<50 Geography, [Chap. V. 



Park, and 1 lorncman *, under their direction, have 

 been productive of much new and curious infor- 

 mation concerning the countries which they visited. 

 Mr. Park, in particular, has recently brought to 

 our knowledge a more interesting and important 

 number of facts concerning the moral, political, 

 and phj'sical condition of Western Africa., than had 

 been done by any preceding traveller f. Nor is it 

 a circumstance of small moment, in estimating the 

 value of Mr. Park's travels, that they have called 

 forth, from major Rennel, a very learned and in- 

 structive body of remarks, and other materials for 

 throwing light on the geography of that extensive 

 country. The succession of maps, delineating im- 

 portant portions of Africa, published by this last- 

 named gentleman, between 1790 and 1800, forms 

 a curious series of documents respecting our pro- 

 gressive knowledge of that quarter of the globe. 

 The publications of Loyart and Degrandpr^ also 

 contain some valuable information concerning 

 Western Africa, particularly the large territory in- 

 cluded under the names of Congo and Loango, 



In 1791 a society was formed in Great Britain, 

 by a number of benevolent persons, under the name 

 of the Sierra Leone Company, The principal de- 

 sign of this society was to obtain a settlement, on 

 that part of the coast of Africa called by the name 



* Two great objects of African curiosity liave been inccompllshed 

 in the eighteenth century, 1;:^. the discovery of the Soitrcts of th€ 

 Nile, by Biiice ; and of the site and condition of the famous 

 Temple of Jupittr Ammoji, by Horneman. 



f Tlie narrative of Park's journey is said to have been written 

 by tlie late Bryan Edwards. See Jlistory 1^ the West Indies, 

 vol. iii, Adverti.'^enisnt by sir William Youn<j. 



