IbelievethatmostoftheBechuananationwouldhavedonethesame。
ButIwasassuredthatthepeoplenearthecoast,withwhomthePortuguesehavetodeal,havenotsomuchregardtodurabilityThisprobablyarisesfromcalicobeingthechiefcirculatingmedium;quantitybeingthenofmoreimportancethanquality。
Duringtheperiodofmyindisposition,thebishopsentfrequentlytomakeinquiries,and,assoonasIwasabletowalk,IwenttothankhimforhiscivilitiesHiswholeconversationandconductshowedhimtobeamanofgreatbenevolenceandkindnessofheartAlludingtomybeingaProtestant,hestatedthathewasaCatholicfromconviction;
andthoughsorrytoseeothers,likemyself,followinganotherpath,heentertainednouncharitablefeelings,norwouldheeversanctionpersecutingmeasuresHecomparedthevarioussectsofChristians,intheirwaytoheaven,toanumberofindividualschoosingtopassdownthedifferentstreetsofLoandatooneofthechurches
allwouldarriveatthesamepointatlastHisgoodinfluence,bothinthecityandthecountry,isuniversallyacknowledged:
hewaspromotingtheestablishmentofschools,which,thoughformedmoreonthemonasticprinciplethanProtestantsmightapprove,willnodoubtbeablessingHewaslikewisesuccessfullyattemptingtoabolishthenon-marriagecustomofthecountry;andseveralmarriageshadtakenplaceinLoandaamongthosewho,butforhisteaching,wouldhavebeencontentwithconcubinage。
StPauldeLoandahasbeenaveryconsiderablecity,butisnowinastateofdecayItcontainsabouttwelvethousandinhabitants,mostofwhomarepeopleofcolor。*Therearevariousevidencesofitsformermagnificence,especiallytwocathedrals,oneofwhich,onceaJesuitcollege,isnowconvertedintoaworkshop;
andinpassingtheother,wesawwithsorrowanumberofoxenfeedingwithinitsstatelywallsThreefortscontinueinagoodstateofrepairManylargestonehousesaretobefound。
Thepalaceofthegovernorandgovernmentofficesarecommodiousstructures,butnearlyallthehousesofthenativeinhabitantsareofwattleanddaub。
Treesareplantedalloverthetownforthesakeofshade,andthecitypresentsanimposingappearancefromthesea。
Itisprovidedwithaneffectivepolice,andthecustom-housedepartmentisextremelywellmanagedAllpartiesagreeinrepresentingthePortugueseauthoritiesasbothpoliteandobliging;
andifeveranyinconvenienceisfeltbystrangersvisitingtheport,itmustbeconsideredthefaultofthesystem,andnotofthemen。
*Fromthecensusof1850-51wefindthepopulationofthiscityarrangedthus:830whites,only160ofwhomarefemales。
Thisisthelargestcollectionofwhitesinthecountry,forAngolaitselfcontainsonlyabout1000whites。
Thereare2400half-castesinLoanda,andonly120ofthemslaves;
andthereare9000blacks,morethan5000ofwhomareslaves。
Theharborisformedbythelow,sandyislandofLoanda,whichisinhabitedbyabout1300souls,upwardof600ofwhomareindustriousnativefishermen,whosupplythecitywithabundanceofgoodfishdailyThespacebetweenitandthemainland,onwhichthecityisbuilt,isthestationforships。
Whenahighsouthwestwindblows,thewavesoftheoceandashoverpartoftheisland,and,drivinglargequantitiesofsandbeforethem,graduallyfilluptheharborGreatquantitiesofsoilarealsowashedintherainyseasonfromtheheightsabovethecity,sothattheport,whichoncecontainedwatersufficienttofloatthelargestshipsclosetothecustom-house,isnowatlowwaterdry。
Theshipsarecompelledtoanchoraboutamilenorthoftheiroldstation。
NearlyallthewaterconsumedinLoandaisbroughtfromtheRiverBengobymeansoflaunches,theonlysupplythatthecityaffordsbeingfromsomedeepwellsofslightlybrackishwater。
Unsuccessfulattemptshavebeenmadebydifferentgovernorstofinishacanal,whichtheDutch,whileinpossessionofLoandaduringthesevenyearspreceding1648,hadbegun,tobringwaterfromtheRiverCoanzatothecity。
ThereisnotasingleEnglishmerchantatLoanda,andonlytwoAmerican。
