I, however, gladly availed myself of the medical assistance of Mr. Cockin, the surgeon of the “Polyphemus”, at the suggestion of his commander, Captain Phillips.  Mr. Cockin’s treatment, aided by the exhilarating presence of the warm-hearted naval officers, and Mr. Gabriel’s unwearied hospitality and care, soon brought me round again.  On the 14th I was so far well as to call on the bishop, in company with my party, who were arrayed in new robes of striped cotton cloth and red caps, all presented to them by Mr. Gabriel.  He received us, as head of the provisional government, in the grand hall of the palace.  He put many intelligent questions respecting the Makololo, and then gave them free permission to come to Loanda as often as they pleased.  This interview pleased the Makololo extremely.

Every one remarked the serious deportment of the Makololo.  They viewed the large stone houses and churches in the vicinity of the great ocean with awe.  A house with two stories was, until now, beyond their comprehension.  In explanation of this strange thing, I had always been obliged to use the word for hut; and as huts are constructed by the poles being let into the earth, they never could comprehend how the poles of one hut could be founded upon the roof of another, or how men could live in the upper story, with the conical roof of the lower one in the middle.  Some Makololo, who had visited my little house at Kolobeng, in trying to describe it to their countrymen at Linyanti, said, “It is not a hut; it is a mountain with several caves in it.”

Commander Bedingfeld and Captain Skene invited them to visit their vessels, the “Pluto” and “Philomel”.  Knowing their fears, I told them that no one need go if he entertained the least suspicion of foul play.  Nearly the whole party went; and when on deck, I pointed to the sailors, and said, “Now these are all my countrymen, sent by our queen for the purpose of putting down the trade of those that buy and sell black men.”  They replied, “Truly! they are just like you!” and all their fears seemed to vanish at once, for they went forward among the men, and the jolly tars, acting much as the Makololo would have done in similar circumstances, handed them a share of the bread and beef which they had for dinner.  The commander allowed them to fire off a cannon; and, having the most exalted ideas of its power, they were greatly pleased when I told them, “That is what they put down the slave-trade with.”  The size of the brig-of-war amazed them.  “It is not a canoe at all; it is a town!” The sailors’ deck they named “the Kotla”; and then, as a climax to their description of this great ark, added, “And what sort of a town is it that you must climb up into with a rope?”

The effect of the politeness of the officers and men on their minds was most beneficial.  They had behaved with the greatest kindness to me all the way from Linyanti, and I now rose rapidly in their estimation; for, whatever they may have surmised before, they now saw that I was respected among my own countrymen, and always afterward treated me with the greatest deference.