£68 
THE WESTERN COAST. 
excellent qualities of his mind, he did not add that 
caution which hazardous enterprises demand, that 
stubborn serenity of soul which accommodates it- 
self to every situation ; and thus the world was de- 
prived of his inquiries in a tract which had never 
been traversed by the enlightened and scientific 
traveller. About the same period, a voyage was 
made by the agents of the Company to the island 
of Bananas, Camarancas river, and Plantain island ; 
which was successful in removing the prejudices 
that had been imbibed by the native chiefs, from 
the misrepresentations of the slave-traders ; and 
procured such information concerning the charac- 
ter and political relations of the African tribes as 
was necessary to direct the intercourse of the co* 
lony. 
The fertile region which lies between Rio Nunez 
and the Gambia, is inhabited by numerous inde- 
pendent tribes of Nalloes, Biafaras, Bissagoes, Ba- 
lantes, Papels, Banyans, and Feloops, which, with 
a general similarity, exhibit many peculiarities of 
language, customs, and manners, while the Fouli- 
conda, or towns of the Foulahs, and Mauracunda, 
or towns of the Mandingoes, continually interrupt 
and intersect their territories. The Biafaras lie 
chiefly on the northern side of the Rio Grande, 
and possess the districts of Ginhala and Biguba. 
The Balantes, on the banks of the river Geves* 
possess a territory about twelve leagues in length, 
