WehadnotyetgotaclearideaofthenatureofTalaMungongo。
　　AgentlemanofCassangedescribeditasarangeofveryhighmountains，whichitwouldtakefourhourstoclimb；so，thoughtherainandgrasshadwettedusmiserably，andIwassufferingfromanattackoffevergotwhileobservingbynightforthepositionofCassange，IeagerlycommencedtheascentThepathwassteepandslippery；
　　deepgorgesappearoneachsideofit，leavingbutanarrowpathalongcertainspursofthesierraforthetraveler；butweaccomplishedtheascentinanhour，andwhenthere，foundwehadjustgotontoatable-landsimilartothatwehadleftbeforeweenteredthegreatQuangovalley。
　　WehadcomeamongloftytreesagainOneofthese，bearingafruitaboutthesizeofathirty-twopounder，isnamedMononga-zambi。
　　Wetookaglancebacktothisvalley，whichequalsthatoftheMississippiinfertility，andthoughtofthevastmassofmaterialwhichhadbeenscoopedoutandcarriedawayinitsformationThisnaturallyledtoreflectiononthecountlessagesrequiredforthepreviousformationanddepositionofthatsamematerialclayshale，thenoftherocks，whoseabrasionformedTHAT，untilthemindgrewgiddyinattemptingtoascendthestepswhichleadupthroughaportionoftheeternitybeforemanThedifferentepochsofgeologyarelikelandmarksinthatotherwiseshorelessseaOurownepoch，orcreation，isbutanotheraddedtothenumberofthatwonderfulserieswhichpresentsagranddisplayofthemightypowerofGod：
　　everystageofprogressintheearthanditshabitantsissuchadisplay。
　　SofarfromthissciencehavinganytendencytomakemenundervaluethepowerorloveofGod，itleadstotheprobabilitythattheexhibitionofmercywehaveinthegiftofhisSonmaypossiblynotbetheonlymanifestationofgracewhichhastakenplaceinthecountlessagesduringwhichworksofcreationhavebeengoingon。
　　Situatedafewmilesfromtheedgeofthedescent，wefoundthevillageofTalaMungongo，andwerekindlyaccommodatedwithahousetosleepin，whichwasverywelcome，aswewereallbothwetandcold。
　　WefoundthatthegreateraltitudeandtheapproachofwinterloweredthetemperaturesomuchthatmanyofmymensufferedseverelyfromcoldsAtthis，asatseveralotherPortuguesestations，theyhavebeenprovidentenoughtoerecttravelers’housesonthesameprincipleaskhansorcaravanseraisoftheEast。
　　Theyarebuiltoftheusualwattleanddaub，andhavebenchesofrodsforthewayfarertomakehisbedon；alsochairs，andatable，andalargejarofwaterThesebenches，thoughfarfromluxuriouscouches，werebetterthanthegroundundertherottenfragmentsofmygipsy-tent，forwehadstillshowersoccasionally，andthedewswereveryheavy。
　　Icontinuedtousethemforthesakeofthesheltertheyafforded，untilIfoundthattheywerelodgingsalsoforcertaininconvenientbedfellows。
　　27THFivehours’ridethroughapleasantcountryofforestandmeadow，likethoseofLonda，broughtustoavillageofBasongo，atribelivinginsubjectiontothePortugueseWecrossedseverallittlestreams，whichwereflowinginthewesterlydirectioninwhichweweremarching，andunitetoformtheQuize，afeederoftheCoanzaTheBasongowereverycivil，asindeedallthetribeswerewhohadbeenconqueredbythePortugueseTheBasongoandBangalaareyetonlypartiallysubdued。
　　Thefartherwestwegofromthis，thelessindependentwefindtheblackpopulation，untilwereachthevicinityofLoanda，wherethefreenativesarenearlyidenticalintheirfeelingstowardthegovernmentwiththeslavesButthegovernorsofAngolawiselyacceptthelimitedallegianceandtributerenderedbythemoredistanttribesasbetterthannone。
　　Alltheinhabitantsofthisregion，aswellasthoseofLonda，maybecalledtruenegroes，ifthelimitationsformerlymadebeborneinmind。
