OUR COMMERCE WITH AFRICA. 385 



US, that of the river Niger — and thus, if I may 

 use the expression, to turn the flank of Western 

 Africa. I therefore propose that a chain of Bri- 

 tish posts should be carried up the Niger as far 

 as Sego, and from there by Timbo to Sierra 

 Leone, and to Barraconda on the Gambia ; that 

 the seat of government on the coast should be 

 transferred from Sierra Leone to Fernando Po, 

 and that the communication with the interior 

 should be kept up by steam-boats from that 

 point. This plan may at the first view appear 

 visionary : I will endeavour to prove that it would 

 be easy in execution, economical in practice, and 

 most satisfactory in its results. 



The second journey of my celebrated country- 

 man Mungo Park, the great discovery of the 

 Landers, and the ascents of the Niger narrated 

 in the preceding pages, all prove that this river 

 is navigable for three thousand miles. The re- 

 ception which we met with, the freedom which 

 we enjoyed from all molestation, sufficiently at- 

 test the peaceable and amiable character of the 

 natives. But even if these people were inclined 

 to oppose the occupation of different points on 

 the banks of the river by our countrymen, they 

 are incapacitated from doing so effectually on 



VOL. II. 2 c 



