ese Africans were men of some consequence in their own country, and
were of such quick apprehensions, that they acquired a sufficient
knowledge of the Portuguese language during the voyage back to Lisbon, as
to be able to give a competent account of their own country, and of the
kingdoms or regions beyond it, to the southwards. The king of Portugal
was much gratified by this discovery, and treated the Africans brought
over by Diego with much munificence. Next year, Diego Cam returned to the
river of Congo, where he landed the four natives, who carried many
presents from King John to their own sovereign, and were directed to
express his anxious desire that he and his subjects would embrace the
Christian faith.

Having landed the Negroes, and received back his own men whom he had left
on his former voyage, Diego proceeded to discover the coast to the
southwards of the Congo river; leaving a respectful message for the king
of Congo, that he must postpone the honour of paying his respects to him
till his return from the south. The farther progress of Diego is very
indefinitely related by the Portuguese historians; who say, that after a
run of twenty leagues, he erected two stone crosses, as memorials of his
progress, one at a cape called St Augustine, in lat. 13 deg. S. but the other
on Cape Padron, in 22 deg. S. This last latitude would extend the discovery
of Diego between the latitude of the Congo river and this high latitude,
to 280 Portuguese leagues, instead of twenty. Besides, Cape Padron forms
the southern point at the mouth of the river of Congo, and is only in lat.
6 deg. 15' S. The high probability is, that the first cross erected by Diego
Cam in this voyage, was at Cape Palmerinho, in lat. 9 deg. 15' S. and the
other may have been at Rocca Boa, in lat. 13 deg. 20' S. Clarke[1] is
disposed to extend the second cross to Cabo Negro, in lat. 16 deg. S. Either
influenced by his provisions running short, or desirous of forming a
friendly, connection with the king of Congo, Diego measured back his way
to the Congo river, where he was received in a most satisfactory manner
by the sovereign of that country. The reports of his subjects who had
been in Portugal, and the liberal presents which they had brought to him
from King John, had made a deep impression on the mind of this African
monarch. He made many inquiries respecting the Christian religion, and
being highly gratified by its sublime and consolatory doctrines, perha