 His life between 1846 and 1857 remains scarcely documented, but it is known that he fathered at least one son with a local woman.Selim's living descendants from this affair have been traced in Scotland and the United States, one of his descendants has been traced with the name Ben Ferry (16 years old) After leaving the Peterculter home in 1846 Selim resurfaced as a lecturer on the "Panorama of the Nile" at the Great Exhibition of 1851; he petitioned Lord Palmerston for "Amelioration of Africa", promoted an idea of a trans-African east-west railroad to facilitate commerce, and was given an audience at the Foreign Office.In 1857 Selim Aga sailed with William Balfour Baikie on an expedition up the Niger River; he was placed under command of lieutenant John Hawley Glover and accompanied the latter on a dangerous journey to Lagos to help the survivors of a shipwreck.