MR. M'QUEEN'S geographical ACCURACY. 173 



Before leaving home I had purchased Black- 

 wood's Magazine from its commencement, and 

 was very much struck one day when looking over 

 it by a letter of Mr. McQueen's to Lord Goderich, 

 in which he recommended that the Benin, or 

 some of the numerous rivers that flow into the 

 sea between that river and the Calabar, should 

 be explored ; stating his reasons for supposing 

 that the Niger emptied itself into the sea by these 

 mouths. His opinion has been verified by ex- 

 perience ; and discovery has so fully proved the 

 accuracy of his descriptions, that it is difficult 

 to imagine that he must have been anywhere 

 than on the spot when he penned that memorable 

 letter, which will ever remain an evidence of his 

 sound judgment and geographical skill.* 



Amongst our other employments, I should not 

 omit to mention our culinary labours, which 

 were in daily request. The meat which we 

 obtained was generally goat's-flesh, and as Dr. 

 Briggs and I agreed in taste, we claimed the 

 head and trotters for the cabin table, and either 



* It may be truly said that the honour of the theory 

 belonged to Reichard ; but his opinion was founded on the 

 extent of alluvial deposit alone : it was strengthened and 

 confirmed by the additional evidence collected with so much 

 zeal and ability by Mr. M'Queen. 



