DISCOVERIES OF THE ENGLISH. 241 
had offered to conduct him to that place, provided 
he would purchase ten slaves from them ; but his 
mo7iey (which term he oddly employs to signify 
trading goods) was so bad, that the bargain could 
not be concluded ; and he did not make any at- 
tempt to penetrate inland. He immediately pro- 
ceeded down the river with all possible expedition. 
It is probable that other attempts were made 
about this time to reach the interior of Africa by 
this channel ; but they seem all to have stopped 
short very nearly at the same point. In 1732^ we 
have an account of a Mr Harrison sailing up ; but 
he did not proceed beyond Fatatenda, where, 
finding the sloop could not sail higher, he sent one 
Leach with boats to the upper parts of the river. 
Leach sailed twenty-two leagues above Fatatenda, 
where he encountered a ledge of rocks stretch* 
ing across the river, that appeared to present an 
insurmountable barrier to his farther ascent. This 
ledge is not mentioned by any of the prior naviga- 
tors, who describe their course as arrested merely 
by shallows and sand-banks. This circumstance 
makes it possible that he may have ascended some* 
what higher than the rest ; though the space pass- 
ed over precludes the idea of the length of his 
course having materially differed from theirs. 
About this time some intelligence was gained re- 
specting the interior of Africa, by a very remark • 
vol. I. a 
