Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's GovernmentRichardson, James
History
Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's Government
Richardson, James
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel; Richardson, James, 1806-1851
about two after midnight, Tuesday, 4th March
(Jumed-el-awel), without the least struggle. His servant
then called into the tent the other people and the Kashalla,
or officer of the Sheikh, who had come along with them from
Zinder, in order to be witness, and while wrapping the body
of the deceased in three shirts which they had cut up,
ordered the people of the village to dig a grave for him.
They then shut up whatever of the luggage of Mr. Richardson
was not locked up, and prepared everything for their journey
to Kuka. Early in the morning they lifted the body, wrapped
up as it was, upon Mr. Richardson's carpet, and carried him
to his grave, which had been dug in the shade of a large
gaw, close to the village, to the depth of four feet. Having
then covered his head and breast with a very large tabah, so
as to protect it from every side, they covered the body with
earth, and had the grave well secured. I have spoken several
times with Haj Beshir that it might be well taken care of,
and I am sure the grave of the traveller, who sacrificed his
life for his great object, will be respected. I send you
with this first kafila all Mr. Richardson's papers and his
journal, which is kept till the 21st February, consisting of
six reams, and his vocabularies, not finished, four reams,
with Yusuf's journal, as well as all his other papers or
letters. I have taken out only the letters of recommendation
of the Mission and the papers concerning the treaty to be
made, as well as a letter from Lousou, one of the Tuaricks,
and another from Ibrahim, the Governor of Zinder, to the
Queen, which I shall enclose in my report to Government. I
send you, besides, an authentic list of all the objects
found in Mr. Richardson's possession, as it has been made up
on the things being deposited with Haj Beshir.
"I beg you to assure Mrs. Richardson of my most sincere
sympathy, and that I hope she will find a good deal of
consolation in the rich journal of the deceased."
I have given the above narrative in the words of Dr. Barth; but must
direct the reader's attention to vol. ii. p. 261, where he will find
that the whole account of the prophetic dream is distorted by the very
unauthentic medium of Oriental report. There is no reason to suppose
that Mr. Richardson was unusually affected by this circumstance,
although any dismal suggestion is likely to disturb a person of
sensibility placed in a dangerous position. The remaining facts, as they
seem confirmed by concurrent testimony, may be taken as a sufficiently
accurate account of the death of this lamented traveller.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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