Hugh Clapperton

Hugh Clapperton (* 1788 in Annan in the County of Dumfries / Scotland, † April 13, 1827 in Sokoto ( Nigeria) ) was a Scottish explorer of Africa.

Clapperton proceeded at a young age in the British naval service in 1821 and accompanied the seconded by John Barrow Walter Oudney together with Lieutenant Dixon Denham to Africa. They came on their arduous way up to Bornu, then Denham went alone to Baguirmi and Mandara. Clapperton looked with Oudney Lake Chad and penetrated after the death of his companion west before to after Sokoto. With Denham in 1825 he returned to England.

Clapperton was appointed captain and a little later commissioned by Lord Bathurst to penetrate from the Bight of Benin to Sokoto and Bornu and explore the course of the Niger. On this journey, Clapperton came back up to Sokoto, where he was the Sultan Bello, however, banned the onward journey to Bornu.

Clapperton was the first European who came up in the Sokoto Caliphate.

Works

• Difficult and dangerous roads: Hugh Clapperton 's travels in Sahara and Fezzan 1822-25. Sickle Moon Books, London 2000, ISBN 1-900209-06-3
• Journal of a second expedition into the interior of Africa, from the bight of Benin to Soccatoo. Cass, London, 1966 ( reprint of London 1829)
• With Dixon Denham and Walter Oudney: Narrative of travels and discoveries in Northern and Central Africa. May, London, 1985, ISBN 1-85077-057-3 ( Reprint of the edition London 1826)