Upon the 4th of June, 1806, I embarked at Bance Island, on board the ship Minerva of Liverpool, bound upon a trading voyage to the Rio Pongo, and other rivers to the northward, and on Thursday the 12th came to an anchor at the upper forks, in the Rio Pongo, being the point at which the branches of the _Bungra, Charleston, Constintia,_ &c. empty themselves; higher up the river are the _Sanga_ and _Bashia_ branches, occupied by a chain of factories, and inhabited by various nations and tribes. The principal factories for trade are on the Constintia, about 40 miles up the river, Mr. Cummings's factory, at Ventura; Mr. John Irvin's, at Kessey; Mr. Benjamin Curtis's, at Boston; Mr. Frasier's, at Bangra; Mr. Sammo's, at Charleston; Mr. David Lawrence's, at Gambia; Mr. Daniel Botefeur's, at Mary Hill; Mr. Ormond's, Mr. Tillinghurst's, Mr. Gray's, in the Bashia branch; with various others of inferior consideration. During my stay on this river, I visited the whole of these branches, and in addition to personal investigation, I obtained much information from the various conductors of these factories, and had a variety of opportunities of communicating with many of the natives from the interior countries, who are drawn hither by the extensive commerce of the Rio Pongo. In my excursions on this river, I was generally accompanied by Captain William Browne, of Liverpool, who was part owner of the Minerva, and had the sole management of the concerns of her voyage; and I am happy to give him this public testimony of the many obligations he conferred upon me, while on this part of the coast, which unceasingly continued until my arrival in England, by the way of the West Indies.