The National Register.
London, England, 1816-05-26 00:00:00

MUNGO PARK.

Every circumstance that can elucidate the fate of the ex•
;Amer of Africa is interesting; although, from the length of
time that has elapsed since ke was last heard of, the probability
of his being in esistence is so chimerical as scarcely to afford
the must distant ray of its b: ing realized. The faowing is,
however, a singular coincidence, and there can be no doubt
but the white men therein mentioned might be Park, and pro-
bably his fellow-traveller Lieut. Martyn ; particularly as it is
known they embarked on the Niger with only three of their
companions, and also that no person•, as is there described,
could possibly be in the interior of that country, anti similarly
situated, but them. The manner in which this information has
been obtained is rather singular, brit there scents no reason to
doubt of its eorreetness. It appears, that some time since a gen-
tleman accidentally observed in London a seaman whom be had
seen at Cadiz, where he w•as will known from his having been
in Africa, and at Tombuctoa, a city whirl' no white persoa
before has been able to reach, although it is the great object
of European research. This seaman, whose nettle is Robert
Adams, belonged to the American Charles (and is a utilise
of America, born ou Hudson's river), end was wrecked Oct. 11,
iglu, near a small place called El Gazie, on the African coast,
to the northward of Cape Blanco ; and, with the rest of the
crew, made prisoners by the Moors. After some short tone
the whole were conveyed by the barbarians across the Great
Desert to Sondenny, and thence to Tombnctoo, experiencing
the greatest fatigue and hardships. After a slavery at various
places for four years, and vindergoing every cruel treatment, he
was so fortunate as to have his ranisoun effected by Mr. Dupuis,
the consul at Mozadore, front whence he went to Fez, obtained
a passage to Cadiz, where he remained until peace with the
United Statca wits concluded, and ultimately arrived in Lou-
don. He states, that among the negro slaves at Wed-noon
(where, from his being a white man, he attracted great notice)
was a woman who said she came from a place called Kann°. a
long way across the Desert, and that she bad seen in her own
country white men, as white as " bather" (meaning the white
wall), and in a large boat with two high sticks in it, with cloth
upon theta, and that they rowed this boat in a manner d.fferent
from the custom of the negroes, who use paddles. In stating
this, she made the motion of rowing with oars, SO as to leave no
doubt that she had seen a vessel in the European fashion, and
manned by white people. Adana arrived at this place August
23, Irbil, and remained there till September 1813.
Many of the slaves purchased at Tombuctoo and other places,
and brought by the Moors and Arabs across the Great Desert,
come from countries very far to the eastward; it is therefore
not improbable to suppose, that the place from whence this
woman came might be the kingdom of Ghana, or Calm, on the
Niger, lying between the 10th and Irsth degrees E. latitude.
Supposing this correct, the curious relation of this person wilt
afford reasonable ground for conjecturing that Park had made
further progress on the Niger titan where the guide states be
parted with him; and as Park's death by drowning, together
with his companions, only occurred the day ater the guide
gave up his charge, he could not have made any ffreat progress
in his voyage. The time that intervened between the depar-
ture of Park from Sansanding, where he embarked on the
Niger the 17th of November 1805, and his reported death at
Sills either in March or early in April 1806, would greatly ad.
ntit of his having reached a territory more distant than Kann°.
That this enterprising traveller has met his death is almost
certain ; but the time, place, or circumstances under which it
occurred, are enveloped in mystery, and rest alone on the bare
assertion of his guide, who, it most be recollected, was not an
eyewitness of the avant, but obtained the information from
others.

At Wed-noon, the only white person which Adams Coned there
seas a Frenchman, who had been shipwrecked said taken into
slavery. The temptation which had been held out to this man,
as is invariably done by the f.illowers of Mal:Gillet to all Chris-
tians who tenfortim.:.ely fall iu their power, was too strong tbr
him to resist. He had therefore turned Mahotnctan, and ‘tai
in consequence circumcised; by which means he was humedi-
ately removed from slavery, allowed to marry, and was the ga-
ther of .several children. At this place he had resided twelse
years, and obtained a livelihood by making gunpowder, which
was purchased with great avidity by the Moors and Arabs, all
of whom were entirely ignorant of the process used in its manu-
facture. 'this secret the Frenchman studiously kept from
them, and always made the gimposvdcr alone in a room of his
house to which no °he els:. bed access. It is icpurted he is
since dead.