Thisisthemoreremarkable,asnearlyallthecommerceiscarriedonbymeansofEnglishcalicobroughthitherviaLisbon。
SeveralEnglishhousesattemptedtoestablishatradeabout1845,andacceptedbillsonRiodeJaneiroinpaymentfortheirgoods,buttheincreasedactivityofourcruisershadsuchaneffectuponthemercantilehousesofthatcitythatmostofthemfailed。
TheEnglishmerchantslostall,andLoandagotabadnameinthecommercialworldinconsequence。
Oneofthearrangementsofthecustom-housemayhavehadsomeinfluenceinpreventingEnglishtradeShipscomingheremustbeconsignedtosomeoneonthespot;theconsigneereceivesonehundreddollarspermast,andhegenerallymakesagreatdealmoreforhimselfbyputtingapercentageonboatsandmenhiredforloadingandunloading,andoneveryitemthatpassesthroughhishandsTheportchargesarealsorenderedheavybytwentydollarsbeingchargedasaperquisiteofthesecretaryofgovernment,withafeeforthechiefphysician,somethingforthehospital,custom-houseofficers,guards,etc。,etcBut,withallthesedrawbacks,theAmericanscarryonabriskandprofitabletradeincalico,biscuit,flour,butter,etc。,etc。
ThePortuguesehomegovernmenthasnotgenerallyreceivedthecreditforsincerityinsuppressingtheslave-tradewhichIconceivetobeitsdue。
In1839,myfriendMrGabrielsaw37slave-shipslyinginthisharbor,waitingfortheircargoes,undertheprotectionofthegunsoftheforts。
Atthattimeslavershadtowaitmanymonthsatatimeforahumanfreight,andacertainsumperheadwaspaidtothegovernmentforallthatwereexportedThedutiesderivedfromtheexportationofslavesfarexceededthosefromothercommerce,and,byagreeingtothesuppressionofthisprofitabletraffic,thegovernmentactuallysacrificedthechiefpartoftheexportrevenueSincethatperiod,however,therevenuefromlawfulcommercehasverymuchexceededthatonslaves。
TheintentionsofthehomePortuguesegovernment,howevergood,cannotbefullycarriedoutunderthepresentsystemThepayoftheofficersissoverysmallthattheyarenearlyallobligedtoengageintrade;
and,owingtothelucrativenatureoftheslave-trade,thetemptationtoengageinitissopowerful,thatthephilanthropicstatesmenofLisbonneedhardlyexpecttohavetheirhumaneandenlightenedviewscarriedout。
Thelaw,forinstance,latelypromulgatedfortheabolitionofthecarriersystemcarregadoresisbutoneofseveralequallyhumaneenactmentsagainstthismodeofcompulsorylabor,butthereisverylittleprobabilityofthebenevolentintentionsoftheLegislaturebeingcarriedintoeffect。
Loandaisregardedsomewhatasapenalsettlement,andthosewholeavetheirnativelandforthiscountrydosowiththehopeofgettingrichinafewyears,andthenreturninghomeTheyhavethusnomotiveforseekingthepermanentwelfareofthecountry。
ThePortugueselawpreventingthesubjectsofanyothernationfromholdinglandedpropertyunlesstheybecomenaturalized,thecountryhasneithertheadvantageofnativenorforeignenterprise,andremainsverymuchinthesamestateasouralliesfounditin1575。
NearlyalltheEuropeansoldierssentoutareconvicts,and,contrarytowhatmightbeexpectedfrommenintheirposition,behaveremarkablywellAfewriotshaveoccurred,butnothingatallsoseriousashavetakenplaceinourownpenalsettlements。
ItisaremarkablefactthatthewholeofthearmsofLoandaareeverynightinthehandsofthosewhohavebeenconvicts。
Variousreasonsforthismildbehaviorareassignedbytheofficers,butnoneofthese,whenviewedinconnectionwithourownexperienceinAustralia,appeartobevalidReligionseemstohavenoconnectionwiththechangePerhapstheclimatemayhavesomeinfluenceinsubduingtheirturbulentdisposition,fortheinhabitantsgenerallyareatimidrace;
theyarenothalfsobraveasourCaffresThepeopleofAmbrizranawaylikeaflockofsheep,andallowedthePortuguesetotakepossessionoftheircopperminesandcountrywithoutstrikingablow。
