364 
A SPECIAL CONSULTATION. 
consort — watched by many commiserating eyes — rapidly 
glided out of view. 
On the departure of the ' Soudan/ Captain Trotter 
gave orders for the ‘ Wilberforce’ to get up the steam, 
and that when he made the signal to part company, each 
vessel should pursue the -destination agreed upon at the 
sitting of the 1 6 th instant. 
The fever had, however, even in this short interval, 
made rapid advances, many more cases having been 
added to the sick list. Two of the three engineers 
were reported to-day, after the ‘Soudan’ had sailed, 
making altogether thirty-two cases in the ‘ Wilberforce / 
and leaving only Lieutenant Strange, Mr. Green the 
second master, Mr. Johnson the first engineer, one 
stoker, and nine men, capable of doing duty. Of these 
several, already complaining, were soon laid up. 
Commander W. Allen, therefore, having seriously 
considered the desperate condition to which we were 
reduced, and the hopeless prospect of the future, when 
the signal was made “ to part ” waited on Captain 
Trotter, laying before him the state of his crew, and 
requesting a special meeting might be held of the Com- 
missioners to re-conslder our position. 
The sitting was held on board H.M.S. ‘Wilberforce,’ 
as Mr. Commissioner Cook was unwell, though his 
illness did not prove to be river fever. After the usual 
prayers, Commander W. Allen said, that being the only 
person present who had experience of the Niger, he con- 
ceived it to be a solemn duty devolved upon him, to 
take upon himself the responsibility of stating, that 
