68 EARLY ENGLISH DISCOVERIESf. 



them of their most important possessions in this continent as 

 well as in the East Indies. In 1637, Elmina itself, their 

 capital, fell into the hands of these bold and successful 

 rivals ; and at present, the boasted lords and rulers of 

 Guinea have not an acre left of their extensive dominions 

 along the whole western coast; they retain only the Ma- 

 deiras, Canaries, and other islands, which certainly are not 

 destitute of beauty, and even of some degree of political and 

 commercial value. 



The Dutch did not remain long undisputed masters of 

 the seas. The glorious and splendid results which had 

 arisen from the discovery of the East and West Indies 

 caused the ocean to be generally viewed as the grand theatre 

 where wealth and glory were to be gained. The French 

 and English nations, whose turn it was to take the lead in 

 European affairs, pressed eagerly forward in this career, 

 endeavouring at once to surpass their predecessors and each 

 other. Many of their African settlements were formed 

 with the view of securing a supply of slaves for their West 

 India possessions. But a more distant, more innocent, 

 and more brilliant object also attracted their attention. 

 Flattering reports had reached Europe of the magnitude of 

 the gold trade carried on at Timbuctoo and along the Niger. 

 Letters were even received from Morocco, representing its 

 treasures as surpassing those of Mexico and Peru. On that 

 side, indeed, the immense Desert and its barbarous inha- 

 bitants rendered these central regions almost inaccessible ; 

 but there was another channel which appeared to open the 

 fairest aiid most tempting prospects. According to all the 

 geographical systems of that age, the great river Niger, 

 which flowed through the interior of the continent, and by 

 whose alluvion its plains were covered with gold, was un- 

 derstood to empty itself into the Atlantic either by the Se- 

 negal or Gambia, or, as was more commonly supposed, by 

 both these rivers, imagined to be branches proceeding from 

 the great stream. By ascending either the Senegal or Gam- 

 bia, it therefore seemed possible to reach Timbuctoo and the 

 country of Gold ; and this became a favourite object with 

 several European nations. 



In 1618, a company was formed in England for the pur- 

 pose of exploring the Gambia. They sent out, that same 

 year, Richard Thompson, a person of spirit an^ enterprise 



