Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p1.djvu/114

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102
POST CAPTAINS OF 1823.

Soudan, and of the course of the Niger,” with a chart of the routes, and a variety of colored plates, illustrative of the costumes of the several natives of that country. The tour is divided into two parts; the first comprises a journey over the Gharian mountains to Benioleed, and the subsequent progress of the mission from Tripoli to Mourzouk,the capital of Fezzan, (lat. 25° 54' N. long. 15° 62' E.) where Mr. Ritchie died on the 20th Nov. 1819; the second embraces Mr. Lyon’s proceedings between that period and Mar. 25th, 1820, when he returned to Tripoli, after an absence of exactly one year, – “it being deemed too hazardous to attempt advancing any further into the interior, without fresh authority and additional pecuniary supplies from Government.” During this period Lieutenant Lyon wore the dress of a Moslem, kept his head shaved, allowed his beard to grow, and travelled under the name of Said-ben-abd-Allah. Previous to the commencement of his journey, he was instructed in reading Arabic by a fighi (or clerk) of one of the mosques, who also gave him all the requisite information respecting the ceremonies used in prayer; which, when he became perfect in them, he taught to Mr. Ritchie. The following extracts will enable our readers, some of whom may not have perused his narrative, to form an idea of what he had to contend with in the course of his travels:

“Mr. Ritchie felt much anxiety respecting a further allowance from Government, as we had scarcely more than money sufficient to pay the hire of our camels to Mourzouk, and beyond that place we were uncertain how we could procure a fresh supply for the use of the mission. He had brought with him a good deal of merchandize; but, from what he learnt at Tripoli, it was likely to be of little service to us, as it consisted of few or none of the articles of trade most commonly used in the interior. I furnished myself with a horse and the greater part of my equipments. M. Dupont thought fit to resign the office which he had pledged himself to fulfil, and abruptly left Mr. Ritchie, influenced, as we had reason to think, by the advice and suggestions of some of his supposed friends. The petty intrigues which were carried on in order to detract from the merits of the mission, and eventually to obstruct its progress, were most disgraceful. Such was the inauspicious state of our affairs, when we entered on our hazardous journey, determined at all events, that, however un-