Niger

Ailie of the ready laugh and still with the gay
smile. She knew him too well to seek to deny him
that which had haunted many a long sleepless hour
of his nights. Mungo rode back to London and
threw himself into preparations for departure.
His brother-in-law, Alexander Anderson, wrote
him : he had heard from Ailie of the expedition.
Should he join it ? Mungo does not seem to have
hesitated in sending him a welcome, though
Alexander’s constitution was in no way equal to his
own in facing such trial as an African march. Here,
in London, he met another old acquaintance, one
George Scott whom he had known in Peebles, and
now a Government draughtsman. Scott also was
eager to join the expedition, and Mungo had him
enrolled.
For his brother-in-law he secured the brevet rank
of lieutenant as surgeon to the expedition, and
fought out other matters in wearying detail between
the offices of the African Association and the
Colonial Secretary. At length, in spite of delays,
all the plans of the expedition had been counter¬
signed by the Secretary.
Mungo wrote off a joyous letter to his c lovely
Ailie ’ : c When that is accomplished I shall not lose
one moment in returning to you. My darling, when
we meet I shall be the happiest man on earth.
Write soon, for I count the days till I hear from
you, my lovely Ailie.’
It was February, 1804. The ship was ready at
Portsmouth and letters of credit in hand from
269