52 DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 
attempting to ascend a small river near the Rio 
Grande, was attacked by the negroes, and killed, 
along with a number of his men.* An insular 
position appeared, therefore, the most eligible for 
a first establisliment. With this view, Arguin was 
fixed upon. It was the largest upon this coast, 
and at such a distance from the shore as afforded 
protection against sudden attack. The neighbour- 
ing continent was altogether barren ; but it main- 
tained some profitable commercial intercourse with 
the nations in the interior. Soon after this esta- 
blishment was formed, a very important event took 
place. Bemoy, one of the princes of the Jalofs, 
a people who inhabit the territory between the 
Senegal and Gambia, came thither to seek the aid 
of the Portuguese. He complained of having been 
unjustly expelled from the throne by one of his 
relations, and solicited a force to reinstate him in 
his dignity, t To princes, who have begun to cast 
a longing eye upon their neighbour's dominions, 
such an application is always an event of the most 
grateful occurrence. It secures to them a party 
in the kingdom towards which their views are di- 
rected ; and it gives an air of nobleness and gene- 
rosity to what would be otherwise an odious and 
wanton aggression, Bemoy was received at Ar- 
guin with open arms, and the governor sent for- 
* Di Barros, I. 14. 
t Ibid. III. 6. 