Ifwemusthaveconvictsettlements,attentiontotheclimatemightbeofadvantageintheselectionHereevenbullsaremuchtamerthanwithusInevermetwithaferociousoneinthiscountry,andthePortugueseusethemgenerallyforriding;anoxisseldomseen。
TheobjectswhichIhadinviewinopeningupthecountry,asstatedinafewnotesofmyjourney,publishedinthenewspapersofAngola,socommendedthemselvestothegeneralgovernmentandmerchantsofLoanda,that,attheinstanceofhisexcellencythebishop,ahandsomepresentforSekeletuwasgrantedbytheBoardofPublicWorksJuntadaFazendaPublicaItconsistedofacolonel’scompleteuniformandahorseforthechief,andsuitsofclothingforallthemenwhoaccompaniedmeThemerchantsalsomadeapresent,bypublicsubscription,ofhandsomespecimensofalltheirarticlesoftrade,andtwodonkeys,forthepurposeofintroducingthebreedintohiscountry,astsetsecannotkillthisbeastofburdenThesepresentswereaccompaniedbylettersfromthebishopandmerchants;andIwaskindlyfavoredwithlettersofrecommendationtothePortugueseauthoritiesinEasternAfrica。
Itookwithmeagoodstockofcottoncloth,freshsuppliesofammunitionandbeads,andgaveeachofmymenamusket。
Asmycompanionshadamassedconsiderablequantitiesofgoods,theywereunabletocarrymine,butthebishopfurnishedmewithtwentycarriers,andsentforwardorderstoallthecommandantsofthedistrictsthroughwhichweweretopasstorendermeeveryassistanceintheirpowerBeingnowsuppliedwithagoodnewtentmadebymyfriendsonboardthePhilomel,weleftLoandaonthe20thofSeptember,1854,andpassedroundbyseatothemouthoftheRiverBengo。
Ascendingthisriver,wewentthroughthedistrictinwhichstandtheruinsoftheconventofStAntonio;thenceintoIcolloiBengo,whichcontainsapopulationof6530blacks,172mulattoes,and11whites,andissonamedfromhavingbeentheresidenceofaformernativeking。
Theproportionofslavesisonly3。38percentoftheinhabitants。
Thecommandantofthisplace,LaurenceJoseMarquis,isafrankoldsoldierandamosthospitableman;heisoneofthefewwhosecuretheuniversalapprobationoftheirfellow-menforstern,unflinchinghonesty,andhasrisenfromtherankstobeamajorinthearmy。
Wewereaccompaniedthusfarbyourgeneroushost,EdmundGabriel,Esq。,who,byhisunweariedattentionstomyself,andliberalityinsupportingmymen,hadbecomeendearedtoallourheartsMymenwerestronglyimpressedwithasenseofhisgoodness,andoftenspokeofhimintermsofadmirationallthewaytoLinyanti。
Whileherewevisitedalargesugarmanufactorybelongingtoalady,DonnaAnnadaSousaTheflatalluviallandsonthebanksoftheSenzaorBengoarewelladaptedforraisingsugar-cane,andthisladyhadasurprisingnumberofslaves,butsomehowtheestablishmentwasfarfrombeinginaflourishingconditionItpresentedsuchacontrasttothefree-laborestablishmentsoftheMauritius,whichIhavesinceseen,where,withnotonetenthofthenumberofhands,orsuchgoodsoil,amanofcolorhad,inoneyear,cleared5000Poundsbyasinglecrop,thatIquotethefact,inhopesitmaymeettheeyeofDonnaAnna。
Thewateroftheriverismuddy,anditisobservedthatsuchrivershavemanymoremosquitoesthanthosewhichhaveclearwater。
Itwasremarkedtousherethattheseinsectsaremuchmorenumerousattheperiodofnewmoonthanatothertimes;atanyrate,wewereallthankfultogetawayfromtheSenzaanditsinsectplagues。
Thewholeofthispartofthecountryiscomposedofmarlytufa,containingthesamekindofshellsasthoseatpresentaliveintheseas。
Asweadvancedeastwardandascendedthehigherlands,wefounderuptivetrap,whichhadtiltedupimmensemassesofmicaandsandstoneschists。
Themicaschistalmostalwaysdippedtowardtheinteriorofthecountry,formingthosemountainrangesofwhichwehavealreadyspokenasgivingahighlandcharactertothedistrictofGolungoAlto。
Thetraphasfrequentlyrunthroughthegorgesmadeintheupheavedrocks,andatthepointsofjunctionbetweentheigneousandolderrockstherearelargequantitiesofstronglymagneticironore。