51- -i 



CONI. 



according to their account, continued to be nearly in a straight line 

 towards the north-east ; and Tuckey appears to have felt convinced 

 that it must have its source in some vast lake or chain of lakes seve- 

 ral degrees to the north of the equator. Much surprise was expe- 

 rienced at finding that it did not receive the water of any other stream 

 in the whole distance along which the survey extended. The old 

 delineations of the river, it is to be observed, also represent it as 

 without any tributaries in this part of its course ; but they make 

 numerous rivers to flow into it higher up. The torrents that pour 

 down in the rainy season however, through the ravines between the 

 hills on both sides of it, probably bring it a considerable supply. la 

 the lower part of its course the Congo spreads out into extensive 

 swamps, which are covered with mangrove and palm-trees, as are also 

 the islets by which it is here interrupted ; above the swampy region, 

 hills, none of which much exceed 2000 feet, rise at a short distance 

 from the channel. Up to the great Yellala these hills are stony and 

 nearly barren, and the rocks at the Narrows are composed of masses 

 of micaceous slate ; but beyond this point the rocks are of limestone, 

 and the country is described as fertile and beautiful. Even below 

 this however, between the hills and the water, vegetation is in many 

 parts very luxuriant, and numerous villages are to be seen both in 

 the hollows and even on the flat summits of the mountains. The old 

 map* make five or six smaller rivers fall into the sea between the 

 Congo and the Dando. 



The climate is hot and unhealthy along the coast, but temperate 

 and salubrious in the interior. The range of the thermometer in the 

 period of a month during Captain Tuckey's survey, from about the 

 middle of July to the middle of August, was never below 60 during 

 the night, nor above 80 during the day ; the common noon-day heat 

 was 76. Among the vegetable products (for many of which the 

 natives must have been indebted to the Portuguese) are mandioc or 

 cassava, yams, maize, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, millet, calavanses, 

 cabbages, spinach, pepper, capsicum, the sugar-cane, and tobacco. Of 

 fruits they have the banana, the papaw, the orange, the lime, and 

 the pine-apple, which last Captain Tuckey found growing in the open 

 places at the extreme point to which he penetrated. Wine is made 

 from the juice of the palm-tree, which is described as an agreeable and 

 a wholesome drink. Of domestic animals there are goats, hogs, fowls, 

 ducks, and pigeons, as well an a few hairy sheep. There are also 

 some horned cattle. Of wild animals, the country abounds with 

 elephants, leopards, lions, buffaloes, large monkeys, antelopes, wild 

 hogs, &c. Guinea fowl and red-legged partridges are abundant, large, 

 and fine ; and wild pigeons, of three or four species, very plentiful. 

 Bees are in great numbers ; the flea and the bug were the only insects 

 that were found troublesome. The lower- part of the river Congo 

 abounds in different species of fish, which form an important part of 

 the subsistence of the people ; it also, especially above the Narrows, 

 swarma with hippopotami and crocodiles. 



The native sovereign of Congo resides at Banza Congo, six days' 

 journey southward from the river. Under the king are the Chenoos. 

 "The Chenooships," says Captain Tuckey, "improperly named king- 

 doma by Europeans, are hereditary fiefs, passing in the female line, 

 that ia, on the decease of the Chenoo the succession instead of passing 

 to hia son goes to his brother, or uterine uncle or cousin." Of the 

 inferior officers, the chief ia the Mafook, or collector of the customs, 

 who is generally qualified to act as an interpreter to the European 

 visiters of the coast. These functionaries used to amass consider- 

 able wealth by giving their services aa agents to the slave traders who 

 formerly resorted to Congo. A place called Kmbomma, on the north 

 bank of the river, and about 50 miles from its mouth, waa the great 

 slave mart. 



The natives of Congo cultivate regularly two crops of Indian corn 

 in the year. Rights of property are well understood among them. 

 But their houses are mere huts constructed of a few posts stuck in 

 the ground and interwoven with reeds ; and they go naked, with the 

 exception of a small apron, generally of grass-matting, tied round 

 their loins. They tattoo their bodies and file away the two upper 

 front teeth. They seem to be a timid and unwarlike race, and both 

 their indolence and their sensuality are extreme. Their women are 

 their drudges in all kinds of laborious work, and, not excepting the 

 aiatera, daughters, and wives of the highest personages, are eagerly 

 offered by them for a trifle to a white man of any grade. Their sense 

 of the whites being a race of beings altogether distinct from them- 

 lelvea seems to be complete. They scarcely appear to have gained a 

 tep towards civilisation by their intercourse with the Portuguese. 



