RAINOLDS AND DASSELe 
165 
sively these two rivers. The Portuguese appear 
by that time to have been entirely driven from 
the Senegal, as our navigators heard only of one 
individual of that nation residing upon its banks. 
But, on the Gambia, they were established in 
great numbers, and appeared to view the arrival 
of the English with very peculiar jealousy. In 
conjunction with one of their countrymen, who 
had come from England, they formed a conspi- 
racy to seize the vessel, and massacre the crew- 
It was discovered and thwarted. The conduct 
of the English, and their mode of trading, afford- 
ed the highest satisfaction to the natives, who as- 
sured them, " that one bar of iron would be more 
" welcome than forty Portingals." The French 
are said at this time to have sent from Dieppe 
four or five vessels, which touched partly at the 
Senegal, and partly at the Gambia. 
The subsequent trade of the English upon these 
rivers is not recorded ; but about the commence- 
ment of the seventeenth century, an unbounded 
zeal was excited to explore the interior of West- 
ern Africa. The object of search was that which, 
in every age, has tempted human cupidity beyond 
all others — gold. The writings of Leo and Edrisi 
were in so far known as to make it be understood, 
that they had reported the interior of the conti- 
nent to contain abundant stores of this precious 
metal. It was, moreover, known, from the Bar- 
