure familiar with such scenes, I should have felt sure that my last 
 hour was at hand. I was really uneasy, however : the scene was too 
 frightful ; but I never lost ray presence of mind. At first I sat down on 
 a stone that lay near, endeavoring to look as composed and confidential 
 as I could ; but some rajahs then camo up to me with very threatening 
 looks and gestures, and gave me clearly to understand that if I did not 
 turn back they would kill and eat mo. Their words, indeed, I did not 
 comprehend, but their action left no manner of doubt, for they pointed 
 with their knives to my throat, and gnashed their teeth at my arm, 
 moving their jaws then, as if they already had them full of my flesh. 
 Of course, when I thought of coming among the wild Battakers, I had 
 anticipated something of this sort, and I had therefore studied a little 
 speech in their language for such an occasion. I knew if I could say 
 any thing that would amuse them, and perhaps make them laugh, I 
 should have a great advantage over them, for savages are quite like 
 children, and the merest trifle will often make them friends. I got up, 
 therefore, and patting one of the most violent, who stood next rac, 
 upon the shoulder in a friendly manner, said, with a smiling face, in a 
 jargon half Malay and half Battaker, ' WHy, you don't mean to say 
 you would kill and eat a woman, especially such an old one as I am ! 
 I must be very hard and tough !' And I also gave them by signs and 
 words to understand that I was not at all afraid of them, and was ready, 
 if they liked, to send back my guide, and go with them alone, if they 
 would only take me as far as the Eier-Tau. Fortunately for me, the 
 doubtless very odd way in which I pronounced their language, and my 
 pantomime, diverted them, and they began to laugh. Perhaps, also, the 
 fearless confidence that I manifested made a good impression; they 
 oflTered me their hands, the circle of spear-men opened, and, rejoicing 
 not a little at having escaped this danger, I journeyed on, and reached 
 in perfect safety a place called Tugala, where the rajah received me into 
 his house. 
 
 After traveling in Sumatra seven hundred miles on horseback and one 
 hundred and fifty on foot, she returned to Batavia, and renewed her ex- 
 plorations of Java. On the 14th of December, she took her departure 
 for Macassar, the chief settlement of the Dutch on Celebes, visited the 
 Molucca Islands, and returning to Batavia on the 22d of May, 1853, em- 
 barked on the 6th of July for San Francisco. She arrived at the golden 
 
VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES, ETC. 
 
 847 
 
 gate on the 27th of August, soon pushed her way into the interior, 
 visited the northern settlements, made acquaintance with the Oregon 
 Indians, and returning to San Francisco, took passage for Panama, De- 
 cember 10th. 
 
 After celebrating the new year with friends at Pan la, she em- 
 barked for Lima, where she arrived on the 19th, and tool ip her resi- 
 dence at the house of the Hamburg consul, Mr. llodewald. Thence she 
 proceeded to Quito, which city she left on the 3d of April, returned to 
 Panama, and on the 31st of May sailed from Aspinwall for New Or- 
 leans. After a stay of three weeks in that city, she ascended the Missis- 
 sippi as far as St. Paul, crossed the country to Chicago, and at Milwaukee 
 took passage to the Sault St. Marie, August 20th. On her return, she 
 visited Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo, arriving at the Falls of Niagara 
 on the 10th of September. After a short visit in New York and Boston, 
 she sailed on the 10th of November for Liverpool, but before returning 
 to Vienna, made an excursion to the Azoro Islands, where she passed 
 the winter, took a hasty glance at Lisbon, and returned to London June 
 14, 1854, thus happily ending her second journey round the world. 
 
 So far from being satisfied with her achievements, which have never 
 been equaled by any female traveler before her, Ida Pfeiffer is at present 
 (June, 1856) preparing for a voyage to Madagascar. She is a small 
 woman, quiet and unpretending in her manners, tanned and weather- 
 beaten from her travels, but with a keen, dark eye, denoting the bound- 
 less enthusiasm and courage which sustain her. 
 
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EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER AMAZON. 
 
 JOURNEY OF LIEUTENANT HERNDON. 
 
 Lieutenant William Lewis IIekndon was attached to the United 
 States sloop-of-war VandaUa, of the Pacific squadron, and while that 
 vessel was lying at anchor in the harbor ofValparaiso, in August, 1850, 
 he received a communication from Lieutenant Maury, superintendant of 
 the National Observatory, informuig him that orders to explore the 
 valley of the Amazon would be transmitted to him by the next mail- 
 steamer. On the 4th of April, 1851, Lieutenant Lardner Gibbon, of the 
 navy, arrived at Lima with orders from the Navy Department to Lieu- 
 tenant Ilcrndon, authorizing him to proceed with the exploration, and 
 appointing Lieutenant Gibbon to assist him in the service. After much 
 deliberation it was resolved to divide the party, and Lieutenant Gibbon 
 was instructed to proceed to Cuzco and examine the comitry eastward 
 of that place, to ascertain whether the river Madre do Dios was con- 
 nected with the Purus and formed a navigable communication with the 
 Amazon, or should this route be impracticable, to pass around the 
 southern shores of Lake Titicaca to La Paz, and thence by Cochabamba 
 to the Mamore, and descend that river and the Madeira to the Amazon. 
 
 " That the rains might be entirely over and the roads on the mend 
 in the Cordillera," says Lieutenant Herndon, " I fixed upon the 20th of 
 May as the day of departure, and Mr. Gibbon and I set about making 
 the necessary preparation. I engaged the services of Don Manuel Ijurra, 
 a young Peruvian, who had made the voyage down the Amazon a few 
 years before, O'^ interpreter to the Indians ; and Captain Gauntt, of the 
 frigate Raritan then lying in the harbor of Callao, was kind enough to 
 give me a young master's mate from his ship, named Richards ; besides 
 supplying me with carbines, pistols, ammunition, and a tent. Captain 
 Magruder, of the St. Mary^s, also offered me any thing that the ship 
 could supply, and furnished me with more arms, and fifteen hundred 
 fathoms of the fishing-line now put on board ships for deep-sea sound- 
 ings." 
 
 The arriero was ordered to bring the mules on the 20th, but when 
 
852 
 
 EXPLORATION OP THE RIVEU AMAZON. 
 
 ho found this was Tuesday ho Haiti it was an unlucky day, and boj^god 
 thom to Ito rcaily hy Monday, which was lucky. This could not ho 
 done, thiTcforo on Wodnosday, tlu- '21st of May, thoy loaded up, after 
 bein<4 iinally oblii^'cd to bribe the old fellow to take on all tho ba<;j?age, 
 whieli ho represented to be too much for his beasts. Tho party was 
 hliort of a servant, and tho mules were overloaded, but Lieutenant 
 llerndon Avas un\viHiii<' to delav, and afler a hard inornini''s work in 
 druinining up tho Peruvian part of tho expedition, ho took tho broad, 
 beaten road whi(;h ascends the river Rimac. 
 
 ( )n the 25th they left tho coast district and onterod that called tho 
 Sierra, tlu; climate of Avhich is said to bo one perpetual BiH'ing. Tlieir 
 encampment here was in a beautiful dell entirely and closely surrounded 
 by mountains, witli the snowy summits of tho ('ordillera, in sight at a 
 sliort distance. "Tho nights in tho Oordillera at this season," says 
 llerndon, "aro very beautiful. Tho traveler feels that ho in lifted above 
 tho impurities of tho lower strata of tho atmosphere, and is breathing 
 air entirely free from taint. I was never tired of gazing into tho glorious 
 sky, which, less blue, I think, than ours, yet seemed palpable — a domo 
 of steel lit up by tho stars. Tho stais themselves sparkled with intense 
 brilliancy. A small pocket spy-glass showed mo satellites of Jupiter 
 with distinctness ; and Gibbon even declared on one occasion that ho 
 could see them Avith tho naked eye. Tho temperature is now getting 
 cool, and I slept cold last night, thcnigh Avith all my clothes on, and cov- 
 ered Avith two part.4 of a heavy blanket and a Avoolen poncho." 
 
 On the 2d of June, at two o'clock, they reached tho highest point 
 of tho road. Hero tho j)oaks of tho Cordillera presented tho appear- 
 ance of a hilly country on a Avintox*-day ; and their snoAvy tops con- 
 trasted with the bright green of tho loAver ranges, and tho placid lakes 
 Avhich lay snug and still in their midst. While Gibbon sketched tho 
 Cordillera, and llerndon was boiling snoAv for tho atmospheric pressure, 
 poor Richards lay shivering on tho ground, enveloped in pillons, a mar- 
 tyr to the reta. The sickness caused by rarity of the atmosphere at 
 great elevations is called veta, or vein, by tho Indians, because they 
 believe it is caused by veins of metal diffusing a poisonous infection. 
 " It is remarkable ," obserA'os llerndon, " that although this affection 
 must be caused by absence of atmospheric pressure, yet in no case ex- 
 cept this (and Richards Avas ill before) has it been felt at the greatest 
 elevation, but always at a i)oint below. The affection displays itself 
 in a violent headache, Avith tho veins of the head swollen and turgid, a 
 difficulty of rospir ,tion, and cold extremities. I did not observe that 
 our animals Avere affected, though they trembled and breathed hard, 
 Avhich, I think, was attributable to the steepness of the hill up which we 
 rode. The barometer stood at 10.730, indicating an elevation of sixteen 
 thousand and forty-four feet. Water boiled at 182° 5'; temperature of 
 the air 43°." 
 
 The road tbenco cut along tho flank of the mount£UD, at whose base 
 
TIIK I'UY-rUY MOUNTAIN. 
 
 853 
 
 ] 
 
 was a sorios of lu'iuitifiil liikcs. Tliougli not sixty miles from tlio T'sKjifm, 
 thoy lia 1 (TOHscd tho great dividing ridge, and tho waters at their feet 
 flowed into tho Atlantic. 
 
 In tho evening they arrived at Morocodia, and next morning all 
 went to see llie moiuitain of Pity-pay, said to bo higher than Chinibo- 
 razo. Tho place of view, about tlirco miles distant, was gained by a 
 most toilsome ascent, but the magnificence of the scene amply repaiil 
 their labor.M. A lolly, conical mountain, covered with snow to tlu! 
 cylindrical base on which it rested, rose iu solitary majesty froin tin; 
 jilain beneath them. riil)bon almost froze in taking a sketch of it, and 
 tho rest of tho party tired themselves nearly to death in trying to get a 
 shot at a herd of sliy vicunas which were feeding among tho distant 
 rocks. They had a Hitiguuig ride, and enjoyed a late dinner and a good 
 night's rest. 
 
 On tho 0th, they gradually descended into tho region of vegetation, 
 and arrived in tho afternoon at tho little city ofTarma, which was hailed 
 Avith delight as a resting-place, after tho tcdidus passage of tho Cordil- 
 lera. From Tarma they made an exciu'sion lo Fort San Itainon on tho 
 Chanchamayo, during Avhich Mr. (Jibbon made a narrow escape, lie. 
 was riding ahead on a road cut round a precipice several hundred feet 
 di op, when suddenly at a turn before bun a bull appeared, followed by 
 several cattle, while tho drivers could be heard far behind, urging on 
 the herd. It was too late to retreat ; the bull, with lowered crest, and 
 savage, sullen look, had come on and placed his head between tho 
 perpendicular rock and the neck of Gibbon's mule, Avhen tho sagacious 
 beast, pressing her haunches hard against the wall, gathered her feet 
 close under her and turned as upon a pivot. This placed the bull on 
 tho outside, and ho rushed by, followed by the rest of the herd in 
 single file. 
 
 It was now determined to divide the party ; to Gibbon was assigned 
 the task of exploring tho Bolivian tributaries, while Ilerndon took tho 
 head-waters and main trunk of tho Amazon. It was a bold undertaking, 
 for the party was already small ; but the prospect of covering such an 
 extent of territory, and gaining a knowledge of countries and rivers so 
 little known, prevailed over every objection. Tho equipage, Indian 
 presents, arms and ammunition, instruments, etc., were divided, and 
 Gibbon was directed to hire a guide in Tarma, and as soon as Kichards 
 should be able to travel, to start for Cuzco. 
 
 Herndon set out with his party on the Ist of July, and at the en- 
 trance of tho valley of Acobamba took leave of Gibbon, Avho returned 
 to make the necessary arrangements for his expedition. He was much 
 affected at parting with his friend, whom he felt that he was exposing 
 to unknown perils, while depriving himself of a pleasant companion, 
 and a most efficient auxiliary. 
 
 On the 2d they rode over the hill called " Cuesta do la Veta," be- 
 cause of the sickness travelers suffer in passing it. The ascent brought 
 
854 
 
 EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER AMAZON. 
 
 them to the plain of Junin, where, on the 6th of August, 1824, Bolivar 
 defeated the Spaniards. Half an hour's ride brought into view the 
 Western CorUillera, the Lake Chinchaycocha, and the pyramid erected 
 by the Prefect Mariano Rivero, to commemorate the battle. On the 
 6th, they reached the mining-town of Cerro Pasco, among the hills of 
 the "Western Cordillera. It is a most curious-looking place, entirely 
 honey-combed, and having the mouths of mines gaping everywhere. 
 The hill of Santa Catalina, from which the best view is obtained, is 
 penetrated in every direction. Vast pits, called " Tajos," surround this 
 hill, from which millions of silver have been taken ; and the miners are 
 still burrowing, like so many rabbits, in the bottoms and sides. Im- 
 mediately after leavhig the Cerro, on the 13th, they passed, close at 
 hand, a marshy spot of ground which had some interest for them, as 
 they were not to quit the waters which they saw trickling in tiny 
 streams from it, until, swelled by many others, they poured themselves 
 into the Atlantic by a mouth one hundred and eighty miles broad. This 
 was the source of the Iluallaga, one of the head tributaries of the 
 Amazon. 
 
 Iluanuco, which they reached on the 16th, is one of the most ancient 
 cities of Peru. It is pleasantly situated on the banks of the Huanuco, 
 or Huallaga River, which is here about forty yards wide, and was at this 
 time (the dry season) about two feet deep. Resuming their journey on 
 the 22d, they came on the 1st of August to Juana del liio, a settlement 
 of Qve or six houses, but as the houses were all shut up, they crossed 
 the river and walked down about a half a mile to the pueblo of San An- 
 tonio del Tingo Maria. Tingo is the Indian name for the junction of 
 two rivers, the Monzon emptying into the Huallaga just above the 
 town. Here they prepared to embark on the river, which was a hun- 
 dred yards broad, and smooth, and deep. After breakfast on the 4th 
 the governor and his wife, with some acquaintances of the party, accom- 
 panied them to the river. " After loading the canoes," says Ilerndon, 
 " the governor made a short address to the canoemen, telling them that 
 we ' Avere no common persons ; that they were to have a special care of 
 us ; to be very obedient, etc., and that he would put up daily prayers 
 for their safe return ;' whereupon, after a glass all round, from a bottle 
 brought down specially by our hostess, and a hearty embrace of the 
 governor, his lady, and my fat friend of the night before, we embarked 
 and shoved off. We had two canoes ; the largest about forty feet long, 
 by two and a half broad ; hollowed out from a single log, and manned 
 each by five men and a boy. They are conducted by Q,ptintero or bow- 
 man, who looks out for rocks or sunken trees ahead ; a popcro, or steers- 
 man, who stands on a little platform at the stern of the boat and guides 
 her motions ; and the bogus, or rowers, who stand up to paddle, having 
 one foot in the bottom of the boat and the other on the gunwale. 
 When the river was smooth and free from obstructions, we drifted with 
 the current; the men sitting on the trunks and boxes, chatting and 
 
 on 
 
"EL ALMA PERDIDA. 
 
 855 
 
 laughing with each other ; but, as we approached a mal-paso, their 
 serious looks, and the firm position in which each one planted himself at 
 his post showed that work Avas to be done." 
 
 On the 12th they arrived at the port of Balsayacu and slept at the 
 pueblo, which was half a mile from the port, and consisted, as usual, of 
 one house. At the village of Lupuna, the port of Pachiza, where they 
 arrived on the 17th, the women were engaged in spinning; the balls of 
 cotton thread which they manufacture being generally used as currency. 
 Whea they had retired to their mats beneath the shed for the night, 
 Herndon asked the governor if he knew a bird called el almaperdida. 
 As the latter did not know it by name, the former whistled an imitation 
 of its notes, whereupon an old woman on a mat near them related, with 
 animated tones and gestures, a story in the Inca language, the substance 
 of which was that an Indian and his wife once went out from the village 
 to work, taking their child with them ; that the woman went to the 
 spring for water, and finding it dried up, went further to look for an- 
 other. The husband, alarmed at her long absence, left the child and 
 went in search of her. When they returned, the child was gone ; and 
 to their repeated cries as they wandered through the woods the only 
 response was the wailing cry of this little bird, heard for the first time, 
 whose notes their excited imagination syllabled into pa-pa ma-ma, the 
 present Quichua name of the bird. This story had probably suggested 
 to the Spaniards the name of " the lost soul." 
 
 At Tarapoto they met a fellow-countryman named Hackett, em- 
 ployed in making copper kettles for distilling, and in all kinds of smith 
 and foundry work ; he had adopted the habits and manners of the peo- 
 ple and seemed settled in thj country for life. An American circus 
 company had passed through Tarapoto a few months before ; they had 
 come from the Pacific coast and were bound down the Amazon. It 
 seemed probable that the adventure did not pay, as Herndon's party 
 encountered traces of them, in broken-down horses, at several villages 
 on the river. They floated their horses down on rafts. 
 
 Chasuta, the port of the district of Tarapoto, is an Indian village 
 of twelve hundred inhabitants. "These Indians," says Herndon, "are 
 a gentle, quiet race ; very docile, and very obedient to their priest, 
 always saluting him by kneeling and kissipo; his hand. They are tolera- 
 bly good boatmen, but excel as hunters. Like all the Indians, they are 
 much addicted to drink. I have noticed that the Indians of this country 
 are reluctant to shed blood, and seem to have a horror of its sight. I 
 have known them to turn away to avoid killing a chicken, when it was 
 presented to one for that purpose. An Indian whom Ijurra struck did 
 not complain of the pain of the blow, but, bitterly and repeatedly, that 
 his blood had been shed. They eat mosquitoes that they catch on their 
 bodies, with the idea of restoring the blood which the insect has ab- 
 stracted." 
 
 Below Yurimaguas, toward the close of August, they entered the lake 
 
866 
 
 EXPLORATION OF TUE RIVER AMAZON 
 
 country ; and hcnco to the mouth of the Ama7.on, lakes of various sizes, 
 and at irregular distances, border the rivers. They all communicate 
 with the rivers by channels, which are commonly dry in the dry season. 
 They are the resort of immense numbers of water-fowl, particularly 
 cranes and cormorants ; and the Indians, at the proper season, take 
 many fish and turtles from them. Many of these lakes are, according 
 to traditions of the Indians, guarded by an immense serpent, which is 
 able to raise such a tempest in the lake as to swamp their canoes, when 
 it immediately swallows the people. It is called in the Inca language, 
 *' Yacu Mama," or mother of the waters ; and the Indians never enter a 
 lake with which they are not familiar that they do not set up an ob- 
 streperous clamor with their horns, which the snake is said to answei'. 
 
 " On the 3d of September," continues Ilerndon, " we arrived at the 
 mouth of the Huallaga. Several islands occupy the middle of it. The 
 channel runs near the left bank. Near the middle of the river we had 
 nine feet ; ])assing toward the left bank wo suddenly fell into forty-five 
 feet. The Huallaga, just above the island, is three hundred and fifty 
 yards wide ; the Amazon, at the junction, five hundred. The water of 
 both rivers is very muddy and filthy, particularly that of the foi'mer, 
 which for some distance within the mouth is covered with a glutin- 
 ous scum, that I take to be the excrement of fish, probably that of 
 porpoises. 
 
 " The Huallaga, from Tingo JNIaria, the head of canoe navigation, to 
 Chasuta (from which point to its mouth it is navigable for a draught of 
 five feet at the loM'cst stage of the river), is three hundred and twenty- 
 five miles long ; costing seventy-four working-hours to descend it ; and 
 falling four feet and twenty-seven hundredths per mile. From Chasuta 
 to its mouth it has two hundred and eighty-five miles of length, and 
 takes sixty-eight hours of descent, falling one foot and twenty-five hun- 
 dredths per mile. 
 
 " We now entered upon the main trunk of the Amazon. The march 
 of the great river in its silent grandeur was sublime ; in the imtamed 
 might of its turbid waters as they cut away its banks, tore do>vn the 
 gigantic denizens of the forest, and built up islands, it was awful. It 
 rolled through the wilderness with a stately and solemn air. Its waters 
 looked angry, sullen, and relentless; and the whole scene awoke emo- 
 tions of awe and dread — such as are caused by the funeral solemnities, 
 the mhiute gun, the howl of the wind, and the angry tossing of the 
 waves, when all hands are called to bury the dead in a troubled sea." 
 
 They reached Nauta about noon on the 9th, having traveled <:wo 
 hundred and ten miles from the mouth of the Huallaga. Here th«y 
 purchased a boat, thirty feet long, and engaged twelve rowers and a 
 popero, and set them to work to fit it up with decks and coverings, pre- 
 paratory to exploring the Ucayali. They started on the 25th, and an 
 hour afterward arrived at the mouth of the Ucayali. This is a beautifiil 
 stream, with low, shelving, green banks at its mouth. Being the largest 
 
ARRIVAL AT THE BRAZILIAN FRONTIER. 
 
 857 
 
 tributary above Brazil it is called by some the main trunk of the Ama- 
 zon, but it is not ntoro than half as wide at its mouth as the latter river. 
 They ascended the Ucayali as far as Sarayacu, Avhere they arrived on 
 the 18th of October. This was a neat-looking Indian village of about 
 a thousand inhabitants, under the government of Franciscan friars, of 
 the college of Ocopa. Ilerndon had intended to continue as far as 
 Chanchamayo, and also to examine the Pachitea, but he could not find 
 men enough at Sai'ayacu who Avere willing to go at that season, and 
 was obliged to desist from further explorations in that direction. On 
 this occasion he observes : " I felt, in turning my boat's head down 
 stream, that the pleasure and excitement of the expedition were passed ; 
 that I was done, and had done nothing. I became ill and dispirited, 
 and never fairly recovered the gayety of temper 'Mid elasticity of spirit 
 which had animated me at the start until I received the congratulations 
 of my friends at home." 
 
 They left Sarayacu on the 28th, and in eight days made the descent 
 to Nauta, which liad cost them twenty-three in the ascent — the distance 
 from Sarayacu to the mouth of the river being, by the channel, two 
 hundred and seventy miles. Two of the men deserted at Nauta, al- 
 though paid as far as Pebas ; and fearing to lose more, Hemdon col- 
 lected the few birds and animals he had Icfl here, and started on the 
 evening of November 5th. On the 8th, he arrived at the mouth of the 
 Napo ; found it two hundred yards broad, thirty-five to forty feet deep, 
 and of a gentle current. At Chorococha, a settlement just bebw the 
 Napo, he breakfasted with some Nauta friends, who were here salting 
 fish, and proceeding thence down the river he arrived at Pebas next 
 day. He remained a fortnight in this vicinity, where he greatly in- 
 creased his collection of animals. 
 
 On the 4th of December he reached Tabatinga, the frontier of Bra- 
 zil. The American flag floated over the boat, and when it was descried 
 at Tabatinga, the Brazilian flag was hoisted at that place. Hemdon 
 landed in uniform and was received by the commandant, also in uniform, 
 to whom he presented his Brazilian passport. As soon as his rank was 
 ascertained he was saluted .vith seven guns. The commandant used 
 much stately ceremony toward him, but never left him a moment to 
 himself until he was safely in bed on board his boat. He insisted on 
 furnishing Herndon with a boat in place of his own, which he said was 
 not large enough for the navigation of the lower part of the Amazon. 
 Herndon at first declined, but finding that the law of the empire forbids 
 foreign vessels to navigate its interior waters, he accepted the proposi- 
 tion, and exchanged boats ; thus enabluig the commandant to say, in 
 the frontier passiwrt which he issued to Herndon, that the latter was 
 descending the river in a Brazilian vessel. 
 
 The party resumed their journey aflier noon on the 6th. They 
 passed the mouth of the I§a toward evening on the 9th, and found it a 
 fine-looking river, half a mile broad at the mouth, and openmg into an 
 
■"1 
 
 858 
 
 EXPLORATION OP THE RIVER AMi^ZON. 
 
 estuary of a mile in width. It was one hundred and tliirty-cight feet 
 deep, and had a current of two and three quarter miles an hour. On 
 the 14th they passed the Jurua, which is half a mile wide at its mouth. 
 The Amazon at this point is a mile and a quarter wide, (^oncoriiing 
 the Indians of the Jurud, M. Castclnau has some curious stories, and 
 gives the following passage from Padre Noronho : " The Indians, Cau- 
 amas and Uginas^ live near the sources of the river. The first are of 
 very short stature, scarcely exceeding five palms (about three and a 
 half feet), and the last (of this there is no doubt) have tails, .ind are 
 produced by a mixture of Indians and Coata monkeys. Whatever may 
 be the cause of this fact, I am led to give it credit for three reasons : 
 first, because there is no physical reason why men should not have tails ; 
 secondly, because many Indians, whom I have interrogated regarding 
 tliis thing, have assured me of the fact, telling me that the tail was a palm 
 and a half long ; and, thirdly, because the Reverend Father Friar Joso de 
 Santa Theresa Ribeiro, a Carmelite, and curate of Castro de Avelaens, as- 
 sured me that he saw the same thing in an Indian who came from Japuru." 
 
 On the 16th they encamped on an island near the mouth of the 
 Jupura. At this place Herndon estimates the width of the Amazon to 
 be four or five miles. It is separated into several channels by islands. 
 Next day they arrived at Egas, where they remained until the 28th. 
 They now parted with the Sarayacu boatmen, who thougli lazy enough, 
 were active and diligent compared with the stupid and listless Ticnnas 
 who were engaged to succeed them. Still floating onward down the 
 river they entered the Rio Negro on the evening of January 5th, 1852. 
 "We were made aware of our approach to it," says Herndon, "before 
 getting into the mouth. The right bank at the mouth is broken into 
 islands, and the black water of the Negro runs through the channels be- 
 tween these islands and alternates, in patches (refusing to mingle), with the 
 muddy waters of the Amazon. The entrance is broad and 8ui)erb. It is 
 far the largest tributary of the Amazon I have yet seen ; and I estimate 
 its width at the mouth at two miles. There has been no exaggeration in 
 the description of travelers regarding the blackness of its water. Lieu- 
 tenant Maw' describes it perfectly when he says it looks like black mar- 
 ble. It well deserves the name of * Rio Negro.' When taken up in a 
 tumbler, the water is a light-red color, like a jiale juniper water ; and I 
 should think it colored by some such berry. A body immersed in it 
 has the color, though wanting the brilliancy, of red Bohemian glass." 
 
 Next day they arrived at Barra, the capital of the province of Ama- 
 zonas. During a sojourn of six weeks at this place, Herndon obtained 
 much useful information respecting the country and its productions, and 
 the character of the rivers Negro and Purus. Having sent Mr. Gibbon 
 to look for the head waters of the Purus, he had hoped to ascend it from 
 its mouth, but now he was too much exhausted to undergo the hard- 
 ship and exposure necessary for a thorough examination of the river. 
 
 Having had the boat thoroughly repaired, and well fitted with palm 
 
BRAZILIAN PUNCTUALITY. 
 
 "1 
 
 859 
 
 coverings, ho sailed from Barras on the 1 8th of February. Ninety miles 
 below, 'i"i boat was made fast for the night to some bushes on the low 
 western bank of the Madeira. A large island occupies the middle of 
 the Amazon, opposite the mouth of the Madeira, and the latter is 
 divided by a smaller island. The wester* i mouth is three-quarters of a 
 mile wide ; the eastern one a mile and a quarter. Herndon looked long 
 and earnestly for the broad L that Gibbon was to cut on a tree at the 
 mouth of whatever tributary he should descend, in hopes that he had 
 already come down the Madeira, and, not being able to go up stream 
 to Barra, had gone on down ; but it was nowhere to be seen. 
 
 On the Ist of March the party entered the mouth of the Tapajos and 
 arrived at Santarem. This city is four hundred and sixty miles from 
 the Rio Negro and six hundred and fifty miles from the sea. It is the 
 largest town in the province, after Para; the official returns giving 
 it over six thousand five hundred inhabitants, of whom nearly fifteen 
 hundred are slaves. Herndon, however, estimates the population at 
 about two thousand, all the planters for miles around, and all the 
 tapuios engaged in the navigation of the river, being included in the 
 official returns. 
 
 Herndon left Santarem on the 28th of March, in the evening. The 
 delegado, whose men were employed in building, could muster him 
 only three tapuios and a pilot, and had, moreover, no conception that he 
 would sail on the day appointed ; as the people of the country never do, 
 by any chance. He proceeded, however, without delay, and floated 
 rapidly on toward the mouth of the immense river. At Gurupa, about 
 five hundred miles from the sea, the river is ten miles wide, and the tide 
 is very apparent. About thirty-five miles below Gurupa commences the 
 great estuary of the Amazon. The river suddenly flares out into an im- 
 mense bay, which is probably one hundred and fifty miles across in its 
 widest part. This might appropriately be called the " Bay of the Thou- 
 sand Islands," for it is cut up into innumerable channels. Tlie great 
 island of Marajo, which contains about ten thousand square miles, occu- 
 pies nearly the center of it, and divides the river into two great chan- 
 nels : one, the main channel of the Amazon, which runs out by Cayenne ; 
 and the other, and smaller one, the river of Para. 
 
 Entering these intricate channels, Herndon and his party arrived at 
 the Mojii, upoi which forty-five miles of descent brought them to the 
 junction of the Acara, which comes in from the south-east. The estuary 
 formed by the junction is called the river Guajara. The descent of the 
 Guajara brought them to the Para River, five miles above the city, 
 where they arrived in the evening, on the 11th of April. Herndon was 
 so worn out when they arrived that histead of going to the consul's 
 house for letters which he knew must be there, he anchored in the 
 stream, and wrapping himself in his blanket, went to sleep. On the 12th 
 of May he embarked in the United States brig Dolphin, having previously 
 shipped his collections on board of Norris's clipper bark the Peerless. 
 
860 
 
 EXPLOnATION OP TUB RIVKtt AMAZON. 
 
 JOURNEY OF LIEUTENANT GIBBON. 
 
 On the ftth of July, 1851, liiputcimnt (iihbon loft Tiinna niul turned 
 Bouth-osxst, accompaijiod by Henry ('. Uii^lirtrds, a nativi; of Virginia, 
 and Jose C^asas, a IVruvian of Spanish dcsoont. A mestizo airicro, with 
 liis littlo son, drovo thoir train of mules. Tho route lay over an elevated 
 mountain distriet, in which they pn'sently camo in sight of tho great 
 valley of .luaja, stretching aw.ay to tho south. High, snow-covered 
 peaks bounded tho eastern view. 
 
 On leaving tho valley of Juaja they passed through a rough mount- 
 ain country, and in a few days arrived, by a long and tiresome descent, 
 at the town of lluancavelica. The town is situated in a deep ravine, 
 amid a duster of lotly mountains. It contains about eight thousand in- 
 habitants, and is tho capital of tho district. After visiting tho cpiicksilver 
 mines (libbon proceeded eastward toward tho town of Iluanta, where 
 he entered tho province of Ayacucho. "On this part of our journey," 
 says tJibbon, "Indian girls, with chicha and chii/x' ior sale, .are seated at 
 the tops of tho steep ascents. Chicha is tho iavoriti; drink of the In- 
 dians. A party — g(>uerally old women — seat themselves .•iround a wooden 
 trough containing maize. Each one takes a mouthl'ul, and mashes tho 
 grain between her teeth — if sho has .-iuy — and casts it back into tiu> 
 trough in the most sickening manner. As the mill-stones aro often i)retty 
 well worn, tho operation re<pnres time and perseverance. The mass, 
 with water added, is then boiled in largo coppers, after which it is lell 
 to ferment in huge earthen jars. Chupe is the Peruvian national disli, 
 and may be made of any and every thing, so long as it holds its relation- 
 ship to soup. It is mado generally of mutton, potatoes, eggs, rice, all 
 highly seasoned with jieppcr, etc." 
 
 On the way a man in poncho and a traveling dress, Avith an Indian 
 girl behind on his saddle, overtook them and a<'C08ted tbem in Knglinli. 
 He was born in New Haven, was proprietor of a circus company, and 
 had been many years in South Amci ica. As they slowly wound their 
 way up the mountain, ho told his past history ; what he had seen, and 
 how often he thought of returning to New Jingland. " But nobody 
 knows me now," he said. " Years ago I heard of the changes there, 
 and don't believe I should know my native pla'^e. I have adopted the 
 manners and customs of these people, and if I shoiild return to the 
 United States again, I fear my earnings would not be sufficient. I have 
 worked in this country for years, and am worth nothing at last." 
 
 The approach to the Apurimac was among ild mountains ; on wind- 
 ing around one of them they came suddeidy in sight of the river, its 
 waters foaming as they dashed over a rocky bed. At another turn tliey 
 entered a tunnel, cut uito the mountain, which rises perpendicularly 
 trom the river side. Skylights aro cut through the rock, and as they 
 
TTIR SKAT OP THR INCA8. 
 
 861 
 
 advnnco in altcrnato lifjjht tin<l darkiu'ss fho niulos iiro nhy find tlin nr- 
 ri(jr()8 shout at tho top of ilu'ir voi(;('Hut the train. They camn out at the 
 toil-houHc, which Htood on tho hiink ol' th(> abyss and was inha'jitcd V)y 
 two woujcn, a man, a child, a <Iof;, and two jujjfs of chicha. Thi* ropos 
 of tlie suHp(>nsion l)ridgt', of bark, wcro made fast to the posts which 
 supported the roof of the house. Gibbon thought best not to examine 
 to«) particuhirly how tiieso ropes were fastened. A windlass in the 
 middle of the house kept the ropes hauled up when they slack otV. ( )ii(> 
 woman, a good-looking black, was seated by a large jar of chicha, which 
 she sold to travelers, with her child on the other side; she spun cotton, 
 with a smoking fn-e close by to keep off the sand-flies, which were hero 
 in swarms. A white woman was seated l)y the windlass, holdijig her 
 head in her hands. She seemed to hav(! had the small-pox, but the red 
 marks on her face wi'vo caused by these annoying flies. 
 
 The bridge is eighty yards long and six 'eet wide, distant one lum- 
 dred and fifly feet above the dark green waters. There arc six floor- 
 ropes, crossed by small sticks, lasluMl with strips of hide to the cables. 
 This platform is hung to two side-cables by small bark ropes. 
 
 As they approached the city of Cuzco the population increased and 
 the land was more highly cultivated. By a paved road they ascended 
 a slight elevation in the valley, then passing under the lofty arch of a 
 stone a(iuc<luct, they halted to gaze upon the ancient curiosity of iho 
 New World — the city of Cuzco, centuries ago the seat of the Incas. It 
 was a beautiful view : close against the hills at the west end of the val- 
 ley stood the ruins of the Temple of the Sun, and near it rosi^ th(! steeples 
 and roofs of a large city. The floor of the valley was caipcted with 
 green, while afiir off were the snow-cappcul Andes in a clear blue sky. 
 
 "I found," says (libbon, "a very friendly disposition toward the 
 expedition, with a desire to aid me. The prefect offered twenty soldiers 
 as an escort in the low country, to the east of the Aiidcs. A number of 
 young men volunteered to accompany me. A meeting of the citizens 
 was held for tho purpose of forming a company to join me. At their 
 suggestion, the President of Peru was applied to for the payment of 
 twenty thousand dollars, appropriated by Congress, for the exploration 
 of the llio ]\Ia<lre do Dios, supposed to be the same with the river Piirus, 
 rising anutng tho mountains to the eastward of Cuzco. I Avas very 
 nmch pleased also to hear Jiat a spirited young officer had applied to 
 command the soldiers." 
 
 On tho IGth of September, he started for the head-waters of the 
 Madre de Dios. The road led along the valley of the Mapacho, then 
 ascended a stee]) ridge of mountains, and soon attained an elevation of 
 eleven thousand feet above tho level of tlie sea. Gibbon Avas obliged to 
 leave his instruments in Portocamba on account of bad roads, and take 
 barley for the mules. l?y law, tho cargo of a mule descending the 
 eastern slope of the Andes is one hundred and fifty pounds — one half 
 the usual load. On the 22d ho reached the eastern frontier settlement, 
 
862 
 
 EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER AMAZON. 
 
 where one hundred men wore engaged cultivating the coca-plant. Tho 
 seed is planted in rows like maize. In two years the bush, five or six 
 feet high, is full grown, bearing bright green leaves, two inches long, 
 with white blossoms, and scarlet berries. Tho women and boys were 
 gathering the ripe leaves, while the men cleared the fields of weeds. 
 The gathering takes place three times a year, in cotton bags. The leaf 
 is spread out in the sun on mats and dried. 
 
 As the party advanced, they were obliged to dismount and literally 
 cut their Avay through the forest. A most diflScult struggle of twelve 
 hours brought them to the Cosnipata River, in the territory of the 
 Chuncha savagos. Next day they built a raft and attempted to cross 
 the river ; there were falls above and below, and as the river became 
 too deep for the poles, the raft lodged against a small island, after being 
 nearly carried over the falls. In the evening they lay down upon tho 
 rocks, under a heavy rain, with loud claps of thunder, which echoed up 
 the Andes. Toward midnight, an old Indian of the company awoke 
 them with tho cry that the river was rising ; the night was dark, and 
 the rain poured down. On striking a light, they found tliat a rise of 
 three feet more would carry them off, and that escape from the island 
 was impossible. The old Indian called Gibbon a bad man for bringing 
 him there when he could not swim. A mark was placed by the edge 
 of the water, which was roaring terribly, and they seated themselves 
 very uncomfortably to await their fate. In this state of anxiety, they 
 spent the rest of the night, but as daylight appeared, the storm 
 abated. The water soon lowered, and they passed over to tho opposite 
 shore. 
 
 Gibbon descended the tributaries to the main head of the Madrc-de- 
 Dios, but finding it impracticable to descend the river, he prepared to 
 retrace his steps. " At the end of the sixth day from the head of the 
 Madre-de-I)ios," he continues, " we arrived in Cuzco, after an absence 
 of twenty-one days. Richards was still much reduced, but gaining health. 
 The prefect exjiresscd his regrets at not being authorized to send trooi)s 
 with me, and asked the favor of a written account of my visit to the 
 east, in behalf of the Peruvian government." 
 
 On the 28th of October, the expedition left Cuzco, well supplied 
 with provisions by the kind hospitality of the people, and proceedcil 
 toward the south-east. " Tho night of November 6th," says Gibbon, 
 " we spent at Caracota. To the left of us we beheld the deep blue 
 waters of the great southern lake Titicaca. Tlie east wind troubled its 
 waters ; the white-capped waves reminded us of the trade-wind region 
 of the ocean. Large barren islands intercepted our view ; not a tree 
 nor a bush was to be seen ; the only living thing in sight was a llama, 
 seeking food among the tumbled-up rocks on the unproductive liills, 
 The scene is wild and deadly silent. Our only view was to the south- 
 east, where we saw tops of islands beyond tops of islands, backed by 
 mountain peaks. Winding round a hill, and descending a ravine, we 
 
THE CITY OP LA PAZ. 
 
 868 
 
 como to an arched gateway, and enter the city of Puno. It is a diy, 
 dusty, unhiteresting-looking place, of about five thousand inhabitants, and 
 is the capital of the department of the same name. The town is situated 
 about a quarter of a railo from the west shore of Lake Titicaca. 
 
 
 
 !iiiii.Z\j-ji 
 
 
 
 
 ILLIMANI, HIGHEST PEAK OP THE ANDES. 
 
 They crossed the Desaguedcra by a floating bridge, at the southern 
 end of the lake, and continued their journey over the dry table-lands of 
 Bolivia. " Suddenly arriving at the edge of a deep ravine, we saw the 
 tile-roofs of the city of La Paz, near the base of the great snow-capped 
 mountain, Illimani. Descending by a steep, narrow road, and passing 
 the cemetery, the air was found loaded with the perfume of sweet flowers. 
 Springs of fresh water gushed out by the road-side, into which our 
 mules sunk their noses before we could get a drink. As we entered the 
 town, some one called out from a shaded piazza for our passports. 
 
 " La Paz is a most busy inland city. The blacksmith's hammer is hoard. 
 The large mercantile houses are well supplied with goods. The plaza is 
 free from markot people, for there is a regular market-house. The 
 dwellings are well built, of stone and adobe. The home and foreign 
 trade appears to bo possessed with a life seldom met with in an inland 
 town, without shipping or railroads. The people appear to be active. 
 There is less lounging against the door-posts. The place has a healthy 
 appearance." 
 
864 
 
 EXPLORATION OP TUB RIVER AMAZON. 
 
 On tho Ist of December they (juittcil La Paz in a Bouthcrn direction, 
 proceeding along the edge of tlio great Titicaca basin, then turning 
 eastward among tho Andes, they came to the beautiful city of Cocha- 
 batnba, which has a population of over thirty thousand. The streets 
 are laid off .it right angles. On tho south of tho main plaza stands a 
 largi! cathedral, and ojipositc to it the palace occupies the whole side 
 of the block. It is remarkable for its handsome appearance, being 
 much superior to the palace in Lima. In the center of tho plaza is a 
 fountain fed by w.ater from a snow peak on the ridge in sight. 
 
 The President and his cabinet being hero on a visit. Gibbon hastened 
 to make a commercial proposition to the government. A Brazilian 
 minister had concluded a treaty of limits and navigation between his 
 country and Peru, and was now awaiting the action of tho Bolivian gov- 
 ermncnt to secure tho use of tho navigable rivers of Bolivia for the Brazils 
 alone. Gibbon decided to ask tho right to navigate these rivers by 
 steamboats or other vessels. In an interview with the President, the 
 lattur expre-ised the hope that a more direct route between the United 
 States and Bolivia might be found than Capo Horn ; to which the Presi- 
 dent replied, that ho had heard of Gibbon's arrival in La Paz, and was 
 glad to see him. " My country," said ho, " is in its infancy. I would 
 be the more pleased to join hands with tho United States, because wo 
 are all Americans. You may depend upon me for aid and assistance in 
 your enterprise." 
 
 Through the interposition of the British minister at Sucre, the Brazil- 
 ian envoy sent to Gibbon passports to the authorities on his route, and 
 also wrote to the governor of Matto Grosso ou his behalf. 
 
 On the I'ith of May, 1852, tho party bade farewell to Cochabamba, 
 and ibllowed a train of nineteen loaded mules toward the east. " On 
 the river bank the women seated themselves in a row to take the last 
 dram Avith the men who were going with us. They shouted, sang, and 
 danced ; then shaking hands all round, the arricros called to their 
 mules, and we all moved along single file on our way home through 
 tho river bed, which was now dry again, the wet season being just 
 over." 
 
 They soon began to descend the Andes, proceeding in a north-easterly 
 direction, along tho head waters of the Chapare. At Espiritu Santo, 
 they saw about a hundred Creoles cultivating patches of coca. " Tho 
 coca," says Gibbon, " is a great favorite of the Quichua Indian ; he 
 prizes it as the Chinaman does his opium. While the one puts to sleep, 
 the other keeps awake. The Indian brain being excited by coca, he 
 travels a long distance without feeling fatigue. While he has plenty of 
 coca, ho cares little for food. Therefore, after a journoy he is worn out. 
 In tho city of Cuzco, where the Indians masticate the best quality of 
 coca, they use it to excess. Their physical condition, compared with 
 those who live far off from the coca market, in a climate equally inhos- 
 pitable, is thin, weak, and sickly ; less cheerful, and not so good look- 
 
 the 
 
NOCTURNAL KXPEUTKNCES. 
 
 805 
 
 ing. Tlio chowors also nso moro brandy and loss tamborino and 
 fiddle ; seldom dance or sing. Their expression of face is doleful, 
 made hidetms by green streaks of juico streaming from each corner of 
 the month." 
 
 ITaving rested their mules, they pushed on over a level road to 
 Vinchuta, the \mnt where the traders of tho province of Mojos roach 
 those of ('ochabamba with salt. "The next morning the govoriior 
 made his appearance, read our passports, and said there was a large 
 canoe ready for us ; that she might go off to-morrow. He scomud to 
 be an active little man and very obliging ; wanted to know all tho news 
 from Cochabaniba, and was constantly complaining he had nothing nici; 
 to give us, besides which ho was very particular to lot us know ho had 
 tho roads put in fine order, as ho had been ordered to do by tho prefect 
 of his department, as they knew wc were coming. The crew of tho 
 canoo were stout, fine-looking Indians of the Canichanas tribe. Thoy 
 stood before us with straw hats in hand, listening to the advice of tho 
 governor." 
 
 On tho 25th of May, thoy entered the canoe. It was made of a log, 
 forty foot long, and four foot wide, being one of tho largest used by tho 
 Bolivian Indians. From the stream they had a last view of tho Andes, 
 far back among tho clouds. They soon entered the river Chapare, which 
 was a hundred yards wide, and twelve feet deep, and increased as thoy 
 descended. 
 
 On tho 30th, thoy reached tho Mamoro, and continued their route 
 pleasantly along its rmootli, broad surface, sometimes traveling by night. 
 
 " After tho sun went down," says Gibbon, " tho bright moon lit up 
 our Avator-path through the wilds. The earth seemed asleep as we 
 watched tho nodding Indians at their paddles, which hung dripping over 
 the sides of tho canoe. At one moment a rustling noise was heard 
 among the canes. Wc swept close in toward the bank by the current. 
 Tho burning piece of wood which tho old captain kept on his part of 
 tho boat, disturbed the black tiger, or a serpent slipped softly from a 
 cluster of canes into the water to avoid us. As we turn, tho moon 
 shines directly up the river, and tho sheet of water appears like a silvery 
 way. We think of obstruction, and fear we are not going fast enough 
 to see the glad waters of the Atlantic." 
 
 Thoy arrived at Trinidad on the 30th of May, where their crew took 
 leave, and returned with the boat. Don Antonio, an active trader of 
 Trinidad, who owned the only two boats from the Amazon on tho upper 
 waters, which were of the proper build for the falls of the Madeira, 
 offered one of them to Gibbon, but he had no men to spare, and it was 
 necessary to wait and go with him to Brazil to get them. During this 
 long stay at Trinidad, thoy made acquaintance with the motley populace, 
 consisting of natives, Creoles, and Spaniards ; witnessed a bull-fight, and 
 other amusements and occupations of the people ; and meanwhile made 
 an excursion to Lorcto, twelve leagues distant. 
 
 55 
 
666 
 
 EXPLORATION OP THE RIVUR AMAZON. 
 
 Over a hundred Indians died of small-pox while thoy were in 
 Trinidad, and the people were Btill suft'ering with it when they left. 
 The idea of being fastened up amid disease during a long rainy season, 
 while doubting by which route they were to lind an outlet to the 
 Atlantic, became daily more ])ainful to Gibbon. Finally, on the 14th 
 of August, Don Antonio found his cargo could not be disposed of in 
 Trinidad, and ho must return to Brazil with his boats. He had lirazil- 
 ian boatmen — negroes and mestizos — who came up from the Ainanon 
 with him, and were thought the only kind of people who could bo eni- 
 ployed upon the expedition. 
 
 The baggage was stowed on board the If/arite, over which the flag 
 of the United States was hoisted, and Don Antonio embarked his cargo 
 on the CobcrtUy from which the flag of Brazil was suspended. On 
 entering the Mamore River again they found thirty-three feet of water, 
 the current being one mile an hour. They stopped a week at Exaltiv- 
 cion, then continued down the Mamoro to its junction with the Itencz, 
 and ascending the latter, arrived at Fort Principe da Beira, in Brazil, on 
 the 7th of September. 
 
 A canoe came out with two armed negro soldiers, one of whom 
 politely gave his commander's coraplunents to Gibbon, with the request 
 that thoy would keep off". Gibbon sent up the letter of the Brazilian 
 minister, after which two old negroes, of the health-department, brought 
 the commander's invitation for them to land at the fort. When tlicy 
 landed, a young negro lieutenant in the emperor's army came to meet 
 Gibbon and oftered, in the most jjolite manner, to escort him to a house 
 in town. As they passed the guard-house the negro soldiers respect- 
 fully saluted the American uniform, but thoy handled the musket very 
 awkwardly. 
 
 When Don Antonio arrived, he had his boat fitted up for Gibbon's 
 party, and gave them as pilot a man who had passed up the Madeira 
 with him. The boat was twenty-three feet long, with four feet seven 
 inches beam. Her bottom was of one piece, cut out of a very large 
 tree, with washboards nailed rudely on the sides, caulked M'ith oakum, 
 and well pitched outside and in. The two ends were fastened up by a 
 solid piece of wood, also made water-proof. In this craft they set out 
 on the 14th of September, parting at the fort with Don Antonio, who 
 expected to be two years longer trading ofl" the cargoes of his two 
 small boats. 
 
 On the 20th of September they reached the falls. These consist of 
 a series of distinct rapids, several miles apart, down which they passed 
 the empty boats, and transported the baggage along the rocky banks of 
 the river. The channel is broken and obstructed by rocks, over which 
 the waters rush down in numerous streams, and keep up a continuous 
 deafening roar. It is impossib'^ to pass these falls with a steamboat, 
 fit any season of the year. 
 
 Below the falls the boat was carried along at a rapid rate by the cur- 
 
TRBACHEUT OP THE BOaTMEN. 
 
