graphic pen: "It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth." They are plentiful in our times too. They sacrifice truth at the shrine of worldly aggrandizement; they tell lies to fill their pockets; contract heavy guilt, that, like Whang the miller, they may have the exquisite pleasure of thrusting their hands into a heap of gold up to the elbow. There were, in the time of the king we have named, the seller, who, when disposing of his goods, greatly overpraised them; and the purchaser, who, to get them at a lower price, did exactly the reverse. Thus falsehood went on, out in the market, and on both sides of the counter-and so it does still. Oh! but the maxim is current in the world, that a man wont thrive now-a-days if he be sternly honest and unswerving in his regard to truth. Now, there is no use in making the world worse than it is. Rich knaves there are, no doubt they are the exception, not the rule, however; and were there a window in their bosoms, and were you, gentle reader, allowed to look through it, you would pity them, and call them "poor indeed." The shortest and easiest road to wealth is clearly that pointed out by honesty and worth. Is there a merchant in your community who is known to give his candid opinion of the quality of his goods-known neither to over-praise nor over-charge-who gives the same article at the same price to the injudicious and skilful alike? Be sure, other things being equal, that man is a thriving man; his shop is frequented by all who wish to deal fairly; his reputation is his bank. And so is it in every department of life. There is, if men would believe it, no need for lying; the arrangements of Providence are not such, that if a man be truthful and honest he must needs starve, and that the deepest rogue will infallibly be the most prosperous. But of all kinds of falsifiers the malicious is the most detestable. A poet of our own day has designed slander the "foulest whelp of sin." A malicious falsifierthat is, one who invents and propagates lies, with the view of injuring the peace, prosperity, or honor of another-is almost the biggest reproach to his species we know of. He looks with a jaundiced eye on all around him; his weal is the wo of others; he "sleeps not except he has done mischief;" he lives upon the calamities and misfortunes of mankind; worth, fame, talent, if possessed by those around him, only serve to provoke his resentment toward them, and call forth his slanders. He is a moral assassin; and, if character be more sacred than life, the malign traducer of it is every way as loathsome a being as he who sheds the blood of the innocent. We stop not to enlarge this picture. It is a sickening thing to investigate deformity. The poet we have just quoted has said with truth and power : "The man, In whom this spirit entered was undone; His tongue was set on fire of hell; his heart Was black as death." most common. There are other forms of this prevailing evil on which we do not dwell at present. Those we have sketched are perhaps the hint or two to those who happen to glance May we give a kindly at this page? Have a passionate attachment to the truth. Never cross its sacred line to advance your interests, gratify your Check, in all over whom you have invanity, or injure the man you love least. fluence, the slightest symptom of the vice not escape detection even in this life, and, in question. The habitual falsifier will when detected, he will be held in universal contempt. Shun paltry equivocation on the one hand, and inflated exaggeration on the other. Forget not that it is the intention to deceive that makes the lie, and not the mere phraseology in which it may be couched. The truth-telling habit gives him, eventually, so fair a reputation, that, to one so sunny a bosom, and earns for irrespective of higher motives, it is well worth being cultivated. Crabbe's "noble peasant," Isaac Ashford, was a model in this respect: "Of no man's presence Isaac felt afraid, At no man's question Isaac looked dismayed: THERE are two thousand five hundred known species of fishes; forty-four thousand of insects; seven hundred of reptiles; four thousand of birds; and five thousand of mamiferous animals. PROGRESS OF AFRICAN DISCOVERY. 309 PROGRESS OF AFRICAN DISCOVERY. | the cape, he pursued his course along the N the time of Herodotus, and long afterward, the general opinion was that Africa did not extend so far south as the equatorial line. There existed, however, a tradition that Africa had been circumnavigated by the Phoenicians about six centuries before the Christian era; but if the southern promontory of Africa had really been reached, it is difficult to conceive how so erroneous an impression could have prevailed as to the extent of the continent. It is, therefore, most probable that such a voyage had never succeeded; and, indeed, the circumstances under which it was prosecuted, according to the accounts which have come down to us, only add an additional feature of improbability to the story. Turning to modern times, we find, at the commencement of the fifteenth century, that Europeans were only acquainted with that portion of the western coast of Africa which extends from the straits of Gibraltar to Cape Nun, a line of coast not exceeding six hundred miles in length. The Portuguese had the honor of extending this limited acquaintance with the outline of the African continent. Their zeal for discovery in this direction became truly a national passion, and the sovereigns and princes of Portugal prosecuted this object with singular enthusiasm. By the year 1471 the Portuguese navigators had advanced 20 south of the line. In 1484, Diego Cam reached 22° south latitude. The next navigator, Bartholomew