238 DISCOVERIES OF THE ENGLISH. 
preter, who being a Christian, considered himself 
a white man, " though as black as coal and a 
balafeu, or African musician, " to cheer up the 
" men, and recreate them of an evening." Near 
Jillifree, they discovered a swarm of locusts, which, 
after having devoured all the herbage in the neigh- 
bourhood of that town, took their flight up the 
river. " They spread at least four miles, darken* 
" ing the air as they fly, so that neither the sky 
" nor the air is perceptible through them." 
Nothing very remarkable occurred in the pas* 
sage up to Barraconda. Near Joar they observed 
a ridge of hills of a red colour, stretching towards 
the eastward. The current was not more rapid 
than is usual in English rivers, and, being assisted 
by the tide, they ascended with little difficulty. 
The natives everywhere shewed the utmost readi- 
ness to trade ; at one place, there appeared on the 
coast three sticks erected crossways, which they 
found, on inquiry, to be a saphie, or charm, ^o 
draw white men on shore. As they approached 
Barraconda, similar rumours began to arise respect- 
ing the country beyond. They were assured that 
it was destitute of all supplies, and possessed by a 
cruel and treacherous race. Stibbs, however, had 
reason to believe, that these rumours were excited 
partly by the anxiety of the natives to monopolize 
all the commodities which he brought with him, 
and partly by the reluctance of his own attendants 
