554f PLANS FOR EXPLORING AFRICA. 
and Tombuctoo, being republican, with a sort of 
chief or prince at its head. 
To improve these favourable dispositions, the 
British Government have engaged a young man 
of the name of Ritchie, late private secretary to 
Sir Charles Stewart, ambassador at Paris, to pro- 
ceed from Tripoli into the interior of Africa. 
He is said to be a young man of excellent abili- 
ties, and versant in many branches of science. 
Captain Marryat of the navy has volunteered to 
accompany him ; and they were to start in the 
spring of the present year. The French Go- 
vernment are said to have sent on the same des^ 
tination the Spaniard named Bahdia, whose tra- 
vels are published under the fictitious name of 
Ali Bey. A committee of the Institute, consist- 
ing of Delambre, Cuvier, and others, were ap- 
pointed to draw up his instructions ; and the Go- 
vernment agreed to advance 25,000 francs (fully 
^.1000), and to provide for his family in the 
event of his death. He set out at the beginning 
of the present year, ostensibly by the way of 
Egypt ; but it has been confidently stated, that 
his real destination is Tripoli, where he hopes to 
anticipate Mr Ritchie. 
A third channel of communication with central 
Africa has recently been opened, from which we 
may expect very important results. No kingdom 
in Africa seems to have attained a higher measure 
