Projected Expedition into Central Africa. 109 



journeys of great length have recently been made among tribes 

 hitherto unknown, even by name, in every direction northward of 

 Lattakoo, which have terminated with scarcely any accident de- 

 serving the name of an adventure, forming a striking contrast 

 with those attempted nearer the coast on the eastern side by 

 Cowan and Denovan, Farewell, and others. Dr Cowie and Mr 

 Green fell a sacrifice to the climate. FarewelPs murder was 

 partly the effect of revenge directed against himself and Chaca, 

 with whom he had formed too close a connection to render his 

 passage among hostile tribes prudent. Cowan and Denovan 

 were lost by an act of great carelessness, having, in the presence 

 of a dangerous tribe, divided their little party into three divi- 

 sions, which were separately surprised and cut off in an instant. 

 But the fact that a single mistake proves fatal, shows the dan- 

 gers of the route. 



The natives in the interior have never yet come into hostile 

 contact with Europeans. According to the best accounts, they 

 are comparatively tranquil, mild, and even courteous to strangers, 

 though ihey carry on war against each other with great ferocity. 



On the north the jealousy of barbarous nations inflamed by 

 religious hatred, has almost sealed up this continent against dis- 

 covery by Europeans. Solitary travellers have been cut off one 

 after another, and it seems impossible to conduct any armed body 

 of men sufficiently large to a^t in self-defence, across the deserts. 



In every respect, then, we may consider the route from the 

 frontier of the Cape Colony directly northward, as beset with 

 the fewest knorern dangers. The probable difficulties and hazards, 

 if we judge from what has been already discovered, are also 

 much less formidable than those which travellers must prepare 

 themselves to meet in other quarters. 



The field of research is extensive. From the 32° of South 

 Latitude to the Northern Tropic, our maps present us with al- 

 most a perfect blank. This comprises, perhaps, not less than 

 one-third or one-fourth of the whole continent. And, as we 

 have " always something new Jrom Africa^ a successful expe- 

 dition, even as far as the Southern Tropic, can scarcely fail to 

 increase the sum of the naturalist's stores, while it will afford 

 useful information not only to the trader, but also to the civilized 

 communities now forming on the extremities, and on the coasts 

 of Africa. At present we are very much in the dark as to the 



