Park's own narrative of his travels will now have informed the reader of
all that wonderful train of events which the hardy and enterprising
discoverer went through: of his captivity among the Moors - his
escape - his discovery of the course of the Niger - of the African capital
of Sego - his journey through Bambarra, and his toilsome and perilous
return. On his arrival at Pisania, his kind and attentive friend Dr.
Laidley was absent, but a countryman, Mr. Robert Ainslie, invited him to
his house. In two days Dr. Laidley returned, and hailed Park with joy,
receiving him as "one risen from the dead." As no European vessel was at
that time expected to arrive at Gambia, Park embarked on the 15th June
1797, on board a slave-ship bound to America. This vessel was driven by
stress of wind to the West Indies, and at length, after much difficulty,
succeeded in making the island of Antigua; whence Park sailed on the 24th
November, in the Chesterfield Packet, which, after a short but stormy
passage, reached Falmouth on the 22d December. No intelligence had for a
long time reached England of the wanderer's fate, and his bones were
supposed to have been bleaching amid the sands of the desert.
Park arrived at London, before day-break, on the morning of the 25th;
and, unwilling to disturb his brother-in-law's family at such an
unseasonable hour, he wandered about for some time through the streets
near Mr. Dickson's residence.
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