Ixxii 
ACCOUNT OF THE 
ally sick, or in a state of great debility. Yet he still had 
considerable difficulties to encounter, in traversing a coun- 
try, where he was obliged to be constantly on the watch 
against the depredations of the inhabitants, and occasion- 
ally, the attacks of wild beasts. Under such circumstances 
it is not wonderful that the few soldiers, not disabled by 
sickness, fell back ; and it was with great difficulty that 
any of them could be prevailed on to continue their march. 
After a series of dangers and sufferings, such as have been 
experienced by few travellers, he at length reached the 
Niger (at Bambakoo, where the river begins to be navi- 
gable) on the 19th of August 1805. 
This was more than seven weeks beyond the time, upon 
which he had calculated when he quitted the Gambia ; 
and the effects of this protracted march, which had carried 
him far into the rainy season, were unfortunately but too 
apparent. Of the Europeans who composed the expedition, 
consisting of about forty at the time of quitting the Gam- 
bia, there were now only eleven survivors. Of these the 
principal persons, besides Park, namely Mr. Anderson, 
Mr. Scott, and Lieutenant Martyn, were all more or less 
affected by the disease ; the two former very seriously, and 
Mr. Scott, in particular, to so great a degree that he had 
been obliged to remain behind, and died shortly afterwards 
without reaching the Niger. 
It was fortunate that Park's health had hitherto been 
very slightly affected, since the whole burden of the expe- 
dition evidently rested upon him. He not only directed 
all the great movements of the caravan, but superintended 
its minutest details, and was foremost on all occasions 
