Carte du Cours de la Riviere de Gambra ou Gambie Depuis Eropina J’usqua Barrakonda Par le Capite, Jean Leach en 1732

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.

From Prevost, Histoire generale des voyages.