Niger

Peebles. In October of the year he settled in his
practice, Banks had written from London that in
consequence of the signing of the Peace with France,
the African Association was preparing to revive,
in conjunction with the Government, the project
of another mission to the basin of the Niger. The
command would certainly go to the former
explorer. For a week or so this news had buoyed
up Mungo, but as the long months went past he
had mislaid it from his memory. It was merely
another will o’ the wisp to torment the drabness
of his Peebles days.
But he was mistaken. Suddenly, in the autumn
of 1803, a letter was delivered into his hands from
London. It was from the Colonial Secretary of
State, desiring his immediate presence in London.
It was the second chance in life that he had
thought would never come again.
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