Carte de la Riviere de Gambra ou Gambie Depuis son Embouchure Jusqu’a Eropina.

Detailed map of Gambia the small African country surrounded by Senegal with decorative title based on information supplied by Captain John Leach.

The Royal African Company was a mercantile company set up by the Stuart family and London merchants to trade along the west coast of Africa. In 1668 it created the Gambia Adventurers, a new company granted a ten-year license for African trade north of the Bight of Benin with effect from 1 January 1669. In 1672, the original Company re-emerged, re-structured and with a new charter from the king, as the new Royal African Company. Its new charter was broader than the old one and included the right to set up forts and factories, maintain troops and exercise martial law in West Africa, in pursuit of trade in gold, silver and slaves. At the end of 1678, the license to the Gambia Adventurers expired and its Gambian trade was merged into the company.