152 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS \ 



vein. Not a single accident had occurred to mar their 

 prospects. Then they departed, to face disaster after 

 disaster. Sickness overtook the party. Many of them 

 died; and when, in October, both Scott and Anderson 

 perished, Mungo Park confesses to a gloom coming over 

 his mind for the first time, producing an overwhelming 

 sense of loneliness and friendlessness. 



From Sansinding he wrote to Sir Joseph, and also 

 to his wife ; sadly, but not dreaming of the entire failure 

 of the expedition. The final catastrophe occurred at an 

 uncertain date ; after the diminished party had passed 

 Timbuctoo without being able to go into the city, and 

 had gone some further distance along the Niger. 



Another German, Roentgen by name, was also em- 

 ployed by the African Association. He essayed to reach 

 Timbuctoo by caravan from Mogador. He was never 

 heard of again. After him came another young volunteer, 

 John Lewis Burckhardt, who had brought an introduc- 

 tion to Banks from Professor Blumenbach. Burckhardt 

 sailed for Malta in March, 1809, and, after completing 

 his Arabic training, completely explored Syria, the Nile 

 Valley, and Bruce 's track in Abyssinia. He was at 

 Cairo in 1817, preparing for new conquests in travel in 

 the direction of Fezzan and Morocco. But he was 

 suddenly carried off by an attack of dysentery. 



The work of the African Association was a matter of 

 very great expense to the subscribers, as well as to His 

 Majesty's Government. More good men perished in the 

 swamps of Africa in their efforts to add to our geographi- 

 cal knowledge. After some years had passed, there was 

 quite a numerous body of gentlemen who were making 

 geography their hobby. The Raleigh Travellers' Club 

 was the outcome of their association, consisting of such 

 men as John Barrow, William Marsden, Basil Hall, 

 Beechey, Marryat, etc. Presently, the African Associa- 

 tion became merged in the new Royal Geographical 



