LIFE OF MUNGO PARK. 
xei 
most important fact is justly considered by Park himself as 
b«ing fully established by his own disastrous expedition.* 
In what degree it is practicable to penetrate beyond 
JBambarra yet remains to be ascertained ; since it cannot 
be said that this question is determined, or even materially 
affected, by what took place in Park's expedition. No 
general inference upon this subject can be fairly deduced 
from an extreme case, such as Park's evidently was ; nor 
does it follow, because a small party consisting of four 
Europeans and a few Negroes, was attacked and over- 
powered, that an expedition well appointed and properly 
organized, would experience a similar fate. It may be 
observed also that, ill provided as Park was with the means 
of defence, he was able to proceed in safety beyond Tom- 
buctoo, where the Moors are most numerous, and would 
in a short time have reached a country beyond the Moorish 
territory, where the danger would probably have been 
much diminished-t Neither is it altogether certain that 
his death was not one of those accidents, to which such 
enterprises are peculiarly liable, but from which no general 
conclusion can be drawn. J 
* Journal, p. 140. 
t See letter to Sir Joseph Banks (ante p. Ixxviil) in which Park says " that, 
according to the information of the guide, they should touch on the Moors no 
where hut at Tombucloo." 
X Such, for example, as Captain Cooke's death, which certainly affords no 
argument against voyages of discovery. It may be observed that the statement 
in the note annexed to Amadi Fatouma's Journal (see p. 213) gives some coun- 
tenance to the supposition mentioned in the text. From this note it appears 
that certain presents which Amadi had delivered from Park to one of the cliieis 
of Haoussa for the use of the king, were with-held from the latter ia consequence 
