A MERCHANT-PRINCE. 
left bank of the Coanza above this village, who, instead 
of bringing slaves for sale, as formerly, now occasionally 
bring wax for tbo purchase of a slave from the Portuguese. 
I Baw a boy sold fbr twclvo shillings : ho said that ho be- 
longed to the country of Matiamvo. Here I bought a pair 
®f well-made boots, of good tanned leather, which roached 
ibovo the kneo, for five shillings and eightpenec, and that 
was just the price given for ono pound of ivory by Mr 
Pires : consequently, tho boy was worth two pairs of boots, 
or two pounds of ivory. The Libollo on tho south have 
not so good a character; but tho Coanza is always deep 
enough to form a lino of dcfenco. Colonel Piros is a good 
example of what an honest, industrious man in this country 
may become, no came as a servant in a ship, and, by a 
long courso of persevering labor, has raised himself to bo 
tho richest merchant in Angola. Ho possesses some thou- 
sands of cattle, and, on any emergency, can appear in the 
field with several hundred armed slaves. 
While enjoying tho hospitality of this merchant-prince 
in his commodious residence, which is outside tho rocks 
and commands a boautiful viow of all tho adjacent country, 
I learned that all my despatches, maps, and journal had 
gone to tho bottom of tho sea in tho mail-packet “ Foro 
runner.” I felt so glad that my friend Lieutenant Beding- 
ftdd, to whoso caro I had committed them, though in tho 
most imminent danger, had not shared a similar fate, that 
I was at onco reconciled to tho labor of rewriting. 1 
availed myself of tho kindness of Colonel Pires, and re- 
mained till tho end of tho year reproducing my lost 
Papers. 
Colonel Piros having another establishment on tho banks 
°f tho Coanza, about six miles distant, I visited it with 
film about onco a week for tho purpose of recreation. The 
difforonco of temperature caused by the lower altitude was 
seen in tho cashow-trccs ; for while, near the rocks, these 
trees were but coming into flower, those at the lower sta- 
tion wore riponing their fruit. Cocoanut-trees and bananas 
