courage with which they suffered in the days
of our adversity. Their voices again loyally
answer me, and again I hear them address each
other upon the necessity of standing by the
“master.” Their boat-song, which contained
sentiments similar to the following:—
The pale-faced stranger, lonely here,
In cities afar, where his name is dear,
Your Arab truth and strength shall show;
He trusts in us, row, Arabs, row”_
despite all the sounds which now surround me,
still charms my listening ear.
The Expedition, after a stay of eight days at
Kabinda, was kindly taken on board the Portuguese
gunboat Tamega,Commander José Marqufez,
to San Paulo de Loanda. The Portuguese officers
distinguished themselves by a superb banquet,
and an exhibition of extraordinary courtesy towards
myself, and great sympathy towards my
followers. Two gentlemen, Major Serpa Pinto
and Senhor José Avelino Fernandez, who were
on board, extended their hospitalities so far as
to persuade me to accompany them to their
residence in the capital of Angola. To house
the 114 Wangwana who accompanied me was
a great task on the liberality of these gentlemen,
but the Portuguese Governor-General of
Angola nobly released them and myself from
all obligations, and all the expenses incurred by
us from the 21st August to the 27th September
fAug.3i-Sept.27,’77-|SAN PAULO DE LOANDA. 239
Loanda. J
were borne by the colony. One of the first acts
o f Governor-General Albuquerque was to despatch
his aide-de-camp with offers of assistance,
money, and a gunboat to convey me to Lisbon,
which received, as it deserved, my warmest
thanks. The Portuguese Commodore gave a
banquet to the Portuguese explorers, Major Serpa
Pinto, Commander Brito Capello, and'Lieutenant
Roberto Ivens, who were about setting out for
the exploration of the Kunene or Nourse river,
as far as Bihe, thence to Lake Nyassa and
Mozambique, and upon the festive occasion they
honoured me. The Board of Works at Loanda
also banqueted us royally; as also did Mr.
Michael Tobin, the banker, while Mr. Robert
Newton was unceasing in his hospitalities.
The Government hospital at Loanda was open
to the sick strangers; Doctor Lopez and his
assistants daily visited the sick ward of our
residence, and a trained nurse was detailed to
attend the suffering. Pure Samaritanism animated
the enthusiastic Senhor Capello, and free unselfish
charity inspired my friend Avelino Fernandez
to watch and tend the ailing, desponding,
and exhausted travellers.
With a generosity unequalled, Serpa Pinto distributed
a large sum of money among them, that
they might be enabled to suit their sick cravings
as they pleased in the markets.
Nor must the English officers of the Royal