They Are Therefore To Be Considered As The
Peculiar People Of The Great Desert And Its Environs, At Its Western
Extremity On The Atlantic.
The latter part of their name, _aji_, or
rather aspirated _haji_, signifies a pilgrim, and is now the appropriate
title of one who has made the great pilgrimage of Mecca.
In the present
case, the name of Assenaji probably signifies the _Wanderers of the
Desert_. The Sanhaga, or Assenaji tribe, is now placed at no great
distance from the African coast, between the rivers Nun and Senegal; and
this latter river has probably received its Portuguese name of Sanaga
from that tribe. Ptolemy likewise probably named Cape Verd _Arsinarium_,
from the same people, from which it may be inferred that they anciently
occupied both sides of the Senegal river, which is named _Dardalus_ by
that ancient geographer.
Twenty leagues beyond the southern boundary of the great desert, Lancarot
came to the mouth of a large river, which had been formerly seen by Denis
Fernandez, and named by him _Rio Portugues_, or the Portuguese river;
which was called _Ouedech_ by the natives, and afterwards got the name of
Canaga, Zanaga, Sanhaga, Sanaga, or Senega, now the Senegal. Lancarot
passed in safety over the bar of this river, and endeavoured to explore
its course upwards, but the weather became unfavourable, and forced him
again to sea, when he proceeded with part of his squadron to Cape Verd,
near which place he took in a supply of water and goats flesh. The fleet
was again dispersed by a second storm, and only three vessels remained
under the command of Lancarot. With these he made a descent on the island
of Tider, where he captured fifty-nine Moors; and with these, and some
natives he had made prisoners on the banks of the Senegal, he returned
into Portugal.
In the year 1447, Nuna Tristan made another voyage to the coast of Africa;
and, advancing beyond _Cabo dos Mastos_, or the Cape of Masts, so named
from some dead palms resembling masts, seen there by Lancarot, who made
this discovery in the former voyage, Nuna Tristan proceeded southwards
along the coast of Africa, 180 miles beyond Cape Verd, where he reached
the mouth of a river which he called Rio Grande, or the Large River,
since called Gamber, Gambra, or Gambia. Tristan came to anchor at the
mouth of this river, and went in his boat with twenty-two armed men on
purpose to explore its course. Having reached to a considerable distance
from his ship, he was environed by thirteen almadias or canoes, manned by
eighty negroes, who advanced with dreadful yells, and poured in continual
vollies of poisoned arrows, by which he, and almost every man in his boat
were wounded before they could regain the ship. Nuno Tristan and all the
wounded men died speedily of the effects of these poisoned weapons,
himself only living long enough to recount the nature of the terrible
disaster to the small remainder of the crew who had been left in charge
of the caravel; which was brought home by only four survivors, after
wandering for two months in the Atlantic, scarcely knowing which way to
steer their course.
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