 867 
 
 rent, which boiled up in groat globular Hwcllrt. Thoy did not, nowovcr, 
 proceed at night, as tho navigation was Htill obHtructcd by rocks and 
 occasional rapids, but at their encampment thoy became aware of a new 
 danger — tlio treachery of the blacks in their employ. Tlie one on duty 
 shot a dog which wos faithfully prowling tho woods around the camp, 
 pretending ho had taken it for an approaching tiger. Gibbon had 
 placed great confidence in this dog, from which ho expected a (juick re- 
 port of savages or wild beasts. From what ho had seen of tho men he 
 was convinced they Avero a rough, savage set who would put his party 
 to death as unceremoniously as tho dog, and ho ordered another man 
 on watch, at which they expressed an impudent dissatisfaction. Tlicy 
 lay at night with their pistols prepared for an attack, and by daylight 
 Gibbon was particular to let every man of them see his revolver ; ho 
 and Richards kept a close watch upon them night and day. 
 
 " "We are about to pass out of tho Madeira Plate," says Gibbon, 
 " having arrived at the north-east corner of tho territory of Bolivia. The 
 lands about the mouths of tlie Beni and Mamor6 are now inhabited by 
 wild Indians; some parts of them are froo from inundation. Cacao 
 grows wild in the forests. Tlio head of tho Madeira contains a number 
 of islands. Hero we find the outlet of streams flowing from tho Andes 
 and from the Brazils collected together in one largo river. Water from 
 hot springs and cold springs*, silvered and golden streams joining with 
 the clear diamond brooks, mingled at the temperature of 82° Fah- 
 renheit. 
 
 " The Madeira River flows throngh tho empire of Brazil, and keeps 
 the northerly course pointed out for it by the IMaraore. The first falls 
 we met were close to the junction of tho Slaraoro and Beni, called ' Ma- 
 deira,' three quarters of a mile long. It is difticult to judge the dif- 
 ference of level between the upper and lower surfaces of the river. As 
 the falls are shelving, and extend a great distance in length, tho distance 
 we run during tho day is not easily estimated. At one time we go at 
 the rate of fifteen miles an hour, and then not more than one mile in 
 half a day. This fall is not less than fifteen feet. Large square blocks 
 of stone stand one upon another in unusual confusion. The boat was 
 paddled through for a quarter of a mile, and by passing half the bag- 
 gage out over the rocks, she was sledded and floated through narrow 
 channels close along the eastern bank." 
 
 On the 23d they came to the Ribeiras falls, which are two miles 
 long. The baggage was carried five hundred yards over a path on the 
 oast bank. Don Antonio transported his vessels on wooden rollers here, 
 and was nearly one month getting up these two miles. The men were 
 anxious to see whether they could not pass this fall with the boat in the 
 water. They launched her down one shoot of twenty feet nearly per- 
 pendicular by the rope paintci-s in the bow and stern. 
 
 " On the 25th," continues Gibbon, " we came to a number of rocky 
 islands in the river, and took up our quarters on one of them for tho 
 
868 
 
 EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER AMAZON. 
 
 night. We slept under blankets ; there is a heavy dew, and the night, 
 are quite cool. Richards was aroused by a severe pain in his ear ; he 
 was suffering all night long. The men told me it was common among 
 the soldiers at the fort, caused by exposing the ear to the night air and 
 dew. The only remedy reported was ' woman's milk,' which was not at 
 hand." 
 
 DESCENDING THE RAPIDS OF THE MADEIRA. 
 
 Descending the Arares Rapids and Pedroneira Falls next day, tlioy 
 at length reached the Paredao Falls, which they had much diiRculty in 
 passing. Here they were surrounded by a party of savage women and 
 children, and two unarmed men, who were quite friendly and manifesteil 
 j»reat curiosity at every thing they saw. The women were all ugly ; 
 the boys cheerful and good-looking. Some of the men who came after- 
 ward, left, their bows and arrows behind the rocks, and w.alked up un- 
 armed. The women carried their babies under the arm, seated in bark 
 cloth straps, slung over the opposite shoulder. The infants appeared 
 terribly frightened at the sight of a white man ; one of them screamed 
 ovt when Pedro milked the mother into a tin pot, for the benefit of 
 Richards' ear, which still troubled him. The woman evidently under- 
 stood what was wanted with it, and stood still for Pedro to milk her as 
 much as he chose. 
 
 The Teotoni Falls, at which they arrived on the 30th, were the raoet 
 
 J 
 
CONFLUENCE OP THE MADEIRA AND AMAZON. 869 
 
 formidable of them ull. The roaring of the water over and through the 
 rocks was like distant thunder. Here Gibbon was attacked with severe 
 bilious fever, which prostrated him, and all the party were worn out 
 and haggard. The passage of the falls was made next day, by carrying 
 the baggage and transporting the boats upon rollers. The men were 
 busy from daylight till dark at the work. Five miles below they passed, 
 on the 2d of October, the San Antonio Falls, at the foot of which they 
 breakfasted with feelings of gratitude at having passed in safety the 
 perils of seventeen cataracts. 
 
 As they move on, the land becomes more elevated, and better adapt- 
 ed to cultivation. The forest-trees are small where the lands are free 
 from iiMindation. Small streams flow in from the east, while on the west 
 "madres," or large pools, have an outlet through the bank. They 
 passed swiftly along by the force of paddles, the current being only one 
 mile an hour, and arriA'ed by moonlight at the town of Borba, on the 
 14th of October. 
 
 " Borba," observes Gibbon, " is a small town of three hundred in- 
 habitants. Two rows of miserable wooden huts stand parallel with a 
 most distressingly dilapidated church ; bells, old and cracked, are hung 
 under a small shed near the door. There were no men belonging to 
 Borba to take us on. The authorities ordered the soldiers Mho came 
 with us to go on. I regretted this, as we were in hopes of getting rid 
 of these impudent, half-savage free negroes, who refused to obey the 
 authorities of the town. A larger boat was fitted out, and Ave pushed 
 off with three Portuguese passengers. 
 
 " During the 21st of October we lay all day by a sand island, unable 
 to proceed until evening. When the wind died away, we paddled on 
 by the light of the moon. As the negroes lifted their paddles out of the 
 water, we dipped the thermometer in the Madeira for the last time, 88° 
 Fahrenheit. Suddenly, the bow of our little canoe touched the deep 
 waters of the mighty Amazon. A beautiful apple-shaped island, with 
 deep-grccn foliage, and sandy beach encircling it, lies in the mouth of 
 the great serpentine Madeira. 
 
 " The distance from the foot of San .iVntonio Falls to the mouth of 
 the Madeira, is five hundred miles by the river. A vessel drawing 
 six feet water may navigate this distance at any season of the year. 
 A cargo froiu the United States could reach the foot of the falls, on the 
 Madeira, within thirty days. By a common mule road, through the 
 territory of Brazil, the goods might bo passed from the lower to the 
 upper falls on the Mamore, in less than seven days, a distance of about 
 one hundred and eighty miles ; thence by steamboat, on that river and 
 the Chapare, a distance of five hundred miles to Vinchuta, in four days. 
 Ten days more from the base of the Andes, over the road we traveled, 
 would make fifty-one days' passage from Baltimore to Cochabamba, or 
 fifty-niue days to La Paz, the commercial emporium of Bolivia, where 
 
870 EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER AMAZON, 
 
 .ar^oes arrive generally from Baltimore in one hundred and eighteen 
 dTby ^pe Horn-often delayed on their way through the temtory 
 to P^ni from the seaport of Arica. Goods ^7 '^^ ^l^'^'YZtlT. 
 ^o rnr^Ulera range to the Pacific coast, might get there one 
 r* ^rX eS^rrive f.» K„ro^ » *e e^ten. ^ of 
 the Unitea States, by two oceans or the old route. 
 
RICHARDSON'S 
 
 TRAVELS IN THE SAHARA, 
 
 Mr. James Richardson, a native of the town of Boston, in England, 
 became interested, like many others of his countrymen, in the projv-ct 
 of suppressing the African slave-trade. While at Algiers, in January, 
 1845, he coj^ceived the design of visiting and exploring the celebrated 
 Oasis of Ghadames, lying in the Sahara, south-west from Tripoli. His 
 principal object was to ascertain to what extent the commerce in slaves 
 was carried on in the defiert, and what would be the most feasible plan 
 of preventing it. Full of this idea, he repaired to Tunis and afterward 
 to Tripoli, where he arrived on the 18th of May, of the same year. 
 
 At Tripoli, Mr. Richardson received no encouragement, but on the 
 contrary every one endeavored to dissuade him from persevering in what 
 they considered an insane imdertaking. Mr. Warrington, the British 
 Consul, nevertheless made application to the pasha on his behalf for the 
 necessary permission which was at first granted, but accompanied by 
 all sorts of remonstrances and objections. The formal permit and pass- 
 port were not given until the end of July, when through the persistence 
 of Mr. Warrington the pasha ordered passports to be made out for Mr. 
 Richardson, his servant, and camel-driver. On the 2d of August he left 
 Tripoli for Ghadames. 
 
 A caravan for Ghadames had started before him, but he pressed for- 
 ward and overtook it on the evening of the first day. He gives the fol- 
 lowing account of his equipment : " I had two camels on hire, for which 
 I paid twelve dollars. I was to ride one continually. We had panniers 
 on it, in which I stowed away about two months' provisions. A little 
 fresh provision we were to purchase en route. Upon these panniers a 
 mattress was placed, forming with them a comfortable platform. I my- 
 self was dressed in light European clothes, and furnished with an um- 
 brella for keeping off the sun. Thi« latter was all my arms of offense 
 and defense. The other camel carried a trunk and some small boxes, 
 cooking utensils, and matting, and a very light tent for keeping off sun 
 and heat." As it was the height of summer the heat was intense, but 
 
872 
 
 RICHARDSON'S TRAVELS IN THE SAHARA. 
 
 after four days the caravan reached the castle of Yefran, in the Atlas, 
 where there was a cooler au*. Here Richardson was stared at by the 
 inhabitants, as ho was the first European Christian who had ever visited 
 the place. The commandant of the fortress, however, sent 'aim a brace 
 of partridges, with some milk and grapes, supposing that he had been 
 appointed British Consul for Ghadames. 
 
 At this place ho left the caravan, in order to visit the district of 
 Ilujban, in the mountains, the native-country of hL, camel-driver, Mo- 
 hammed. He was lodged in the house of the latter, and remained there 
 eight days, tro.;ted with the greatest kindness and hospitality by all the 
 inhabitants, many of whom came to him to bo cured of various diseases. 
 The shekh of the place, in particular, became very intimate and familiar. 
 " He offered to sell me his authority, his shekhdom," says Richardson, 
 " .and retire from affairs. I bid one thousand dollars for the concern. 
 ' No, no,' said ho, ' I'll take ten thousand dollars, nothing less.' Then, 
 getting very familiar, he added, ' New, you and I are equal, you're con- 
 sul and I'm shekh — you're the son < f your sultan, and I'm commander 
 under the sultan of Stamboul.' The report of my being a consul of a 
 remote oasis of the Sahara was just as good to me on the present occa- 
 sion as if I had her majesty's commission for the consular affairs of all 
 north Africa." 
 
 On the 16th, ho left Rujban to rejoin the caravan. Nearly all the 
 mountaineers offered him their services, and were willing to leave their 
 homes and go with him anywhere. After four days' march he rcjomed 
 the caravan, and encamped on a plateau on the southern side of the 
 Atlas. After crossing the mountains ho expected to find a plain, cor- 
 responding to that on the northern side ; but the country was at first 
 undulating, and then sloped into a sandy level, beyond which rose other 
 lieights, called by the natives, Saharan Mountains. During his journey 
 over the desert, Richardson suffered much from the heat and want of 
 sleep, as the caravan traveled principally by night. " Every day," says 
 he, " until I reached Ghadames, there was a sort of point of halting be- 
 tween life and suffocation or death in my poor frame, when the European 
 nature struggled boldly and successfully with the African sun, and all 
 his accumulated force darting down fires and flames upon my devoted 
 head. After this pohit or crisis was past, I always found myself much 
 better." 
 
 The journey from Tripoli to Ghadames may be made in nine days, 
 but the caravan consumed twenty-three. " At dawn of day, on the 
 25th," continues the narrative, " we started fresh on the last march. 
 Just when day had broken over half the heavens, / saw Ghadames ! 
 which appeared like a thick streak of black on the pale circle of the 
 horizon. This was its date-woods. I now fancied I had discovered a 
 new world, or had seen Timbuctoo, or followed the whole course of the 
 Niger, or had done something very extraordinary. Gradually we nearod 
 the city as the day got up. It was dusty, and hot, and disagreeable. 
 
ARRIVAL AT GHADAMES. 
 
 873 
 
 My feelings were down at zero ; and I certainly did not proceed to enter 
 the city in style of conqueror, one who had vanquished the galling hard- 
 ships of the desert, in the most unfavorable season of the year. We 
 were now met with a great number of the people of the city, come to 
 welcome the safe arrival of their friends, for traveling in the desert is 
 always considered insecure even by its very inhabitants. Among the 
 rest was the merchant Essnoussee, whose acquaintance I had made in 
 Tripoli, who welcomed mo much to my satisfaction when thus entering 
 into a strange place. Another person came up to me, who, to my sur- 
 prise, spoke a few word? in Italian, which I could not expect to hear in 
 the desert. lie followed me into the town, and the governor afterward 
 ordered him to be my turjcman ("interpreter"). Now, the curiosity 
 of the people became much excited, all ran to see Hie Christiun ! 
 Every body in the city knew I was coming two months before my 
 arrival. As soon as I arrived in Tripoli, the first caravan took the 
 wonderful intelligence of the appointment of an English Consul at 
 Ghadames. A couple of score of boys followed hard at the heels of 
 my camel, and some running before, to look at my face ; the men gaped 
 with wide open mouths ; and the women started up eagerly to the tops 
 of the houses of the Arab suburb, clapping their hands and loolooing. 
 It is perhaps characteristic of the more gentle and unsophisticated nature 
 of womankind, that women of the desert give you a more lively recep- 
 tion than men. The men are gloomy and silent, or merely curious 
 without any demonstration. 
 
 OHADAMEa 
 
 I entered the city by the southern gate. The entrance was by no 
 means imposing. There was a rough-hewn, worn, dilapidated gate-way, 
 lined with stone-benches, on which the ancients were once accustomed 
 
874 
 
 RICHARDSON'S TRAVELS IN THE SAHARA. 
 
 to sit and dispense justice as in old Israelitish times. Having passed 
 this ancient gate, which wore the ago of a thousand years, we wound 
 round and round in the suburbs within the walls, through narrow and 
 intricate lanes, with mud walls on each side, which inclosed the gardens. 
 The palms shot their branches over from above, and relieved this other- 
 wise repulsive sight to the stranger. But I was too much fatigued and 
 exhausted to notice any thing, and almost ready to drop from off my 
 camel." 
 
 On his arrival, Richardson was conducted to a commodious and 
 tolerably clean house, not far from the residence of the governor. The 
 latter received him in a friendly manner, and was glad to make use of 
 his medicines for his eyes, which were afflicted with ophthalmia. Most 
 of the inhabitants seemed kindly disposed toward the traveler, and 
 though there were occasional cries of " Infidel !" as he passed through 
 the streets, he was not otherwise molested. He adopted the character 
 of a marabouty or traveling mendicant saint, and a physician, and was 
 soon busily occupied in administering to the wants of the sick, who 
 flocked to his house. He remained three months in Ghadames, familiariz- 
 ing himself with the life of the Sahara, and collecting information regard- 
 ing the routes to Soudan. He formed the design of penetrating as far as 
 Timbuctoo, and after a long consultation with the Touaricks, engaged 
 one of them to take him to that city ; but the plan was afterward relin- 
 quished. His journal of the residence in Ghadames is quite interesting, 
 though loosely and carelessly Avritten. Our limits will only allow us to 
 quote a few of the most sti'iking passages. 
 
 Soon after his arrival, he writes : " During the four or five days of my 
 residence here, the weather has been comparatively temperate ; at least, 
 I have not felt the heat excessive. To-day has been close and cloudy : 
 no sun in the afternoon : wind hot, ghibke. I continue to be an object 
 of curiosity among the people, and am followed by troops of boys. A 
 black from Timbuctoo was astonished at the whiteness of my skin, and 
 swore I was bewitched. The Ghadamsee Moors eat sugar like children, 
 and are much pleased Avith a suck of it. The young men carry it about 
 in little bags to suck." 
 
 Toward the end of September, Richardson writes : " To-day, resi- 
 dent thirty days in Ghadames which I have certainly not lost. My ex- 
 penses of living, including a guard to sleep in the house at night, and 
 Said, are only at the rate of eighteen pence per day ; this, however, ex- 
 cludes tea, coffee, and sugar. Besides, Shekh Makouran refuses to take 
 any thing for house-rent, saying, ' It would be against the will of God 
 to receive money from you, who are our sure friend, and our guest of 
 hospitality.' Few patients, in comparison with the past. As the Avinter 
 approaches, the cases of ophthsiania are less. In the precipitation of 
 leaving Tripoli, brought little ink with me, and most of that I gave away ; 
 so am obliged to go about the town to beg a little. The custom is, 
 when one person wants ink, he begs it of another. 
 
 there 
 
 Tripol 
 
 •How 
 
 whyni 
 
 They 
 
 Aft 
 ardson 
 ofGha 
 desert, 
 
THE "SEA ON LAND." 
 
 876 
 
 " My taleb, backed with two or three Mussulman doctors, charged 
 me in the public streets with corrupting and falsifying the text of the 
 Word of God. 'This,' he said, *I have found by looking over your 
 Elengeel (Gospel).' It is precisely the charge which we make against 
 the Mohammedans. But our charge ia not so much corrupting one par- 
 ticular revelation as falsifying the entire books of the Jews and the 
 Christians, of giving them new forms, and adding to them a groat num- 
 ber of old Arabian fables. A taleb opened the Testament at the Gospel 
 of St. Mark, and read, that Jesus was the Son of God. Confounded and 
 vexed at this, he said, ' God neither begets nor is begotten^ (a verse of 
 the Koran). An Arab from the Tripoline mountains turned upon me 
 and said, * What ! do you know God ?' I answered sharply, ' /es ; do 
 you think the knowledge of God is confined to you alone ?' The by- 
 standers applauded the answer. 
 
 " In general, the ignorant of the population of this part of north 
 Africa, as well as southern Morocco and Wadnoun, think the Christians 
 arc not acquainted with God, something in the same way as I heard 
 when at Madrid, that Spaniards occasionally asked, if there were Chris- 
 tians and churches in England. But in other parts of Barbary, I have 
 founiJ^, on the contrary, an opinion very prevalent, that the religion of 
 the English is very much like the religion of the Moors, arising, I have 
 no doubt, from the absence of images and pictures in Protestant churches. 
 
 " Speaking to the Moor of the Sahara, I said, ' The Sahara is always 
 healthy ; look at these Touaricks, they are the children of the desert.' 
 He replied, ' The Sahara is the sea on land, and like sea, is always more 
 healthy than cultivated spots of the earth. These Touaricks are chiefly 
 strong and powerful from drinking camels' milk. They drink it for 
 months together, often for four or five months, not eating or drinking 
 any thing else. After they have drunk it some time, they have no evac- 
 uations for four or five days, and these are as white as my bornouse. It 
 is the camels' milk which makes the Touaricks like lions. A boy shoots 
 up to manhood in a few years ; and there 's nothing in the world so 
 nourishing as camels' milk.' Caillio mentions that the chief of the 
 Braknas lived for several months on nothing but milk ; but it was cows' 
 milk. Many of the Saharan tribes are supported for six months out of 
 twelve on milk. 
 
 " Treating some Moors with coffee and loaf-sugar, one asked me if 
 there were blood in sugar, for so he had heard from some Europeans in 
 Tripoli. I told him in loaf-sugar. ' What, the blood of pigs ?' one cried. 
 'How do I know?' I rejoined; 'if the refiner has no bullock's blood, 
 why not use that of pigs ?' This frightened them all out of their senses. 
 They will not eat loaf-sugar again in a hurry." 
 
 After giving up the idea of crossing the desert to Timbuctoo, Rich- 
 ardson resolved to proceed to Kano, in the kingdom of Houssa, by way 
 of Ghat and the un visited country of Aheer, or Asben, which lies in a 
 desert, south-west of Fezzan. Toward the end of November, prepara- 
 
876 
 
 RICHARDSON'S TRAVELS IN THE SAHARA. 
 
 tions were made for the departure of a caravan to Ghat and Soudan, 
 and the traveler determined to bo of the party. The governor of 
 Ghadames, after some hesitation, gave his permission, and Shckh Ma- 
 kouran, the owner of the house in which Richardson lived, had a testi- 
 monial drawn up, and signed by the Kadi in behalf of the people of 
 Ghadames, stating that during his residence there ho had conducted 
 himself well, and had given offense to no one. lie then purchased a she- 
 camel for $25, hired another to carry the baggage, and procured a com- 
 plete Arab dress. The shckh, who had treated him with the greatest 
 kindness, furnished him with a store of cakes for the journey, made of 
 honey and dates. 
 
 The 24th was fixed upon for the departure of the caravan, but as the 
 day drew nigh the place was disturbed with rumors that the Shanbah, a 
 predatory desert tribe, Avere lurking in the neighborhood, ready for at- 
 tack. On the aflernoon of the appointed day, the camels Avere loaded, 
 and the whole population of Ghadames collected to see the caravan 
 start, but just as it was passing the gate, a man and boy who had come 
 in from the desert, cried out that the Shanbah were on the road. All 
 was now confusion and dismay ; the caravan halted, and a Senawanee, 
 or native of Scnawan, was sent forward as a scout. He did not return 
 imtil next day at noon, when he reported that the supposed Arabs were 
 merely a herd of stray cattle. The merchants, entirely relieved by this 
 news, at once put the caravan in motion. 
 
 "Mounted on ray camel, pressing on through the desert," says 
 Richardson, " my thoughts still lag behind, and as I turn often to look 
 back upon the city of merchants and marabouts, its palms being only 
 now visible in the dingy red of the setting sun, I endeavor to form a 
 correct opinion of its singular inhabitants. I see in them the mixture 
 of the religious and commercial character, blended in a most extra- 
 ordinary manner and degree, for here the possession of wealth scarcely 
 interferes with the highest state of ascetic devotion. To a religious 
 scrupulousness, which is alarmed at a drop of medichie that is prohibited 
 falling upon their clothes, they add the most enterprising and determined 
 spirit of commercial enterprise, plunging into the desert, oflen in com- 
 panies of only two or three, when infested with bandits and cut-throats, 
 the journeys the mean while extending from the shores of the Mediter- 
 ranean to the banks of the Niger, as low down to the western coast as 
 Noufee and Rabbah. But their resignation to the will of heaven is 
 without a parallel. No murmur escapes them under the severest do- 
 mestic afiiiction ; while prayer is their daily bread. Besides five times a 
 day, they never omit the extraordinary occasions. The aspirations of 
 the older and retired men continue all the live-long day ; this incense of 
 the soul, rising before the altar of the Eternal, is a fire which is never 
 extinguished in Ghadames! Intelligent, instructed, and industrious, 
 they are the greatest friends of civilization in north Africa and the 
 great desert." 
 
A SENTIMENTAL ARAB. 
 
 877 
 
 The caravan consisted of eighty persons and two liundicd laden 
 camels. After traveling for three days in a south-eastern direction, the 
 road turned to the south, entered the gorge of a low mountain range, 
 and gradually ascended to an elevated table-land of the desert. Here, 
 for several days, the journey was exceedingly laborious and exhausting, 
 from the heat and blinding j^larc of the sand by day, and the extreme 
 coldness of the nights, which sometimes prevented them from sleeping. 
 " I notice as a thing most extraordinary," says Richardson, *' after seven 
 davs from Ghadamcs, two small trees ! the common desert-acacia. An- 
 other phenomenon, I sec two or three pretty blue flowers ! As I picked 
 one up, I could not help exclaiming, Elhamdullah (' Praise to God !') 
 for Arabic was growing second-born to my tongue, and I began to tliink 
 in it. An Arab said to me, ' Yakob, if we had a reed and were to make 
 a melodious sound, those flowers, the color of heaven, would open and 
 shut their mouths (petals).' This fiction is extremely poetical. 
 
 ..=.t"^_^-xk.-..^~.'i:i.r 
 
 THE WELIiS OP MISLAII. 
 
 "But here in the center of this wilderness of sand," he continues, 
 "we had an abundant proof of the goodness of a good God. While 
 mourning over this horrible scene of monotonous desolation, and won- 
 dering why such regions were created in vain, we came upon The Welh 
 of Mislah, where we encamped for the day. These are not properly 
 wells, for the sand being removed in various places, about four or five 
 feet below the surface, the water runs out. Indeed, we were obliged to 
 make our own wells. Each party of the ghafalah dug a well for itself. 
 Ghafalahs are divided into so many parties, varying in size from five men 
 and twenty camels, to ten men and forty camels. Three or four wells 
 were dug out in this way. Some of the places had been scooped out 
 
878 
 
 RICHARDSON'S TRAVKLS IN THE SAHARA. 
 
 before. Water iniiy l)e foiuid through all the valley of JMislah. A few 
 dwarfish j)alriis are in the valley, hut Avhich don't bear fruit. The 
 camels, fiiuliiig nothitijjj else to eat, attacked voraciously their branches. 
 These pits ai-c considered as the half-way station between Ghadanies 
 and Ghat." 
 
 On the i;Uh of December, the caravan encountered a company of 
 Touaricks, led by Ouweck, a predatory chief A halt Avas made, a 
 violent disjHite took place, and finally all parties, jifli-r liaving made their 
 customary j)rayers, squatted upon the ground, and commenced a solenui 
 deliberation. Kichardson, who took little notice of what was going on, 
 was lying upon tlic ground eating some dates, when he w.as informed 
 thiit Oiiweek had determined to put him to death, as he was a Christian 
 and an infidel. The people urged liim eitlier to give himself up, or ofl'cr 
 a ransom, but when the latter was proposed to Ouweck, he iiercely de- 
 manded a tliousand dollars. "Hereupon," says liichardson, "all the 
 jM'ople cried out that I had no money. The qitftsi-hwnd'it, nothing re- 
 ceding, 'Why, the Christian's mattress is full of money,' iwintiiig to it 
 still on the camel, for he was very near me, although I could not dis- 
 tinguish his features. The Touaricks wlio Irid come to sec mo before I 
 arrived at the well, observed, 'Ho has money on his coat, it is covered 
 Avitli money,' alluding to the buttons. All our people, again, swore so- 
 lemnly I had no money but paper, which I should change on my arrival 
 at Chat. The bandit, drawing in liis liorns, ' Well, the Christian has a 
 nagah.' 'No,' said the people, 'the camel belongs tons; ho hires it.' 
 The bandit, giving way, ' Well, the Christian has a slave, there he is,' 
 pointing to Said, 'I shall have the slave.' ' No, no,' cried the j)eople, 
 ' the English have no slaves. Said is a free slave.' The bandit, now 
 fairly worsted, full of rage, exclaimed, ' What arc you going to do with 
 mc, am I not to kill this infidel, Avho has dared to come to my country 
 without my permission ?' Ilercat, the messenger from Ghat, .labour's 
 slave, of Avhom the bandit was afraid, and dared not lay a hand upon, 
 interposed, and, assuming an air of defiance, said, ' I am come from my 
 sult.an, Jabour ; if you kill the Christian, you must kill me first. The 
 order of my sultan is, No man is to say a word to the Christian.' Our 
 ])eo])le now took courage from this noble conduct of the slave, declaring, 
 ' If Yakob is beaten, we will all bo beat first ; if Yakob is to be killed, 
 we will be killed likewise.' Ouweck now saw he must come down in 
 his pretensions. The bargain was struck, afler infinite wrangling, for 
 two articles of clothing, of the value of four dollars !" 
 
 On the day following this adventure, the caravan reached the re- 
 markable group of rocky hills, called tln' JiTasr Goioon, or Demon's 
 Palace, and early in the morning of the 15th approached Ghat. The 
 plain contracted and became a narrow valley, between rocky ridges, in 
 the bottom of which appeared the dark-green belt of the palm-trees. 
 Richardson thus describes his arrival and reception : " We were now 
 met by the friends of the Ghadamsee merchants, but with the exception 
 
 our 
 
 and 
 
 were 
 
 from 
 
 youn^ 
 
 condu 
 
 inff. 
 
 most 
 
 mereli 
 
 Perha 
 
 looket 
 
CURIOSITY OF THK NATIVES. 
 
 879 
 
 of EssnousHoo aiul two or tlireo otln is, I rcceiviMl few salutes of wel- 
 coino ; and when avc got up to tlio gates of tlio city at noon, not a slnglo 
 person of our (ianivun oifeied mo the lea.st assistaneo, either in inter- 
 l)reting or otherwise. I folt myself in a most deplorable predicament, 
 but 1 reflected that all men nmst each one look alter his own business 
 BO our people were now each one occupied with his own atlairs. I felt 
 much tho Avant of a good i\[oorish or Arab servant. Said was of no 
 use whatever in this ease. Strangers and loungers crowded and clam- 
 ored round me, anxious to look at the face of ' the Christian.' It was 
 covered with my traveling handkerchief, and when I untied my face to 
 gratify their curiosity, they burst out with tho rude and wild e\])reHsion 
 of Hiu-priso, ' 1^7tyo/i .' Whooh I Whey l^ 
 
 " Several of the Ghat people then asked mo what I wanted. I told 
 them, the Governor of Ghat. I was not understood. At last camo up 
 
 OUAT. 
 
 to mc a young Tripoline Moor of tho name of Mustapha, who volun- 
 teered his services .as Touarghec and Arabic interpreter, but of course, 
 our conversation was always in Arabic. Amid a cluster of Touaricks 
 and Ghat townsmen, the governor, was pointed out. Several shckhs 
 were present, but it appears they gave precedence to the governor's son 
 from a feeling of shamefacedness. Ilaj Ahmed's son is a very nice jjolito 
 young gentleman, as smart as a Parisian dandy. After a little delay he 
 conducted us to a house, in whicli some of his fiithcr's slaves were liv- 
 ing. It was a dark, dreadful, dilapidated hovel. The young gentleman 
 most earnestly apologized, protesting, 'the town is full of people, 
 merchants, and strangers. Wc have nothing better left in the town. 
 Perhaps yon will come and live in our house out of the tOAvn.' We 
 looked out our baggage, which had been conveyed for us by Arabs of 
 
880 
 
 UICIIAUDHON'.S TUAVKLS FN TIIK HAIIARA. 
 
 our caravan, and were astoiiishtHl to littd it Kcattorcd nlioiit oiitsidn lljc 
 city gatoH, tho caravan jx'oplc having tlirown it down tlicri'. Ilowovor, 
 nothing was h)8t, and this at once inipresscd nio with the rcnmrkablo 
 honesty of the (Jhatoo jK'ople." 
 
 Uichardson was received in a very friendly manner by tho Governor 
 of (ihat, Sh(^klj .labour, tho chief marabout, and ailcrward by Shafou, 
 the Sultan of the country. Tho Touaricks arc more bigoted than the 
 inhabitant:^ of (Jhadauics, and ho was frecjucntly insulted in tho streets, 
 but ho was at least secure from violence, and found no serious 
 obstacles in tho way of jirocceding to Soudan. I lis means, liowever, 
 were scarcely sufllcient for the journey, his health began to sutler, and 
 he finally gave up tho plan, after having become Batlslicd of its entire 
 feasibilitv. lie remained in (that two months and a half, at the end of 
 which time he determined to return to Tripoli by way of Mourzuk. Tho 
 following passages from his journals M'ill throw some light on Touarick 
 life and mannorB : 
 
 " Every body, as was tho case at Ghadames, high and low, rich and 
 poor, young and old, wishes to convert nie into a good Mussulman, 
 bi'ing mortified that so quiet a Christian should bo an infidel. An old 
 sliekli paid mc a visit to-day, and began, ' Now, Christian, that you 
 have come into this country, I hope you "will find every thing better 
 than in your own country, and become a Mussulman, one loved of God. 
 ('ome to my house, leave your infidel father and mother. I have two 
 daughters. I will give you both for wives, and eevon camels besides. 
 This will make you a sliekh among us. You can also bo a manibout, 
 and spend your life in pr.ayer.' I excused myself, by saying, ' I had 
 engagements in my country. My sultan would brand mc Avith disgrace, 
 and I shoidd bo fetched out of this country by tho Turks, •who were ahv.iys 
 the friends of the English.' The shckh sighed, raised up his aged body, 
 and departed, mumbling something, a blessing or a curse, upon my head." 
 
 One day he writes: "ILad a visit from sotno score of Touarick wo- 
 men, of all complexions, tempers, and ages. After staring at me for 
 some time with amazed curiosity and silence, they bec.atnc restless. Not 
 knowing wliat to do with them, I took out a loaf of white sugar, cut it 
 into pieces, and then distribuiod it among them. The scene now sud- 
 denly changed, joy beamed i.i every eye, and every one let her tongiio 
 run most volubly. They ask ed me, ' AVhether I was married — whether 
 the Christian women vrcvc pretty — whether prettier than they — and 
 whether, if not married, I should have any objection to marry one of 
 them ?' To all which questions I answered in due categorical form : ' I 
 w.is not married — the Christian women were pretty, but they, the 
 Touarick women, were prettier than Christian women — and, lastly, I 
 should see whether I would marry one of them whem I came from 
 Soudan.' These answers were perfectly satisfactory. But then came a 
 ptizzler. They asked me, ' Which was the prettiest among them ?' I 
 looked at one, and then at another, with great seriousness, assuming 
 
THK I'ALAOK OF TMK DKMONS. 
 
 881 
 
 very ungtillant airs (tht; women tho nu'anwliil«> j^ij^j^linj; and coqnet- 
 tiiij?, and Honu; tlirowiiij^ l)iick their l>arracans, hIiuwIs I may call them, 
 furtiu-r from tlieir Nlioiililcrs, hariiitj their bosoms in true ball-room 
 Htyle), and, at last liillinjr back, and shuttinj^ my eyes, pliicin<; my lell 
 hand to my forehead, as if in j)rofound relh-ction, I exclaimed langnidly, 
 and with a forced nij,di, ' Ah, I can't tell, yon arc all so pretty!' This 
 created an explosion of mirth. Home of tho more knowinj^ ones iiilim;it- 
 inj; by their looks, 'It's Incky for yo»i that you have j^ot out of the 
 Hcrajic.' Ibit an old lady, dose to mo, was very an<<ry with nu': ' You 
 fool. Christian, take one of tho young ones; hero 's my daughter.' 
 
 "Nothing Hurprisi's tho natives of (that and Uie Touaricks so much 
 as my gloves. I am obliged to put them olV and on a hundred linu's :i 
 day to pleaso people. They then try them on, look at them inside and 
 outside, in every shape and way, expressing their utter astonislmiont by 
 the most sacred names of Deity. Some also, liavo not seen stockings 
 before, and examine tliem with much wonderment. IJut ihe gloves 
 carry tho j>alni hi exciting tho omotitm of the terrible. One said, aller 
 ho had put tho glove on his band, ' Ah ! ah ! whey, whoo ! that 's tho 
 hand of tho devil himself!'" 
 
 On the nth of February, 1840, Richardson left, fihat with a Touarick 
 (\*n'avan for Mourzuk. On jipproaching tlu; Denuui's Pulac(>, ho lefl tlu! 
 caravan and wandered off to tho wonderful natural fortress, with the <lo- 
 sign of procuring some curious geologi(V'd spci^ini'iis. Losing liimself 
 Hoon, however, among tho rocky n),i/.es, h(> wandered about all night 
 without finding any trace of tho road, 'ind in tho morning, nearly delir- 
 ious from thirst, sot oft* to wander back to (Jhat, when, after three hours, 
 he was fortunate enough to stumble upon his own party. The mer- 
 chants supposed that ho had been kilhd by tlie demons, and some; ol' 
 them said to him : " You were viuy foolish, you ought not, as a Chris- 
 tian, to have presumed to go to the Palace of the Demons, without a Mus- 
 sulman, who could have tho meanwhile prayed to God to preserve you, 
 and likewise himself. Tho demons it is who have made you wander all 
 night through the desert." Nothing of any sjjocial interest occurred dtu-- 
 ingthcremainder of tho journey, and on tho 22d ho arrived at Mourzuk. 
 
 Richardson soon recovered his health, tmdcr tho hospitable care of 
 Mr. Gagliufti, tho English vice-consul at Mourzuk, and by the fith of 
 March, was well enough to start with a caravan for Tripoli. lie reached 
 Sockna, on the 21st, and halted there nine days. His route from (Jhat 
 to Tripoli was precisely the samo as that traversed by Dcnhain and 
 Clai)pcrton ; i\w. character of tho country and its inhabitants is de- 
 scribed in tho narrative of those explorers, and need not bo repeated 
 here. On the evening of tlio 19th of April, Richardson arrived at Tri- 
 poli, after a tour of eight months and a half in tho Sahara, during which 
 time ho traveled sixteen hundred miles. His entire expenses were less 
 than $300, which sum he earned on the road by writing letters to tho 
 London Times. 
 
 56 
 
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I 
 
 RICHARDSON AND EARTH'S 
 
 EXPEDITION TO CENTRAL AFRICA. 
 
 
 JOURNEY TROUGH AIR, OR ASBEN, TO SOUDAN. 
 
 After his r(;tnrn to England, Mr. Richardson did not lose sight of 
 the project of a visit to Soudan, which he had been obliged to relinquish 
 at CThat, but cndcavorrd to enlist the sympathies of the public, and ob- 
 tain the sanction o*" government. Finally, in the summer of 1849, he 
 received a government commission to visit Central Africa on a political 
 and commercial mission. Drs. Harth and. Overweg, of Prussia, vho 
 were highly recommended by Humboldt, Ritter, and Encke, volunteered 
 to accomjtany him, the former as antiquarian and philologist, the latter 
 as naturalist, on condition that the Hritish government should defray 
 their expenses. Their oftor was accepted, a' d an appropriation of 
 14,000 made for them, in addition to which they received $3,000 from 
 the Geographical Society of Berlin, the King of I'russia, and other 
 sources. The explorers met Jit Tripoli, where they were delayed some 
 time for the purpose of having a boat constructed for the navigation of 
 Lake Tsad. Finally, on the .^Oth of March, 1850, the party started, 
 comprising a cari;van of forty ca'nels, with which they joined the ;jreat 
 semi-annual caravan to Bornon. 
 
 The route followed by the oxpedi^^'on from Tripoli to Lake Tsad 
 (Tchad of Denham and Clapporton), was not the direct road vi^ Mur- 
 zouk and Bilma through the country of the Tibboos, but one from Mur- 
 Eouk, deviating greatly westward and extending through the Tuarick 
 country, with the kingdom of Air to Kano, the great mart of Soudan. 
 The object of tliirt deviation was to explore countries never before visited 
 by Europeans. The expedition entered the elevated regions south of 
 Tripoli by the Gharian P:vss, near which is mount Tekut. As far as the 
 Well of Taboniah, situated at the foot of the northern edge of the 
 Hamada, many deep wadis intersect this table land, and the ruins of 
 several Roman monuments and columns were discovered by the travel- 
 ers. To the souih of Taboniah is the Hamada, an immense stony desert 
 
 
88G 
 
 KXrKDITION OP RICHARDSON AND BARTII. 
 
 of 2,000 to 'J, 500 f(v>t I'lovatioii, uiul extending about 110 geograpliical 
 miles southward. As far as the eye can reacli, neither trees nor indica- 
 tions of wells are visible, and the scanty vegetation which occtirs, is 
 only found here and there in the trifling irregularities of the surface. 
 The ground is covered with smali stones, pyramids of which, erected 
 with great labor, serve as road-marks to th(> intrepid camel-drivers by 
 day, while the Polar star an<l Antares arc the guides by night. A(l(>r 
 six long days' Journey, the expedition reached the southern (idge of this 
 table land, which descends in perpendicular Avails to the Wady el llessi. 
 The monotony of the dreary bla«'k rock was relieved by the yeUow 
 sand, without whl<Oi tin? whole of Fezzan would be a lifeless wilderness, 
 as it is in the sand that the \M\hn trees grow, and in the wadis filled 
 Avith it that tin- wells are found. In the great Wady of Fezzan the ex- 
 pedition |»assd through a complete forest of [>alms, as well as through 
 cultivated fields of wheat and barley. Another small table land was 
 traversed li- tluj travelers, ailer which they reached Murzouk on the Gth 
 of May, 1 Hi > 
 
 Here they . compelled to make a long stay, as they wore await- 
 ing the arrival tr, ..i (ihat of the Tuarick escort, headed by Hateeta, the 
 well-known Tuarick chief, who calls himself" the friend of the English," 
 from having escorted Oudney and Clapperton to Ghat. The journey 
 from INIurzouk to (ihat, geiu^rally accomplished in twelve days, occuj)ied 
 the travelers thirty-six, owing partly to the delay caused by Ilateetu, 
 partly to the slow rate oi' traveling of this old and decrepit man. The 
 travelers were, however, compensated by the discovery of some extremely 
 curious rock sculptures in the Wady Telissareh, which is situated 
 about mid-way between IMurzouk and Ghat. One of these sculptures 
 consists of two human bird and bull headed figures, armed with spears, 
 shields, ami arrows, and combating for a child. The other represents a 
 fine gi'ouj) of oxen going to a watering-i)lace, most artistically grouped 
 and skillfully executed. In the opinion of the travelers, the two works 
 bear a striking and unmistakable resemblance to the sculptures of Egypt. 
 They arc evidently of a very high antiquity, and superior to numerous 
 other sculptures of more recent date found at the same time, in which 
 camels generally formed the principal object. They most probably relate 
 to a period of ancient Libyan history when camels were unknown in that 
 part of Africa, and oxen were used instead. 
 
 At Serdalous, the road, till then from east to west, suddenly turned 
 almost due south, in the direction of the celebrated Kasr Janoon or 
 Palace of the Demons, a small range of hills composed chiefly of slate- 
 marl, and most curiously shaped, liaving the appearance of ruinous 
 cathedrals and castles. This region is held in the most superstitious 
 dread by the inhabitants, who never go near it. It had well-nigh cost 
 the life of Dr. Barth, who, on the caravan arriving on the spot, with 
 Dr. Overweg, determined to visit this curious group of hills. As they 
 could procure uo guide or companiou, they set off alone, while Mr. 
 
SIC AUG II FOtt DU. liARTII. 
 
 887 
 
 ^^??^ii^--p',;£^ 
 
 TlIK I'AI.ACK Of THE DIOMONS. 
 
 Kicliardson pitclufd his lent at llio nearest well. TIk- day wore on, it 
 blew gales uf wind, and none of them returned. At last toward the 
 evening Dr. Overweg returned, but without liis companion, from whom 
 he had separated without seeing him again. Gi'eat fears began to be enter- 
 tained that an accident liad befallen the hitter. Search was commenced 
 just before sunset, and continued up to midnight, ])ut in vahi. At day- 
 break, the search was more vigorously resumed, and a considerable re- 
 ward was ollered as a stimulus to the Tuaricks, but the day wore on 
 without result. Just before sunset, however, the joyful intelligence was 
 brought to the camp, that Dr. liarth had at last been discovered, still alive, 
 and even able to speak. One of the Tuaricks had found him aboiit eight 
 miles from the camp, lying on the ground, unable to move. For twenty- 
 four hours he had remained in the same position, perfectly exhausted 
 with heat and fatigue. On seeing hi'e deliverers, lie could just muster 
 strength to say, " Water, water !" He had finished the small supply he 
 had taken with him the day before at noon, and had from that time 
 suffered the most horrible tortures from thirst. He had even drunk his 
 own blood : twenty -eight hours in the Sahara without water ! Tin; 
 Tuaricks could scarcely at first credit that he was alive ; for their saying 
 is, that no one can live more than twelve hours wlien lost in the desert 
 during the heats of summer. The doctor, liowever, being of robust 
 constitution, was well enough the next day to mount his camel, and 
 proceed with the caravan. The travelers arrived at (ihat on the iVth 
 of July. 
 
 At Ghat, the travelers remained a week : which time was by no 
 means one of rest or recreation, as they were continually harassed by 
 the greedy demands of the chiefs, and by the fanaticism of the inhabit- 
 
 J 
 
888 
 
 KXPEDITION OF RICHARDSON AND BARTH. 
 
 ants : so much so, indeed, that they had but few opportunities of ex- 
 ploring the town and surrounding country, except when their medical 
 assistance happened to be required. Even old Ilatceta proved a faith- 
 less "friend of the English." On the 25th of July the expedition 
 letl Ghat. 
 
 "The departure from Ghat," so writes Mr. Richardson, "was, for 
 the most of us, an exciting moment. So far I had considered myself 
 comparatively on familiar grouui ; for although I had followed different 
 routes, the great points of Murzouk and Ghat were well known to me. 
 Now, however, we were about to enter upon a region totally unknown, 
 of which no authentic accounts from eye-witnesses, unless we count the 
 vague reports of natives, had ever reached us : valleys unexplored ; 
 deserts unaffronted ; countries which no European had ever surveyed. 
 Before us, somewliere in the heart of the Sahara, raised into magnif- 
 icence perhaps by the mirage of report, was the unknown kingdom of 
 Air, of which Leo Africanus hints something, but the names of whose 
 great cities are scattered, as if at hap-hazard over the maps, possibly 
 hundreds of miles out of their right position." 
 
 The travelers first passed Barket, a considerable town, surrounded 
 with palm-trees and gardens, and situated in a pleasant and picturesque 
 piece of country, nowhere exceeded in beauty in the whole region yet 
 traversed. On the 27th of July the expedition arrived at the well of 
 Akuru, and was there joined by a caravan of Kelowi Tuaricks, under 
 whose protection they were to proceed as far as Tin-Tellust, in Air, the 
 residence of the Kelowi prince. The scenery continued to be very 
 varied, so different from the vulgar notions of a desert, or level expanse 
 of sand. There were frequent ascents and descents, ravines and rocky 
 plateuis. On ihe 30th of July they came to a small lake inclosed within 
 inmiense rocks, ."ailed ^Vggeri Water, which is solely produced by rain. 
 Here the expedition began to be harassed by rumors of pursuing Tua- 
 ricks. On the 4th of August, the Wady and well of Falesseles Mas 
 reached. Here they stayed two days to refresh themselves, as they were 
 greatly f;itigued by the long days' marches which they had made ever 
 since leaving Ghat. They entered now upon a more elevated rocky 
 region, an extensive hamada, uninhabited for about three hundred 
 miles in a southerly direction. 
 
 On the 15th of August, not far from the well of Aisou, the travelers 
 expeiionced the first drops of Soudan rain, and a complete Soudan at- 
 mosphere, the clouds having a vermilion tinge, and the air being hot 
 and clammy. The next day a terrific tempest was experienced, with 
 thunder and lightning, and so violent a shower of rain that the travelers 
 got quite wet through almost in an instant. On the 17th of August, the 
 Aisou, or the Seven Wells, were reached. Here reports of ])ursuing 
 Tuaricks again alarmed the caravan ; but the enemy was outstripped, 
 and the travelers safely reached the borders of the kingdom of Air at 
 Taghajit, hoping to be hospitably received by its inhabitants, and to 
 
ARRIVAL AT TI N-TELLU8T. 
 
 889 
 
 rest after the fatigues of a forced inarch. But they were sadly dis- 
 apix)iiited. 
 
 From this moment they were greatly harassed by the attacks of 
 what would seem to have been the lawless tribes of the border regions, 
 and hordes of all the blackguards of the surrounding districts, in number 
 gradually increasing from sixty to several hundreds. Earnest prepara- 
 tions to repel these attacks were now made by the mission ; whose force 
 consisted of about sixty men able to fight. To these, ammunition for 
 twelve shots was distributed. The demand made by the enemy to the 
 caravan, was, that the three Christians should be delivered over to them ; 
 but their servants, their escort, and the other members of the caravan 
 remained faithful to the travelers. Several times the enemy challenged 
 the caravan to battle ; but when the latter showed a bold front, ad- 
 vanced in a body well armed, and shouted out that they accepted the 
 challenge, the former retired, satisfied with the payment of a ransom. 
 At last, however, the affair became more serious ; and before the trav- 
 elers reached the town of Seloufiyeh, a troop of a hundred men, insti- 
 gated by the marabouts, demanded that the travelers should become 
 Moslems, or return by the way they had come, as no infidel had ever 
 passed, or should ever pass through their country. 
 
 The Tuarick escort of the travelers remained faithful and firm, and 
 by their negotiations, and by paying a heavy ransom, the enemy agreed 
 to the proposition that the travelers should be taken to Tin-Tellust, to 
 the great Sultan En-Noor, who should decide upon their case. On their 
 way to that place, they passed near Tintaghoda, the city of marabouts. 
 These marabouts, by assigning to have found the names of the travelers 
 in their book.?, and other reasons, had determined to receive them with 
 ojjen arms and afford them their protection as far as Tin-Tellust. It was 
 from these persons that they received the first substantial action of kind- 
 ness in Air, v iz., a present of two melons, some onions, and a small 
 quantity of whtiat. By a kind treatment the marabouts, it seems, hoped 
 the Christians would still be converted into Moslems. 
 
 Under the protection of this escort, they reached, on the 3d of Sep- 
 tember, the broad and spacious valley of Tin-Tellust. The town itself 
 is situated in the middle of this valley, with trees here and there inter- 
 spersed. This place, the capital of the mighty Prince En-Noor, on whom 
 the life and death of the travelers depended, and on which their minds 
 had naturally dwelt so long, was found to be much less imposing, consist- 
 ing, as it does, of only about one hundred and fifty houses and huts, and 
 being in fact nothing but a large village. The travelers ]ntched their 
 tents upon some sandhills overlooking the entire country. For the fii"st 
 time since many a day they felt themselves quite secure under the im- 
 mediate protection of En-Noor, who on their arrival sent them a kind 
 message. 
 
