DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE. £9 
information that could lead to the much longed- 
for discovery. All declared, that they had never 
heard of such a personage, but agreed, at the ear- 
nest entreaty of the Portuguese, that they would 
make every possible inquiry in their native coun- 
try. 
It cannot be doubted, in the course of the inde- 
fatigable exertions thus made by the Portuguese, 
to penetrate into the interior of Western Africa, 
that they must have enjoyed opportunities of infor- 
mation superior to those which have fallen to 
the lot of any other European power. Some share 
of empty boasting may be suspected ; but the great 
Portuguese population which the English and 
French found established along the banks of the 
Senegal and Gambia, clearly attests the substantial 
truth of their narration. The French, even in 
penetrating into Bamboak, found a mixture of Por- 
tuguese words in the language of that country, 
which confirmed the statement of the natives, that 
it had once been invaded and conquered by Portu- 
gal. It seems unquestionable, therefore, that the 
archives of the Portuguese monarchy must contain 
very important information respecting this part of 
the interior. It is probably owing to the reserved 
character of the Portuguese government, that the 
knowledge displayed by their writers does not alto- 
gether correspond to these opportunities. The fol- 
