Lander, John
"Journal of an expedition to explore the course and termination of the Niger,…." by Richard and John Lander is a historical travel journal written in the early 19th century. It chronicles the brothers’ British-backed bid to resolve the geographic mystery of the Niger by tracing its course through West Africa to its outlet. Expect frank, day-by-day notes on travel, politics, and survival, with close observations of landscapes, river systems, and the societies they traverse.The opening of this expedition narrative begins with a humble address to readers and a wide-ranging introduction that reviews centuries of speculation and failed attempts to understand the Niger—from classical geographers through Mungo Park and later government-backed missions—before presenting the official orders that dispatch the Landers to follow the river below Boossa to its end. The journal proper then relates their passage from Portsmouth to Cape Coast Castle, warm hospitality at Anamabóo, a stop at Accra, and onward to Badágry. There they encounter wary and grasping local politics: repeated “palavers” with King Adooley and rival district “kings,” heavy expectations of gifts, constant bargaining through interpreters, and efforts to buy goodwill with rum and trade goods while securing horses and carriers. Delays mount as they await permission to proceed toward Jenna, amid rumors of human sacrifices and the approaching rains. The section closes with vivid everyday scenes, including the end-of-Ramadan pra…
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