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[Illustration: HARAR FROM THE COFFE STREAM]
I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you,these pages. Within your hospitable walls my project of African travel wasmatured, in the fond hope of submitting, on return, to your friendlycriticism, the record of adventures in which you took so warm an interest.Dis aliter visum! Still I would prove that my thoughts are with you, andthus request you to accept with your wonted bonhommie this feeble tokenof a sincere good will.
Averse to writing, as well as to reading, diffuse Prolegomena, the authorfinds himself compelled to relate, at some length, the circumstances whichled to the subject of these pages.
In May 1849, the late Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Malcolm, formerlySuperintendent of the Indian Navy, in conjunction with Mr. William JohnHamilton, then President of the Royal Geographical Society of GreatBritain, solicited the permission of the Court of Directors of theHonorable East India Company to ascertain the productive resources of theunknown Somali Country in East Africa. [1] The answer returned, was to thefollowing effect:—
"If a fit and proper person volunteer to travel in the Somali Country, hegoes as a private traveller, the Government giving no more protection tohim than they would to an individual totally unconnected with the service.They will allow the officer who obtains permission to go, during hisabsence on the expedition to retain all the pay and allowances he may beenjoying when leave was granted: they will supply him with all theinstruments required, afford him a passage going and returning, and paythe actual expenses of the journey."
The project lay dormant until March 1850, when Sir Charles Malcolm andCaptain Smyth, President of the Royal Geographical Society of GreatBritain, waited upon the chairman of the Court of Directors of theHonorable East India Company. He informed them that if they would draw upa statement of what was required, and specify how it could be carried intoeffect, the document should be forwarded to the Governor-General of India,with a recommendation that, should no objection arise, either from expenseor other causes, a fit person should be permitted to explore the SomaliCountry.
Sir Charles Malcolm then offered the charge of the expedition to Dr.Carter of Bombay, an officer favourably known to the Indian world by hisservices on board the "Palinurus" brig whilst employed upon the maritimesurvey of Eastern Arabia. Dr. Carter at once acceded to the terms proposedby those from whom the project emanated; but his principal object being tocompare the geology and botany of the Somali Country with the results ofhis Arabian travels, he volunteered to traverse only that part of EasternAfrica which lies north of a line drawn from Berberah to Ras Hafun,—infact, the maritime mountains of the Somal. His health not permitting himto be left on shore, he required a cruizer to convey him from place toplace, and to preserve his store of presents and provisions. By this meanshe hoped to land at the most interesting points a