contradicts his text, “Zoonga Casaquoisa.”  His “Zoonga Kampenzey,” also named “Halcyon Island,” appears to be the Draper’s Island or the “Monkey Island” of Mr. Maxwell:  the latter in modern charts is more to the north-east, that is, above Porto da Lenha, than the former.  The Simiads have been killed out; Captain Tuckey going up the river saw upwards of twenty which, but for their tails, might have been mistaken for negroes.  Merolla says that wild men and women (gorillas?) have been captured in Sonho, and he carefully distinguishes them from baboons:  one of them was presented to a friar of his order, who “bestowed it on the Portuguese governor of Loanda.”  Chimpanzee Island may be the Zariacacongo of Father Merolla, who makes Cacongo (Great Congo) a large and independent kingdom” lying in the middle between Congo and Loango.”  He describes Zariacacongo, “none of the smallest, and situate in the midst of the River Zaire.”  It abounded in all sorts of provisions, was well peopled, consisted of a plain raised eight fathoms above water, and was divided from the kingdom of Congo by a river, over which there was a bridge.

After a pleasant breezy night upon the brown waters, on September 1st we hove anchor betimes and made for Scotchman’s Head, a conspicuous mangrove bluff forming a fine landmark on the left bank.  The charts have lately shifted it some two miles west of its old position.  Six or seven miles beyond it rise the blue uplands of the “Earldom of Sonho.”  On our right, in mid-stream, lay a “crocodile bank,” a newly fixed grass islet, a few square feet of green and gold, which the floods will presently cover or carry away.  To the left, above the easternmost “Mombang” and the network of islands behind it, opens the gape of the Malela River, a short cut to French Point, found useful when a dangerous tide-rip is caused by the strong sea-breeze meeting the violent current of the Thalweg.  Above it lies a curious formation like concentric rings of trees inclosing grass:  it is visible only from the north-east.  Several slave factories now appear on either shore, single-storied huts of wood and thatch, in holes cut out of the densest bush, an impenetrable forest whose sloppy soil and miry puddles seem never to dry.  The tenements serve as videttes and outposts, enabling cargoes to ship without the difficulties of passing Palm Point, and thus to make a straight run down stream.  There are three on the north bank, viz.  M. Ragis (aine), now deserted, Sr.  Lima Viana, and Sr.  Antonio Fernandez; and three on the left side, Sr.  Alessandro Ferreira, Sr.  Guilherme, and Sr.  Fonseca.  Those on the southern or left bank facilitate overland transit to Mangue, Ambrizette, and other depots.  At present it is “tiempo seco” (dull time), and the gerants keep their hands in by buying ground-nuts and palm oil.  The slave trade, however, makes 500, not 50, per cent., and the agents are naturally fond of it, their mere salaries being only some 150 francs a month.