Chai\ XIX. WELCOME TO LOANDA. 389 



there is no more of me !' " They had always imagined that the 

 world was one extended plain without limit. 



They were now somewhat apprehensive of suffering want, and 

 I was unable to allay their fears with any promise of supply, for 

 my own mind was depressed by disease and care. The fever had 

 induced a state of chronic dysentery, so troublesome that I could 

 not remain on the ox more than ten minutes at a time ; and as 

 we came down the declivity above the city of Loanda on the 31st 

 of May, I was labouring under great depression of spirits, as I 

 understood that, in a population of twelve thousand souls, there 

 was but one genuine English gentleman. I naturally felt anxious 

 to know whether he were possessed of good nature, or was one 

 of those crusty mortals, one would rather not meet at all. 



This gentleman, Mr. Gabriel, our commissioner for the sup- 

 pression of the slave-trade, had kindly forwarded an invitation, to 

 meet me on the way from Cassange, but unfortunately it crossed 

 me on the road. When we entered his porch, I was delighted to 

 see a number of flowers cultivated carefully, and inferred from 

 this circumstance that he was, what I soon discovered him to be, 

 a real whole-hearted Englishman. 



Seeing me ill, he benevolently offered me his bed. Never shall 

 I forget the luxuriant pleasure I enjoyed in feeling myself again 

 on a good English couch, after six months' sleeping on the ground. 

 I was soon asleep ; and Mr. Gabriel, coming in almost immediately, 

 rejoiced at the soundness of my repose. 



