BISSAGOS, a group of small, low, fertile islands, situated at or near the mouth of the Rio Grande, in Western Africa. The entire number of these islands is very great, but there are only sixteen of any considerable magnitude. These arc, Bissao, Bulama, Tale, Bussi, Man terre, Canabae, Galincis, Arcas, Formosa, Carache, Corbelle, Genthera, Cavallo, Mel, Casegu, and Cove. The first five are mere alluvial islands, separated by river-branches from the continent, of which they properly form part. The others lie twenty or thirty miles out at sea, extending in a northwesterly direction towards the Gambia. Among the many smaller islands may be mentioned Bourbon, Sarcicri, Poc-lon, Papango, and Los Poarcos. Along the exterior side of these islands, where they face the ocean, extend numerous banks, which render the navigation very dangerous, and require vessels to make constant and careful soundings.

The Bissagos islands arc generally level and fertile, particularly those closely adjoining the continent; as Bissao, the largest, and Bulama, immediately at the mouth of the Rio Grande. They produce abundantly millet, rice, and fruits, and are well stocked with a peculiar breed of oxen, having a hump on the back, and remarkable for size and strength. The inhabitants are tall and robust, yet fierce, turbulent, and warlike. This character applies to the Papels, who occupy Bissao and the adjoining continent, and still more to the Bissagos or Bijugas, who possess most of the remaining islands. They have almost entirely driven out the Biafaras, a mild and industrious race, who have been obliged to seek refuge on the continent along the banks of the Rio Grande. In 1792 some mercantile adventurers in England formed the Bulama association, with the view of forming a settlement on the island of that name. The fertility, and happy situation at the mouth of a great river, appeared to offer flattering prospects; a considerable sum of money was quickly subscribed, and on the 11th April three vessels with 275 colonists sailed for Africa, under the command of Mr Dalrymple. They sailed to Bulama, which happened then to be wholly uninhabited; the Bissagos having driven out the Biafaras, its former population, without themselves forming any permanent settlement. The expedition was quietly taking possession of the island, when the Bissagos from Canabae, considering this occupation as much too unceremonious, attacked the party, and killed and carried off several of their number. Mr Dalrymple then retired to Bissao, where he met a hospitable reception, and then opened a communication with the king of Canabae, who was induced for a very moderate consideration to cede to the king of Great Britain, in perpetuity, the dominion of the island of Bulama. A settlement was then effected without delay; but the colonists, hastily assembled, and consisting in a great measure of loose and desperate characters, were found very unfit to encounter the hardships and difficulties of a new establishment. Finding that, instead of being placed in a situation of ease and luxury, they were obliged to begin by clearing, sowing, and planting a soil, fertile indeed, but nearly uncultivated, they lost courage, and mostly returned home in the vessel which brought them to Bulama. Captain Beaver was left with little more than twenty men, when he made the most extraordinary and meritorious efforts to maintain his ground amid multiplied disadvantages. His little party were reduced by sickness to only [7:4:654]ten effectives, when the king of Canabac declared “they were his chickens,” and resolved to resume by force possession of Bulama. He was gallantly beaten off; but the difficulties and distresses of the colony continuing to increase, without any prospect of a successful issue, Beaver took the first opportunity of conveying the remnant of his colony to Sierra Leone. An expenditure of L. 10,000 was thus incurred to no purpose; nor has any subsequent attempt been made to colonize either these islands or any part of the adjoining coast.