and by his shooting gained the favor of this band. He gives a full and striking account of the strange customs and superstitions which he observed among them, particularly of the human sacrifices of which he was an eye-witness. He managed to return to the Portuguese at Massangano, and for his services was made a sergeant. Hearing from some Jesuits that by the accession of James I peace was restored between England and Spain, he obtained the governor's consent to return to England. The promise was retracted, and Battel fled into the woods of Kasanze, a refugee area north of Luanda, where he resolved to wait for a new governor. At length he fell in with a pinnace belonging to an old messmate; he embarked, and was put down at the port of Loango. Here, by virtue of his shooting, he gained the goodwill of the king. At this point the narrative ends with a full description of the different regions of Loango, their natural features, and the customs of the inhabitants. After three years spent in this district Battel returned to England, having been absent eighteen years, and settled at Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. His veracity has been questioned, but his narratives have been partly confirmed by the similar account of the Congo district given by the traveler Duarte Lopes in 1591. Purchas refers to Battel as his neighbor, and testifies to his intelligence and honesty. He speaks of him as still living in his 'Pilgrimage,’ the first edition of which was published in 1614. References External links Purchas, His Pilgrimage 1560s births 17th-century deaths 17th-century English people 16th-century English people People from Essex English explorers Expatriates of the Kingdom of England in Portuguese Angola 16th-century explorers 17th-century explorers