#96 THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION. 
" is to have food given me as charity to a madman j 
" and I have at times been obliged to shelter my- 
" self under the miseries of that character, to avoid 
" a heavier calamity : My distresses have been 
" greater than I have ever owned, or ever will 
" own, to any man. Such evils are terrible to 
" bear, but they never yet had power to turn me 
" from my purpose. If I live, I will faithfully 
" perform, in its utmost extent, my engagement 
f* to the Society ; and if I perish in the attempt, 
" my honour will still be safe, for death cancels 
" all bonds." 
Mr Lucas, the next person to whom the ex- 
ploring of the internal regions of Africa was en- 
trusted, had been sent, when a boy, to Cadiz, to 
be educated as a merchant. On his return, he 
was captured by a corsair of Sallee, and carried to 
the court of Morocco, where he remained three 
years before he obtained his freedom. After his 
release, being sent to Gibraltar, he was appointed 
Vice-consul and Charge d'affaires to Morocco, 
where he resided 16 years ; and was made Orien- 
tal interpreter to the British court, on his return 
to England. Upon expressing his desire to un- 
dertake, with his majesty's permission, any journey 
in the service of the Association, which his know- 
ledge of the manners, customs, and language of 
the Arabs, might enable him to accomplish, his 
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