357 m-' 



GEOGRAPHICAL COLLECTIONS. 



Discovery of the Termination of the River Niger We have stopped 



the printing of this sheet to insert the following important intelligence : — 



Our readers will remember, that in the first Number of this Journal, 

 (Vol. I. p. 33,) we entered into a brief investigation of the speculations, 

 which had been from time to time advanced respecting the course of the 

 mysterious Niger. Though inclined to a particular opiidon, we did not 

 then see sufficient evidence for committing ourselves in the expression of 

 any theory ; and in these faithless times, we may perhaps now claim some 

 small credit for confessing that our opinion has been proved to be wrong. 

 The brothers Lander, one of whom was the servant of the unfortunate 

 Clapperton, have just determined a geographical problem, which has long 

 puzzled the wise heads of Europe, and not the least Sir Rufane Donkin, 

 through whose labours in the good cause of elucidating difficult questions, 

 we were originally led to speak on this subject. What will Sir Rufane say 

 now? 



We have not time nor space to give more than the following letter, 

 which we extract from the Literary Gazette of last week. The authenticity 

 of the information is established by the name which is appended to the 

 communication, being that of the assistant surgeon who accompanied Cap- 

 tain Parry in his first voyage in search of a northwest passage, and the 

 author of the narrative of the result. Mr Fisher is now surgeon of the 

 Atholl 



His Majesty's Ship Atholl, at Sea, Bight of Biafra. 

 Feb. 2, 1831. 



" Dear Sir, — I take the opportunity of writing you a few lines by a 

 vessel that we have just now met on her way to England. My object in 

 writing in this hasty manner is to acquaint you that the grand geographical 

 problem respecting the termination of the Niger is at length solved. 



" The Landers, after having reached Youri, embarked in a canoe on the 

 Niger, or, as it is called there, the Quorra, and came down the stream, 

 until they reached the sea, in the Bight of i3iafra. The branch by which 

 they came to the coast is called the Nun, or Brasse River, being the first 

 river to the eastward of Cape Formosa. On their way down the river, they 

 were attacked by the Hibboos, (a fierce nation that inhabit its banks,) and 

 made prisoners, or rather captives ; but the king of Brasse happening to 

 be in that country buying slaves, got them released, by giving the price of 

 six slaves for each of them. In the scuflie that ensued at the time they 

 were taken, one of them lost his journal. 



" Whilst at Youri, they got the Prayer-book that belonged to Mr Anderson, 

 the brother-in-law and fellow-traveller of the celebrated Mungo Park. 

 They were upwards of a month at Fernando Po, whence they embarked, 

 about ten days ago, in an English merchant vessel bound to Rio Janeiro, on 

 their way to England. From their taking that circuitous route, I am in 

 hopes that this will reach you before they arrive, by which you will probably 

 have it in your power to give the first news of this important discovery. 

 Dear Sir, &c. Alexander Fisher." 



Death of Captain Foster We have, with great regret, to record the 



untimely fate of Captain Foster, of his Majesty's ship Chanticleer, who had 

 been employed for the last three years on a scientific expedition in various 

 parts of the globe, and was about to return to this country. Captain 

 Foster had left his ship, for the purpose of making a series of rocket obser- 



