They Heard At One Time That His Journal Was Still In Existence; But
It Turned Out That This Was Only
A feint used by the king of Yaour to
entice them into his dominions, and fleece them of some of
Their
property; and there appeared no reason to doubt that the journal, the
loss of which there is much reason to regret, sunk in the waters of the
Niger.
It seems unnecessary to enter into a lengthened estimate of the character
of Mungo Park. The biographical details which we have given, with his own
narrative of his first expedition, and the summary of the leading events
of his second, will have sufficiently enabled our readers to judge for
themselves. But we cannot quit the subject without a few brief remarks,
having frequently, while writing these pages, had our attention called
off from the events themselves to him who was the principal actor in
them. Amongst the numerous adventurers whose spirit of research has led
them into unknown countries, it would be difficult to find one better
qualified in every way than Park was. His frame was admirably adapted for
enduring toil. He was tall and muscular, and possessed great strength and
agility. In his first African journey he traversed three thousand miles,
for the most part on foot, through an unknown and barbarous country,
exposed to continued unremitting toil, to the perils of the way, to
storm, hunger, pestilence, and the attacks of wild beasts and savage
natives, supported by a dauntless spirit, and by a fortitude which never
forsook him.
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