EARLY EXPLORERS OF AFRICA 297 



dition against the natives of the interior. In the fight that followed 

 he was wounded, and it was only after great peril and suffering that 

 he rejoined his command at Kuka. He afterwards continued his 

 explorations in the interior and returned to England in 1826. 



While Denham was engaged as above stated, Clapperton and 

 Oudney set out on an expedition to Soccatoo, the capital of Houssa. 

 Oudney died on the way and Clapperton found his journey's purpose 

 prevented by the Arabs. In a subsequent journey, in which he was, 

 accompanied only by his faithful servant, Richard Lander, he reached 

 Katunga, within thirty miles of the Niger, but was not permitted to 

 visit that river. His explorations in other directions met with similar 

 hindrance, and, depressed by his disappointment, he died of dysentery 

 in 1827 at a village near Soccatoo. 



It is to Richard Lander, the servant of Captain Clapperton, whom 

 he attended faithfully until his death, that we owe the important dis- 

 covery of the source of the Niger. On his return to England after 

 the death of his master, he suggested a plan for this exploration which 

 was accepted by the government and he appointed to attempt it. 



In company with his youngest brother, John, he set out from 

 Badagry in 1830, intending to reach Lake Tsad. They encountered 

 many dangers, and were finally taken prisoners at Eboe; and only 

 after the promise of a high ransom succeeded in getting arrangements 

 made for conveying them to the sea. This they reached by the Niger ; 

 and thus was solved one of the greatest problems in African 

 geography. This important discovery, opening a water communica- 

 tion into the interior of Africa, made a great impression upon the 

 mercantile world; and soon after the brothers arrived in England an 

 association was formed for the purpose of establishing a settlement 

 upon the Upper Niger. But the expedition fitted out for this purpose 

 unfortunately proved a failure; and the Landers, together with nearly 

 all w^ho joined it, fell victims either to the unhealthiness of the climate, 

 or in combats with the natives. Richard died on February 2. 1834, 

 at Fernando Po, from the wounds which he had received. I'he Brit- 

 ish government granted a pension of £70 a year to his widow% and of 

 £50 a year to his infant daughter. 



The last of the explorers oi early date whom we need here men- 

 tion was Alexander Gordon Laing, an army lieutenant, who was born 



