_PREPARING FOR PARK: THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION._
The latter part of the eighteenth century marks the commencement of the
modern period of African exploration. So far all African enterprises
had been instigated by governments for national aggrandisement, or by
merchants with commercial objects in view. Early Portuguese discovery
was a type of the one; the British expedition to the Gambia an example
of the other. But now the time had come when, dissociated from both,
African exploration was to start forth on a new line of unselfish
research, and accomplish what governments and commercial communities
had failed in doing.
To the African Association belongs the honour of inaugurating this new
and more glorious era. Lord Rawdon, afterwards Marquis of Hastings,
Sir Joseph Banks, the Bishop of Landaff, Mr. Beaufoy, and Mr. Stuart,
were the first managers of this Association, whose objects were the
promotion of discovery in Africa, and the spread of information,
commercial, political, and scientific, regarding the still sadly
unknown continent.
At first the Association devoted their attention to Northern Africa,
and in a short time were instrumental in gathering together much
reliable and valuable information as to the Mohammedan states of that
region.
Their inquiries, however, were not to be bounded by the Sahara any more
than the first onrush of the Mohammedan torrent.
The routes of the large caravans to the Sudan were made a subject of
investigation, and the Arab writers laid under contribution to satisfy
the demand for more light.
To the Niger especially their inquiries were turned, in the hope of
solving the mystery of its true position and its course. Where did it
commence and where did it end? was the double problem which puzzled
the eighteenth century geographers more even than the question of the
source of the Nile.
Not content with inquiries which only landed them in perplexities and
endless discussion, they resolved to send out explorers. To such they
offered no monetary inducements, no hope of tangible reward. The honour
and glory of discovery were to be their prize: the Association at
the same time undertaking, for their part, to defray the traveller’s
expenses.
The inducements offered were quite sufficient. Admirably qualified men
presented themselves in greater numbers than were needed, so that the
chief difficulty of the Association was to choose rather than to seek.
The first of the heroic band of African pioneers was Ledyard, already a
traveller of the most varied experience. His mission was to cross the
African Continent from the Nile to the Atlantic. At the threshold of
his enterprise he perished of fever in 1788.
Mr. Lucas was the next to take up the work. His qualifications were an
intimate knowledge of Moorish life and language, gathered first as a
slave in Morocco, then as British Vice-Consul to that empire. The work
marked out for him was to start from Tripoli and cross the Sahara to
the Sudan. In this he failed. A revolt of Arab tribes barred the way,
and Mr. Lucas abandoned the enterprise, bringing back with him only
additional particulars regarding the interior, which he had gathered
from native merchants.
More successful in the earlier part of a succeeding expedition was
Horneman (1789), who undoubtedly crossed the desert, but crossed it
only to disappear for ever.
Clearly Africa was a hard nut to crack, and dangerous to whomsoever
should essay it.
Foiled in their attempts to reach the goal of their desires from
the north, the African Association next turned to West Africa for a
possible opening to the interior. Once more the Gambia was chosen as
the most direct and feasible route.
In Major Houghton they seemed to have got the right man for the work.
As Consul at Morocco he had gained an acquaintance with the Moors and
their language, and at Goree, then in British hands, he had come in
contact with the West African negro, and learned the conditions of life
and travel obtaining in the Gambia region.
The new attempt was made in 1791. Unlike Jobson and Stibbs, the
adventurous explorer did not proceed by boat and with a large European
party, but by land, single-handed, and attended by the most modest of
retinues. At first all went well; no difficulties or troubles retarded
his progress. Generally following the course of the river he safely
reached Medina, the capital of Wuli, and was hospitably received by
the king of the place. Less kind were the elements. A fire which
reduced the town to ashes deprived him of much of his goods. From
Medina Houghton’s route diverged from the Gambia, passing west to
the Falemé, a southern tributary of the Senegal, and frontier line
of the gold-bearing region of Bambuk. Here also he was received with
hospitality, and was sent on his way through Bambuk rejoicing. Not
to rejoice long, however. The last communication received from him
contained these graphic lines: “Major Houghton’s compliments to Dr.
Laidley; is in good health, on his way to Timbuktu; robbed of all
his goods by Fenda Bukar’s son.” No despair in these words, whatever
calamities might have befallen the writer; no halting in the resolution
to achieve his object--only the one unhesitating determination to go
forward. But it was to go forward to die. In spite of Fenda Bukar’s
son he seems still to have possessed sufficient means to rouse the
unscrupulous cupidity of some Moors. Lured on by these wretches he was
led into the desert, where he was stripped of everything and left to a
horrible death.
It would seem that the disastrous ending of these various expeditions
had thrown a damper upon the eagerness of volunteers to continue the
work, for we now find the African Association offering the inducement
of a liberal recompense to whomsoever would take up the task broken off
by Houghton’s death.
Little wonder if qualified men hesitated to offer themselves. African
fevers had a terror then which they no longer possess. The continent
was practically unknown, and to the imagination, with no facts to act
as correctives, everything wore a terrible aspect. Cannibalism, general
bloodthirstiness and ferocity, a love of plunder, and all manner of
horrible practices, were associated with the name of negro. Death by
thirst or starvation was thought likely to be the lot of those who
escaped the miasma of the land or the murderous spear of the native.
Brave indeed would be the man who should face such an accumulation of
vaguely discerned and mightily exaggerated horrors.
Nevertheless the African Association had not long to wait. At this
crisis in their affairs the man for the work was forthcoming, one
destined to crown their hopes with a triumphant success, to inaugurate
a more brilliant future for African travel, and give it such an impetus
as would carry it on to a glorious issue. This was Mungo Park.