THIS week, Ronald Ireland brings us the history of Mungo Park...

Someone who left his mark on Peebles, but in addition became nationally known as a pioneer of African exploration, was Mungo Park.

He was born in 1771, at Foulshiels, Yarrow, educated at Selkirk Grammar School and then at Edinburgh University, where he qualified as a doctor.

In 1792 he was appointed as surgeon to the East India Company and sailed to the East Indies. On his return, he joined the African Association which promoted interest in African exploration.

In 1795 on its behalf he undertook an expedition to East Africa, exploring the route of the River Niger. He was accompanied by only six natives who very soon either died or left him.

After a year of incredible hardship he did reach the Niger, the first European to do so and followed its course for nearly 500 kilometres. During that journey he came in contact with the native tribes, often at considerable risk to his own safety.

On his return he wrote a book about his journey called Travels in the Interior of Africa, which was the first reliable account of African tribal people and their way of life.

He came to Peebles in 1801, where he rented a house in the Northgate, which still stands today and set up a surgery and chemists shop in the High Street. It was a good medical practice, but his African experience had whetted his appetite for travel and adventure.

In 1803 he set out once again for Africa, but the expedition was aborted and he returned to Peebles for a few months in 1804, bringing with him an African native called Sidi Omback Bombi, who taught him Arabic.

That was the first time a black man had been seen in Peebles, which caused something of a stir. He was by then a well known national figure and later that year he was asked by the government to lead a new expedition to Africa.

In September, he parted from his wife Ailie in Peebles and set off south. She never saw him again.

He set out from the East African coast and with a much larger team of 45 Europeans, reached the Niger in three months, but by then thirty four of the Europeans had died of fever. The remaining team, now reduced to five set sail down the river Niger.

They managed to cover nearly 1300 kilometres, suffering attacks from hostile natives. Finally they were attacked going through rapids. Their boat was wrecked and the whole party drowned.

Their fate was not discovered until long afterwards and it was many years before any further attempt was made to explore the area again.