210 JL)r Brown on tlic Correspo/ndence between Mr Park 
TQse of sails, is perhaps fully as much as they can accomplish. 
Prom these observations, then, Jt appears, that in descending to 
Houssa, in whatever way they sail, they do little more than 
float down the stream during their eight days voyage ; but that, 
in returning to Tombuctoo, they need the assistance of a good 
breeze to reach it in the same length of time. Allowing, there- 
fore, a mile per hour as the average rate of the current, and 
supposing the distance between Wangara and the uppermost 
falls of the Congo to be 2000 miles, which appears from the 
Map to be not too great an allowance, after including the ne- 
cessary windings, it will take nearly three months for the flood 
of the Niger to reach Embomma. On the whole, then, it ap- 
pears not unreasonable to suppose, that the Congo may be the 
outlet of the Niger ; and I have sufficient evidence to enable 
me to assert, that such was the opinion of Mr Park himself. 
But still the other point remains to be investigated. Whether 
it would be better to ascend the Congo in quest of Wangara, 
or descend the Niger in search of the Congo ? Prom the per- 
usal of the foregoing correspondence, one would be led to 
think the first of these plans undoubtedly the best ; but the 
African Association, for reasons certainly that seemed to them 
satisfactory, chose the second. Accordingly, Mr Park left Bri- 
tain January 28. 1805, accvompanied by his brother-in-law Mr 
Alexander Anderson as surgeon, and Mr George Scott as 
draughtsman, originally from Selkirkshire ; H. Gorce, a lieu- 
tenant, and about fifty men of the African Corps, station- 
ed there, volunteered their services. But by a letter from 
Mr Park, dated Sansanding, in the November following, 
all the above, except himself and four others, had fallen a 
sacrifice to those baneful distempers the fever and flux. At 
that time, he expected to be in Britain in May 1806 ; but ma- 
ny years alas ! have elapsed without the arrival of this adven- 
turous and interesting traveller. By a letter, indeed, from 
Sierra Leone, lately exhibited in the public papers, (February 
12. 1812), his fate seems to be fixed, for it is there stated, 
that some presents which he had entrusted to a chief to de- 
liver to the King of Tombuctoo, not having been delivered, 
and some remonstrances on the subject having been made, the 
ruffian determined to sacrifice him ; and that Mr Park and his 
