4 RICHARD LANDER. 



to them the truths of Christianity, — that mild 

 and beneficent faith, which proclaims " peace 

 on earth, and good-will towards man." 



Urged by such considerations, the author, in 

 conjunction with several other gentlemen of Li- 

 verpool, determined to form a company, whose 

 first objects should be to open a direct commu- 

 nication with the interior of Africa ; and, if this 

 were successful, to establish a permanent set- 

 tlement at the junction of the Tchadda and 

 Niger, for the purpose of collecting the various 

 products of the country. In furtherance of 

 these views, a correspondence was opened with 

 Mr. Richard Lander, who had already signified 

 to one of the parties concerned his readiness 

 to embark in such an enterprise. An answer 

 was received from him, containing the strongest 

 possible confirmation, in his opinion, of their 

 most sanguine expectations. From his own per- 

 sonal observation, Mr. Lander assured the com- 

 pany that ivory, indigo, and other valuable 

 produce might be collected in any quantity at 

 a trifling expense. 



The plan first proposed was to send out a 

 large vessel to the Nun river, fitted for the 

 palm-oil trade, with a small steam-vessel to 



