Journal of a second expedition into the interior of Africa, from the Bight of Benin to Soccatoo : $b To which is added, the journal of Richard Lander from Kano to the sea-coast, partly by a more eastern route.

A determined young officer, raised in a modest Scottish family and educated in practical mathematics, set his sights on the uncharted heart of West Africa. After early naval service and a chance introduction to a senior commander, he secured a place as a midshipman and soon found himself drawn to the continent’s interior, eager to record its geography, peoples, and natural wonders. The journal opens with vivid sketches of his upbringing, his physical vigor, and the restless curiosity that propelled him from the decks of British frigates to the dense savannas beyond the Bight of Benin.

The narrative then follows his second expedition, tracing a route from the coastal trade hubs to the elusive kingdom of Soccatoo, with careful latitude and longitude measurements and detailed observations of local customs. Interwoven is the companion account of Richard Lander, who moves eastward from Kano toward the sea‑coast, offering complementary perspectives on the landscapes and societies encountered. Together they provide a rare, firsthand portrait of early nineteenth‑century exploration across a continent still largely unknown to European eyes.