elsewhere be written otherwife than I have fpelt them; but I have governed myfelf by the pronunciation of the natives; for in most of thefe countries nothing written is to be found. I adopted the names of many towns and places as laid down upon maps; but many are totally wanting, not only in charts, but in all geographical works. Thefe defects will be in a great meafure corrected and fupplicd, in the map annexed to the following fheets. Of countries already fully and accurately defcribed by others, I have faid little, to avoid repeating what is al“ready known. Some objects which required the illuftration of drawings, I have endeavoured to defign with as much fidelity as I could, and the artift has fucceeded in the execution to the life it felf.

"Should this work be fo fortunate as to meet with a favourable reception from the public, it is my intention, provided I remain in Europe, to write, as a fequel to it, a full and accurate geographical account of the leaftknown countries and kingdoms of which I have treated; as, for inftance, Bahahara, Haouffa, &c. &c. t.

"CHRIST. FRED. DAMBERGER." August 1800.

EXTRACTS.

THE KINGDOM OF MATAMAN, &C. "THE kingdom of Mataman, though mountainous, poflefies many fertile vallies, moft beautiful meadows, and many fruit-trees; but the inhabitants are too lazy to improve the advantages as they ought. The king is an unlimited hereditary monarch, and is called fohaawoia (chofen by the gods). His office is inherited by his male defcend

ants; or, in default thereof, by the female. When the latter come to the throne, they choose from among their fubjects a husband, who reigns jointly with his wife; but it must first be fatisfactorily afcertained, by the elders of the land, whether he poffeffes the neceffary talents and abilities. The king is alfo the chief prieft and foothfayer, befides which, he is chief overfeer of the youth; and his decifions are refpected even when he judges falfely. He has the exclufive privilege of marrying feveral wives, and appoints fubordinate judges, priefts, &c. The king does not march against the enemy, but gives the command of the troops to others. The foldiers are brave, and very dexterous with the bow; their number is faid to be thirty thousand.

"In this kingdom are three large towns, the most populous of which is Seenhofa. This town is fituated two days journey from the frontiers by which I entered the country, and is the royal refidence. In each town is a chief appointed by the king, who is alfo prieft, and is called mohwoia. He cannot, however, pass fentence of his own authority, but muft put in force the decifion of the king.

"In their religious ufages, this nation coincide in many things with the Mohammedans, and practife circumcifion, accompanied with certain ceremonies. Divine fervice is performed in the morning in the open air, at a place chofen by the prieft. It is very fimple, the people forming a circle, and the prieft making an harangue.

"Marriages are here, as among the South-caffres, contracted without ceremony. The men efteem and love their wives, and therefore do not burden them with too much labour; but dif

charge

charge many domeftic offices themfelves. Children continue till about their fourth year, or till their underftandings begin to unfold, under the fole care of their parents; after which the boys are placed under the mob suoia, and the girls are inftructed by his wife.

"Their drefs confifts of palm-leaf aprons, extending to the knees. The men twift their hair round bones, generally ribs of sheep; and I saw feveral who wore fix, and even eight, pieces dangling to their heads. The women bind their hair with thongs, and many of them have from four to fix of thefe treffes hanging over their foreheads.

"The inhabitants of Mataman eat but one regular meal a day, which is at funfet, taking in the intermediate time fome millet, or rye, and four milk. Provifions often fail through their extreme lazinefs; for they prefer fasting several days together, to taking a little trouble to procure food. Salt is rarely met with. It is brought from the kingdom of Mazumbo, in exchange for fkins; but they are often without it for years, when at war with that nation. In this cafe, many use a very bad fpecies of falt, obtained by burning the bones of wild beafts.

ས "At my arrival I was conducted to the hut of the mobwela, who gave me a little milk and a handful of barley. When I had eaten this, the man who had brought me into the village, alfo gave me milk and barley, which offended the former; and a violent difpute arofe, which, however, produced no bad confequences. The mobavoia maintained that it was his right, as chief, to fhow me hofpitality; while the other afferted, that he had the fame right, having brought me to the village Vol. i. p. 168..

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE ANGOLANS.

"THE kingdom of Angola extends fourteen days journey from east to weft, and ten from north to fouth. The face of the country is alternately varied with mountains, bare rocks, fertile vales, and the finest pastures, which offer the inhabitants competen

cy and fuperfluity, were they not too lazy to enjoy the bleflings nature be ftows, caring for their daily fuftenance alone. The country is interfected by many fmall rivers, befides the great river Bambe, which forms the northern boundary between this kingdom and that of Congo, and waters with its numerous branches the adjacent countries. To the eaft Angola is bounded by the kingdom of Matamba, to the fouth by Benguela and Sova, and to the weft by the fea.

