OF THE ISLES OF THE BISSAGOS AND THEIR INHABITANTS. — RECEPTION OF M. BRUE ON THE ISLE OF CAZEGUT. — ACCOUNT OF A PIRATICAL EXPEDITION. — COSTUME OF THE PEOPLE OF CAZEGUT. — PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN ON TRADING WITH SEVERAL OF THE ISLANDS. — SANGUINARY AND TREACHEROUS CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE. ON passing the mouth of the rivers of Casamança and St. Domingo, you meet between Capes Rouge and Verga, with a large deep gulph, in which are several isles of various sizes, and inhabited by different tribes. You first observe the archipelago of the Bissagos, which takes its name from the people who inhabit its islands. The French after discovering these spots, abandoned them on account of their wars in Europe. The Portuguese who inhabited the isles of Cape Verd, succeeded them, but were too weak to maintain the possession. The descendants of the first colonists, who are confounded with the aborigines, still live there in a humiliating and precarious condition; notwithstanding which, they pretend to be sovereigns of those isles, and have at different periods built several villages and forts; but the French have paid little respect to their pretended rights, and have established factories wherever they pleased. The Bissago isles are about eighteen or twenty in number; the most considerable are Casnabac, Galline, Cazégut, Carache, Aranguena, Papaguaye or Parrots’ isle, Formosa, Babachoca, Bisague, Ouarangue, Jatte, Bussi, Bourbon, Bissaux, Bulam, and a few others which are less known, because they are less frequented. Of those which I have specified, the last two are the most important. The archipelago of the Bissagos is nearly fifty leagues in length, by an unequal width. The isles are enclosed by a large chain of rocks, between which and the isles of Jatte, Bussi, Bissaux, and Bulam, which are near to the continent, is a canal three or four leagues wide, and in no part less than one league: it generally contains from eight to twelve fathoms of water, with a muddy bottom. There are several natural harbours in theses islands, which contain all the materials necessary for forming establishments. Each of these isles is governed by a chief, who assumes the title and authority of a king; these petty princes are independent of each other, and sometimes make war amongst themselves, but they more frequently unite against the Biafares, who are their greatest enemies, and whom they have expelled from Bulam. They have canoes large enough to carry from twenty-five to thirty men with their arms, which are sabres and darts.