viii 
PREFACE. 
with the government of a king, the zealous and enlightened 
protector of interests so important, and so nearly affecting, 
at the present period, the prosperity, and perhaps even 
the internal tranquillity of the kingdom. 
Have I been fortunate enough to realize in this respect 
the wishes I had formed, the hopes which, in common 
with my former compatriots of Senegal, I had dared to 
conceive, of fulfilling this part of the task which I under- 
took, and of thus paying my tribute to the government of 
my country ? Let my natural judges, with whom the fruits 
of my researches are deposited, and let the success of future 
enterprizes, incited by mine, answer this question for me. 
It is not for me to estimate the progress which geographi- 
cal and natural science may owe to my travels. I must 
leave it to be appreciated by those who so worthily repre- 
sent them in the capital of the civilized world, and the pos- 
session of whose knowledge and talents would have been 
so delightful, and above all so useful to me, when day 
after day I found myself alone and left to my own 
feeble resources in a world as yet unknown to, and un- 
explored by curious and scientific Europe. Armed with 
the knowledge and the instruments for which we are in- 
debted to them, I might have hoped to have more fully 
accomplished the wishes of the Geographical Society, and 
to have rendered myself more deserving of the flattering 
and benevolent reception which it has granted me, and of 
the distinction and rewards which its descriminating 
patriotism decrees to those who record its efforts ; of that 
Society which, with so much zeal and success, prosecutes the 
