which means the slave-trade is rendered more
profitable.

Towards this populous and fertile region, then, our adventurers directed
their course, when they turned out of the great river Zambesi and began
to ascend the Shire.

And here, at the very outset of this part of the journey, they met with
a Portuguese settler, who did more to open their eyes to the blighting
and withering influence of slavery on the land and on its people than
anything they had yet seen.

Towards the afternoon of the first day on the Shire, they landed near
the encampment of the settler referred to, who turned out to be a
gentleman of a Portuguese town on the Zambesi.

Harold found, to his delight, that he could speak English fluently, and
was, moreover, an exceedingly agreeable and well-informed man. He was
out at the time on a hunting expedition, attended by a party of slaves.

Harold spent the evening in very pleasant intercourse with Senhor Gamba,
and at a later hour than usual returned to his camp, where he
entertained Disco with an account of his new acquaintance.

While thus engaged, he was startled by the most appalling shrieks, which
proceeded from the neighbouring encampment. Under the impression that
something was wrong, both he and Disco leaped up and ran towards it.
There, to his amazement and horror, Harold beheld his agreeable friend
Senhor Gamba thrashing a young slave unmercifully with a whip of the
most formidable character. Only a few lashes from it had been given
when Harold ran up, but these were so powerful that the unhappy victim
dropped down in a state of insensibility just as he reached the spot.

The Portuguese "gentleman" turned away from the prostrate slave with a
scowl, but betrayed a slight touch of confusion on meeting the gaze of
Harold Seadrift.

"Senhor!" exclaimed the latter sternly, with mingled remonstrance and
rebuke in his tone, "how _can_ you be so cruel? What has the boy done
to merit such inhuman chastisement?"

"He has neglected my orders," answered the Portuguese, as though he
resented the tone in which Harold spoke.

"But surely, surely," said Harold, "the punishment is far beyond the
offence. I can scarcely believe the evidence of my own eyes and ears
when they tell me that _you_ have been guilty of this."

"Come," returned Senhor Gamba, softening into a smile, "you English
cannot understand our case in this land. Because you do not keep
slaves, you take the philanthropic, the reli