▁came ▁and ▁they ▁cry ". ▁ ▁The ▁local ▁people , ▁seeing ▁the ▁Europe ans , ▁began ▁cry ing , ▁thinking ▁they ▁were ▁about ▁to ▁be ▁ens la ved . ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁objective ▁was ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁trad ing ▁post ▁and ▁a ▁friendship ▁al liance ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁king . ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁objective ▁was ▁trade ▁with ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Cas am anse , ▁a ▁loyal ▁friend , ▁described ▁by ▁chron ic lers ▁as ▁the ▁mostly ▁friendly ▁king ship ▁towards ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁along ▁the ▁Gu ine an ▁coast . ▁The ▁king ▁started ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁European ▁manner , ▁with ▁table , ▁ch airs ▁and ▁western ▁cl othing ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁court , ▁there ▁were ▁several ▁Portuguese ▁mer ch ants . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁comm od ities ▁for ▁trade ▁were ▁slaves , ▁and ▁Z igu in chor ▁became ▁a ▁slave ▁port ▁during ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁rule . ▁ ▁The ▁spot ▁was ▁not ▁chosen ▁at ▁random . ▁While ▁a ▁J ola ▁village ▁pred ated ▁the ▁town , ▁it ▁was ▁situated ▁to ▁trade ▁with ▁the ▁J ola ▁kingdom ▁of ▁K asso , ▁which ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁M ali ▁Empire , ▁when ▁Mand in ke ▁people ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁area ▁from ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁east . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁slave ▁trade , ▁Portuguese ▁commerce ▁st ult ified , ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁eventually ▁handed ▁over ▁to ▁France ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁April ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁in ▁a ▁deal ▁bro ker ed ▁amongst ▁the ▁colonial ▁powers ▁at ▁the ▁Berlin ▁conference ▁of