“The melancholy task has fallen to me to report to you the lamented death of my friend Dr. Walter Oudney. We left Kuka on the 14th day of December 1823, and by easy journies arrived at Bedukarfea, the westmost town in the kingdom of Bornou; during this part of the journey, he was recovering strength very fast, but on leaving Bedukarfea and entering the Beder territory on the night of the 26th, and morning of the 27th, we had such an intense cold that the water was frozen in the dishes, and the water-skins were as hard as beards. Here the poor Doctor got a severe cold, and continued to grow weaker every day. At this time he told me that when he left Kuka, he expected his disorder would allow him to perform all his country expected of him, but that now his death was near, and required me to deliver his papers to Lord Bathurst, and to say he wished Mr. Barrow might have the arrangement of them, if agreeable to his Lordship. On the 2d of January, 1824, we arrived at the city of Katagum, where we remained till the 10th, partly to see if the Doctor, by staying a few days, would gain a little strength to enable him to pursue his journey. On leaving Katagum he rode a camel as he was too weak to ride his horse. We proceeded on our road for ten miles that day, and then halted; and, on the following day five miles further, to a town called Murmur. On the morning of the 12th, he ordered the camels to be loaded at day-light, drank a cup of coffee, and I assisted him to dress. When the camels were loaded, with the assistance of his servant and I, he came out of the tent. I saw then that the hand of death was upon him, and that he had not an hour to live. I begged him to return to his tent and lay himself down, which he did, and I sat down beside him; he expired in about half an hour after.