expedition for commercial and geographical purposes. This attempt, chiefly from climacteric causes, ended unfortunately: a spirited and graphic account of its discoveries and its disasters was published by two of the survivors, Mr. Macgregor Laird and Mr. Oldfield, while their companion, Captain (then Lieutenant) W. Allen, surveyed and compiled a chart of their adventurous route, which extended along the main stream as far as Rábba, and likewise upwards of eighty miles up a previously unknown large affluent, the Tsádda. The misfortunes met with by these pioneers did not afford much encouragement for further trials, and no attempt of any magnitude was made until 1841, when the Government fitted out three steamers, specially built for the purpose. This expedition was intended to carry out, besides extended research, various philanthropic but ill-matured schemes. Its ill success, with its fearful amount of sickness and loss of life, still fresh in our memories, tended greatly to confirm the conviction of the deadly nature of the climate. The Kwóra was also ascended by the late Mr. Beecroft, in one of the steamers of the West African Company, in 1836, and again by the same gentleman in the "Ethiope," a steam vessel belonging to Mr. Jamieson of Liverpool, in 1840 and in 1845, on one of which occasions he entered and explored the branch running by Wári.

Such is a brief outline of the previous efforts to investigate and explore this river, and though induce

ments to perseverance were far from wanting, still no one, reflecting on the great probable sacrifice of European life, cared about taking the responsibility of advising another attempt. But in 1852 the question was again started, in consequence of intelligence received from Dr. Barth, who, the sole but still undaunted survivor of a party which had two years before crossed the Great Desert, had boldly journeyed to the southward, to endeavour to reach the province of Adamáwa. On the 18th of June, 1851, he crossed a large stream, named the Bínue, which, from the information he received from the natives, he conjectured to be the upper part of the river hitherto known to Europeans as the Tsádda. To ascertain this point, the present expedition was principally destined, the two objects specially mentioned in the Admiralty instructions being, first to explore the river Tsádda from Dágbo, the point reached by Allen and Oldfield in 1833, as far to the eastward as possible: secondly, to endeavour to "meet and afford assistance" to Drs. Barth and Vogel. To promote these designs, the Admiralty entered into a contract with Mr. Macgregor Laird, to build and equip a suitable vessel. Mr. Laird, having, as already mentioned, been himself up the Kwóra, and having always been closely connected with African trade, and taken a most lively interest in everything tending to improve or benefit this region, was on these accounts, as well as on that of his great general experience and foresight, the very person best suited for planning and

giving effect to such an undertaking. Accordingly an iron screw schooner was built at Birkenhead, in the yard of Mr. John Laird, and, on being launched, received the name of the "Pleiad." She was of 260 tons measurement, 100 feet in length, with 24 feet beam, and her engine was of 60 horse-power. Her draught of water when laden was 7 feet, or 6 feet when in ordinary trim. A sailing-master, surgeon, officers, and crew were provided for her by Mr. Laird, and it was arranged that she should be sent to Fernando Po, where the officers appointed by government should join. The peculiar features of this expedition were, first, the employment of as few white men as possible; secondly, entering and ascending the river with the rising waters, or during the rainy season; and lastly, it was anticipated that the use of quinine, as a prophylactic or preventive, would enable the Europeans to withstand the influence of the climate. Mr. Laird, being permitted by his agreement with the Admiralty to trade with the natives whenever it was practicable, provided a well-assorted cargo, and sent out persons specially to attend to this branch. The "Pleiad" having made a very satisfactory trial trip across the Irish Channel, finally took her departure from Dublin on the 20th of May, 1854.

The conduct of the expedition was entrusted to Mr. Beecroft, Her Majesty's Consul at Fernando Po, than whom no one had more experience of African exploration, or could be in all respects better adapted

for such a responsible post. I was appointed medical officer and naturalist, and was to have been accompanied by another assistant-surgeon, Mr. J. W. D. Brown, but on the breaking out of the war, his services were required in the Baltic. Subsequently it was arranged that Dr. W. Bleek, a German ethnologist, who had paid much attention to African philology, should proceed with me; and having received our instructions, and being amply provided with instruments and other appliances by the Hydrographical Office, we hurried our preparations for leaving England by the African mail packet.

CHAPTER II.

THE VOYAGE OUT.

ACCOMPANIED by Dr. Bleek and a young man whom I took with me as zoological assistant, I left Plymouth by the "Forerunner packet on the

24th of May, 1854, and with moderate weather, and a tolerably fair wind, soon crossed the Channel, and reached the Bay of Biscay. The "Forerunner being a very fast screw vessel, we made rapid progress, while from our complement of passengers being full, our time on board passed away very agreeably. I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of several "Africans,' among whom was Mr. Louis Fraser, one of the survivors of the expedition in 1841. On two occasions, tempted by the smoothness of the water, I threw my towing-nets overboard, hoping to waylay some rare pelagian voyager, but from the rate at which we were going, from eight to nine knots, nearly lost all my gear. One evening, when about a hundred miles to the northward of Madeira, something went wrong with the machinery, to repair which

* A name familiarly given to all engaged in African trade, or who have resided much on the west coast of Africa.