Diaz, was commanded to pursue his course southward until he should reach the extremity of Africa, and to him belongs the honor of discovering the Cape of Good Hope, the name given to it at the time by the king of Portugal, though Diaz had named it Cabo Tormentoso (the Cape of Tempests). The Cape of Good Hope was at first frequently called the Lion of the Sea, and also the Head of Africa. In 1497, Vasco de Gama set forth with the intention of reaching India by sailing round the Cape of Good Hope. After doubling eastern coast of Africa, and then stretched across the ocean to India. The Portuguese had now ascertained the general outline of Africa, and the position of many of the principal rivers and headlands. With the exception of a portion of the coast from the straits of Bab el Mandeb to Mukdeesha, situated in 3° north latitude, the whole of the coast had been traced by the Portuguese, and their zeal and enthusiasm, which had at one period been treated with ridicule, were at length triumphantly rewarded, about four years before Columbus had achieved his great discovery, which, with that of Vasco de Gama, amply repaid a century of speculative enterprise. This interesting combination of events had a sensible effect upon the general mind of Europe. The Portuguese soon formed settlements in Africa, and began to acquire a knowledge of the interior of the country. They were followed by the French, and afterward by the English and the Dutch. It is chiefly within the last fifty years that discoveries in the interior of Africa have been perseveringly and systematically prosecuted. In 1788 a society was established in London with the design of encouraging men of enterprise to explore the African continent. John Ledyard, an American, was the first person selected by the African association for this task, and he set out in 1788 with the intention of traversing the widest part of the continent from east to west, in the supposed latitude of the river Niger. Unfortunately he was seized at Cairo with a fever, of which he died. He possessed few scientific acquirements; but his vigor and powers of endurance, mental and bodily, his indifference to pain, hardship, and fatigue, would have rendered him an admirable geographical pioneer. "I have known," he said, shortly before leaving England for the last time, "hunger and nakedness to the utmost extremity of human suffering; I have known what it is to have food given as charity to a madman, and have at times been obliged to shelter myself under the miseries of that character to avoid a heavier calamity. My distresses have been greater than I have ever owned, or ever will own, to any man. Such evils are terrible to bear, but they 66 never yet had the power to turn me from | brother-in-law having died a few days bemy purpose." Such was the indomitable fore. Park's spirit, however, remained energy of this man, the first of a long list undaunted. Though all the Europeans of victims in the cause of African dis- who are with me should die," said he, in covery. Mr. Lucas, who was despatched his last letters to England," and though I by the association to supply the place of myself were half dead, I would still perLedyard, was compelled to return home severe; and if I could not succeed in the in consequence of several of the countries object of my journey, I would at least die through which he would have to pass be- in the Niger." He embarked, therefore, ing engaged in hostilities. In 1790, Major with the intention of sailing down the Houghton, an officer who was acquainted river to its mouth, wherever that might with the customs of the Moors and Ne- be; but after passing Timbuctoo and sevgroes, proceeded to Africa under the eral other cities, he was killed in the Niauspices of the association, and had made ger, at a place called Boussa, a short disconsiderable progress in the interior, when, tance below Yaouri. No part of his after having been treacherously plundered journal after he left Sansanding has ever and left in the desert, where he endured been recovered. severe privations, he reached Jarra, and In 1797 the African association had died there in September, 1791, it being engaged Mr. Hornemann, a German, who strongly suspected that he was murdered. left Cairo in September, 1798, with the The next individual on whom the associ- intention of carrying into effect the objects ation fixed was Mungo Park, who pro- of the association by proceeding as far ceeded to the river Gambia in 1795, and southward and westward as he could get. thence set out into the interior. The In his last despatches he expressed himgreat object accomplished during his jour- self confident in being able to succeed in ney was that of successfully exploring the reaching a greater distance into the inbanks of the Niger, which had previously terior than any other European traveller ; been considered identical with the river but after reaching Bornou, no certain intelliSenegal. In 1804, Park set out upon his gence was ever afterward heard concerning second journey, which was undertaken at him. Mr. Hornemann learned many parthe expense of the government. The ticulars which had not before been known plan of former travellers had been to ac- in Europe respecting the countries to the company the caravans from one part of east of Timbuctoo. Mr. Nicholls, who the country to another; but in this ex- was next engaged, arrived in the gulf of pedition Park required a party of thirty- Benin in November, 1804, and died soon six Europeans, six of whom were to be afterward of the fever of the country. Anseamen and the remainder soldiers, it be- other German, Bentzen, was next sent to ing his intention, on reaching the Niger, Africa. He had bestowed extraordinary to