Familiarity,
however, having in some measure worn off this impression, and the king
being an affable, obliging, and good-natured person, we were emboldened to
send Paskoe to him this morning, with a message expressive of the interest
we felt on the subject, in common with all our countrymen; and saying that,
if any books or papers which belonged to Mr. Park were yet in his
possession, he would do us a great service, by delivering them into our
hands, or at least by granting us permission to see them. To this the king
returned for answer, that when Mr. Park was lost in the Niger, he was a
very little boy, and that he knew not what had become of his effects; that
the deplorable event had occurred in the reign of the late king's
predecessor, who died shortly after; and that all traces of the white man
had been lost with him. This answer disappointed our hopes, for to us it
appeared final and decisive. But in the evening they were again raised by
a hint from our host, who is the king's drummer, and one of the principal
men in the country: he assured us, that there was certainly one book at
least saved from Mr.
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