DEPARTURE OF THE STEAMERS. 3X1 



properly determined on taking enough for five, 

 in addition to what each vessel had in her medi- 

 cine-chest. From the day of our arrival in the 

 river, to the departure of the vessels, every one 

 was employed in transhipping the goods on board 

 the Quorra, and supplying the vessels with coals 

 from the Columbine. It had been arranged be- 

 fore our departure from England, that the junior 

 medical officer was to remain on board the Co- 

 lumbine, at the mouth of the river, until the re- 

 turn of the steamers from the interior, which 

 was then expected to be in about two months; 

 and accordingly I took up my quarters on board 

 the brig, congratulating myself at the same time 

 that I had enjoyed the good fortune of being 

 one who had crossed the Atlantic in the first 

 iron steam-vessel that had ever been sent to 

 sea. 



On the evening of the 2l5th of October, the 

 Quorra and Alburkah being quite ready for as- 

 cending the river, I took my leave of Mr. Lan- 

 der, and they departed under the hearty cheers 

 of the crew of the Columbine, which those in the 

 vessels returned with the usual spirit of British 

 seamen. 



The excitement of the enterprise now gra- 