 The expedition now having fixed their encampment for their resi- 
 dence in the kingdom of Air, Mr. Richardson's chief care was that of 
 
890 
 
 EXPEDITION OP RICHARDSON AND BARTII. 
 
 obtaining the signing of certain treat. is on the part of the chiefs, while 
 his scientiiic companions longed to uxplt."e tiie country around. On the 
 4th of September, the travelers were rect'ved by the Sultan Kn-Noor 
 in his palace, a long mud-shed, when they delivcv«>d a number of presents, 
 the largest yet given. All the .articles were carefully examined, b«it not 
 a word was said. The sultan, a venerable-looking black, but with some- 
 thing of an European cast of features, .about seventy-eight years of ago, 
 received the travelers favorably, assured them of his protection, and 
 ascribi'd the robberies they had suifered on the road as arising from a 
 general fermentation, a kind of revolution throughout the country. 
 
 By the 24th of September the friendly relations with the sultan had so 
 far increased, th.at Mr. Richardson i)aid a visit to his highness to refjuest 
 him to sign the treaty of .amity and commerce which he had prepared. 
 On this occasion En-Noor really seemed what he professed to be, the 
 friend of the English, and accepted both the treaty and the present of a 
 Bword with ardent manifestations of pleasure. This was a d.ay of rijoic- 
 ing and thanksgiving to the travelers, who hoisted the union-jack over 
 the tents and tired a salute ; for they found that with the friendship of 
 the chiefs, and particularly of En-Noor, who exerts paramount inHuence 
 in Air, the people were also showing themselves more and more friendly, 
 so th.at after a residcjice of several weeks the former felt themselves 
 quite at homo in th.at singular country. The fan.aticism gave Avay by 
 degrees, and the sultan became so much attached and condescending to 
 his guests, th.at ho visited them almost daily in their tents, took tea or 
 coffee with them, .and chatted with them like old friends. Thus the 
 months of Se{)tember .and October passed off pleasantly enough upon 
 the whole, and the travelers were only .awaiting the departure of the 
 great salt caravan of the sultan to Soudan, under whose protection they 
 were to continue their journey to the south. 
 
 During the sojourn of the expedition at Tin-Tell ust, Dr. Barth ob- 
 tained permission and protection to visit Agadez, the capitiil of Air, and 
 situated in the south-western portion, lie letl the former place on the 
 4th of October, escorted by a car.avan mounted on bullocks and camels, 
 the gener.al direction of his route being about S.S.E., .and the distance 
 to Agadez, in a straght line, one hundred and thirty-two geographical 
 miles, which he accomplished in six days going, and seven days return- 
 ing. It is an interesting tract of country, presenting a great variety of 
 scenery, now composed of fine valleys, now of mountain chains cut up 
 by defiles. Here and there charming sj)ots, green with herbage and 
 trees, particularly rich in doum-])ahns, .and of a truly tropical character, 
 greeted the eyes of the traveler, Agadez is situated on a hamdda or 
 table land, consisting of sandstone and gr.anitic formations. Its circuit is 
 three miles, including about seven hundred liouses, with seven or eight 
 thousand inhabit.ants. No author is known to have mentioned this 
 place before Leo Africanus, in whose time it was a flourishing town. 
 There arc traditions among the inhabitants, that it owes its origin chiefly 
 
 total 
 wJiio 
 the tr; 
 bodice 
 eiglit 
 j dred 
 I ulatiou 
 j places 
 a good 
 I On 
 
 campmi 
 caravan 
 eastern 
 ing wh 
 basalt, 
 I^aghzeiH 
 The nej 
 to a coB 
 forests 
 try a tri 
 Bargot. 
 On 
 
AOADEZ. 
 
 891 
 
 to some tti'ocs coming from the north, probably belonging to the IJcrber 
 race. 
 
 Agutk'z roriiicrly contaiued not losa than from fifty to sixty thousand 
 inhabitants, tlicru being now only about eight thousand. At present 
 tho appearaiiec of the town is that of an almost ruined place, scarcely 
 the sixth part of it. Tho inhabitants arc ])artly merchants, partly arti- 
 zans. Ri'specting the degree of civilization of tho inhabitants, it may bo 
 mentioned tiiat then; are live or six schools in Agadez, where the boys 
 are taught to read the Koran, and to write. The v. omen seem to enjoy 
 great freedom. Some of them are pretty, and have Arab features; and 
 among the men J)r. Uarth observed fine faces and good iigures. The 
 population is so mixed that it would be ditlicult to mako out the type of 
 the original stock. 
 
 The kingdom of Air, as it is called by the Tuaricka, and Asbcn by 
 the ancient Soudan name, lies about midway between the Nile and the 
 western coast of northern Africa. From its nattu'al features it can 
 neither be considered as strictly belonging to the Sahara nor to Soudan, 
 but it presents a transition country, where tho various features of both 
 regions are blended and mixed together. On tho one hand, the tro])ical 
 rains extend all over tiie country to its northernmost extremity, which 
 is not the case in that j)art of the desert explored by Oudney, Denham, 
 and Clapperton, and lying to the east, nor in that portion lying to the 
 west. 
 
 The ])opulation is pretty considerable for a Saharan country, the 
 total number of inliabitants being estimated at about sixty-four thousand, 
 which is at least double that of the whole of Fezzan. It was stated to 
 the travelers, that the chiel'sofAir can bring fourteen thousand able- 
 bodied warriors itito the field. The largest town is Agadez, with about 
 eight thousand inhabitants, while Tin-Tellust has only about four hun- 
 dred and fifty. There are, however, about half a dozen towns, the pop- 
 ulation of each of which exceeds one thousand, while the great bulk of 
 places contain between that number and one hundred inhabitants, and 
 a good many contain not more than fifty. 
 
 On tho r2th of December, the travelers lefl their protracted en- 
 campment at Thi-Teggana, and on the 14th were joined by tho salt 
 caravan from Bilma. On tho 20tli December, they rested opposite the 
 eastern side of the celebrated Baghzen Mountain, Dr. Overweg ascend- 
 ing what may be considered its lower terrace. It consists of porous 
 basalt, and afforded a capital view of the high and steep slopes of tho 
 Baghzen, with its narrow gorges, tho home of grCiit numbers of lions. 
 The next day they descended along the Wady Unan which widens out 
 to a considerable plain further south, and passed through splendid 
 forests of the doum-palm, "which, laden with fruit, imparted to the coun- 
 try a truly tropical aspect. Christmas-eve was passed at a place called 
 Bargot. 
 
 On the 1st of January, 1851, tho travelers passed tho most barren 
 
892 
 
 EXPEDITION OF lUOIIARDSON AND BARTU. 
 
 portion of the plateau, and descondccl by a gentle slope to Soudan. The 
 weather experienced in that region was bleak and cold, Avith a keen 
 bracing air from the north-eajt, under which the caravan sutTercd se- 
 verely, and several camels escaped from the numbed fingers of their 
 drivers. The next day the travelers got fairly out of the elevated des- 
 ert, and entered upon a wilderness of small tholukh-trecs full of birds' 
 nests, the soil covered Avith karcngia and other herbs. Great numbers 
 of ant-hills were met with. The same character of landscajjc continued 
 to the village of Nasamat, which was reached on the 3d of January, 
 Here flocks of sheep and droves of oxen betrayed the commencement 
 of an inhabited country, and a real blessing and haijpiness it was to the 
 travelers to be kindly received by the inhabitants, who are Tuari(!k8, and 
 belong to a tribe called Tagama. Plenty of i>rovisions were now ob- 
 tained by the hungry caravan : fowls and cheese, young ostriches and 
 eggs of ostriches, and the flesh of the giraffe, were brought for sale. Tlio 
 latter was relished, and its taste found to be somewhat like beef. Hunt- 
 ing the girafib is a great occupation with the peo{)le of this village, and 
 its flesh is a source of subsistence for them. 
 
 The caravan now entered Damergou, a frontier country of IJornou, 
 under the sway of the Tuaricks, greatly intermixed with people of Bor- 
 nou and Houssa. The expedition encamped on the 7th of January at 
 the village of Tagelal, which belongs to En-Noor. It was arranged that 
 the travelers should part here for a time and take different routes, in 
 order to explore as much of Soud.an as possible, making Kouka their 
 place of rendezvous. Mr. Richardson was to take the direct road by 
 Zindcr, Dr. Barth by Katshna and Kano, and Dr. Overweg by a cir- 
 cuitous westerly route through Guber and Mariadi. On the 11th of 
 January, 1851, they parted, never, alas, all tliree to meet again. "Wo 
 took leave," says Mr, Richardson in his journal, " one of the other with 
 some emotion ; for in central Africa, those traA'olers who part and take 
 divergent routes, can scarcely count on all meeting together again," 
 
 The direction of Mr. Richardson's route w.as nearly due south for 
 about fifteen geographical miles, when it turned about south-east and 
 continued in that direction as far as Zinder. A protracted delay of 
 nearly four weeks was caused at Zinder, on account of a razzia sent to 
 the neighboring countries. Mr. Richardson was all this time well 
 treated, had good opportunities of making observations respecting the 
 country and people around, and also of collecting information generally; 
 provisions of every kind were supplied to him in abundance. Sad sights, 
 however, connected with the slave-trade, checked his delight and threw 
 a gloom over every thing else. During his stay the sultan went out in 
 person to hunt down the subjects of his own sovereign, that he might 
 pay his debts by selling them into captivity. 
 
 Zindcr has a population of about ten thousand soids. The mili- 
 tary force consists of cavalry and foot — one thousand cavalry having 
 Bwords, spears, and shields ; and four or five thousand bowmen, having 
 
DEATH OP MR. RIOHAUDSON. 
 
 893 
 
 only bows and arrows. Tho houses of Zindcr are mostly built of doublu 
 matting, but a good number have mud walla and thatched roofs. Others 
 are built of inud. There are no nice mosques with minarets. The resi- 
 dence of the sultan is a fort of mud, with walls of some height ; it over- 
 looks all the other buildings. There arc two principal streets, nwuiing 
 from the south to the north ; one termuiating at the castle of the gov- 
 ernor, and the other in the market. These are of some Avidth, tliere 
 being spaces for a dozen camels to pass abreast. There are, besides, 
 many little scpuires before the houses of the grandees, where the idle 
 people loimgo, of which the streets are always full. The scavengers in 
 the streets of Zinder are the vultures and hysenas, the former walking 
 about in great numbers by day, the latter enter tho town in troojjs 
 by night. 
 
 On tho Sth of February, 1R51, Mr. Richardson left Zinder en rojitc 
 for Kouka, under an escort, and mounted on a horse i)resented to him 
 by the sultan. The general direction of his route was cast, througli a 
 fine wavy country, rising at times into high hills, with comparatively 
 few trees, and more sugar-cane ^lelds than in the northern parts of the 
 province. The country is veiy tino and park-like, and were it not for 
 the doum-palm, would be more like some of the best parts of Europe 
 than Africa is supposed to be. On the 11th of February, ho entered 
 Manga or Minyo, considered to bo the most powerful province of Uor- 
 nou ; and after passing a great number of villages — for the country is 
 densely peopled — reached the cajntal Gurai on the 14th. He was kindly 
 received by the sultan, and after staying for several days at Gurai, left 
 that place on the 1 9th of February. His route led through a tract of coim- 
 try which may be considered as the southern border of tho Sahara, for 
 the vegetation was stunted, and the fauna exceedingly poor. At Gusu- 
 mana, which forms the center of a group of several towns and villages, the 
 country was considerably improved. It is situated on a hill, overlooking 
 a steep broad valley, full of doum-palms, while in the gardens wheat, 
 cotton, and pepper are cultivated. Mr. Richardson reached this place 
 on the 21st of February, and here it was that he wrote the last words 
 of his journal, for a few days afterward he fell a victim to the fatigues 
 of the journey, and the influence of the climate. His last words seem 
 to hint tho cause of tho lamentable accident that speedily followed : 
 " Thermometer at sunset, 82°; weather very troublesome to-day, blow- 
 ing hot and cold with tho same breath." Spring was advancing with 
 its uncertain temperatures in central Africa. The thei' 'omcter stood 
 nearly 30° between the morning and afternoon. Doubtless, however, 
 the unusual fatigue of horse-exercise during the days that succeeded tho 
 departure irom Zinder may have contributed its share in breaking down 
 Mr. Richardson's strength. 
 
 Mr. Richardson died at Ungurutua, about six days' journey from 
 Kouka, the capital of Bornou, on the 4th of March, 1851, eleven months 
 after his departure from Tripoli. His fellow-traveler, Dr. Barth, hast- 
 
 1 
 
894 
 
 KXPKDITION OF RICHARDSON AND BARTII. 
 
 cncd to tlio spot with laudnblo energy as soon as he heard of the melan- 
 choly catastrophe that had taken place, and secured all his ])apers and 
 effects, whi(!h he forwarded to the British consul at Tripoli. The journal 
 of the iil-flited traveler has since been publiahcd. IIo was forty-two 
 years of age at the time of his death. 
 
 From Tagelal, where the travelers separated, Dr. Barth Avent in a 
 direction about south-west nearly on a straight lino as far as Katshna, 
 thus entering the dominions of the Felatahs. A few miles from Tagelal 
 he passed Olaloal, the capital of Damergou, and about halfway between 
 that place and Katshna ho left, the town of Tasawa a little to the right 
 of his route, having to cross a dense forest before reaching the frontier 
 of the Felatah empire. This forest is rendered unsafe by gangs of Fe- 
 latahs. Arrived at Katshna, the capital of a B'elatah province, ho was 
 detained some days by the governor, who extorted from him a high 
 passage money. From Katshna to Kano, Barth took a more easterly 
 route than the one of Clapperton, and found the various streams ho 
 crossed running to the eastward. He arrived at this important j-lace, 
 the London of Soudan in a commercial point, in the beginning of F<>1.. 
 ruary, and stayed till the beginning of March. During this time ho 
 collected a good deal of information respecting Iloussa, and but for this 
 would have been very dissatisfied with his visit to that city ; for he was 
 much molested by the inhabitants, and suffiired from the unhcalthincss 
 of the place by a slight attack of fever. In addition to this, he was 
 greatly disappointed by his commercial transactions, for the great amount 
 of goods he and Dr. Overwcg had been induced to purchase n ^ur- 
 zoniv — to 1)0 exchanged in the markets of Kano for Soudan n or 
 
 merchandise — fetched very low prices, and thus entailed a cons»L4^.aoic 
 loss, which, with the robberies in the Sahara, reduced liis means in a 
 degree little anticipated. 
 
 On the 5th of March, Dr. Barth left; Kano and reached Gummel, the 
 first considerable place withhi the Bornouese dominions, on the r2tli. 
 After staying a few days at that place, he continued his journey, and met 
 with a sherif on the road, who acquainted him with Mr. Richardson's 
 death. This sad account having been confirmed by succeeding travelers, 
 he hurried on as fast as possible, in order to fulfill the last duty to his 
 unfortunate traveling companion ; if too lato for his burial, at least to 
 make provision that his lonely grave would bo respected, and also to 
 take such measures as might be necessary for the successful prosecution 
 of the object of the mission. Having secured all Mr. Richardson's pa- 
 pers, Dr. Barth hastened on to Kouka, which he reached on the 2d 
 of April, 1851. On his arrival, he presented himself at once at the 
 shekh's palace, as one of the surviving Christians who had come from 
 England to bring him presents from her Britannic majesty. He was 
 received with great kindness and hospitality. 
 
 While awaiting the arrival of Dr. Overweg, Dr. Barth made prepa- 
 rations for the exploration of Lake Tsad, and collected information 
 
 re 
 
 8C! 
 
 di( 
 
 mc 
 
 IK 
 
 by 
 
 the 
 
 his 
 
 hom 
 
 ]ivo 
 
 butt 
 
 plori 
 
 direc 
 
 Tsad, 
 
 Til 
 
 I Way H( 
 I whole 
 j beforel 
 I they \y 
 I to Kou 
 I than th 
 I This 
 it, to 
 arose 
 therefoi 
 tion of 
 arrival 
 compan 
 accomp.' 
 south wa 
 territor 
 Afargh 
 color of 
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 separate 
 The Mai 
 leather p 
 profusio 
 'egs. TJ 
 ear, but 
 Marghi 
 viJJage h, 
 
 n ; 
 
ADAMOWA. 
 
 895 
 
 respecting every quarter of central Africa, with the zeal and inclefati- 
 gability which distinguish this enthusiastic traveler, though the state of 
 scanty provision and disorganization in which he found the whole expe- 
 dition on his arrival at Kouka, wore sufficient to have discouraged the 
 most energetic. In this dilemma, the Vizier of Bornou had lent hira 
 $100; with which he was enabled to pay some of the debts incurred 
 by Mr. Richardson, and part of the salary duo to his servants. On 
 the 7th of May, Dr. Overweg arrived at Kouka, and was welcomed by 
 his traveling companion as one who had made himself already quite at 
 homo. They received from the shckh a good house of large size to 
 live in, and were supplied daily with plenty of mutton, rice, wheat, 
 butter, and honey. Energetic preparations were forthwith made for ex- 
 ploring unknown regions, Dr. Barth directing his steps in a southerly 
 direction, and Dr. Overweg commencing the exploration of Lake 
 Tsad. 
 
 
 DR. BARTH'S JOURNEY TO ADAMOWA. 
 
 The great object of Dr. Barth and Dr. Overweg being to push their 
 way southward from Lake Tsad, with the ultimate view to cross the 
 whole continent of Africa and reach the Indian Ocean, they collected 
 beforehand as much information as possible respecting the countries 
 they were about to visit. Thus Dr. Barth, while on his way from Kaiio 
 to Kouka, received accounts of a country ot which till then scarcely more 
 than the name was known, and that it was situated south of Lake Tsad. 
 This country, called Adamaua, Dr. Barth inferred, from all he heard of 
 it, to be the most beautiful country of central Africa, and a strong wish 
 arose to reach and explore this region .at the earliest opportunity. He, 
 therefore, on his arrival at Kouka, directed all his energies to ihe realiza- 
 tion of his wish, and so far succeeded, that soon after Dr. Overweg'a 
 arrival at that place, he was enabled to start for the south, leaving his 
 companion to navigate Lake Tsad. Leaving Kouka on the 29th of May, 
 accompanied by a Bornoueso kasholla, or captain. Dr. Barth proceeded 
 southward, passing through the province of Uje. He then entered the 
 territory of a tribe called the Marghi, whom he thus describes : " The 
 Marghi are a very fine set of people, tall and extremely well-built ; the 
 color of some is black, of others copper color. They have a language 
 of their own. Their villages consist of groups of huts belonging to 
 separate families, and the huts are better than any I have seen in Bornou. 
 The Marghi are quite naked, with the exception of a simple band of 
 leather passed between their loins and fixed round their girdle, and a 
 profusion of neatly made rings of iron and ivory round their arms and 
 legs. The females perforate their under lips, and the males their right 
 ear, but neither of them make any incisions in their face or body. The 
 Marghi worship their god, called tambi, in holy groves, of which each 
 village has one, consisting of magnificent trees, surrounded by a ditch, 
 
896 
 
 EXPEDITION OF RICHARDSON AND BARTH. 
 
 anri ibniiiiig a kind of citadel, whither they retreat during war with all 
 their proj)orty and what is most dear to them. They have also a rock 
 near Kobtshee, the capital, which is the object of great veneration, and 
 on which they perform ordeals very similar to those in the middle ages. 
 The death of au old man is celebrated with rejoicings, that of a young 
 man with grief and lamentations. 
 
 " The most imi)ortaut day," he writes, " in all my African journeys, 
 was the 18tli of June, when we reached the river Benue, at a point 
 called Tuepe, where it is joined by the river Faro. Since leaving 
 Europe, I had not seen so large and imposi.ng a river. The Benue, or 
 ' mothc: of waters,' which is by far the larger one of the two, is half a 
 mile broad, and nine and a quarter feet deep in the chanu' 1 where we 
 crossed it. On our return, eleven days later, it had risen one and a half 
 feet. The Faro is five twelfths of a mile broad, and three feet deep, 
 which increased to seven and a quarter feet by our return. Both rivers 
 have a very strong cuiTcnt, and run to the west into the Kowara (Niger). 
 We crossed the Benue in bo.its made out of single trees, twenty-five to 
 thirty-five feet long, and one to one and a half feet broad, and forded 
 the Faro, which latter was accomplished not without difficulty, on ac- 
 count of the strong current. The Benue is said to rise nine days' journey 
 from Yola in a south-easterly direction, and the Faro seven days' journey 
 distant, in a rock called Labul. During the rainy season the country is 
 inundated to a great extent by the two rivers, which rise to their high- 
 est level toward the end of July, and remain at that level for forty days, 
 namely, till the first days of September, when the Avaters begin to fall. 
 Both rivers are full of crocodiles, and the Benue is supposed to carry 
 gold. After having crossed the rivers, with some ditficnlty to the 
 camels, we passed at first through some swampy ground, then through 
 a very fine country thickly hihabited, and reached Yola, the capital, on 
 the 22d of June. 
 
 " Yola is the capital of Fiimbina or Adamowa, and the residence of 
 the Sultan Mohammed Loel, son of the INIallem Adama, who conqucrcfi 
 this country, and on whose account it has received the name Adamow;i. 
 It is situated in a rather swampy plain, inundated during the riiny 
 season by an inlet of the river. It covers a large area, its dimensions 
 being two and a half miles from east to west, and one and a half miles 
 from north to south. All the dwellings, except the houses of the; sultan 
 and his family, consist of huts, built of mud. Having rode np to the 
 sultan's palace, wo wore lodged in the house of one of his chiefs, Arilo 
 (Jammawa. i\Iy letter of recommendation from the Shekh of Boriioii, 
 was delivered, and made upon the whole a good impression. It rcjirc- 
 .sented me as a stranger, aCiiristian — not without his 'holy book' — who 
 visited Adamowa, in order to explore there and ' admire the works of tlu' 
 Almighty God.' These latter words made the Fellatah cliief violent and 
 unmanageable. But worse than this, was the letter delivered by my 
 oompanioD, the kashella, in which tho disputed frontier-territory was 
 
RESULTS OP DR. EARTH'S JOURNEY. 
 
 897 
 
 once more clumed by the Shekh of Boruou, and this in a rather ener- 
 getic manner. Consequently, on the 26th of June, after a three days' 
 stay in Yola, a message from the sultan was delivered to me, requesting 
 me to leave the town, and return the way I came. This most vexatious 
 order was delivered by Mallem Mansiir, the brother of the sultan himself, 
 and next to him in influence, and who had shown me much kindness 
 during my stay, and now endeavored to appease my vexatious feelings. 
 He said that I would be most welcome to the sultan, if I brought a letter 
 from his master in Sakatu, whose slave he was. I gave to Mallem 
 Mansiir the presents destined for him, who then annonnced to me that 
 the sultan, his brother, had sent two slaves as a present for myself, and 
 requested the present intended for him. I declared, that I must decline 
 his present, for in addition to it being a sin for mo to possess slaves, I 
 neither would give nor receive the smallest present from a sultan who 
 ordered me to leave his country in the manner he had done. Shortly 
 after this we left Yola, accompanied by two horsemen, who had orders 
 to conduct us safely to the frontier. 
 
 " With regard to the height of the mountains seen by me, I must 
 observvi, that the reports of snow-capped mountains in that region of 
 inner Africa, are without foundation, as not even the Alantika, the high- 
 est mountain of Adamowa, and probably exceeding ten thousand feet in 
 height, reaches the limit of snow. Most of the other mountains in 
 Adamuwa seem only three thousand feet above their basis." 
 
 Dr. liarth appears to have returned to Kouka on the same route he 
 came, where he safely arrived on the 22d of July, after an absence of scarcely 
 more than two months. The results of this journey, though short, are 
 unquestionably the most important, both in a geographical and commercial 
 point of view, of those which have yet been achieved by that expedi- 
 tion, for the magnificent river discovered by Dr. Barth holds out the hope, 
 that by its means will be laid open the vast unknown interior of Afiica 
 to our knowledge, as well as to the civilization and commerce of the 
 world. Two geographical questions of importance are also set at rest 
 by Dr. Earth's journey, namely, the non-existence of a great lon^tudinal 
 mountain chain which was supposed to stretch across central Africa in 
 the region traversed by that traveler, and the non-connesdon of Lake 
 Tsad with the Eowara. 
 
 B ! 
 
 DR. OVERWEG'S EXPLORATION OP LAKE TSAD. 
 
 The boat for exploring Lake Tsad a; id its numerous islands had safely, 
 though with great trouble, been conveyed from the Mediterranean 
 across the desert to Kouka, laden in pieces on camels. The Shekh of 
 Bomou being on terms of war with the nat'tons inhabiting the eastern 
 shores of Lake Tsad, a journey round the lake was found impracticablo, 
 and Dr. Overweg therotbre determined on a cruise on the lake during 
 
 67 
 
898 
 
 KXI'KDITION OF UlCUAUDSON AND DAIlTir. 
 
 tho ubHonco of his iHniiitaiiioii. AVith the assistance of Arab carpenturs, 
 ho put the boat loj^ether, and named it J^oni l^almcrston. It was 
 launched at Maduvri, oast of Kouka, when a vast number of people 
 flocked together to see and admire the strange boat. A harbor near 
 this point is the only place Mhere an occasional trade is carried on be- 
 tween the inhabitants of Bornou and those of the islands in the lake, tho 
 Hiddumas. Two of their boats happened to be in that harbor when tho 
 Lord Pabmri^ttm was launched. Dr. Overweg soon became friendly 
 with the crews, and engaged two of the men as sailors and interpreters, 
 in addition to Avhom he was accompanied by his servant, a Tripolituuiau 
 boatman, and Fugo Ali, a Sudurti chii'f. 
 
 On the 'JHth of June, Dr. Overweg end)arked at IMaduari, in com- 
 pany with two of tlu! l>idduma boats. For the lirst seven hours they 
 had to make their way through narrow channels between small islands, 
 and through dense reeds of a luxuriant growth, infested by herds of 
 v>iffun/tns, or hippopotami, which were no less disturbed and terrified 
 by the boat with its Mhile sails than the liiddnmas who Averc occasion- 
 ally met with, either in boats or swimming about with great rapidity on 
 pie»ies of floating tind)er. The hi])])opotami would often appear with 
 their heads above the Avater, and gape at the moving sails. Toward 
 evening tho open waler of the sea was reached; it is called inkibitl. At 
 night the boat was tied to a floating island of reeds, enlivened by hosts 
 of phosphorescent bisects. On the following day a north-ciisterly courso 
 was steered through the vast open expanse of the lake, the average 
 depth of which Avas fomid to be eight to twelve; feet. Floating islands 
 of reeds Avere met Avith in that open portion of tho lake, but scarcely any 
 fishes, hippopotami, or Avater-lowl, all of Avhich were plentiful in the nar- 
 row channels toward thi' shores. 
 
 On the :K)th of .lunc. Dr. Overweg continued his course Avith a fresh 
 breeze, in which the punts of the Biddumas, not having any sails, Avero 
 unable to keep uy> with the Lord PahtH^Hton. Toward the e\'ening tho 
 first island (if tl •• Hidilumas — Kangallam — was reached, after previously 
 sighting to the right hand the small island of Kamassa. Rounding the 
 island of Kangallam, and steering a more eastt^rly course, Seurora, a 
 larger island, Avas passed, and IMarea Avas rea(^hed, at which they landed 
 for the pui'])ose of taking in wood. The ilopth of tho lake at this point 
 was six feet only, and further on nine fe»!t. 
 
 Ijeaving Marea, a great number of islands were passed, of which 
 INfaddeh, Jer im, and lierom, Avere the j>rincipal ones. Near Marea the 
 fishes reapi)eared. At times tlu; ojM-n lakct Av:us seen, stretchuig soutli- 
 ward through tho narrow chaimels of tho adjouiing islands. In tho 
 same direction Avas seen an island i-overed with magnificent trees and 
 herds of cattle. The night was passed close to the island of Berom. 
 On tho Ist and iJd of July, the voyage Avas continued in an easterly 
 direction, through similar intricate channels formed by innumerable 
 islands, some of which were covered with fine pastures and trees, and 
 
EXPLORATION OV LAKK TSAD. 
 
 899 
 
 inlialntiHl. On the litter day tlic; livrgo islanil llclarigo was rcai'licd, l»iit 
 previously llioy met n iiiiinber of its iriliabitaiits, from whom tliey learned 
 that their eliief, liavin.t( heanl of l)r, ()vorwe;,'\s visit, had j^'ono to the 
 ISornoucse shon; to fciteh him, and conduct him safely to liis residence. 
 No less kind than this act was tho reception of the visitors in the har])or 
 of IJelarif^o island. Immense multitudes of people collected round the 
 boat to welcome tho Christian, the salutation of the men consistiii!^ of 
 shaking l»y the hand, and of the women by unceasing exclamations and 
 songs. Dr. Overweg Avas conducte*! to n pleasant eminence to pitch his 
 tent, and abundance of milk and )»rovisions M'ero l)rought to liini and 
 his com])anions. Late in the, evening a grand jirocession took jd.'ice to 
 honor the guests, Avho were continually assured of the friendshii* of their 
 entertainers. Next morning, the whole of the inhal/itants, old and 
 yoimg, went to cultivates their cane fields; and tlio afterno(m was spent 
 ill festival asseirdilies, <lancing, and rejol(-ings, on which occasion Dr. 
 Overweg delivered his presents, consisting of a fewtobes, pearls, net.'dles, 
 rings, and sugar, which Avere «listributed among the community of the 
 island. 
 
 Dr. Overweg staytd four diiys in Helarigo, and vv.is treated invaria- 
 bly with the greatest kindness. The island of Helarigo stretches fnjm 
 north to south, and is about four miles long, and between one and two 
 miles broad. On the Hh he h^ft the island to <'xtend his cruise east- 
 ward. The sam(( labyrint' of channels and islands continued as before, 
 but the depth of the sea wiis somi'what gri-ater, namely fifteen feet. 
 After upward of two hours' sail the large island of Doji was reached, 
 where ])r. Overw<'g halted. Some (if tho people of Helarigo had 
 accompanied and followed him, not in Imats, but swimming across 
 the narrow channels with their hand-Moats. It appears that he was un- 
 able to extend his tour further t<» the oast,(.n account of the war be- 
 tween the people of Wa<lay and the l?iilduin!is, which was not yet 
 terminated. 
 
 The fact that tlic waters of Lake Tsad are fresh and clc-xr, is fully 
 contlrm(Hl by Dr. Overweg. A new feature now first brouglit out by 
 the researches of that traveler is its comparative shallowness, th'' sound- 
 ings taken by him ranging from eight to fifteen feet. Tho depth and 
 volume of water, as well as the superficial extent of tho lake, va' 'S 
 greatly in difl*erent seasons and periods. Inundatiuna and dmughts suc- 
 ceeding oacl» other produce such changes that the chan- < Is between 
 vaiiouH islands tlirough which Dr. Ovorwog Hailed without ulistnietion, 
 are frecpicntly laid <lry, and at other times the islands are inundated to 
 such a degree, that the inhabitants have to retreat with tlioir ))roi.orty 
 to the ranges and summits of the sandhills found in many of t ' elands. 
 Tlie gn^ater portion of the lake is occupied by a vast labyrinth of small 
 islands, the largest of which were found by Dr. Overweg not to exceed 
 five miles iu length. 
 
900 
 
 EXPEDITION OF RICHARDSON AND BARTU. 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN 1851 AND 1852. 
 
 No sooner had Dr. Overwcg rejoined his companion at Kouka, than 
 they planned another journey to be undertaken conjointly. Owing to 
 the recent death of the Stiltan of Waday, a country lying to the east of 
 Lake Tsad, the whole of that region had been involved in a civil war. 
 Tiio Uelad Soliman (the well-known powerful Arab tribe, fonnerly living 
 near the Mediterranean, whence they were driven away by the Turks 
 and subsequently occupied the regions to the north and north-east of 
 Lake Tsiul, forniing an alliance with Bomu), determined to profit by 
 this dissension of the people of Waday among themselves, and to invade 
 their country. Under their protection the travelers hoped to be enabled 
 to explore the countries to the north- east .and east of Lake Tsad, as 
 well as the mounttunous region of Borgou, situated about midway be- 
 tween that lake and Egypt, and never yet visited by any European. 
 Their kind host, the Shekh of Bornou, considerately equipped twenty 
 Arabs expressly for the purjjose of conducting them safe to the Arab 
 encampment. 
 
 On the 15th of Se})tember the travelers and their escort left Kouka, 
 and on the 1st of October they reached the encampment of the 
 Uelad Soliman near Bir-il-Korno, and were received in a grand style 
 by the Arab horsemen, who ])araded their celebrated equestrian evolu- 
 tions. The camp consisted of about one hundred Arab tlimilies, and a 
 division of Tibbus, together with about five thousand camels, several 
 thousand head of oxen and sheep, and two hundred horses — the whole 
 presenting an imposing and novel spectacle to the travelers, particularly 
 when on the march. From Bir-el-Korno the army moved on towar'l 
 Maw, the capital of Kanem, through districts situated northward from 
 that place, and inhabiteil by Tibbus. The western tribes of the Tibbus 
 of Kanem were already subjugated, and the eastern ones could nc^ stand 
 the first attack of the Arabs, but fled, and left their herds of camels, 
 oxen, and sheep, in the hands of the enemy. They rallied, howevev, and 
 succeedetl in raising all their neighboi-s in order to prevent the further 
 progress of the Arabs. The latter had already approached MftW to 
 Avithin a iew hours' distance, when, with an overwhelming force the 
 enemy made an attack upon theii- camp, which proved as unexpected as 
 it was decisive. The Uelad Soliniim were defeated, and put to flight 
 so suddenly, that Barth and Overwog saved their lives and instruments 
 only by a quick retreat. The army made a stand in western Kanem, in- 
 tending to renew their attack upon the countries eastward, as sooi? as 
 an auxiliaryforceoftheBomouese should have joined them. As this would 
 have caused an indefinite loss of time to our travelers, beside the uncer- 
 tainty of their progress, as depending upon the chances of an invading 
 anny, they determined to return at once to their heau-qiiarters at Kouka, 
 where they arrived without further mishaps, < i the 14th of November. 
 
PROGRESS OP DR. BARTTI OBSTRUCTED. 
 
 901 
 
 On roacliing Kouka, tlic travelers learned that a largo army of the 
 Shekh of Bornou was about to leave for the south, to castigate the 
 people of Mandara, a country already known through Major Denham, 
 who there met with so narrow an escape on a similar (iccasion. Dr. 
 Barth and Dr. Overwcg, far from being discouraged by the dangers 
 their predecessor had undergone, or by their own narrow escape in their 
 late journey to Kanem, determined to accompany the IJornouese army. 
 The 2.')th of November was the day of departure. The army consisted 
 of upward of ten thousand horse, and the same number of foot soldiers, 
 with innumerable tiains of camels and other beasts of burden. The 
 eampaign lasted from the 25th of November to the 1st of February, 
 1852. The army penetrated to the distance of two hundred miles in a 
 south-eastern direction, into a country called Musgo, and returned with 
 a booty of five thousand slaves, and ton thousand head of cattle. Tho 
 country was very level, and abounded with marshes. 
 
 After a short rest of a few weeks, the two travelers left Kouka in 
 the end of March, 1 852, on two distinct journeys : Dr. Barth going in a 
 south-easterly direction toward tho Nile, and Dr. Overweg in a south- 
 westerly direction toward the Niger. Dr. Barth directed his way to 
 Masefia, the caj)ital of Bagirmi. Owing to tho intrigues of a native of 
 that cotmtry, who had recently returned from Kouka, and who consid- 
 ered himself not sufficiently honored by tho sultan and the vizier, the 
 most absurd rumors respecting the object of Dr. Barth's visit had been 
 spread about, namely, that he was a dangerous sorcerer, ard that ho 
 had come to cause mischief to the people and to dethrone the sultan. Ac- 
 cordingly a most determined opposition was shown him in the country 
 of Loggene, and ho was not allowed to cross the river Shary. Unde- 
 terred by these difficulties. Dr. Barth, by a circuitous route, went to an- 
 other ferry at Mele, about twelve miles lower down the river, where he 
 succeeded in crossing the river and thus entering the kingdom of Ba- 
 girmi, but his further progress was again forcibly stopped, and it was 
 only allowed him to send his letters of recommendation to the capital, 
 and to remain till an anr.wer sliould be returned. 
 
 lie reached the capital at last on the 28th of April, and though he 
 seems to have })een tolerably well received, ho was not allowed to ex- 
 tend his journey beyond that place. For this restriction he endeavored 
 to make up by collecting all possible information respecting tho regions 
 to the south and also to tho cast as far as Dar Fur, including Waday. 
 At last, on the 10th of August, after staying upward of three iiiouths at 
 Masefia, ho was allowed to commence his return to Kouka. 
 
 On the 24th of March, Dr. Overweg left Kouka, his route being 
 south-west. On tho 1st of April, he reached Oujeba, a large place, sur- 
 rounded with low walls of red clay. The vegetation of the region round 
 Gujeba is tolerably luxuriant ; there are no less than fifteen different 
 plants cultivated, and forty-seven different kinds of trees were enumer- 
 ated to him by their native names, thirty-two of them bearing eatable 
 
 ii 
 
902 
 
 EXPEDITION OF RICHARDSON AND BARXn. 
 
 fruit, flirce eatable roots and loaves, and twelve neither eatable fruits 
 nor roots ; forty difiorent animals are met with by the hunters of Gujeba, 
 including the civet, the musky secretion of which is collected. Gujeba 
 belongs to Bornou only since 1817, Avhen it was conquered by a com- 
 bined army of the shekh and the Uelad Soliman. Dr. Overweg was 
 kindly received at Giijeba, and a house adjoining the sultan's was given 
 him for his residence. When at home, he was contantly besieged by 
 visitors, who conducted themselves with the greatest propriety. The 
 playing of a small musical-box he had with him, put every one in rap- 
 tures, and there was an unceasing demand to bear the nolo as they 
 called that instrument. 
 
 Dr. Overweg left Gujeba on the 9th of April, after a stay of five 
 days. His route was nearly duo west. After crossing a considerable 
 range of hills, fornung a spur of the table land to the west, the large 
 town of Fika was reached on the 14th of April. Fika is surrounded 
 with a walled suburb, and the town itself has a very high wall with 
 double ditches. It is indeed most strongly fortified, and boasts of never 
 having been taken by an enemy, not even by the Fellatahs. It lies at the 
 opening of a valley, extending to the west into the mountains, and is 
 abundantly supplied with date-trees and water. The behavior of the in- 
 habitants to the travelers was by no means so amiable as in the places 
 visited previously, though they were readily supplied with a house and 
 plenty of provisions. On the morning after his arrival. Dr. Overweg in- 
 duced some of the inliabitants to ascend with him the hill which over- 
 looks the town. lie there enjoyed an extensive view over the vast plain 
 to the south, draining, it was said, into the Benuc. The Fellatah terri- 
 tory commences immediately to the south of Fika, the large town of 
 Naffada, also Bake — the former, only three hours distant — being plainly 
 discernible to Dr. Overweg. He was about to ascend a higher hill fur- 
 ther west, when messcngei's from the sultan arrived to command his 
 immediate return to the town. At the gate, the comers were greeted 
 by an immense assemblage of the people, by no means in a friendly man- 
 ner; the Fika men, who had conducted the stranger to the top of the 
 hill, were unceremoniously taken hold of and led away, and doleful cries 
 and lamentations were uttered by the multitude, sounding " La, la, ai, 
 ai, ai, yai, yai !" Dr. Overweg pressed forward through the crowd, and 
 reached his habitation without any violence being oifered to him. It 
 was afterward explained to him that this scene arose from his ascending 
 the hill, which affords so complete a view over their town, that the in- 
 habitants feared this knowledge obtained by a stranger could not but 
 be productive of evil. And such was the excitement, that one person 
 had proposed the stranger should at once be killed, in order to prevent 
 the aj)prehended ill consequences. The sultan assured Dr. Overweg 
 that tills manifestation was not justified by liis own feelings ; still it ap- 
 jyeared advisabU; to leave the town next morning. Accordingly the plan 
 of penetrating fui'ther in that direction was abandoned, and the trav- 
 
 and 
 Mr. 
 this 
 
DEATH OP DR. OVKRWEG. 
 
 908 
 
 elers returnod northwarcl toward Dora. Fi-om this place they returned 
 to Kouka by a more sioutherly route, passinjij through the country of 
 the Marghi, and the province of ITje, whicli Dr. IJartli hud traversed on 
 his way to Adaniowa. Ho reached Kouka in safety, though greatly 
 fatigued by his journey, on the 22d of May. 
 
 Not long after Dr. Overweg's return to Kouka the rains commenced, 
 the first shower occurring on the 15th of June. He now began anx- 
 iously to expect Dr. Barth's return irom Bagirmi, as further operations 
 depended upon a mutual arrangement. The 24th of June was a joyful 
 day, the great caravan arriving from the north and bringing letters and 
 supplies so long expected. The dispatches from the British government 
 addressed to Dr. J?arth were at once forwarded to Bagirmi by a special 
 messenger, but it was not till the 20th of August that that traveler was 
 able to return to Kouka. During this ])rotracted delay. Dr. Overweg 
 had so far regained his strength as to make short excursions to the lake, 
 and in other directions. Dr. Barth, when arriving at Kouka, noticed 
 the change in his friend's appearance, who looked emaciated «nd had no 
 appetite. To avoid the dangers of the rainy season, to which he had 
 already too long been exposed, it was arranged that he should set out 
 from Kouka on an excursion along the river Yeou. 
 
 Dr. Overweg's health was satisfactory throughout this trip, and he 
 returned to Kouka on the 14th of September, in the hope of having re- 
 gained his health. Five days afterward, however, he was attacked by 
 fever, and after seven more days he M'as no more. It was on the 20th 
 of September tliat he felt seriously ill. At his own wish, he was re- 
 moved to Maduari, which is ten miles east of Kouka, and near Lake 
 Tsad. This is a very open and pleasant place, interspersed with trees, 
 and had always been a favorite spot witli the deceased. The boat in 
 which he had navigated Lake Tsad was also there. It was not till the 
 24th that he was enabled, with the assistance of three persons, to reach 
 that place. There was, however, no help. The most dangerous symp- 
 toms manifested themselves on his arrival, his speech becoming gradually 
 unintelligible, and, after much suffering, ho expired on the 27th of Sep- 
 tember, 1852, at four o'clock in the morning. In the aftenioon Dr. 
 Barth fulfilled the heart-rending duty of interring his only com])anion 
 and friend. Thus, at the early age of thirty, and sharing the fate of 
 Mr. Richardson, fell the second victim out of three persons composing 
 this enterprise. 
 
 EXPLORATIONS OP DRS. BARTH AND VOGEL. 
 
 MeaTitime letters and funds had arrived from England, and Dr. 
 Barth, finding his own health unimpaired, determined to carry on the 
 undertaking single-handed, regardless of the perils and privations that 
 awaited him. He made preparations to !«>ave for Sackatoo and Tim- 
 buctoo, but first took the precaution of forwarding all his papers to En- 
 
904 
 
 EXPEDITION OP RICHARDSON AND EARTH, 
 
 gland. Hu finally left Kouka on the 25th of November, 1852, reached 
 Sackatoo in April, 1853, and entered the famous city of Timbuctoo on 
 the 7th of Septeniber. Atlcr this nothing was heard of him for a long 
 time, and the most serious apprehensions were felt concerning him. 
 Word at last reached Tripoli, by way of Bornou, that he had fallen a 
 victim to the enmity of the chief of the desert tribes around Timbuctoo, 
 who had sworn that he should never leave the city alive. 
 
 Previous to leaving Kouka, he had written to the British govern- 
 ment, requesting that another coadjutor might be sent out to supply the 
 loss of Dr. Uverweg. Dr. Edward Vogel, an ' distant of Mr. Hind, the 
 astronomer, volunteered his services, which ere accepted, and he was 
 also permitted to take two volunteers from the corps of sappere and 
 miners. This new party left Tripoli on the 28th of June, 1853, accom- 
 panied by Mr. Warrington, son of the English consul at that place. They 
 reached Mourzuk on the 8th of August, and were obliged to remain 
 there until the 13th of October, M'hen they started for Bornou with a 
 caravan of seventy camels. The march across the Sahara M-as very rapid 
 and fortunate, and in December they arrived safely at Kouka. The 
 next news which reached England, and which immediately followed the 
 account of the murder of Dr. Barth, was the death of Mr. Warrington, 
 and the dangerous illness of Dr. Vogel. The expedition seemed to be 
 fated, in every way. 
 
 After some months of painful uncertainty, came the joyful intelligence 
 that Dr. Barth was still alive and had left Timbuctoo, after a stay of 
 nearly a year. The report of his death had been invented by the vizier 
 of Bornou, who coveted the supplies belonging to the expedition, and 
 who would no doubt have taken measures to have the story confirmed, 
 for the sake of securing the plunder, had he not been deposed in con- 
 sequence of a political revolution in Bornou. What happened to Dr. 
 Barth dunng his stay in Timbuctoo has not yet been made known, but 
 it is said that he owed his safety to the friendship of the powerful sultan 
 of Houssa. He succeeded in exploring the whole middle course of the 
 Kowara (Niger), which no one but the lamented Park, whose journals 
 perished with huu, ever accomplished. In his journeyings in those 
 regions, he discovered two large kingdoms, Gando and Hamd-Allahi, 
 the very names of which were before unknown. He was treated with 
 the greatest reverence by the inhabitants, who bestowed upon him the 
 name of " Modibo," and seemed to consider him as a demi-god. He 
 reached Kano, on his return, on the 17th of October, 1854, and on the 
 Ist of December met Dr. Vogel, his associate — the first white man he had 
 seen for more than two years ! He probably spent the winter in Kouka, 
 and started in March or April on his return to Europe, as we find that 
 he reached Mourzuk on the 20th of July, 1855. Dr. Barth is not yet 
 thirty-five years of age, and with the boundless energy of an explorer, 
 intends returning to central Africa. He stands now, indisputably, at the 
 head of all African travelers. 
 
EXPLORATION OF THE BENUE. 
 
 905 
 
 Dr. Vogel, after his recovery, imitated Barth and Overweg in ac- 
 companying the army of Bornou on ita annual foray to the south-east 
 in search of slaves and cattle. He went about ninety miles beyond the 
 furthest point reached by his predecessors, and discovered a large lake 
 and two or three rivers, the existence of which was not previously 
 known. The last accounts from central Africa state that he has suc- 
 ceeded in reaching Yakoba, the capital of the great Fellatah kingdom, 
 which Dr. Overweg endeavored in vain to penetrate. lie designs going 
 thence into Adamowa, where he will ascend the great mountain Alun- 
 tika, and push his way further, if possible, into the countries of Tibati 
 and Baya, lying beyond He will also endeavor to penetrate through 
 Baghirmi into the unknown and powerful kingdom of Wuday. It is al- 
 most too much to expect that Dr. Vogel will be successful in all these 
 daring designs, but he has youth, enthusiasm, and intelligence on his 
 side, and there are few difficulties which these three auxiliaries will not 
 overcome. 
 
 This account of the expedition has been compiled from Mr. Richard- 
 son's journals, published since his death, and from the publications of 
 Mr. Augustus Petermann, Secretary of the Geographical Society. It is 
 as complete as the data which have been given to the public, will allow : 
 but the work of Dr. Barth, who is at present (June, 1856), preparing a 
 connected narrative of his travels for publication, will first fully display 
 the vast results achieved by the expedition. 
 
 NAVIGATION OP THE RIVER BENUE. 
 
 When the news of Dr. Barth's discovery of the river Benue reached 
 England, and its identity with the Chadda, the great eastern affluent of 
 the Niger, was evident, Mr. Macgregor Laird — whose connection with 
 the unfortunate Niger trading expedition of 1832—33 will be remem- 
 bered — generously offered to contribute $70,000 toward fitting out an 
 expedition to explore the new highway into central Africa, He built at 
 his own expense a handsome steamer called the Pleiad^ and through his 
 representation, the British government was induced to contribute $20,000 
 toward defraying the expenses of the expedition. Two officers, Dr. "VV. 
 B. Baikie, and Dr. Bleck, of Bonn, were also appointed by the govern- 
 ment, provided with special instructions to take charge of the expedi- 
 tion. An unfortunate mistake was made in the choice of a captain, who, 
 through his mismanagement and drunkenness, and particularly through 
 his extravagance in the use of coal, delayed the enterprise; and at 
 length, in the midst of the voyage, Dr, Baikie was compelled to take 
 away his command. 
 
 The Pleiad \q^ Liverpool on the 17th of May, 1854, and taking on 
 board at Sierra Leone sixty or seventy black sailors, the best men for 
 navigating Afi'iuaa waters, and three black interpreters, they reached 
 
906 
 
 EXPEDITION OP RICHARDSON AND BARTII. 
 
 Fernando Po on tlio 2r)th of Juno, and on the 8th of July commcnood 
 thi'ir explorations. The great rosult of tho expedition was that it 
 reached a point three hundred miles higher up the Iknuii than Allen 
 and Oldficld in 182:i ; they learned that they were only Hixty miles be- 
 low the T^outh of tho Faro, a southern tributary of tlu; Benue, and that 
 the Benui) was navigable during the raiiiy season as far as 11" 30' east 
 longitude. Had they found coal along the shores they might have pen- 
 etrated still further into tho country, but as they were not able to find 
 any, and had started on the expedition without axes to cut wood for tho 
 furnaces, they were obliged to return. 
 
