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Dr Oudney soon after this became too weak to sit his horse, but still he begged to be carried on. They therefore travelled forward to the town of Murmur. Here they were compelled to stop, though the doctor the next morning, after drinking a cup of coffee, with the assistance of his companions dressed. It was soon evident that he would be unable to proceed.
Boo-Khaloum's liberality had made him so popular that a large portion of the inhabitants of the town came out to welcome him. Major Denham was greatly disappointed at not seeing his friends among the crowd. He found that Dr Oudney was suffering from a complaint in his chest, and that Clapperton was confined to his bed; indeed the climate of Mourzouk is evidently very unhealthy.
During the time that Major Denham was engaged in these excursions, we have mentioned that Mr. Clapperton and Dr. Oudney obtained permission to travel westward into Soudan. At Murmur Dr. Oudney expired. The territory of the Fellatahs was under better cultivation than any part of Africa which they had seen.
Dr Oudney, however, was in a very unfit state to travel, being almost in the last stage of consumption. A few days after they had gone, a kafila arrived from the north, and with it came a young ensign of the 80th Regiment, Mr Toole, who had taken the place of Mr Tyrwhit, detained on account of sickness.
Government resolved to send an expedition to Tripoli, across the Great Desert, to Bornou, confiding in the friendly disposition of the Bashaw of Tripoli, whose influence extended over a large part of Central Africa. Major Denham, Lieutenant Clapperton of the Navy, and Dr. Oudney, a naval surgeon, who possessed considerable knowledge of natural history, were selected for this mission.
During the stay of the major at Mourzouk, he had suffered from a severe attack of fever, which had kept him for ten days in his bed, and although considerably debilitated, yet he was strong in comparison with his associates. Dr. Oudney was suffering much from his cough, and still complaining of his chest. Mr.
The next experiment was made by land from Tripoli across the Great Desert under Denham, Clapperton, and Oudney. This effort was partially baffled by sickness, but still more by the arts of the native chiefs, who are singularly jealous of strangers. In a second attempt Clapperton, the only survivor of the former, died.
On Denham's return to Kouka, he found the sheikh with a large army collected to attack the Begharmis, who were scouring the country. As, however, he was suffering from fever, he went on to Kouka, where he heard of the death of Dr Oudney at a place called Murmur. The sheikh's expedition was successful, and the people were highly delighted with the plunder which had been obtained.
To the adventures and discoveries of the latter we must now turn. Clapperton and Oudney started for Kano, a large Fellatah town on the west of Lake Tchad, on the 14th of December, 1823, followed the Yeou as far as Damasak, and visited the ruins of Birnie, and those of Bera, on the shores of a lake formed by the overflowing of the Yeou, Dogamou and Bekidarfi, all towns of Houssa.
Major Denham, Lieutenant Clapperton, of the navy, and Dr. Oudney, a naval surgeon, possessing a considerable knowledge of natural history, were appointed to the service. Without delay they proceeded to Tripoli, where they arrived on the 18th November, 1821. They were immediately introduced to the bashaw, whom they found sitting cross-legged on a carpet, attended by armed negroes.
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