108 HORNEMAN. 



myself; therefore cease. Take me and the canoe, but 

 don't kill me.' They took possession of both, and carried 

 them to the king." 



These sad tidings, conveyed in course to England, were 

 not for a long time received with general belief. The state- 

 ment, being sifted with care, was thought to contain incon- 

 sistencies, as well as such a degree of improbability as left 

 some room for hope. But, as year after year elapsed, this 

 hope died away; and Denham and Clapperton, in their 

 late expedition, received accounts from various quarters 

 which very nearly coincided with those of Amadi Fatouma. 

 Park's adventures, they found, had excited the deepest in- 

 terest throughout Africa. Clapperton in his last journey 

 even saw the spot where he perished, which, allowing for 

 some exaggeration, did not ill correspond with the descrip- 

 tion just given. Nay, he received notice, as we shall here- 

 after see, that Park's manuscripts were in the possession 

 of the king or chief of Yaour or Youri, who offered to de- 

 liver them up on cordition that the captain would pay him 

 a visit, which he unfortunately was never able to perform. 



CHAPTER X. 



Various Travellers — Hornemanf Nichollsy Roentgen^ Adams, 

 Riley. 



It has been thought advisable to trace without interrup. 

 tion the interesting career of Park from its commencement 

 to its close. Between his two expeditions, however, there 

 intervened another, which appeared to open under very 

 favourable auspices. Frederic Homeman, a student of the 

 university of Gottingen, communicated to Blumenbach, the 

 celebrated professor of natural history, his ardent desire to 

 explore the interior of Africa under the auspices of the As- 

 sociation. Blumenbach transmitted to that body a strong 

 recommendation of Homeman, as a young man, active, 

 athletic, temperate, knowing sickness only by name, and 

 of respectable Jiterary and scientific attaiiunents. Sij 



