400 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



October, had formerly been boatswain of a Portuguese man-of-war, were 

 18'75- at breakfast. 



This room quite astonished me. The floor was planked, the 

 windows had green jalousies, the ceiling was of white cloth, and 

 the walls were plastered and painted in a neat pattern; and 

 upon the table, which was covered with a clean white cloth, all 

 manner of good things were spread. 



Senlior Gongalves, an old gentleman of charming manners, 

 welcomed me warmly, and, telling me not to stand on ceremony, 

 bid me fall to. This I was nothing loath to do, and thorough- 

 ly enjoyed the best meal I had tasted for many a long day. 

 Every thing was well cooked, and good biscuits, butter, and oth- 

 er "canned delicacies" helped to form the solids, which were 

 washed down by vinho Unto, followed by coffee. 



After breakfast, Senhor Gonial ves told me of himself and his 

 doings here, and conducted me round his establishment. He 

 had at one time been master of a ship, but, tiring of the sea, 

 settled at Bihd thirty -three years ago. When he had been 

 thirty years in Africa, he returned to Lisbon with the idea of 

 ending his days there in peace ; but his friends of former 

 times being dead, and he being too old to make new ones, he 

 never felt comfortable there, and after three years' absence de- 

 termined to return to Bihe. He had only arrived about three 

 weeks when I paid him this visit. 



Before leaving for Lisbon he had a capital garden with Euro- 

 pean vegetables, and grew vines and wheat, which flourished 

 marvelously. But during his absence every thing was neg- 

 lected, and the only things remainilig were his oranges — which 

 were finer than any I had ever seen — and a hedge of roses thir- 

 ty feet high, now in full bloom. 



His principal trading was with Jenje for ivory, and Kibokwe 

 for bees-wax, and, altogether, trade was fairly profitable. Twice 

 he was burned out and lost every thing, and was obliged to re- 

 commence business on borrowed capital, the high interest on 

 which had nearly swallowed all his profits for a time ; but now 

 he was free and unembarrassed. 



Each of the six villages he owned supplied a caravan. One 

 was now traveling under the charge of a son, and another under 

 a servant ; and two more were about to start. 



