Nov. 24, 1856.] VOGEL ON THE IVORY-TRADE OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 215 



pelled them to take higher ground. He did not think they could attribute 

 the fact of no vestiges being found to the nature of the ground. He (Lieut. 

 Pim) stated this on his own experience, for having travelled after Dr. Eae's 

 simple and excellent manner, without tents or superfluities of any sort, also 

 after the tentative manner of a Government expedition, as well as making 

 overland journeys, he might be considered a competent judge of causes and 

 effects in the Arctic Regions. 



Dr. Rae observed that the Esquimaux travelled in sledges and en- 

 camped on low ground. He also always pitched on low ground, because the 

 snow was best there for building. The Esquimaux did the same. He had been 

 accustomed to the Esquimaux from Mackenzie Eiver round to York Fort, a 

 small space excepted, and had lived among them with perfect safety. He 

 had left three of his people at Repulse Bay, and on his return he found 

 twelve native families living with them. Some of these were relatives or ac- 

 quaintances of the men who were supposed to have murdered Franklin's 

 party. They were a gossiping people, not a quiet people like the Indian, 

 and they would have told him at once if any of the party had been alive. If 

 the party had got up the Back River, they would have been perfectly safe, be- 

 cause the native Indians would have fed them and brought them to the Hud- 

 son Bay posts. Lieut. Pim said he had travelled in the west, but travelling 

 in the west could give no idea of travelling in the east. He (Dr. Rae) tra- 

 velled there as the Esquimaux did, and encamped as they generally did in the 

 low flat country. Every one agreed that they would rather encamp on low 

 ground than haul their sledges through the snow to higher ground above the 

 water-line. The party of whites, who starved near the Fish River, had tra- 

 velled thither on the ice, not by water, because the natives followed the sledge 

 marks on the ice, and the bodies were found before the ice broke up. He 

 had gone over a considerable extent of coast, about 2000 miles, and conse- 

 quently could speak from his own experience ; but he would not venture to 

 express any opinion of what Dr. Kane or Lieut. Pim had experienced JOOO 

 miles or so to the north and west. 



Sir Roderick Murchison had no doubt every member of the Geographical 

 Society was aware of the great merits of Dr. Rae's researches ; and he was 

 happy to have elicited from the Meeting a very general participation in the 

 views of the gentlemen who signed the requisition to the Government, urging 

 that another search, worthy of .the country, ought to be made to discover the 

 remnants of the Franklin expedition. He was also happy to hear that Dr. 

 Rae himself intended to come forward, and he was not surprised at such an 

 offer from so gallant and successful an Arctic traveller. 



2. Dr. YoGEL on the Ivory-trade of Central Africa, 

 Communicated by the Earl of Clarendon. 

 The African ivory which reaches the Mediterranean ports comes 

 chiefly from Adamawa and AHmshe, south of the river Chadda. 

 From Bu-Manda and Shubbun on the Chadda it passes northward 

 through Jacoba to Kano, whence it is transmitted across the desert 

 by Ghadamsi merchants. The quantity thus obtained is said to be 

 50 tons annually. Bomu and Wadai also contribute a small supply. 

 Dr. Vogel found the people on the Chadda refusing to supply the 

 usual buyers from the north, as Dr. Baikie's expedition up the 

 Chadda had led them to hope for the arrival of English ships. Dr. 



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