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. The work was
difficult, and untried authorship he found almost as arduous as his
journeyings. He was unaccustomed to writing; his notes were imperfect and
scanty, so that he had frequently to draw upon memory; care, and
correction, and retrenchment were necessary to render his work worthy of
the interest which his adventures had excited; and he knew that it would
be carefully sifted by each of the two contending parties, who were on
the watch for information concerning the great controverted question of
the slave-trade, so that the utmost nicety and exactness were requisite
in stating the facts respecting it, which had fallen under his notice.
The long-expected work at length appeared in April 1799, in quarto, and
met with the greatest popularity. It was sought after with avidity, both
on account of the novelty and importance of the information comprised in
it, and the interesting manner in which the narrative was conducted.
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