Mungo Park
(1771-1806)

Mungo Park was a Scottish explorer, born in 1771 in Foulshiels, Selkirk. He mapped large areas of the interior of Africa for the first time, determined the course of the Niger and died trying to find its source.

The following is excerpted from an Amazon.com book review for Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa by Mungo Park and James Rennell.

"Mungo Park was the first European to visit the Niger River basin in 1796. He resolved, once and for all, a debate that had European cartographers and geographers confused for centuries.

His initial journey (1795-1797) was a tale of tremendous personal hardship and suffering, but triumph in the end. After returning to Scotland in 1798, he became acquainted with Sir Walter Scott. They became close friends, and it was Sir Walter Scott who convinced him to return to Africa to uncover the secret of the mouth of the Niger River.

In 1805 he convinced the British government, in the middle of a war against Napoleon, to send another expedition to seek out the mouth of the Niger. With 100 officers and men he set out, retracing his earlier steps. The journey was filled with personal tragedy and heroism. After arriving on the Niger, he built a boat, named the Joliba, and traveled down the river. During the course of his journey he met and traded with the many kingdoms that lined the river. However, he also incurred the wrath of many local kings and chiefs who believed that he was cheating them.

Near the town of Bussa (now covered by a huge dam), Mungo Park met his unexpected end. For many years it has been assumed that he was attacked by hostile natives seeking to rob him. In fact it may have been due to the fact that he just failed to navigate the river.