　　Thedarkcolor，thicklips，headselongatedbackwardandupwardandcoveredwithwool，flatnoses，withothernegropeculiarities，aregeneral；but，whilethesecharacteristicsplacetheminthetruenegrofamily，thereaderwouldimbibeawrongideaifhesupposedthatallthesefeaturescombinedareoftenmetwithinoneindividualAllhaveacertainthicknessandprominenceoflip，butmanyaremetwithineveryvillageinwhomthicknessandprojectionarenotmoremarkedthaninEuropeans。
　　Allaredark，butthecolorisshadedoffindifferentindividualsfromdeepblacktolightyellowAswegowestward，weobservethelightcolorpredominatingoverthedark，andthenagain，whenwecomewithintheinfluenceofdampfromtheseaair，wefindtheshadedeepenintothegeneralblacknessofthecoastpopulation。
　　Theshapeofthehead，withitswoollycrop，thoughgeneral，isnotuniversal。
　　Thetribesontheeasternsideofthecontinent，astheCaffres，haveheadsfinelydevelopedandstronglyEuropeanInstancesofthiskindarefrequentlyseen，andafterIbecamesofamiliarwiththedarkcolorastoforgetitinviewingthecountenance，Iwasstruckbythestrongresemblancesomenativesboretocertainofourownnotabilities。
　　TheBushmenandHottentotsareexceptionstotheseremarks，forboththeshapeoftheirheadsandgrowthofwoolarepeculiar；thelatter，forinstance，springsfromthescalpintuftswithbarespacesbetween，andwhenthecropisshort，resemblesanumberofblackpepper-cornsstuckontheskin，andveryunlikethethickfrizzlymasseswhichcovertheheadsoftheBalondaandMaraviWitheverydispositiontopayduedeferencetotheopinionsofthosewhohavemadeethnologytheirspecialstudy，IhavefeltmyselfunabletobelievethattheexaggeratedfeaturesusuallyputforthasthoseofthetypicalnegrocharacterizethemajorityofanynationofsouthCentralAfrica。
　　ThemonumentsoftheancientEgyptiansseemtometoembodytheidealoftheinhabitantsofLondabetterthanthefiguresofanyworkofethnologyIhavemetwith。
　　Passingthroughafine，fertile，andwell-peopledcountrytoSanza，wefoundtheQuizeRiveragaintouchingourpath，andherewehadthepleasureofseeingafieldofwheatgrowingluxuriantlywithoutirrigation。
　　Theearswereupwardoffourincheslong，anobjectofgreatcuriositytomycompanions，becausetheyhadtastedmybreadatLinyanti，buthadneverbeforeseenwheatgrowingThissmallfieldwascultivatedbyMrMiland，anagreeablePortuguesemerchantHisgardenwasinteresting，asshowingwhatthelandatthiselevationiscapableofyielding；
　　for，besideswheat，wesawEuropeanvegetablesinaflourishingcondition，andweafterwarddiscoveredthatthecoffee-planthaspropagateditselfoncertainspotsofthissamedistrictItmaybeseenontheheightsofTalaMungongo，ornearly300milesfromthewestcoast，whereitwasfirstintroducedbytheJesuitmissionaries。
　　WespentSunday，the30thofApril，atNgio，closetothefordoftheQuizeasitcrossesourpathtofallintotheCoanzaThecountrybecomesmoreopen，butisstillabundantlyfertile，withathickcropofgrassbetweentwoandthreefeethighItisalsowellwoodedandwatered。
　　VillagesofBasongoaredottedoverthelandscape，andfrequentlyasquarehouseofwattleanddaub，belongingtonativePortuguese，isplacedbesidethemforthepurposesoftradeThepeopleherepossessbothcattleandpigsThedifferentsleeping-placesonourpath，fromeighttotenmilesapart，aremarkedbyaclusterofshedsmadeofsticksandgrassThereisaconstantstreamofpeoplegoingandreturningtoandfromthecoastThegoodsarecarriedonthehead，orononeshoulder，inasortofbasketattachedtotheextremitiesoftwopolesbetweenfiveandsixfeetlong，andcalledMoteteWhenthebasketisplacedonthehead，thepolesprojectforwardhorizontally，andwhenthecarrierwishestoresthimself，heplantsthemonthegroundandtheburdenagainstatree，soheisnotobligedtoliftitupfromthegroundtothelevelofthehead。
