ty trees again. One of these, bearing a fruit about the
size of a thirty-two pounder, is named Mononga-zambi.

We took a glance back to this valley, which equals that of the
Mississippi in fertility, and thought of the vast mass of material which
had been scooped out and carried away in its formation. This naturally
led to reflection on the countless ages required for the previous
formation and deposition of that same material (clay shale), then of
the rocks, whose abrasion formed THAT, until the mind grew giddy in
attempting to ascend the steps which lead up through a portion of the
eternity before man. The different epochs of geology are like landmarks
in that otherwise shoreless sea. Our own epoch, or creation, is but
another added to the number of that wonderful series which presents a
grand display of the mighty power of God: every stage of progress in
the earth and its habitants is such a display. So far from this science
having any tendency to make men undervalue the power or love of God,
it leads to the probability that the exhibition of mercy we have in
the gift of his Son may possibly not be the only manifestation of
grace which has taken place in the countless ages during which works of
creation have been going on.

Situated a few miles from the edge of the descent, we found the village
of Tala Mungongo, and were kindly accommodated with a house to sleep in,
which was very welcome, as we were all both wet and cold. We found that
the greater altitude and the approach of winter lowered the temperature
so much that many of my men suffered severely from colds. At this, as
at several other Portuguese stations, they have been provident enough to
erect travelers' houses on the same principle as khans or caravanserais
of the East. They are built of the usual wattle and daub, and have
benches of rods for the wayfarer to make his bed on; also chairs, and
a table, and a large jar of water. These benches, though far from
luxurious couches, were better than the ground under the rotten
fragments of my gipsy-tent, for we had still showers occasionally, and
the dews were very heavy. I continued to use them for the sake of the
shelter they afforded, until I found that they were lodgings also for
certain inconvenient bedfellows.

27TH. Five hours' ride through a pleasant country of forest and meadow,
like those of Londa, brought us to a village of Basongo, a tribe living
in subjection to the Portuguese. We crossed several li