riches and understanding. He added, however, that the Mohammedan law must
be also good; and that he believed the negroes were more sure of salvation
than the Christians; because God was a just Lord, and therefore, as He had
given the latter Paradise in this world, it ought to be possessed in the
world to come by the negroes, who had scarcely anything here, in
comparison with the others."


THE RIVER GAMBRA

From Budomel's country the voyagers, sailing southwards, came to the river
Gambra (now called Gambia), which they entered, but could not succeed in
conciliating the natives, who attacked them with signal valour, and
maintained the contest with almost unparalleled bravery, considering that
the arms used by the Europeans were totally unknown to their opponents.


FURTHER DISCOVERIES.

During their stay in this river Ca da Mosto and his companions saw the
constellation of the southern cross for the first time. Finding that the
natives would have nothing to do with them,

for they believed that the Christians were very bad people, and bought
negroes to eat them, Ca da Mosto and the other commanders wished to
proceed a hundred miles further up the river; but the common sailors would
not hear of it, and the expedition forthwith returned to Portugal.

Two years later, in 1456, Ca da Mosto made another voyage, in the course
of which he discovered the Cape de Verde Islands. Leaving them, he went