have to say; if he would, every man on
the chain would attempt to prove that he was sent here by mistake. You
may by-and-by find an opportunity to speak to him, that is, after you
have learnt Portuguese, and have been here a year or two; but it will do
no good."

During the whole of the journey I had been separated from Ingram, and
now, for the first time since we left prison, I had an opportunity of
shaking him by the hand. I need not say how glad I was to meet again my
companion in misfortune, and our only fear was now, that we should be
again separated; but such was not the case. There were regular lodgings
or barracks for the slaves, which were certainly not bad but as all
escape was considered impossible, any one who chose to raise a little
hut for himself out of the bushes which grew on the rocks was permitted
so to do. The hours of work were regular; we were allotted out in
gangs, which took up a certain square of the river, or river's side; we
worked from daylight till near dusk, with only an hour allowed for
repose in the heat of the day. There was a superintendent over each
gang of twenty, who watched them and made them work. These
superintendents were controlled by inspectors, who had the charge of
four or five gangs, and who brought unto the director the produce of the
day's toil. The work was simple. The sand and alluvial soil were
thrown into troughs with small sieve bottoms, out of which escaped all
the smaller matter, when it was washed with the water from the river.
The stones and larger particles were then carefully examined, and any
diamonds found were taken out and delivered to the superintendents, who
then made them over to the inspectors, when they came round. The
inspectors carried them to their houses, (for they had houses from
government,) and in the evening delivered every diamond found to the
director. After a short time, I found that the office of
superintendent, and also of inspector, was open to any of the slaves who
conducted themselves well; and that the whole of those now employed in
the offices were slaves for life, as well as ourselves. What puzzled me
was, how so many people, for in all we amounted to seven hundred or
more, were to be found in food; but I afterwards discovered that the
government had farms and herds of cattle at a few miles' distance,
cultivated by slaves and Indians expressly for the purpose. Our rations
were scanty, but we were permitted to cultivate, as