Jan. 11, 1858.] REPORTS FROM THE NIGER EXPEDITION, 
89 
strong eddy, we were first thrown, but without receiving any 
damage. 
On clearing this we entered the passage, where the current caught 
us on the port bow, driving us towards the opposite side, and 
making the vessel steer very badly ; and scarcely had she com- 
menced to obey the helm, which was hard a-starboard, than the 
current, now catching us on the quarter, and before we were quite 
clear, threw us with great violence on a sunken rock, jerking the 
leadsman overboard. 
On our trying to get the vessel off, the after part remained fixed, 
while the steamer heeled over so much as to give us the idea that 
she was about to slip broadside off. 
After the first excitement passed away, we all began to suffer 
from fatigue, exposure, and sleeping near the swamp, and we have 
all had attacks of fever more or less severe, — Lieutenant Glover, 
Mr. Davis, and myself, being the most sharply seized. My assistant, 
Mr. Dalton, who had been very ill previously, had a relapse of 
dysentery, and was very dangerously ill, but now, happily, all are 
either convalescent or well. Our canvas tent being extremely hot 
during the forenoon, the thermometer standing in it, when freely 
suspended, at from 95° to 99 0, 5 F., we got bamboos and mats from 
the natives, and constructed a more comfortable residence, about 
40 feet long by 25 broad, and 16 feet high. Our encampment is 
the wonder of the natives, as we have cleared a considerable space 
of ground, have our tents well removed from each other, and keep 
the roads and ground clean. Taken altogether, it is a very good 
site, as, although we have a swamp not very far off’, the wind never 
blows from that direction, and the health of all is improving. 
I have sent to the king of Nufi to ask him for a couple of canoes 
to send a few of our most useless hands to the confluence, and at 
the same time to hurry up Mr. Laird’s other steamer, which will be 
due in the river very shortly, and until she comes up we must con- 
tent ourselves here, not having the means of transporting so many 
persons, and as I am also unwilling to risk their health so far. We 
have saved enough of damaged goods to enable us to buy provisions 
from the natives for some time to come ; and, though we have 
neither salt meat, biscuit, sugar, coffee, cocoa, nor wine, and only a 
very small quantity of tea, flour, rice, salt, and rum, yet we procure 
daily fowls, yams, pumpkins, corn, and occasionally a goat or a 
little honey. 
We managed to save almost the whole of the Government instru- 
ments, including all the chronometers, but most of our stationery is 
gone. Of our large botanical collection, Mr. Barter saved only a 
