ger in the streets. May God remember
them in their day of need!

The latitude and longitude of Cassange, the most easterly station of the
Portuguese in Western Africa, is lat. 9d 37' 30" S., and long. 17d 49'
E.; consequently we had still about 300 miles to traverse before we
could reach the coast. We had a black militia corporal as a guide. He
was a native of Ambaca, and, like nearly all the inhabitants of that
district, known by the name of Ambakistas, could both read and write.
He had three slaves with him, and was carried by them in a "tipoia", or
hammock slung to a pole. His slaves were young, and unable to convey him
far at a time, but he was considerate enough to walk except when we came
near to a village. He then mounted his tipoia and entered the village
in state; his departure was made in the same manner, and he continued
in the hammock till the village was out of sight. It was interesting
to observe the manners of our soldier-guide. Two slaves were always
employed in carrying his tipoia, and the third carried a wooden box,
about three feet long, containing his writing materials, dishes, and
clothing. He was cleanly in all his ways, and, though quite black
himself, when he scolded any one of his own color, abused him as a
"negro". When he wanted to purchase any article from a village, he would
sit down, mix a little gunpowder as ink, and write a note in a neat
hand to ask the price, addressing it to the shopkeeper with the rather
pompous title, "Illustrissimo Senhor" (Most Illustrious Sir). This is
the invariable mode of address throughout Angola. The answer returned
would be in the same style, and, if satisfactory, another note followed
to conclude the bargain. There is so much of this note correspondence
carried on in Angola, that a very large quantity of paper is annually
consumed. Some other peculiarities of our guide were not so pleasing.
A land of slaves is a bad school for even the free; and I was sorry to
find less truthfulness and honesty in him than in my own people. We were
often cheated through his connivance with the sellers of food, and could
perceive that he got a share of the plunder from them. The food is very
cheap, but it was generally made dear enough, until I refused to allow
him to come near the place where we were bargaining. But he took us
safely down to Ambaca, and I was glad to see, on my return to Cassange,
that he was promoted to be sergeant-major of a company of militia.

Having l