10 HORNEMAN. PAUK’s SECOND JOURNEY. 
travellers now entered the field, but without success. 
The principal of these was Horneman, a student of 
Gottingen, who, if he penetrated as far as Nufi or 
NyfFe, as was supposed, must have become acquainted 
with a great portion of the course of the Niger ; but 
he probably fell a victim to the climate, as he never 
returned. 
Park’s adventurous spirit would not let him rest 
while the great problem remained unsolved ; and, in the 
beginning of 1805, he again started, under the authority 
of the Colonial Office, to “ pursue the River Niger to the 
utmost possible distance to which it can be traced.” He 
again took the route from the west coast of Africa by the 
Gambia, but was not now in the forlorn and solitary 
condition of his former journey. He was accompanied 
by a party of three officers, and forty-two men ; soldiers, 
seamen, and artificers. 
Park’s indomitable perseverance enabled him to reach 
the Niger, though with the loss of all his party except 
Lieutenant Martyn and three soldiers, all the others 
having fallen a sacrifice to the fevers consequent on the 
great fatigue and privations they had to undergo in 
travelling during the rainy season in that dangerous 
climate. 
Here it may be necessary to notice an apparent 
anomaly, or incongruity of opinion, as to the most 
healthy or unhealthy time in Africa, Park always 
spoke with horror of the rainy season, as ‘‘ being 
extremely fatal to Europeans.” Whereas our opinion, 
