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CHAPTER IV. 
African Explorers of the Early Part of the 
Nineteenth Century. 
The power of Napoleon, and with it the supremacy of 
France, was scarcely overthrown—the Titanic contests, 
to gratify the ambition of one man at the expense of the 
intellectual progress of humanity, were scarcely at an 
end, before an honourable rivalry awoke once more, and 
new scientific and commercial expeditions were set on 
foot. A new era had commenced. 
Foremost in the ranks of the governments which 
organised and encouraged exploring expeditions we find 
as usual that of England. It was in Central Africa, the 
vast riches of which had been hinted at in the accounts 
given of their travels by Hornemann and Burckhardt, 
that the attention of the English was now concentrated. 
As early as 1816 Major Pecldie, starting from 
Senegal, reached Kakondy, on the River Nunez, suc¬ 
cumbing, however, to the fatigue of the journey and 
unhealthiness of the climate soon after his arrival in that 
town. Major Campbell succeeded him in the command 
of the expedition, and crossed the lofty mountains of 
Foota-Djalon, losing in a few days several men and part 
of the baggage animals. 
Arrived at the headquarters of the Almamy, as most 
of the kings of this part of Africa are called, the expe¬ 
dition was detained for a long time, and only obtained 
permission to depart on payment of a large sum. 
Most disastrous was the return journey, for the 
explorers had not only to recross the streams they had 
before forded with such difficulty, but they were sub¬ 
jected to so many insults, annoyances, and exactions 