 On the '21st of July, they reached tho city of Abo, on the Niger, 
 and on the 2d of August, they made tho mouth of the Beuue. Tho 
 river had fallen considerably, by which its ascent w.^s materially hin- 
 dered. On tho 1 7th of August, Dr. Baikio was obliged to take tho 
 command of tho steamer from the drunken captain. The vessel was then 
 in the countries Doma and Michi, and at the city of Ojogo, in Doma, 
 which they reached on tho 2;<d of August, they got their first and only 
 news of Dr. Baith, over whoso probable death all Europe was mourning. 
 A man who had come to Ojogo from Keana told about tAVo white men 
 who were in Keana when he left, and who had exchanged presents with 
 the sultan. Baikio showed him the vignette on the title page of tho 
 work of Petormanu, and he recognized tho white man in tho portrait 
 of Dr. Bartl), but n'markod that ho had a big beard now. Doctor Vo- 
 gol also was idontilied, except that he now had hair on his cheeks and 
 lips. When they arrived at this point, tho river had risen five feet, .and 
 they had no cause to complain of lack of water thereafter. On the 6th 
 of September they reached tho consider.ablo city of G.andiko, in the 
 kingdom of Kororofa. At first tho inhabitants manifested a disposition 
 to give the strangers a hostile reception, but when they were satisfied 
 of their peaceful intentions, they welcomed them hospitably. The king 
 paid Dr. Baikio a visit, and a friendly and profitable trade sprang up 
 between the city and the steamer. 
 
 The greatest difliculties commenced in Ilamaruwa. On the 18th of 
 September and the four following days, they had to contend with a cur- 
 rent of from two and a half to three knots per hour. The wood burned 
 poorly, and they made small progress. For two weeks there had been 
 considerable sickness on board. The crew suffered from swelled limbs ; 
 there were symptoms also of dropsy. The disease appeared to be of a 
 scorbutic character, and it was soon found that the ship's rations, seven 
 or eight gills of rice, with '•old water, were not sufficient for the exigen- 
 cies of the crew ; meat was therefore provided. On the 22d of Sc{> 
 tember they reached the city of Garowa, where an envoy from the 
 sultan of Ilamanuwa was waiting for them. He bore an invitation to 
 them to go up to the palace seven or eight miles from the city. This 
 country lies on the northern bank of the Benuti, and Messrs. Crowther 
 and Richards, who accepted the invitation, were well received by tho 
 
INTERVIEW WITH THE SULTAN OF IIAMARUWA. 907 
 
 sultan. Tlu'ii l)r, ISaikii* went uj). Tho country is Inliuliitcd Ity Fulos, 
 who do not livi; upnii yams, but cultivato grain. In tiic villajjiis they 
 keep gouts ami jioultry, t'sj)('(!ially ducks. Tim road to the palacu' is 
 only a narrow jtatli througli a bttggy country thickly covered with grass 
 and bushes. Atli-r walking fourteen miu-.-, ihcy reached the capital on 
 the 24th, at sunset. It is built on a little eminence at the foot of a chain 
 of liills, and (Hiinmands an extensive prospect of the marshy plain. TIk; 
 liunger of the travelers was first whetted })y lialf an hour of sliaking 
 hands Avith the natives, and llien natisfied by various preparations of 
 milk, and with two well-known African dishes, foofoo, and palaver sauiie. 
 The city is two miles long, by a mile and a iialf in Itrcadth. The houses 
 arc round and quitt? large, well-])uilt and surrounded by large; yards. 
 The inhabitants arc Fellatahs, anu speak the Fulo or rather the I'ulo 
 language; most of them spealv also the lloussa language, whicli tlie 
 travelers imdi'rstood. The appearance of the people was pleasing and 
 sometimes even beautiful ; their intelligence is well-known in Africa. 
 Baikie had an audience with the Kultan. The foreigners were seated on 
 Turkish carpets. They did not see the jtrincc himself, for, according to 
 the custom of the country, a silken curtain was suspended before liim. 
 lie received some i)resents, and talked much about peace, friendship, 
 and future commerce, the wickedness of wars, of con*pu!st, and about 
 an alliance against common enemies. 
 
 Tlic crew was so much weakened by sickness that the steamljoat 
 could bo worked no further uj) tlie river. Dr. r»aikie with Mr. ^Nlay, on 
 the 27th, started up the stream in a boat. That day and tlie following 
 thi'y made but littU; })rogress, but on the third day the wind rose, and 
 they ran ra})idly before it. Before noon they reached Dulti, a village 
 which was then entirely submerged, with the exception of a dry spot 
 about a great tree. Hero they landed, and were soon surrounded by 
 flocks of rough, eavage-looking people, all entirely naked, women as 
 well as men. At first astonishment kept them quiet, and Dr. Baikie at- 
 tempted to get up a conversation with them, and get tliem into good 
 humor. Soon, however, they began to ho troublesome, and to press up 
 about them with the intention evidently of carrying off tlu'ir boat and 
 plundering them. A little sporting dog which the travelers had with 
 them fortunately showed his head at tliis juncture, and liis sudden ap- 
 pearance inspired the natives with such salutary fear that they imme- 
 diately retreated. As the doctor did not think it Avorth while to get 
 into a fight with three or four hundred men, armed with swords, spears, 
 bows and arrows, he gave the best-looking among them a few presents, 
 and shoved oft'. While they were looking about for another landing- 
 place, the natives suddenly came upon them in their canoes, and tried 
 to get them in the swamps and bushes along the bank, so that tliey 
 were obliged to put out for the open river. Hero they were safe, as 
 they could easily upset any canoe which might happen to be trouble- 
 some. When they had reached open water, the nme or ten canoes, 
 
908 EXPEDITION OP RICHARDSON AND BARTH. 
 
 manned witli elglit or nine men apicco, tiirncd back and li'fl thorn. They 
 had already fixed that atlernoon as the limit of their upward voyage, 
 and, though very unwillingly, they headed thi.'ir boat down stream. 
 
 That i)oint was in latitude 9° 30' north, longitude 11" 30' east. They 
 could not give the latitude and longitude with greater accuracy, as they 
 were interruj)ted in their observal ions by the savages. They learned 
 that they were only sixty miles below the mouth of the Faro. On the 
 return voyage they experienced a tropical thunder-stoim, and when they 
 arrived at Garowa they found that the Pleiad was gone. The crew, 
 fearing that the river was falling, had compelled the mate to start down 
 the river, and wandering for awhile over flooded Jand they found the 
 steamer and continued the return voyage without interruption. On the 
 5th of October the river began to fall ; on the 20th they reached the 
 Niger, and on tho 4th of November at sunset they anchored before 
 Fernando Po. 
 
 On the average, the sick-list was moderate. Fever was in all cases 
 treated with heavy doses of quinine, and what must be regarded as al- 
 most a miracle in the African lowlands, there was not a single death 
 during the whole voyage. 
 
 « 
 
 to ass 
 title 
 
BURTON'S 
 
 PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA. 
 
 In tho autumn of 1852, Lieutenant Richard F. Burton, of the Bom- 
 bay army, offered his services to the Royal Geographical Society of 
 London, for tho purpose of undertaking an exploration of central and 
 eastern Arabia. He was peculiarly fitted for such a journey by his long 
 residence in India, and his familiarity with tho Persian and Arabic lan- 
 guages, and their various dialects, to which advantages he added a 
 decidedly Sheraitic countenance. The Geographical Society favored his 
 plan, but tho Board of Directors of the East India Company refused to 
 grant him the three years' leave of absence, demanded for its prosecu- 
 tion. They gave him, however, an additional furlough of a year, in order 
 to pursue his Arabic studies. 
 
 He thereupon determined to prove, by actual experiment, that his 
 plan was practicable. Being supplied ■>vith rn- .ms by the Geographical 
 Society, he set out, determined to cross the unknown Arabian Peninsula, 
 either in a direct Une from Medina to Muscat, or diagonally from Mecca 
 to Makallab in tho Indian Ocean. On the 3d of April, 1853, he left 
 London, having, by the advice of a friend, already assumed the Oriental 
 costume, and embarked at Southampton as a Persian prince. He de- 
 ceived every body on the voyage, and on arriving at Alexandria was 
 gratified to see that he was looked upon as a genuine Moslem. At tliis 
 place he enjoyed tho hospitality of an English friend, who, tho better to 
 establish his assumed character, lodged him in an out-house. He lost 
 no time in securing the services of a religious shekh, plunged once more 
 into the intricacies of the faith, revived his recollections of religious 
 ablution, read the Koran, and agr'n became an adept in the act of pros- 
 tration. His leisure hours were employed in visiting the baths and 
 coffee-houses, praying in the mosques, attending the bazaars, and picking 
 up a little medical knowledge, which he judged would be of service. 
 
 " After a month's hard work at Alexandria," says he, " I prepared 
 to assume the character of a wandering dervish, after reforming my 
 title from *Mirza' (Prince), to 'Shekli Abdullah.' A reverend man, 
 
910 
 
 BURTON'S PILGRIMAP.E TO MECCA. 
 
 whose name I do not care to quote, .sometime ago iiiitiatetl me into tbls 
 oriler, the Kadiriyali, nnder the high-sounding name of Uismillah-Shuh : 
 and, after a due period of probation, he graciously elevated me to the 
 proud position of a Murshid (master), in the mystic craft. I was therefon 
 sutticiei'tly well acquainted with the tenets and practices of these Oriental 
 Freemasons. No character in the Moslem world is so proper for dis- 
 guise as that of the dervish. It is assumed Ly all ranks, ages, and 
 creeds ; I»y the nobleman who has been disgraced at court, and by the 
 })easant wiio is too idle to till the ground ; by Dives, Avho is weary of 
 life, and by Lazarus, who begs bread from door to door. Further, the 
 dervish is allowed to ignore ceremony and politeness, as one who ceases 
 to ajtpear upon the singe of life ; he may pray or not, marry or remain 
 single as he pleases, be resjjectable in cloth of frieze as in cloth of <'uld; 
 and no one asks him — the chartered vagabond — why he comes here ? 
 or wherefore he gocs there ? lie may wend his way on foot alone, or 
 ride his Arab steed, followed by a dozen servants ; he is equally feared 
 witliout weapons, as swaggering through tiie streets armed to the teeth. 
 The more haughty and oftensive he is to tlie pco])le, the more they re- 
 spect him; a decided advantage to the traveler of choleric temperament. 
 In the hour of imminent danger, he has only to become a maniac, and 
 he is safi ; a madman in the East, like a notably eccentric character m 
 the West, is allowed to say or do whatever the spirit directs." 
 
 liefore leaving Kngla.-d, J>urton had neglected to provide himself 
 ^vith a proper passport, and it Avas only after much delay and perplexity 
 that he obtained a certilicate from the consul at Alexandria, declaring 
 him to be an Indo-Uritish subject named Abdullah, a doctor by profes- 
 sion. He then took passage on the Kile steamer, and proceeded to 
 f 'airo, where he quartered himself in one of the native khans. lie liero 
 became ac(iuainted with an Egyptian merchant named lladji Wall, Mho 
 advised him not to let it be known that he was a I'ersian, as the latter 
 were very urpopular at Mecca, but to clioose some other character. 
 "After long deliberation about the clioice of nations," says he, "I be- 
 came a rathau (Aft'ghan). Jiorn in India of Aft'ghan parents, who had 
 settleil in the country, educated .-it Rangoon, and sent out to Avander, 
 as men of that rac(! frecpiently arc, from early youth, I av:is well guarded 
 against the danger of detection l)y a fellow-count lynian. To support 
 the character requires a knowledge of IN'rsian, IlindostanI and Arabic, 
 all of which I knew sufticiently well to pass muster; any trifling inac- 
 curacy Avas charged upon my long residence at Kangoon." 
 
 Hurton remained in Cairo some time, studying llie mysteries of the 
 ^loslem faith under a religious cacher. The fast-month of Kamadau 
 occurred soon after liis arrival, and he Avas 'il/.iged to conform to its 
 )tainftjl rules. Dtn-ing this time ho continued to nuike preparations for 
 his depart in-e, l)y purchasing a stipply of tea, coffee, rice, sugar, dates, 
 biscuits, oil, vinegar, and tobacco, together Avith a small lent, three 
 water-skuis, and a box of medicines. lie also took about .t'80 in money, 
 
KXClTINt} SCENE AT SUEZ. 
 
 911 
 
 the most of which lie soouro J in a bolt about hia waist. He picked up, 
 .^ a traveling coiiipauion, a boy, named Mohammed El-Basyuni, a native 
 of Mecca, from whom he bought the ^Vtmw, or pilgrim-robe, and the 
 shroud, Avhich all pilgrims carry with them. With this boy, and his 
 Indian servant, Shekh Nur, Burton at last set out for Suez, -with the 
 avowed purpose of proceeding to Mecca via Djidda, yet secretly deter- 
 mined to visit Medina on the way. 
 
 At Suez, he became acquainted with a company bound for Medina 
 and Mecca, and by making loans of various sums of money to the difter- 
 ent members, succeeded in securing their good-will. After some further 
 passport ilifficulties, which were settled by 3Ir. West, the British vice- 
 consul, who had been told to expect Burton, and saw through his dis- 
 guise, every thing was hi readin<'ss, and the company only waited for 
 the sailuig of a largo Arab boat, bound for Yembo or Djidda. "Iiii- 
 mcnse was the confusion," says Burton, " on the eventful day of our 
 departure. Suppose us standing upon the beach, on the morning of a 
 iiery July day, carefully watching our hurriedly-packed goods and chat- 
 tels, surrounded by a mob of idlers, Avho are not too proud to pick up 
 waifs and strays, while pilgrims rush about apparently mad, and friends 
 are weeping, acquaintances vociferating adieus, boatmen demanding 
 fees, shopmen claiming debts, women shrieking and talking >vith incon- 
 ceivable power, children crying — in short, for an hour or so Ave were in 
 the thick of a human storm. To confound confusion, the boatmen have 
 moored their skiff half a dozen yards away from the shore, lest the por- 
 ters should be unable to make more than double their fare from the 
 Ilajis. Again the Turkish women raise a hideous howl, as they are car- 
 ried off struggling vainly in braAvny arms ; the children howl because 
 their mothers howl; and the men scold and swear, because in such 
 scenes none may be siicnt. The moment we had embarked, each indi- 
 vidual found that he or she had missed something of vital importance 
 — a pipe, a child, a box, or a water-melon ; and naturally all the servants 
 were in the bazaars, when they should have been in the boat." 
 
 Scarcely had they embarked, and taken their places on the elevated 
 poop of their vessel, the Golden Tf7re, when a company of Moghrebbins 
 or Arabs of INIorocco, followed, and insolently attempted to dislodge 
 them. This proceeding they forcibly resistetl; clubs were used a"'^ 
 daggers were drawn, and the fight soon became fierce and general. 
 Burton and his company, however, had the advantage of being raised 
 four feet above the others, and this enabled them to maintain their posi- 
 tion. " At first," says he, " I began to lay on load with main morte^ 
 really fearing to kill some one witli such a weapon ; but it soon became 
 evident that the Moghrebbins' heads and shoulders could bear, and did 
 require the utmost exertion of strength. Presently a thought struck 
 me. A largo earthen jar full of drinkhig-water — in its heavy frame of 
 wood, the weight might liavo been one hundred pounds — stood upon 
 the edge of the poop, and the thick of the fray took place beneath. 
 
912 
 
 BURTON'S PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA. 
 
 Seeing an opportunity I crept up to the jar. and, without attracting at- 
 tention, by a smart push with the shoulder rolled it down upon the 
 swarm of assailants. The fall caused a shriller shriek to rise above the 
 ordinary din, for heads, limbs, and bodies, were sorely bruised by the 
 weight, scratched by the broken potsherds, and wetted by the sudden 
 discharge. A fear that sometliing worse might be forthcoming made 
 the Moghrebbins shrink off toward the end of the vessel. After a few 
 minut '8, we, sitting in grave silence, received a deputation of individ- 
 uals in whity-brown burnouses, spotted and striped with what Mephis- 
 tophcles calls a 'curious juice.' They solicited peace, which we granted 
 upon the condition that they would bind themselves to keep it. Our 
 Iieads, shoulders, and hands were pcnitentially kissed, and presently the 
 fellows returned to bind up their hurts in dirty rags." 
 
 Leaving Suez on the 6th of July, the Golden Wire, after lying 
 aground a day or two off Tur, reached the mouth of the Gulf of Akaba 
 on the 11th. While crossing to the Arabian shore, it is customary for 
 pilgrims to recite the following prayer : " O Allah, O Exalted, O Al- 
 mighty, O All-pitiful, O All-powerful, thou art my God, and sufiiceth to 
 me the knowledge of it ! Glorified be the Lord ray Lord, and glorified 
 bo the faith my faith f Thou givest victory to whom thou pleasest, and 
 thou art the glorious, the merciful ! We pray thee for safety in our 
 goings-forth and our standings-still, in our words and our designs, in our 
 dangers of temptation and doubts, and the secret designs of our hearts. 
 Subject unto us this sea, even as thou didst subject the deep to Moses, 
 and as thou didst subject the fire to Abraham, and as thou didst subject 
 the iron to David, and as thou didst subject the wind, and devils^ and 
 genii, and mankind to Solomon, and as thou didst subject the moon and 
 El Burak to Mohammed, upon whom be Allah's mercy and his blessing ! 
 And subject unto us all the seas in earth and heaven, in the visible and 
 in thine invisible worlds, the sea of this life, and the sea of futurity. O 
 thou who reigncst over every thing, and unto whom all things roturn, 
 Khyas! Khyas!" 
 
 At noon on the twelfth <lay after leaving Suez, the party entered the 
 harbor of Yembo. The to\\Ti, which is an ordinary Arab port, is built 
 on the edge of a barren plain b**tween the mountains and the sea. The 
 pilgrims at onco set about preparing for their journey to Mecca, and 
 having engaged twelve camels, set out on the following evening. They 
 traveled mostly by night, on account of the heat, and Burton conse- 
 quently had but little opportunity to observe the scenery. Near Bir 
 Abbas the caravan was waylaid by a liordo of Bedouin robbers, who 
 were not driven off until after a fight of some hours, and the loss of 
 twelve men on the part of the pilgrims. Burton thus describes his ap- 
 proach to El Medina : " Half an hour after leaving the Wadi el-Akik, or 
 'blessed valley,* we came to a huge flight of steps roughly cut in a 
 long broad line of black scoriaceous basalt. This is called the Mudarraj 
 or flight of steps over the western ridge of the so-called El Ilarratain. 
 
 thr 
 
 befo) 
 Mec( 
 toiicl 
 whicr 
 
 f»'0/)t| 
 
 build 
 Kahtd 
 astonl 
 vt'riojj 
 
 lookc 
 seconJ 
 
 saricsJ 
 
 B.1 
 atejy 
 
MOSQUK OF KUDA AT MEDINA. 
 
 913 
 
 Be- 
 
 lt 18 Ijoly ground ; for tlic Prophet spoke well of it. Arrived nt tlio lop 
 wc passed through a laiio of black scoria, with steep banks on botli 
 sides, and after a few minutes a full view of the city suddenly opened 
 upon us. Wc halted our beasts as if by word of command. All of us 
 descended, in imitation of the pious of old, and sat down, jaded and 
 hungry as we were, to feast our eyes Milh a view of the Holy City. ' <) 
 Allah ! this is the Ilaram (sanctuary) of the Prophet ; make it to us a 
 protection from hell fire, and a refuge from eternal punishment! () 
 open the gates of thy mercy, and let us pass through them to the land 
 of joy!' 
 
 "As we looked eastward, the sun arose out of the horizon of low 
 hills, blurred and dotted with small tufted trees, which from the morning 
 mists gained a giant stature, and the earth was stained with gold and 
 purple, lieforo us lay a spacious plain, bt)unded in front by the undulat- 
 ing ground of Ncjd ; on the left was a grim barrier of rocks, the cele- 
 brated Mount Ohod, with a clump of verdure and a Avhite donu^ or two 
 nestling at its base. Uightward, broad streaks of lilac-colored mists 
 were thick with gathered dew, there ]»ierced and thinned by the morn- 
 ing rays, stretched over the date groves and the gardens of Kuba, which 
 stood out in emerald green from the dull tawny surface of tVo plain. 
 IJelow, at the distance of about two miles lay El Medina ; at iirst sight 
 it apj)eared a large place, but a closer inspection proved the impression 
 to be an erroneous one." 
 
 On arriving at Medina, Burton became the guest of Hamid, one of 
 the company he joined at Suez, suid continued to reside with him during 
 his stay in the Holy City. Ho performed all the religious visitations 
 required of the j)ilgrim, and made excursions to Jebel Ohod (the scene 
 of one of Mohammed's battles), and the mosque of Kuba, in the vicinity, 
 while waiting for an opportunity to proceed eastward through the heart 
 of Arabia. lie gives the following description of the Prophet's mostpie: 
 "Passing through muddy streets — they had been freshly watered 
 before evening time — I came suddenly upon tho mosque. Like that at 
 Mecca tho a])proach is choked up by ignoble buildings, some actually 
 to\iching the holy ' enceinte,' others separated by a lane compared with 
 which the road round St. Paul's is a Vatican square. There is no outer 
 front, no general aspect of the Prophet's mosque ; consequently, as a 
 btiilding, it has neither beauty nor dignity. And entering the liab el 
 Rahmah — tho (late of Pity — by a diminutive flight of steps, I was 
 astonished at the mean and tawdry apjiearance of a place so universally 
 venerated in the; Mosleni world. It is not like the Meccan mos(|ue, 
 grand and simple — the expression of a single sublime idea ; tho longer I 
 looked at it, tho more it suggested the resemblance of a museum of 
 second-rate art, a curiosity-shop, full of ornaments that are not acces- 
 saries, and decorated with pauper 8))lendor." 
 
 Burton's design of penetrating the interior of Arabia was unf()rtun- 
 ately frustrated. " During the whole of the afternoon of Tuesday the 
 
 68 
 
9U 
 
 BUllTON'S riLGRIMAGK TO MECCA. 
 
 30th ATu,nist," says he, " the sound of firing among the mountains was 
 distinctly heard in the city. Through the streets parties of Bedouins, 
 sword and matchlock iu hand, or merely carrymg quarter staves on their 
 shoulders, might be seen hurrying along, frantic at the chance of missing 
 the fray. The townspeople cursed them privily, expressing a hope that 
 the whole race of vermin might consume itself. And the pilgrims were 
 in no small trepidation, fearing the desertion of their camel-mon, and 
 knowing what a blaze is kindled in this inflammable land by an ounce 
 of gtmpowder. I afterward heard that the Bedouins fought till night, 
 and separated after losing on both sides ton men. 
 
 "This quarrel put an end to any lingering possibility of my prosecut- 
 ing my journey to Muscat as originally intended. My disappoint- 
 ment was bitter at first, but consolation soon suggested itself. Under 
 the most favorable circumstances, a Bedouin trip from El Medina to 
 Muscat, one thousand and five hundred or one thousand and six hundred 
 miles, would require at least ten months ; whereas, under pain of losing 
 my commission, I was ordered to be at Bombay before the end of 3Iarch. 
 Moreover, entering Arabia by El Hcjaz, as has before been said, I was 
 obliged to leave behind all my instriiments except a watch and a pocket 
 compass, so the benefit rendered to geography by my trip would have 
 been scanty. Still remained to me the comfort of reflecting that pos- 
 sibly at Mecca some opportunity of crossing the Peninsula might present 
 itself. At any rate I had the certainty of seeing the strange wild 
 country of the Tlojaz, and of being present at the ceremonies of the 
 Holy City." 
 
 On the 1st of September, Burton left Medina for Mecca. The 
 caravan traveled entirely by night, greatly to his annoyance, as liis op- 
 portunities of observing the scenery and formation of the country were 
 thus greatly restricted. Beyond an attack of the marauding Bedouins, no 
 incident occurred on the way, and the caravan entered Mecca before day- 
 light on the 1 1th of September, one day before the commencement of the 
 pilgrimage. IJurton's real character was not suspected by any one, and 
 he performed all the required ceremonies with perfect it.ipunity. His 
 account of them corresponds very nearly with that of Burcl;hardt, which 
 has been given at length in this volume. After the eonc'usion of the 
 pilgrimage, he proceeded to Djidda, where he embarked for Suez, in 
 order to take passage for India. Lieutenant Burton is admirably quali- 
 fied for this journey, and his narrative of it is one of the most picturesque 
 and characteristic accounts of Oriental life which has ever been pub- 
 lished. 
 
EXPLORATION OF LOO-CHOO, 
 
 UNDER COMMODOKE PERRY. 
 
 Ox the arrival of the American expedition to Japan, under Com- 
 modore Perry, at the harbor of Napha (or Napa-Kiang) in the Great 
 Loo-Choo island, at the end of May, 1853, the commodore determined 
 to send an exploring party into the interior, which had never been 
 visited by Eiiroi)eans. Tlie persons appointed for this service were the 
 Uev. George Jones, chaplain of the Jflssissippi / Mr. Bayard Taylor ; 
 Mr. Heine, artist; Dr. Lynah, surgeon; with four seamen and four 
 Chinese coolies for carrying the baggage. Mr. Taylor prepared the 
 following report of the exploration, wliich is taken from the narrative of 
 the expedition, published by order of Congress : 
 
 Monday, the 30th of May, was the day fixed upon by Commodore 
 Perry for our departure. We were ordered to cross the island to the 
 eastern shore, follow the line of coast northward, and return through 
 the interior, pushing our course as far as practicable, under our instruc- 
 tions to return v.'ltnin six days. All the stores having been procured, 
 and packed in convenient parcels, together Avith portfolios and drawing- 
 materials, implements for preparing birds, etc., we landed about 10 
 o'clock, and proceeded to the house of the missionary, Dr. Bettelheim, 
 which had been chosen as the rendezvous. The authorities had not 
 been previously informed of our intention ; and, as it was evident that 
 we should not be allowed to advance far without an escort, or espionage 
 of some kind. Dr. Bettelheim sent to request that a proper officer should 
 accompany us as guide. After waiting about an hour, and no person 
 appearing, wo decided to set out, believing that our guide would be 
 forthcoming before we left the city. In fact, we had no sooner reached 
 the main street, communicating with the road to Sheudi, the capital of 
 the island, than a portly personage, with a long white beard, and two 
 younger officers, with black beards and swarthy complexions, joined us. 
 A v.iuwd of curious natives had also collected, and followed us until we 
 left the city. 
 
916 
 
 EXPLORATION OF LOO-CIIOO. 
 
 Kiu'li of tho mon oarrlotl a haversack, in addition to Jiis arms, 
 leaving about one hundred a'ld twenty i)ouiids' woiglit of haggago to be 
 diviiU'd among tiie four coohes. The ni«'n, Terry and 3Iit(rliolI, niarehed 
 in advance, tlio former carrying the Hag, while the other men, Sinitli 
 and Davii's, remained in the roar of the baggage ; this order was j)re- 
 served during the whole expedition. We had not proceeded half a mile 
 before our coolies showed signs of breaking down under their loads, 
 and, evi'U though we might force them to keep up for some time longer, 
 it was evident that we could not make much progress without further 
 help ; Mr. Jones, therefore, requested the portly old officer, who seemed 
 to have special charge over us, to supply us with four more coolies, 
 proniisiiig that they should bo pai<l on our return. After waiting half 
 an hour at the northern end of tho city, four sj)are young natives came 
 up -with band)oo poles, and relieved the Chinamen of half their load. 
 We now took the high-road to Shcudi, passing the salt creek which 
 comes up from the village of Tumo, by a bridge of one arch ; the crowd 
 turned back at this point, leaving us about a dozen followers, who 
 seemed to be attendants or subordinates of the ])rincipal officers. 
 
 Beyond the bridge we passed over a meadow, studded with singular 
 broken rocks, of secondary limestone, covered with clumps of jnne-trees. 
 The road then passed around the base of a hill, the front of which was 
 occupied by a temple of massive stone masonry. It was shaded with 
 large trees, resembling in foliage the Indian fig or sycamore. Paths, 
 over which tho hedges of bamboo formed complete arches, ran up tho 
 sides of the hill. On our right were meadows of bearded rice, a variety 
 wliich Dr. Lynah declared to be unknown in the southern States. The 
 country now became open and undulating, and covered with the richest 
 vegetation ; not only was all the low laml planted with rice, but tlu» hills 
 were in many places terraced nearly to the top, and the water carefully 
 conducted from field to field by artificial chamu'ls. The streams were 
 lined with thick hedges of banana, and tho knolls which dotted the 
 landscape were crowned with groves of tho Loo-(^hoo pine, a bcautifiil 
 tree, strongly resembling tho cedar of Lebanon in its flat horizontal 
 layers of foliage ; it is jirobably a new species. There was something 
 in the forms of the landscape whicn /emintled me of tho richest English 
 scenery, mixed with the superb vegetation of tho tropics. The views 
 on each sid(! increased in beauty as wo approached Sheudi, the capital 
 city of the island, which is scattered along the south-west slope of a 
 group of hills. The houses aro Jialf buried in foliage, and streieh over 
 an extent of a mile, the citadel, or residence of the viceroy, occupying 
 an elevated central position. 
 
 The day was dark and cloudy, threaiening rain, and fresh wind blew 
 in our faces as we climbed tho heights. Near tho summit we passed 
 through a high wooden gate, upon which were inscribed two Chinese 
 characters, signifying " the central hill,»' or " place of authority," and 
 entered the main street of the city, which is broad, handsomely paved, 
 
 shoi 
 
 the 
 
 Jivei 
 
 thci 
 
 che( 
 
 shac 
 
 of a 
 
 spec 
 
 aro II 
 
 libei 
 
THE CUNG-QUA, 
 
 917 
 
 and lined with high ■walls, bohind which, and the foliage of their gardens, 
 the j)rincij)al dwellings are mostly concealed. As \vv reached the gate, 
 the flag was unrolled, and fastened upon the end of a musket. A line 
 grove of old trues, with crooked trunks, gnarled boughs, and thick, 
 dark-green foliage, attracted my attention on entering. Wo had jiot 
 proceeded fifty paces before the ofliccrs attending us beckoned to us to 
 enter a doorway on the right side of the street. Wu made a halt, and, 
 leaving men and coolies <"itside, went in. It proved to be a ('miff-fjuii, 
 or resting-place for traveUrs, or rather for officers of government, shice 
 in Loo-Choo there are no other travelers. Tlie CtOKj-qud corresponds 
 very nearly to the Turkish khan, except that, being ust'd only by persons 
 of some consideration, it is far more neat and elegant in every respect. 
 The house into which we were ushered resembliHl a private dwelling of 
 the better class. The i>rincipal apartment was carpeted with very fine 
 Hoft mats, and surrounded on three sides by an open verandah. Adjoin- 
 ing the building were kitchens and out-houses f«)r servants, and in front 
 a small yard planted with sago-palms and a tree resembling the Inocar- 
 jnis. We were })olitely received by a gentlenum ui a gray robe, who 
 performed the ko-tom toward us in the most approved style. Seats were 
 brought, and tea prepared after the Chinese fashion, served in small 
 cups. The attendant was directe<l, by signs, to wait first upon Mr. 
 Jones, who was thenceforth recognized as the head of the party. The 
 former served us on liis knees, both when ho oft'ered and when he took 
 away the cups. We remained but a few minutes, and took our leave, 
 evidently to the surprise and perplexity of our conductors, who did not 
 as yet comprehend our object. 
 
 On leavuig Najdia, Ave had noticed an expression of doubt and 
 anxiety upon the fiices of the natives, and this rather increased as we 
 proceeded. No remonstrance whatever was made to us, but our move- 
 ments were suspiciously scrutinized. Wlicn, therefore, we left the Cung- 
 qua, and, instead of retiirning, took tMir euurse directly onward through 
 the city, the faces of our convoy becairu* cU)uded, and an expression of 
 alarm commimicated itself to those of the natives whose curiosity had 
 attracted them around us. We soon reached the gate of the citadel, at 
 the foot of the massive walls, which, risuig through groves of trees, dom- 
 hiate over the city. The gate was closed, but had it been open, we 
 should not have jiresiuned to enter. The northern and eastern slope of 
 the hill is covered with splendid old trees, divided by winding, sluaded 
 avenues, on the sides of which many natives Merc sitting, « ith fans in 
 their hands. The sun, which shone out hot and cK'ar fitr an instant, 
 checkered this rich, park -like scenery with strong cotitmsfs of light and 
 shadow, and down through the depths of the trees illuminated the face 
 of a pool of water, so completely covered with the floating leaves of a 
 species of lily as to appear like a i>atch of green sward. Ve passed 
 around the base of the citadel to its eastern side, and, after some de- 
 liberation, took a paved road which led through the suburbs of the city 
 
 I 
 
918 
 
 EXPLOUATION OF LOO-GIIOO. 
 
 in an cast-south-east direction. Wherever wo tinned wo could sec 
 scouts running in advance, and driving the iniiabitants away from our 
 path, so that a silence and desertion, like that which follows jtcstilenee, 
 took place wherever we moved. All with whom we accidentally came 
 in contact saluted us politely, but with a settled air of melancholy, which 
 I ascribed to the surveillance exercised over them by an unnatural gov- 
 ernment, rather than any ill-will toward us. 
 
 The northern side of Slieudi is a wilderness of rich vegetation. The 
 appearance of a flourisliing cocoa-palm, now and then, showed that the 
 climate is entirely tropical. The eastern suburb of the capital is com- 
 posed principally of bamboo huts, thatched with rice straw. The inhab- 
 itants were all liidden away out of sight, and blinds of split bamboo let 
 down before the doors. Wo took a road which led along the hills to- 
 ward the south-east, and after issuing from the capital, gained a ridge 
 whence Ave could see a long lino of the western coast, with the 8(puidron 
 riding at anchor in the liarbor of Napha. From this point the interest 
 of the journey j»roperly commenced, as wc were entering upon ground 
 which no one before us had ever explored. The limit of the excursions 
 made by others was Sheudi, and very few succeeded in entering that 
 capital. We wore, therefore, greatly cnlrveiuul by the prospect before 
 us, and pursued our way with more alacrity than comported Avith the 
 comfort of our disheartened conductors. 
 
 About a mile from Sheudi, the road turned more to the east, and 
 after passing through a dense wood, came out upon a hill, Avhence we 
 caught a glimpse of the sea on the eastern side. A temple, apparently 
 erected during the past year — for it Avas destitute of either altar or goil 
 ' — stood in the shade of a clump of pines, and as it Avas now one o'clock 
 Ave halted for refreshment. Some of the natives brought Avater, Avhile 
 the men picked up suflicicnt dead Avood to boil our kettle, and in the 
 course of time Ave Avere regaled Avith tea and ship's biscuit. We olfered 
 the former to the officers, but they <lid not appear to relish it. The 
 Loo-Choo coolies, hoAvever, ate heartily of the biscuit, Avhich they had 
 better earned than our vagabond Chinese. They gave the name of the 
 place as Pifio. Mr. Heine took a sketch of it, and astonished the natives, 
 some forty or fifty of Avhom had collected to look at us, by firing at a 
 mark Avith his rifle. Immediately after leaving Pino, Avhence wo started 
 at 3 r. M., the paved road ceased, and the Avay became deep and miry. 
 The soil Avas a lead-colored, stiff clay, tho disintegration of shale rock, 
 Avhich here appeared for the first time. Wo had not proceeded more 
 than half a mile before we reached the dividing ridge or crest of the 
 island, and a magnificent panorama opened below us to the eastward. 
 The sea-line of the Pacific formed tho Iiorizon, and a spacious slieet of 
 water between two headlands which made out from the island led us to 
 suppose that avc were looking upon Barrow's Bay. BetAveen us and tho 
 sea lay an amphitheater of hills, cultivated to their vei-y tops, and 
 clothed with the greenest verdure. Their sides were carefully terraced, 
 
 foi 
 
FIRST ENCAMPMENT. 
 
 919 
 
 and every advantage taken of the inclination of the soil, so as to collect 
 the rains for irrigation. Tlie cultivation Mas quite as patient and 
 thorough us that of China. Tlie picturesque ftjrniation of the Iiills gave 
 a great variety of outline to the landscape, which embraced a compass 
 of perhaps tweiity miles. Toward the west we overlook(!d all the coun- 
 try we had passed, as far as a headland in the north-west, which I took 
 to he Cape IJroughton. Mv. Heine took a sketch of the view, looking 
 eastward, while I attempted to take the western side. 
 
 Uesuming our niardi, we descended the ridge, which was about six 
 hundred feet above the sea-level. The clayey ]>ath leading down was 
 very wet and slippery, and the coolies fell and rolled over several tinu'S 
 with the baggage. I'assuig through gaps between the lower hills, wo 
 reached a semi(;ircular plain, nearly two miles in breadth, extending 
 around the head of the bay. On cither side was a village of thatched 
 huts, buried in trees. The scouts had already been before us, and the 
 natives lay concealed in their habitations. The tbrmer supposed that 
 we would take a ro.ad leading to a large village at the liead of the bay, 
 but as we turned abruptly to the nortliward, wc soon saw them running 
 across the fields to regain the road ahead of us. There were a number 
 of villages at the base of the hills, on our left, but so thickly studded 
 with trees that they were almost concealed from view. I collected a 
 number of ])lants, one of them a si)ecies of altluea, with a splendid scarlet 
 blossom. The road whicli we took led through the rice fields and was 
 very deep and nuiddy. While stopping to rest on a bridge over one of 
 the irrigatuig streams, our old condiU!tor came up with his two assist- 
 ants, and intimated to us by signs that it was time we should return to 
 the ships. The sun Avould soon set, they s.aid, and we should have no 
 place to sleep. We replied (also by signs), that instead of returning 
 we were going northward, ajid would not reach the ships again for five 
 or six days. They appeared greatly surprised .at this, and a little 
 troubled, since it was part of their duty not to lose sight of us. The 
 old fellow, who, in his haste to keep up, had slipped down in the muddy 
 road and soiled the liinder part of his robe, laughed heartily at the acci- 
 dent, and finally became resigned to th(! prosj)ect of the long tram]> be- 
 fore him. They then pointed to the west, saying that there was a Cung- 
 qua in that direction, where wo could spend the night. Our course, 
 however, was nearly north-east, and about half past five, having reached 
 a hill overlooking the bay, on the summit of whicli was an open space 
 surrounded with young jjlnes, we iletermined to encamp there. The 
 people objected to our cutting down the trees, and we made tent polos 
 by fastening together the bamboo staves used by the coolies. There 
 was a village on the slope of the hill below us, and .after some delay, 
 caused by the difficulty of interpreting our w.ants to the native officials, 
 we obtained four fowls, forty eggs, and two bundles of firewood. One 
 of our Chinamen, " A-shing," professed to speak the Loo-Chno Inngu.age, 
 but we soon found him :is miserably deficient in this as he was in all 
 
920 
 
 EXPLORATION OF LOO-CllOO. 
 
 Other useful qualities. His coinruile, liowevcr, who spoke no English, 
 could write Chinese, and the message having been thus communicated 
 and written, was tinidly read by the old Pe-ching. The latter refused 
 to accept either cash or dollars, sayhig that they were of no use to the 
 people whatever, but that every thing would bo furnislied us. The 
 Chinese suggested — probably on tlujir own account — that wo should 
 pay the people in ship's biscuit, but we had scarcely enough for our 
 own waiits. It was at length decided that we should take what we re- 
 quired .'u»d settle for its value with the Pe-ching on our return. 
 
 The j)e()ple were tardy in bringing our firewood, and we were obliged 
 to cat our supper by the light of our camp lire. I succeeded in getting 
 a sketch of the bay, while daylight remained. It is deej) and spacious, 
 and j)rotected by reefs across the mouth, but, judging from the appear- 
 ance of the water, too shallow to be niade available for naval purposes. 
 A large village lies at its head, and several fishing junks were at anchor 
 before it. At night the plain s]>arkled with lights, some of them mov- 
 ing to and fro — jjrobably lanterns carried by persons passing from one 
 village to another. The olHcera determined to remain with us at all 
 hazards, and at their command the people brought up band)oo poles and 
 matting, out of which they erected a temporary structure beside our 
 tent. They were perfectly good-humorrd in their diuneanor, and sub- 
 mitted with great patience to what tho>' (rould not avoid. Before going to 
 sleep we arranged four watches of twt* hours each, from 9 r. m. until 5 
 A.M., and the subordinate native policemen kindled a lire and ke{)t a 
 com»ter-watch. We Avere all somewhat fatigued with our iirst march 
 of ten miles, but the mosquitoes were so terribly annoying that few of 
 us slept more than half an hour during the whole night. 
 
 Wo rose at dawn, and found the natives already stirring. The morn- 
 ing gave promise of fair weather. The Pe-ching and liis associates came 
 up and saluted us gravely as soon as we arose. It required about two 
 liours to cook and eat breakfast, strike the tent, and jjack the baggage 
 for cari'ying. When we were :ill re.ady we found eight native coolies 
 on hand, those whom we took from Napha having returned the evening 
 previous. Leaving Camp Perry (as we named the spot) we took a path 
 leading up a steep hill to the north. Winding around its brow, we de- 
 scended into a valley, surrounded by abrupt, scarped hills. A stream 
 flowing at the bottom of a deep gully, overhung with large banana-trees, 
 made its way out of this broad cul-de-sac toward the sea. We crossed 
 the valley on the ridges of swampy grass, between the flooded rice- 
 fields, and climbed a long and toilsome ridge, by wet, slippei^y paths, 
 leading up through copses of young pine. We had now gained the 
 spinal ridge of the island, and turned north-westward, over alternate 
 hills and meadows, along its summit. Tlie wood was principally pine, 
 but I observed several new varieties of shrubs, not in flower. Now and 
 then we pjissed the huts of the natives, generally in clusters of two and 
 three, but even in this secluded region notice of our coming had reached 
 
 she 
 pea 
 
 mg 
 
THE "BANNKU ROCK. 
 
 921 
 
 them, liiul the inhabitants wore hiiMen. I lookud into somo, uml IWmid 
 the interiors to eousist of ii singU- room, smolie-bliU-kL-nccl, mul lurnisiicd 
 with the rudest utensils. I'wo ol'tliem had a gratuij; of bamboo, raised, 
 like a floor, about six inclies above the ground, aul tlic thick mats which 
 servo the Loo-Chooans as betls were spread upon ti.! • 
 
 Mr. Jones letl the cam]) betl»re us, and we had not yet found iiiin. 
 Coming to a deep wooded gorge, with a stream flowing westward, we 
 tliscovered that our true course hiy further to tlie east, and retraced our 
 steps tlu-ougli the i»ino woods, and over uitland rice-meadows to an open, 
 gr.issy height, whence we saw Mr. Jones, surrounded by a grouj) of na- 
 tives, about lialf a mile to the south of us. In a short time we again 
 reached tlu3 summit-ridge, overlooking the bay, and enjoyed the view 
 of a superb landscape. The dividing ridge of the island, as we had 
 already noticed, is nearest the eastern shore, to which the descent is 
 much more abrui)t than on the western. The cultivation on this side is 
 also more thorough, and the crops more luxuriant. The knees of the 
 mountains below us were feathered with beautii'ul groves of the ].ioo- 
 Choo puie, intermingled with terraced fields of grain and vegetables, 
 while the plain below, through its whole swc^-^f oi" nil,ecn miles, was 
 brown with its harvest of rice. We counted a dozen villages, some of 
 them of considerable size, dotting its expanse. To the northward ex- 
 tended a long headland, far beyond what we had supposed to be the 
 extremity of the bay, and projecting from the island in a south-easterly 
 direction. It was now plain that we had not yet reached Barrow's Bay, 
 of which this headland formed the southern boundary. While halting 
 to rest our coolies, in the shade of a clump of phies, Mr. Heine shot a 
 raven, with a beak niu«'h broader than the European species. There 
 w:us a very large tomb, of a shape nearly circular, on the northern side 
 of the ridge. About two miles further, the road swerving a liule to the 
 west, we came upon a singular rock, rising high out of a forest of pines. 
 The summit, which was very sharp and jagged, was seventy or eighty 
 feet above the crest of the ridge, and being composed of secondary Him- 
 stone, lioneycorabed by the weather, it was an exceedij' /y striking and 
 picturesque object. While Mr. Heine stopped to sketch it, and Mr. 
 Jones to examine its geology, I climbed to the summit, which was so 
 sharp as to make it a most uneasy seat. Finding that it was the highest 
 peak in that part of the island, commanding a view Avhich embraced a 
 considerable reach of both shores, I ordered the flag to be brought, and 
 unfurled it from the top of the rock, while the men fired a salute from 
 the base and hailed it with three hearty cheers. We bestowed upon it 
 the name of " Banner Rock." The natives looked on, unable how to 
 understand our proceedings, but not in the least troubled by them. A 
 little to the north of where we were the island narrowed suddenly, be- 
 tween the head of the eastern bay and a dcej) bight, which makes in 
 on the western side, between Cape Broughton and the headland bound- 
 ing Port Melville on the west. I judged its breadth, at this point, to be 
 
922 
 
 KXPLORATION OF LOO-OIIOO. 
 
 about lour mik's, in a Htraijjfht line. To the south-west I coulil sec the 
 position of Shcudi, eight or tcti miles tlistuiit. Tite laiulHeupe wan rich 
 and varietl, ail the IiIIIh being coated with groves of pine. We found 
 on the rock the " Wax-plant" of our greenhouses, in full bloom, the 
 8plenditl Hcarlet Althmt^ auda variety of tho J/u/iv/, ■with a large yellow 
 blos.soni. 
 
 Cojitinuing our march along the summit-ridge, wo came gnidu.illy 
 upon a wil .<<r and more broken region. Huge fragments of the Hanu; 
 dark limestone rock overhung our ])ath, or lay tumbled along the slopes 
 below us, as if hurled there by some violent natural convulsion. As tlic 
 liiil curved eastward, we saw on its HOuthcrn side a series of immensit 
 Hcpiare masses, separated by deep fissures, reaching down the side nearly 
 to its base. They were apparently tirty feet higli, and at least a hun- 
 dred feet square, and their tops were covered with a thick growth of 
 trees and shrubbery. In the absence of any traces of volcanic action, it 
 is difhcult to (conceive how those detached masses were distributed with 
 such regularity, and c.irried to such a distance from their original place. 
 The eastern front of the crags imder which we passed was studded with 
 tombs, some of them built against the rock and whitewashed, like the 
 tombs of the present inhabitants, but others excavated within it, and 
 evidently of great age. Looking down upon the bay it was easy to set! 
 thi't the greater part of it w.as shallow, and in some places the litth' tish- 
 iiig junks could not aj)proach Avithin half a mile of the shore. The rice- 
 fields were brought square down to the water's edge, which was banked 
 uj) to j)revent the tide from overflowing them, and I noticed many 
 triangular stone-dykes, stretching some distance into tlio water, and no 
 doubt intended as weirs for fish. 
 
 Ill less tlian an hour after leaving Banner Rock wo were surprised 
 by the discovery of an ancient fortress, occupying a commandini:, posi- 
 tion upon the siunmit of one of the spurs of the central ridge. Us out- 
 line was irregular, but "with a general direction from north-east to south- 
 west ; and while some parts of it Avere in perfect preservation, other 
 j)ortioiis were overgrown with vines and shrubbery, and hardly to be 
 distinguished from the natural rock ui)on which it was based. I*assing 
 through .an arched gJiteway, the road led to a terrace, overgrown with 
 trci's, upon which stood a structure of masonry resembling a cenotaph. 
 A flight of stone steps conducted us to another gateway, after passing 
 which, and a spacious vestibule, wo entered the interior of the fortress. 
 The sp:ice M'.as occupied by a luxuriant grove of trees, and at the further 
 end Avas a priv.ate dwelling of respectable appearance. Our Pe-ching 
 Avas already there, and tho master (Avhom our Chinese coolies designated 
 the " Japanese consid"), respectfully invited us to enter. The day Avas 
 oppressively hot, and wo found tAvo or three cups of Loo-Choo tea au 
 agreeable refreshment. Returning to the terrace, at the base of tho 
 outer A\all, Ave halted in tho shade to allow the men their mid-day rest 
 and meal. A flight of steep steps, cut in the rock, led downward on the 
 
 of 
 
FOUTRKSS OF WAOAOUSKO. QOg 
 
 northern sitlo to !V grotto innliT tho foundation of the ciistlo, at tlio hot- 
 toni of which wan ii j»ool of cold, n\vvvt wiitcr. Thu j»I:u'c was (loin- 
 plcti'Iy overhung by dense foliage, and inaccessible to the beams ot" 
 tlie sun. 
 
 Wliile o\ir meal was {(reparing, Mr. Jones traced out a rough |»lan 
 of the fortress, and tlu- men took nu-asurements. The following aro its 
 dinietisions, ascertained with tolerable accuracy: 
 
 Lcngtii 235 ])acoH. 
 
 Breadth 70 " 
 
 Thickiu'HS of walls ftt bottom 6 to 12 " 
 
 ThickiicHH of walls at top 12 foot. 
 
 Ort'utost lioi^fht of outer wall, iiiDiiHuriiii^ ulon(? tho alopo 06 " 
 
 Height of all, from insiilo 12 " 
 
 Anglo of outer wall 00° 
 
 The material was limestone, and the masonry of adminible con- 
 Btructi(m. The stones, 8t)mc of which were cubes of four feet square, 
 were so carefully hewn and jointed that the absence of any mortar or 
 cement did not seem to impair the durability of tne work. There were 
 two remarkable points about the work. The arches were double, the 
 lower course being formed of two stoiu's hewn into ahnost a parabolic 
 curve, and meeting in tlie center, over which was the regular Egyptian 
 arch, with its key-stone. 
 
 The other peculiarity was, that in place of bastions, there were 
 square projections of masonry, presenting a concave front, which would 
 catch and concentrate tho force of a cannon ball, rather than ward it 
 off. But this fortress must have been erected many centuries before the 
 use of fire-arms of any kind could have been known to the Loo-Chooans. 
 Our Chinese pretended to give tho name of the place as Ching-King, 
 which are Chinese words, signifying the chiet or capital citadel. 
 