CURIOLS CASE.—Early An Friday morning, as the watchman
was going his rounds, in Bond-street, he observed a man put
box, resembling a tea-chest, into a hackney-couch ;
all was mot right, he stopped the coach, and on examining the
box, the contents proved to be a liftman body ; and from the
circumstance (slits basing mustachios, it is supposed to be the
holly of a foreigner or a hussar soldier. The man who had this
box, however, ran assay ; bat thr. coachman was secured, Hod
was examined on Saler:lay before the Marian ate •, and di.-
char, edots it nos pro: cu lie did uoL know what tbe box cLue
Wined.

If .1.1 26.

PI?OI7NCI4LS.

ALARMING 1110.1'4.

The Sheriff of Suffolk, and 'Air. Wale!' the banker, of Bram
don. near Rory, arrived in town on Sinuitay. at the 841441m.y of
Slate's °flier, express, With an account of the alarming st•ste of
the comity, and to request the assistance of Governmesit to re-
store tranquility. The public Ease been for some time sips
pri/fl of sat ion: entrage4 committed in that county, in the
breaking of threshing machines, and the destrnetion of barns,
cormstacksoser. by tire. suspected to be wilful and isialisioas,
the agents iii which are presumed to be agricultural lanorrers,
discontented becanst; employment and advance of wages did
not immediately follow the recent rise in the prim. of eons.
These outrages were, however, only secret and isolated eases.
It was not until the end of the week that the discontent of the
lower orders broke out into open and general disturbance.
A redaction in the price of bread and meat was the as owed
object of the rioters. They had fixed a maximum Inr the price
of both. They insisted that the lowest price of wheat must he
half a crown a bushel, mail that of prime joints of beef tour-
pence per pound. Mr. Wallet, a hotelier, at Brandon, was a
marked object of their ; in which Mr. Will,, the banker,
wAs, from the similarity of his name, in danger of sharing. This
circumstance, and a laudable anxiety to preserve the peace,
induced him to take an active part, and exert all his influence
to preserve the public peace. On Friday lie remonstrated
with them on Ili? dangerous conacqueilev.ot their proceedings,
and promised that their deinauds should be complied with for
a fortnight, which would afford time for the consider :ion of
their grievances, and oldie means of redress. The malcontents
appeared satisfied with this assurance, gave Mr. Wiliet three
cheers, anal parted, after expressing a wish to chair him, ahieh
he declined. The tranquillity thus restored was, however, of
short duration.

The disturbance broke oat again on Saturday, with increased
violence, and the malcontents 'hewed thunselv es in consider-
able force. Their whole ber amounted to about 1.:100, di-
vided in several parties, marching in several directions, for the
purpose of attacking the houses of those persons who %sere ob-
noxious to them. At Brandon they destroyed several houses,
i:aluding Mr. Willett's, the butcher; that they coinplete!y le-
velled to the ground. Another party of them proceeded to
the village of Halesworth, it is supposed, fur a like purpose;
and the Sherill of Suffolk, and Mr. Willett, the banker, saw on
the way to London, about ten o'clock on Saturday night, a tire
near Ely, which they apprehended was the mischievous work
of another party of rioters. They were armed with long heavy
sticks, the ends of which, to the extent of several inches, were
studded with short iron spikes, sharp at the sides and points.
Their Hag was inscribed, " lire. d or Blood!" and they threat-
ened to march to London. The tiller Of Suffolk and Mr.
Willett, having laid this representation haute the Secretary of
State, received from hint a promise every possible protec-
thin ; and, with this assurance, they left town on Smiday, on
their return home. It appears, f the following eviract
from a Norwich Pap,r, that a similar spirit has display cd itself
iu that City :

