^6 
DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 
were more intent upon laying the foundation of 
their own power, than upon re-establishing him- 
self on the throne of his ancestors. Whether he 
was thus drawn into a correspondence with the 
rest of his countrymen ; whether he was merely 
suspected of such conduct ; or whether, as there 
appears some room to imagine, the whole origi- 
nated in a private quarrel, — it appears, that the 
Portuguese commander stabbed Bemoy to the 
heart with a dagger, on board of his own vessel. 
This event is said to have caused extraordinary 
chagrin to the King, and to have even induced 
him to give up all immediate design of construct- 
ing the fort ; but a pestilential disorder, which 
made its appearance among the troops employed, 
might afford perliaps a more urgent reason. 
The arrival, however, of so great an armament 
is said to have caused an extraordinary revolution 
in the minds of the African princes. Formerly 
they had seen only one or two small vessels, ill 
manned and equipped, and having on board a 
mere handful of mariners, who could not trade, 
nor even land, Vi^ithout their favour and permis- 
sion. But the arrival of so large a force, both 
naval and military, and one so amply supplied 
with all the materials of war, impressed the most 
formidable idea of the power of this distant mo- 
narch. Not only the fear of his arms, but the | 
hope of his support in those furious wars which 
