Journal of an expedition to explore the course and termination of the Niger, Vol. 2 (of 3)

"Journal of an expedition to explore the course and termination of the Niger,…." by Richard and John Lander is a travel journal and exploration narrative written in the early 19th century. The work follows two British explorers tracing the Niger’s course, recording river geography, political realities, and encounters with rulers and communities, while seeking evidence about the fate of Mungo Park. Expect close observational detail, bargaining and diplomacy with local courts, and candid notes on hardships, culture, and trade along the river. The opening of this journal finds the travellers at Boossà, meeting the formidable widow Zuma, presenting gifts to the king and queen, and viewing the rocky stretch of the Niger associated with Mungo Park’s death. They obtain a richly embroidered tobe believed to be Park’s and search for his papers, recovering only an old nautical book with a few trivial scraps, while noting the king’s general kindness and the town’s resources and customs. After moving to Kagogie they embark on the Niger, describing shifting channels, sandbanks, islands, and a violent storm before stopping at Sooloo, then forcing a passage past a rocky barrier and reaching Yàoorie. There they secure a fine gun once linked to Park, but the sultan evades every request for Park’s papers, delays them, and extracts goods and buttons amid constant begging. The journal sketches Yàoorie’s vast walls, markets, and humid, unhealthy air, and reports on regional turmoil involving Falátah (Fulani) power and Nouffie and Hàussa politics. Blocked from proceeding overland, the authors ask Boossà for help to continue by water toward Funda; Boossà agrees to provide a canoe if needed, though no escorts can be spared. The section closes with local news of Falátah setbacks and the travellers preparing to resume their river route. (This is an automatically generated summary.)