PREFACE. 
ix 
African population. The sceptic in religion, 
and the would-be renovator of politics, may 
think differently on this subject j but every ra- 
tional individual must feel that British life, 
British talent, and British treasure, would not 
be employed in such a quarter if there were 
not every wish to benefit and improve the con- 
dition of our degraded fellow creatures. 
In undertaking this mission I was not em- 
ployed to create a fabulous history, or describe 
romantic scenery ; I was employed to glean and 
collect facts ; to effect discovery when it was 
possible ; to note down nothing which might not 
lead to some useful result ; and, in the end, to 
draw such honest inferences as will, I humbly 
venture to trust, be found throughout these 
pages. 
With the wisdom of all the previous plans 
adopted in exploring Western Africa I have 
nothing to do, and for that in which I was en- 
gaged, I only feel myself responsible as far as 
the resources placed within my reach. A dif- 
ficult duty was assigned me ; I attempted its 
execution ; and, be the results satisfactory or not, 
I can safely say that my best exertions were in 
no case wanting to meet the views of those 
high authorities at home and abroad who con- 
fided its performance to me. If I have par- 
tially failed, the failure is attributable to circum- 
