LIFE OF MUNGO PARK. 
Ixxxiii 
Isaaco left Senegal in January 1810, and was absent 
about twenty months. He returned on tlie 1 st of September 
1811, with a full confirmation of the reports concerning 
Park's death. As the result of his enquiries into this 
subject, he delivered to the Governor a Journal of bis whole 
proceedings kept by himself in the Arabic language, in- 
cluding another Journal whicli he had received from Amadi 
Fatouma, the guide who had accompanied Park from 
Sansanding down the Niger. A translation of this singular 
document was made at Senegal by the directions of Colonel 
Maxwell, and transmitted by him to the Secretary of State 
for the Colonial Department. 
On the subject of this Journal, so far as it immediately 
relates to Park's death, very few remarks will be necessary. 
Being originally written by a native African, and translated 
by some person who probably had but a moderate know- 
ledge of the Arabian dialect in which it is composed, it is 
far from being always clear or even intelligible ; and in 
the state in which it now appears, it is open to much obser- 
vation. Neither indeed can it be considered in itself as a 
document of a very authentic or satisfactory description. 
But the account which it gives of Park's death appears on 
the whole to be probable and consistent ; and is so far 
corroborated by other circumstances as to leave no reason- 
able doubt with regard to the fact.* 
* The genuine travelling Journal of a native African Merchant may in some 
respects be considered as interesting, simply from the circumstance of its singu- 
larity. I5ut it must be acknowledged that for the mere purpose of gratifying 
curiosity very few specimens of Isaaco would have been sufficient. The sole 
reason for publishing such a document at full length, is the circumstance of its 
containing the only direct evidence of Park's death. In every other point of view 
