OF DR. J. R. T. VOGEL. 61a 



Each receives daily a shilling, so that the two cost above 

 three pounds sterling a month, and we have to keep them 

 too. Both together do not accomplish in a day half so much 

 as one European would. Meanwhile, my life passes in eating, 

 drinking and sleeping, for I am fit for nothing else, and am 

 unfit even for that. The Expedition will go up the Niger 

 again in March, and it is hoped will be in a condition to 

 remain there till autumn ; if so, we shall return at the end of 

 next year to Europe. Should I regain my strength by the 

 commencement of the dry season, and be able to devote so 

 many months to this island, I expect to reap such a harvest 

 as will content me for some time." 



Vogel's last letter is from the same place, dated the 22nd 

 of November, and is as follows : " Since I wrote last, there 

 has been no great alteration. My recovery is tardy, but pro- 

 gressive ; or, rather, I have been well for some time, only 

 my strength returns very slowly. Yet I am able to under- 

 take moderate excursions ; longer ones I must defer, till the 

 occasional rains cease entirely. I am most desirous of going 

 to the mountains and to lead there for some time a really 

 natural existence ; for here there is a wretched mixture of 

 artificial and natural. For these last five weeks, we have 

 had every thing in our domestic arrangements to superintend 

 ourselves ; otherwise we must have engaged more servants, 

 and that is not only expensive, but we have quite enough to 

 do to manage the two we have. An African servant will not 

 listen to orders, but will do every thing out of his own head, 

 and if his taste does not agree with his master's, the master 

 he thinks" must comply with his. If I say to the cook, 

 "this must not be dressed so," he answers quietly, "That is 

 how I like it f* and if my servant, contrary to my directions, 

 goes out for the whole evening, he says coolly, " When you 

 nave got your meal, you have nothing more to do with me/' 

 It is often difficult to procure any thing for dinner ; we have 

 "ad no meat for two days, and there was none to be got for 

 money. The same is often the case with bread, and if one 

 has not a stock of ship biscuit, there is great difficulty about 



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