Jan. 11, 1858.] 
FATE OF DR. VOGEL. 
81 
Dr. Barth, f.r.g.s. — The statement of that Arab (the messenger of the King 
of Dar-Fur) contains accurate information about the routes which we pursued, 
and even gives correctly the names of those very men who gave me protection. 
With regard to what is stated about Dr. Vogel’s final fate, there is no doubt 
that he was well received on his arrival at Wara. Whether he went direct 
from Bornu, or went round the north side of Lake Chad, I do not know ; but 
from the contents of the letter received by H.M.’s Consul at Tripoli from the 
Sheikh of Borgu, I am inclined to suppose that he took the latter road. At 
all events, it seems that in the beginning he wanted to avoid Wadai, because 
a civil war had been raging there. I recommended him to stay at the capital 
of Bagirmi, the ruler of which country I had befriended, till a messenger 
might arrive from the King of Wadai to take him safely to Wara. But after 
leaving Bagirmi and visiting the provinces of Fittri and Middogo, he seems to 
have gone to the north of Wadai to a place called Wadi Oradha , and I suppose 
the King of Wadai sent messengers to the place to fetch him. At least such 
is the statement contained in the letter of the Sheikh of Borgu, in which, 
however, I do not place implicit confidence. There is certainly a holy hill in 
Wara, the capital of Wadai, just over the palace. Wara is enclosed by two 
hilly chains, on the east and west side, leaving only two narrow entrances, one 
from the north and the other from the south. The king’s palace is on the 
slope of the eastern chain ; and on the top is said to be a holy hut, where 
every new king must reside for seven days. Whether it be true that Vogel 
wanted to enter this place, in order to investigate its nature, and was executed 
for the attempt, as alleged, I do not know, but think rather improbable ; 
although I must say, that I myself at present entertain little hope that the 
courageous traveller be still alive. It would be a great pity if his interesting 
journals at least should not be saved. His papers, as far as they were taken 
home by Corporal Macguire, who is stated to have been slain at the well 
Belkashi farri, six days’ journey from Kuka, if they were not destroyed on 
the spot, may have got into the hands of some of the chiefs connected with the 
tribe of the Kel-owi, the inhabitants of the country of Air, although those 
freebooters who continually infest the road from Bornu to Fezzan do not 
acknowledge the supremacy of those chiefs. I do not expect that the chief of 
Bornu will be able to do anything in this respect, because of the Tawarek, 
who infest those ’roads, being his greatest enemies. But I think the chiefs of 
the Kel-owi, through whose territory we passed in going to Negro-land, would 
be more likely to succeed in endeavouring to get some of them back — provided 
they were not destroyed on the spot or scattered about. I myself, on my 
former journey, was robbed, after serious fighting, of all my property ; and 
although this had happened on the border of the territories of the Basha of 
Tripoli, and of Mohammed Ali of Egypt, both of whom had secured me their 
protection, I have seen again neither the smallest scrap of my papers nor any 
of my things. 
Fourth Meeting , Monday , January 11th, 1858. 
Sir RODERICK I. MURCHISON, President, in the Chair. 
Presentations. — Dr. Wm. Camps and the Rev. A. P. Moor were pre- 
sented on their election. 
Elections. — /. H. Baxendale , Esq. ; G. Bonner , Esq. ; Lord Viscount 
Bury , m.p. ; Lord Claremont ; Chichester Fortescue, Esq. m.p. ; G. Grote , 
Esq. ; Edward Hertslet , Esq. ; Captain Sir Wm. Hoste, Bart., r.n. ; Captain 
