chief of the Lunda country, as well with a view of entering into amicable relations with him, as for the purpose of ascertaining whether the river Casai is navigable in his country, and forms with the Quango the Congo or Zaire of Capt. Tuckey. He therefore kept more to the eastward than he had done in his journey from the Zambesi to this place, and crossing the river Chekapa in lat. 10° 10' S., and long. 19°42′ E., and another river, called the Maomba, in lat. 9° 38′ S., and long. 20° 13′ 30′′ E., arrived at Cobango, a large trading station on the river Chihombo, situated in lat. 9° 31' S., and long. 20° 31' E., from whence Matiamvo's place is E.N.E. about 100 miles.

His companions here expressed a most anxious wish to return home, a feeling in which, looking at them and their circumstances, Dr. Livingston says he could not but sympathise with them, although, still faithful and obedient as they had always been, they were ready to proceed on to the eastward if he had insisted upon it. He however having attained at Cobango the chief object he had in view in desiring to visit Matiamvo, viz. information as to the Casai being navigable in his country, and finding that his funds were so far exhausted, that he had not, to use his own words, "the wherewithal to appear before that potentate," resolved on proceeding southwards to Katema, and thence direct to the Zambesi and Sekeletu's town.

Dr. Livingston having obtained good lunar observations at a spot 2 miles W. of the river Quango, finds that that river is 15 miles farther to the E. than he had placed it on the map which he drew of his journey to this place, he having on that occasion passed it in excessively cloudy weather. He finds also that he was misinformed respecting the course of the Chekapa, which, together with several important geographical points on the route, he has been enabled to establish more accurately from numerous observations taken during his present journey.

His corrections will be forwarded to the Royal Geographical Society by an early opportunity.

In all the letters that I have received from Dr. Livingston during his progress through this province, he speaks in terms of gratitude of the kindness and hospitality which he received at the hands of the several Portuguese authorities through whose jurisdiction he passed.

I am grieved to add that this excellent man's health had suffered a good deal from his having been obliged, after leaving Cassangé, to sleep for several nights on a plain, on which the water was flowing ankle deep. He had at length been compelled to form trenches around his berth, and having been detained 25 days in this situation, became much enfeebled by his sufferings

during that time. He nevertheless wrote in cheerful spirits, sanguine of success in "doing his duty" under the guidance and protection of that kind Providence who has already carried him through so many perils and hardships. He assures me that since he knew the value of Christianity, he has ever wished to spend his life in propagating its blessings among men, and adds that the same desire remains still as strong as ever.

I have, &c.

EDMUND GABRIEL.

4. Edmund Gabriel, Esq., to Consul Brand.

(Extract.)

Loanda, Aug. 28, 1855. "I have just received my last letter for the present from him (Dr. Livingston), dated 18th May, lat. 9° 31' S., long. 20° 31′ E., at a place called Cobango. Having now left the high-road, as it were, and altered course to the southward, he is gone entirely out of my reach. I am grieved beyond measure to find that my last letters, in consequence of some foolish excuses about runaway slaves, did not overtake him. However, as my very last letter,-in which I enclosed him the newspaper extracts received with your December letter, one of them announcing the honour so deservedly conferred on him by the University of his native town, Glasgow, is not yet returned from Cassangé, I still live in hopes that it may have gone after him, and I have offered a reward of twenty milreis to any one who will bring me an acknowledgment of its receipt by Dr. Livingston."

XVII.-Mission to Central Africa.

(1. Extracts from Letters received from ED. VOGEL, Phil. Dr.

2. Geographical Positions of Places between Murzúk and Kuka, and in Mandra, Bornu, and Sudán.

3. Remarks on the Meteorological Observations taken.)

Communicated by the EARL of Clarendon.

Read, March 12 and May 14, 1855.

H. U. Addington, Esq., Foreign Office.

Kuka, July 14, 1854. SIR,-At the end of March I joined an expedition going out under the command of the Sheik Abdelrachmán to Musgo. Up to that time the Sheik had always refused me permission to

leave Kuka for any length of time. The razzia went as far as 9° 30' N. lat., and I had therefore an opportunity of seeing more of the country than any other European before me. I discovered on this occasion a fine large inland lake, with a chain of granitic mountains running from N. to S. along its western bank. I likewise made sure that there does not exist any communication between the river Shary and the waters of the Niger system; as the Shary runs at 9° 30′, about 20 miles E. of the eastern bank of the lake aforementioned, in the direction from S.E. to N.W. It is joined from the westward by only three very small and, at the time I saw them, nearly dry rivers, coming all from the Felatah mountains; on its right or eastern bank, a very large river, coming from the east, falls into it at about 10° N. lat.*

The Shary is a beautiful stream, about 1000 feet broad, and, in the driest season of the year, between 8 and 10 feet deep. During the wet time of the year it must discharge at least 140,000 cubic feet of water every second into the lake Chád.

There was not much fighting all the time we were out, the Musgo people having all fled across the Shary; but much useless cruelty towards prisoners, thirty-six of whom were on one occasion cut to pieces alive. Of the 4000 slaves carried off-all women and children under twelve years of age-I regret to state that 3500 died of dysentery and smallpox before the razzia reached Kuka. The expedition consisted of about 20,000 horsemen, with 10,000 camp followers, accompanied by about 5000 camels and as many bullocks.

I returned from this expedition, in somewhat indifferent health, about the 10th of June; and I am about to start in two days, by way of Yakóba,† to the river Chadda, to join, if possible, the Niger expedition. You will be aware that neither the important town of Yakóba, nor in fact the whole road from this place to that town, and thence to the river, has ever been visited by Europeans. The Sultan having given me at last permission to go, with letters of recommendation, I intend to start.

This letter will be accompanied by a parcel of astronomical, magnetical, and meteorological observations made on the road from Murzúk and during my stay here. In a box I have sent some parcels of plants collected here and in Musgo. There are not very many, as, on my arrival here, three months after the rainy season, I found everything dried up; nor will there be any

* Dr. Vogel probably means the Loggeme. The large river to the east is called by Dr. Barth the Shary, and the river which Dr. Vogel here calls by that name must be the Loggeme; but the latter, according to Barth's Map, falls into the Shary, in Lat. 12° 20' N., instead of 10° N., as stated by Dr. Vogel.-ED.

+ Since reported to be in Lat. 10° 17′ 30′′ N., and Long. 9° 28' E.-ED.