icks from the borders of the
desert, and other Arabs were observed by our countrymen in the
streets of Rabba.

Another important feature of this expedition is, the circumstance
that the travellers ascended the river Tchadda, as high as one
hundred and fifty miles from its junction with the Niger. At that
point, and at some distance below and above it, the river was found
to be intersected with islands, and comparatively shallow,
alternately becoming broad and narrow in proportion as its channel
was free from, or obstructed by these islands. No traces of
inhabitants appeared on the banks of this very interesting river, and
Lander and his valuable coadjutor were compelled to return to the
Niger for want of provisions. All the natives in this part of the
country agreed in the assertion, that the Tchadda communicates with
Lake Tchad, the inland sea of Africa. They do not hazard this as a
mere conjecture, but state it with confidence, as a well-known and
undisputed fact. This being the case, though it be at variance with
the opinion entertained of it by many of our scientific countrymen,
the concurrent testimony of the natives, who, after all, are better
acquainted with the geography of their own country, is entitled to
respect. It should also be remembered, that the Tchadda has not
received its name, any more than its gigantic namesake, from
Europeans, but from the natives themselves, who have never bestowed
on it any other appellation. On a small island, near Attah, Lander
erected a kind of mud fort, which would answer the purpose of a depot
for British goods. This place has been named English island, and it
possesses peculiar facilities for trading purposes in that part of
the country. The king of Attah, who seemed to have formed an
attachment to Lander, presented him with four small but very
beautiful horses, which he succeeded in conveying to Fernando Po.
Poor old Pascoe the black, who buried Belzoni, and whose name occurs
so frequently in Clapperton's journal, and the narrative of the
Landers, as a faithful and brave servant, died at Attah.

For some time, no information which could be relied upon reached this
country, relative to the progress of the expedition, although some
sinister reports were afloat relative to the fatal termination of it.
At length, however, all suspense was extinguished by the arrival of
an individual belonging to the expedition, who gave the following
account of the melancholy manner in whic