A travelling medicine chest used by Truro born explorer Richard Lander is now on show at the Royal Cornwall Museum.
Visitors can now examine the chest, discover which medicines were most needed, and listen to excerpts from Lander's journal.
Lander, the son of an innkeeper, had his first trip to Africa at the age of 19 when he visited the River Niger.
Five years later he went on a government expedition to discover the mouth of this river and with his brother he travelled hundreds of miles along the Niger in a small canoe.
Tracing the course of the Niger opened up valuable trade links between West Africa and the rest of the world; trade links which still result in economic benefit today.
Ian Wall, director of Royal Cornwall Museum says: “Richard Lander left his mark on Africa when he named Truro Island in the Niger River.
"He also gave a hill on the river bank the name of Cornwall Mountain.
"He is one of county’s best known sons and we are privileged to be able to tell his story and show his life-saving medicine chest to visitors.”
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