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PARK, MUNOO. 



PARK, MUNQO. 



Wendover. Windleshore, or Windsor, who in laid to have alto !>een a 

 monk of the monastery of St. Alban's, and diad Prior of Belvoir in 

 1237. Some recent antiquaries hare regarded Matthew Pan* a* the 

 r*ml author of the ' Mores Historiarnin, usually attributed to Roger 

 de Wendorer; but others, among whom may be mentioned the Her, 

 H. O. Coxo, who edited the edition of Wendover published by tho 

 English HUtorical Society, 4 Tola. 8vo, 1841-12, hare strongly main- 

 tained the claim of Wendorer. Matthew Paris writes with considerable 

 spirit and rhetorical dUplay, and utes remarkable freedom of speech ; 

 and his work, which is continued to the doath of Henry III. (1272) 

 by William Kisbsnger, another monk of the came abbey, has been the 

 chief authority commonly relied upon for the history of that reign. 

 Its spirit howerer is somewhat fiercely and narrowly English; and 

 from the freedom with which be inveighs against what he regards as 

 the usurpations of the papal see, Romanist writers hare always expressed 

 strong dissatisfaction especially with his accounts of ecclesiastical affairs. 

 With Protestant critics, on the other hand, Matthew Paris has been a 

 favourite, in proportion to the dislike ho has incurred from their oppo- 

 nents. At one time it used to be affirmed by the Roman Catholics 

 that the printed Matthew Paris was in many things a mere modern 

 fabrication of the reformers ; but Watts, by collating all the manuscript 

 copies he could find, and noting the various readings, proved that 

 there was no foundation for this charge. A translation of the ' 1 1 Utory ' 

 of Matthew Paris by Dr. Qilra forms a volume of Bonn's ' Antiquarian 

 Library,' and the ' Flowers of History of Roger of Wendorer' forms 

 two volumes of the same series. 



PARK. MUNOO, was born on the 10th of September 1771, at 

 FowUhiels, a farm on the banks of the Yarrow, not far from the town 

 of Selkirk. His father, an intelligent and successful farmer, died in 

 1792, but not until Mungo had be?n fairly launched into professional 

 employment ; hU mother, who was alive in ISIS, was the daughter of 

 a farmer in tho vicinity of Fowlahiels. Mungo was the seventh child 

 and third sou of a family of thirteen, eight of whom attained the yean 

 of maturity. 



At the usual age Mungo was sent to the parochial school at Selkirk. 

 " He had," says the writer of the biography prefixed to the compl te 

 edition of his ' Travels,' " shown a great love of reading from child- 

 hood, and was indefatigable in his application at school, where he was 

 much distinguished aud always at the head of his class. Even at that 

 early age he was remarked for being silent, studious, and thoughtful ; 

 but some sparks of latent ambition occasionally broke forth, and traces 

 might be discovered of that ardent and adventurous turn of mind 

 which distinguished him in after-life." At the age of fifteen Muugo 

 Park waa apprenticed to Mr. Thomas Anderson, a respectable surgeon 

 in the town of Selkirk, with whom he resided three years, during which 

 time he improved his acquaintance with the classics by occa-ional 

 attendance at the grammar school In 1769 Park removed to the 

 University of Edinburgh, where he attended, during three successive 

 snailniii, the course of lecturet prescribed to all who wish to graduate 

 as surgeons. There is nothing left on record of his academical life, 

 xoept that he devoted considerable attention to botany. Any upon 

 taneuus inclination he might feel towards botanical pursuits must have 

 been confirmed and encouraged by associating with his brother-in-law 

 Mr. James Dickson, who, having settled in London as a nurseryman 

 and seedsman, and having attracted the notice of Sir Jo-eph Banks, 

 bad acquired considerable reputation as a scientific botanist. A tour 

 which Park made through the Highlands with this gentleman during 

 one of th summers of his college fife, contributed much to his progress 

 in the science of botany. 



On the completion of his studies at Edinburgh, Park repaired to 

 London. Mr. Dickson introduced him to Sir Joseph Banks, through 

 whose interest he obtained the appointment of auistaut-surgeon to 

 the Worcester, East Indiaman. He wiled in that vessel in tho month 

 of February 1792, on a voysge to Sumatra, and returned to England 

 in the courte of the following year. He availed himself of the oppor- 

 tnnitirs afforded him by this voyage to extend his acquaintance with 

 natural hUtory. The third volume of the ' Linnaan Transactions 

 contains a paper read by Park on the 4th of Novemlwr 1794, contain 

 ing description* of eight fishes, not previously described, from the 

 water* of Sumatra, which he r* presents as the fruits of his leisure 

 hours during his stay on that coast 



At the tint.- of Park's return, the exertions of the African Associa 

 tion had concentrated a strong interest upon that quarter of the globe 

 Under the guidance of Major lUnnell the Association had collected 

 and published, in a aystematic form, a considerable amount of informs 

 tion relative to tho interior of Africa. The problem which at tha 

 moment more especially engaged their attention was the existence and 

 course of the river mentioned by some ancient geographers by the 

 name of Niger. Intelligence nayi been recently received of the death 

 of Major Houghton, who bad boon srnt out by the Association for the 

 purpoce of exploring the course of the Niger, and much difficulty was 

 experienced in finding a soooswor. Park's attention was natural!; 

 attracted to the subject through bis connection with Sir Joseph Bunks, 

 one of the most active and influential members of the Association. 

