DEPARTURE OF THE EXPEDITION. 39 
and Wilberforce/ left Woolwich, the latter drawing 6 feet 
aft, and 5 ft. 8 inch, forw'ard. After touching at Ports- 
mouth, to fill up with coals, they arrived at Devonport. 
H.M. steam-vessel ‘ Soudan,’ Commander Bird Allen, 
had preceded us on the 30th of March for Devonport, 
and finally from England — in company with our trans- 
port, the ‘ Harriot’ — on the 1 7th of April ; having orders 
to make the best of their way to Porto Grande, in the 
Island of St. Vincent, one of the Cape de Verds, our 
first rendezvous. 
It was originally intended, that we should have sailed 
from England, so as to have entered the River Niger in 
March, which month was considered to be compara- 
tively healthy ; it was also believed, that although the 
river was then at the lowest, a sufficient channel would 
have been found for us to ascend. Subsequent informa- 
tion, shewed that the beginning of July, was the earliest 
time that the river could be entered, without risking the 
health of the crews by detention in the Delta.* This 
conclusion was arrived at from intelligence having been 
received, that the ‘ Ethiope’ merchant steamer, drawing 
about the same as the vessels of the expedition, had not 
been able to get beyond the Delta, for want of water, 
until the beginning of July. 
Now, that we were ready how'ever, contrary winds 
caused a still further delay. 
* Commander W. Allen, although he had previously been in the 
Niger, had no personal knowledge of its channels in the dry season. 
