Mungo Park en Afrique, ou l'explorateur exploré

Denise Brahimi : Mungo Park in Africa of the explorer explored. Mongo Park, a twenty-four year old Scotsman, was sent by the African Association to explore part of West African, from the Gambia to the Niger. He set off in 1795 for a journey of two and a half years and in 1799 published his account, which contains precise information on the places he passed through. He was sustained by concern for his mission and by the idea of providence, despite the dangers — which led to his death during his second journey, in 1805. His impartial judgements and his method of analysing the behaviour he saw are typical of the Enlightenment. What is new is his acceptance of the fact that the people visited had the same desire for knowledge in return, and his willingness to reciprocate.Brahimi Denise. Mungo Park en Afrique, ou l'explorateur exploré. In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°22, 1990. Voyager, explorer. pp. 149-158