into Central Africa. 269 



is, however, the most doubtful. Considering moreover the 

 great extent of the Equatorial line as it spans from sea to sea, 

 being greater than any one route yet realized by a European on 

 this continent, we cannot tell how far indications at one end are 

 responsive to realities at the oiher, and heavy indeed therefore 

 would the probabilities be against the attempt to cross it there, 

 proving different in its result from tlie many disastrous enter- 

 prises which already have exhibited to us— the anjrel of Deatli 

 as the peculiar guardian of its secrets. 



It is remarkable that almost simultaneously, both here and in 

 London, attention has been directed peculiarly to the region 

 which our Expedition proposes to explore. A pamphlet has 

 been published by Mr. Cooley, recommending for that purpose 

 an incursion from De la Goa Bay, and it is understood that a 

 a traveller, in some respect or other, under the sanction and 

 patronage of the Royal Geographical Society of London, has 

 been dispatched to make the attempt. Now, the pamphlet, 

 though presenting a compact and correct view generally of 

 what is known in regard to the tribes and countries towards the 

 interior, is tinged with considerable misapprehension of the 

 condition of the place proposed as a starting point. The fluc- 

 tuating circumstances of its population, and their consequent 

 want of resources, combined with the deadly influence of its 

 climate, the more favourable conception of which in Mr. 

 Cooley's pamphlet is founded on very insuflicient grounds, can- 

 not fail, as far as we can judge, to render such a scheme utterly 

 abortive, or at the best, productive of a very fruitless waste 

 of life and of the resources of the highly talented and prosper- 

 ing association which supports it. Let us remark however, 

 with regret, that whether it was that our proposals reached it iii 

 a time of great inconvenience or inadvertence, or that it 

 despaired of our success, or that its affections were pre-engased 

 to the procedure we have noticed above, the Royal Geographi- 

 cal Society has ndt as far as we know afl'orded to our proposals 

 any sort of notice whatever. 



Something has been done to illustrate the condition of Eastern 

 Africa, both as to its physical and political characteristics, by 

 the voyages of Captain Owen and the observations of Lieutenant 

 Emery. That elucidation however is of small amount, and 

 may be condensed into a narrow compass. In regard to the 

 former work we have met with great disappointment. Much 

 of it is due certainly to the nature of the outfit, there was 

 surely a wasteful pareimony in the Government, that it sent 

 BO few competent persons to profit by one of the most splen- 

 did opportunities for the survey of a new domain of orgam'c 

 nature wliich any period has offered. A Botanist was afforded 

 from a private society ; but his lamented decease left much 

 Undoue. Other branches of natural history were left uu- 



