I 
MR PARK'S SECOND JOURNEY. 439 
the nation, and their influence was felt in a quar- 
ter whence more powerful exertions could issue, 
than from the most powerful association of indivi- 
duals. The present reign had been distinguished 
by an extraordinary zeal for promoting the pro- 
gress of discovery both by sea and land ; and du- 
ring its lapse, Britain had risen to the first rank in 
this distinguished career. The same patronage 
under which Captain Cook had displayed himself 
as the first of maritime explorers, was now extend- 
ed to one, who held a place equally eminent among 
land travellers. In October 1801, Park was ap- 
prised that it was the intention of Government to 
send a new expedition, on a large scale, to Africa, 
and was invited to place himself at its head. In 
his ardent mind, neither the recollection of for- 
mer " hairbreadth 'scapes/ 9 nor domestic ties re- 
cently formed, could for a moment damp the en- 
thusiasm with which he embarked in this new 
field of adventure. He would have departed with- 
out delay, had not a change of ministry, and some 
official difficulties, retarded the equipment of the 
expedition till September 1804. On the 4th of 
October, he delivered to the Colonial Office a me- 
moir on the plan and objects of this expedition* 
To understand these, it may be necessary to ad- 
vert to some circumstances by which his views on 
this subject had been powerfully affected. During 
