He Confirms The Account Given By Park's
Biographer Of His Cold And Reserved Manners To Strangers, And In
Particular, Of His Disgust With The _Indirect_ Questions Which Curious
Visitors Would Often Put To Him Upon The Subject Of His Travels.
"This
practice," said Mungo, "exposes me to two risks, - either that I may not
understand the questions meant to
Be put, or that my answers to them may
be misconstrued;" and he contrasted such conduct with the frankness of
Scott's revered friend, Dr. Adam Ferguson, who, the very first day the
traveller dined with him at Hallyards, spread a large map of Africa on
the table, and made him trace out his progress thereupon, inch by inch,
questioning him minutely as to every step he had taken. "Here, however,"
says Scott, "Dr. F. was using a privilege to which he was well entitled
by his venerable age and high literary character, but which could not
have been exercised with propriety by any common stranger."
Calling one day at Fowlshiels, and not finding Park at home, Scott walked
in search of him along the banks of the Yarrow, which in that
neighbourhood passes over various ledges of rock, forming deep pools and
eddies between them. Presently he discovered his friend standing alone on
the bank, plunging one stone after another into the water, and watching
anxiously the bubbles as they rose to the surface. "This," said Scott,
"appears but an idle amusement for one who has seen so much stirring
adventure." "Not so idle, perhaps, as you suppose," answered Mungo. "This
was the manner in which I used to ascertain the depth of a river in
Africa before I ventured to cross it, judging whether the attempt would
be safe by the time the bubbles of air took to ascend." At this time,
Park's intention of a second expedition had never been revealed to Scott,
but he instantly formed the opinion that these experiments on Yarrow were
connected with some such purpose.
His thoughts had always continued to be haunted with Africa. He told
Scott, that whenever he awoke suddenly in the night, owing to a nervous
disorder with which he was troubled, he fancied himself still a prisoner
in the tent of Ali; but when the Poet expressed some surprise that he
should design again to revisit those scenes, he answered, that he would
rather brave Africa and all its horrors, than wear out his life in long
and toilsome rides over the hills of Scotland, for which the remuneration
was hardly enough to keep soul and body together.
Towards the end of autumn, when about to quit his country for the last
time, Park paid Scott a farewell visit, and slept at Ashestiel. Next
morning his host accompanied him homewards over the wild chain of hills
between the Tweed and the Yarrow. Park talked much of the new scheme, and
mentioned his determination to tell his family that he had some business
for a day or two in Edinburgh, and send them his blessing from thence,
without returning to take leave.
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