Bissagos

Bissagos, or Bijuga Islands, a volcanic group off the W. coast of Africa, between the Gambia and Sierra Leone. The larger islets are about twenty in number, but there are many smaller ones. The French and British formerly had stations there, but they are now in the hands of the Portuguese, and still serve as a depot for slaves. Bissao is the seat of the Portuguese settlement. There is a large negro population, and the products are maize, rice, wax, palm-oil, and hides.