19^ DISCOVERIES OF THE ENGLISH. 
a month, however, had thus been lost, and seve- 
ral of his best officers had fallen victims to the 
climate. The new governor, Mr Orfeur, exerted 
himself very actively to forward the objects of the 
expedition. It was the 11th of December, how- 
ever, before five canoes were hired^ and a meet- 
ing of council, held on that day, fixed the depar- 
ture of the expedition for the 26th* Stibbs now 
found the general opinion of those best acquaint- 
ed with the country to be, that he ought to have 
set out at least a month sooner. Although the 
greatest care had been taken to conceal the object 
in view, yet he found, as usual in such caseSj that 
it was universally known, and he himself pointed 
at as the person who had gone to bring down the 
gold. He had with him fifteen Europeans, and 
thirty Africans, besides several women and boys. 
There were besides a linguister, or interpreter, 
who being a Christian, considered himself a white 
man, " though as black as coal and a balafeu, 
or African musician, " to cheer up the men, and 
*' recreate them of an evening.*' Near Jillifree 
they discovered a swarm of locusts, which, after 
having devoured all the herbage in the neighbour- 
hood of that town, took their flight up the river. 
" They spread at least four miles, darkening the 
air as they fly, so that neither the sky nor the 
air is perceptible through them." 
Nothing very remarkable occurred in the pas- 
