e this village, who, instead of bringing slaves for sale, as
formerly, now occasionally bring wax for the purchase of a slave from
the Portuguese. I saw a boy sold for twelve shillings: he said that he
belonged to the country of Matiamvo. Here I bought a pair of well-made
boots, of good tanned leather, which reached above the knee, for five
shillings and eightpence, and that was just the price given for one
pound of ivory by Mr. Pires; consequently, the boy was worth two pairs
of boots, or two pounds of ivory. The Libollo on the S. have not so
good a character, but the Coanza is always deep enough to form a line of
defense. Colonel Pires is a good example of what an honest industrious
man in this country may become. He came as a servant in a ship, and, by
a long course of persevering labor, has raised himself to be the richest
merchant in Angola. He possesses some thousands of cattle; and, on any
emergency, can appear in the field with several hundred armed slaves.

While enjoying the hospitality of this merchant-prince in his commodious
residence, which is outside the rocks, and commands a beautiful view of
all the adjacent country, I learned that all my dispatches, maps,
and journal had gone to the bottom of the sea in the mail-packet
"Forerunner". I felt so glad that my friend Lieutenant Bedingfeld, to
whose care I had committed them, though in the most imminent danger, had
not shared a similar fate, that I was at once reconciled to the labor
of rewriting. I availed myself of the kindness of Colonel Pires, and
remained till the end of the year reproducing my lost papers.

Colonel Pires having another establishment on the banks of the Coanza,
about six miles distant, I visited it with him about once a week for the
purpose of recreation. The difference of temperature caused by the lower
altitude was seen in the cashew-trees; for while, near the rocks, these
trees were but coming into flower, those at the lower station were
ripening their fruit. Cocoanut trees and bananas bear well at the lower
station, but yield little or no fruit at the upper. The difference
indicated by the thermometer was 7 Deg. The general range near the rocks
was 67 Deg. at 7 A.M., 74 Deg. at midday, and 72 Deg. in the evening.

A slave-boy belonging to Colonel Pires, having stolen and eaten some
lemons in the evening, went to the river to wash his mouth, so as not to
be detected by the flavor. An alligator seized him and carried him to
an island