218 GEOGRAPHICAL OBSERVATIONS ON WESTERN AFRICA. [June 11, 1860. 



of Aracan got their opium from Yunan. It only required to extend that com- 

 munication, as Captain Osborn suggested, in order to get the most profitable 

 results. With respect to the King of Siam, Mr. Crawfurd had not done full 

 justice to his acquirements. He was also a good Latin scholar, signing his 

 name with Latin terminations ; and the cards which he sent out quite rivalled 

 any bridal cards he had ever seen. 



Mr. Laurence Oliphant, f.r.g.s., stated that Brigadier M'Leod had crossed 

 from Moulmein into Yunan, with the object of diverting, if possible, a portion 

 of the trade, which found its way down the Menam, to our settlements in the 

 Bay of Bengal. The allusion in the paper to the bars at the mouths of these 

 rivers was very important. The principal of these rivers was the Mekong, 

 and the flag-lieutenant of the French admiral had informed him that it was 

 the only river which he knew of in that part of the world, where there was no 

 bar, and that there was twenty-eight feet of water on it. The importance, 

 therefore, of that river was very evident. 



The third Paper read was — 



3. Geographical Observations on Western Africa. By Dr. Delany 

 and Mr. R. Campbell (Gentlemen of Colour). 



Dr. Hodgkin introducing these gentlemen observed, that the writings of 

 Livingstone, whom this Society has so Avarmly supported, became known to 

 the coloured ]Deople of America. They longed for the regions which he had 

 described, and a company of free Negroes on the American soil wrote a letter 

 to Dr. Shaw, dated Maddison, Wisconsin, May, 1858. That letter was 

 placed in my hands, as one of your secretaries, to answer. 1 endeavoured to 

 give the best information in my power in reply to the several points contained 

 in it. The result was, that one coloured man, J. Mayers, went, at his own 

 charge, with his son to the Cape, coming to England by the way, when I saw 

 and advised with him. He has written to me from the Cape, and from 

 Natal, and is now in the United States. 



,t.Tvvo other coloured gentlemen of enterprise — a second Caleb and Joshua, it 

 may be — went to the western coast of Africa, towards the headwaters of the 

 Niger. The one. Dr. Delany, went to Liberia, on his way to Lagos ; the 

 other, K. Cami^bell, came to England ; and through the benevolent aid of one 

 of the Fellows of this Society, H. Christy, and of some others of our country- 

 men, found means to equip and go to Lagos, where the travellers met, and 

 commenced the journey which they will presently describe. 



I have only to add, that though the company of free American coloured 

 persons looked to England almost exclusively, they have been aided by bene- 

 volent persons in America, and a society has been formed there, of Avhich the 

 secretary and agent, T. Bowren, is now in this country and attending your 

 meeting, watching the interest which his coloured friends will excite as 

 earnestly as would his English father have done were he alive and still carry- 

 ing on his advocacy in favour of the sons of Africa. 



Dr. Delany's travels in Africa commenced at Grand Cape Mount, 

 Liberia, where he visited every settlement except Carysburg, and 

 traversing in part Stockton Creek, the Messurodo, St. Paul, Junk, 

 and Kavalla rivers, to Cape Palmas, and from thence coasting to 

 Lagos in the Bight of Benin. 



From Lagos, by the Ogun river, he reached Abeokuta, and thence 



