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Hugh Clapperton succumbs to dysentery near Sokoto

Weakened by dysentery and relentless fever, Hugh Clapperton dies in his servant's arms near Sokoto in April 1827. Richard Lander buries his commander in a grave at Jungavie, reading the burial service over the body. Left alone in the African interior, Lander takes charge of Clapperton's journals, resolving to carry the expedition's findings safely home.

Hostile authorities block the southern river route at Dunrora

Traveling south through Kano and Zegzeg, Lander attempts to reach the river Niger but encounters immediate opposition. Local authorities at Dunrora intercept his journey, forbidding him from proceeding further south into uncharted territory. Forced to turn back toward Kano, Lander abandons his river route and redirects his trek along established trade routes toward the coast.

Survival of a poison ordeal clears the path to escape

Reaching Badagry, Lander meets bitter hostility from slave traders who convince local rulers he is a British spy. Chiefs force him to undergo a trial by poison, requiring him to drink a lethal bowl of ritual water. Lander secretly swallows an emetic to expel the poison immediately, surviving the test and winning passage aboard an English trading ship.

Book

Records of Captain Clapperton's Last Expedition to Africa

A lone servant's account of Captain Clapperton's death and his own perilous return across West Africa.

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