64. EARLY ENGLISH DISCOVERIES. 



not appear to have prosecuted farther their designs of dis- 

 covery. The next attempt was made about 1 660 or 1 665, by 

 Vermuyden, a rich merchant on the Gambia, who fitted out 

 a boat well stored with beef, bacon, biscuit, rice, strong wa- 

 ters, and other comfortable supplies ; which, however, when 

 he arrived at the flats and shallows, were found materially 

 to impede the movement of the vessel. He came first to a 

 wide expanse which he compares to Windermere lake, where 

 the only difficulty was to find the main branch amid several 

 that opened from different quarters. "Up the buffing 

 stream," says he, " with sad labour we wrought ;" and when 

 they ascended higher, it became necessary often to drag the 

 boat over the flats ; for which purpose they were frequently 

 obliged to strip naked and walk through the water. They 

 were rather rudely received by the only tenants of these 

 upper tracts, the crocodiles and river-horses, " ill pleased or 

 unacquainted with any companions in these watery regions." 

 One of the latter struck a hole in the boat with his teeth, an 

 accident which proved very inconvenient, from the absence 

 of any one skilled in carpentry ; but by hanging a lantern 

 at the stem, they induced these monsters, which are afraid 

 of light shining in the dark, to maintain a respectful dis- 

 tance. On landing to search, for gold, they were assailed 

 by an incredible number of huge baboons, on which it is 

 complained that no oratory except guns could produce any 

 impression ; and even after two or three of them had been 

 killed, they attacked with increased and alarming fury, till 

 successive discharges at length compelled them to retreat. 

 The sole object in this voyage was the discovery of gold. 

 The adventurer landed at various points, washed the sand, 

 and examined the rocks. He had carried out not only mer- 

 cury, aqua rcgia, and large melting pots, but also a divining 

 rod, which was not found to exhibit any virtue ; however, 

 on being laughed at by his companions for his delusive ex- 

 pectations from it, he persuaded himself that this potent in- 

 strument had lost its qualities by being dried up during the 

 voyage from England. On one occasion he found a large 

 mass of apparent gold, which proved to be mere spar. The 

 real metal, he observes, is never found in low, fertile, and 

 woody spots, but always on naked and barren hills, imbedded 

 in a reddish earth. At one place, by twenty days' labour, 

 he succeeded in extracting twelve pounds. At length he 



