INTRODUCTION. XI

have attempted to explore. I was diplomatic

agent to several maritime nations of Europe,

which familiarised me with all ranks of society

in those countries. I had a perfect knowledge

of the commercial and travelling language of

Africa, (the Arabic.) I corresponded myself

with the Emperors, Princes, and Bashaws in this

language ; my commercial connections were very

extensive, amongst all the most respectable mer-

chants who traded with Timbuctoo and other

countries of Sudan. My residence at Agadeer,

or Santa Cruz, in Suse, afforded me eligible op-

portunities of procuring information respecting

the trade with Sudan, and the interior of Africa.

A long residence in the country, and extensive

connections, enabled me to discriminate, and to

ascertain who were competent and who were not competent to give me the information I

required. I had opportunities at my leisure of

investigating the motives that any might have

to deceive me ; I had time and leisure also to

investigate their moral character, and to ascer-

tain the principles that regulated their respective

conduct. Possessed of all these sources of in-

formation, how could I fail of procuring correct

and authentic intelligence of the interior of Africa ; yet my account of the two Niles has been doubted by our fire-side critics, and the

desultory intelligence of other travellers, who cer-

tainly did not possess those opportunities of pro-

curing information that I did, has been substi-

tuted : but, notwithstanding this unaccountable