 We resumed our march at half past one o'ciock. The old Pe-ching, 
 " Chang-Yuen," who had become a little fatigued by this time, took a 
 ka-(foo, or Loo-Choo chair, and followed in our rear, leaving the par- 
 ticular charge of us to his subordinates. Tho scouts were sent sthead, 
 as usual, for our path descended again to the populous plain at the base 
 of the hills. We already perceived indications- of a fixed system in the 
 espionage to which we were subjected. Chang- Yuen and his two 
 secondary ofiicers were deputed to accompany us during the whole jour- 
 ney, while their do7,en or more attendants and helpers were changed as 
 we passed from one district of the island into another. Nothing could 
 exceed the vigilance with which they watched us. We might separate 
 into as many divisions as there were men, and yet each of us would still 
 retain his native convoy. We could neither tire them down, nor run 
 away front them. When, by chance, we suddenly changed our course, 
 we still found them before us. And though this was the result of a 
 jealous and exclusive system, yet they managed to give it the appearance 
 of being done through respect for us. 
 
 I 
 
924 
 
 EXPLORATION OP LOO-CnOO. 
 
 I was curious to obtiuii some information regarding t\w domestic life 
 of the natives, and tVecjnv'ntly ijiitercd their huts unawares, in the hope 
 of finding them at their avocations Mitlun. In most cases 1 found the 
 huts deserted, but in some otb.'rs caught the merest glimpses of Loo- 
 Choo life, in its more humble aspects. Near the castle, while our con- 
 voy was passing aroimd a villag**, I slipjted into one of the alleys and 
 entorod a bamboo inclosure, within which wire five neat dwellings. 
 The mats were let down before the doors, but the people were all hid- 
 den behind screens and in lofts under the thatch, for on looking in I 
 found no <iue but a child and an old man, who immediately knelt down 
 .and knocki'd his foreliead on the floor before me. In another hut, in a 
 village on the plain, I fotnid an old woman and a girl of about twelve 
 years of age, both of whom fell on their knees, and held up their hands 
 with an expression which Avasat once imploring and reverential. A few 
 words of iViendly greetuig. though in English, encom-aged them, and I 
 shouhl no doubt have been able to inspect the interior of the hut, had 
 not one of the spies come up at that moment an<l driven them away. 
 
 In tl'c rich rice plains to which we descemled we found sugar-cane 
 for the first time, .<*()r////(/y«, or millet, and three varieties of the grain 
 known in the United States as "broom-corn." The road struck out into 
 the swampy rice fields, and we made for a green headland covered with 
 pirns. A village, almost completely buried in bowers and arcades of 
 bamboo, lay at its foot. As we were about entering, we came upon 
 two curious stones planted in the earth. The largest was about four 
 feet high, aiul from its peculiar form struck me at once as a linfjam, or 
 emblem of the Phallic worshij). The same idea occurred to Mr. Heine, 
 who m.ade a sketch of it. It was a very hard, dark-colored stone, 
 resembling porphyry, and the only thing we could learn from tlie natives 
 respecting it was, that they called it "/s/ifr." There is no trace of this 
 feature of the Hindoo religion existuig either in Japan, China, or Loo- 
 Choo. The discovery of this stone, if it should ])rovo to be a I'hallic 
 emblem, is therefore exeeedhigly curious. In the course of the atler- 
 noon we found two more, one of \\hich was j)rostrate and broken. In 
 conjunction with these renuiins, the face of the hill behind, f(M- a distance 
 of two miles, is almo&t entirely covered with excavated tombs, rcKjin- 
 bling the simpler forms of the rock tombs of Egypt and Syria. Our 
 native conductors, when interrogated respecting them, called thetn "the 
 houses of the devil's men," and seemed amused at our t.iking notice of 
 them. This fact, in a country where ancestral tombs are considered 
 sacred, r.s among the CHiinese, seems to point to the i:xistence of another 
 race on the island, in ancient times — a race who may have received the 
 worship of the Lingam from Java, or other islands where memorials of 
 it exist. 
 
 After an unavailing attempt to shoot a couple of herons in a rice 
 field, we kept a course nearly due north, passing through several beauti- 
 ful villages. The houses were surrounded with banana-trees, and the 
 
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 gr( 
 
 fm 
 
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 Cun 
 
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DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES. 
 
 925 
 
 alleys completely overardunl with bamboo. In one of tl»o houses I 
 foiuul a woman weaving grass-cloth, in a loom of primitive constrnetion. 
 She ceased from work as I aj)proached the door, but connneneed again, 
 in obedience to my gestures. The shuttle was a little longer than tlu; 
 breadth of the stufi*, and thrown by hand. At vhc foot of the hill Dr. 
 Lynah foimd a \w.cii of lignite, which resembles coal, but is r.nfortdv. 
 ately no indication of its j)resence. We had a long and toilsnine ascent 
 up a barren hill which brought us again upon a cultivated upland. There 
 were three or four cattle grazing h.ore, the first we had noticed sini'.e 
 leaving Naj>ha. We saw a horse now and then, but this animal appeared 
 to be scarce. The dividing ridge betwt>en the bays was about three 
 jniles in advance, ami though the allernoon was nigh spent, and the 
 whole party was considerably fatigued, we determined to get sight of 
 Harrow's Hay before encamping. At last we reached a large village oti 
 the western sloj)e of the ridi.i Tt was surrcnmded with plantations of 
 banana, and a tall pine grove towered over it. Through a deep road 
 gate, cut in the crest of the hill, a fine picture of Barrow's Hay and the 
 mountains beyond presented itself to our view. The southern shorts of 
 the bay was :il>out three miles distant, and a singular range of rocks, 
 rising in d'tached square masses like the walls and towers of a ruined 
 «'ity intervened. The landscape was more richly wooded than those on 
 the southern bay, and the outlines of the lulls were rounder and more 
 gently undulating. We seenjed to have reached a region of a difl'erent 
 ge<)logi(^al character. Wo were about to i)itch our tent at this placi', 
 when the native officers gave us to un(h;rsland that there was a Ciauj- 
 qud a short distance furtlu r, and urged us so strongly to go on that we 
 shouKlere*! our muskets and haversacks and started again. Hut we had 
 a rough tramp of nearly three miles further, an<l finally came, with 
 bruised feet and aching shoulders, upon the last descent to Harrow'.-s 
 Hay. Picturesiiue <'rags stiidded the hillside, and a large village, com- 
 pletely covered w th thickets of banana and bamboo, lay before us. 
 Over it towered a \\^\ crag, rent through the center and surmounted with 
 a s(piare rock, like a ruined tower. We threaded the village by shaih^d 
 alleys, and at the further end, on a ppot commandhig a fine view of the 
 bay, found a handsome (\i>i(/~<ju(i, in an inclosure planted wiih trees. 
 A dignitary of some kind welcomed us, and we were at once served 
 with small cups of excellent tea. The sofl, thick mats, the shelter and 
 c(>mfort of the building wi're well worth the fatigue of our forced march. 
 Fresh water in earthen jars, with a scpiare wooden ladle floating on vho 
 top, stood ready for us, and thi're was a kitchen in the rear Avhero our 
 men could cook cor.veniently. The IV-ching came in afler sunset and 
 greeted us wif!i much cordi.ality. Kggs and fowls were iunnediately 
 furnished, and, as at om* fonner camp, all j)ayment was refused. The 
 utmost curiosity apjieared to prevail in the village respecting us, and, as 
 it grow dark, the circle of heads peering over the wall inclosing the 
 Cung-qvui :ncre!»sed rapidly, till there could not have been less than two 
 
926 
 
 EXPLORATION OP LOO-CHOO. 
 
 or three Imndrcd. I'lros wore kindled all around ns, and the ruddy 
 glow thrown up by tlieni, and by the torches carried back and forth, 
 ilickered brilliantly over the dusty foliage of the trees. 
 
 A watch was set as before, and the mosquitoes being less annoying, 
 we all enjoyed u tolerable rest. The Chinamen M'ere, or feigned to be, 
 completely spent, and for the greater part of the day the baggage had 
 been carried by Loo-Choo coolies. The patience, good-humor, and 
 endurance of the latter, quite put to shame the worthless and deceitful 
 creaturis whom we had b'.'en indiscreet enough to bring Avith us. The 
 natives kept their counter-watch, and on rising before sunrise the next 
 morning, avc found that fifty or sixty of them had passed the night at 
 their camp fires. The olyect of the officers in having a watch kept 
 seemed to be both to prevent any of us from stealing a march upon 
 t!)om during the night, and to hinder any of the natives from annoy- 
 
 Mr. Jones made application for a boat to carry us across the bay, but 
 there was none to be had. The name of the village to which the Cung- 
 (lua, belonged Avas " Missikya." We set our little file in motion and 
 proceeded, by a pleasant path, over level land, a mile or two inland. 
 The cultivation Avas thorough, but confined mostly to beans and sweet 
 jiotatoes. The villages Avere so hidden away behind their alleys of tall, 
 arclivd baml)00 that the police scouts hmX little need to pi-ecede us. A 
 niitive guide ran ahead ; but as he cotistantly took the left-hand road, 
 hading into the middle of the island, evidently with a view of conduct- 
 ing us back to Sheudi, Ave finally halted at the foot of an isolated hill, 
 covered with Avood, and held a onsultation. The wild mountain-range 
 north of Barrow's Bay now a]ipeared on our right, and it Avas plain that 
 our course was leading us away from the head of the bay, which we 
 desired to reach. We therefore turned, in spite of the protestations of 
 the guide and the native officers, mid passed around the eastern brow 
 of the hill, Avhereon we foiuul two grottoes of soft, limestone rock. The 
 scenery here was a chiuiuing mixture of piiu! forest and culliA'ated field ; 
 and both in its features and its prevailing hue of dark-green resembled 
 the landscapes of southern (iermany. 
 
 In the bottom of the valley was a stream lined with bristling ranks 
 of the j}'inihi>iu.s\ or false jtine-apple. We Avere obliged to jtull off 
 (tin- boots and wade. Wi' here found a shrub Avith small white blos- 
 soms and bright-green milky leaves ; aiiotlier Avith yellow berries of a 
 powerful aromatic taste ; and a liliaceo'.is jdant, with a racine of fioAA-ers 
 resembling those of the snap-dragon, but white in hue^ with a fringe<' 
 lip of the richest orange. At one of the villages on the pla'.n I noticed 
 the i>lum and the orange, and a ncAv variety of the banyan, with very 
 small glossy leaves. lieyond the stream we struck into fragrant jiine 
 AA'oo Is, and finally into a dense forest Avhere the path was still Avet and 
 slipi cry from the rains, and the branches, meeting overhead, made a 
 perpetual shadi;. lliere were few flowers, and still fewer birds, hi this 
 
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 Avitj 
 
 sal ill 
 
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 Befil 
 
 Avisll 
 
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 did 
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 We <| 
 
ARRIVAL AT HARROW'S BAY. 
 
 927 
 
 wilderness. In fact, thi dc-'^city of birds all over the island, considering 
 that they are not destroyed by the natives, is rather shjgular. The day 
 was very clear and hot, and the trees, while they shaded us, quite shut 
 off the sea breeze. The foliage Avaa ahnost tropical, consisting of dense 
 glossy-leaved shrubs and luxuriant ferns, overtopped by woods of pine. 
 Smaller paths branched olF here and there to the distant huts of the 
 woodmen. After ascending for more than two miles, we crossed a ridfe, 
 and the path became gradually more open, exposing a view to the west, 
 over high hills, covered entirely with copsewood and patches of pine 
 forest. The country resembled the wild lands of America. There were 
 swamps HI the liollows, and we began to look out for the wild boars 
 which are said to exist in this part of the island. Catching another 
 view to the eastward, we found ourselves near the head of Barrow's 
 Bay, and after a half Jiour's halt, to rest the coolies, set out again. Our 
 offi(!ial escort came up during the halt, much llvtigued, but as cordial 
 and good-humored as ever. Indeed, considering that all their trouble 
 and liitigue were caused by o '.rselves, we had every reason to admire 
 the unshaken patience with whiiih they submitted to our apparently way- 
 wai 1 course. 
 
 Crossing another hill, we passed down broad, well-trodden paths, 
 shaded by magnificent arches of foliage, through a neat village. The 
 houses were larger than usual, and there was an aspect of greater 
 wealth. Among ihe trees was one fifteen feet high, covered with cream- 
 colored blossoms, which exhaled the fragrance of nutmeg. An avenue 
 of pines led down from this lovely spot to a narrow plain at the head of 
 Barrow's Bay. The rice growuig in these parts was very scanty and 
 not yet in head. A large village, buried in trees, extended for half a 
 mile inland from tluj shore. AVe took a path leading down to the beach ; 
 but Mr. Jone.s, who was in advaiicso, entered the village, where he was 
 very courteously received an<l twice presented with tea and pipes. The 
 exhibition of his watch, and a pocket microscope, excited the unbounded 
 wonder of the natives. The village was named " Isitza." 
 
 We forded a salt creek and pitched our noonday camp on a piny 
 knoll, at the foot of the hills. As Mr. Jones had not arrived, we fastened 
 our flag to the top of a tree and fired signals. I took a bath in the sea, 
 with till! men, while our kettle was boiling. The water was excessively 
 saline, and the fine white ])articles of salt covered my flice like dust as 
 it became dry. At this point Mr. Jones found a stratum of gneiss, for 
 th«' first tune, at the water's edge. Our native friends drank three (Mips 
 of our tea and asked for some biscuits, which they seemed to relish. 
 Before starting again we had a talk with them about the route. Wo 
 wished to roach a point on the coast north of Barrow's Bay, marked as 
 "Kaneja" on our copy of the Japanese chart of Loo-Choo. T\w otlieers 
 did not sei'm to recognize .any such place, though they spoke of" Kaii- 
 niih," where th<«re was a Cung-(pia, thirty li, or ten miles distuut, and 
 we decided to reurh it, if possible. 
 
928 
 
 EXPLORATION OP LOO-CnOO. 
 
 "Wo left at half-past one, taking one of the natives as a guide. The 
 path followed the lino of tho bay, and wo walked, for two hours, in deep 
 sand and crushed shells, around curve and headland. It was very toil- 
 some work, especially as the glare of the sand struck directly in our 
 faces. The beach Avas narrow and bordered with thick hedges of tho 
 p.-xndanus, the fruit of which resembles that of tho jiine-apple. Tho 
 mountains on our left were wild and uncultivated. There were occa- 
 sional paths striking up their sides ; but, although the compass told us 
 that the shore-path led us out of our true course, the guide refused to 
 take any of them. At the end of two hours wo reached a large village, 
 where tlio guide, who had followed us from " Isitza," levied a substitute 
 and turned back. A two-masted junk, of thirty or forty tons burden, 
 lay at anchor in a cove near this place. We were now approaching tho 
 nortluTu extremity of Harrow's Bsiy, and had a full view of tho long 
 headland south of it, aiul the four islands which lie, like a breakwater, 
 across its mouth. The bay appeared to be extremely shallow, except 
 near the entrance; and I doubt whether it would be of much value, as a 
 harbor, for shii)j)ing of large size. 
 
 Tlie jiatli, liualiy, turned off to the north, up a steep hill, which 
 brought us ui)on a rolling upland, covered M'ith abundance of wood. 
 The mountains we had passed exhibited an outline similar to the Cats- 
 kills, and there was nothing in tho scenery to remind us of the vicinity 
 of the tropics. Wo presently entered a line, broad avenue of pines, at 
 the extremity of which appeared a handsome house, with a tiled roof. 
 Our native conductors passed on into some bamboo arches, which de- 
 noted a village beyond ; but I slipped suddenly into the open entrance 
 and found a spacious house in the midst of tho garden, w!ji a small 
 Buddhist temple beside it. Quick as my motions had beei , tho mats 
 were already let down before all tho doors, and nobody was to bo seen. 
 Before the house was a plant .aboiit ten feet high, with largo scarlet 
 panicles of flowers. I had barely time to break off a cluster when one 
 of our officers came hurrying up and urged me by signs Jind words, tv 
 leave, saying that the bunyo, or governor, as he designated Mr. Jones, 
 had gone on. 1, therefore, followed him through the village to the Cung- 
 fpiii, which was larger and finer than any we had yet seen. It was like 
 an elegant private residence ; having a garden, inclosed by a square, 
 clipped hedge of jasmin, and a separate establishment for serv.ints 
 and attendants. There were rov,s of chrysanthemums (a flower nuich 
 esteciiicfl by the Jaj)anese) and two peach-trees in the garden, beside a 
 stout ainie/lui, clipped into a fanciful shape. We installed ourselves in 
 the chief apartment, on the soft m.atting, while the I'e-ching and his 
 ti-ain took the other buildui^. ^^n only supplies Ave could procure were 
 raw salt fish and sweet potatoes, with some roots of a native onion, 
 I>ickled in salt. Neither fowls nor eggs c juld be found. The natives 
 gave the name of tho village as " Ching," which, being a Cliinese word, 
 is evidently incorrect; but we could got no other, i'lie paper screens 
 
 SIX 
 
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 1 
 
 In 
 
 lis 
 
 re 
 
 M, 
 
 FIUK IN THE WOODS. 
 
 929 
 
 between the rooms were removed on our arrival, tea waa brought in, 
 and the natives busied themselves to make us comfortable ; but the 
 same unrelaxuig espionage, as at " Missikya," was kept up through tho 
 whole night. Again canip-lircs were kindled and guards posted around 
 U8, while crowds of curious natives pooped from behind the bushes and 
 walls to gratify their desire of seeing us. Mr. Heine, who had the first 
 watch, went out to the camp-fire, showed tho people his watch, and 
 other curiosities, and soon hud a large crowd of villagers gathered about 
 him ; but one of tho ofiiccrs making his appearance, a single word of 
 command scattered them in all directions, and they did not return 
 again. In the evening I oftcred a handful of cash to one of the boys 
 who had accompanied us from Napha. Ho refused it very earnestly, as 
 there were two other boys standing near ; but, watching an opportunity, 
 when he was alone, I ottered it again, when he immediately accepted it, 
 with gestures expressive of his thanks. 
 
 The Pe-ching, who 'lad fallen in tho rear, came up after dark, and 
 immediately sought us, to make his salutations. We found that he and 
 his associates had been keeping a journal of our proceedings, and had 
 already filled a roll of paper several yards in length with their remarks. 
 We had but few mosquitoes, and slept so Avell that I had same diftioulty 
 in rising for t'^e mid-watch. After much search, two tough old hens 
 were found for our breakfast, which we ate under the scrutiny of a 
 hundred eyes, continually peering at us over Avails, or popping out from 
 behind bushes. Whenever we noticed any of them the heads disap- 
 peared, but they returned again as soon as our gaze Avas removed. 
 
 Wo wore now commencing our fourth day, and it Avas time to think 
 of turning back shortly. After some consultation, it Avas determined to 
 foUoAV the coast for a short distance further, then strike across the island 
 in the direction of Port Melville, and reach in tho evening a point on 
 the Avestern shore corresponding to the latitude of our present camp. 
 On starting, the native ofliecrs Avere very urgent in requesting us to take 
 a road leading AvestAvard. We kept, hoAvevor, a course nearly due 
 north, and soon reached a hill, whence there was an excellent vicAV of 
 the country on all sides. The northern headland of BarroAv's Bay lay 
 behhid us. The general direction of the coast in advance was north- 
 east, stretching aAvay to a distant promontory. A spinal ridge of mount- 
 ains, covered with a wilderness of forests, ran parallel with tlie coast, 
 leaving a narrow strip of cultivated land next the sea. A column of 
 smoke ascended from one of tho northern peaks, Avhich Ave judged — and 
 rightly, as it afterward proved — to bo a fire in the woods. 
 
 Mr. Jones decided to make for a gorge between two peaks, ribout 
 six miles distant, and rather to the east of north. We crossed a deep 
 valley, Avith a salt creek at its bottom, and, after following tho coast for 
 some time, took a road which, after ascending a long barren ridge, 
 plunged into the woods. The further we advanced, the more dense be- 
 came the wilderness. The only persons we met were woodmen whom 
 
 69 
 
980 
 
 EXPLORATION OP LOO-CHOO. 
 
 we B&vr occasionally felling trees with their rude axes. The path was 
 narrow, wet, and slippery, and for two or three miles a continual ascent. 
 At length wo reached a conical peak covered with trees. The ascent 
 was very difficult, and I halted Avith the coolies at the base, while Mr. 
 Jones, l)r. Lynah, and Mr. Heine, went up to obtain a view. Uy climb- 
 ing tho trees and cutting' away sonic of the limbs, they opened space for 
 a grand central panorama of the island, which Mr. Heine set about 
 sketching from a tree-to^'. Tho patii, which by tins time had dwindled 
 almost out of sight, passed direttly over tho summit. We found the 
 ascent like a staircase, and wore obliged to use hands ai.d feet to reach 
 tho top. The Loo-Choo coolies who carried our baggage made their 
 w.ny up with great difficulty. As we were all suffi2ring from thirst, I 
 started hi advance, M'ith tiic seaman Mitchell, tho Chinamen, and the 
 coolies. The path, which was now a faint woodman's trail, did not 
 appear to have been traveled for months. It was shut in by a species 
 of small bamboo, so dense as almost to exclude light, and a large, red, 
 hairy spider hau woven innumerable webs .icross it. Now ascending, 
 now descending, we pushed ourselves or crept through tho almost im- 
 pervious copsewood, for nc.irly two miles, till the ])ath became more 
 open, and a partial look-out to the westward showed us the China sea. 
 On the side of the nearest peak to the northward, we distinctly saw tho 
 woods on fire and a bare space of about ten acres studded Avith charred 
 trunks. The descent was very slippery, but becoming more and more 
 open, I at length recognized our position. We were ai)proaching tho 
 head of the deep bight south of Port iVIelville, and sei)arated from it 
 by an arm of the island, which stretches out to the north-west, at right 
 angles to the main body. The curious jjcaked island called tho " Sugar 
 Loaf," oif the jioiut of this pronu)ntory, was in view before us. The 
 western slope of the island at this jioint is covered almost entirely with 
 forests, tho cultivation being eontined to the bottoms of valleys and 
 ravines opening upon the sea. 
 
 Tlie path led across tho top of a narrow ledge about a yard wide, 
 with chasms more than a hundred feet deep on each side, and then 
 dropped to the bottom of the glen, where we found a stream of deli- 
 cionsly cool and sweet water. We all drank to excess, and then elimbcd 
 a little ridge beyond, where the air blew fresh, and sat down to await 
 the rest of the party. ^Mr. Jones found granite of fine quality in the 
 ravine, and we afterward met with another broad stratum in a rocky 
 gateway further below. Our only path niude for a village on the shore, 
 whither we repaired for our mid-day halt. The houses were lined with 
 luxuriant bananas, in blossom, aiul the lanes between the?n hedged with 
 the glossy inocarpnn, foruiiiig walls of foliage twenty feet in height, 
 outside of which were neat Avickcr fences of split bamboo. Near tho 
 village were three structures raised upon timber frames, and covered 
 with thatched roofs. They appeared to be storehouses, elevated in this 
 manner to preserve the grain from the moisture of the earth. Beneath 
 
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 at I 
 col 
 wc 
 
 J 
 
LOO-CIlOO COOLIKS 
 
 981 
 
 thorn were wooden platforms, oflbring us sliado and convenience for our 
 halt. The people brought »ia sweet potatoes, a small pan of salt fish, and 
 a pumpkin, which was all they could supply. Even these were refused 
 us tuitil the arrival of the Pe-ching, to whose authority all the others 
 deferred. The r:ii)i<lity of our march had left him in the rear, but he 
 came up after an liour, and set liimself to work with great good humor 
 to supply our wants. In order to shield themselves fnmi the heat of the 
 sun, some of his attendants had tied banana leaves around their heads, 
 and they all complained of fiitigue. 
 
 We left Ny-komma, as the village was called, about half past two. 
 At this, the most northern point we reached, we could not have been 
 more than eight or nine miles distant from Port Melville. The inter- 
 vening land was low, and anoth(>r day would have enabled us to reach 
 the head of that liarbor. The native ofiicials explained to us by signs, 
 and by tracing lines on the sand, that the road to Sheudi lay along ♦ho 
 beach, and that there was a Cung-fjua about twenty li distant. Wo 
 tramped along sandy beaches and over stony headlands, following tho 
 general course of the shore, and never diverging far from it. Tho bay, 
 or bight, marked with numorous abrupt indentations, presented some 
 fine bohl outlines of shore. Oflt' tho miuiy inferior promontories lay 
 rocky islets, covered with rich vegetation. The Mooded mountains on 
 our lefl were the same which we had skirted tho day previous on tho 
 northern side of Harrow's Bay. The lower slopes on this .side were 
 jiartially cultivatcul, but the ])rincipal thf)roughfare of the island, which 
 we were following, kci>t near the sea, and often ran for half a mile 
 through deep sand and shells. Th'^ scenery was extremely picturesque, 
 reminding nio of the coast of Sicily. Inside of the Sugar Loaf Ave espied 
 two small boats, with lug-sail' of v hite canvas, which the men declared 
 were our ships' boats ; but tl 's has niuce proved to be a mistake. 
 
 Notwithstanding tho sultr/ 'leat of the aflernoon, the Loo-Choo 
 coolies kept i)ace with us, untb-r their heavy loads, while our lazy and 
 complaining Chinamen lagged behind. These coolies were mostly boys, 
 from twelve to sixteen years of age. I noticed as a ciuious fact that, in 
 spite of the heavy loads they carried, and the rough by-ways we fre- 
 quently obliged them to take, they never perspired in tho least, nor 
 partook af a drop of water, even in the greatest heat. They were 
 models of cheerfulness, alacrity, and endurance, always in readiness, and 
 never, V>y look or word, evincing tho least dissatisfaction. Our ofHcial 
 conductors tlrank V)ut two or three times of water during the whole 
 journey. Tea appears to bo the universal t;everage of refreshment. It 
 was always brought to us whenever we halted, and frequently offered to 
 Mr. Jones, as tho head of the party, in passing through villages. Once, 
 at an humble fisherman's vil!,ige, when we asked for viizi, which signifies 
 cold water, they brought us a pot of hot water, which they call yu, and 
 were much surprised when we refused to drink it. 
 
 After a march of ten miles along the picturesque shore, we reached 
 
982 
 
 EXPLORATION OP LOO-CIIOO. 
 
 one of tho loveliest spots on the island. It was a village perched on a 
 bold promontory, overgrown with the pine, banyan, and eago-pahn, at 
 the mouth of a charming valley which opened up between the hills to 
 the base of the lofty peak behind Barrow's Bay. A stream of sweet 
 water threaded the valley, which was covered with the freshest verdure, 
 and overhung with beautiful groves of pine. It was a picture of pastoral 
 loveliness, such as is rarely found in any country. Nothing struck mo 
 more during the journey than the great variety of scenery which tho 
 island incloses in its narrow compass. We passed through, at least, four 
 different districts, which bore but the slightest resemblance to each 
 other, either in features or character. We had both the groves of the 
 tropics and the wild woods of tho north ; the valleys of Germany and 
 the warm shores of the Mediterranean. 
 
 The village was large, thriving, and as neatly laid out and hedged in 
 as ^n English garden. Tlie 8crui)ulou3 neatness and regularity of tho 
 Loo-Choo villages was doubly refreshing to one familiar with the squalor 
 and filth of China. The sight of the Cung-qua, which occupied the place 
 of honor at the top of the promontory, completed our raptures. Its roof 
 of red tiles glittered in the sun ; a row of feathery sago-palms threw 
 their brilliant leaves over the wall of the inclosure ; the whitest and 
 softest of mats covered the floor ; tho garden blazed with a profusion of 
 scarlet flowers; and stone basins, seated on pedestals, contained fresh 
 water for our use. Its aspect for comfort and repose was a balm to 
 travelers as weary as ourselves, and I directed Terry at once to hoist 
 the stars and stripes ujwn the roof. I hastened back to make a sketch 
 of tho beautiful valley before sunset, while Mr. Heine occupied himself 
 with a view of the Cung-qua. A venerable old man, with a snowy beard 
 reaching nearly to his knees, approached tho bank where I sat, but upon 
 noticing me, made a proiound yet dignified reverence and retired. The 
 village was named Un-ua. We had not yet reached the region of fowls, 
 but the people eenc us two small fresh fish, with a pumpkin and some 
 cucumbeES. Our own stores were quite low, both sugar and pork having 
 been exhausted, sc that we had nothing lefl. but tea, coffee, and ship 
 biscuit. 
 
 The natives kindled a fire inside the grounds of the Cung-qua, auu 
 half a dozen of them sat around it all night. The morning was dull, 
 and a cap of mist on the mountain threatened rain. A bath in the sea 
 before sunrise refreshed us for the day's march. For our breakfast, 
 there were sent two long, eel-like fish, resembling the gar, a few young 
 egg-plants, two gourds, and a basket of sweet potatoes. So much time 
 was occupied in cooking and consuming these delicacies, that we did 
 not get under way before eight o'clock. Another consultation was held 
 with our attendants, who declared that Sheudi was ninety li distant, and 
 that it would require three days for us to reach Napha ; this did not 
 correspond with our own ideas of our position, and we determined to 
 attempt reaching Napha the next evening, as we bad been ordered. 
 
 t 
 
 tl 
 
 t| 
 
A ClIINKSE "SPKCIFIC." 
 
 933 
 
 Wo passed through tlio village of Uil-fia, and over the headland to a 
 deep bay. The tide was running out, and instead of wading through 
 the sand around its entire curve, we made a straight line for the oppo- 
 nite shore, tramping through water two or three inches deep over beds 
 of decomposing coral. We had proceeded along the shore for an hour 
 and a half, when A-shing, one of the Chinese coolies, fell sick in c«inse- 
 quence, as it afterward appeared, of drinking sackee, and eating green 
 l»ea('hcs. His load was given to the Loo-Choo coolies, and he obtaint'd 
 a temporary relief by punching his throat, in three jdaces, so violently 
 as to produce an extravasation of blood. Counter irritation is the usiial 
 Chinese retnedy for all ailments, and it is fre<iuently very etlu^u^ious. 
 We were near a lishing village, and Mr. Jones endeavored to «)btain a 
 canoe, in which to send b<ith our Chinamen back to the vessel. The 
 Pr 'hing begged him to give up the idea, since one of the native officers 
 would be obliged to accompany them, and they all feared to trust thcjn- 
 selves in the frail craft. They brought a fcaffoo, or rude sedan, in which 
 they oftered to have the man conveyed to Napha, but 1" wan better by 
 this time, and declared himself able to proceed on foot. The ofllcerg 
 expressed the greatest satisfaction when they found that none of them 
 would be required to return in the canoe. 
 
 In tlie mean time the rest of us had pushed forward with the baggage. 
 Tlio morning was very hot, the glare from the white beach-sand struck 
 in our faces, and we began to tire of an endless tramp around cove after 
 cove, and headland al\er headland. We were now, as we calculated, 
 opposite the head of Barrow's Bay, and Sheudi was almost in a due 
 southerly direction ; yet the road still clung to the coast, as if intent on 
 carryitig us to the extreme point of Capo Broughton, thus greatly length- 
 ening our journey, besides which, our orders Avere to return through the 
 center of the island. In answer to all otir inquiries, the native ollicers 
 and guides pointed along the shore and were extremely anxious to pre- 
 vent our taking any inland paths. This excited our suspicion, and we 
 imagined their object to be to prevent our seeing the interior. Finally, 
 coming to a well-trodden path, which struck off up the hills, Ave shut our 
 ears to all remonstrance and took it. In a short time it brought us to a 
 handsome village, shaded not only Avith bamboo, but Ai'ith splendid 
 banyan-trees. Beyond it there Avas a vleep ravine, Avith a faintly-marked 
 foot-path leading to some Avater at the bottom. Again the natives en- 
 treated us to take a path Avhich plainly led to the shore. They pointed 
 to the gorge, crying "»>/2/," intimating that the path Avent no further 
 than the Avater. Xevertheless, seeing traces of a path on the opposite 
 side, Ave descended, followed by the unwilling officers and coolies. The 
 pool of Avater Avhich supplied the village was shaded by the largest pines 
 I saw on the island. They were seventy or eighty feet in height, 
 Avhereas the average is not more than forty feet. 
 
 Our suspicions did injustice to the natives, for we soon found that 
 they had our convenience in vicAV. Our path struck into a sido-branch 
 
931 
 
 EXPLORATION OF LOO-CIIOO. 
 
 of the ravine, which, though not more than twenty feet wide, was a 
 rice-8wanip at the bottom. The sides were nearly jjerpendicular walls 
 of earth and loose rocks, so that m'o were obliged to plunge up to the 
 knees in mud. One of the men, Smith, sunk ho dee]) that it re({uircd 
 the strength of three ni]yt.ives to extricate him. When, at last we reached 
 the top of the hill, we found it covered with waste thickets, and no 
 path to bo seen except one on an opposite lieight, >vhich we reached 
 with some trouble. The path, an old and unused one, led us back to 
 the beach, which it now seemed impossible to leave. The coolies, who 
 had had a liard tug to get through the rice-swamp, took the whole mat- 
 ter very good-humoredly, and tlio otlicers laughed, as I thought, with a 
 sort of malicious pleasure at our discomfiture. The walk over the white 
 sand was doubly fatiguing alter this, and on the arrival of Mr. Jones we 
 determined again to make for the interior, especially as we had reached 
 the head of the last cove, whence the coast appeared to run almost due 
 westwardly to Cape Jiroughton. 
 
 Mr. Jones and Dr. Lynah, with the men Davis and Smith, took a 
 foot-jiath leading southward into the mountains, and after j)roceediMg a 
 little further along the coast I followed them with the seaman Mitchell. 
 Mr. Heine, with Terry and the Loo-Choo coolies, still kept the shore. 
 We (Mitchell and 1) reached with great difficulty the i>ath taken by the 
 first party. It ascended steeply through j)ine forests, alternating with 
 dense copsowood, for about two miles, till we gained the summit of the 
 ridge. The whole expanse of Barrow's Bay came full into view to the 
 eastward, while to the south wo looked beyond the promontory we had 
 been doubling so tediously, and saw the same deep cove we had beheld 
 three days before from the top of Banner Kock. J Jut all the interior of 
 the island was still a Avilderness, and for ten miles iti ailvance stretched 
 an unbroken forest. Our path did not apj>ear to have been much trav- 
 eled — other small paths branched from it, but the party in advance had 
 broken off boughs and left them as guides for us. I .as much spent 
 with the heat and the exertion of climbing so rapidly, and after drink- 
 ing out of a muddy liole filled with leaves, felt an attack of mingled heat 
 and cold, with an oppression of tho lieart, which took away all my 
 strength. Wo saw the other party on tho top of a high peak ahead of 
 us. The path crossed a ledge as narrow as a wall, Avith deep gulfs on 
 each side, and then ascended a rocky ladder, the steepness of which 
 took away Avhat little strength I had remaining — I was obliged to lie 
 down for some time before I could proceed further. A rain-cloud com- 
 ing up rapidly ovjr Barrow's Bay admonished us to leave our lofty look- 
 out. The path kept on southward through miles of wilderness, but the 
 natives who had accompanied us pointed to another, which led back 
 almost the way wc came, and which they said would bring us to a 
 Cung-qua. As there were no signs of the baggage, we were thus under 
 the necessity of retracing our steps almost to the shore. On our way 
 we passed through a singular gorge, which was closed up, in its nar- 
 
 c 
 
STONE BRIDQK OVEU THE FI-IJA. 
 
 935 
 
 rowcst part, by fragments hurled from above by some convulsion of 
 nature. The stream flowing at the bottom disappeart'd for about fifty 
 yards, when it again issued to the light through a cavernous opening. 
 
 A raui now came on, which continued ibr two or throe hours, and 
 made the road slippery and toilsome. Wo passed through a village, 
 romantically situated in a wooded glen, and over uplands, covered with 
 groves of pine, the path gradually swerving to the south, till it Anally 
 struck directly across the promontory. A great part of the way was a 
 waste of wild thickets, with marshy hollows between the hills, AVe 
 saw, several times, the tracks of the wild boar, which the natives assured 
 us were abundant ; but wo were not so fortunate as to got a sight of 
 one. There were no traces of our baggage imtil we found the Pe-ching, 
 and two other natives, crouching under a bush to keep out of the rain, 
 and smoking their pipes. Finally, about half-past two, wo heard the 
 report of tire-arms, and soon after reached the Cuiig-(pii of " Cluuuli- 
 kosa,''* where Mr. Heme and the coolies had already been waiting some 
 time for us. Wo were uncertain whether the building Avas a bondjide 
 Cung-qua or the residence of a biini/o, or oflicer, for it Avas occupied, 
 when Mr. Heine arrived, by a personage of some kind with his attend- 
 ants, but immediately given up for our use. There was a crowd of at 
 least a hundred natives collected within the inclosuru and looking on, 
 with great astonishment, while Mr. Heine tired at a mark. AVhat 
 seemed most to interest them, next to the accuracy of his aim, was the 
 fact of the piece exploding without the application of tiro (nothing but 
 Japanese matchlocks ever being seen on the island), and its being loaded 
 at the breech. They appeared familiar with the nature of gunpowder, 
 and the use of our cutlasses ; but during our journey we never saw a 
 single weapon of any kind. There is &;ud to be a small garrison of 
 Japanese soldiers, both at Napha and Shcudi ; but, if so, they wero 
 carefully kept out of the way. 
 
 The Pc-cJiing, Avho soon afterward came up, informed us that wo had 
 come thirty //, and that Sheudi was still sixty li distant, and we could 
 not reach it on the following day. Learning, however, that there was 
 another Cung-qua tAventy // further, we decided to vest an hour or 
 two, and push on to it the same cvenmg. The people brought two 
 fowls, with abundance of eggs and cucumbers, and, hungry and tired as 
 wo were, wo made a most palatable meal. 
 
 We left again at half j)ast four. The road Avas ])road, well beaten, 
 and shaded by a double row of pine-trc( s. It ran in a south-eastern 
 direction, parallel with the coast, and :ibout two miles inland. The 
 country continued open, slightly undulating, a'.id pleasantly diversified 
 with groves of pine for four miles, when v e camo suddenly upon a deep 
 glen, ti-ivcrsed by much the largest stream we had seen upon the island. 
 I'lo roaJ. crossed by a massive stone bridge, of three arches, remarkable 
 for the size and rudo strength of the piers, each of which had, on the 
 inner aide, in order to protect it from floods, a triangular abutment, 
 
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 936 
 
 EXPLORATION OP LOO-CHOO. 
 
 projecting ten or twelve feet. The sides of the glen were nearly per- 
 pendicular, and covered with wild and luxuriant vegetation. Toward 
 the sea, under a range of broken limestone crags that hung high over 
 the stream, were several ancient excavated tombs. A spring of excel- 
 lent water gushed out from the foot of one of these crags. Mr. 
 Heine took a sketch of the place, which was remarkable for its 
 seclusion and picturesque beauty. The natives called the stream the 
 
 On reaching a height overlooking the sea, we were agreeably sur- 
 prised with the sight of ihe squadron, lying off the furthest point to the 
 south-west, and between fifteen and twenty miles distant, in a straight 
 line. This encouraged us to believe that we could reach Napha at the 
 time appointed, and we pushed on rapidly and cheerily, for it was now 
 growing dark, and no appearance of the Cung-qua. The road ap- 
 proached the shore, and became a raised causeway, passing through 
 rich rice swamps. The natives whom we met in the dusk of the even- 
 ing took to flight on seeing us. At last, at half-past seven, weary and 
 spent with a tramp of twenty-seven miles, the native herald who ran 
 before us turned into a gateway, over which towered a magnificent 
 banyan-tree. We followed, and discharged our pieces in a general feu- 
 de-joie^ on seeing a Cung-qua Avith the lamps lighted, attendants wait- 
 ing with their trays of tea-cups, and a polite old gentleman standing in 
 the verandah to receive us. The Loo-Choo mats were never so soft, nor 
 the cups of imsugared native tea so refreshing, as on that evening. 
 Eggs, cucumbers, rice, and fowls w^ere immediately forthcoming, and 
 our men concocted a soup which, to our minds, could not have been 
 improved. The old Pe-ching made his appearance at a late hour, nearly 
 as fatigued as ourselves, but overflowing with cordiality and good humor. 
 A company of native guards kindled a fire under the banyan-tree, and 
 prepared to spend the night there. Our men were so fatigued that, in 
 anticipation of another hard journey on the morrow, we dispensed with 
 the usual watch. It was the less important, as we had found the native 
 guard exceedingly vigilant in keeping away all stragglers from our 
 vicinity. The light of the ruddy camp-fire, playing over the spreading 
 boughs of the banyan-tree, brought into strong relief the groups of 
 swarthy faces clustered around it, and presented a picture so fantastic 
 and peculiar that I sat looking at it long after I ought to have been 
 asleep. 
 
 The sound of rain upon the tiles of our Cung-qua awoke us fre- 
 quently during the night, and when we arose at daybreak the sky was 
 overcast, the roads flooded, and a steady dismal storm had set in. The 
 Pe-ching and his associates wished us to stay at " Pi-ko," as the Cang- 
 qua was called, until the next day, slapping their legs to indicate how 
 tired they were, and making signs of slipping up and falling down in the 
 mud. But we were inexorable, and they sent for a new set of coolies 
 to carry our baggage. We had another discassion about the distance, 
 
 fi 
 
RETURN TO KAPHA. 
 
 837 
 
 which ended in their declaring that Sheudi was sixty-five li and Napha 
 thirty li distant. This was absurd, and probably ought to be attributed 
 to the ignorance of the Chinese, through whom we communicated with 
 them. The coolies prepared themselves for the rain by putting on 
 shaggy jackets of grass, resembling the sheep-skin garments of the 
 Roman herdsmeii. Our men had their pea-jackets, and we were partially 
 protected by ponchos of gutta-percha and oilcloth. "We were delayed 
 in getting breakfast, and did not break up our camp until half-past nine, 
 when we set out, every body stiff and sore from the previous day's 
 travel. The rain was still falling, though not so heavily as at first, and 
 the road was an alternation of water and stiff mud, through which we 
 trudged with difticulty, and at the risk of leaving our boots behind us. 
 After rounding the head of the bight, we struck off over the hills to the 
 south-west, and in an hour and a half came upon another deep glen, in 
 the bottom of which wore two massive bridges over a stream so broad 
 and deep that it Avas doubtless a frith of the sea. We stopped an hour 
 to rest and enable Mr. Heine to take a sketch of the place. I noticed 
 that the heavy triangular abutments to the piers were here placed on the 
 side next the sea. The natives gave the glen, or river, the name of 
 " Machinatoo." 
 
 The rain had ceased by this time, except an occasional sprinkle, and 
 the road improved. Afl;er another hour the roads branched, that on 
 the left striking off up the hills to Sheudi. We kept on over the hills 
 toward Napha, the scenery gradually assuming a familiar appearance, 
 till finally, from a height covered with pine-trees, we looked down upon 
 the harbor and the American squadron. After fording a broad salt 
 creek, and crossing another ridge, we descended to the village Tume, 
 opposite Napha. We reached our starting-point, the house of Dr. Bet- 
 telheim, at 2 p. m., and there took leave of our worthy Pe-ching and his 
 two assistants, after having appointed a time to meet them again, and 
 endeavor to return some compensation for the provision furnished during 
 the journey. 
 
 The distance we traveled during the six days was one hundred and 
 eight miles, as nearly as we could calculate. Our trip embraced a 
 little more than half the island, leaving the extremity south of Napha 
 (which is of limited extent), and that part north of the head of Port 
 Melville, and lying on both sides of that harbor, for future exploration. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Aaron, tomb of, 207. 
 Ababdchs, cluiracter of 211. 
 
 Ariib tribe of, 208. 
 
 Abkoulgri. village and gold-washingao^ 2TG. 
 Abokko, kindness of 537. 
 
 Ins fidelity, 551. 
 
 Abon-Simbcl, opening of 23G. Bayard Tay- 
 lor's description of, 236. 
 
 - attempted excavation of, 233. 
 temple of 211. 
 
 Abn-Nocfa, description of 41D. 
 
 Abyssmian roads, 674 — Life, 671 — Supersti- 
 tions, 675, 681, 682— Government, 67C— 
 Climate, 677— Butchery.678— Habits, 679 
 —Dress, 680. 
 
 Acapulco, 72. 
 
 Adam (Canadian), sufferings of 311. 
 
 Adamowa, country of Central Africa, 895 — 
 Dr. Earth's visit to, 895, 897. 
 
 Addy Abo, province of, 673. 
 
 Adoua, appearance of 669 — Return to, 673. 
 
 Africaner, 563, 564, 567, 568 
 
 Alrican war-song, 498. 
 
 Association, 116, 117. 
 
 Agady, battle of, 271. 
 
 Agadez, the capital of Air, 890— Descrip- 
 tion of 891. 
 
 Agaro. battle of 275. 
 
 Aggcri Water, 888. 
 
 Ailat. village of, CG7. 
 
 Air, or Asbcn, a kingdom of Central Africa, 
 885 — Accountof Richardson and Earth's 
 expedition to, 885 to 892. 
 
 Aisou, or the seven wells, 88S. 
 
 Akaba, Oulfof, 912. 
 
 Akaitcho (Esquimaux chief), 293, 296. 
 
 320. 
 
 Akuru. well of 888. 
 
 Alantika, highest mountain of damowa, 
 897, 
 
 Alexandria, Ida Pfeiffer'a voyage to, 833. 
 
 plague ut, 230. 
 
 Alexei (the Kurile), 412, 415, 426, 435, 
 437. 
 
 Ah (Hadji), his dishonesty, 490. 
 
 Sultan of Ludamar, 101. 
 
 Allen (Captain Bird), commands the Soudan 
 on an expedition to the Niger, 553 — 
 Dangerous illness, 558 — Death, 558. 
 
 (Captam Wm ), accompanies Dr. Old- 
 field, 550 — Completes a survey of the 
 
 Niger, 551— Commands tlio Wilbnfurc' 
 on a second expedition, 553 — Arrival at 
 Eboe, 554 — Treaty with King Obie, 553, 
 — Reaches Damuggoo, 556 — Model farm 
 at the junction of tlie Niger and tho 
 Chadda, 557 — Ravages of tlie fever, 5,')i 
 — Return to tho sea, 557 — Vi.^it to tlui 
 Bights of Benin and Biafra, 5.)y — Model 
 farm abandoned. 559 — Return to En- 
 gland, 560. 
 Altai Mountains, 81 — Silver ore of, 81 
 Amazon, the, 85G, 858, 859, S69. 
 
 Valley of the, 69. 
 
 American exploration of the island of Loo- 
 Choo, 915 — Escort furnished to tho Amer- 
 icans by the authorities, 916 — De.scriptioit 
 of the roads to Sheudi, 91G — Tho Cung- 
 qud, or resting-place for travelers, 917 — 
 Suspicious demeanor of tho natives, 917 
 — Character of tho environs of Sheudi, 
 918 — Scenery near Pino, 918 — Thorough 
 cultivation of 919 — Precautions of the 
 authorities to prevent intercounso with 
 the Americans, 919 — A superb landscape, 
 921 — An ancient fortress in, 922 — Two 
 curious stones, supposed to be au emblem 
 of the Phalhc worship, 924 — Scenery 
 about Barrow's Bay, 925 — Scarcity of 
 birds in the island, 927 — A dehghtful 
 Cung-qua, 928 — Curiosity of tho natives, 
 929— A fine view, 930— Character of tho 
 coast scenery, 931 — Neatness of tho vil- 
 lage?, 'J6i.—JL Chinese remedy, 933 — 
 Mistaken saspicions of the natives, 933 
 — A vast fo, ost, 934 — ^The party come in 
 sight of t!.:' squadron, 936 — Arrival at 
 the starfng- point, 937. 
 
 Ancient rock-temple, !?.09. 
 
 Anderson (Alexander), 118. 
 
 '• death of, 123. 
 
 Anderson's Falls, 604. 
 
 Angostura, 58. 
 
 Ankober, view of) 658, 661. 
 
 Antelopes, 326. 
 
 Antioch, 201. 
 
 Apure River, 42, 43. 
 
 Apurimac River, 860— Bridge, 861. 
 
 Arab guides, singular custom o^ 209. 
 
 galutatioD, 623. 
 
 boats on Uie Red Sea, 666. 
 
 guide, superstition of, 206. 
 
940 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Arafat, encampment of tho Moslem pilgrims 
 
 at, 222— View from tho summit, 223— 
 
 sermon upon, 224. 
 Aral Sea, 328. 
 Arcliiletc, murder at, T22. 
 Arctic Sound, 297. 
 Argali (Mount), view from, 308. 
 Argo, Island of) 257 — Vegetation, 258 — 
 
 Colossi upon, 258. 
 "Asie Gentrale," 87. 
 Assiil Lake, 661. 
 Assyrian records, discovery of, 821. 
 
 throne, 819. 
 
 Astrachan, 85. 
 
 Atabapo River, 51. 
 
 Ataniipe, cavern of, 55. 
 
 Atbiira River, 216. 
 
 Atmospheric Rarefaction, effect of, 694. 
 
 Attah, king oC, 545. 
 
 " (king), treaty with, 566. 
 Atta, town of, 630. 
 Atures, Rapids of, 48. 
 ■ Indians, fato of) 66, 
 
 Australian Bight, 774. 
 
 scenery, 737. 
 
 tribes, 780, 783, 784, 790, 791, 793. 
 
 Axuni, description of, 673. 
 
 Babylon, ruins of, 822, 823, 824. 
 
 Back (George), 289. 
 
 — — — his winter journey, 295. 
 
