64 DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE, 
This decidedly suggested the idea that they werg 
near the mouth of some mighty river ; an opinion 
soon confirmed by a nearer approach. This river 
he called the Congo, from the kingdom through 
which it flowed ; but it was afterwards found, that 
by the natives it was called the Zaire ; and the 
two names have since, in Europe, been used pro- 
miscuously. The first step which our navigator 
took was to plant his pillar on the opposite side of 
the river ; which has hence not unfrequently re- 
ceived the appellation of the Rio do Padrono, or 
River of the Pillar. Then, conceiving that the 
banks of so mighty a stream were likely to be fer- 
tile and well peopled, he determined to ascend it. 
The shores proved accordingly to be filled with 
people exceedingly black, and speaking a lan- 
guage which, though Diego knew those spoken on 
other parts of the coast, was wholly unintelligible 
to him. He had therefore recourse to signs, by 
the medium of which he was at length made to un- 
derstand, that, at a certain number of days journey 
up the country, there resided a very powerful mo- 
narch, king of the whole region. Diego therefore 
determined to send a certain number of his men 
with presents for this prince ; obliging, however, 
the guides to engage, that they would bring them 
back in safety within a certain number of days. 
The stipulated period elapsed, without any appear- 
ance of their return. But the natives being well 
received, and gratified with little presents, came^ 
