56 Terao's Memoir relative to the 



The carapcteira* is called in the country ctbonc. The medi- 

 cinal plants most known and common are euphorbia, rhubarb, 

 jalap, senna, and many others which might become articles of 

 commerce, as well as a great variety of colors and dyes, 

 which might be extracted from minerals and vegetables. 

 Millet and maize of every description and quality, are the 

 principal articles cultivated by the colonists and slaves, 

 whose principal sustenance they are ; the land produces them 

 in such abundance, that the people are rendered negligent 

 and careless to the proper means of growing them. The 

 articles which form the principal commercial objects, are 

 furnished by the animal and vegetable kingdoms, — they are, 

 first, the Hippopotamus, vulgarly called the Sea-horse, or 

 " Cavalho Marinho," whose teeth and oil are exported, the 

 flesh serving as food for the slaves ; secondly, the Rhinoce- 

 ros, commonly called Abade, furnishes another export in its 

 horns ; and the Tiger is killed for the sake of its skin. In 

 spite of the destruction made amongst the bees, owing to the 

 ignorance of the inhabitants, honey and wax are in the 

 greatest abundance. The mineral productions are various dust. 

 Gold, which is chiefly drawn from the immense interior dis- 

 tricts of Quitove, Manica,t Mazezuros, Abatira, Zemba, Max- 

 ongo, and Ma.no, and might be extracted from the mines on 

 the crown lands, where it was formerly found in considerable 

 quantities. Iron, one of the most useful metals, is found in 

 abundance in the district of Senna, and in still greater quan- 

 tities in the lands of the Caffres Maraves, who manufacture all 

 the hoes used in the Captaincy of Senna, as well as at Mozam- 

 bique, Inhamban, &c. &c. Copper is found in the districts of 

 Zumbo, Moizas, and Cazembe, said to be on the western 

 side of the range of mountains where the Zambezi has its 

 source. By a despatch from Tette, dated in June, 1822, the 

 Governor of Mozambique was informed, that an embassy had 

 arrived there from Cazembe, amounting to three hundred 

 persons : they invited the Portuguese to send soldiers and 

 merchants to form an establishment in that kingdom, at the 

 head of the river Arangua or Aruangua, which falls into the 

 Atlantic about Angola. This river is said to have its source 

 on the western side of the same ridge of mountains, from 

 which the Zambezi flows. The King sent to say, that he had 

 prepared the way for their safe conduct ; he sent three teeth 

 (or tusks) as a present, and eighty for traffic. Abundance of 

 saltpetie is produced in the crown lands, which might become 

 a very material article for exportation ; but is wasted through 

 the ignorance and laziness of the inhabitants, who are not 



* The oil extracted from the Carapcteira is called Oil d'Abone. 

 -f In this district the Maneiss or King George's River, is said to have its 

 source amongst the mountains between Sofala and Inhamban.— (Owen) 



