PARK, MuNoo, distinguished for his African travels and their unfortunate termination, was born at the farm of Fowlshiels, near Selkirk, on the 10th September, 1771. His father, a person noted for many respectable qualities, appears to have been particularly anxious to communi cate the advantages of education to his family; since, though by no means in opulent circumstances, he engag ed a tutor to reside with him for this special purpose. Under this domestic superintendence, Mungo (the se venth child of the family) readily acquired the first ele ments of learning ; and was in consequence, at an early age, removed to the grammar school of Selkirk to com mence his classical studies. Here, too, he showed him self equally attentive and persevering; and the same deep, calm ardour of mind, which at an after period was so con spicuously displayed, soon rendered him an object of per manent esteem to his teacher and fellow pupils.
It had been originally intended to educate Park for the church ; but as he himself inclined to follow the medical profession, his friends were readily induced to comply with this desire; and at the age of fifteen, he was placed under the care of Mr. Thomas Anderson, a respectable surgeon in the town where Park was then residing. With this gentleman he continued three years, occasionally at tending the grammar school, to perfect his knowledge of Greek and Latin ; and, in 1789, he went to the university of Edinburgh, for the purpose of completing his medical studies; where, during three successive winters, he at tended the common course of lectures necessary for ob taining a surgeon's diploma. His residence in Edinburgh did not present much room for the display of superior ta lents; but whatever opportunities it afforded for mental cultivation were diligently employed, and Park's attain ments seem to have been considerably above those usu ally possessed by persons in this situation, He in particular, addicted himself with considerable assiduity to the study of natural history. During the summer vaca tions, he made researches in botany among the pastoral hills of Yarrow, near which romantic stream Fowlshiels is situated ; and his appetite for such inquiries was at once gratified and strengthened by a tour, which about this time he made into the Highlands, in company with his brother-in-law Mr. Dickson, whose eminence in this sci ence had already procured him the patronage and friend ship of Sir Joseph Banks.
Park had lost his father in 1790; and, so soon as his me dical studies were completed, he repaired to London in quest of employment. By the brother-in-law just men tioned he was introduced to Sir Joseph Banks, who re ceived him with the cordiality he was at all times ready to display in behalf of aspiring merit ; and, by his influ ence, Park was shortly afterwards appointed surgeon to the Worcester East lndiaman. He sailed for Bencoolen,
in the island of Sumatra, in February, 1792; and returned next year, without any material occurrences having dis tinguished his voyage. It would seem, however, that his passion for natural history was still unabated, since we find in the Transactions of the Linnean Society a paper communicated by Park, and containing observations on several new species of fishes, discovered by him during his stay on the coast of Sumatra. It is dated 4th Novem ber, 1794.
Whether Park intended to prosecute the advantages held out by this new employment we are not informed ; but, in a short time, objects were presented more conge nial to his taste, and opening a wider scope for his ambi tion. Some years prior to this period, a number of indivi duals, with the laudable view of extending geographical knowledge, and guiding in some departments the efforts of philanthropy, had formed themselves into an Associa tion for promoting discoveries in the interior of Africa. They had already found means to investigate the most important peculiarities in the northern part of this great continent ; and had lately directed their chief attention to explore the course of the Joliba, or Niger—a celebrated river which yet no European eye had ever seen, and con cerning which the knowledge of Europeans was so vague, that different opinions existed even as to the direction of its current ; some maintaining with Herodotus that it runs from east to west ; others, on the contrary, from west to east. Major Houghton, whom the Association had dis patched to ascertain these points, fell in with the Moors on his journey, and came to a miserable death among them. Accounts of this occurrence had already reached England ; and it was now an object to find a person pro perly qualified for executing the enterprize in which he had so unhappily failed. Sir Joseph Banks was an active member of the Association; and Park, who lived with him on the most friendly footing, immediately occurred to his mind, as uniting most of the requisites for such an under taking. Park had never, indeed, particularly turned his attention to geographical inquiries; but his natural tem per inclined him to long for the hazardous adventures and magnificent excitements attached to such an expedition. His constitution, naturally robust, was now, in some de gree, habituated to warm climates; and the necessary previous information might be acquired without difficulty. He eagerly gave in to his patron's suggestion. Sir Jo seph warmly recommended him to the Association, whose terms appeared sufficiently liberal, and, after a few addi tional inquiries, they willingly accepted him.