126 DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 



such guardianship" the mission could not be sure of that 

 support of which they soon stood very much in need. MouT- 

 zouk was found extremely unhealthy, being intensely hot, 

 and surrounded by pools of stagnant water, which rendered 

 even the natives liable to fever and ague. The members 

 of the expedition soon felt its effects, Lieutenant Lyon be- 

 ing seized with dysentery, and Mr. Ritchie with bilious 

 fever, under which they languished during the whole sum- 

 mer. The treacherous Mukni not only withheld all aifil, 

 but studiously prevented others from giving them assistant*. 

 At length Mr. RitcHie, overwhelmed by disease and anxiet/, 

 died on the 20th November, 1819 ; after which Mr. Lyon 

 found himself without the means of penetrating farther 

 than to the southern frontier of Fezzan. He obtained in- 

 deed a good deal of information respecting the remoter 

 countries, which, however, has been rendered less important 

 by the fuller and more recent intelligence received through 

 Denham and Clapperton. He passes a very unfavourable 

 judgment upon the territory of Fezzan, which he considers 

 nearly as barren as any part of the surrounding Desert, 

 The cultivation is confined to a few gardens, into which 

 water is raised by immense labour from wells of consider- 

 able depth. 



CHAPTER XIL 



Journey of Denham and Clapperton. 



Nothing could shake the determination of the British go- 

 vernment to obtain, by some means or other, a competent 

 degree of information respecting the unknown countries of 

 Africa. The great favour and influence enjoyed at the 

 court of Tripoli was still regarded as a favourable circum- 

 stance. It was chiefly due, as already observed, to the pru- 

 dence and ability of Mr. Warrington, without whose advice 

 scarcely any thing of importance was transacted. The ba- 

 shaw was therefore disposed to renew his protection to any 

 mission which Britain might send. Nor could the protec- 