 A liberal reward bad been offered to any person willing to proceed on 

 the arduous mission who should bo found qualified for it. Pork had 

 for travelling ; he was in the full vigour of youth 



he bad tome experience of a hot climate ; be was not insensible to the 



istinction to be acquired by a discoverer in African geography : he 

 iffcred bin services to the Association, and, after inquiry into his 

 qualifications, the offer was accepted. Two years elapsed however 

 etween hi* return from India and his departure on his African expe- 

 lition. With the exception of the time occupied by a short visit to 

 lootland in 1794, he seems to have resided during the whole of this 

 wriod in London or the neighbourhood, chiefly occupied in acquiring 

 he knowledge and making the preparations necessary for his under- 

 iking. 



He sailed from England on the 22nd of May 1795, and reached 

 'isania, a British factory about 200 miles up the Gambia, on the 6th of 

 uly. Hera he remained several months in the house of Dr. Laidley, 

 earning the Maudingo language and collecting information concerning 

 be countries he was to visit. For two of these months he was con- 

 ined by a fever contracted by imprudent exposure during the rainy 

 eason. He left PUauia on the 2nd of December 1795. After passing 

 hrough the territories of a number of potty negro chiefs, he was 

 nduced, in order to avoid the suspicion of being a spy, which might 

 lave attached to him had he passed from the territories of the chief 

 of Kaarta into those of the chief of Bambara, those sovereigns being 

 .lieu at war, to adopt a more northerly route across the Unitory of 

 judamar, then governed by the chief of a predatory horde of nomad 

 iloors. He reached Yarra, the frontier town of this state, on the 18th 

 of February 1796. Ali, the Moorish chief, detained him a captive till 

 the 1st of July. When Park made his escape he possessed notim, 

 more than a horse with its accoutrements, a few articles of clothing, 

 and a pocket-compass, which he had saved from the Moors by conceal- 

 ng it in the sand. Undismayed by his destitute and lonely condition, 

 u pushed on to the Nil-el-Abid, or Johba, which he reached at Sego, 

 after a journey of fifteen days ; explored the stream downwards to 

 Sills an 1 upwards to Bammakoe, then crossed a mountainous country 

 to Kamalia, a Maudingo town, which he reached on the 14th of Sep- 

 tember. Here, 600 miles from the nearest European settlement, his 

 jealth gave way, undermined by the fever which had attacked him at 

 PUania, and by the vexatious and sufferings to which he had been 

 exposed. For upwards of a mouth he was rendered htlpless by a fever 

 among a race which, though alive to human sympathy, could n 

 think nor feel aa he thought and felt He was detained in the same 

 place five months after his recovery before he could obtain the means 

 of journeying to the coast. At last, on tho 10th of June 17'.'", ha 

 returned to Pisania, and was received by Dr. Laidley "as one risen 

 from the dead.'' HU lonely and toilsome wanderings had occupied 

 upwards of nineteen mouths. 



HU unexpected return, the rumours which went abroad regarding 

 his adventures and the strange countries he had visited, excited eager 

 curiosity in the public mind. An abstract of the expedition, prepared 

 by Mr. Bryan Edwards, secretary to the African Association, from 

 materials furnished by the traveller himself, was printed and dis- 

 tributed among the members. To this abstract a memoir by Major 

 Uenui U was annexed, consisting of geographical illustrations of Park's 

 journey. It was at the same time announced that a complete 

 narrative would be prepared snd published by Park himself. The 

 composition of this work occupied him till the spring of 1799, when 

 it was published. His principal place of residence while engaged 

 upon it was London ; and while there he was in constant communi- 

 cation with Major Uennell and Mr. liryau Edwards, especially the 

 latter. The summer and autumn of 1798 be spent among his relations 

 in Scotland, his head-quarters being FowlshieU, at that time oc< -upied 

 by his mother and one of his brothers. The accounts subsequently 

 collected from his family represent him ss leading then the life of a 

 hard student, employed on his papers during the whole of the morning, 

 and allowing himself scarcely any recreation beyond a solitary walk 

 on the banks of the Yarrow. He adopted the abstract of Bryan 

 Edwards as the framework of his book ; and Major Henuell's memoir 

 was added as an appendix. The work wss well received ; two impres- 

 sions were rapidly sold off. The profits of publication and the liberal 

 remuneration ho received from the Association placed him for tbo 

 moment in easy circumstances. 



In 1799 he retired to his native country, and hi the August of that 

 year married the daughter of Mr. Anderson, with whom he had 

 served his apprenticeship. He continued to reside for upwards of 

 two years subsequent to his marriage, in the house of bin mother, 

 unable or unwilling to settle to any steady employment. At lost a 

 favourable opportunity for commencing the practice of his profession 

 occurring in Peebles, be settled with his family in that town in 

 October 1801. Park soon obtained a good share of the business of 

 the neighbourhood, but his profits wtre inconsiderable. In other 

 respects his situation was agreeable. He was a man of retired habits, 

 who sought and found his happiness in the family circle. There wer>> 

 however in the neighbourhood some minds who could appreciate the 

 intellectual and moral worth that lay beneath his cold exterior. 

 A rnong these were Dr. Adam Fergusson, at one time professor of 

 moral philosophy in tho University of Edinburgh, and author of the 

 ' History of Home,' and Mr. (afterwards Sir Walter) Scott. Ho also 

 received marked personal attentions from Mr. Dugald Stewart But 

 the gratification of being appreciated by such men and enjoying their 

 society was no sufficient counterpoise to the harassing reflection that 

 his income was inadequate and his family increasing. His mind too 



