236 
NO PREJUDICE AGAINST COLOR 
tinued some time, to the great admiration of my men, 
whose ideas of the power of a cannon are very exalted. 
The Portuguese flag was hoisted and trumpets sounded, aa 
an expression of joy at the resurrection of our Lord. Cap 
tain Neves invited all the principal inhabitants of the placo, 
and did what he could to feast them in a princely style 
All manner of foreign preserved fruits and wine from Por 
tugal, biscuits from America, butter from Cork, and beei 
from England, were displayed, and no expense spared in 
rendering the entertainment joyous. After the feast was 
over, they sat down to the common amusement of caid- 
playing, which continued till eleven o’clock at night. As 
far as a mere traveller could judge, they seemed to bo 
polite and willing to aid each other. They live in a febrile 
district, and many of them had enlarged splcons. Thoy 
have neither doctor, apothecary, school, nor priest, and, 
when taken ill, trust to each other and to Providence. As 
men left in such circumstances must think for themselves, 
they have all a good idea of what ought to be dono in the 
common diseases of the country, and what they have 
of either medicine or skill they freely impart to each 
other. 
None of theso gentlemen had Portuguese wives. They 
usually come to Africa in order to mako a little money, 
and return to Lisbon. Hence they seldom bring thoii 
wives with thorn, and never can bo successful colonists in 
consequence. It is common for them to have families by 
native women. It was particularly gratifying to me, who 
had been familiar with the stupid prejudice against color 
ontertained only by those who are themselves becoming 
tawny, to view the liberality with which people of color 
were treated by the Portuguese. Instances, so common 
in the south, in which half-caste children are abandoned, 
are here extremely raro. They are acknowledged at table, 
and provided for by their fathers as if European. The 
colored clerks of the merchants sit at the same table with 
their omployers .without any embarrassment The oivL 
