VISIT TO COLONEL PIRES. 395 



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 despatches, maps, and journals 

 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 labour of re- 

 writing. 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. Cocoa-nut 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 j°. The general range near the rocks 

 was 6j° at 7 a.m., 74 at midday, and 72 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 flavour. 

 An alligator seized him, and carried him to an island in the 

 middle of the stream ; there the boy grasped hold of the 

 reeds, and baffled all the efforts of the reptile to dislodge 

 him, till his companions, attracted by his cries, came in a 

 canoe to his assistance. The alligator at once let go his 

 hold, for when out of his own element he is cowardly. 

 The boy had many marks of the teeth in his abdomen and 

 thigh, and those of the claws on his legs and arms. 



The slaves in Colonel Pires' establishments appeared 

 more like free servants than any I had elsewhere seen. 

 Everything was neat and clean, while generally, where 

 slaves are the only domestics, there is an aspect of sloven- 

 liness, as if they went on the principle of always doing as 

 little for their masters as possible. 



In the country near to this station were a large number 

 of the ancient burial-places of the Jinga. These are simply 

 large mounds of stones, with drinking and cooking vessels 

 of rude pottery on them. Some are arranged in a circular 



