60 
VOYAGE TO SENEGA!., 
CHAP. VIL 
CiF THE BlSSx\UX ISLAND^ ITS BISCOVEHY, ESTABLISH-' 
MENTSj, PRODUCTIONS, &C.— RE L i G 1 0 N , MANNERS, ANÎ^i 
CUSTOMS OF THE INHABITANTS. OF THE PEOPLE 01- 
THE BISSAGOS. THEIR TREACHERY TOWARDS EURO- 
PEANS WHO TRADE WITH THEM; AND CAUTIONS TO NA- 
VIGATORS, WHO ATTEMPT ANY INTERCOURSE W1T1Î 
THEM. FERTILITY OF THE BISSAUX. — PRIVILEGES OF 
THE KING OF TH,\T ISLAND. HIS CURIOUS METHOD OF 
PUBLISHING HIS ORDERS. — MANNER OF TAKING CAP- 
TIVES. CEREMONY AT THE DEATH OF THE SOVEREIGN* 
The isle of the Bissniix, which is situated Ec and W. of cape 
Rouge, between 17 deg. 28 min. long., and 11 deg. l6 min. lat. 
at its south point, was discovered by the Nornjans in their early 
expeditions, who establish themselves upon it and traded with 
the natives. The decline of their affairs at length obliged them 
to abandon this establishment, and the Portuguese took posses- 
sion of it; ihcy derived great advantages from this island, though 
they had but a few ships ^vhich traded with it, and these only 
came at long iîi!ervaîs. But the advantageous position of this estab- 
iL^ihment in the centre of the great number of fertile and popu- 
lous islands, containing large navigable rivers, which were capa- 
ble of aflording an easy communication with the interior parts 
of them, and a knowledge of w hat it had formerly produced^ 
and V. liich was annually at least four hundred negroes, live hun- 
dred quintals of wax, and three or four hundred quintals of 
ivory, induced M. Brue, who in 1697 was governornor-general 
at Senegal, to re-establish the French factory. 
M. Castaing, who was employed under bim, was selected to 
execute this project: he repaired to the island with a good assort- 
ment of nierchandi.se, and \^ as Xvell received by the king of the 
country, wlio p;ranted him some huts in which he took up his 
residence with lus escort. He succeeded to great advantage in 
the trude which he carried on; but having lost many of his 
people, and those who remained with him being dangerously ill, 
he returned to Senegal in l6'99j and complained to the go- 
vernor, that the Portuguese, who remained in the island, had 
comp( îîrd him to pny them ten per cent ou his articles of 
irade. 
