May 23, 1859.] NIGER EXPEDITION. 311 



Dr. W. B. Baikie, which left England early in 1857, were alluded to 

 in my last year's Address. I now learn from Mr. D. T. May, r.n., 

 who has returned to England, that less than twenty miles above 

 Eabba the River Niger, or Quorra, divides into several rocky, intri- 

 cate channels. Consul Beecroft in the Ethiope, in 1845, safely navi- 

 gated the most available of these passages; but the voyagers of 

 1857 were not so fortunate, and the steamer was totally lost on 

 the rocks. Most of the property was, however, saved, and the 

 neighbouring bank became the head-quarters of the expedition for 

 a whole year. The rocks forming the banks of the river where the 

 shipwreck took place are composed of highly-inclined strata of hard 

 sandstone. All the specimens of this rock which I have examined, 

 whether brought home by Mr. May or sent by the Admiralty, 

 belong to the same light-coloured, hard, sub-crystalline, pinkish 

 sandstone, with very fine flakes of white mica ; the successive layers 

 (which are much foliated) being strikingly covered by thin elon- 

 gated crystals of black tourmaline.* The rock has altogether the 

 appearance of having undergone considerable metamorphosis, and 

 much elevation and disturbance. Geodes of pure white quartz, 

 with large micaceous coatings, also occur. As soon as the party had 

 become somewhat settled, it was determined to make a direct over- 

 land communication by Yoruba with Lagos, and Mr. May offering 

 himself for this service, accomplished it satisfactorily, as ex- 

 plained in a notice laid before the Society. In the mean time 

 Lieut. Glover made journeys up the river, visiting Wawa and Busa, 

 and definitely ascertained the impracticability of navigating the 

 river for a few miles beyond the spot of the encampment, a water- 

 fall at Warn being an impassable barrier even for canoes in any 

 season. 



Mr. May having waited on the sea-coast, expecting another 

 steamer from England, at last returned to the encampment through 

 Yoruba, and then set out on a more extended journey, with a 

 view to exploring the country, and of establishing postal com- 

 munication in a line from Lagos to the confluence. Having first 

 travelled to Hadan (the road between Lagos and Hadan being well 

 known and used), he passed eastward, and journeyed for many 

 weeks through the previously unvisited districts of Ife, Tjesha, 

 Igbouma, Yagha, &c., being warmly received, and observing every- 

 where that the people were quiet, orderly, and industrious ; though 



* I reiterate the expression of my deep regret (^see vol. xxvii. President's Address, 

 p. clxvi.), that no member of this expedition is versed in geology or mineralogy. 



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