Thomas Nelson

“ My worthy friend Clapperton and I have been busily engaged ever since our arrival here. Within the last two months we have been travelling much, and have examined to the extent of at least 800 miles of country. We experienced little fatigue, and in place of being weakened, our health has been greatly improved. We have been among the Tuaricks, and have been treated by that independent and curious people with the greatest kindness and hospitality. They occupy all that dreary waste which you see in the maps called the ‘Great Sahara,’ and live on the milk and flesh of their camels. ”

“ MEMOIR
OF
DR. OUDNEY,
THE AFRICAN TRAVELLER. Although biography be the most attractive species of historical composition, as it gratifies the prying curiosity of our nature by making us acquainted with the origin and progress, and the retired habits, as well as the public pursuits, conduct, and character of distinguished individuals; yet there are few, comparatively speaking, of the human race, the actions of whose lives possess sufficient interest to engage the attention of their fellow-men, or are, on that account, worthy to be made the subject of biographical record. ”

“ And as Clapperton had a natural talent for drawing, which he had cultivated with care, instead of doing this in the ordinary way, he represented the state of his ship’s canvass, at the hour required, by a spirited sketch. He likewise shewed, by the ingenious efforts of his pencil, the different headlands and the peculiar appearance of the coasts, together with their harbours, noting at the same time their soundings, and the mode of approaching them. ”

“ TO THE SAME. “Mourzuk, April 12, 1822.
“I arrived here on the seventh instant, in high spirits and the best health. Our journey to this place was exceedingly pleasant, and far surpassed my most sanguine expectations. The people have all been exceedingly kind, and have treated us in the best manner possible. Every respect has been shown us since we left Tripoli, and we have not experienced the slightest difficulty, or been exposed to the least danger. ”

“ Oudney, on his return, found his mother and his young sisters residing in Edinburgh, and with these near relations, who ever were, and continued to the last to be, the objects of his duteous affection and tender solicitude, he once more domesticated; and while he treated his mother, now advancing into the vale of years, with the respectful attention and kindness which filial regard alone can dictate, he was to his sisters at once a father and a brother. ”

“ In our excursion I do not expect to see much that is interesting, as all the country we have passed over is much the same. There are often thickets of trees with grass, which is all dried up. Near the town there are many open spaces, on account of the trees having been cut down for firewood. Near a great lake called Spad, elephants, hippopotami, and antelopes are met with in great numbers; my friend Clapperton has shot a great many of the latter. He is quite an enthusiast in the chase, and has been very successful. He enjoys the best of health, and is as stout as ever. ”

“ Our worthy friend Clapperton [11] gets on amazingly well. I am in high spirits respecting my mission; from all that I have been able to learn, very little danger, and scarcely any impediments, are to be apprehended. We have got excellent fowling-pieces and pistols, and a most valuable assortment of philosophical instruments. The former, I hope, except for the purposes of natural history, will scarcely be required—an agreement exists between the British government and the pasha of Tripoli respecting the conveying of travellers safe to Bornou, therefore, so far as he is concerned, all is safe. ”

“ But a man is often the last to know the sentiments entertained of him by others to whom he is known; and indeed, seldom knows them at all, unless when they happen to be revealed to him by accidental circumstances. And hence, as Clapperton was hoisted on board the ship, in an exhausted state, after being rescued from the perilous situation in which he had so long struggled for his life, he had his feelings strongly excited, on hearing the wives of the Scottish soldiers on board exclaiming, “Thank heaven, it is na our ain kintryman, the bonny muckle midshipman that’s drownded after a’!” ”

“ About noon I was awoke by one of my followers, who acquainted me that Amara was ready to hold a palaver with me, and desired my immediate attendance. In my way to his tent I visited Satin Lai, a designing Mandingo chief, possessing much power; he had been mainly instrumental in putting Amara on the throne, and was at this time the only staunch adherent to the king, who, by following too implicitly his advice, had lowered himself considerably in the opinion of his head men, who form the principal strength of an African king. ”

“ I should have left Tripoli yesterday had the weather been favourable; and if it be fine to-morrow I shall go. Every circumstance promises a prosperous journey, and in a short period you may expect gratifying intelligence. Our cavalcade is large, consisting of thirty camels at least, and several horses and mules. We have abundance of every thing, and consequently expect to be very happy. Clapperton is well, and sends his best compliments to you. ”

“ The pasha’s word is a law not to be disobeyed, and he has pledged himself to protect us fifty-seven days’ journey beyond Bornou. On our landing, that favourable intelligence made us leap for joy. The Mahometans here are a most liberal sort of men, and tolerate people of every religious persuasion—a circumstance almost unknown in any other Mahometan country. The police is admirable, so that a stranger may traverse every part of the city without the least apprehension. ”

“ This small Volume is respectfully inscribed by the Author, as a token of gratitude for his kindness to himself, as a Memorial of the friendship and patronage extended by him to the Gentlemen, the incidents of whose lives it records, and as a Testimony of the estimation in which his character is held for his assiduous cultivation of Physical Science in all its branches, and for his unwearied, enlightened, and generous efforts to inspire, not only the Students of his class, but the Public at large, with a love for the study of Nature. ”

“ He very naturally remarks upon it as an interesting fact, “that a nation so far in the interior of Africa, should have so readily submitted, at the instigation of a white man, who was almost a stranger to them, to an operation against which so much prejudice existed for so many years in the most enlightened and civilized countries in Europe. When the general prevalence of superstitious fear from greegrees and fetishes is duly considered, this fact presents a strong proof of the confidence which the natives of Western Africa repose in the measures of white people to benefit them ”

“ At stated times they hold assemblies, on which occasions, the country is in the greatest alarm, for notices are dispersed abroad concerning them, and the people are obliged to attend; they settle all differences, and inflict capital punishments, according to their pleasure, so that in fact, they are the governors of the country, and Lieutenant Laing says, “that from the nature of their power, and the purposes to which it is applied, they will probably be found a most serious obstacle to its civilization.” ”

“ This is the first time we ever heard that the youth was an object of interest to so many honourable individuals; but when they claim the merit of having been the means of promoting him to the rank of midshipman in the navy, they claim more than their due; because it can be proved by the date of documents still in the possession of a near relation of the traveller, that he was a midshipman long before he was known to Captain Briggs of the Clorinde. ”

“ The people are really a fine race, and have uniformly treated us with the greatest kindness. Wherever I go, and every day that I remain in this town, I have numerous applications for medicines. Some of the applicants have very curious complaints, which, were I to state them to you, would make you laugh heartily. Many of them, however, are real, and for which I can in general prescribe something for their relief. We are much better here than we could have been in Tripoli. We meet every day with persons [22] from the country we are going to visit, and from those through which we have to pass. ”

“ I shall remember all you have said to me; you have told me what is good, and I know that it will make my country great; I shall make no more slaves.’ Then squeezing me affectionately by the hand, and turning away his head, he gently loosened his grasp, and saying, ‘Go, and return to see us,’ he covered his face with his hands. ”

“ All we can say to this statement is, that Clapperton himself, whose heart was most grateful, never spoke of a letter he had written to his uncle, nor that he was in any way indebted to that gentleman for his promotion in the navy. He seems never to have seen his uncle till he met him in London after he had engaged to go with Dr. Oudney to Africa. In a letter to a friend, dated London, 1st September 1821, he says, “my uncle has been to see me several times, and was truly kind. He is a perfect gentleman, without any nonsense.” ”