"This country produces faltpetre, filver, tin, and a great quantity of ivory, all which the Portuguefe endeavour to purchase, as also a great quantity of fkins of all forts. It is one of the richest countries in beats of all kinds, and affords its inhabitants the means of fubfiftence without much labour. Of the elephant and rhinoce ros it feems, as it were, the native home, for they are met with in large herds; but the breeding of cattle is not in repute, the flesh of wild beasts being generally eaten.

"The kings of Angola were former ly fubject to the fovereigns of Congo; but the prefent king feparated from them, afferted his liberty, and thus obtained the love and veneration of his fubjects, infomuch that women and children take the field whenever war is declared against him. He has alfo a court, confifting of twenty-four manis, fifty priests, and two hundred and fifty foldiers armed with mufkets, which they ufe with great dexterity, and which were taken in a fudden attack made on the Portuguese in 1763.Each city is fuperintended by two manis, and every village by one; who, however, cannot judge any caufe, but muft make a report to the king, and receive his decifion. At this time the king was about thirty-fix years old, wore long blue breeches and a red cloak, made of bad materials. He is an enemy to the Portuguese, and to all Chriftians; he therefore restrains their liberty of trading in his territories, and feems only waiting a proper opportu nity entirely to prohibit their entering his dominions.

"The military force confifts of fifty thousand well-difciplined infantry; but

there

there is no cavalry, owing to the fearcity of horses, their increase being prevented by the great number of wild beafts. Buffaloes are used for military operations, and to carry the baggage. "The king generally gives audience in the open air, furrounded by his body-guard, and officers holding drawn fwords in their hands. These latter he calls fidalgas, and the former mocarani (the best foldiers), though they never fight in the field. The priests, who are called evanga, are next in rank to the king; and after them is the tambocado, or chief juftice, before whom the manis are obliged to lay their reports for further inveftigation; after which this officer lays them before the king, or caufes them to be prefented by the priests.

"The Angolans do not pray to idols, though they worship the fun and moon as the fupreme divinities; and each change of the latter is celebrated as a holyday, when no one can go a-hunting. Days of penitence, however, are appointed when storms arise; for then they fay the great lord is angry. On thefe occafions they refrain from all food, and quit their huts, especially when it thunders during the night; lying down with their faces on the ground till the ftorm is paft. The harvest-feast continues three days, and is celebrated with the greatest rejoicings. The Angolans are pagans, yet circumcifion prevails; and there are huts devoted to the fervice of God, where, on the days appointed by the priefts, religious affemblies are held.

"The regulation of domestic affairs is very fimple; and although nature has provided wild beats of numerous fpecies, and various kinds of fruit, yet the inhabitants live very poorly. Agriculture is purfued in very few places; but barley, Indian corn, and a fpecies of millet, are fown; and the gourds and water-melons are alfo very good. Of mufcles the inhabitants are extremely fond, and travel many miles to feek thein.

"Marriages are here attended with many ceremonies. A priest bleffes the young couple, who fit upon the ground, with certain forms which no one understands, then walks feveral times round them with his ftaff, and drives the evil fpirits away. The fa

*A Portuguese word,

mily then light a fire, in which this ftaff is burnt to ashes, and being mixed in milk, is bleffed by the priest and fwallowed by the young couple. This is done to favour fecundity, and avert various evils. Polygamy is permitted and cuftomary; but open divorces are not allowed, although many women are compelled by ill-treatment to leave their husbands.

"Children are here carefully brought up, being instructed by the priests in writing and in the laws and religion of the country. For paper the Angolans use the skin of a beaft, covered with foot and fat, and for pens they employ a fharp-pointed bone. Inftruction is given in the open air; and I obferved that the children are here much more attentive than in many German schools. All boys belong to the king, who caufes them, when grown up, to be taught the ufe of arms, for which the father receives a certain bounty; as for example, to every one that brings in a grown-up fon, a year's fubfiftence is given. To provide for this heavy expenfe, the king takes a third of the produce of the chafe, of all booty, of the harveft, and of all other gains.

"The drefs of the Angolans is very various; many of them only wearing aprons of palm-leaves, and others adding an afh-coloured cloak, made of bad cloth or linen, purchased of the Portuguese. Others wear skins of various beafts on their backs. Their hair is not long, but curly, and they adorn it with mufcle-fhells, chaplets, and other ornaments, purchased of the Portugucfe. They paint their cheeks blue or red; and, their nails being never cut, the fingers of thofe, who, in order to make a brilliant appearance in public, fecure them from accidents, resemble the talons of an eagle.

