Life and Travels of Mungo Park in Central Africa | Page 4

visits Loggun. Fishing on the river Yeou. The Shouaa
Arabs. Death of Dr. Oudney. Arrival at Kano. Sockatoo. Denham and
Clapperton return by Kouka.

CHAPTER XXXIII

.
Captain Clapperton sets out on a second journey. Death of three
principal members of the expedition. Clapperton and Lander reach
Eyeo. Arrive at Kacunda. Enter the Borgoo country. Lander's escape
from Lions. Kiama. Boussa. Nyffe. Zeg-Zeg. Attack of Coonia.
Residence in Sockatoo. Death and burial of Clapperton. Lander's
return.

CHAPTER XXXIV
.
Major Laing--his murder. Caillie reaches Timbuctoo. His march across
the Desert.

CHAPTER XXXV
.
Richard and John Lander set out. Badagry. Journey to Kiama. African
horse race. Kakafungi. Boussa. Sail up the Niger to Yaoorie. Embark at
Boussa. Island of Zagoshi. Dangerous situation of the travellers. Egga.
Hostile demonstration of the natives. The Landers attacked. Carried to
Eboe. King Obie. Conduct of Captain Lake. Arrive at Fernando Po.
Remarks on the discovery of the Niger's termination.

CHAPTER XXXVI
.
Messrs Laird, Oldfield, and Lander, set out in the Quorra and Alburkah.
Attack of the natives. Leave Eboe. Mortality on board the vessels.
Capture of an alligator. Aspect of the Niger near the Kong Mountains.
The Quorra aground. Fundah. Mr. Laird returns to the coast. Richard
Lander wounded. His death. Return of the Alburkah. Conclusion.
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION.
_Progress of African Discovery, before Park's first Expedition.--Park's
Early Life._
The first information we have respecting the interior of Africa is

derived from Herodotus, who, during his residence in Egypt,
endeavoured to collect as much intelligence as possible respecting the
general aspect of the country. He describes it as far less fertile than the
cultivated parts of Europe and Asia, and much exposed to drought, with
the exception of a few verdant spots. To the northern coast, he gives the
name of the forehead of Africa; and says that immediately south from it,
the comparative fertility of the soil rapidly decreases. There are natural
hills of salt, out of which the inhabitants scoop houses to shelter
themselves from the weather; rain they have not to fear, as scarcely a
drop ever alights upon that sultry region. Farther south still, there is no
food to support man or beast--neither shrub, nor a single drop of water;
all is silence and utter desolation. Herodotus then proceeds to relate a
number of monstrous fables, which bear an overwhelming proportion
to the parts of his narrative which are now known to be true. He also
describes a large inland river, which some have supposed to be the
Niger, flowing from west to east. He acquired this information from the
reports of various travellers, who stated that after a long journey to the
interior, they had themselves seen it. This account was confirmed by
several other ancient authors; but for a long time the question was
agitated by modern writers as to whether the Gambia or the Senegal
was not the river spoken of; some even denying the existence of the
Niger altogether.
The fables of Herodotus were repeated, with a number of additions, by
Diodorus; but the narrative of Strabo, in regard to the northern and
western coasts, is somewhat more particular and authentic: it adds
nothing, however, to our acquaintance with the interior. The Greeks,
under the government of the Ptolemies, navigated the Red Sea, and
carried on a trade with Egypt; and some settlements were made by
them in that country. Ptolemy Euergetes conquered part of Abyssinia,
and established a kingdom, of which Axum was the metropolis; and
remains of Grecian architecture have since been found in that quarter.
To the two districts we have mentioned, the knowledge which the
ancients possessed of Africa was almost exclusively confined; though
Herodotus speaks of two voyages which had been undertaken with a
view to determine the shape of the continent; but as nothing interesting
can be gleaned from his indistinct narrative, and as the reality even of
these voyages has been disputed, it seems unnecessary to give any

account of them.
As in this brief sketch we are to confine ourselves entirely to
discoveries made in the interior of Africa, we shall not mention either
the various voyages made along the shores, or the different settlements
formed upon the coast, as this would lead us far beyond our narrow
limits.
The Arabians were the first who introduced the camel into Africa, an
animal whose strength and swiftness peculiarly suited it for traversing
the immense expanse of burning sands. By means of caravans, the
Arabians were enabled to hold intercourse with the interior, whence
they procured supplies of gold and slaves; and many of them migrated
to the south of the Great Desert. Their number rapidly increased, and
being skilled in the art of war, they soon became the ruling power.
They founded several kingdoms;