1818.] Prof. Smith and Mr. Cranch. 325 



on foot along the banks of the river, through a rough and preci- 

 pitous country, without roads, where provisions were procured 

 with great difficulty, and where the natives were perpetually 

 thwarting their progress. To a succession of hardships of this 

 description, rather than to any thing specifically unhealthy in 

 the country or in the climate, we must, perhaps, attribute the 

 fatal fevers which soon began to manifest themselves. The 

 disease was daily making fresh ravages among the troop of 

 adventurers ; so that although they appeared to be arrived at a 

 more favourable country, and at a part of the river where there 

 was no further obstruction to water carriage, when they had 

 advanced about 80 or 100 miles beyond the cataracts, or about 

 260 or 280 from the mouth of the river, it was deemed indispens- 

 ably necessary to return. On Sept. 9, therefoi'e, to use the 

 words of Capt. Tuckey, " we were under the necessity of turn- 

 ing our back on the river, which we did with great regret, but 

 with the consciousness of having done all that we possibly could." 

 Prof. Smith had until this time preserved his health ; and was so 

 much enraptured with the improved appearance of the country, 

 that it was with the utmost difficulty he could be prevailed upon 

 to return ; but in four days he was himself attacked with the 

 disease which had proved so fatal to his companions. The 

 following are the only memorials which we possess of the last 

 scene of his life. " He was taken ill before they reached the 

 vessels, and came down with the captain in the last canoe ; and 

 was sent with him to the transport, for the sake of greater con- 

 vience : by this time, however, he was dangerously ill, and 

 refused to take any thing, either in the shape of medicine or 

 nutriment. He had tried bark, but his stomach constantly 

 rejected it ; and under an idea that his illness proceeded only 

 from debility, he persisted in taking cold water. On Sept. 21, 

 he became delirious, and died on the following day." 



Prof. Smith, who was thus cut off before he had completed 

 his 31st year, was scarcely less remarkable for the ardent zeal 

 with which he prosecuted science, than for the natural gaiety 

 and suavity of his manners. In his travels through the British 

 Islands, every one to whom he was introduced immediately 

 became interested in his welfare, and parted from him with 

 regret. The writer of this sketch saw him during his tour 

 through the north of England in the summer of 1814 ; and from 

 an acquaintance of a single day felt that attachment to him, 

 which, in ordinary cases, is produced only by long intercourse. 

 Smith spoke in warm terms of the pleasure which he had derived 

 from his tour, and declared his detennination, at no veiy distant 

 period, to revisit this country. At parting, a mutual hope was 

 expressed that the friendship which had commenced under such 

 apparently favourable auspices, might, on some future occasion, 

 be renewed and extended : under the cruel disappoinments of 

 this hope, it is still some satisfaction to the survivor to be able to 