　　Itstandsagainstthetreeproppedupbythepolesatthatlevel。
　　Thecarrierfrequentlyplantsthepolesontheground，andstandsholdingtheburdenuntilhehastakenbreath，thusavoidingthetroubleofplacingtheburdenonthegroundandliftingitupagain。
　　Whenacompanyofthesecarriers，orourownparty，arrivesatoneofthesesleeping-places，immediatepossessionistakenofthesheds。
　　Thosewhocomelate，andfindalloccupied，mustthenerectothersforthemselves；butthisisnotdifficult，forthereisnolackoflonggrass。
　　Nosoonerdoanystrangersappearatthespot，thanthewomenmaybeseenemergingfromtheirvillagesbearingbasketsofmanioc-meal，roots，ground-nuts，yams，bird’s-eyepepper，andgarlicforsale。
　　Calico，ofwhichwehadbroughtsomefromCassange，isthechiefmediumofexchangeWefoundthemallcivil，anditwasevident，fromtheamountoftalkingandlaughinginbargaining，thattheladiesenjoyedtheiroccupationTheymustcultivatelargely，inordertobeabletosupplytheconstantsuccessionofstrangers。
　　Those，however，neartothegreatlineofroad，purchasealsomuchofthefoodfromthemoredistantvillagesforthesakeofgain。
　　Pitsaneandanotherofthemenhadviolentattacksoffever，anditwasnowonder，forthedampnessandevaporationfromthegroundwasexcessiveWhenatanytimeIattemptedtogetanobservationofastar，ifthetroughofmercurywereplacedontheground，somuchmoisturewascondensedontheinsideoftheglassroofoveritthatitwaswithdifficultythereflectionofthestarcouldbeseen。
　　Whenthetroughwasplacedonaboxtopreventthemoistureenteringfrombelow，somuchdewwasdepositedontheoutsideoftheroofthatitwassoonnecessary，forthesakeofdistinctvision，towipetheglassThiswouldnothavebeenofgreatconsequence，butashortexposuretothisdewwassosuretobringonafreshfever，thatIwasobligedtogiveupobservationsbynightaltogether。
　　TheinsideoftheonlycoveringInowhadwasnotmuchbetter，butundertheblanketoneisnotsoliabletothechillwhichthedewproduces。
　　Itwouldhaveaffordedmepleasuretohavecultivatedamoreintimateacquaintancewiththeinhabitantsofthispartofthecountry，butthevertigoproducedbyfrequentfeversmadeitasmuchasIcoulddotostickontheoxandcrawlalonginmiseryIncrossingtheLombe，myoxSinbad，intheindulgenceofhispropensitytostrikeoutanewpathforhimself，plungedoverheadintoadeephole，andsosousedmethatIwasobligedtomoveontodrymyclothing，withoutcallingontheEuropeanswholiveonthebankThisIregretted，forallthePortuguesewereverykind，and，liketheBoersplacedinsimilarcircumstances，feelitaslighttobepassedwithoutawordofsalutationButwewentontoaspotwhereorange-treeshadbeenplantedbythenativesthemselves，andwhereabundanceofthatrefreshingfruitwasexposedforsale。
　　OnenteringthedistrictofAmbaca，wefoundthelandscapeenlivenedbytheappearanceofloftymountainsinthedistance，thegrasscomparativelyshort，andthewholecountryatthistimelookinggayandverdantOnourleftwesawcertainrocksofthesamenaturewiththoseofPungoAndongo，andwhichcloselyresembletheStonehengegrouponSalisburyPlain，onlythestonepillarshereareofgiganticsize。
　　Thisregionisallwonderfullyfertile，famedforraisingcattle，andallkindsofagriculturalproduce，atacheaprateThesoilcontainssufficientferruginousmatter，toimpartaredtingetonearlythewholeofitItissuppliedwithagreatnumberoflittleflowingstreamswhichuniteintheLucallaThisriverdrainsAmbaca，thenfallsintotheCoanzatothesouthwestatMassangano。