 (Captain), commands an expedition 
 
 in search of Captain Ross, 597 — Sails to 
 Now York, 598 — Proceeds to Lake Win- 
 nipeg, 598 — Ascends tho Saskatchewan, 
 599— Reaches Great Slave Lake, 600 — 
 Ascends Hoar Frost River, 601 — Arrives 
 at tho sources of tho Thlow-ee-choh, 602 — 
 Winter qtiarters, 603 — Starving Indians, 
 605— Sufferings of tho party, 006— Doatli 
 of two ravens, 607 — Departure for tlio 
 north — Embaiks on tho Thlow-ee-choli, 
 608 — Descends tho rapids, 609 — Meets 
 with Esquimaux, 610 — Sketches tho na- 
 tives, 610 — Arrives at tho Polar Sea, 611 
 — Lands on Montreal Island, 012— Gains 
 Point Ogle, 612— Returns to England, 613. 
 
 Badagry, 506, 520, 623— Extortion of tho 
 king of, 524. 
 
 Baghdad, 822, 824. 
 
 Baglizen Mountain, the, ascended by Dr. 
 Overweg, 891. 
 
 Bagimi, country ofj 901. 
 
 Baikio, Dr. W. B., appointed to take charge 
 of an expedition to the Niger, 905 — En- 
 ters tho Niger in tho steamer Pleiad and 
 attains tho highest point yet reached, 906 
 — Gets tidings of the death of Dr. Barth, 
 906 — Enters the kingdom of Kororofa, 
 900 — Sickness among tiie crew, 906 — 
 Well received by the Sultan of Hamaru- 
 wa, 907 — Difficulties with the natives 
 higher up the river, 907 — Return with- 
 out losing a man, 908. 
 
 Bakones, tribo of, 677 
 
 Balonno River, 778. 
 
 Eambarra, kingdom of; 107. 
 
 Bamboo, description of; 767, 768. 
 
 Bammakoo, 113. 
 
 Banks (Sir Joseph), 93. 
 
 " " 108. 
 
 "Banner Rock," 921. 
 
 Baobab-tree, 033. 
 
 Baarabinski, Steppe of, 80. 
 
 Barca Gana, 472 — His march to Mandara, 
 479— Interview with tiie Sultan, 481— 
 Defeatad by tho Fclntahs, 48.1 — Disgraced 
 and restored to favor, 489 — Wounded, 
 496 — Marclies around Lake Tchad, 603. 
 
 Baris, land of the, 038— People of, 639, G47. 
 
 Barket, 888, 
 
 Barnaul, 81. 
 
 Barrow's Bay, 92L 
 
 Bartli, Dr., accompanies Mr, Richardson to 
 Central Africa, 885 — Narrow escape in 
 the desert, 88G — Harassed by tlie Tua- 
 ricks, 888 — Enters tho kingdom of Air, 
 889— Visit tho sultan En-noor, 890— 
 Visits Agadez, the capital, 890 — Leaves 
 Air, 891 — Separates from his associates 
 on the frontiers of Bornou, 892 — Proceeds 
 to tho frontiers of tho Felatah country, 
 894 — Arrives at Kano in Soudan, 804 — 
 On tho death of Mr. Richardson, proceeds 
 to secure and send home his papers, 894 
 — Prepares to explore Lake Tchad, 894 — 
 Journey to Adamowa, 895, 897— Joins a 
 hostile expedition into the Waday coun- 
 try, 900 — Accompanies another army into 
 Mandara and Musgo, 901 — Travels to- 
 ward tlio Nile, 901 — Meets much oppo- 
 sition, and is finally turned back in Ba- 
 girmi, 901 — Rejoins Dr. Overweg, wlio 
 died soon after, 903 — Visits Sackatoo 
 and Timbuctoo, and explores tho middle 
 course of the Niger, 904 — Meets Dr. 
 Vogel, 904 — Returns to Europe, 904, 
 
 Batn el-Iladjar, 256. 
 
 Battakcrs, tribo of the, 84is 846. 
 
 Baouangketsi, country of, 574. 
 
 Bear (Captain Lewis's adventure with), 148. 
 
 Bears, tenacity of life of, 143. 
 
 Bechuanas, 669, 570 — Interment, 371 — 
 Rain-maker, 572, 573 — Abandonment of 
 wounded, 675 — Conversion, 576, 
 
 Becrof (Governor), his reception of Lan- 
 der, 542. 
 
 ■ (Governor), relieves the Albert, 558. 
 
 Bedouin woman, compassion of a, 264. 
 
 honor, anecdote of, 441. 
 
 — — — intrigues of, 443, 444 — order of 
 march, 444. 
 
 hospitality of the, 445. 
 
 religion of the, 450. 
 
 — — alliance of the Syrian tribes, 450. 
 
 habit of cooking on the march, 451. 
 
 ceremony of reconciliation, 453 — 
 
 Their mardouffs, or war-dromedaries, 453 
 — Declaration of war, 464 — Custom of tho 
 hatfu, 464. 
 
 Bok 
 
INDEX. 
 
 941 
 
 of 
 
 of 
 
 Bedouins, cliaracter of, 623. 
 
 Beo's Creek, 119. 
 
 Boor Springs, 708. 
 
 Bogiiarmis, battle with tho, 495. 
 
 Bolangcr, porilous advoiituro in a rapid, 
 302. 
 
 Bell (Mr.), his visit to Aby.ssinia, 661. 
 
 Bello, Sultaa of Houssa, 501. 
 
 (Sultnn), camp of, 513. 
 
 Belzoni, birth and education, 229 — Visit to 
 England, 229— Goes to Egypt, 2;i0— 
 Wouiidod by a Turkish soldier, 230 — Ar- 
 rival at Thebes, 231 — Adventure in a 
 tomb, 232 — P^xcursion to Nubia, 233 — 
 Return to Thebes, 233 — Explorations of 
 the tombs at Thebes and Karnak, 234 — 
 Opens tho temple of Abou Simbel, 236— 
 Opens tho second pyramid, 238 — Journey 
 to the ruin.s of Bemico, 238, 239— To tho 
 Oasis, 239 — Return to Eurojx;, 241 — 
 Death, 241. 
 
 Bonui-, river, 89G — Joins tho Niger, 896. 
 
 Beni-Abou-Ah, tribo of, 617, 618, 619. 
 
 Beni-Abou-Hassan, tribe of, 617. 
 
 Beni Geneba Bedouins, 718. 
 
 Bcni-Khaled, shepherd tribo of, 616. 
 
 Benowm, camp at, 100. 
 
 Berber, country of, 214. 
 
 king of, 261. 
 
 Bcrnice, ruins of, 239 — Mistake of Cail- 
 liaud concerning them, 238. 
 
 Berkol (Jabel), ruins at, 259. 
 
 (Mount), 282— Ruins at its base, 
 
 282, 283. 
 
 Bertat, people of, 277. 
 
 Bettelheim, Dr, missionary at Loo-Choo, 915. 
 
 Beyrout, 829, 832. 
 
 Bible, confirmation of the, 8 18. 
 
 Bigwhite, the chief, 193. 
 
 Bilma, 468. 
 
 Bird Rock, 534. 
 
 Biruio, town of, 475 — Court of] 475. 
 
 (old), ruins of, 487. 
 
 Birs Nimroud, 823. 
 
 Black "Waters, valley of the, 728. 
 
 Blacksmith (negro), 79. 
 
 Bleck, Dr., accompanies an expedition to 
 the Niger, 905. 
 
 Blue Lake, 746. 
 
 Blue Town, the, 736— hotel at, 736. 
 
 Bogoslowsk, copper mines of, 79. 
 
 Bohea Mountains, scenery of, 770 — Tea dis- 
 trict of, 771. 
 
 Bohrs, tribe of the, 637. 
 
 Bokhara, Rus-^lan intercourse with, 323. 
 
 dang^jrs of the route to, 324. 
 
 appearance of, 341 — Houses, 841 — 
 
 Inhabitants, 342 — Jews o£ 342 — Palaco 
 of tho Khan, 343— Markets, 343— Decay 
 of, 343. 
 
 ■ women of, 345, 
 
 Bokharia, population of, 344 — Slave popula- 
 tion of, 344. 
 
 Boo-Khaloom, 465 — His illness, 466— Re- 
 ception in Be ou, 47 2 — Departs for Man- 
 dara , 47 8— I its at Musfeia, 48 2— Death, 
 485. 
 
 Bonny, mosseng from, 537, 638. 
 
 Bouplaud, Association with Humboldt, 23. 
 
 appointed superintendent of tlio gar- 
 dons at Malraaison. 75 — Journey to Para- 
 guay, 7j — luiprisonmont, 75 — Death, 70. 
 
 Borgoo Hunter, 509. 
 
 Bornouese Troops, evolutions of, 472. 
 
 Bornou, approach to, 469. 
 
 body-guard of Shekh, 472 — Shekh 
 
 of, 471— Sultan of, 475— Curiosity of tho 
 people, 476 — Anecdote of a Bornou lady, 
 470. 
 
 rainy season in, 489. 
 
 Shekh of, receives presents, 495— 
 
 Security of tho country, 503. 
 
 Defeat of the shekh of, 514. 
 
 Bolta, (M.), his di^scoveries at Khorsabad, 
 
 810. 
 Bottle-tree of Australia, 779. 
 Bourhad-Bota, ascent of the, 747. 
 Boussa, 510 — Sultan of, 510 — His statement 
 
 of Park's fate, 511 — His kindness to Clap- 
 
 pei'ton, 511. 
 
 kindness of the inhabitants, 529. 
 
 the 
 
 Bokhana, scenery of, 334. 
 
 khan of, 335. 
 
 the territorv of, 338 — Face of the 
 
 country, 339— Chmato, 336 — Cities, 340. 
 
 Boy (King), 640, 541, 54i. 
 
 Brazil, Ida Pfeiflbr's adventures in, 838, 839 
 —Indians of, 840, 841. 
 
 Brick Tea, 354. 
 
 Broussa, ride to, 823. 
 
 Bubaker, encampment at, 103. 
 
 Buddha, Moral Code of, 355. 
 
 Buddhist prayer, 353. 
 
 priest, 356. 
 
 priest, 772. 
 
 laws concerning corpses, 369. 
 
 Buffaloes, 144. 
 
 Bukhau, mountain and wella of| 333. 
 
 Bulgar, ruins of] 78. 
 
 Burckhardt (John Lewis), birth of, 197 — 
 Education, 197 — Visit to England, 198— 
 Employed by the African Association, 
 198 — Departs for the east, 198— Arrives 
 at Aleppo, 201— Proceeds to Damascus, 
 202 — Excursion to the Hauran, 202 — To 
 the Dead Sea. 203-205— Discovers Petra, 
 205— .\rrival at Cairo, 207— Ascent of 
 the Nile, 208— Reception in Nubia, 208 
 — Arrives in the territory of Sukkot, 210 
 — Reception in El Maliass, 210 — Decides 
 to return, 210 — R3aches Assouan, 211 — 
 Joins a caravan for Berber, 211 — Arrival 
 at El Mekheyrof; 214 — Proceeds to Da- 
 rner, 214 — Adventure at Darner, 215 — 
 Arrives at Shendy, 215 — Travels through 
 Takka to Souakin, 217 — Attempted extor- 
 tion of the governor, 217 — Arrival at Jid- 
 da, 218 — Visit to Mohammed Ali, 219— 
 Residence at Mecca, 221 — Journey to Me« 
 dina, 254 — Attacked by Bodouins, 224— 
 
942 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Procoofls with a caravan to Yombo, 225 
 — Sails for Cossior and arrives at Cairo, 
 226— Visits Mount Sinai, 226— Death, 
 22G. 
 
 Burdekin River, 789. 
 
 Burton, Lieutenant R. F., makes a pilgrim- 
 age to Mecca, 909 — Assumes the oriental 
 costume, 909 — Disguises himself as a 
 wandering dervish, 910 — Proceeds fo 
 Suez, 911 — Scene on an Arab boat, 911 
 — Enters the harbor of Yembo, 912 — Ac- 
 oompanios a caravan to Mecca, 912 — At- 
 tacked by Bedouins, 912 — Enters Me- 
 dina, 913 — His residence at, 913 — Pre- 
 vented from proceeding to Muscat, 914 — 
 Returns to Suez, 914. 
 
 Cabul, CSS. 
 
 Cailliaud (Frederic), early travels, 245 — 
 Embarks for Egypt, 245— Sets out for 
 the Oasis of .lupitcr Anunon, 24G — Ar- 
 rives at Sivali, 247 — Visits tho ruins of 
 Om Beydah, 250 — Arrives at tho Littlo 
 Oasis, 251 — Accused of niagic.il iirt?, 251 
 — Proceeds to Farafreh, 252 — To Daklel, 
 25."!— Visits El-Khargoli, 254 — Arrives 
 in Siout, 254 — Visits to Cairo, 254, 255— 
 Returns to Thebes, 255 — Proceeds to As- 
 souan, 255 — Arrives in Nubia, 250 — Ex- 
 .iraines tho temple of Soleb, 256 — Enters 
 Dongola, 257 — Visits the ruins atMerawe, 
 259 — ^l{eceivcd by Ismail Pasha. 2G0 — 
 Accompanies him to Berber, 261 — Pro- 
 ceeds to Shondy, 2G2 — Discovers the ruins 
 of Mcroii, 203 — Sails up tho Bluo Nile, 
 2G6 — Arrives at Sonaar, 207 — Mortality 
 among tho troops, 267 — Visit to Ibrahim 
 Pasha, 269 — Accompanies Ismail Pasha 
 into tlio negro country, 271 — Narrow es- 
 cape, 272 — Arrival at Faza.u'l, 27't — Es- 
 cape from a conflagration, 270 — Reaches 
 the country of Gamamyl, 276 — Examines 
 tho gold-washings, 277 — Defeat sit Sin- 
 gueand return, 278 — Embarks at Adassy 
 and return to Senaar, 279 — Visit to tho 
 ruins of Naga, 280 — Of Mesowurat, 281 
 —Return to Shendv, 282— Visit to tho 
 ruins of Mount Berkel, 282— To tho Oiisis 
 of Selimeh, 283— Rcturu to Cairo, 2S4— 
 Arrival in France, 285. 
 
 Cairo, 834. 
 
 Calabozo, 40. 
 
 Calcutta, Ida PfeifTer's residence at, 842. 
 
 Callirhoii, hot springs of, 803. 
 
 Calmucks, description of, 388. 
 
 Calpi, village of, 67. 
 
 Calumet Bluff, 133. 
 
 Cameahwait (Shoshoneo chief), 153, 154. 
 
 Camels, aa draught animals, 796. 
 
 Camping in the snow, 394. 
 
 Cannmg (Sir Stratford), 810, 814. 
 
 Canton, approach to, 76L 
 
 Ida Pfeiffer's adventures in, 841, 842. 
 
 Capo Disappointment, 170. 
 
 Caracas, 34— (Silla de), 34, 35 
 
 Carib Indians, 68. 
 
 Carichana, mission of, 47. 
 
 Caripe, mission of; 30. 
 
 Carpentaria, Gulf of, 791. 
 
 Carson (Kit), 697, 702, 700, 709, 722, 723. 
 
 Carthagcna, 61. 
 
 Cashghar, city of, 337. 
 
 Casks, negotiation by means of, 4 IS. 
 
 Caspian Sea, 86. 
 
 Cassiquiaro River, 53, 54. 
 
 Caviglia, (Captain), exploration of tho Pyr- 
 amid, 234. 
 
 Caxamarca, valley of, 69. 
 
 Cerro Pasco, 854. 
 
 Ceylon, 842. 
 
 Chaboneau, adventure of, 149. 
 
 Chadda, discovery of the, 634. 
 
 Exploration of, 550. 
 
 Chafare River, 804, 863. 
 
 Chasuta, 856. 
 
 Cliicha, a drink of the South American In- 
 dians, 860. 
 
 Chilluckitequaw Indians, lOG. 
 
 (Ihimborazo, Ascent of, 65, 66. 
 
 China, death of tho Emperor of, 358. 
 
 scenery of, 371. 
 
 great wall of, 372. 
 
 army of, 376 — a soldier of do., .H75. 
 
 Chinese officers, Humboldt's interview wifh, 
 82. 
 
 festival of tho new year, 376. 
 
 frontier, 389. 
 
 costume, 755 — Physiolog)-, 759. 
 
 tea-carriers, 770. 
 
 Clilobnikoff, 410, 421 — Makes a compass, 
 429 — Falls into a pit, 432 — Pensioned, 
 4S7. 
 
 Cliuga (Mount), frightful passage of, 748. 
 
 Cliupe, a Peruvian national dish, 860. 
 
 Chwostoff (Lieutenant), attack on tho Ja- 
 panese Kuriles, 411, 414, 433. 
 
 Clapperton (Captain Hugh), joins Major Den- 
 ham at Tripoli, 4(i3 — Separates from him 
 at Kouka, 491 — Proceeds with Dr. Oud- 
 ney to Katagum, 497— Death of Dr. Oud- 
 ney, 49S — Clapperton enters the kingdom 
 of lloussa, 498 — Arrival at Kano, 499 — 
 Procures an ixhibitioii of boxers, 600 — 
 Reaches Sackatoo, 500 — Interview with 
 the sultan, 501 — Suspicions of tiio sultan, 
 501 — Return to Kouka, 502 — Arrival in 
 Europe, 504 — Departure on his second 
 expedition, 505 — Proceeds to tho interior, 
 606 — Death of several of the party, 506 
 — Reception at Katunga, 507 — Detention, 
 608 — Arrival at Wawa, 510 — Proposal of 
 marriage, 510 — Reaches tho Niger, and 
 arrives at lloussa, 510 — Place of Park's 
 death, 511 — Returns to Wawa, 511 — De- 
 tention at Koolfu, 512 — Kilters Kano, 513 
 — Arrives at the camp of Bello, Sultan of 
 lloussa, 613 — Sojourn at Sackatoo, 513— 
 Last illness, 514 — Death, 516 — Burial by 
 Lander, 617. 
 
 Clarke's adventure In an Indian lodge, 163, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 943 
 
 Clark's Rivor, 159. 
 
 Point of View, 174. 
 
 Clatsop Indiana, 173. 
 Coco, effects of, 864. 
 Cochabamba, 864. 
 
 Cochrane (Captain John Dundos), deter- 
 ininos to travel round tho globo on foot, 
 383 — Sots out for Russia, S83 — Loaves 
 St. Petersburg, 334 — Plundered by rob- 
 bers, 384 — Arrives at Novgorod, 385 — 
 Reaches Moscow, 386 — Crosses tho Ural 
 Mountains, 337 — Arrives at Tobolsk, 387 
 — His passports stolen, 387 — Arrives at 
 Omsk, 388 — Visits tho Chineso frontier, 
 389 — Proceeds to Bamaoul, 389 — Inter- 
 view with tho Governor-general, 390 — 
 Reaches Irkutsk, 390 — Descends tho 
 Lena in a canoe, 391 — Arrives at Ya- 
 kutsk, 392 — A winter journey, 393 — 
 Reaches Zashiversk, on tho Indigirka, 
 396— Suffers from tho cold, 397— Be- 
 comes a priest, '^97 — Reaches the Kolyma, 
 397— Travels with dogs, 398— Meets with 
 Baron Wrangel at Lower Kolymak, 399 
 —Attends a fair of tho Tchuktchi, 401— 
 Returns to Kolymsk, 402 — Ascends tho 
 Kolyma, 403 — A perilous situation, 404 
 — Reaches tho Omekou, 406 — Swims tho 
 Okota, 407 — Dangerous passage, 408 — 
 Arrives at Okotsk, 409 — Proceeds to 
 Kamtohatka, 410 — Marries a Kamtchat- 
 dale, 410— Returns to St. Petersburg, 410. 
 
 Cold, in British America, 290. 
 
 Columbia River, Head-waters of the, 152. 
 
 Great Falls of the, 164. 
 
 Lower Falls of tho, 167. 
 
 Motith of tho, 170. 
 
 Constantinople, 827. 
 
 Coppermine River, 293. 
 
 Narrows of tho, 295- 
 
 U96. 
 
 -Mouth of tho, 
 
 River, crossing of, 305, 306. 
 
 Cordilleras, scenery of, 852, 
 
 Cosnipata River, 862. 
 
 Cotopaxi, volcano of, 64. 
 
 Cossacks, of Ural, 85 — Religious worship, 
 85. 
 
 Cow-tree, 36. 
 
 Cracroft's River, mishap at, 300. 
 
 Cumana, city of, 28 — Customs of tho inhab- 
 itants, 29 — Earthquake at, 33. 
 
 Cumberland House, 289. 
 
 Cung-quas, the, of Loo-Choo, 917. 
 
 Curare poison, 64. 
 
 Cuzco, 861, 862. 
 
 Dakhcl, Oasis of) 253 — Antiquities of, 253. 
 Dale (Lieutenant), death of, 805. 
 Dalles, tho, 712. 
 Damara-land, 565, 566. 
 Damor, selling goods at, 215. 
 Daraergou, country of, 892. 
 Darauggoo, 637. 
 
 Danakil, country o^ 653— Danakil barber, 
 664. 
 
 Dark "Water, king of tho, 530. 
 Darkhan (Mount), 367. 
 Darkisch, city of, 456— Its inhabitants, 457. 
 D'Arnaud, 629. 
 
 Dar-Fur, anecc' to of pilgrim from, 633. 
 Darling River, discovery of, 684 — Explora- 
 tion of, 585, 580 — Junction with tho itfur- 
 rav, 591. 
 Dead Sea, Entrance into, 798 — .Sounding of, 
 799 — Southern extremity of, 800 — Tem- 
 perature of, 801 — Depression of, 804. 
 Deboni Arabs, chief of the, 653. 
 Demba (Park's black boy), 103. 
 Demons' Palace, 878, 881. 
 Denham (Major Dixon), appointed to com- 
 mand an expedition in Central Africa, 
 463 — Joins Captain Clapperton and Dr. 
 Oudney at Tripoli, 463 — Arrival at Mour- 
 zuk, 464 — Delay .it Mourzuk and return 
 to Marseilles, 465 — Return to Mourzuk, 
 466 — Tho expedition sets out, 466 — 
 March across tho desert, 407 — Approach 
 to Bornou, 469 — Arrival at Lake Tchad, 
 469 — Approach to Kouka, 471 — Recep- 
 tion, 472 — Visit to tho Sultan of Bornou, 
 475 — Curiosities exhibited to tho natives, 
 476 — Excursion to Lake Tchad, 477 — 
 Death of his horse, 478 — Journey to Man- 
 dara, 479 — Arrival at Mora, 480 — Visit 
 to the Sultan of Mandara, 480 — Battlo 
 with tho Felatahs, 483— Retreat, 484 — 
 Stripped and plundered by the Felatahs, 
 484— Narrow escapo from death, 485 — 
 Desperate condition, 485 — Retreat to 
 Mandara, 480 — Arrival at Kouka, 487 — 
 Expedition into tho Munga territory, 
 487, 488— Denham separates from Clapper- 
 ton and Oudney, 491 — Proceeds with 
 Mr. Toole to Loggun, 492 — Reception by 
 the Sultan, 493— Death of Mr. Toole, 495 
 — Of Dr. Oudney, 495 — Expedition to 
 Lake Tchad, 495 — Returns to Kouka, 
 497 — Meets with Clapperton, 497 — Ex- 
 cursion on tho eastern side of Lake Tchad, 
 503 — Return to Europe, 504. 
 Dcrr, capital of Nubia, 208. 
 Dorwazeh, description of, 338. 
 Dickson (Dr.), journey into Africa, 505, 
 
 506. 
 Diet of the Nubian caravans, 213. 
 Dinkas, tribe of; 631, 644. 
 Distress for want of water, 21.1, 
 Djbel Akhdar, 621, 622. 
 Dogs, as an article of food, 173. 
 Dongola, scenery of, 257. 
 (old), 258 — Ruins of a Coptic con- 
 vent, 258. 
 Drayhy (the), 444, 445 — March into Meso- 
 potamia, 447 — Becomes chief of tho Be- 
 douins in Syria, 453 — Defeats the Waha- 
 bees, 455 — Visits their king, 456. 
 Drowyer, his adventure with tho Indiani, 
 
 157. 
 Drinking a Fetish, 620. 
 Drovetti, his hostility to Belzoni, 234. 
 
944 
 
 IJT DEX. 
 
 Dulti, opposition to Dr Blaikie at, 907. 
 Diinrorii, Lander's description of, 619. 
 Dyaka, tribe u^ 844. 
 
 I'^boo pooplo, war canocH of) 639. 
 
 town, 6;t9, 
 
 PJotooroop, island or, 411. 
 
 Kgga, town ofj 532 — Landor'.<» visit to, 632. 
 
 Ehrenborg, 71. 
 
 Electrical Eol, 40, 41. 
 
 Elopitnnt-hunting on Lake Tchad, 477. 
 
 Kl A is, G30. 
 
 El-( Jarah, village of; 247. 
 
 El liaiincr, wells of| . 
 
 El-ITanimar, skeletons at, 407. 
 
 El-Kcrr, cataract of; 279. 
 
 El Khargeh, Oasis of, 263. 
 
 El Mekhcyref; 214. 
 
 El Till, desert of, 207. 
 
 Encounter Bay, 593. 
 
 Encoslmr village, 179. 
 
 Engaddi, fountain of, 799. 
 
 English, Tartar description of the, 732. 
 
 Chinese idea of the, 741. 
 
 En-Noor, Sultan of Air, 889 — Mokes treaty 
 with Mr. Richardson, 890. 
 
 Esmeraldi, mission of, 64. 
 
 Esnc, expenses of living at, 211. 
 
 Esquimaux, 296. 
 
 Back's intercourso with, 610. 
 
 Franklin's intercourse with, 321. 
 
 Expedition Range, 788. 
 
 Eyre (Edward John), commands an expe- 
 dition into the interior of Australia, 773 
 — Encamps at the head of Spencer's Gulf 
 and proceeds to Lake Torrons, 773 — 
 Progress toward the interior arrested, 
 774— Proceeds westward from Spencer's 
 Gulf, 774— Visits Port Lincoln, 774— 
 Reaches the Great Bight, 774 — Reduc- 
 tion of the party, 776 — Great privations, 
 775— Robbery and murder, 7 7 6, 776— Ar- 
 rival at Albany, 776. 
 
 Falcsseles, "Wady and "Well of, 888. 
 
 Falls of the Missouri, 146, 147. 
 
 Farafreh (Oasis of), 252— Inhabitants of; 262, 
 253, 
 
 Farm (the model), 557, 559. 
 
 Fatouma (Amadi), journal of, 124, 125, 126. 
 
 Fatallah Sayeghir, joins M. de Lascaris, 
 440 — Escape from freezing, 444 — Travels 
 in disguise, 440 — Interview with the 
 Drayhy, 44'7 — Captured by Shekh Absi, 
 451— Suffering from thirst, 462— Falls 
 down a precipice, 454. 
 
 Interview with the King of the Wa- 
 
 habees, 457 — Convorsutiuu upon Chris- 
 tianity, 468— Disastrous termination of 
 his travels, 459. 
 
 Fatteconda, town ot; 96. 
 
 Fayoum, district of, 239. 
 
 Fazogl, country of, 271. 
 
 mountain of| 273— Submission to 
 
 the king, 274. 
 
 Felatah, empire of, 894. 
 
 Fezzan, sultan of, 465. , i 
 
 Wndy of, 886. 
 
 Fika, town of, 902. 
 
 Fire in an African Forest, 270. 
 
 Fitzpatrick, hia croeilng of Ui« Sierra Ne- 
 vada, 718. 
 
 Floyd (Sorgoant\ death of; 132. 
 
 Forday (King), 540, 
 
 Fort Ciiipewyan, 291. 
 
 Fort Clitsop, 175, 
 
 Fort Enterprise, 293 — Winter temporaturo 
 at, 294 — Occupation at, 294. 
 
 Franklin's return to, 310. 
 
 Fort Mandan, 139. 
 
 Fort Providence, 292. 
 
 Fortune (Robert), appointed to visit the tea- 
 countries of China, 763 — Roaches Ilong- 
 Kong and proceeds to Shanghai, 763 — 
 Prepares to visit the hill of Sung-lo, 763 
 — Passes througii Hong-chow-foo, 764 — 
 Discovers new trees, 764, 765 — Enters the 
 district of Hwuy-chow, 766 — Visits the 
 Sung-lo district, 766, 767 — Returns to 
 Shanghai 'tud ships tea-plants to India, 
 767 — Departs on a journey to tlie Bohea 
 Mountains, 767— Arrives at Fou-chow-foo, 
 767 — Sails up the Min, 767 — Describes 
 the bamboo, 767, 768 — Sails from Ning- 
 po up the Green River, 769 — Sails 'own 
 the Kin-kiang to Ilokow, 769 — ^Describes 
 the tea-carriers, 770 — Arrives at the gates 
 ofFokien and enters the mountJiins, 770 
 —Visits the hilla of Woo-e, 771— Tea- 
 farms, 772 — Returns to Shanghai, 773. 
 
 Foulah Robbers, 113. 
 
 Franklin (Sir John), appointed to explore 
 the northern coast of America, 289 — Res- 
 idence at Cumberland House, 290 — Or- 
 ganization of the expedition. 291 — Arri- 
 val at Great Slave Lake, 292— Winter 
 quarters at Fort Enterprise, 293 — Descent 
 of the Coppermine, 295 — Embarkation in 
 canoes on the Polar Sea, 296 — Land on 
 Hood's River, 297 — Continue their jour- 
 ney by land, 298 — Sufferings from cold, 
 300 — Failure of provisions, 300 — A musk- 
 ox shot, 301 — Diet of tripe de roche, 301 
 — Perilous situation of one of the party, 
 302— Perplexity of the party, 305 — Diffi- 
 culty in crossing the Coppermine, 306 — 
 Some of the party left behind, 308— Ar- 
 rival at Fort Enterprise, 310 — Sufferings 
 at the fort, 311 — Remainder of the party 
 arrive, 313 — Good example of Hepburn, 
 313— Murder of Mr. Hood, 315— The 
 murderer shot, 317 — ^The party reduced 
 to four, 318^Relieved by the Indians, 
 319 — Returns to Montreal, 320 — Second 
 expedition, 320 — Winter on Mackenzie's 
 River, 320— Exploration of the coast, 321 
 —Return to England, 321. 
 
 Fray, Juan Gonzalez, 60. 
 
 Fremont, (Col. John C), ordered to explore 
 the Rooky Mountains, 697— Departure of 
 
 8li 
 to 
 th 
 86 
 
 Rc| 
 
 ba 
 
 del 
 
 on 
 
 86f 
 
INDEX. 
 
 945 
 
 tlio expedition, fi07 — Arrival at Fi»rt Lnra- 
 mio, COS — DlRcouraKiiiR picture of tlio 
 country, C'Jrf — DotorniincH to proiiccd, G99 
 — Ueaclios tlio South Piws, 6D9 — Tribu- 
 larioji of tlio Colorado, TOO — Ascoiids tlio 
 Wind Rivor Mountains, 700 — Illness, 702 
 — tteaohoa tlio summit, 703 — Uoturns 
 homeward, 701 — Doscoiit of tlio Platto, 
 704— DosL-entof tho rapids, 704, 705— llu- 
 turn to St. Louis, 70G — Coiunmnds nii ex- 
 pedition to OiV)<on and California, 701) — 
 Arrives at St. V" rain's Fort, 70() — Crosses 
 the Uocrky Mountains, 707 — Kiiters Boar 
 Rivor Valley, 707 — liiicainps at tlio Boar 
 Springs, 701) — Dusuonds tlio river, 709 — ■ 
 Arrives at tlio Salt Luke, 710 — Proceeds 
 to Fort Hall, 711 — Descends tlio Siiako 
 Rivor, 711 — Roacliea tho Wallaliwallali 
 and descends to tho Columbia, 712 — Ar- 
 rives at tho Dalles, 712 — Projects anew 
 route to tlio south, 713 — Arrives at 
 Tlainath Lako, 714 — Discovers Summer 
 Lake, 715— Pyramid Lake, 716— DifTicult 
 pas.'.af,'e of tho Sierra Nevada, 717, 718 — 
 Descent into Californrt, 719 — Arrival at 
 Sutler's Fort, 720 — Journey eastward, 
 720— Roaches tho Spanish Trail, 721— 
 Encounters a plundered party, 721 — Do- 
 feat, of the robbers, 722— Tabeau shot by 
 tho Indians, 723 — Arrival at Utali Lako, 
 723 — Return of tho expedition, 723. 
 Pulo3, account of the, 907. 
 
 Galilee, sea of, 796. 
 
 Gallatin's River, 150 
 
 Gamaniyl, country of; 27G 
 
 Gambarou, ruins of 2S8. 
 
 Gandiko, town of, 900. 
 
 Gay Lussac, 74. 
 
 Gazelle Lake, 644. 
 
 Gey.sors, the, Ida Pfoiffer's visit to, 836, 837. 
 
 Ghadamos, Richardson's residence at 873, 
 
 875 — Inhabitants of, 870. 
 Gharian Pass, 885. 
 
 Ghat, Oiidnoy and Clapperton's visit to, 4GG. 
 Richardson's residenco at, 879, 881 
 
 —People of, 880— Women of, 880, 881. 
 885. 
 
 Ghor, valley of, 205. 
 
 Gibbon, (Lieut. Lardner), joins Lieutenant 
 Horndon at Lima, 851 — Assists in prepar- 
 ing for tho expedition to the Amazon, 851 
 — Sei. .rates from Ilerndon at Tarraa, 853 
 —Leaves Tarma, 860— Enters the provinco 
 of Ayacucho, 860 — Meela with a Yankee 
 showman, 860 — Crosses the Apurimac, 
 861 — Arrives at Cuzco, 861 — Excursion 
 to the Madre de Dios, 861 — A night on 
 tho Cosnipata, 862 — Returns to Cuzco, 
 862 — Approaches Lako Titicaca, 802 — 
 Reaches La Paz, 863 — Arrives at Coclia- 
 bamba, 864 — Interview with tho Presi- 
 dent, 864— The coca-plant, 864 — Embarks 
 on the Chapare, 865 — Night traveling, 
 865 — Arrival at Trinidad, 865— Unpleas- 
 
 ant delaj', 86G — Reception at Fort Prin- 
 cipe da Boini, in Brazil, SGi! — Reaches 
 tho falls of tho Madeira, S6G— Treacherv 
 of the boatmen, 867— Pas.sago of the falls, 
 867, 868 — .\rrival at tho Amazon, 869 
 — Conimcrcial advantages of tliu route, 
 8G9, 870. 
 
 Gilbert, murder of, 790. 
 
 Gobi, desert of, «C9, 380. 
 
 Godey, adventure of, 722. 
 
 Goethe, 10, 87. 
 
 Golowiiin (Ciiptain Wa.ssili), dirooted to 
 survey the Kurile Islands and the coa.-<t 
 of Tartiiry, 411 — Reaches the island of 
 Eetuoroi)]), 411 — Fired upon by the Ja- 
 panese, 412 — lIuMs a coiiferenco with 
 them, 413 — Invited on shore, 414 — Taken 
 prisoner, 415 — Severe treatment, 41G — 
 Conducted to llakodudi, 418, 419-Ini- 
 prisonmont. 420, 423 — Removal to Mats- 
 mai, 423 — Tortured by Japanese curiositv, 
 424, 42G— IIopo of liberation, 427— Re- 
 moved from their Ciiges into a house, 423 
 — lOseapo, 420 — Fearful adventure, 430 — 
 Nijjht upon the mountains, 431 — Recap- 
 tured and imprisoned, 433 — Hears of tho 
 arrival of a Russian vessel, 434 — Second 
 winter in Japan, 434->-Removal to Hako- 
 dadi, 435 — Liberation, 436~Return to 
 Russia, 437. 
 
 Goorneh, sepidchral excavations at, 232. 
 
 Gordon, (Captain), his journey and doath, 
 284. 
 
 Goz Rajeb, ruins near, 216. 
 
 Great Basin, exjiloration of, 713 — First view 
 of; 715. 
 
 Great Bend (of tho Missouri), 134 
 
 Great Slave Lake, 292. 
 
 Green River, 707. 
 
 of China, 769. 
 
 Cruacliaro Cavorn, 31. 
 
 Guanajuato, 72. 
 
 Guayaquil, 72. 
 
 Gujeba, agriculture of the region about, 901. 
 
 Guntoo (Mount), 358. 
 
 Hadendoa Bedouins, 217. 
 
 Hakodadi, 419— Prison of, 420, 421. 
 ' speech of the governor of, 436. 
 
 Ilalfay, country of, 265. 
 
 Hall (Fort), 711. 
 
 llama, 440. 
 
 Hamada, desert, description of, 885. 
 
 Hamaruwa, reception of Dr Blaikieat, 906. 
 
 Hang-chow River, 764. 
 
 Ilang-chow-foo, 764. 
 
 Harris (Major W. C), appointed by the 
 East India Company to command an ex- 
 pedition to Slioa, 649 — Proceeds from 
 Bombay to Tajura, C49 — Receives a visit 
 from tho sultan, 650 — Sets out for the 
 interior, 650 — Fearful suflferings of the 
 piirty, 651 — Roaches the country of the 
 Debeni, 653 — Interview with the chief, 
 f^rr. Detention at the Wady Killuloo, 655 
 
 60 
 
i»40 
 
 I N D K X . 
 
 — InHolciiPO of (lin niitivPH, Ctr)— Croa.sca 
 tlio oiusis of Siiiti'lli, ().)(} — ArrivoH at tlio 
 H.iwasli, C.IO — Ufcoption in tlio kiii>{<l')iii 
 of Slio:i, (i57 — Asci'tiiln tlio mouiitniun to- 
 wani Ankolicr, 057, (iriS — A tliii'f-catclicr, 
 ()5M — l{('i'(>|)ii()ii l)y tlio kiiif? S;»h(!liv Sc- 
 I.issic, tir>l> — I'liitr.uico into tlio oapilai, 
 OGl — Ilosidfiic-u at Aiikobcr, (J(il — I{('ll^;■ 
 ioiiof llic hUliiopians, C(>1, 002 — ilahitsof 
 tlio jn'oplc. fi(i;i — t'omiiii'iciul troiity witii 
 (ho kiiitr, COJ. 
 
 liarriM (Moiint), 532, r,HC,. 
 
 iI;^tc•(•t;^ ft Tuiirii'k flliif, S8(J. 
 
 Ilaiiraii, tlio, i!02. 
 
 Ilaviiiia, 00. 
 
 llawalia llivcr, r>5C. 
 
 llccla, -Mount, Ida PfiM/Tvir's lacont of, 837, 
 8;i8. 
 
 lloiiie (Mr.), aiipointml to tlio Loo-Olioo ox- 
 ]i('(lition, iilf) — Astoiii.slios tlio natives 
 with \m rill.', 018, !)20, 1):?5— Skotolus a 
 (,'ranil contral iiaiioraina of llio i.sland, !KI(). 
 
 Hoinp palm, 7(54. 
 
 nopbnrn (.loliii), oonfiuot of 807. 
 
 olVoPl of hifl oxatnpio, .Tl."?. 
 
 Hornilon, (liioiitonaiit Win. Lowis), rocoivos 
 orilors to oxploro tlio valley of tlio Ama- 
 zon, 851 — I'l-oparaiioim lor llio cxpodi- 
 tion, 851 — Dopartnro fro:n Lima, 85'J — 
 Crosses iho CordilloraH. 852 — Visits tin; 
 Puy-pwy Alonntain, 85:( — .Vrrivcs ftl Tar- 
 Ttin, 851! — Tho party separates, 853 — W^- 
 its tho niiniii;; town of Cerro I'iwoo, 85 I 
 — l<:inbarks on tho iru.illn.Qro, 851 — " Tl, ) 
 lost soul," 855 — A follow-eountrynian, 
 855 — Ileaehestlio Amazon, 85G— Asopiids 
 tho Ucayali, 857 — Arrives at tho frontiers 
 of Brazil, 857 — Roecption at tho fort of 
 Tabatinpa, 857 — lleaehos tho mouth of 
 tho Hio Ne'jro, 858— Halts at I3arr,i, 858 
 — I'iissos tho Madeira, 85'J — Reaches tho 
 month of tho Amazon, 859 — Returns to 
 the United States, 859. ' 
 
 Ilillman (William), cnj^ai^od by Major Don- 
 ham, 463 — Illness 480 — Makes a gun- 
 carriage, 400 — Makes a cart, 502 — Re- 
 turns to London, 501. 
 
 Hippopotami, 531. 
 
 Hoar-frost River, 60L 
 
 Horns, 440. 
 
 Hood (Robert), 280. 
 
 murder of, 315. 
 
 Hood's River, 297 
 
 Horuemann, 108. 
 
 llorse-raeing L.nong tho Mongols, 364. 
 
 llorza, pass of, 482. 
 
 Hottentots, 662 — method of building, 564. 
 
 Houghton (Major), 93. 
 
 Houssa, boxers of, 500. 
 
 Houtson, joins Captain Clapporton, 606 — 
 Returns to Badagry, 508. 
 
 Huallago River, 854, 856. 
 
 Hue and Gabet, sent out to re-establish tho 
 French Catholic Mission at Pokin, 728 — 
 Ck)mmanded to proceed into the interior, 
 
 728— Knter Mongolia, 728— Cross tho 
 kingdom of (ie<'h('kten, 730— Arrive at 
 Tolon-Noor, 7.'II -The town dcHcribcd, 
 731— -Meets with the t^luecn of tho Klial- 
 ka><, 732 — Tartar mode of greeting. 732 
 — Pass through the couniry of Tehakar, 
 733— liost horses restored by Tartais 
 733, 734— Ruined city, 734— Hiirial of tho 
 kings, 735 — Roaeh the Jiliio Town, 735 
 — ('ro.ss tho Yellow Riv 'r and enter tho 
 Land of Otiihh, 737 — Desolate eoinitry, 
 737 — Pilgrims going to witness a lama 
 miraele, 738 — Arrive too late, 7:iO~Pa.><s 
 the Doljsooii-Noor, or J^alt Lake, 730 — 
 lieeross the Yellow River, 710 — Knter 
 tlie provineo of Kan-Sow, 741 — Danger- 
 (MIS road, 741 — .\rrivo at tho frontiers of 
 Thibet, 742— Study tho language, 742 — 
 Knter tho lluddliist monnstery of Konii- 
 bonm, 743— Proceeil to the Hlue Sen, 740 
 — .loin a Thibetan embassy to Lha-Ssa. 
 747— Aseent of Mount Cliuifa, 748— Ar- 
 rival at Lha-Ssa, 710— Lodgings, 750 — 
 Palaeo of tho Tall) Lama, 751 — Presenta- 
 tion to tho authorities, 752— DetPiition 
 ■' examination, 752 — Projected mission 
 at Lha-Ssa 753— .Tealoiisy of the Chineso 
 minister, 753 — Departnro fioin Lha-Ssa, 
 751 — tJeaoh the (Miineso frontier 755 — 
 DilfieuUies coneorning dress, 755 — Chi- 
 iiiMO odor, 755 — Arrival nt Tehiiig-loii- 
 Ion, 750 — Reanh tho HIuo River, 750 
 — Disputes with tho Mandarins, 757 — 
 I-edgiiigs ill iv theater, 757 — (.'hine.>--o cu- 
 riosity, 7,'>7 — Descend the Ulue River, 758 
 — (!liiiieso physiology, 758, 750 — Cro.ss 
 Lako Pou-Yang, 750, 760— Arrival at 
 ('anton, 701 — (Jrotesquo costumes, 701 — 
 Arrival at Pekin, 702 — Return to Ku- 
 rope, 762. 
 
 TTii'Nun's Bay Company, 687. 
 
 lluiiian-headed bull, diseovoryof] 812. 
 
 Humboldt (.VIoxandor von), liis birth, 19 — 
 Kdueation, 20 — Kntors tho university of 
 Frankfirt-on-the-Odor, 20 — First seicn- 
 tilie journey, 20 — Visits Switzerland and 
 Silesia, 21 — Desire of travel, 21 — Pre- 
 parations for his American journey, 21 — 
 Aleeting with Bonpland, 22 — Journey to 
 Spain, 22 — Voyage to America, 23 — Ar- 
 rival at Tcnerilio, 24 — Ascent of the 
 peak, 25 — Arrival at Cumana, 28 — Kx- 
 cursion to Arayn, 29 — Attacked by a 
 Zainbo, 32 — Departuro from Cumana, 33 
 — Arrival at Laguayra, 3-t — Ascent of 
 the Silla of Caracas, 34 — Departure for 
 the interior, 36 — Kxperimont with elec- 
 trical eels, 40 — Voyage on the Apura, 42 
 — On the Orinoco, '44-50 — On the Atab- 
 apo, 61 — On tho Hio Negro, 52, 53 — On 
 the Cassiquiaro, 53, 64 — Visits tho cavern 
 of Ataniipo, 55, 56 — Arrival at Angostura, 
 57 — Return to Cumana, 59 — Visit to 
 Cuba, f)9, CO — Sends his collections to Eu- 
 rope, 60 — Voyage to Carthagena, 61— 
 
 Jt 
 
I N I) K X . 
 
 947 
 
 RondiPf* nngntfi, C2 — Arrivnl nt, Quito, 
 03 — AHi'ont (if I'ii^liiricliu, M — AHpctit, of 
 Cliitiil)<in»/o, (i.l-iJV — I'r<i('ci'(|Ht<) Iho Am- 
 a/.oii, (IH — Asc'ciidn ilH ii|)[)i'i- valley, 0!) — 
 ViHits tlio Hilvcr iiiincH of (Jimljfoyoc, <i9 
 — Arrival at ('axiiiiiarca, tilt — At Trux- 
 illi), 71 — At Liiiiii, 71 — Viwit to Mi'xico, 
 12— To the IJniti'.l StatoH, 73— Uotiirri 
 to Kuropc, 73 — I'liblicalioii «(' iiiti workH, 
 li — I'laiiH 11 joiirridy to Imliii, Tt) — Kisi- 
 (icnci' in I'iirl><, 70 — ScJs out for Russiiv 
 nnil Silicria, 77 — Arrival at Tobolsk, 80 
 — At tlio (!liiiwH(! IVoiitinr, 81 — At As- 
 traclian, H5 — Heturri to Uorlin, 80 — Mif- 
 (iioii to Paris, 87 — llcHidotico in Berlin, 88 
 — Pulilicalioii of " K<)flinos," 88 — LutiT 
 years, 88, 81) — I'orsonal apiioaraimo, 8S, 
 81). 
 
 Huriil' ildt (Williolm von), cdupntion, 20. 
 
 " •' lU'sitlctieo ut Albn- 
 
 no, 11. 
 
 IIuiiKor, Hunforingfl of Franklin's pnrtv from, 
 304. 
 
 Iluiii^ry O'eek, 180. 
 
 llurrie.ini! in tlio dosort, 217. 
 
 Hwuy-uliow diHtrict, 703. 
 
 Ibrali, town of, CI 9. 
 
 Ibraliitn Pa.slia, arrival nt, Rcnnn.lr, 2Gf). 
 
 I(!oIanil, 831-838— Habitations of, 835— Tn- 
 Jiabitanta of, 83G— Traveling in, 830. 
 
 Ilok Uivcr, 32,5. 
 
 Ile/.k, Salt works of, 83. 
 
 lllitnani Mountain, 803. 
 
 Imcrachism, 400. 
 
 Inca IiC(i;cncl, 70. 
 
 Incaa, ancient road of tho, 68. 
 
 Indian (Nonjuror outwitted, 290. 
 
 Indian vniior-batliH, 101. 
 
 Indus River, survey of, 083. 
 
 Irby and Man^lps, 235. 
 
 Irkutsk, city of) 390. 
 
 Iro River, crossing of, 354. 
 
 Isaaoo (Park's guide), adventure with a 
 crooodiio, 1''.0. 
 
 Journey in search of Park, 1 24. 
 
 Iflitza, villaj^'o of, 927. 
 
 latnail Pashiv, his expedition against Don- 
 gola, 255 — Camp at Assouan, 255 — Vic- 
 tory over tho Shyglieeas, 250. 
 
 His reception of Cailliaud — Diplo- 
 
 n jtic trick, 200- March to Berber, 260. 
 Arrival at Sennadr, 267 — Plans of 
 
 African conquest, 270 — March to Pazogl, 
 271. 
 
 Ilia search for gold, 277 — Repulse 
 
 at Singuu, 278. 
 His fate. 286. 
 
 Jannah, Clapporton's visit to, 606. 
 
 Japanese, treachery of the, 415 — Manner 
 of binding prisonor.s, 416. 
 
 Fear of suicide, 419 — Desire for 
 
 specimens of writing, 421 — Bathing, 422 
 — Extraordinary curiosity of, 424, 425. 
 
 Jarni, 100, 103. 
 
 .label Kora, Hretiery of, 220, 
 
 .lefliTHon RiviT, 150. 
 
 .lerni, town of 0.H7— Inhabitants of, C87. 
 
 Jcrusalciri, 804, 
 
 HiiO. 
 
 .IcHHo, (V)a.st of, 417. 
 
 Jidda, 218. 
 
 .^tllbJ^ 780. 
 
 .(oiiiiwm (Park's nrgro), 108. 
 
 ihiiics (Hev. (ieorne), iii)pointo(l on tho party 
 to i'X|iloro IiOo-(;ii(io, 915 — Recognized 
 by the natives as the eliief of llie parly, 
 917 — Makes a plan of an old fortress, 9'23 
 — I{e(;eption of at I.sitza, 927 — Return to 
 tlie wiuudron, 937. 
 
 Jordan, rapids of the, 797 — Pilgrims' batli- 
 ing-plaec, 797. 
 
 Jordan, valley of tho, 203. 
 
 Jorullo, volcano of, 73. 
 
 Jyurnal, singular method of keeping, 422. 
 
 Kinba. description of tho, 221. 
 
 K mrtn, Kingdom of, 99. 
 
 J'acuiida, 632. 
 
 i.aiider'<! second visit to, 550. 
 
