iculties of
every description, have contributed to fill up some of the numerous
blank places on the map. Although, by their showing, sand enough and to
spare and vast rocky deserts are to be found, there are wide districts
of the greatest fertility, possessed of many natural beauties--elevated
and cool regions, where even the European can retain his health and
strength and enjoy existence; lofty mountains, magnificent rivers and
broad lakes, and many curious and interesting objects, not more
wonderful, however, than those of other parts of the globe, while the
inhabitants in _every_ direction, though often savage and debased,
differ in no material degree from the other descendants of Ham.

Although our fathers knew very little about Africa, their interest had
been excited by the wonders it was supposed to contain, and they were
anxious to obtain all possible information respecting it. This was,
however, no easy matter, as most of the travellers who endeavoured to
make their way into the interior had died in the attempt.

A society called the African Association, to which the Marquis of
Hastings and Sir John Banks belonged, was at length formed to open up
the mighty continent to British commerce and civilisation.

The first explorer they despatched was Ledyard, who as a sergeant of
marines had sailed round the world with Captain Cook, and after living
among the American Indians had pushed his way to the remotest parts of
Asiatic Russia. If any man could succeed, it was thought he would.

He proceeded to Egypt, intending to make his way to Sennaar, and thence
to traverse the entire breadth of the African continent; but, seized
with an illness at Cairo, he died just as he was about to start with a
caravan.

The next traveller engaged by the society was Mr Lucas, who, having
been captured by a Salee rover, had been several years a slave in
Morocco. He started from Tripoli, but was compelled by the disturbed
state of the country to the south of that place to put back.

It should have been said that it had been long known that two mighty
rivers flowed through the interior of Africa, one called the Gambia and
the other the Niger, or Quorra; but whereabouts they rose, or the
direction they took, or the nature of the country they traversed in
their course, no exact information was possessed.

From Arab traders, also, accounts had been received of a vast city,
situated near the banks of the Niger, far away across the d