Bintang is a riverside settlement located 100 km from Banjul . It has a rich pre-colonial history as one of the first European settlements along the River Gambia. It was a watering hole for European vessels plying the river, a trade centre for slaves and goods, a multi ethnic town here various cultures mixed and interacted.

“In former times traders vessels going up river would often stop there, presumably to purchase supplies such as rice’, wrote David Gamble in the 1940s. Very much earlier the French priest La Courbe who visited the town in 1685 made the following observations: ‘Bintang appeared from a distance to be rather a large town; it is located on the slope of a hill, with many trees and several Portuguese style houses, looked like churches, but was only made of thatch, except for those of the Portuguese which were built of earth and covered with palm fronds as large as table cloths’. From his description, it is assumed that the town was multi ethnic with a sizable European (Portuguese) population, who could have been traders wealthy enough to own big houses.

‘The river Vintang, whose mouth is about a mile over…. Is navigable a great many leagues. Above three leagues from the mouth is the town of Vintang situated in Fonia and the British Royal Company have a factor (trade agent) chiefly, for elephant tusks, wax, honey etc’, wrote Richard Jobson, a British explorer in 1665. He underlines the commercial import of Bintang as a hub for trade in the South bank.

In 1682 another explorer Loemos Coelho, wrote ‘ Bintang was the best village on the river, having much trade in hides, as well as wax, ivory and slaves’. He reveals the sadder aspect of Bintang’s glory, its status as a major slave port in the South bank. Slaves captured in the Foni and parts of the Kombos embarked from Bintang to James Island , two hours away.

The town by virtue of its European and African mix, had various religions such as Islam, Christianity and Jews.

A recent field visit to -Bintang was able to reveal only a few traces of its glorious past, which even the village elders do not seem to remember well. Ahaji Siaka Gassama, 93, was our informant on the more recent history of Bintang:

‘Bintang is a very old settlement. The area was a Bagnun   village which was later given to the Mandinkas to use. It has always been a scholars’ town. Ballo Minteh was one of such scholars versed in Islam who was asked to protect the new settlement from devils which were said to live near the area. Jammeh Sisay was one of the early settlers also, and the first Alkalo was called Masera. There used to be the European quarter at the river front which had the shops and residences. The Portuguese and the Mullatos lived there. They intermarried with the local Mandinka. Jola and Bagnun. Rice was the major crop grown, but trade in wax, ivory,   rubber was also important.

During the days of slavery, Bintang suffered numerous attacks by slave raiders like Bunama Njai, who was defeated at Bintang during one of his slave sorties.

Bintang also is the home of Masaneh Ceesay, the famed Mandingo Romeo who died on the night of his wedding. He was a trade agent for Portuguese merchant in Bintang.’

Photos by: Dodou Bojang