 K.ij.iaga, kingdom of, 90. 
 
 Kid; I> Shergat, mounds of, 810. 
 
 Kan.ah.v, 114, 115. 
 
 Kaintcliatka, 410. 
 
 Kancm, eountry of, 900 — Military expedi- 
 tion into, 900. 
 
 Kano, Clapporton's description of, 490. 
 
 ('lapi)erlon'H secotid vi.sit to, 513. 
 
 Town of, .■!04. 
 
 Kansas River, valley of 700. 
 
 Kara-kum, desert of, 328. 
 
 Karfi, tho slave-raerchant, 115. 
 
 Kasan, 78. 
 
 " Kasr Bint Faraoun" (Pctra), 206. 
 
 Kaar Junoon, or Palace of tho Demons, n 
 range of hills, 886. 
 
 Katsl'.a, capital of a Felatah prince, 894. 
 
 Katunga, city of, 507 — Description ofj 608. 
 
 Entry of tho Brothers Lander, 524. 
 
 Kataguin, Clapporton's reception at, 497. 
 
 Kee-ming, ancient temple of, 379. 
 
 Kcks, land of the, 635— Chief of, 036— VU- 
 lago of, 037. 
 
 Kcrak, visit to, 802— Chief of, 803. 
 
 Kerek, treachery of the shekh of, 204. 
 
 Khabour River, 820. 
 
 Khalgan, city of) 371. 
 
 Khalkhas Tartars, caravan of, 745. 
 
 Khata, ceremony of the, 743. 
 
 Khartoum, 643. 
 
 Khirgis caravan.s, 332. 
 
 Khirgises, songs of, 329- Habitsof life, 330 
 — tiovornment, 330. 
 
 village of, 325 — Punishment of a 
 
 criminal, 325— Tent of; 326. 
 
 Middle Horde of, 83. 
 
 • Sports of the, 84. 
 
 Kliinkhan Mountains, 370. 
 Khoja-Kul, lake of; 327. 
 
H6 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Khorsabad, discoveries at, 810. 
 
 Kliung-ming, legend of; 366. 
 
 Kliutukhtfl (grand lama), festival of the, 362. 
 
 Kiakh ,', 349. 
 
 381. 
 
 Kiama, town of, 509. 
 
 Kilgou, fight at, 271, 212. 
 
 Kirree, Lander's adventure at, 638. 
 
 Kizil-kum, desert ofj 332. 
 
 Klencke, Description of Humboldt, 88. 
 
 Knees, protection of the, 397. 
 
 Knoblechor (Dr. Ignatius), education, 643 — 
 Joins the Catholic mission at Kliartoura, 
 643 — Accompanies the annual trading 
 expedition up the Whito Nile, G43 — In- 
 tercourse established with the Dinka-s and 
 Shillooks, 644 — Received with kindness 
 by the king of Kyks, 645 — Friendly in- 
 tercourse with the Ellittbs, 645 — Reaches 
 the country of the Khirs, 645 — Passes 
 the rapids of the White Nile and arrives 
 at tlie Bari village of Tokinan, 646 — As- 
 cends the peak of Logwek, 64ti — Baris de- 
 scribed, 647 — Return to Khartoum, 647. 
 
 Kolyvansk, porphyry works of, 81. 
 
 Koolfu, 512. 
 
 Koondooz, description of, 684 — Chief of, 685 
 — Horses, 685. 
 
 Kooniakary, 98. 
 
 Kooskooskee River, 159. 
 
 Koroom (Shekh), accompanies Cailliaud, 246 
 — Enters a remarkable well, 246 — Super- 
 stition of, 247. 
 
 " Kosraos," 88. 
 
 Kouka, 472, 489, 495, 497. 
 
 Kounboura, Lamasery of; 743, 744 — Mirac- 
 ulous tree of, 765 — Rules of, 745. 
 
 Kourdkoyloh, Forest of, 267. 
 
 Kouyunjik, excavations at, 817. 818, 821. 
 
 Krapr(Dr.). 657. 
 
 Kuba, mosque of, 913. 
 
 Kumadd.schero, Japanese interpreter, 423. 
 
 Kunashir, h.irbor of, 412. 
 
 Kuruman Mission, 569. 
 
 Kussery, 492. 
 
 Kuriles, chief of the, 412. 
 
 Kyks, tribe of, 645. 
 
 La Charettc, 130. 
 
 194. 
 
 Laird (Macgregor), joins Richard Lander in 
 a iiiorciiiitilo expedition to the African 
 coast, 543 — Enters the Niger, 543 — .at- 
 tack of tlio Eboes, 543, 544 — Interview 
 with king Obie, 544 — Mortality onboard, 
 545 — Ceremonies to prevent tho boats 
 from passing up the river, 645 — Reaches 
 the Kong Mountains, 546 — Sickness of 
 tho party, 547 — Ascent of the Chadda, 
 647 — Visit to Funda, 548 — Descends the 
 river, .')49 — Returns to England, 650. 
 
 Fits out an expedition to explore 
 
 tho course of the Niger, 905 — Obtains 
 the co-oi)eratioa of tlio British govern- 
 mout, 905. 
 
 LajeunesHo, adventure of, 705. 
 
 Lake (Captain), conduct of, 541, 542. 
 
 Lakono (king), 639, 640— His wifo, 640. 
 
 Lama costume, 728. 
 
 Lamartine, purchases tho journal of iTatallah 
 Sayeghir, 440. 
 
 Land of Grass, 737. 
 
 Lander (John), joins his brother Richard, 
 523 — Dangerous illness oi; 525 — Plun- 
 dered and almost drowned, 538 — Release, 
 641. 
 
 Lander (Richard), enters Captain Clapper- 
 ton's service, 505 — Detained at Kano 
 with sickness, 512 — Account of Clapper- 
 ton's last illness, 515-517 — Left at Sacka- 
 too, 518 — Journey southward to Dunrora, 
 519 — Recalled by the king of Zegzeg, 519 
 — Reception at Wawa, 520 — Arrival at 
 Baflagry, 520 — Return to England, 521 — 
 Embarks with his brother on an expedi- 
 tion to the Niger, 523 — DifBculties at 
 Badagry, 524 — Arrival at Katunga, 524 — 
 Reaches Boussa, 525 — Embarks on tiie 
 Niger, 526 — Detention at Yaouri, 527 — 
 Return to Boussa, 628 — Proceeds down 
 the Niger, 529 — Danger from hippopota- 
 mi, 531 — Arrival at Kacunda, 532 — Voyi- 
 age by night, 634 — Threatened attack, 
 635 — Reception at Damuggoo, 537 — Ar- 
 rested and plundered by natives, 538 — 
 Proceed down the river with their cap- 
 tors, 539, 540 — Arrival at the sea, 540 — 
 Rccoivcdi by an English captain, 541 — 
 Return to England, 542 — Accompanies 
 Mr. Laird, 543— Joins Dr. Oldfleld, 550— 
 Proceeds to Cape Coast, 661 — Plundered 
 and wounded by the Eboes, 562 — Death, 
 553. 
 
 La Paz, 863. 
 
 Laraniio Fort, 698. 
 
 Lari, description of, 470. 
 
 Lascaris(M.de), becomes tho secret agent of 
 Napoleon, 439— Settles in Aleppo, 439— 
 Employs Fatallah Sayeghir, 440 — Jour- 
 ney to Hums and Palmyra, 440 — Meets 
 with Siiekh Sahm at Corietain, 441 — 
 Attacked by Bedouins, 441 — Meets with 
 the Emir Nasser, 442 — Reception by Me- 
 hanna E\ Fadel, 442 — Residence among 
 the Bedouins, ,43 — Escape from freezing, 
 444 — Sends Fatallah to the Drayhy, 446 
 — Conducted to him by Fatallah, 447 — 
 Calumniated by a peddler, 448 — Battle 
 between the Drayhy and the Wahabees, 
 449 — Accomplishes an alliance of the 
 tribes, 450— Journey into Persia, 451 — • 
 Battle with tho Wahabees, 453— Dis- 
 patches Fntallali to the king of the Wa- 
 habees, 456 — Returns to Syria, 459 — 
 Death, 459. 
 
 Layanl (Henry Austen), first visits tho 
 east, 809 — Sets out to explore the ruins 
 of Nineveh, 810 — Arrives at Nimroud, 
 811 — First discoveries, 811 — The Pasha 
 interferes, 811 — Excavations continued, 
 
f 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 949 
 
 11 
 
 812 — Discovery of colossal statues, 812, 
 813 — Suspends operations, 8i;i, 814 — Re- 
 sumes the work, 814 — Excursion to tlie 
 Tiyari Mountains, 814 — Aided by g;ov 
 emmont, 814 — Discovers an inscribed 
 obelisk, 815 — Relics transported to Bagh- 
 dad, 815 — Palace uncovered, 815, 816 — 
 Furtlier excavations, 816 — Returns to 
 Europe, 816-^ecoiid journey, 816 — Pro- 
 ceeds to Mosul and arrives at Nirnroud, 
 817— Continues tho excavations, 817 — 
 Discovery of Assyrian relics, 818, 819 — 
 Colossal lions, 820 — Historical tablets, 
 821 — Party dispersed by fever. 821 — Pro- 
 ceeds to Baghdad, 822 — Arrives nt Baby- 
 lon, 822 — Appearance of the place, 823 — 
 Palace of Nirnroud, 823 — Journey to dif- 
 fer and Wurka, 824 — Excavations, 824 
 — Return to Baglidad and Mosul, 824 — 
 Further excavations, 824 — Departure 
 from Mosul, 824. 
 
 Lebanon, plague on, 833. 
 
 Leichhardt (Dr.), sots out on an expedition 
 from Sydney to Port Essington, 786 — 
 Discovers Mackenzie's River, 788 — Fol- 
 lows the Burdekin, 789— Tho Mitchell, 
 789— Attacked by natives, 790 — Mr. Gil- 
 bert killed, 790 — Arrives at the Gulf of 
 Carpentaria, 791 — A native strays into 
 camp, 791 — Passage around the head of 
 the gulf, 792 — Ascends Roper River, 792 
 — Descends the Louth Alligator, 793 — 
 Kindness of the natives, 793 — Readies 
 tho sea-shore, 793 — Arrives at Port lis- 
 sington, 794 — Returns to Sydney, 794. 
 
 Lewis and Clarke appointed to explore a 
 route to tlio Paciflc, 129 — Departure of 
 the expedition, 130 — intercourse with tho 
 Ottoways, 131 — Council with the Sioux, 
 135 — Arrival among the Mandans, 138 — 
 Winter at Fort Mandan, 139, 141— Depart- 
 ure, 142 — Adventure with a bear, 142 — 
 With a buffalo, 144-Dangerou3 navigation, 
 144, 145 — Arrival at the Falls of tho Mis- 
 souri, 146 — Ascent of tho Jefferson River, 
 150 — Arrival among the Snake Indians, 
 151 — Cross the dividing ridge of the 
 Rocky Mountains, 152— Purchase of horses 
 156 — Departure from the Shoshonees, 
 158 — Descent of Lewis's River, 161 — Ar- 
 rival at the Falls of tho Columbi' " '1 — 
 First view of tho Pacific, 167 — ii.icarap 
 for the winter, 171 — ^Terriblo rain,?, 172 
 — Set out on their return, 176 — Meet 
 with friendly Indians, 181 — Recross tho 
 mountains, 186 — Tlie party separates, 187 
 — Encounter with the Minnetarees 188 — 
 Captain Lewis shot, 190 — Clarke reaches 
 the Yellowstone, 190 — Horses stolen by 
 tho Indians, 192 — ^Tho two parties unite, 
 192 — Arrival at St. Louis, 194. 
 
 Lewis's River, 161. 
 
 Lena River, 391. 
 
 Letorzec, joins M. Cailliaud, 246. 
 
 illness of, 268. 
 
 Lha-Ssa, approach to, 749 — description ofj 
 750— Dwellings of, 750— Women of, 751— 
 Police of, 752— Catholic mission at, 653. 
 
 Limmen Bight River, 792. 
 
 Lingam, a supposed emblem of tho Phallic 
 worship, discovered in Loo-Choo, 924. 
 
 Loo-Choo, island of, visited by ConiiiioJoro 
 Perry, 915 — Description of, 915-937. 
 
 Loggun, town of, 493 — Sultan of, 493 — 
 Country of, 493. 
 
 Lngwek, 646, 647. 
 
 Long's Peak, 697. 
 
 Lotus, description of the, 632. 
 
 Loui.siana, acquisition of, 129. 
 
 Ludamar, kingdom of, 100. 
 
 Lynali (Dr.), accompanies the Loo-Choo ex- 
 ploring party, 915. 
 
 Lynch, (Lieutenant W. F.), authorized to ex- 
 plore the Dead Sea, 795 — Proceeds to 
 Smyrna, 795 — Arrives at Aero, 796 — 
 Marches across the desert. 700 — Embarks 
 on the Sea of Galileo, 790 — Descends 
 tho Jordan, 797 — Difficult navigation, 
 797 — Reaches the bathing-placo of tho 
 pilgrims, 797 — Arrival of pilgrims, 798 — 
 Enters tho Dead Son, 798 — Encamps at 
 the fountain of Engaddi, 799 — Pillar of 
 Salt, 800 — Arrives at tho southern ex- 
 tremity, 800 — Desolate scenery, 800 — 
 Sufferings from heat, 801 — Excursion to 
 Kerak, 802— Return to tho Dead Sea, 803 
 — Journey to Jerusalem, 804 — Arrival at 
 the Mediterranean, 804 — Excursion to 
 the sources of the Jordan, 804 — Death of 
 Lieutenant Dale, 805— Return to tho 
 United States, 805. 
 
 Macao, 762. 
 
 Mackenzie's River, 321. 
 
 Mac'iuarie River, 581, 582. 
 
 Madeira River, 800, 867— Falls of, 807, 868. 
 
 Magdulena River, 61. 
 
 Mahass, territorj- of, 210. 
 
 Mahmals (holy camels), 224. 
 
 Maiya, 669. 
 
 Mai Jleegamy, his kindness, 486. 
 
 Makaroff, his rescue of Captain Golownin, 
 
 431. 
 Mallon Mansin, Dr. Barth is visited bj-, 897. 
 Malta, 199. 
 
 Mamore River, 865, 866. 
 Mandan Indians, 138, 139, 140. 
 Mandara, country of 480 — Sultan of| 481— 
 
 His horror of Christians, 481. 
 
 country of, 901. 
 
 Manga, or Minyo, prince of Bomou, 893. 
 
 Manna, 205. 
 
 Mansong, King of Bambarra, 108, 109. 
 
 122. 
 
 Mantchoo language, 374. 
 
 Maranoa River, 781. 
 
 Maraymy, his care of Major Donham, 48ik 
 
 Marghi, description of the tribe, 895. 
 
 Maria's River, 146. 
 
 Exploration of, 187, 188. 
 
950 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Masofia, towu o( 901 — Dr. Barth dotainoJ 
 
 at, 901. 
 Marty n (Lieutenant), 118. 
 Massawa, town of, and its climate, G6G. 
 Matiuskin, 401. 
 
 Matsmai, city of, 423 — Prison of, 424. 
 governor of, 427. 
 
 Majrpures, rapids of, 49. 
 McLeod (A. R.), 699. 
 
 McNeal, adventure of, 175. 
 
 adventure with a bear, 187. 
 
 MuWilliaui (Dr.), liis journal of voyago 
 down the Niger, 658. 
 
 Mecca, Burckluirdt's lirst view of, 219 — 
 Ceremonies of tiio Pilgrimage, 222. 
 
 city of; 914. 
 
 Mcdeenet-Abou, temjilo ofj 284. 
 
 Medical practice, Captain Clarke's, 181. 
 
 Midiua, 224. 
 
 (the Iloly City), approach to, 913— 
 
 Lieutenant Burton's visit to, 913 — Fight 
 among the Bedouins ofj 913. 
 
 Melville, Port, 921. 
 
 Momuon, colossal head o?, 231 — Itomovalof 
 do., 232. 
 
 Merawe, 258 — Night adventure at, 259. 
 
 Meriwether's Bay^ 121. 
 
 Meroe, discovery ot] 263 — Description of 
 the ruins, 203, 2Ct. 
 
 Mesowurat, ruins of, 281. 
 
 Meta River, 47. 
 
 Mexico, valley of, 72. 
 
 Meyeudorfl' (Baron), attached to a Russian 
 mission to Bokhara, 323 — Departure from 
 Orembourg, 324 — Arrival in the Kirghiz 
 country, 325 — Niglit search for water, 
 327— An-ival at the Aral Sea, 328— Tra- 
 verse the desert of Kara-kum, 328 — Cross 
 the Sir-deriii, 331 — Cross tho desert of 
 Kizil-cum, 332 — Entrance into Bokliaria, 
 333 — Arrived at the capital, 335 — Re- 
 ception, 336 — Winter at Bokliara, 339 — 
 Visit to Ourghenje, 340 — Return to Rus- 
 sia, 346. 
 
 Michel, conduct of] 311 — Shoots Mr. llood, 
 315 — Shot by Dr. Richardson, 317. 
 
 Milk, human, a remedial agent, 803. 
 
 Minnetareo Indians, 142. 
 
 Misiah, tho wells of, 877. 
 
 Missikya, village of, 926. 
 
 Missouri, north fork of, 145. 
 
 Head- waters of the, 151. 
 
 Mitchell (Col. T. L.), propo-ses to explore a 
 route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpen- 
 taria, 77C — Departure of tho expedition, 
 777 — Crosses tho Darling and ascends 
 the Narran, 777 — Ascends the Balonne, 
 778 — Meets with tho natives, 778 — De- 
 Bcribea tho bottle-tree, 779, 780 — Sus- 
 picious movements of the natives, 780 — 
 Discovers tho Maranoa, 780 — Ascends tho 
 river, 781 — Finds a running stream, 782 — 
 Enters the tropics, 783 — Natives threaten 
 an attack, 783 — Recrossoa tho tropical line 
 and procoods westward, 784— -Discovers 
 
 tho Victoria River and follows it west- 
 ward, 784 — Returns to tho Maranoa, 785 
 — Returns to Sydney, 786. 
 Moffat (Rev. Robert), sent as a missionary 
 to South Africa, 661 — Describes Guat 
 Namaqua-lund, 561 — Proceeds to Byson- 
 dermeid, 563 — Arrives at Africaner's 
 village, 561 — Interview witli Africaner, 
 664, 565 — Excursion to Damara-land, 565 
 — A woman exposed to death by her 
 cliildren, 566 — Journey to tho Griqua 
 country, 567 — Visits Capo Town with Af- 
 ricaner, 567 — Astonishment of the colo- 
 nists, 507, 568 — Interview with tho gov- 
 ernor, 568 — Joins tiio mission at tho 
 Kuruman, 569 — Ignorance >jf the natives, 
 569 — Their indifference and perversity, 
 570 — Tliievish propensity, 571 — Funeral 
 ceremonies, 571 — Rain-maker, 572, 573 — 
 Visits Capo Town with natives, 573 — 
 Tlioir impressions of a ship, 574^ — Visit 
 to Miikaba, chief of the Bauangketsi, 574 
 — Description of tho country, 574 — At- 
 tacked by tho Barolongs, 574 — Visit to 
 tho Barolongs, 575 — Customs of the Bo- 
 chuanas, 575— Visit to the Matabele tribe, 
 577 — Villages in the trees, 577 — Recep- 
 tion by King Jloselekatse, 578 — Results 
 of missionary labors, 578. 
 
 Moghrebbins, or Arabs of Morocco, violent 
 conduct of, 911. 
 
 Mohammedan prayers, 912, 913. 
 
 Mohammed Ali, visit to Mecca, 222. 
 
 Mohammed, tomb of) 223. 
 
 Mongol salutation, 352 — Horsos, 352. 
 
 superstition, 353 — ^Manner of pro- 
 paring tea, 354. 
 
 songs, 357. 
 
 nobleman, 359. 
 
 Mongolia, scenery of, 356. 
 scenery of, 740. 
 
 — interview with thegoveruorsof, 361. 
 ■ Christians of, 728. 
 
 Mongolian ruins, 367. 
 
 — — — city, ruins of, 734. 
 
 Montreal liiland, Oil, 612. 
 
 Montufar, Carlos do, 65. 
 
 Moor, 410, 421— Determination to remain 
 in Japan, 428 — Treachery of, 433 — Sui- 
 cide of, 437. 
 
 Moorish robbers, 104. 
 
 Mora, in Maudara, 480. 
 
 Morrison (Dr.), dcatii of, 507. 
 
 Morumbidgco River, 588 — Enters the Mur- 
 ray, 589 — Voyago uj) the, 594. 
 
 Mount St. Helens, 103. 
 
 Mountain of Little People, l;f j. 
 
 Mourgovan, queen of, 732. 
 
 Mour^uk, coldness of the uiglits at, 503. 
 
 Richardson's rcsidonco at, 881. 
 
 Mudarraj, description of tho 912, 
 
 Mugodjar Mountains, 327. 
 
 Multnomah River, 177. 
 
 Mummies, in tho tombs of Thebes, 235, 
 
 Munga, country of, 488. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 951 
 
 Murzouk, town of) 88G. 
 
 Murray River, discoverj of, 680 — Mouth of, 
 
 592. 
 Muscat, city of, 016 — Imam of, 616 — Letter 
 
 of Imam, 617 — Wellsted's return to, t;i7. 
 Museu.a (British), 814, 816. 
 Musfeia, battlo of, 483. 
 Muago, country of, 901. 
 Musgow, people of, 482. 
 Music-box, effect of, on the shokh of Bor- 
 
 nou, 477. 
 Muak-oxon, 301. 
 
 Naga, ruins of, 230 — Groat temple, 281. 
 Naina(|ua-lanil, description olj 561, 602. 
 Nan-clio, town of, 760. 
 Naptia (N^apa-Kiang), harbor of 915. 
 Napoleon, plan of oriental empire, 439. 
 Narrau llivor, 777. 
 ^iizar(jth, 832. 
 
 Nedjid, country of the, 456 — Capital of, 45'!. 
 Negri (M. do), arrival in Bokhara, 331, 335 
 
 — Hocoption by the Khan, 330. 
 Negro, Rio, 858. 
 Negroes, night-attack of, 273. 
 Nomr (Mek), Visit to Ismail Pasha, 2G1. 
 New Barcelona, 59. 
 Niciiolas, Emperor of Russia^ 77. 
 Nid'er, nioundi of, 824. 
 Niger, Park's first view of, 107. 
 
 scenery of the, 530. 
 
 perilous night-voyage en the, 633. 
 
 ■ scenrry and inhabitants of, 546. 
 Nile, approach to, 254. 
 
 Forks of the, 265. 
 
 (White), passage of; by the Egyptian 
 
 army, 
 267. 
 
 265. 
 
 (Blue), 266— Scenery of the banks, 
 
 (Blue), 279. 
 Nimroud, mound of, 809 — Excavations at, 
 
 811, 815, 817, 820, 821. 
 Nishnoy Kolynusk, 3<J8, 399. 
 Norway House, 598. 
 Novgorod, 385, 
 
 Nubia, reception of the traveler in, 209. 
 Nubian Desert, 213. 
 
 ivtonso heat of the, 283. 
 
 Ny-komma, village of, 931. 
 
 Oasis of Jupiter Ammon, 239. 
 
 (the Little), 240 — Scenery and in- 
 habitants of. 240 — Foi'utain of, 240. 
 
 (the Little), map of, 251 — Jealousy 
 
 of the inhabitants, 251. 
 Obi River. 80, 81. 
 Ohio (King), 539, 540, 544, 545. 
 
 " reception by Captain Allen, 554. 
 
 Obri, 625 — luhaljitanls of, 625. 
 
 Odors, national, 755. 
 Ohod (Mount), 913. 
 Okota River, fording of the, 407. 
 Okot.sk, 409. 
 
 OldQeld (Dr,), aacenda the Chadda, 650 
 — Arrives at Rabba, 550 — Returns to 
 
 the soa, 551 — A?eonds the Niger to Id- 
 dah, 551 — Trade with the natives, 551 — 
 Sickness of the men, 552 — .VtUckod by 
 the natives, 552— Return to Eugland, 553. 
 
 Om Beydah, ruins of, 218, 249, 250. 
 
 Oman, Oasis of, 619 — Shores of, 026. 
 
 Omekon, district of the, 400. 
 
 Omsk, 388. 
 
 Ootlashoot Indians), 150. 
 
 Orenbourp, 323. 
 
 88. 
 
 Oregon, rainy season in, 1C3. 
 
 Orinoco River, 44 — Fisheries of turtle's 
 eggs, 45 — Rapids of the, 48. 
 
 bifurcation of the, 50, 54. 
 
 Oriz.iba, peak of, 73. 
 
 Orsk, 83. 
 
 O'omac Indians, 57. 
 
 Otto ways, 131. 
 
 Oubi, camp of, 671 — Interview with, 072. 
 
 Oudney (Dr.), associated witli Denliam and 
 Clapperton, 4 j3 — Illnes,s, 489 — Leaves for 
 Sackatoo, 4!) 1— Death, 495— Burial, 49S. 
 
 Oulou (Mount), 381. 
 
 Ourga, the, uj9 — Ceremonies at, 359, 360, 
 301. 
 
 • Description of, 366. 
 
 Ourghenji", fortress of, 340. 
 
 Overweg (Dr.), accompanies Mr. Richard- 
 son to Central Africa, 885 — Visits tho 
 Kasr Janoon or Palace of tho Demons, 886 
 — Ascends tho Bag'i?en Mountain, 891 — 
 Separates from hi? companions, and trav- 
 els through CJubei ind Mariadi, 892 — He- 
 joins Dr. Barth at Kouka, 895 — Coiii- 
 inences aloiio tho exploration of Lake 
 T*vd, 897 — Builds a boat and embarks at 
 Miduari, 898 — Description of Lake Tsad 
 and its numerous islands, 898, 899 — In 
 company with Dr. Barth, visit the coun- 
 try of tho Waday, 890 — Join the army of 
 tho Arab tribe, Uelad Soliraan, 891 — Be- 
 ing defeated, escape with difficulty, and 
 return to Kouka, 890 — Accompany » 
 Bornoueso army into Mandara and Musgo, 
 901 — Afler its return, proceeds alone to- 
 ward tho Niger, 901 — Reaches Gujeba, 
 901— Arrives at Fika, 902— Compelled to 
 leave the place, 902 — Ucturiis to Kouka 
 in poor health, 903 — Excursion along 
 tho river Yeou, 903 — Dies at Maduari, 
 903. 
 
 Oxus River, 691— Head-waters o^ 692. 
 
 Pacific Ocean, view of] 70. 
 
 Palyrma, ruins of, 202. 
 
 " " 442. 
 
 Painpou, plains of, 749. 
 
 Park (Mungo), birth, 93 — Early years, 93 
 — Departure for Africa, 93 — Roaideneo st 
 Pisania, 94 — Departure for tho interior, 95 
 —Arrival at tho Senegal, 97 — Reaches tho 
 Moorish kingdom of Ludamar, 100 — Im- 
 prisoned by Sultan Ali, 101 — Escape from 
 Benawin, 103 — Advonturo with robbers. 
 
952 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 104 — Arrival at tlio Niger, 108 — ^Kindly 
 treated by a native woman, 188, 189 
 — Adventure witii a lion, 110 — Decides 
 to return, 1 1 1 — EucountLT with robbera, 
 113 — Residence at Kainalin, 113 — Re- 
 turn to England, 116 — Departure on the 
 second journey, 118 — Arrival at Pisnnia, 
 118 — Mortality among his men, 121— 
 Reaches tiio Niger, 122 — Trade with the 
 natives, 122 — La.st letter to England, 123 
 — Uncertainty respecting him, 124 — 
 Amadi Fatouma's journal, 125, 120 — Ilis 
 Iirobablo fate, 127 — Character and per- 
 sonal appearance, 127. 
 Parks, the, 723. 
 
 Parkyns (Mansfield), travels in the East 
 and determines to visit Abyssinia, CG5 — 
 Sails from Suea to Djidda, CG5 — Lands at 
 Massawa, 6G6 — Excessive heat, 6G6 — 
 Adopts the dross and customs of the peo- 
 ple, GG6 — Proceeds on foot into the inte- 
 rior, GG7 — Reaches a camp of wander- 
 ing Shohos, 6G8 — Invalid Englishmen, 
 G07-GC9— Arrival at Adoua, GGD— Visits 
 Prince Oubi, at Howa/.nyn, G70 — Do- 
 Kcription of the camp, 071 — Reception, 
 072 — Proceeds to Axum, 673 — Privations 
 and enjoyments of the traveler, G74 — 
 Reaches Addaro, G75 — Superstition of the 
 people, 075 — Sojourn at Rohabcit;i, 675 
 — Plan of government, 070 — Life among 
 the people, 07G — Sleeping between lines, 
 677— Health, 677, 078— Life at Adotia, 
 678— Habits of the Abyssiiiians, 679— 
 Abyssinian women, 680 — Hair-dressing, 
 G81 — Arrival at Khartoum, 682. 
 Parwan, pass of, C84. 
 Pascoe, knavery of, 514. 
 Pearce (Captain), death of, 500. 
 Pckin, approach to, 372 — Timkovski's en- 
 trance into, 373 — Dwellings, 373 — Shops 
 of the merchants, 374 — Great bell of, 370 
 — Elephants, 377 — Portuguese mission, 
 377— Climate, 378— Streets of, 379. 
 — ^— Catholic mission at, 727. 
 Peltier and Samandre, death of 313. 
 Perry (Commodore), sends an cxi)loring 
 
 party h-'o Loo-Clioo, 915. 
 Perrault, kindness of, 302. 
 Pctra, ruins of, 205 — Burckhardt's discov- 
 ery of, 206. 
 Pfcifler (Ida), early desire of travel, 827 — 
 Departure for tiio Holy Land, 827 — So- 
 journ in Constantinople, 827 — Excursion 
 to Broussa, 828 — First ride on horseback, 
 828— Embarks at Constantinople, 828— 
 Arrives at Joppa, 329 — Oriental iiospital- 
 ity, 829 — Suflerings on the journey, 829 
 — Arrival at Jerusalem, 830 — Excursion 
 to the Dead Sea, 830 — Adventure at the 
 convent of St. Saba, 831— "Visits Naza- 
 reth, 832— Arrival at Beyrout, 832— 
 Journey to Damascus, 832 — A victim of 
 the plague, 833 — Embarks for Alexan- 
 dria, 833— Oriental communism, 833 — 
 
 Arrives at Cairo, 834 — Ascends tlio Pyr- 
 amid of Cheops, 834 — Visits Malta, Paler- 
 mo, Naples, and Rome, 834 — Audience 
 with the Pope, 834 — Returns to Vienna, 
 834— Goes to Iceland, 834— Describes 
 the dwellings, 835 — Sojourn at Reykjavik, 
 830— Discomforts of travel, 836— Visits tho 
 Geysers, 837 — Ascent of Mt. lleela, 837, 
 838— Return to Vienna, 838— Embarks 
 for Rio Janeiro, 838 — A narrow escape, 
 838, 839— Visits the Indians, 840— Indian 
 hospitaUty, 840, 841— Arrives at Valparai- 
 so, 841 — Embarks for China, 841 — Visits 
 Tahiti, 841 — Ventures through the streets 
 of Canton, 842 — Visits Singapore, Ceylon, 
 and Calcutta, 842 — Proceeds to Benares, 
 842 — Visits Allahabad, Cawnpore, and 
 Agra, and proceeds to Delhi, 842 — En- 
 counter with a tiger, 843 — Arrives at 
 Bomb.iy, and proceeds to Baghdad, 853-a 
 Excursions to the ruins of Ctesiphon and 
 Babylon, 843 — Journey through Russia, 
 Armenia, Georgia, and Mir.grolia, to 
 Odessa, 843 — Description of Sebastopol, 
 844 — Returns to Vienna, 844 — Proceeds 
 to London, 844 — Embarks for Cape Town, 
 844 — Arrives at Singapore, 844 — Visits 
 Sarawak, 844 — Travels among the Dyaks, 
 844 — Visits Java and Sumatra, 845 — 
 Adventure among the cannibal Battakers, 
 845, 840 — Visits Celebes and tho Molucca 
 Islands, 840 — Arrives at San Francisco, 
 847— Visits South America, 847— United 
 States, 847 — Winter in the Azoro Islands, 
 847 — Return to Loudon, 847 — Personal 
 appearance, 847. 
 
 Philte, island of) 233. 
 
 Philadelphia, ruins of, 204. 
 
 Pichincha, volcano of, 04. 
 
 Pilgrim's Ford, 798. 
 
 Pilgrims to Mecca, appearance of| 222. 
 
 Piniicliin, portage olj 52. 
 
 Ping-Iveou, mountain o^ 741. 
 
 Pino, village of, 918. 
 
 Pi.sania, 94. 
 
 Plains of the Orinoco, 38. 
 
 Point William, 170. 
 
 Point Lake, encampment on, 295. 
 
 Polar Sea, Franklin's exploration of, 321. 
 
 storm upon, 296. 
 
 Port Essington, 794. 
 
 Pou-yaiig Lake, 700. 
 
 Prcuss, adventure of, 719. 
 
 Principe da Beira, fort, iu Brazil, 868. 
 
 Puy-Puy Mountain, 853. 
 
 Pyramid Lake, 710. 
 
 Pyramids, view from, 230. 
 
 Quamash Flats, 185. 
 
 Quindiu, pass of, 63. 
 
 Quito, 03, 64. 
 
 Quorra (Steamer), sickness on board of, 545. 
 
 Rabba, messenger from, 628 — Landers' De- 
 tention at, 631. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 953 
 
 Babba, description of) 650. 
 Ruclio-Cliurin, convent of, 738, T39. 
 Rab Kesiili, pass of, 651. 
 Kains (Tropical), northern limit of, 4G9. 
 Reilijiivioh, 835. 
 
 834. 
 
 Rclianuo (Fort), 603, 605, 606. 
 RicaniH Indians, 137. 
 Ricliardson (Dr.), '289. 
 
 (Dr.), hazards his life in swimming 
 
 the Coppermine, 30G. 
 
 (Dr.), left beliind witli Hood, 308. 
 
 liis narrative, 315 — Slioots Michel, 
 
 317. 
 
 accompanies Franklin's second ex- 
 pedition, 320. 
 
 (James), proposes to explore tho 
 
 Oasis of Ghadamcs, in tho Sahara, ill — 
 Repairs to Tunis and Tripoli, 871 — 
 Leaves Tripoli, 871 — Equipment, 871 — 
 Visits tlie mountain district of Rujiban, 
 872 — Acclimation, 872 — Approach to 
 Ghadames, 872 — Native curiositj', 81^ — 
 Entrance into tho city, 873— Reception by 
 tlie governor, 874 — 13ocomes a pii3-siclan, 
 874 — Hospitality of tho natives, 874 — 
 Doctrinal controversy, 875 — Tiio "sea on 
 land," H75 — Character of tlio people, 876— 
 Joins a caravan for Ghat, 876 — Flowers 
 in tlio desert, 877— Tho wells of Mislah, 
 877 — Adventure witli a robber-eliietj 878 
 — .Vrrival at Gliat, 878 — Curiosity of tho 
 natives, 879 — Cool reception, 879 — So- 
 journ at Ghat, 880 — Invitations to Mos- 
 lemism, 880 — Female visitors, 880— A del- 
 icate question, 880, 881 — Departure from 
 Ghat, 881 — The Palaco of tlio Demons, 
 881 — Arrival at Tripoli, 881 — Joins Drs. 
 Barth and Overweg on a mission to Cen- 
 tral Africa, 835 — Departure from Tri- 
 poli, 885 — Proceeds by Murzouk to Ghat, 
 886 — Discovers rock-sculptnros in tho 
 Wady Telissareh, 886 — Serious adven- 
 tures at the Palaco of tlie Demons, 887 — 
 Arrival at Ghat, 887 — Fatiguing journey, 
 888 — Knter tho kingdom of Air at Tag- 
 hajit, 888 — Harassed by wandering tribes, 
 889— Arrival at Tin-Tellust, 889— Recep- 
 tion by tlio sultan of En-Noor, 890 — 
 Treaty witli En-Noor, 890— Visit to Aga- 
 dez, 890 — Account of Air, 891 — Ascent 
 of Mount Baghzen, 891 — Tho travelers 
 separate, 892 — Arrival at Zindo, 892 — 
 Arrives at Gurai, 893— Deatli, 893. 
 
 Rikord (Lieutenant), returns to Kunashir, 
 434 — Reaches Hakodadi, 436 — Ilia de- 
 scription of Golownin's liberation, 437. 
 
 Rio do los Americanos, 720. 
 
 Rio do Guancabamba, 68. 
 
 Rio Janeiro, Ida PfoilTor's residence at, 838, 
 841. 
 
 Rio Negro, 62, 63. 
 
 Robinson Crusoe, Burckhardt'a Arabic trans- 
 lation o^ 201. 
 
 Rock sculptures, 886. 
 
 Rocky 
 703. 
 
 Mountains, higliest pcp.k of tho, 
 Gates of tho, 149. 
 
 603. 
 
 ■ Lewis's first view of, 143. 
 
 Rohabaita, life at, 675. 
 
 Roofoftiie world, 692, 
 
 Rose, Gustav, 77. 
 
 Ross (Sir John), 597. 
 
 Ru.ssi;), treaty witli Cliina, 350. 
 
 Russian prisoners in Bokliara, 334, 
 
 mission at Pekin, 350. 
 
 robbers, 384. 
 
 345. 
 
 Sabatior, 629. 
 
 Saeajawea, meeting with her relatives, 155. 
 
 Saekatoo, Clapporton's enlranco into, 501 — 
 Description of tho city, 502. 
 
 513. 
 
 Suliela Selassie (king), 659, GCl— Treaty with 
 664. 
 
 Singue, fight at, 278 — View from tho mount- 
 ain of, 279. 
 
 Sain-oula, robbers of, 729. 
 
 Salt, manufacture of, by Lewis and Clarke, 
 173. 
 
 plain of; 247. 
 
 Salt Lake (Great), 709— Voyage upon, 710, 
 7U. 
 
 Salvator River, valley of, 782. 
 
 Samdadchiemba, his appearance, 729 — Ad- 
 vice of, 730-737 — Leaves Hue and Gabet, 
 754. 
 
 San Carlos, mission of, 53. 
 
 San Fernando do Atabapo, Mission of, 51. 
 
 San Joaquin, country of^ 721. 
 
 San Sabii, convent of) 831. 
 
 Sandara, tho bearded, 742. 
 
 Sansanding, 109. 
 
 Sarayacu, 857. 
 
 Sarcophagus, found at Thebes, 237. 
 
 Sardanapalus, tomb of, 819. 
 
 Sargasso Sea, 26. 
 
 Sarslield, his employment of rockets, 547, 
 548. 
 
 SchkajefT, learns to rend and write, 433. 
 
 Scott (Sir Walter), 117. 
 
 Sebastopol, 844. 
 
 Second Pyramid, opening of, 238. 
 
 Sego, city of, 108. 
 
 122. 
 
 Selimeh, Oasis of; 283. 
 
 Semipolatinsk, 83. 
 
 Semmed, Oasis of; 620. 
 
 Senegal River, 97. 
 
 Senaar, king of, 268 — Fatal epidemic at, 
 268. 
 
 Sennacherib, palace of, 818. 
 
 Shammar, Arab tribe of, 814. 
 
 Shannon (George), lost, 134. 
 
 his adventure with tho Indiana, 169. 
 
 Shary River, description of, 492. 
 
 Shendy, 216. 
 
 Sheudi, capital city of Loo-Choo, 916 
 
 Shillooks, tribe of, 632, 644. 
 
 Sbirazi, village of; 62'2. 
 
954 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 Slioa, scenery of, 657 — Detective police of; 
 658— KiiiK of, 659— Uoligion of, 662— 
 People o^ 662 — Manners and customs, 
 6G:}. 
 
 Shoshonoo TtuUans, 151, 152. 
 
 Captain Lewis's adventure with, 
 
 151. 
 
 Fremont's interview with, 708. 
 
 Shohos, tribe of, 6G8. 
 
 Shouaa Arabs, 406 — Manners of the women, 
 49G. 
 
 Siij'giiceans, curious custom of| 278. 
 
 Siboriii, charms of| 410. 
 
 Siberian postiloncc, 80. 
 
 liospitality, 391. 
 
 Sierra Nevada, 717, 718, 719. 
 
 Silla, on the Niger, 111. 
 
 SimanofT, allowed to vi.sit a Russian vessel, 
 435. 
 
 Since River, 61. 
 
 Sir-i-kol, valley of, 091- Lake of) 692, 693. 
 
 Sir River, crossing of) 331. 
 
 Sioux, interview with the, 699. 
 
 Sioux Indians, 134, 135. 
 
 Siway, Cailliaud's approach to, 247 — Scene- 
 ry of. 248— Inhabitants of, 249. 
 
 Slave River, 292, 
 
 Slave Lake (great), 600. 
 
 Smejevvskaja Oora, 81. 
 
 Snow-storms in the Arctic regions, 299, 
 
 Sobah, ruins of, 266. 
 
 Sobat River, 641, 642. 
 
 Sockiui, women of, 464. 
 
 Sokulk Indians, 162. 
 
 Soleb, temple of, 256. 
 
 Souakin, 217. 
 
 Soudan, 885, el seq. 
 
 Soumo (Mount). 368. 
 
 South Pass, 699, 700. 
 
 Southern Cross, 26. 
 
 Spanish Trail, the, 721. 
 
 Speranski (General), 390. 
 
 Sse-Tchouen, province ofj 755. 
 
 Stone Idol Creek, 137. 
 
 Sturt (Captain Charles), commands an ex- 
 pedition into Australia, 581 — Descends 
 the Macquario, 581 — Discovers the Dar- 
 ling, 584 — Descends the river, 585 — Re- 
 turns to Mt. Harris, 586 — Explores the 
 region of the Castloreagh, 586 — Returns 
 to Wellington Valley, 587 — Second ex- 
 pedition, 587 — Descent of the Morumbid- 
 goe, 588 — Reaches the Murray, 589 — 
 llostility of the natives, 590 — Discovers 
 the mouth of the Darling, 590 — Friendli- 
 ness of the natives, 591 — Arrives at the 
 mouth of the Murray, 592 — Reaches the 
 sea-coast, 593 — Ascends the Murray, 593 
 — Suspicious movements of the natives, 
 594 — Sufferings of the party, 595 — Re- 
 turn to Sydney, 595. 
 
 Sukhne, shekh and people of, 203. 
 
 Sukkot, territory of, 210. 
 
 Sumatra, Ida Pfoiffer's travels in, 846, 846. 
 
 Summer Lake, 715. 
 
 Sung-lo, hill of; 766. 
 
 Sutter (Captain), 720. 
 
 Suwelk, 624. 
 
 Sweet Water River, rapids of the, 704, 706, 
 
 Szalt, 204. 
 
 Taboniah, Well of, 885. 
 
 Tagama, a tribe of Tuaricks, 892. 
 
 Tajura, town of, 649— Sultan of; 650. 
 
 Takka, country of, 217. 
 
 Tale Lama, palace of, 751. 
 
 Tang-Keou-Eul, town of, 742. 
 
 Tarraa, 853, 860, 
 
 Tarsus, 200. 
 
 Tartar manners, 732— Encampment, 733— 
 Burials, 734, 735— Butcher, 740. 
 
 Tayf, 224. 
 
 Taylor (Bayard), accompanies the American 
 exploring party through Loo-Choo, 915 — 
 Enters a native dwelling, 924 — Is over- 
 come by fatigue, 934. 
 
 visit to Dr. Knoblecher, 643. 
 
 Tchad (Lake), first view of, 469. 
 
 eastern shore of, 496. 
 
 Tchakar, country of, 733. 
 
 Tching-tou-fou, town of, 756. 
 
 Tchogortan, Lamasery of, 745, 746. 
 
 Tchuktchi, baptism of the 401 — Camp of 
 the, 402— Jealousy of the, 402. 
 
 Tegerry, wells of, 466. 
 
 Tehama, terrible desert ot; 652, 
 
 Tekut, Mount, 885, 
 
 Telissareh, AVady, rock sculptures discov- 
 ered in, 886, 
 
 Tequendama, Cascade of, 62. 
 
 Terke, Japanese interpreter, 428. 
 
 Terra del Fuego, appearance of, 841. 
 
 Thakar, kingdom of, 730. 
 
 Thebes, Belzoni's description of, 231. 
 
 Thebes, Necropolis of, 234. 
 
 Thibetan Embassy, 746, 747. 
 
 Thirst, Mungo Park's sufferings from, 105 . 
 
 Thlow-ee-choh River, 601, 602, 608, 609, 
 613. 
 
 Tibboos, Sultan of the, 467— Country of the, 
 468 — Dances of the women, 4U8 — Aston- 
 ishment on seeing engravings, 468. 
 
 Tiberias, 796. 
 
 Tiger hunting, 843. 
 
 Tigris River, 760, 
 
 Timbuctoo, Dr. Earth's visit to the city of; i 
 904, 
 
 Timkovski, appointed to conduct the Russian 
 mission to China, 350 — Departure from 
 Kiakhta, 351 — Approach to the desert of 
 Gobi, 352 — Arrival at the Ourga, 359 — 
 Official reception, 360 — Departure from 
 the Ourga, 366 — Visit to Mount Darchan, 
 36: To ancient Mongolian ruins, 367 — 
 To a Thibetan temple, 368 — Crosses the 
 desert of Gobi, 369 — Arrives at the Great 
 Wall, 371— Enters Khalgan, 371— Ex- 
 amines the Great Wall, 372 — Arrival at 
 Pekin, 373— Visits the city, 374— The 
 temples, 376 — The Portuguese mission. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 nn 
 
 377 — Dcparturo from Pekin, 379 — Visit 
 
 to an ancient Mongolese tomplo, 379 — 
 
 Ro-enters tho desert of Gobi, 380 — Ilo- 
 
 turus to Kiakiita, 381. 
 Tiii^Tellust, valley and town of, 889. 
 Titicaea Lake, 862, 803. 
 Tlamath Lake, 714. 
 Tobacco, eagerness of Lewis and Clark's 
 
 men for, 190. 
 Tobolsk, city of, 80. 
 Tolon-Noor, town of, 731. 
 Tougou.si, ([Japtuiu Cochrano'a intorcourao 
 
 ■with, 406. 
 Toolo (Mr.), arrival at Kouka, 491 — Illuosa, 
 
 492— Death, 494. 
 Torrens Lake, 773, 774. 
 Toukoulan Mountains, 393. 
 Toumat River, 275. 
 Touniet, country ofj 735. 
 Translation tlu'ough four lanRuages, li'2. 
 Trinidad (in Bolivia), Herudon's rcsidouco 
 
 •'t, 805, 86G. 
 Tripo do roche, 300, 301. 
 Tropical vegetation, 30. 
 Truxillo, 71. 
 Tsad Lake, 897— Explored by Dr. Overweg, 
 
 8y7 — Description of its iiilands and their 
 
 inhabitants, 898, 899. 
 Tsanker Island, 041. 
 Turbaco, air-volcanoos of, 61. 
 Turkestan (Chinese), 330. 
 Twisted hair, 160. 
 
 181, 182. 
 
 Tyrwliit, arrival at Bornou, 495. 
 Tzarsko, Selo, conflagration of, 384. 
 
 Ucayali River, 856, 857. 
 
 Uelad Soliman, tribo of the, 900. 
 
 Unguruta, town of, 893. 
 
 Ufl'-ila, 932. 
 
 Ural Mountains, inhabitants of, 387. 
 
 78. 
 
 Uralsk, 84. 
 
 Uruana, mission of, 40, 
 Usdum, salt mountain o^ 800. 
 Ustkamcnogorsk, 81. 
 
 Valparaiso, cstoras at, 841. 
 
 Vapor Bath, ^ ^poriment with, 184 — Cure 
 
 of an Indian chief, 1 85. 
 Vcta, tho sickness caused by rarity of tho 
 
 atniosphoro, 852, 853, 
 Victoria River, discovery of, 784, 
 Vogel (Dr. Edward), volunteers to join Dr. 
 
 Barth in Central Africa, 904 — Joins Dr. 
 
 Barth, 904 — Accompanies tho array of 
 
 Bornou on its annual foray, 905 — Hia 
 
 proposed explorations, 905. 
 Volga River, 85. 
 
 Wababees, Ebn Sihoud, king of tho, 455 
 — ni3 appearance, 450 — Treatment of 
 tho Drayhy, 450 — Ilis remarks on tho 
 Christian religion, 458 — ^Treaty with tho 
 Drayhy, 458. 
 
 Wahelollah Ind<..m8, 178. 
 
 Waddington a.id ilandbury, meeting with 
 Cailliaud, 257. 
 
 Wady Killulloo, scono at, 055. 
 
 Waled Ali, tribo of, 445. 
 
 Wallahwallah Rivor, 712. 
 
 Wandering Dervisfh, privileges of a, 910. 
 
 Wappatoo root, 173. 
 
 Warrington, Mr., sou of tho English consul 
 at Tripoli, acooinpaiiics I>r. Vogtl to 
 Koukn, 904— His death, 904. 
 
 Wawa, country ci; 510. 
 
 Dishonesty of tho king of, 529. 
 
 Wellsted (Lieutenant), employed by tho 
 East Inclia Company in tho survey of tho 
 Arabian coasts, 015 — Lands at Muscat, 
 010 — Proceeds to Mur, 010 — Reception 
 by tho Bedouins, 610, 017 — Accompa- 
 nies tho sliekh of tlm (Jcnehiia into tho 
 desert, 018 — Proceeds by tho oasis to 
 Scninied, 010, 020 — An Arab's attacli- 
 ment to his camel tested, 020 — Sojourn 
 at Neswah, 021 — Excursion to Djebol 
 Akhdar, 021, 022— Illness of the party, 
 023 — Proceeds to Sib, on tho coast, 023 
 — Hospitably ontertaint-d at Suweik, 024 
 — Travels inland to Obri, 024 — Hostility 
 of tho Widiabees, 025, (;2i'. — Reaches Su- 
 weik, (;2G — Returns to Muscat, 027. 
 
