A notice of the progress of the expedition lately sent out from Liverpool to trade in the Niger

extracted from a private Letter, dated 18th June 1833

Abstract

This document reports on the initial progress and severe setbacks faced by a Liverpool-funded expedition sent to establish trade on the Niger River in 1833, utilising two steamships and a provision brig. The expedition, which was mostly staffed by personnel unfamiliar with the coast, suffered immediate and devastating sickness and mortality shortly after departing Sierra Leone, leading to "discontent, approaching to mutiny." A critical error identified was the failure to employ Kroomen for demanding tasks such as wooding and watering, which forced unacclimated officers and men into dangerous exposure during the rainy season. The vessels arrived at the River Nun entrance in October 1832. Internal friction arose when Mr Lander (already famous for his Niger discoveries) was unexpectedly relegated from command within the river to the son of a principal owner. Despite this, Lander facilitated diplomatic relations and trade. Highlights included a successful meeting with a chief who had previously aided Lander, resulting in exchanges of gifts, including British uniforms and arms.

However, the expedition faced increasing challenges upriver:

1. Navigational Difficulties: The river proved to be shallow, with steamers stirring up mud at a depth of six feet.
2. Commercial Opposition: The local Bonney people actively sought to undermine the new trade by bribing chiefs to oppose the expedition's progress.
3. Conflict: The vessels were eventually forced to burn several villages due to continuous annoyance and firing from inhabitants.

After four to five months upriver, almost all personnel had been sick or died. Lander himself, suffering from dysentery and lack of proper attendance, was forced to return downriver to the brig and eventually reached Fernando Po for recuperation in April 1833.

The overall sentiment, according to Lander, was that the expedition could still succeed with alterations, primarily the crucial employment of Kroomen for boat work. The report concludes with Lander's intention to leave the coast for government employment in England, citing the company's failure to provide for his family in the event of his death.