SKETCH OF AFRICAN DISCOVER!. gflg 
of that character to avoid a heavier calamity. My dis 
tresses have been greater than I have over owned, or ovot 
will own, to any man. Such evils are terrible to bear; but 
thoy never yet had the power to turn mo from my purposo.’ 
Such was the indomitablo onorgy of this man, the first ol 
a long list of victims in the cause of African discovory 
Mr. Lucas, who was despatched by the Association to sup 
ply the place of Ledyard, was compelled to return home 
in consequence of several of tho countries through which 
he would have to pass being engaged in hostilities. In 
1790, Major Houghton, an officer who was acquainted with 
tho customs of the Moors and Nogroes, proceeded to Africa 
under tho auspices of tho Association, and had made con . 
sidorablo progress in tho interior, when, after having been 
treacherously plundered and left in tho Desert, where he 
endurod severe privations, ho reached Jarra, and diod there 
in Soptombor, 1791, it being strongly suspected that ho was 
murdered. Tho next individual on whom tho Association 
fixed was Mungo Park, who proceeded to the river Gambia 
in 1795 and thence set out into tho interior. Tho great 
object accomplished during his journoy was that of suc- 
cessfully exploring tho banks of the Niger, which had pre- 
viously boon considered identical with tho river Senegal 
In 1804, Park sot out upon his second journoy, which was 
undertaken at tho oxponso of tho Government. Tho plaD 
of former travellers had bocn to accompany tho caravans 
from ore part of tho country to another; but in this ox 
poditior Pxrk required a party of thirty-six Europeans 
six of w hom wero to bo seamen and tho remainder soldiers 
it boinf his intention, on reaching tho Niger, to build two 
vessels, and to follow with his party tho courso of tho river 
If tho Gongo and tho Niger wero tho same stream, as was 
then srpposod, ho anticipated litllo difficulty in his onter- 
priso ; but if, as was also maintained, tho Nigor terminated 
in swa rips and morasses, many hardships and dangers wore 
expected in thoir subsequent progress. Turk at length 
reached tho Nigor, accompanied cnly by sovon of his party. 
