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PROGRAMME OF 
SOCIETY OF GEOGRAPHY 1824. 
Premium for a Journey to Timbuctoo and the Interior of 
Africa. 
The fortunate attempt of the English travellers who 
penetrated into Central Africa in 1 823 has lately attracted 
the attention of Europe towards the interior of that con- 
tinent, which now divides public curiosity equally with 
the polar regions, the centre of Asia, and the new coun- 
tries of Australia, It was natural that the Society of Geo- 
graphy should direct its attention to this quarter also, 
pointing out as preferable the route already attempted by 
Mungo Park, and which touches upon the French estab- 
lishments in the Senegal ; with it therefore originated the 
idea of a subscription for the encouragement of travels to 
Timbuctoo. It proposes t o offer a premium to any travel- 
ler who shall be fortunate enough to surmount all the pe- 
rils incident to this enterprise, and who shall at the same 
time obtain some certain information and positive results 
respecting the geography, the productions, and the com- 
merce of that country and the regions lying to the east of 
it. France was the first country of Europe which formed 
permanent establishments on the Senegal, and her honour 
is interested in assisting those travellers who seek to pe- 
netrate into the interior of Africa, by the route approach- 
ing nearest to her settlements. Such an enterprise, if suc- 
cessful would not be without profit to our commercial indus- 
try ; and, considering it with respect to the sciences, what 
an inexhaustible source of discovery would it not open to 