 Wcrno (Dr. Ferdinand), enters tho Egyp- 
 tian service and proceeds from Cairo to 
 Khartoum, 029 — .loins tho expedition 
 up the White Nile, 030 — Describes tlio 
 scenery, 030, 031 — Reachea tho country 
 of tho Shillooks, O.'il— Tho Dinkas, 031 
 — Doseribes tho lotus, 032 — Enters tho 
 land of tho Nuehrs, 633 — Cro.sses tho 
 Gazelle Lake, 034 — Kiiters tho land of 
 tho Koks, 035 — Describes a sunrise, 035 
 — Describes the inhabitants, 030, 037 — 
 Attack of fever, 037 — Natives fired upon, 
 638— Enters the land of the Bans, 03H— 
 Inhabitants described, 039 — Visited by 
 king Lakono, 039, 040 — ^Tho expedition 
 returns, 041 — Explores tho river Sobat, 
 641 — Encounter with a lion, 642 — Re- 
 turn to Khartoum, 642. 
 
 Whale, .skeleton of, 174. 
 
 Whang-szu, temples of, 376. 
 
 White Nile, .scenery of; 630, 631, 634— Sun- 
 rise on, 035, 638, 644— Sourco of; 647, 
 
 White-boar Island, camp at, 187. 
 
 Whitelock (Lieutenant), 621. 
 
 Wilberforco Palls, 299. 
 
 Wild animals of tlie Tropics, 43, 44. 
 
 Wild Boars, hunting with fire, 331. 
 
 Wind River Mountains, 700-703. 
 
 Windsor, adventure of; 145. 
 
 Winter Ridge, 715. 
 
 Wood (Lieutenant John), attached to a com- 
 mercial mission to AfTghanistan, 683 — 
 Surveys the Indus, 683 — Arrives at Ca- 
 bul, 683^et3 out with Murad Ali for 
 Koondooz, 684 — Obliged to return from 
 tho Pass of Parwan, G84 — Proceeda by 
 
956 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 the Bamian route to Koondoo!!, 684— 
 Account of Koondooz, 684— Of the Uz- 
 becks and their horses, 685— Determines 
 to explore the Oxus, 685— Departure, 
 686— An Uzbeck's three best friends, 686 
 —Arrival at Jerm, 686— Detention by 
 winter, 687— Proceeds up the Oxus, 689— 
 The Yak described, 689— Ascends the 
 mountains, 691— Beaches the head- waters 
 of the Oxus, 692— Arrives at the Roof of 
 the "World, 692— Effects of great altitude, 
 6t 1— Return, 696. . 
 
 "Winter traveling in British Amenca, 291. 
 
 "Wissokaja Gora, 19. 
 
 "Woo-e-shan, hills of. 111. 
 
 "Wood River, 129, 130. 
 
 "Woodie, 411. 
 
 "Woolli, kingdom of, 95— Medma, capital ot, 
 95. 
 
 "Wou-chang-fou, town of) 159. 
 
 ■Wrangel (Baron), 399. „ 
 
 "Wrestling among the Mongols, 364, iJb&. 
 
 "Wurka, mound of, 824. 
 
 "Wylie (Australian), 115, 116. 
 
 Yakutsk, city of, 392— Society at, 392— 
 
 Hospitality, 393. 
 Yakut blessing, 398. 
 Yakuts, endurance of the, 391. 
 
 voracity of the, 395, 396. 
 
 Yak, the, 689— Ita habits, 690. 
 
 Yama-Cocha, Lake o^ 65. 
 Yankton Indians, 134. 
 Yang-tse-Kiang River, 156— Rapids o? 158. 
 Yaouri, city of, 526— Sultan of, 521— Lan- 
 ders' detention at, 621. 
 Yarkand, description of, 688. 
 Yarkend, city of, 331. 
 Yao-Tchang, theater of, 151. 
 Yellept, "Wallahwallah chief, 119. 
 Yellow-knife River, 292. 
 Yellow River, the, 136. 
 Yellowstone River, 142. 
 Yembo, plague at, 225. 
 Yembo, or Djidda, town o^ 912. 
 Yeou River, 411. 
 
 503. 
 
 903. 
 
 Yezidis, or Devil-worshipers, 814. 
 Yimmaha, 641. 
 
 Yola, capital of Adamoua, 896. 
 Yoriba, scenery of, 507— King of, 501. 
 Yorke (Captain Clarke's servant), 131. 
 
 Zaria, city of, 512. 
 Zashiversk, town of, 396. 
 Zegzeg, king oi, 519. 
 Zinder, description of the town of, 892. _ 
 Zuraa, the widow, 510— Her persevering 
 attentions, 511. 
 
 . the widow, her fate, 525. 
 
 I Zyzauka, scenery of the, 403. 
 
 THE END. 
 

 No. 25 West Fourth Street,) 
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 His suggestions are in an eminent degree valuable, and hia opinions, (which are 
 expressed in clear, concise and lucid dif^tion), easily interpreted by even the most lim- 
 ited conception, fairly assert his claim to a station in the foremost rank of rural 
 improvers. — N. Y. Horticulturist. 
 
 It abounds in useful and tasteful suggestions, and in practical instructions. — North* 
 cm Farmer. 
 
 It is a very timely and valuable book. " * Better adapted to the wants 
 and circumstances of our people than any other upon the subject. — Ohio Cultivator. 
 
 No one can long walk hand in hand with Mr. Kern without being sensible that he is in 
 the hands of one who is worthy of all confidence. — Louisville Courier. 
 
 Has so nobly succeeded as to render his volume an invaluable acquisition to all.— 
 Boston Traveller. 
 
 It is plain in its details, and will be more valuable to the million than any work on 
 the subject of Landscape Gardening yet published. The mechanical execution of tbu 
 volume is the very perfection of printing and binding. — Ohio Farmer. 
 
 Admirably calculated to meet the wants of the public. — Boston Atlas. 
 
 By a careful perusal of this little volume, which will cost but $1 60, the purchaser 
 will probably find that he has learned what he has been all his life wishing to know, 
 and what will be worth to him more than ten times its cost. — Nashville Whig. 
 
 He descends to the minutest details of instruction, so that his book may be taken 
 as a manual for the practical operator. — N. Y. Evangelist. 
 
 Grape and Strawberry Culture, 
 
 The Culture of the Grape and Wine Making. By Robert Buchanan. With 
 an Appendix, containing Directions . r the Cultivation of the Strawberry. 
 By N. LoNGWORTH. Sixth Edition. One volume, i2nio.. Muslin. Price, 
 63 cents. 
 
 It contains much opportune and instructive information relative to the cultivation 
 of these two delicious fruits. — Michigan Farmer. 
 
 One of the books which pass current through the world on account of the great 
 authority of the author's name. — Hoboken Gazette. 
 
 There are no men better qualified for the undertaking. — Louisville Journal. 
 
 It deals more with facts, with actual experience and observation, and less with 
 speculation, supposition and beliet, than any thing on this topic that has yet appeared 
 in the United States. In other words, a man may take it and plant a vineyard, and 
 raise grapes with success. — Horticulturist 
 
 We can not too strongly recommend this little volume to the attention of all who 
 havo a vine or a strawl^rry bed. — Farm and Shop. 
 
 This book embodies the essential principles necessary to bo observed in the succcgs- 
 ful management of these fruits. — Boston Cultivator. 
 
 We have on two or three occasions said of this little book, that it is the best we 
 have ever seen on the subjects of which it treats. A man with ordinary judgment 
 can not fail in grape or strawberry culture, if he tries to follow its advice,— Ohio 
 Farmer. 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & Co., Publishers, 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
i.WUl prove more generally usefnl than any otbcr work yet pnblUlieA om 
 
 OeoloKy.li 
 
 The Course of Creation. 
 
 By John Anderson, D. D., of Newburgh, Scotland. With a Glossary of 
 Scientific Terms. One volume izmo.. Illustrated, muslin. Price, $i 25. 
 
 It is thoroughly scientific, but popular in its style, and exceedingly entertaining. — 
 Zion's Herald. 
 
 The author's style is clear and engaging, and his graphic descriptions seem to con- 
 vey the reader at once into the fields of geological research to observe for himself. — 
 Ohio Observer. 
 
 Another valuable contribution to the cause of truth and sound science. Its value 
 is very much enhanced by the Glossary of Scientific Terms appended to it by the pub- 
 lishers; for scarcely any one of the sciences has a larger number of terms with which 
 ordinary readers are unacquainted than geology. — Presbyterian of the West. 
 
 We commend the volume to all who would be instructed in the wonderful works of 
 God. Chapters such as that on the " Economic History of Coal," and those on " Organ ic 
 Life " and " Physical and Mi ral Progression," have a special value for the student of 
 Divine Providence. — N. Y. Independent. 
 
 Dr. Anderson is evidently well skilled in geology, and writes with a freedom and 
 vivacity rivaled by no writer on the subject — except Hugh Miller.- Methodist Quar- 
 terly Review. 
 
 This book is intended for general readers — and such readers will be entertained by 
 it — but it is none the less thorough, and enters boldly into geological inquiry. — Boston 
 Advertiser. 
 
 One of the most interesting and valuable works on Geology that we have ever met 
 with. The author is a thoroughly scientific man; but his scientific accuracy does not 
 prevent the work from being understood by unscientific readers ; it is a very readable 
 book. — Louisville Journal. 
 
 on 
 
 at 
 
 ith 
 ■ed 
 nd 
 
 ho 
 
 (BS- 
 
 wo 
 ent 
 hio 
 
 Poetry of the Vegetable World. 
 
 A popular Exposition of the Science of Botany, and its relations to Man. By M. J. 
 ScHLEiDEN, M. D., Professor of Botany in the University of Jena. Illustrated with En- 
 gravings. Second American, from the London Edition of Ilenfrey. Edited by ALrHONSO 
 Wood, M. A., author of " The Class Book of Botany," etc. One volun'i, \2nw., muslin. 
 Price, $1 25. 
 
 Schleiden is one of the most distinguished and most accomplished botanists of the 
 present day. The exhaustless beauties of the vegetable world, its spiritual aspect, 
 lies beyond the reach of mere science. Herein lies the charm of this work. While its 
 author has everywhere exhibited the principles of science in the most attractive and 
 pcriiipicuous style, he has also contrived to blend with them the imaginative and the 
 spiritual, and thus to render his work the exponent of the relations of the plant to 
 the human soul. He has shown that the multiform vegetables of *he material 
 world are all ministering spirits. In a word, science and ^loutry are bcbudfully and 
 harmoniously blended together — Merchant's Magazine. 
 
 The originality of its views, the poetic charm of its illustrations, and the large 
 amount of positive instruction which it imparts, will recommend it to every reader 
 of taste and intel'geace — Harper's Magazine. 
 
 Prof. Schleiden's capital treatise on the teachings of the vegetable world would pass 
 muster with the most rigid utilitarian that ever existed. " '^ " It is as 
 interesting as the most attractive romance, as beautiful as nature, and as pleasing as 
 the finest poem. — Boston Atlas. 
 
 It is an interesting, amusing and instructive work. — Philadelphia Pennsylvanian. 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & Co., PuhUshers, 
 
 25 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
Service Afloat and Alhore 
 
 Duriiuj the Mexican War. liy Lieut. Kathael t^i.iiMEs, U. S. N., liU F..;ii Li.'ntnMot nf 
 the Uime Squadron, and Aid-dc-camp of Major-Gemrul Iforlh, in the Hattax ../' /A, \\d- 
 hi/ of Mexico. One volume, Hro, iVicc, $1 7o. Illustrattd with numa^un LUhuyraplii 
 in beautiful style, by Onhen, and an official Map 
 
 His original descriptions are drawn with great felicity. Ho in a lively and spirited 
 narrator. His battle sketches are extremely vivid, and produce a deep impression 
 on the imagination. His pictures of social and domestic life in Mexico are apparently 
 true to nature, and present the attractions of a romance. Criticise s the military ope- 
 rations in a decided partisan spirit, but with evident ability. — N. Y. Tribune. 
 
 He is bold, capable, and coura;;eous. He can wield a pen or a sword with admira- 
 ble force an^^ dexterity. " " * As a writer, Lieut. Semmes is clear and cogent. 
 The firs* forty pages of the volume are occupied with a description of Mexico, its gov- 
 ernment and people ; and we know of no description of the kind, which brings the 
 condition of things in that unhappy country so distinctly before the mind of the 
 reader. The whole volumo, as a work of intellect, is worthy of a high place in the 
 department to which it be. ^ngs. — Louisville Journal. 
 
 Sailors are said to be persons of strong prejudices. And it is no small praise to the 
 author, to say that we have .'ever read a history evidently so fairly written, with 
 regard to the merits of the num'^rous claimants of military glory. o o o 
 We shall take our sailor and soldl<)r out of the ranks, and see what he has to tell of a 
 more amusing nature than battle fields. o o o After sailing about the 
 Gulf, and cruizing from Vera Crui to Mexico, and back again with our author, we have 
 arrived at the conclusion that he in as pleasant a companion as one might desire upon 
 a similar journey, and so commend him to the favor of the reading public. — Literary 
 World. 
 
 Burr and Blennerhassett. 
 
 The Life of Harman Blennerhassett, comprisin / an authentic narrative of tlie Burr Expedi- 
 tion, and containing many additional facts not heretofore published. By William. H. Saf- 
 FORD. Third Edition. One volume, \2mo., muslin. Price, 75 cents, 
 
 A volume on a subject of great interest. The fate of Blennerhassett, tempted from 
 an earthly Paradise by the wiles of Aaron Burr, and induced to risk his life, fortune 
 and honor on the ill-fated scheme of that brilliant adventurer, has excited sentiments 
 of pity and indignation in all who have heard of it. o o o j,ir_ SaflFord 
 has given us at length the interesting narrative. — Daily Times. 
 
 A substantial addition to the history of our country. — rresbyterian Witness. 
 
 Writtenby a judicious and able hand. o o o The life of the scientific 
 and distinguished Blennerhassett will be sought and read with deep interest.— Christ- 
 ian Age. 
 
 The materials for this volume have been gathered fh)m the best sources. — Presby- 
 terian. 
 
 One of the most interesting personal sketches that has lately been given to the 
 press. It delineates in graphic and true colors the rise, progress and disastrous con- 
 clusion of the great " Burr Conspiracy." — Ladies' Repository. 
 
 A man of cultivated tastes and peaceful disposition, he left his native country 
 because it was rent by political discord, and went in search of a home in the New 
 World — where he might pursue his favorite studies undisturbed. In an island of the 
 Ohio he found the realization of his hopes. o o o jjut his secluded habits 
 iid not content him ; and herein lies an invaluable lesson. Let it be scanned and 
 remembered by such as would exchange a life of active usefulness for unprofitable 
 repose. We were made not to vegetate, but to live and act. — Home Journal. 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & Co., Picbliahers, 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
»- 
 
 Scenes and Legends 
 
 Of the North of Scotland. By Hugh Miller, author of "Footprints of 
 the Creator." One volume, i2mo., muslin. Price, $i 
 
 A delightful book by one of the most delightful of living authors. — N. Y. Courier 
 and Enquirer. 
 
 In this book, Hugh Miller appears as the simple dramatist, reproducing home sto- 
 ries and legends in their native costume, and in full life. The volume is rich in enter- 
 tainment for all lovers of the genuine Scotch character. — N. Y. Independent. 
 
 Fascinating portraits of quaint originul characters, aud charming tales of the old 
 faded superstitions of Scotland, make up the '.' Scenes and Legends." Purity of dic- 
 tion and thoughtful earnestness, with a vein of easy, half-concealed humor pervading 
 it, are the characteristics of the author's style. Added to these, in the present vol- 
 ume, are frequent touches of the most elegantly-wrought fancy; passages of sorrow- 
 ful tcndernbi<s that change the opening smile into a tear, and exalted sentiment that 
 brings reflection to the heart. — Citizen. 
 
 This is a book which will be read by those who have read the other works of this 
 distinguished author. His beautiful style, his powers of description, his pathos, his 
 quiet humor and manly good sense, would give interest to any subject. '^ ° There 
 is no part of the book that is not interesting. — Louisville Journal. 
 
 This is one of the most unique aud original books that has been written for many 
 years, uniting in a singularly happy manner all the charms of fiction to the more 
 substantial and enduring graces of truth. The author is a capital story teller, pre- 
 facing what he has to say with no learned circumlocutions We can not now call to 
 mind any other style that so admirably combines every requisite for this kind of wri- 
 ting, with the exception of that of his more illustrious countryman, Scott, as the one 
 Hugh Miller possesses. — Columbian. 
 
 The contents of the book will be as instructive and entertaining, as the exttn-ior is 
 elegant and attractive. Hugh Miller writes like a living man, who has eyes, and 
 cars, and intellect, and a heart of his own, and not like a galvanized skeleton, who 
 inflicts his dull repetitions of what other men have seen and felt in stately stupidity 
 upon their i;nfortunate readers. His observation is keen, and his powers of descrip- 
 tion unrivaled. His style is like a mountain-stream, that flows on in beauty aud 
 freshness, imparting enlivening influences all around. His reflections, when he 
 indulges in them, are just and impressive. — Christian Herald. 
 
 Tales so romantic, yet so natural, and told in a vein of unafi°ccted simplicity and 
 graphic delineation, rivaling Hogg and Scott, of the same land, will command a vast 
 number of admiring readers. — N, Y. Christ. Intel. 
 
 The interest of its facts far exceeds romance. — N. Y. Evan. 
 
 This book is worthy of a place by the side of the world-renowned volumes which 
 have already proceeded from the same pen. — Phil. Chronicle. 
 
 10 
 
 ^t- 
 
 Roving Adventures. 
 
 By George Borrow, author of '* The Gipsies in Spain," " The Bible in 
 Spain," etc. With fine Portrait. One volume, octavo, muslin. Price, $i 50. 
 
 He colors like Rembrandt, and draws like Spagnoletti. — Edinburgh Review. 
 The pictures are so new that those best acquainted with England will find it hard 
 to recognize the land they may have traveled over. — National Intel. 
 
 We could hardly sleep at night for thinking of it. — Blackwood. 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & CO., Publishers, 
 
 26 West Fotirth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
Life of Dr. Chalmers. 
 
 lAfe of TnoxAB Chalmers, D. D., LL. D., tiUud In/ the Rev. James C. Moffat, M. A., 
 Profator of Latin, attd Lecturer on II Mary in the College of New Jersey, Princeton 
 With a Portrait. Second Edition. One volume 12mo., muslin. Price, $1 25. 
 
 Professor Moffat has, in this handsome yolumc, with great tact and taste, man- 
 aged to condense the history of the interesting, exciting, and useful career of Dr. 
 Chalmers. It is a book for all to read who would trace not only the blazing traclc of 
 a great genius, but who would see genius, talent and power all combined for the good of 
 man. Dr. Chalmers combined the great and the useful in a largo measure, and was 
 at home both with the distinguished ones of the earth, and with the humblest of his 
 fellow men, and was admired and loved by all. — Cincinnati Gazette. 
 
 As an orator, a philosopher, a professor, a philanthropist, a successful parish min- 
 ister, and a learned divine. Dr. Chalmers stood foremost, not only among the great men 
 of Scotland, but of Christendom. — Commercial. 
 
 The memoirs of such a man as Dr. Chalmers should be in the hands of every one. 
 His life is a grand moral lesson — a golden example — a gospel of the 19th centuty. 
 His splendid talents, his intense application, his strenuous zeal, his glowing fhith, and 
 his humble spirit, might each have illuminated a distinct individual, and made him 
 famous ; — united, they dazzled, enlightened and warmed the world Times. 
 
 Chalmers moves before us — Chalmers speaks to us — we pass from chapter to chap- 
 ter, and page to page with the man we venerate, and catch the inspiration of his 
 genius and his goodness, o o o The author's idea of the work he attempted 
 to make is ours of that which he has accomplished. o o o Wg jjite t^Q 
 plan of letting such men as Chalmers speak for themselves in their biographies. — 
 Christian Herald. 
 
 *• «> " Prof. Moffat has succeeded, and we can not but believe his labor 
 will be widely appreciated. — Presbyterian. 
 
 o o o There is not much writing about the man. He is rather brought 
 upon the stage to speak and act for himself. — Christian Press. 
 
 o o o Thousands will heartily thank Professor Moffat for inviting them 
 to so rare an intellectual fbast Daily Ancient Metropolis. 
 
 Moffat's jEfthetics. 
 
 An fntroduetion to tfie Study of Esthetics. By James C. Moffat, D. D., Profetior of 
 Greek in the College of New Jersey, Princeton. One volume V2mo., muslin. Price, $1. 
 
 The title of this book may frighten some worthy people, with whom ^Esthetics is I 
 something mysterious, and, therefore, fearful. But the volume is a pleasantly writ- 
 ten and quite attractive treatise upon the beautiful in art — art of all kinds and of 
 every branch. Prof. Moffat seems to us a sound and clever writer. He docs not 
 assume to be original, but is systematic and clear, and very readable. The argu- 
 ments are illustrated by anecdote and quotations. — Boston Post. 
 
 Prof. Moffat has succeeded in making his definitions accurate, and his distinctions 
 clear and tangible. He has brought the aid of strong common sense to his task, and 
 while far from making up a volume of dry detail, has presented the subject in such a 
 light as to make it intelligible to all minds of ordinary strength.— Western Christian 
 Advocate. 
 
 The work of Dr. Moffat of Princeton, is simply what it proposes to be. ° " _" " 
 In simplicity of arrangement, and in the transparent beauty of its style, it is, we 
 think, far better adapted for a text book, than many another treatise of more pre- 
 tensions and fame. — Cin. Gazette. 
 
 It is a profoundly elaborate treatise, evinces a highly philosophical mind, and can 
 scarcely fail to secure to its author a recognized place among the lights in the depart- 
 ment of which he has treated. — Puritan Recorder. 
 
 MOOUE, WILSTACH, KEYS & CO., Publishers, 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
Romanism not Chriftianity. 
 
 A ttriet of Popular Lectures, in which Poperi/ ami Protestantism are contrasted ; showing th» 
 incompatihility of the former with Freedom and Free Institutions. By N. L. Rice, D. D., 
 Pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church, St. Louis. Embellished with a fine Portrait 
 of the author, engraved on steel, by Jewett. Third Edition. One volume, l'2mo., muslin. 
 Price, $1. 
 
 EXTRiCT FROM THE PREFACE. 
 
 " The controversy between Romnnism nnd Christianity seems now destined to be the 
 great controversy of the nineteenth century. In Europe and America, Rome is mak- 
 ing renewed and vigorous efforts to regain her lost power ; but the United States is 
 her favorite field of missionary enterprise. The extent of our territory, the cheap- 
 ness of our lands, the fertility of our soil, and our free institutions, hold out strong 
 inducements to immigration from Europe. These, with other causes no less potent, 
 are flooding our country with immense crowds of foreigners, the very large majority 
 of whom are ignorant and degraded ; and a still larger number have learned from 
 infancy to yield implicit obedience to the teachings and ti-e commands of the Roman 
 clergy. This rapidly increasing population is placing in their handn a tremendous 
 power, which may well excite apprehensions in the minds of Americans. 
 
 " The Roman clergy, too, would seem to have become the friends of popidar education, 
 and are zealously engaged in establishing, in every part of our country, and particu- 
 larly in the great West, permanent institutions for the education of the youth of both 
 sexes. To aid them in this work, large sums of money are anniially transmitted by 
 societies in Europe, whose object is, to extend the influence of Popery. And although 
 the clergy disclaim any design to interfere with the religious views of Protestant 
 youths, thus inducing large numbers of Protestants to patronize their schools, they 
 do boast, in their letters to their European patrons, of the number of converts gained 
 there from our ranks. 
 
 " The time has come when it is most important that every man who is the friend of 
 true religion, or of free institutions, should understand the character of this growing 
 influence ; when Protestants should know what are the differences between us and the 
 church of Rome, and on what grounds they protest against her exclusive claims. They 
 will be zealously, plausibly pressed in every part of our land ; and therefore it is our 
 duty to place an antidote, if possible, in the hands of every family and every 
 individual. 
 
 The Puritans and Pilgrim Fathers. 
 
 A History of the Puritans and Pilgrim Fathers. The Puritans in England. £y Rev. W. 
 H. Stowell, Professor of Theology, Rotherham College. The Pilgrim Fathers. By D. 
 Wilson, F. S. A., Scot., author of " Cromwell and the Protectorate," etc., etc. One volume, 
 l2mo., mtulin. Price, $1 26. 
 
 It is the record of the hero age in English history, and of the origin of modern 
 social and religious liberty. This portable and cheap volume will undoubtedly enjoy 
 what it richly merits, a wide circulation. — Zion's Herald. 
 
 The entire story is written in a spirit of unusual candor and fairness, nejther seek- 
 ing to gloss over their faults, nor to depreciate the staunch and often heroic virtues 
 of the admirable men whose lives it portrays. The author displays a degree of enthu- 
 siastic veneration for the worthies whose lives and deeds he sketches, which, while it 
 in no way detracts from his merits as a reliable historian, will not fail to affect plca- 
 Burably every American reader of his pages. We commend the volume to the atten- 
 tion of the reading public. — Western Christian Advocate. 
 
 There is no history in which the American scholar should feel a deeper and more 
 lively interest than that of the Puritans and Pilgrims, whose principles are at the 
 foundation of our government, and whose virtues are interwoven with our history aa 
 a nation. — Newcastle Courier. 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & CO., Publishers, 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
 m 
 
Three Great Temptations. 
 
 The Three Great Temptationa of Young Men. II ith several Lecturet addressed to Buntu$$ 
 and Professional Men. By Rev. Samuel W. Fisher, D. D. Fourth Edition, One vol- 
 ume \2mo., muslin. Price, $1. . 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 THE SIKENS, 
 
 THE WINE-CUP, 
 
 THE CARIJ-TABLE, 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN LAWYER, 
 
 THE MOSAIC LAW OV USURY, 
 
 THE SLAYER OF THE STRONG, 
 
 THE PLAY-HOUSE, 
 
 THE WEB OF VICE, 
 
 THE PATH OF INFIDELITY, 
 
 COMMERCIAL MORALITY. 
 
 A work of unusual attraction. We know not where wc have seen these subjects so 
 impressively, yet so properly and guardedly examined. Far above common-place spe- 
 cimens. They expose dangers of terrible imminence, and urge persuasions of incom. 
 parable importance, in a way that offends not the taste, yet reaches the heart and 
 engages the thoughts. — N. Y. Evangelist. 
 
 Able and often eloquent. ** " ° A work which may well be put into the hands 
 of youth just entering upon life. — N. Y. Observer. 
 
 We shall put the book by upon one of the choice shelves of our private library.— 
 Boston Congregationalist. 
 
 The author's style is not less clear and forcible than ornate and eloquent - Detro't 
 Herald. 
 
 Characterized by earnestness, eloquence and adaptation to the end had in view — N 
 Y. Recorder. 
 
 Paints in vigorous language the horrible consequences of vice. — Boston Post. 
 We would that every young man in the land could be persuaded to read it carefully. 
 — ^Louisville Recorder. 
 
 The Chriftian Profession. 
 
 A series of Letters to a IHend, on the Nature, Duties, Necessity, Trials and Supports of the 
 Christian Profession. By Joseph Ci.ATBAnaH, D. D. Second Edition. One volume 
 16*710., Muslin. Price, 75 cents. 
 
 Extract from a letter to the Publishers, from Rev. Dr. Allen, of Lane Theological 
 Seminary : 
 
 Messrs. Moore, Wilatach, Keys ^ Co. : 
 
 Dr. Claybaugh's new work on the Christian Profession I have examined with consid- 
 erable care and much gratification. The practical truths connected with the subject 
 are presented with so much clearness and force that the book can not fail, it seems to 
 me, to be of great value to all Christians, and especially to those who are just enter- 
 ing upon a religious life. The sentiments are so Catholic that all Christians will be 
 able to use the work with like satisfaction and profit. 
 
 Yours truly, D. H. ALLEN. 
 
 All that is necessary to instruct the inquiring in respect to the nature, duties, im- 
 portance and necessity, peculiar trials, supports and consolations of the Christian 
 profession, is here presented in a series of fourteen letters, written in an easy, famil- 
 iar and graceful style, and with an unction suitable to the subject. It is just such a 
 book as pastors need to put into the hands of youth of their congregations. It should 
 be in every family and every congregational library in our church. — The Preacher and 
 Presbyterian. 
 
 The book is most appropriate to the times, o o o yfQ should be glad to see these 
 letters extensively circulated. — Christian Herald. 
 
 MOORF, WILSTACH, KEYS & Co., Publishers, 
 
 25 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
Hart's Mississippi Valley. 
 
 A Uittoty of the Valley of the Mississippi. By AnoLrHUS M. Hart, author of " Notet and 
 Incidents of American Revolutionary History," etc., etc. One volume 12mo., muslin. Price, 
 $100. 
 
 Nelson Cross, Esq., at a meeting of the Historical and PhiloBophical Society of Ohio, 
 reported on the " History of the Discovery of the Valley of the Mississippi." Mr. 
 Cross, at the conclusion of his report, says : " From a careful review of Mr. Hart's 
 work, and a comparison of its leading points with other histories, I am of the opinion 
 that the facts which the author has therein presented, may be relied upon as true ; 
 and much credit is due to him for his industry in gathering together so much valua- 
 ble information concerning the discovery and colonization of the Missisisippi Valley. 
 
 A succinct compilation from authentic documents of facts in the history of the Mis- 
 sissippi Valley, to the latest dates The work bears the marks of industry and dis- 
 crimination. — N. Y. Tribune. 
 
 Carries the story along spiritedly, and constitutes a trust-worthy authority.— N. Y. 
 Times 
 
 Easy flowing narrative, and graphic descriptive style, add greatly to the interest of 
 his work ; while the useful information it contains, commends it to all who desire to 
 know how the great West has been peopled, and its resources developed, amid the 
 vicissitudes and obstacles which the early pioneers and subsequent settlers encoun- 
 tered. — Nashville Banner. 
 
 A Buckeye Abroad. 
 
 Or Wanderings in Europe, and in the Orient. By Samuel S. Cox. Third Edition. Illt»- 
 trated. One volume, l2)no., muslin. Price, $1 25. 
 
 The narrative is lively and stirring. — Courier. 
 
 One of the very best of its class of travel narratives. — Knickerbocker. 
 
 The thoughts and observations of a thoroughly American scholar. — N. Y. Times. 
 
 We have read this book with a great deal of satisfaction. In his vigorous, ornate 
 style we recognize much of the glowing force of Gibbon. — Providence Journal. 
 
 The Kingdom of Brass. 
 
 Or the History of the World from the Birth of Alexander the Oreat to the Birth of Christ, 
 including the History of Judea during that period. By R. B. Bement. One volume 1 2mo., 
 muslin. Price, $1 00. fmt ready. 
 
 Merry Old England, 
 
 And her Mttv /. By Miss Julia Cosnbb. One volume, 16mo., muslin. Price, 40 eenU, 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & Co., Publishers, 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Cinoiimati. 
 
Or 
 
 THE GREAT AMERICAN TEMPERANCE TALE, 
 
 Mrs. Ben Darby, 
 
 the Weal and Woe of Social Life. By A. Maria Collins. Third 
 Edition. One volume, i zmo., muslin. Price, $i. 
 
 The object of this Tale is to exhibit in different phases — in high life and in low 
 life — the accursed effects of intcmpernte drinking ; the bane of social life, the curse 
 of civilized man. The characters are well and sharply drawn, and the various scenes 
 are described with much spirit and graphic effect. — Boston Traveler. 
 
 It is not often that we read a stor^ of any kind, but we have broken our practice, 
 and have read this book, not only with pleasure, btit with a gratification which but 
 very few novels have ever afforded us. It is a quiet and simple, but still striking and 
 effective picture of American social life. — Chicago Tribune. 
 
 Has so many thrilling passages and well drawn characters, that you read it with 
 absorbed attention. It can not fail to achieve for Mrs. Collins an enviable popularity. 
 — Christian Herald. 
 
 Let this book circulate. It has a beneficent aim, and is the vehicle of admirably told 
 and most salutary lessons. — Presbyterian. 
 
 We know of no passage anywhere, more uniquely beautiful, more intensely absorb- 
 ing, more overpowering in the pathetic, than the thirty-fourth chapter. It is indeed 
 a gem. We doubt whether the celebrated chapter devoted to the death of Eva, in 
 Uncle Tom's Cabin, is superior. •> " " It is certainly the most powerful 
 temperance tale that we have ever perused. — Journal and Messenger. 
 
 Graphic, truthful, chaste, and deeply affect ing, the story winds itself into our feel- 
 ings, and we become absorbed in the plot, as if we beheld before our own eyes the 
 realities of the author's delineations. — Daily Sun. 
 
 
 Early Engagements, 
 
 And Florence, (a Sequel). By Sarah Marshall Hayden. Second Edition. 
 One volume, i2mo.. Muslin. Price, 75 cents. 
 
 The title indicates the character of this volume. The scenes are Southern and 
 Western, and the characteristics of each are faithfully portrayed. The plot is well 
 laid and replete with interest. The object of the author is to show some of the evils 
 resulting from early marriage " Engagements." She would teach the lesson that 
 " Evil is wrought by want of thought, 
 
 '••-—■ As well as want of HEART." 
 
 The style of the work is charming, and evinces deep thought and charming purpose 
 It is eminently calculated to interest all classes of readers. — Buffalo Express. 
 
 The subject discussed is one of deep interest ; one that never loses its importance, 
 and when so pleasingly presented in the earb of a finished domestic narrative, as is 
 this work, must have many eager students. 000 Written in a style of 
 great freshness and piquancy, we heartily commend it to our friends. — Louisville 
 Courier. 
 
 A very interesting and exciting story, which, while it is read with the deepest 
 interest, will at the same time convey instruction that may prove of inestimable 
 value. — Troy Times. 
 
 It is essentially a tale of paasion — of passion purified by religious principle. — 
 Republican. 
 
 A pure story of the heart's affections. a o o xhe characters are sus- 
 tained with great dignity and truthfulness to nature. — New York Observer. 
 
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 i- ..'.:, J 25 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
VneavtleA I17 any other KAltlon In this Counlr)-, and HlmlUr to the eele- 
 
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 Now ofFer to the Trade, at Publishers* Prices, a complete Collection of the 
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 the most distinguished Authors, with selections from the Minor Poets. Ac- 
 companied with Biographical, Historical, and Critical Notices. Edited by 
 F. J. Child, Boylston Prof, of Rhetoric and Oratory in Harvard College. 
 
 This series of the British Poets has secured the unqualified commendation of tho 
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 king is firmly established. It is universally acknowledged to be the best edition ever 
 issued, both in point of editorship and mechanical execution, placing it out of the 
 reach of competition. 
 
 Each separate work is sold by itself, and may be obtained in the following styles of 
 
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 Sixty-nine volumes are ready for delivery, comprising the following: . 
 
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 The remainder of the series will be issued as fast as the volumes can be prepared. 
 
Puke's Domestic Physician. 
 
 Ilomrnpalhic Ihwwstic Phi/tieiun, miititinin./ the Treatment of Ihnrastt, with popular erplan- 
 alioiu of Amitomi/, Phytiolnrm, Hijijime ami Ifi/druixtthi/ ; al»o an abridged Materia Med- 
 tea. Jli/ J. H. Pui.TE, M. 1). ,Si////i h'ditum. Enlaryed with gjiecial Ih/droj>alhie Diree- 
 lions, and illiutrated with Anatomical Plate), Twenty-firtt Thousand. One volume royal 
 V2mo., luilf morocco. Price, $1 oO. 
 
 For Aowiff ;>mr//fc this work is roconinicndcd ns superior to nil others, by Dr. Vnn- 
 ilerliurpli, of New York, Dr. Mull and Dr. Kossinan, of llrooklyn, Dr. Granger, of St. 
 Louis, and others of equal celebrity in ditt'erent portions of tlic country. 
 
 It is very comprehensive and very explicit. — N. Y. Evangelist. 
 
 A very lucid and useful handbook. Its popular language and exchi.xion of difticult 
 tcrniiiioldgy, are deciiled recommendations. Its success is good evidence of the value 
 of the work.— N. Y. Times. 
 
 This appears to bo a very successful publication. It tas now reached its sixth 
 edition, wiiich is a revised and enlarged one ; and we learn from the title page, that 
 twenty-one tliouaand copies have been published. Various additions have bien made 
 to the Ilonicopatliic directions, and the anatomical part of the work has l)cen illus- 
 trated with engravings. The work has received the approbation of several of our 
 most eminent practitioners. — Evening I'ost. 
 
 Pulte's Woman's Guide. 
 
 Woman's Medical Ouidt; containing Eaiaya on the Physical, Moral and Educational devel- 
 opment of Females, and the Ilomeopathie Treatment of their Diseases in all periods of Life, 
 together with directions for the remedial use of Water and Oymhastics, Jiy J. II. Pii.te, 
 I'rofiv.ior of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children, Emeritus Professor of Clin- 
 ical Medicine in the Western College of Homeopathy, author of " Jlomeopathic Domestic 
 Physician," etc. One volume l2mo., muslin. Price, $1 00. 
 
 From Dr. Joslin, one of the moat distinguished Homeopathic physieians in the 
 country : 
 
 New York, May 2G, 18'JG. 
 Messrs. Moore, Wilsiach, Keys S[ Co. : 
 
 Oentlkmen : — Woman's Guide, by Dr. Pulte, beautifully and correctly depicts her 
 physical and moral development in the diflFerent stages and relations of life, and is 
 replete with excellent directions for the management of herself and offspring. The 
 book is highly creditable to its author, as a scholar, a philosopher and a Christian, and 
 is better calculated than any other, on the same subjects and within the same com- 
 pass, to remove many false notions and pernicious practices which prevail in society. 
 Respectfully yours, B. F. JOSLIN. 
 
 The style is beautiful and Rimple, the language appropriate, and the subject, intri- 
 cate and delicate though it is, made clear to the comprehension, carrying conviction 
 to the reader of the truthf'.ilne-3 of the author's remarks, and the necessity of living 
 according to his advice. We liave never met with anything of the kind so complete, 
 and so admirably a' ji ged -Daily Times. 
 
 As a contribution to popular hygiene, it may bo ranked among the most judicious 
 and instructive works on the subject that have yet been given to the public. The 
 delicate topics of which it treats are discussed with great propriety of sentiment and 
 language, while the copious information with which it abounds is adapted to lead to 
 the formation of correct and salutary habits. — N. Y. Tribune. 
 
 It is a careful and judicious work, worthy of explicit attention, and mothers, 
 whether of the Homeopathic faith or not, will iind it to their advantage to acquaint 
 themselves with Dr. Pulte's hints. — Columbian. 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & Co., Pahliihcrs, 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 
Teste on Diseases of Children. 
 
 .'1 llumeo/Hithic Trinlife on thr Diti'iiica nf (hilihfn. It;/ Ai.Pii. Tkhtk, Doctor in Medicine, 
 Memher of mcral karneil Societic*, etc. Trauslalal from the French, by Kmha II. Cotb. 
 One volumt, I'lmo., usiin. /'Wre, $1 '.T). 
 
 It is the only treatise on the Homuopatliio plan exprossly doTotcd to the dinonnpi of 
 chililren. Withnn'iit I'liinjiIi'tt'iicHS or dt'tiiil, it tloscribcs the i>rineipiil iliHcnHrd to 
 wiiich tlmt aL'c is siilijei't, to^otlicr witli their npproiiriato rtMiicdlcs. As n ini\tni.i1 of 
 diimoBtic pnictico, it iiiimt ln> wi'lcoine to tlio ri'i-i-ivcrH of iliiiiiiciiianit'8 systoin. — N. Y. 
 Triliiini'. 
 
 This is an oxcoUcnt worl<. " '■* ' It is distinjtiiichcd by cIchviu'ss of 
 
 statetnt'iit, pnicticiiliicHs of dirpction, and by originality of obsiTvalioii. Wlnit r ■ : 
 dors it parti<'iilarly viiliiabl*! to faJuilii's is tin- Himplicity of its dircctioiis, obviuti i 
 the doubt and uiicfrtaiiity wliicli attmil tlic attt'iujit to administer niediiincs ai'co • i- 
 ing to most Ilomoopatliic worlts. — ('lovolaiid U'ader. 
 
 Croserio's Obstetrics. 
 
 A Ifomfopalliic 3fiinual of Obstetrics: or a Treatise on the Aid the Art of Midwiferti may 
 dirive from llomeofiathi/. /?// Dn. C. Ckosehio, JfiAwi He I'EmhaHsade Ih Sardaiijne, 
 Memhre l)e Im Socii'tt! Hahnemannienne Ik I'ariit, etc., etc. Tramlated from (he French, by 
 M. Cote, M. I). Second Edition, One volume, l'2mo., mwUn. Price, 7/5 cent>. 
 
 It is only necessary to have it known that Dr. Croserio is the author of tlie above 
 work, to induce each practitioner of our schoo' to seek a coiiy of it wittiout delay. It 
 18 one of tliose few practical works which will aiil practitioners at the bcd.siile of the 
 sick. ^ '^ The vcduine may seem insigniticant, because it contains only 153 
 paj^ea ; hut our readers can hardly conceive of the amount of information whicii the 
 author has contrived, in the clearest manner, to express in a few words. '^' " '- 
 The practice is purely Homeopathic. — Ai.i. .our. of Ilom. 
 
 " " S'lows what Homeopathy has done, and can do. " " We take 
 pleasure in recommending it to Ilomeopathists. — North West. Journal of Horn. 
 
 Ilavinf; read the original, we can pronounce this a gooil translation. " " * 
 We think it a very excellent work ; such a book as has long been needed in Home o- 
 pathic practice, one manifesting in itself a great deal of clo.se and patient study and 
 research. — 1 hiladclphia Journal of Horn. 
 
 Rapou on Fever. 
 
 Typhoid Fever and its Homeopathic Treatment. By Aro, Kxrof, Doctntr en Medccine De 
 Faculte De Paris, Translated by M. Cote, M. D. One volume, V2mo., ntusHn. Price, 
 50 cents. 
 
 The original work, of which this volume is a translation, is understood by tiie stu- 
 dents of Homeopathy to be one of the moct valuable treatises on the suiyect that 
 exists in medical literature. It contains many original and striking views on the 
 characteristics of fever in general, while its practical directions in regard to tlie spe- 
 cific disease of which it treats, can not fail to suggest important hints to the intelli- 
 gent practitioner of every school. An interesting feature of this volume is a sjiirited 
 discussion of the use of blood-letting, and of water in the cure of typhoid fever. 
 The translation, which is from the pen of an eminent Homeop itiiic piiysician in 
 Pittsburg, presents the views of the writer in neat and compact English. In the pre- 
 vailing uncertainty of the profession with regard to the fatal scourge, to which this 
 work is devoted, its lucid reasonings, must prove acceptable to a wide circle of med- 
 ical readers. — New York Tribune. 
 
 MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & Co., FuhlisJiers, 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati. 
 

 Renouard's Hiftory of Medicine. 
 
 A History of Medicine, from its Origin to the Nineteenth Century, with an 
 Ap{>enclix, containing a series of Philosophic and Historic Letters on Medi- 
 cine of the present Century, by Dr. Renouard, Paris. Translated from 
 the French, hy C. G. Comegys, Prcf. Inst. Med. in Miami Medical Col- 
 lege. One volume octavo, muslin, $2 50. Sheep, Price, $3 50. 
 
 SYNOPTIC TXniiK OV C.«NT¥iNT»t 
 
 I. AOE OF FOUNDATION. 
 
 1. TRIMITIVE I'ERIOD: From the Origin of Society to the Destruction of Troy, 
 
 nsi, n.r. 
 
 ■J. SAOUEU OR MYSTIC PERIOD: Ending with the Dispersion of the Pythago 
 roans, r^W K C. 
 
 ;t. IMllI.OSOrillC period: Ending at the Foundation of the Alexandrian Librarv, 
 320. H. 0. 
 
 •1. ANATOMICAL PERIOD: Ending nt the Death of Oalen, A. D., JOd. 
 
 II. AOE OF TRANSITION. 
 
 A. OREEK PERIOD: Ending at the num.ing of the Alexandrian, ibrary, A. D., 640. 
 
 6. ARABIC PERIOD: En.ling at the Uevivol of Letters in Euroiw. A. D., 1400. 
 
 111. AGE OF RENOVATION. 
 
 7. ERUDITE PERIOD: Comprising tlic Fifteenth and Sixti-enth Centuries. 
 
 }i. REFORM PERIOD: Comprising the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 
 
 Frt>m iV<>/cMor JacAson, of the Univeraili/ 0/ Pcnim/Itvnia. 
 
 PHii.AnKi.rmA, May 1. 
 
 Ml/ Pfar Sir — Tho work you have translated, " HisUiiro do la Medccine," by Dr. P. 
 V. Ronouard, is a comjicndious, well-arr.inge<l treatise on the subject. 
 
 Every jiliysician and .student of medicine should Ih> acquainted with the liistory of 
 his seionee. It is not only interesting, but of advantage to know the views and tb<? 
 jnterpretations of th" same pathological condition iuvestigatcd at the present day, in 
 p;ist ajTcs. Tliey were handlini then with as much force and skill as now, but without 
 tho soiontitio light thatassists so powerfully modern research. Notwithstanding great 
 and truthful ideas, our valued facts and observations diawn from a study of nature, 
 are to Iw found in every era of our science, and in all 'he systems and doctrines that 
 have prevailed. Thoy are availaUe at this [inie, and shoi'ld not be neglected. Truth, 
 like the diamond, does not lose its brightness or its value ."Vom being imV'^d'.Vd in a 
 worthless matrix; it requires merely new setting to display Its benutv a'.d its worth. 
 
 Very truly yours, SAMUl^L .TACKSON, 
 
 The Wst history of medicine extant, and one that will find a place in the libvary 
 f>f every physician who aims nt an acquaintaroo with the past history of his profes- 
 sion. 000 There art» many items in it we should like to offer for tho 
 
 instruction and amusement of our readers. — American Journal of Pharmacy. 
 
 From tho pages of Dr. Ronou»rd, a very accurate acquaintance may 1m» obtained with 
 tho history of medicine — its relation to civilization, ivs progress compared with other 
 sciences and arts, ii, more distinguished cultivators, with the several tlioories and 
 vstonis proposoil by them ; and its relationship to the reigning philosojihical dogoias 
 of the several periods. His historical narrative is clear and concise — tracing tho 
 progress of uuvlicine through its throe ages or cpiX'hs — that of foundation or origin, 
 that of tradition, and that of renovation. — Am. Journal of Medical iScic.nce. 
 
 h ti uvrk 0/ prt\founii and curioiu rctftirch, and will till a j'larf in our Ku(fli$/i litcraiurf 
 irhirh haf hfretofore hem varnnt. It frffetitt a cmnpact iiVtc 0/ the f^ri\qrrii.^ 0/ Hiri/iVi;),- in 
 dificrriit iii;c.« ; a lucid n^'otition of the theorif* of ririii gfcls ; a clfitr drliutxiti'm of the 
 chanrjen of dijfrmit si/ftems ; toi/ethrr i/'ii' *hf heariiiji» of the whole on the progre»c. of civili- 
 sation. The work also aliounds in anmsiog and instructive incidents relating to the 
 medical profession. The biographical pictures of the groat cultivators of the science, 
 such as ilippocrntes, Oalen, .Wiccnna, Haller, Harvey, Jenner, and others, are skill- 
 fully drawn. Ih. Comegy* deservt* tht tkankt 0/ tiot onh/ the mrmltcru of the medical pro- 
 fetnion, hut niso of even/ .4mcrVciifi tcholar, for the fidelity and fuccttn with which his tufk has 
 htm perfoftned. — Harpers Magazine. 
 
 MOOllE, WIL? iWCH, KEYS & CO.. PiiNis/wK 
 
 26 West Fourth Street, Ciucii:ii..ti. 
 
 ^B 
 

 «BS 
 
 dicine. 
 
 Century, with an 
 
 Letters on Medi- 
 
 Translatcd Trom 
 
 mi Medical Col- 
 
 h so- 
 
 estruction of Troy, 
 n of the Pythago 
 txandriau Library, 
 
 '., 2(X). 
 
 library, A. P., G40, 
 «.A. 1)., 1400. 
 
 >nturii's. 
 ith Centuries 
 
 <Vi. 
 
 riKLPitiA, May 1. 
 
 deciiie," by Dr. P. 
 
 th the Jiistory of 
 iio views nnd' tho 
 c present <in.v, in 
 now, but without 
 ithstanding great 
 study of nature, 
 id doctrines tlint 
 cglectod. Truth, 
 g inil«';J.4pj i„ a 
 
 ty ai.d its worth. 
 
 KL JACKSON. ; 
 I 
 
 :• in tho libvary ; 
 
 ry of liis profos- : 
 
 to otler for tho ' 
 arniaov. l 
 wobtainotJ witli ' 
 lared with other 
 
 al tlii'ories and 
 Hijiliioal doguDis ' 
 so — tracing tlio ' 
 ation or origin, 
 jienoe. ! 
 
 '"Sifflinh literature 
 .' <>/ nmtitine in 
 'rliiitiUion of t/ir 
 ri)t/resr, of cin'/i. 
 relating" to tlie 
 
 1 of the science, 
 hern, aiis skill- 
 Ifie tiietliciil /Trt- 
 fiieJi his task hia 
 
 ... I 
 
 'iucii;iu.ti.