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. Every thing was neat and clean,
while generally, where slaves are the only domestics, there is an aspect
of slovenliness, 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 form, two or three yards in diameter, and shaped
like a haycock. There is not a single vestige of any inscription. The
natives of Angola generally have a strange predilection for bringing
their dead to the sides of the most frequented paths. They have a
particular anxiety to secure the point where cross-roads meet. On and
around the graves are planted tree euphorbias and other species of that
family. On the grave itself they also place water-bottles, broken pipes,
cooking vessels, and sometimes a little bow and arrow.

The Portuguese government, wishing to prevent this custom, affixed a
penalty on any one burying in the roads, and appointed places of public
sepulture in every district in the country. The people persist, however,
in spite of the most stringent enforcement of the law, to follow their
ancient custom.

The country between the Coanza and Pungo Andongo is covered with low
trees, bushes, and fine pasturage. In the latter, we were pleased to
see our old acquaintances, the gaudy gladiolus, Amaryllis toxicaria,
hymanthus, and other bulbs in as flourishing a condition as at the Cape.

It is surprising that so little has been done in the way of agriculture
in Angola. Raising wheat by means of irrigation has never been tried;
no plow is ever used; and the only instrument is the native hoe, in the
hands of slaves. The chief object of agriculture is the manioc, which
does not contain nutriment sufficient to give proper stamina to the
people. The half-caste Portuguese have