Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 15 



knew, loved, and revered when living, — the last, and best, and kind- 

 est of your companions, — that is indeed a burden. You naay think it 

 strange that I, a Presbyterian, should have read the service over the 

 dead, but it is a good thing for the living. All my servants attend- 

 ed, as also the most respectable of the town's-people through 

 Poyens. I have been well used here; and depart in two days forYouri, 

 where poor Park was killed. I will get all his papers, if not sent 

 home by Bello, and hear every circumstance connected with his 

 death. I have made important discoveries here, as every foot is 

 new ground. I have passed over a range of hills which were not 

 known to exist before, and traversed one of the most extensive 

 kingdoms in Africa, the very name of which was unknown to Eu- 

 ropeans. In the capital of this kingdom I have remained upwards 

 of two months. The celebrated Niger is only two days' journey to 

 the eastward of me ; its course to the sea in the Bight of Benin can 

 be no longer doubtful. I would say much more in this letter, but 

 copies of my journals, with all my observations, have to be sent 

 home. 1 trust you will write by the way of Tripoli, as the western 

 route is doubtful." — Dunifries Courier. 



STEAM NAVIGATION. 



Whatever may be the result of the attempts now making to 

 establish a communication between this country and Great Britain 

 by steam-vessels, we congratulate our readers on the rapid progress 

 made in the establishment of steam-navigation in this country. 

 Besides the government vessel Enterprize, employed between this 

 and Rangoon, we have the Diana in Rangoon river ; and the Comet, 

 one of the two small vessels here, of twenty-four horse power, fitted 

 up as packets to proceed up or down the river with passengers, is 

 found to answer extremely well. The other vessel of this descrip- 

 tion will also be ready in a few weeks, and both are, by their light 

 draft of water, we undei'stand, admirably adapted for carrying pas- 

 sengers to the Upper Provinces during the rains, when the rivers 

 are full : they are elegant models, and their accommodations most 

 spacious and well laid out, as they have poops, and thus have a 

 complete suite of cabins above and below, so tliat two families can 

 be accommodated with every convenience. Besides these vessels, 

 for which we are indebted to the enterprizing spirit of private in- 

 dividuals, the two armed steam-vessels of government will be ready 

 in August next. Singapore too will soon boast of a steam-vessel 

 for the Cape, and ere long, doubtless, each of the presidencies will 

 have one or two in the service of the Company ; meanwhile we 

 learn that depots of coals are about to be provided at Madras, 

 Ceylon, and Penang. There is yet another vessel in progress here 

 to be worked by steam, to which we have not yet alluded : we 

 mean the one to be employed to clear away the impediments which, 

 during the dry season, choke the navigation of the small rivers 

 communicating with the Hoogly. By this vessel it is hoped that 

 the water conununication with the Upper Provinces will be kept 

 open at all seasons of the year, and then a trip up to the most di- 

 Slant stations, which has been hitherto a most i'ormidable under- 

 L 2 taking, 



