On
Observing This, I Brought Up My Ship To Her Assistance, And The Other
Large Caravel Doing The Same, We Placed The Small One Between Us, And We
All Vigorously Plied Our Cannon And Cross-Bows Against The Almadias,
Which Were At Last Forced To Retire.
We now linked all the three caravels
together, and dropped one anchor, which was sufficient for us all, as it
was calm weather, and the current by no means strong.
We next endeavoured to enter into some conversation with the Negroes, and
often hailed them by means of our interpreters. At length one of the
almadias drew near, and on being asked the reason of their hostility to
strangers, who came among them only to trade in a friendly manner, as
they had already done with the Negroes of the kingdom of Senegal, and
were desirous of being on the same friendly terms with them, if they
thought proper, and were come from a far distant country, with presents
for their king or lord, from the king of Portugal, who was desirous of
peace and friendship with them. Our interpreters also entreated the
Negroes to inform us what country we were in, who was their king, and
what was the name of the river; and desired them to come freely on board,
and take what goods they pleased; adding, that they might make a return
in any commodities they thought proper, and in any quantities they
pleased, or might have our goods for nothing. To all this they made
answer, "That they had some intelligence of the Christians already, and
of their dealings with the Negroes of Senegal, who must be very wicked
people for entering into friendship with them; as they were well assured
the Christians were meneaters, who bought the Negroes only to devour them,
and, for this reason, they were resolved to have no correspondence with
them, except to destroy them, and then to send their effects to their
lord, who dwelt three days journey up the country." They added, that the
name of their country was Gambra, but I have forgotten the name they gave
the river[10]. At this time a brisk breeze sprung up, and, as we now
thoroughly knew the hostile dispositions of the Negroes, we bore down
upon their almadias; but they fled to the shore, and we dropt down to the
mouth of the river.
While we remained off the mouth of this river, we only once saw the north
star in clear weather, and it was then so low as hardly to appear above
the height of a lance above the sea[11]. We likewise observed, in about
the same elevation, due south by the compass, a constellation of six
large bright stars, in the figure of a cross, in this form:
*
* * * *
*
We conjectured this to be the _southern chariot_, but could not expect to
observe the principal star, as we had not yet lost sight of the north
pole. In this place, on the _first_ of July, we found the night to be
eleven hours and a half long, and the day twelve hours and a half. The
climate is always hot, and I was told, that even the rain in the inland
parts falls warm, in consequence of the great heat of the air. It is true,
that there is some difference of the heat at different seasons, and when
the heat is a little diminished, the natives call it winter. The rains
begin in July, and continue till the end of October, and fall every day
about noon; at which time certain clouds arise in the N.E. by E. or E.N.E.
which are accompanied by prodigious thunder and lightning, and vast
torrents of rain. In this season, which is in the beginning of July, the
Negroes sow their grain, in the same manner with the people in Senegal.
Their provisions consist of millet, pulse, flesh and milk. There is not
so much dawn at break of day in this southern latitude as with us in
Italy; for, within half an hour after the darkness of the night begins to
dispel, the sun appears, and during all that dawn the atmosphere is
turbid, as if filled with smoke, and the moment the sun appears this mist
is dissipated. I could only account for this phenomenon, by attributing
it to the low and flat surface of this country, which is destitute of
mountains, and my companions were of a similar opinion.
On holding a consultation among the commanders of the three caravels, we
came to a resolution of proceeding about an hundred miles up the river,
in hopes of meeting with a less ferocious, and better disposed people in
the interior, than those we had encountered at the mouth of this river:
But the sailors were impatient to return home, without incurring any
farther dangers, and unanimously and loudly refused their consent to our
determination, declaring that they had already done enough for the
present voyage. Upon this being made known to us, and being well aware
that seamen are of headstrong and obstinate dispositions, we conceded to
their clamours, and steered next day for Cape Verd, on our return to
Portugal[12].
[1] Cape Verd is about 100 miles from the southern mouth of the river
Senegal; so that the voyagers probably anchored every night within
sight of the scarcely known coast. - E.
[2] This is erroneous, as it was discovered in 1446 by Denis Fernandez,
nine years before. - Clarke.
[3] It is necessary to be cautious with respect to these early voyages,
which, having gone through various transcriptions and translations,
are liable to numerous errors. In our best charts, this sand bank,
intermixed with sunk rocks, extends two miles out to sea. - E.
[4] Called the Birds islands, or the Magdalens. - Clarke.
[5] In Ramusio these fish are called Orate vecchis, and in Grynaeus
Ostreas veteres. - Astl.
[6] This appears to indicate the gulf between Cape Emanuel, near the isle
of Goree, and the Red Cape.
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