" Late 1011'1 heirsday evening a mischievous and riotous dispo-
sition manifested itself here among some of the lowest class
(chiefly youths), who, about nine o'cloc Lassen) Lie d in the mar-
ket place, and began to throw fire balls about, which. seemed to
have been prepared for the purpose. They afterwards broke
the Hull windows, and those of several respectable individuals,
and then proceeded to the new mills, breaking all the City
lamps in t u sir way. The people at the silk manufactory being
at work, they attacked the windows ; and, on the lights being
extinguished, some of the more audacious broke into the new
mills (the windows of which they had first broken), and took
thereout a .In:tidily of Hour, SOllle of which they threw into the
riser, and some they carried away in the sacks. On their re-
turn from the mills they broke the lamps and windows of seve-
ral gentlemens' houses in St. And. CWA, Rank -street, Tombland,
Magdalen-street, and other places, and proceeded to Dr. AL-
beasos'a house, who, on comming out to remonstrate with
them on their highly improper conduct, was knocked down.
" In consequence of these outrages, the Mayor and Magis-
trates immediately assenibbol at ;tie Ilall, where they con-
tinued until a late hour, and the constables and several reftiorc•
table persons, with staves and torches, proceeded to the mills,
but the mob had dispersed. A pitiquet of the West Norfolk
Militia was stationed before the Hall; and a party of the first
Royal dragoons, commanded by Capt. Phipps, and headed by
a Magistrate, went down to Tuns se Mills, where it had been
reported a party had proceetled,which huppilywas not the case ;
they then reunified, and patrolled the streets till morning.
Es ery
violations of the public pence.
" A public notice has just been issued by the Magistrates,
that ow a repetition of such t Its, the Riot Act will be imme-
diately read; when all persons offending will be liable to the
Penalty of death. On any appearance of riot, the respectable
inhabitants are required immediately to assemble at the Hall,
In the Market-place."--!Neriulk (Aromick and Norwich Gip.
after, May 114 )
Rears in Moreton n.—ln consequence of a cargo of potatoes
being about to be shipped at the quay of Bideford, a great
number of people collected, armed with bludgeons and other
weapons, to prevent the exportation taking place. The police
of the town apprehended three of the ringleader and and confined
them in the town prison. immediately on thE event being
known, an immense number of shipwrights and others bent oft'
the police, broke down the prison-doors, and released the pa-
cifiers. Au eN pre.% was then scot Of to the North Devon Ye°.
manry, who promptly assembled; the mob was immediately
dispersed. The cavalry remained under 141110, and patnded
the toss it during the night. On Saturday 1111 l ruing sestina of
the rioters were apprehended, and tiuur of them sent otrto tse-
ter, tinder an escort of the. Nor lb Devon Yeomanry Cavalry.
The) are now in the county prison. On information Leine
given, find a great number of disorderly people were collecting
at Appledure and Clew houses, the cavalry proceeded to the
latter, iu order to secure about 30 or 40, who were arming
themselves witb various weapons. Immediately on the troops
appearing, the armlets went ott board a ship, which was sur-
roundrd aitltthe title, lowering down the boats, anti went otr
to the Bratintou side of the water, and made their escape. We
are happy to say no lives have beets lost. Too much praise
cannot be bestowed on the North Devon Yeomanry, fur their
exertions and behaviour in quelling the progress of the snob in
its infancy. On Saturday night every thing was perfectly
tranquil. Soon after whieh,lo of tbe Enniskillen dragoons sr-
rived, anal relieved the yeomanry, who bad been on duty two
Lights.
The Nottingham Paper says—On Saturday night last, some
persons opened a easement, and entered the workshop of John
Berton, framework -Is natter, in the Itushes-street,lotigliburough,
and smashed the internal part of what is called a thirty plain
guano flame, the property of Mr. Norton. There were is. the
3e pat tle tray, aI% t l': ;c4 fa I