“Mourzuk, April 12, 1822.
“I arrived here on the seventh instant, in high spirits and the best health. Our journey to this place was exceedingly pleasant, and far surpassed my most sanguine expectations. The people have all been exceedingly kind, and have treated us in the best manner possible. Every respect has been shown us since we left Tripoli, and we have not experienced the slightest difficulty, or been exposed to the least danger. The country over which we passed was dreary in the extreme. In many places not a blade of grass, nor a single shrub, for several days together, was visible. Notwithstanding that circumstance, there is always something interesting in Nature; even in her most sterile states there are objects to observe and admire. The different Oases, in our way, were visited with pleasure, and the flowing accounts which travellers have given of these spots were found to possess a considerable degree of correctness. It is only necessary for a person to be travelling for several days over nothing but gravelly and sandy plains, to have his mind brought into a fit state to admire these fertile spots. It is as yet doubtful how long I may be obliged to remain here; but you may rest assured it will be as short a time as possible. The town is much better than I expected, and the house allotted for the accommodation of the mission is a very excellent one. The principal people have treated us with every kindness, and all endeavour to make us as comfortable as possible.”
TO THE SAME.
“Mourzuk, May 12, 1822.
“Here I am, thank God, well and happy. The climate is hot, but I have not experienced it very disagreeable. My health, indeed, has been better since I left home than it was for a long time before. Clapperton and I have been visiting a number of different places, and intend spending our time in that way for the next two months, when I hope we shall be able to proceed to Bornou. The soil is sandy, and we have no other tree but that of the date. There is, however, abundance of this sort, and its fruit forms the principal sustenance of many thousands of the people. Without this tree, the whole country, from this place to Bornou, would be a dreary waste. You perhaps know that no rain falls here; on that account corn fields and gardens are not to be expected. At the expense, however, of much labour and care, as the ground requires to be continually watered by streams from the wells, we have many of both. We have always plenty of good water, at all times, a circumstance which, in a country destitute of rain, you will be apt to think is rather singular and curious, but it is one which you cannot be expected to understand were I to enter into any explanation of it. All the places in Fezzan exhibit a sameness of aspect. The towns are formed of mud houses, generally of one flat; they have, for the most part, an old ruined castle in the centre; and all of them are surrounded by walls. On the outside of the towns, and in some places within the walls, a few abodes are constructed of the leaves of the palm. The people are really a fine race, and have uniformly treated us with the greatest kindness. Wherever I go, and every day that I remain in this town, I have numerous applications for medicines. Some of the applicants have very curious complaints, which, were I to state them to you, would make you laugh heartily. Many of them, however, are real, and for which I can in general prescribe something for their relief. We are much better here than we could have been in Tripoli. We meet every day with persons from the country we are going to visit, and from those through which we have to pass. We thus make friends that may be of considerable service to us in our future investigations. We are all living comfortably, in a tolerably good house in the castle; and often in the mornings, about sunrise, take a ride round the town. It is not safe to go out much in the sun; we, therefore, in this respect, follow the example of the natives, and stop within during the heat of the day.”
The Doctor’s next letter is addressed to Professor Jameson, and is dated “Mourzuk, June 6, 1822.”—This letter is valuable, both as it is expressive of his affectionate and grateful remembrance of his friend and patron, and as it conveys the result of his own observations of the physical state of the country which he had visited, to one whom he well knew could duly appreciate the value of his remarks; and who, at any rate, as they had reference to Natural History, he was aware, would regard them as the best return he could make for the kindness he had previously received from the Professor. We likewise think that the letter is made up of matter sufficiently interesting to a large proportion of our readers, to excuse us for transcribing it entire. While it tends to illustrate Dr. Oudney’s character, it shows, at the same time, the devotion of his mind to the objects of his mission to Africa.
