of Portugal, who was desirous of peace and friendship with them.  Our interpreters also entreated the Negroes to inform us what country we were in, who was their king, and what was the name of the river; and desired them to come freely on board, and take what goods they pleased; adding, that they might make a return in any commodities they thought proper, and in any quantities they pleased, or might have our goods for nothing.  To all this they made answer, “That they had some intelligence of the Christians already, and of their dealings with the Negroes of Senegal, who must be very wicked people for entering into friendship with them; as they were well assured the Christians were meneaters, who bought the Negroes only to devour them, and, for this reason, they were resolved to have no correspondence with them, except to destroy them, and then to send their effects to their lord, who dwelt three days journey up the country.”  They added, that the name of their country was Gambra, but I have forgotten the name they gave the river[10].  At this time a brisk breeze sprung up, and, as we now thoroughly knew the hostile dispositions of the Negroes, we bore down upon their almadias; but they fled to the shore, and we dropt down to the mouth of the river.

While we remained off the mouth of this river, we only once saw the north star in clear weather, and it was then so low as hardly to appear above the height of a lance above the sea[11].  We likewise observed, in about the same elevation, due south by the compass, a constellation of six large bright stars, in the figure of a cross, in this form: 

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We conjectured this to be the southern chariot, but could not expect to observe the principal star, as we had not yet lost sight of the north pole.  In this place, on the first of July, we found the night to be eleven hours and a half long, and the day twelve hours and a half.  The climate is always hot, and I was told, that even the rain in the inland parts falls warm, in consequence of the great heat of the air.  It is true, that there is some difference of the heat at different seasons, and when the heat is a little diminished, the natives call it winter.  The rains begin in July, and continue till the end of October, and fall every day about noon; at which time certain clouds arise in the N.E. by E. or E.N.E. which are accompanied by prodigious thunder and lightning, and vast torrents of rain.  In this season, which is in the beginning of July, the Negroes sow their grain, in the same manner with the people in Senegal.  Their provisions consist of millet, pulse, flesh and milk.  There is not so much dawn at break of day in this southern latitude as with us in Italy; for, within half an hour after the darkness of the night begins to dispel, the sun appears, and during all that dawn the atmosphere is turbid, as if filled with smoke, and the moment the sun appears this mist is dissipated.  I could only account for this phenomenon, by attributing it to the low and flat surface of this country, which is destitute of mountains, and my companions were of a similar opinion.