Chap. 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 3ist 
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. Grabriel, 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 liis bed. Never shall 
I forget the luxmdant pleasure I enjoyed in feehng 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. 