build two vessels, and to follow with pains in making himself acquainted with his party the course of the river. If the the prevailing language, and, throwing off Congo and the Niger were the same his costume, proceeded in the character stream, as was then supposed, he antici- of a Mussulman, but unhappily was murpated little difficulty in his enterprise; dered by his guides on the way to Soudan. but if, as was also maintained, the Niger The last traveller sent out by the associaterminated in swamps and morasses, many hardships and dangers were expected in their subsequent progress. Park at length reached the Niger, accompanied only by seven of his party, all of whom were in a state of great weakness from the effects of the climate. They built one vessel, and on the 17th of November, 1805, were ready to embark on the river, previous to which Park sent despatches to England. His party was now reduced to five, his tion was Burckhardt, a Swiss. He spent several years in acquiring a knowledge of the language and customs of the people whom he intended to visit, and, like Mr. Bentzen, assumed the characteristics of a Mussulman. He died at Cairo in 1817, his travels having been chiefly confined to the Abyssinian countries. In 1816 an expedition was sent out by the government, under the command of Captain Tuckey, to the river Congo, under the idea, in which Park had coincided, that it and the Niger were the same river. Captain Tuckey ascended the Congo for about 280 miles. At the same time, Major Peddie, and, after his death, Captain Campbell, proceeded from the mouth of the river Senegal as far as Kakundy. In 1817, Mr. Bowdich explored the countries adjoining Cape Coast Castle. In 1820, Mr. Jackson communicated an interesting account of the territories of Timbuctoo and Houssa, from details which he had collected from a Mussulman merchant. In 1819, and in 1821, the expeditions of Messrs. Ritchie and Lyon, and of Major Laing, showed the strong and general interest on the subject of African geography. In 1822, the important expedition under Major Denham and Lieut. Clapperton set forth. After crossing the desert, the travellers reached the great inland sea or lake called the Tchad, the coasts of which to the west and south were examined by Major Denham. This lake, from 400 to 600 feet above the level of the sea, is one of the most remarkable features in the physical geography of Africa. Lieut. Clapperton, in the meantime, proceeded through the kingdom of Bornou and the country of the Fellatahs to Sockatoo, situated on a stream supposed to run into the Niger. A great mass of information respecting the countries eastward of Timbuctoo was the result of his expedition. Soon after his return to England, Clapperton was sent out by the government to conduct a new expedition, and was directed to proceed to the scene of his former adventures. Having reached the Niger at Boussa, where Park was killed, he passed through various countries, and reached Sockatoo, where he died; and Lander, his friend and servant, commenced his return to England with Clapperton's journals and papers. Major Laing, meanwhile, had visited Timbuctoo, and transmitted home accounts of this famous city, where he spent some weeks; but on his return he was murdered, and his papers have never been recovered. Though the knowledge of interior Africa now possessed by the civilized world is the progressive acquisition of many enterprising men, to all of whom we are profoundly indebted, it can not be denied that the last great discovery has done more than any other to place the outline of African geography on a basis of certainty. When to this is added the consideration that it opens a maritime communication into the centre of the continent, it may be described as the greatest geographical discovery that has been made since that of New Holland. It is estimated that the course of the Quorra is about 2,300 miles. The countries watered by it and its tributaries are fertile, and enjoy a climate said to be much superior to that of many other parts of Africa. We take the following abridged descriptions from the journal of John and Richard Lander, who were commissioned by the British government, to ascertain the course of the Niger, and to follow its channel to its termination wherever it might be. On the 24th of June, 1829, getting into 'the main stream of the Niger, they found it flowing "through a rich and charming country." The channel from being half a mile in breadth, gradually widened to rather better than a mile. "Beautiful, spreading, and spiry trees adorned the country on each side of the river, like a park; corn, nearly ripe, waved over the water's edge; large open villages appeared every half hour; and herds of spotted cattle were observed grazing and enjoying the cool of the shade. The appearance of the river, for several miles, was no less enchanting than its borders: it was as smooth as a lake; canoes laden with sheep and goats were paddled by women down its almost imperceptible current; swallows and a variety of aquatic birds were sporting over its glassy surface, which was ornamented by a number of pretty little islands." June 25th, The river gradually widened to two miles, and continued so as far as the eye could reach. "It looked very much like an artificial canal, the banks having the appearance of a dwarf wall, with vegetation beyond. In most places the water was extremely shallow, but in others it was deep enough to float a frigate. During the first two hours of the day, the banks were literally covered with hamlets and villages; fine trees, bending under the weight of their dark foliage, everywhere relieved the eye from the glare of the sun's rays, and, contrasted with the lively ver |