183.5.] 



Expedition into Central Africa, 



1G7 



We published in a former number the prospectus of an association 

 v/hich had been formed at the Cape of Good Hope for exploring' 

 <^entral Africa, and we have now much pleasure in laying before our 

 readers the instructions addressed to the Director of the expedition, 

 which are stated to be from the pen of the celebrated Astronomer 

 Sir John HerschelL—ED. 



VI.' — INSTRUCTIONS ADDRESSED TO THE DIRECTOR OF THt 

 EXPEDITION INTO CENTRAL AFRICA. 



To Dr. Andrew Smith, (or tlu) Director (for the time 

 being) of the Expedition into Central Africa. 



Sir, — In offering to you certain general instructions for the pur- 

 pose of elucidating their views as to the object and conduct of the 

 enterprise committed to your direction, the Committee of Manage- 

 ment take the earliest opportunity of expressing their confident re- 

 liance on your zeal, talents, and experience, as of themselves ena- 

 bling you to apprehend and provide for the proper object and most 

 bcneticial detail in such an undertaking, and they therefore expect 

 that you should not consider yourself bound by any decision of 

 theirs, to adopt or reject, in deference to their opinion, any measures 

 of which their views at present do not coincide with the judgment 

 you may be led to form in your progress. 



They feel certain, moreover, that any measure which you may 

 conceive it necessary to adopt amid the unforeseen occurrences of 

 this enterprize, will meet with approbation from the Shareholders. 

 As, however, amid the incidents to be considered and provided for 

 as contingent, the expedition may be deprived of your services, it is 

 the wish of the Committee that the intention and the proper course 

 of proceeding, as far as such can be determined at present, should be 

 defined and rendered familiar to the parties composing the expedition. 



It is to be hoped that this may be only the first of a series of ef- 

 forts prosecuted by the same means, and deriving their support from 

 the same sources, but the fulfilment of this expectation must evi- 

 dently depend in a great degree on its success. We cannot expect 

 that our limited Colonial Society should feel justified in supporting 

 any measure tending to sacrifice its valuable members and waste its 

 resources, for objects solely of contingent and distant benefit, should 

 1 it happen that the consequences of this endeavour confirm the im- 

 \ pression of peril attendant on the view generally taken of it. How- 

 ever wide and promising therefore may be the views of benefit we 

 entertain as about to arise from the knowledge we may gather, or the 

 means and sources of commercial and scientific enterprise which the 