"Toward the natives of Africa the Angolans are very hofpitable, but to Chriftians they will not give a night's lodging, nor do they willingly permit them to enter their country; to avoid which, they carry the merchandise to be exchanged to the Portuguese, and bring back what they purchase. The Portuguese factories of Loanda and Gambamba are alfo obliged to fend envoys twice a year to the king, at his refidence called Manpango, to appease him in fome degree, as he will not

fignifying noblemen."

fuffer

fuffer fo many of his subjects to be kidnapped and enflaved. But fhould an alliance, that has been projected, be formed between this prince and the king of Mataman, the Portuguese may, in all probability, be treated in this country as they were at Japan."Vol. i. p. 206.

THE KINGDOMS OF MALEMBA AND CACONGO.

"IN this place it may be proper to fay fomething concerning the nation, defcribed to be fo favage, I was now vifiting. The tract of country inhabited by them is divided into three parts; and, though mountainous, is yet very fruitful. Their minerals are copper, lead, tin, and a small matter of goldduft. The foil produces pulfe, Turkish corn, millet, gourds, the fugar-cane, and tobacco. Here is alfo made a very tolerable palm-wine, and an excellent liquor from the expreffed juice of plums. The profits arifing from cotton are at present but trifling, as, from the perpetual wars with the neighbouring nations, the culture of it is much diminished and impeded: thus, for inftance, in 1780, the fine foreft near the city Alimthangoy, or Ango, fix miles long, and nearly as broad, which used to produce great quantities of cotton, was entirely burnt. Animals, both wild and tame, are found in great abundance; as elephants, highly prized for their ivory, ranofters, lions, tigers, and wolves, in the skins whereof a great trade is carried on to Malemba, the emporium of commerce in this country, and there fold to the Europeans, particularly the Dutch. Befides thefe, here are buffaloes, oxen, peacocks, oftriches, red and blue ftriped rock-doves, of extraordinary fize, pheasants, &c. The hares of this country, which are called mazato, are as large as the Weft Indian filk hares; but their fur, as well as the wool of the sheep, which resemble our hounds, is entirely useless. The great lake above the town of Malemba yields excellent fish, and particularly very large and well-tafted fhell-fish.-The three divifions of the country are: 1. The upper part, bordering on the fea, belongs to the Portuguese. The middle region, inhabited by the Malembanese themfelves, who dwell in the heart of the country, and on the

2.

western fide are contiguous to the Portuguese compting-houses. 3. The third, or lower part, is the kingdom of Cacongo. Both these nations, about a hundred and fifty years ago, were under the dominion of a king; but in the fequel, fome great men of the court of Loango, taking advantage of the floth and careleffnefs of that monarch, raised an army for the purpose of erecting kingdoms for themfelves; and thus were formed the kingdoms of Malemba and Cacongo, which, however, fince that period, have undergone feveral revolutions.

"The two principal nations, which fet bounds to the ufurpations of the Portuguese, are able to bring into the field, including the auxiliaries furnished them by the neighbouring nations in amity with them, thirty thousand fighting men, whofe weapons confift folely of bows and arrows, and who have shown themselves brave on all occasions. The army confifts entirely of infantry.Their religion, which is paganifm, is not burdened with ceremonies, nor degraded by idolatry, as they admit of only one fupreme being, whom they adore by fupplications, morning and evening daily, in temples meanly conftructed. The priests have no influence whatever in the government, neither are they fo highly revered as in other heathenish nations. The Portuguese have taken great pains to diffeminate Chriftianity in thefe parts, but without fuccefs. From what I could learn, it was chiefly the numerous ceremonies, but more especially the dogmas which human reafon cannot comprehend, that deterred the heathens, accustomed to a fimple worship, from adopting Chriftianity.--Buildings for schools are here not feen, as the children are inftructed in a verdant lawn under the open sky. The art of writing has been long known among them, the leaves of the palm ferving them inftead of paper, and for pens they use the small bones of birds or of fish.-The colour of the inhabitants is properly dark brown rather than reddish, and gives them a wild look. In their perfons they are mostly large and stout, having large eyes, long hair, which they or nament with little bones and shells, flat noses, and thick pouting lips. All the inhabitants go naked as low as the waist, round which they wear aprons of skins or palm-leaves. Those who

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live