2 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
November, 1815, so many obstacles presented 
themselves to the immediate departure of the 
expedition for the interior, that Major Peddie, 
having proceeded to Sierra Leone for the pur- 
pose of consulting with his Excellency the Go- 
vernor, decided on remaining at Senegal until 
the ensuing year. 
They had not been long there, when Staff- 
Surgeon Cowdrey took ill, and in a few days fell 
a victim to the climate, much regretted by his 
brother officers, who were thus left without a 
medical assistant, and deprived not only of his 
society, but of his invaluable services as a natu- 
ralist and astronomer. 
To fill the situation thus left vacant, at least 
in the capacity of a medical officer, I was ap- 
plied to by Major Peddie; and although I fek 
that I possessed few of the qualifications requi- 
site to the discharge of the duties of so import- 
ant a situation, I nevertheless accepted the 
offer, with a determination that no exertion 
should be wanting on my part to forward the 
services of the expedition, which I joined at Se- 
negal, in February, 1816. 
Major Peddie's first step was to despatch a 
messenger with a letter to the king of Sego, in- 
forming him of our intention to visit him, and 
begging he would send some of his chiefs to Se- 
negal, to conduct us into his territories. The 
