^'26 DISCOVERIES OF THE FRENCH. 
any information which was, or could be collected 
by himself, but from the popular belief which 
happened at the moment to prevail in Europe. 
From the time of Jannequin, there is no record 
of any French discoveries in the interior of Africa 
till that of Brue, who, in 1697? went out to take 
the principal direction of the Company's affairs 
on the Senegal. These had fallen into a deplo- 
rable condition, in consequence of the frauds and 
malversations of its agents, and of the quarrels in 
which they had involved themselves with the prin- 
cipal sovereigns on the river. In consequence of 
this misconduct, it required all the efforts of an 
able and prudent governor to retrieve the affairs 
of the Company 5 and the choice made of Brue 
seems to have been highly judicious. In fulfil- 
ment of the proposed object, he made repeated 
voyages up the Senegal, and procured a great ac- 
cession to the knowledge which his country then 
possessed respecting this part of Africa. 
Brue set out on his first voyage on the ^8th 
July 1697j from Port St Louis, where the French 
had now established a factory. His object was to 
visit the king of the Foulis, called the Siratik, to 
accommodate the disputes that had arisen with 
him, and thence to proceed up to Gallam, where 
he wished to establish a factory. He was accom- 
panied by three vessels and several small shallops ; 
one of which, with two canoes, went before, to 
