Soon After, Some Information Concerning Tombuctoo Was Derived From Adams,
An American Sailor, Who Was Wrecked Upon The Coast, And Who Reported That
He Had Been Carried Captive To That City By The Moors, And Had Remained
There Six Months.
His description of this famous place ill corresponded
with the ideas which Europeans entertained of its splendour; the most
Spacious of the houses being merely huts, one storey in height, composed
of timber frame-works filled with earth; and many of the inhabitants
sheltering themselves under hovels, consisting of branches of trees,
covered with mats of the palmetto. The palace was merely a collection of
such apartments enclosed by a mud wall. The inhabitants were of a gay and
thoughtless disposition, spending much of their time in dancing. The
chief traffic of the place was in slaves.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
_From Park's return, to his Second Expedition._
Park's own narrative of his travels will now have informed the reader of
all that wonderful train of events which the hardy and enterprising
discoverer went through: of his captivity among the Moors - his
escape - his discovery of the course of the Niger - of the African capital
of Sego - his journey through Bambarra, and his toilsome and perilous
return. On his arrival at Pisania, his kind and attentive friend Dr.
Laidley was absent, but a countryman, Mr. Robert Ainslie, invited him to
his house. In two days Dr. Laidley returned, and hailed Park with joy,
receiving him as "one risen from the dead." As no European vessel was at
that time expected to arrive at Gambia, Park embarked on the 15th June
1797, on board a slave-ship bound to America. This vessel was driven by
stress of wind to the West Indies, and at length, after much difficulty,
succeeded in making the island of Antigua; whence Park sailed on the 24th
November, in the Chesterfield Packet, which, after a short but stormy
passage, reached Falmouth on the 22d December. No intelligence had for a
long time reached England of the wanderer's fate, and his bones were
supposed to have been bleaching amid the sands of the desert.
Park arrived at London, before day-break, on the morning of the 25th;
and, unwilling to disturb his brother-in-law's family at such an
unseasonable hour, he wandered about for some time through the streets
near Mr. Dickson's residence. As he strolled along, finding one of the
entrances to the gardens of the British Museum accidentally left open, he
entered and walked about there for some time. It chanced that Mr.
Dickson, who superintended the gardens, had found occasion to go there
thus early about some trifling matter or other. What must have been his
astonishment at beholding, by the still weak light, the form - or as it
had rather seemed - the vision, of that relative, who had ever been in his
most anxious thoughts, and whose countenance he had never expected again
to see, or even to learn tidings of his fate. A joyful welcome of course
ensued, and Park's anxieties concerning his relations, were speedily set
at rest.
The interest attached to his return was by no means confined to his
relations and friends - the public at large, whose sympathies had followed
the traveller on his arduous way, were gratified to learn that he had
again returned, after having made important discoveries, and tracked a
considerable portion of the course of the Niger. Rumours were also
current of his "hair-breadth 'scapes," and the lovers of novelty and
adventure were anxious to hear the particulars of his wanderings. The
African Association triumphed in the success of his mission, and were
proud that the assiduous diligence of Park had, under such unfavourable
circumstances, collected a mass of information which so far outweighed
the results of all previous expeditions, and that they could therefore
claim justly more support from the public. They gave a substantial proof
of their gratitude to Park, by permitting him to publish his travels for
his own benefit; and a complete narrative of his journey from his own pen
was speedily announced to be in preparation. An abstract, drawn up by Mr.
Bryan Edwards, from Park's Notes, was printed for private circulation
among the members of the Association in the meantime; it was also
enriched by a valuable Memoir by Major Rennel, on African Geography. This
publication afterwards formed the ground-work of the larger work, to the
quarto edition of which Major Kennel's narrative was also appended.
During the remainder of that winter Park resided in London, arranging the
materials of his work; he also required to be in constant communication
with the members of the Association, while the memoirs we have alluded to
were being drawn up. His engaging and unassuming manners gained him the
friendship of Mr. Edwards, to whose country residence at Southampton he
paid frequent visits. Repeated offers were made to him by Government, who
then wished to procure a complete survey of New Holland; but this scene
of action did not seem to present sufficient attractions to Park, for he
declined it.
In June 1798, Park went to Scotland, and visited his relations at
Fowlshiels, where he remained the whole of the ensuing summer and autumn.
Great must have been the joy of his relatives, when he, who had been
mourned for as dead, was again an inmate of their house. The fame which
he had earned in other quarters by his daring heroism, must have been
poor in value, compared with the, admiration and interest with which his
tales were listened to beneath the domestic roof; and the expressions of
wonder which his adventures had extorted from strangers, must to his mind
have seemed tame and heartless, when he beheld the astonishment and
breathless interest depicted on the countenances, and glistening in the
eyes of the family circle. All this time he was employed upon his
travels, busying himself with his manuscripts almost the whole day, and
only indulging himself in the evenings with a solitary walk.
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