28 MEMOIR OF BURCKHARDT. 



At the time when Burckhardt arrived in London, 

 and Avas introduced to Sir Joseph Banks, the Afri- 

 can Association had begun to despair of any farther 

 intelligence from Mr. Horneman, and in course of 

 the following year they received notice of the death 

 of Mr. Henry NichoUs at Old Calabar, in the bight 

 of Benin. The result of the information which 

 they had obtained from those travellers who had 

 examined the western parts of Africa, as compared 

 with that transmitted by Mr. Horneman from the 

 east, had now rendered it advisable- to make a 

 new attempt in the latter direction. These wishes 

 of the Association soon became known to Burck- 

 hardt, through his acquaintance with some of the 

 leading members. To a mind like his, equally 

 characterised by courage, a love of science, and a 

 spirit of enterprise, such an undertaking held out 

 peculiar attractions, and accordingly it was not long 

 before he had made an offer of his services to Sir 

 Joseph Banks and the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, who was 

 at that time treasurer and acting secretary of the 

 Association. 



This latter gentleman, perceiving him to be un- 

 dismayed by the strong representations of danger 

 which he considered it right to make to a person of 

 Burckhardt's birth and education, and having found 

 him admirably adapted to the task by his natural 

 and acquired attainments, as well as by the vigour 

 of his constitution, laid his proposal before the 

 Association at their next general meeting in May 

 1 808 ; the offer was willingly accepted, and on tljo 



