The Niger Journal of Richard & John Lander

“In 1830 two young Cornishmen, Richard and John Lander, were commissioned by the British government to discover the ‘termination’  of the mysterious river Niger. Setting out from Badagry near Lagos, they reached Bussa on the Niger, procured a canoe and set off down the river. Some months later after may extraordinary adventures they reached the sea through one of the mouths of the Niger’s delta.

Throughout their hazardous journey the brothers kept a journal, which was published soon after their return but has never been reprinted. Their journal provides an exciting narrative of one of the most important missions of exploration in the history of West Africa. At the same time it contains many wonderfully fresh descriptions of the landscapes through which they passed and some extremely entertaining accounts of the people they encountered. The journey took them through country all of which lies within the borders of modern Nigeria.

The editor’s introduction contains much new material on the Landers and their journey drawn from hitherto unpublished sources, while an epilogue describes Richard Lander’s last expedition to the Niger in 1832-4 and his death at Fernando Po.”