488 
ADAMSES NARRATIVE. 
ed a wish to examine him more minutely. Adams 
(for this was the sailor's name) was on the point of 
setting sail for his native country, and shewed at 
first a considerable reluctance to remain ; but this 
was overcome by the application of powerful mo- 
tives. He was afterwards repeatedly examined 
in the presence of persons of distinction, who took 
a deep interest in African affairs. The substance 
of his intelligence was then taken down in writ- 
ing, and thrown into the form of a narrative. The 
arguments used by the editor, and by a very able 
writer in the Quarterly Review, to prove the ge- 
neral authenticity of these statements, are so con- 
vincing, and have so completely satisfied the pub- 
lic, that it is unnecessary to repeat them here. 
The want of all attempt, on Adams's part, to turn 
his information to account, its very discrepancy 
with all our preconceived ideas on the subject, 
afford the strongest presumptions in his favour. 
M. Dupuis, the British Vice-Consul at Mogadore, 
happening fortunately to be in London, confirmed 
the fact of Adams's shipwreck, his release from 
captivity, and the correspondence of his present 
statements with those formerly given to himself^ 
and also with those of other credible persons who 
had been at Tombuctoo. It is certainly unfortu- 
nate that this grand object of European curiosity 
should have been first viewed by eyes so little en- 
lightened or curious 5 and that the particulars 
