hey seem to drink as
it were the water of the sea. The coast is most beautiful, insomuch that
I never saw any thing comparable to it, though I had sailed much both in
the Levant and the western parts of Europe. It is well watered every
where by small rivers, but these are useless for trade, as they do not
admit ships of any size. Beyond this little gulf, the coast is inhabited
by two negro nations, called Barbasini and Serreri, which are not subject
to the king of Senegal, neither have they any king or lord of their own;
but one person is more honoured than another, according to his condition
or quality. They are great idolaters, without laws, and living in almost
a state of nature, and extremely cruel, and refuse to become subjected to
any lord. That their wives and children may not be taken from them and
sold as slaves, as is the custom among all the negro nations which are
under subjection to kings or lords, they use bows and poisoned arrows,
the wounds from which are incurable, if even the smallest blood is drawn,
and the wounded person or animal soon dies. Their colour is jet black,
and their persons are well made. The country is full of woods, lakes,
and streams, from which they derive great security, as they can only be
invaded through narrow defiles, by which means they set the neighbouring
lords at defiance. In former times, the kings of Senegal often attempted
to reduce these two nations under obedience, but were always worsted,
owing to the natural strength of the country, and their arrows. Running
along the coast to the south with a fair wind, we discovered the mouth of
a river about a bow-shot wide, but not deep, to which we gave the name
of the _Barbasini_ river, and have marked it on the chart which I made of
the coast, as sixty miles from Cape Verd[7]. In sailing along the coast,
we only made sail at sun rise, having a man continually on the top, and
two others on the prow or head, to look out for breakers, and always came
to anchor at sun set, about four or five miles from the land, in ten or
twelve fathoms water.

Proceeding on our voyage in this cautious manner, we came to the mouth of
a river which appeared to be as large as the Senegal[8]; and struck by
the fineness of its appearance, and its rich woods which came down to the
very shores, we cast anchor, and determined to send one of our negro
interpreters on shore, to endeavour to establish a friendly intercourse
with the natives. Every ship which s