PREFACE. 
XIX 
From the statements whicli have from time 
to time appeared in the press, the pubhc are 
ahready aware, that the presents and the treaty 
intended for the Sheikh of Bornou were duly 
presented and accepted, and that the boat which 
caused Mr. Richardson so much anxiety on the 
road was ultimately launched, as he desired, on 
lake Tchad, and employed in the survey of that 
celebrated piece of water. It is unnecessary 
here to notice the results of this survey, or of 
the explorations subsequently undertaken by 
Messrs. Barth and Overweg. These gentlemen, 
it is to be hoped, will be more fortunate than 
their colleague, and return to give in person an 
account of their exertions and discoveries. 
I shall conclude by expressing my hope 
that Mr. Richardson's reputation will not suffer 
from the way in which I have superintended 
the publication of his remains, and my regret 
that I am not able to do justice to the great 
services which he has rendered to philology by 
his copious collections of vocabularies of the 
languages, both of the Sahara and of the various 
kingdoms of Central Africa. 
Bayle St. John. 
London^ January 1853. 
