in lat. 10 deg.  N. to Cape St Catherine in 1 deg. 40’ S. was much frequented by the Portuguese.  Of this coast an ample account has been given by Dapper and Barbot, chiefly following a tract published by Gotard Artus of Dantzick, which is to be found in De Bry’s Collection, and that of David von Nyendael and others.  This was the work of a Dutch navigator, which was first translated in to German, and thence by Artus into Latin.  But our peculiar department is confined to actual voyages and travels, and the progress of discovery; and it would both much exceed our proper limits, and would be an entire deviation from our plan of arrangement, to admit lengthened geographical and topographical disquisitions; which, so far as they are at all admissible, must be reserved for the more particular voyages and travels, after those of general discovery have been discussed.

There are four principal islands in the Gulf of Guinea, or Bight of Biafra, as it is usually called by English navigators, Ferdinand Poo, Princes isle, St Thomas, and Annobon, the discovery of which have been related as follows by Barbot, and his account seems the most probable[2].  Fernando Lopez discovered the first of these in 1471, in lat. 3 deg. 40’ N. giving it the name of Ilha formosa, or the Beautiful Island, which was afterwards changed to that of Fernando Poo, which it still retains.  In an account of the kingdom of Congo, in Churchill’s Collection, viii. 527, more properly named the Oxford Collection, or that of Osborne, v. 2.  This island, and a river on the coast of the continent of Africa, directly east, now called Cameroon River, are said to have taken their names of Fernando Poo from their first discoverer.  Some writers assign the discovery of these four islands, and that of St Matthew, to Fernando Gomez, who formed the Guinea trade.  Perhaps they were discovered under his auspices, by the navigators whom he employed.  This island is composed of very high land, easily seen at a great distance, and the Portuguese had formerly sugar plantations upon it.  The Ilha do Principe, or Princes Island, in lat. 1 deg. 30’ N. was either discovered by Fernando Lopez, or by Santaren and Escobar, about the same period, and probably received its name in honour of the illustrious prince, Don Henry.  This island is described as consisting of high table mountains, pyramidal at their bases, and visible at the distance of twenty leagues; being about nine leagues long by five leagues broad.  It is said to abound in oranges, lemons, bananas, cocoa-nuts, sugar-canes, rice, many species of sallad herbs, and to be susceptible of producing the European grains.  The mandioca, or root of the cassada plant, is generally used for bread, of which the juice while raw is said to be a virulent poison; while its meal, or rasped root, after the malignant juice is carefully pressed out, is used for bread.  The inhabitants also, have sheep, hogs, goats, and an immense number of poultry; but these have probably been introduced by the Portuguese.