“My Dear Sir,—I intended to have written you long ago, but my time has been so occupied by such a variety of objects, that really I could not. I am much disappointed in the climate of Fezzan, agreeably so; the temperature under cover is not much greater than in other places in the same parallel of latitude. Now it is June, and the maximum of daily heat is seldom above 90 degrees, while the minimum is about 80 or 78 degrees of Fah. The air is dry, as indeed several of my instruments show too well; for the ivory on several has shrunk so as to render them useless. The tube of one of the attached thermometers is bent like a bow from being confined. In another, the pressure of the glass has broken the brass clasps. The Hygrometer of Kater, generally stands at 38 or 38.5. Instruments affected by the hygrometrical state of the air, and by sound, are useless in a climate such as this. I mention sound, for instruments which act by delicate wheels are very soon deranged, and disappoint the scientific inquirer. The Barometer varies a little: there is always a change, particularly from 11 A.M. to 8 or 9 P.M. The mercury becomes depressed, in general, about the 20th part of an inch, sometimes, however, nearly a 10th. During northerly winds, the mercury rises, and in most cases, the stronger the breeze the greater the rise; from that circumstance, I have been able to predict strong breezes from that direction. On the contrary, southerly winds cause depression, and that commonly in proportion to the violence of the wind. I have not yet calculated the mean height, but it must be about 28.600 inches at the temperature of 80 Fah. Water boils at 207 Fah.; and both of these circumstances indicate a considerable elevation.
I have anxiously searched for springs, but have found none fit for an accurate result. The whole country is a spring, if I may use the expression, for water comes bubbling up on digging a few feet; its temperature then is affected by the earth, and the heat indicated is of no use in ascertaining the mean temperature of the place, and consequently its elevation. The abundance of water in a country in which rain scarcely ever falls, and in which there is no dew, is a curious and interesting circumstance to the philosophic inquirer. It is not generated in the earth, and it cannot be supplied by the sea. From whence then does it come? Is it from the tropical rains? Or is it from rivers lost in the earth? The supply is constant, and the wells yield as much at one time as another. The supposition that appears most probable to me is, that the countries to the southward are much higher than this, that during the rainy season water penetrates a considerable way into the earth, till it meets with strata resisting its farther descent, and then that it flows along these like a river to far distant countries. My explanation may be censured, but still on reflection, I regard it as the most probable that I can think of. There is another interesting feature in Fezzan, namely, the constant formation of salt on the surface of the sand. In travelling along, the different stages of the process are very distinctly observable. First, a thin crust is formed like hoar frost, and this continues to increase in thickness. In some places the layer of salt is a foot deep. At present I must defer the explanation of this phenomenon till I shall have time to enter upon the description of the geological structure of Fezzan—a thing I hope I shall soon be enabled to do. In the mean time the courier is waiting, and the camels are ready to convey us to Ghaat. My worthy friend Clapperton and I are just on the point of setting out on a visit to that country, that we may render our delay here as serviceable as possible. The Tuarick country is, perhaps, interesting only on account of its inhabitants, who are a brave, independent race. Clapperton and I have been at Tucta, and we were both struck with the general uniformity of the scenery and the structure. He desires to be kindly remembered to you, and intends to write you soon. We expect to be able to set out for Bornou in two or three months.”
The next letter in the series is addressed to his sister, from “Mourzuk, August 6, 1822;” and though both it, and the one which follows to Professor Jameson, relate to the Doctor’s excursion to Ghaat, or the Tuarick country, of which an account is given in the “Narrative of Travels and Discoveries,” made by the mission, published by Major D. Denham and Captain H. Clapperton, in 1826; yet, as they contain some interesting particulars which will not be found in the “Narrative,” our readers, we trust, will thank us for inserting them in this biographical memoir. In the letter to his sister, he says,—
“My worthy friend Clapperton and I have been busily engaged ever since our arrival here. Within the last two months we have been travelling much, and have examined to the extent of at least 800 miles of country. We experienced little fatigue, and in place of being weakened, our health has been greatly improved. We have been among the Tuaricks, and have been treated by that independent and curious people with the greatest kindness and hospitality. They occupy all that dreary waste which you see in the maps called the ‘Great Sahara,’ and live on the milk and flesh of their camels. The care of these animals, and occasional excursions upon the neighbouring states, are their principal occupation. They are a superstitious race; but have good sense withal. They were so much our friends, that we might have travelled, in perfect safety, over the whole of their dominions.”