52 
VOYAGE TO SENEGAL. 
since I resided in Africa^ yet that naturalized nation exists on 
the same spot^ and has lost none of its customs. 
CHAP. VI. 
OF THE ISLES OF THE BÎSSAGOS AN D THEIR INHABITANTS, 
^RECEPTION OF M. BllUE ON THE ISE OF CAZEGUT, — ■ 
ACCOUNT OF A PIRATICAL EXPEDITION. COSTUME OF 
THE PEOPLE OF CAZEGUT. PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN 
ON TRADING WITH SEVERAL OF THE ISLANDS. SAN- 
GUINARY AND TREACHEROUS CHARACTER OF THE 
PEOPLE. 
O. 
- N passing the mouth of the nvers of Casamanca and St. 
Domingo, you meet between Capes Rouge and Verga, with a 
large deep gtdpb, in which are several isles of various sizes, and 
inhabited by different tribes. You first observe the archipelago 
of the Bissagos, which takes its name from the people who in- 
habit its islands. 
1 he French after discovering these spots, abandoned them on 
account of their wars in Europe. The Portuguese who inha* 
bited the isles of Cape Verd, succeeded tliem, but were too 
weak to maintain the possession. The descendants of the hrst 
colonists, who ere confounded with the aborigines, still live there 
m a liumihating and precarious condition; notwithstanding which, 
ihey pretend to be sovereigns of those isles, and have at different 
periods built several villages and forts ; but the French have paid 
little respect to their pretended rightS;, and have established fac-» 
tories wherever they pleased. 
The Bissago isles are about eighteen or twenty in number ; 
the most considerable are Casnabac, Gailine, Cazegut, Carache, 
Arangucna, Papaguaye or Parrots' isle, Formosa, Babachoca, 
Bisague, Ouarangue, Jatte, Bussi, Bourbon, Bissaux, Bulam, 
and a few others which are less known, because they are less 
frequented. Of those which I have speciiied, the last two are 
the m ost important. 
The archipelago of the Bissagos is nearly fifty leagues in 
length, by an unequal width. The isles are enclosed by a large 
chain of rocks, between which and the isles of Jatte, Bussi, 
Bissaux, apd Buiam, which are near to the continent, is a canal 
three or four leagues wide, and in no part less than one league î 
it generally contains from eight to twelve fathoms of water, with 
a muddy bottom. There are several natural harbours in these 
islands, v,'hich contain all the materials necessary for forming 
establishments. 
Each of these isles is governed by a chief, who assumes thç 
title and authority of a king; these petty princes are indejpendcut 
