You are hereby
empowered to enlist with you, for this expedition, any number you think
proper of the garrison at Goree, not exceeding forty-five, which the
Commandant of that island will be ordered to place under your command,
giving them such bounties or encouragement as may be necessary to induce
them cheerfully to join with you on the expedition.
"And you are hereby authorised to engage, by purchase or otherwise, such
a number of black artificers at Goree as you shall judge necessary for
the objects you have in view.
"You are to be conveyed to Goree in a transport, convoyed by his
Majesty's sloop Eugenie, which will be directed to proceed with you, in
the first instance, to St. Jago, in order that you may there purchase
fifty asses for carrying your baggage.
"When you shall have prepared whatever may be necessary for securing the
objects of your expedition at Goree, you are to proceed up the river
Gambia, and thence crossing over to the Senegal, to march, by such route
as you shall find most eligible, to the banks of the Niger.
"The great object of your journey will be to pursue the course of this
river to the utmost possible distance to which it can be traced, - to
establish communication and intercourse with the different nations on the
banks, - to obtain all the local knowledge in your power respecting
them, - and to ascertain the various points stated in the memoir which you
delivered to me on the 4th of October last.
"And you will be then at liberty to pursue your route homewards by any
line you shall think most secure, either by taking a new direction
through the interior towards the Atlantic, or by marching upon Cairo, by
taking the route leading to Tripoli.
"You are hereby empowered to draw for any sum that you may be in want of,
not exceeding L5000, upon the Lords of his Majesty's Treasury, or upon
such a mercantile banking-house in London as you may fix upon. I am, &c.
"(Signed) CAMDEN.
"_To Mungo Park, Esq. &c. &c. &c._"
Before Park departed, Government had generously resolved, that, in
addition to a handsome reward for his own services, the sum of L4000
should be settled upon his wife and family, in the event of his death or
non-appearance after a certain stipulated time. Nothing, therefore,
remained but that he should finally settle his affairs, and take an
affectionate farewell of his friends, who bade adieu to him with a heavy
heart, fearing that they would never see his face again.
CHAPTER XXIX.
_Park's Second Journey - The Gambia to Bambakoo._
On the 30th January 1805, Park, accompanied by Mr. Anderson, his
brother-in-law, who was to be second in command of the expedition, and
Mr. Scott, a friend and neighbour, who went as draftsman, together with
four or five artificers from the dockyards, set sail from Portsmouth in
the Crescent transport, and reached Port Prayo Bay in St. Jago on the 8th
March, after a very stormy passage. Having purchased forty-four asses,
they left this place on the 21st March, and having made the coast of
Africa on the 25th, anchored in Goree Roads. From the garrison at this
place Park had been instructed to select a limited party of soldiers - an
arrangement which proved by no means favourable to the success of the
expedition, as many of the men were of intemperate habits, and, through
their long residence at Goree, most of them were much debilitated by the
climate. Park fixed upon thirty-five, who seemed the strongest men of the
garrison, to accompany him; and one of their officers, Lieutenant Martyn,
also volunteered. Two experienced seamen, by permission of Captain
Shortland of the Squirrel frigate, were also to go with him, as their
assistance would prove most useful in equipping' the boats for sailing
down the Niger. Before they left Goree, Park wrote the following letter
to his wife: -
"_Goree, 4th April_ 1805.
"I have just now learnt that an American ship sails from this place for
England in a day or two, and I readily embrace the opportunity of sending
a letter to my dear wife. We have all of us kept our health very well
ever since our departure from England, Alexander had a touch of the
rheumatism at St. Jago, but is now quite recovered. He danced several
country dances at the ball last night. George Scott is also in good
health and spirits. I wrote to you from St. Jago, which letter I hope you
received. We left that place on the 21st of March, and arrived here with
the asses on the 28th. Almost every soldier in the garrison volunteered
to go with me; and, with the Governor's assistance, I have chosen a guard
of the best men in the place. So lightly do the people here think of the
danger attending the undertaking, that I have been under the necessity of
refusing several military and naval officers who volunteered to accompany
me. We shall sail for Gambia on Friday or Saturday, I am happy to learn
that Karfa, my old friend, is at present at Jonkakonda; and I am in hopes
we shall be able to hire him to go with us.
"We have as yet been extremely fortunate, and have got our business, both
at St. Jago and this place, finished with great success; and I have
hopes, almost to certainty, that Providence will so dispose the tempers
and passions of the inhabitants of this quarter of the world, that we
shall be enabled to _slide through_ much more smoothly than you expect.