The language of Congo, which is a dialect of that of Angola, 

 Benguela, and the other neighbouring districts, is (it is said) radically 

 the same aa that spoken by the natives of the eaat coastof Africa. This 

 waa first noticed by Mr. Marsden (author of the ' History of Sumatra,') 

 and the statement is corroborated by the lists of Congo words col- 

 lected by Captain Tuckey. 



CoNI, properly CUXKO, an administrative division of Piedmont, 

 i bounded N. by the division of Turin, K. by that of Alessandria, 

 i.F.., S., and W. by the Apennines and the Maritime Alps, which 

 separate it from Geneva, N ., and Franco. Its greatest 



Ifiigth from east to west is 69 milej, from north to south 58 miles. 

 The area in 2710 square miles, and tin; population in 1848 amounted to 

 600,872. The surface presents mountain ridges Bringing from the 



OEOO. Div. vor,. n. 



CONI. 648 



Alps and Apennines, all converging to the basin of the Po, and inclos- 

 ing valleys of great fertility, which yield corn, maize, wine, silk, 

 pulse, hemp, and fruits. The white mulberry-tree is cultivated with 

 great care and success for the rearing of silk-worms, which gives 

 profitable employment to great numbers of the peasantry. The lower 

 slopes of the mountains are covered with forests of chestnut ; and 

 their higher parts afford abundant summer pastures, on which great 

 numbers of cattle are fed. Iron, lead, marble, slates, mineral salt, 

 &c., are found. 



The rivers are numerous. They are all tributaries of the Po, 

 which, rising from the eastern side of Monte VLso, flows east to within 

 a short distance of the. town of Saluzzo ; it then turns north-east and 

 enters the province of Torino or Turin. The Vraita flows east from the 

 Maritime Alps as far as Castigliole, whence it turns north, and enters 

 the Po on the right bauk^ a little above Carmagnola. The Maira rises 

 also in the Maritime Alps, and flows in a direction parallel to that of 

 the Vraita, and enters the Po about 2 miles nearer Carmagnola. The 

 next river to the south is the Stura, which flows parallel to the pre- 

 ceding as far as Fossauo, where it turns north-north-east, and enters 

 the Tanaro on the left bant near Cherasco ; its principal affluent is 

 the Vennegnana or Gesso, which enters it on the right bank below 

 Cuneo. The Tauaro, rising in the Maritime Alps a little east of the 

 Col-di-Tende, flows nearly due north at a little distance west of an 

 offshoot from the main ch;un as far aa Cherasoo, where it passes 

 through a gap to the eastern side of the ridge, passing the towns of 

 Alba and Asti ; from the latter it runs east to a little below Alessan- 

 dria, near which it receives from the Apennines the Belbo and the 

 Bormida increased by the Orba from the right bank, and then turn- 

 ing north-east enters the Po about 7 miles north of Marengo. From 

 Asti the Tanaro U navigable for barges, but with some difficulty, owing 

 to the rapidity of the stream at some points. A railway runs from 

 Turin through Savigliano to Fossano in the administrative division of 

 Cuneo. The line will probably be continued to Cuneo. 



The division of Cuneo consists of four provinces, which, with the 

 area, mandamenti, and population of each, are as follows : 



The Province of Cuneo contains 67 comxmi, and occupies the south- 

 western portion of the division. The chief town is Cuneo, which stands 

 on the right bank of the Stura, 47 miles S. from Turin, and has, includ- 

 ing the garrison, about 20,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of a bishop, 

 and the residence of the intend ant-general of thu whole division ; ia 

 well built, and has a cathedral and several other churches, a royal 

 college, town-hall, theatre, and public baths. It is a busy place, and 

 has cloth and silk factories, and a considerable trade in the produce 

 of the country by means of the canal joining the Stura and the Po, 

 which runs from this town to Curmagnola. The city was strongly 

 fortified in 1800; its defences were dismantled by the French after the 

 battle of Marengo. It is still however inclosed by a wall. Busca, on 

 the left bank of the Maira, stands at the foot of a hill, in a rich wine 

 district, and has 9000 inhabitants. Bores, S. of Cuneo, at the foot 

 of mountains in which iron mines and marble quarries are worked, 

 has 8709 inhabitants. Caraglio, 6 miles W. from Cuneo, has a college, 

 some silk manufactures, and a population of 7000. Chiusa, on the 

 left of the Pesio, a feeder of the Tanaro, has 5800 inhabitants, who 

 manufr cture silk and glass. Demon'e, a fortified town, lo miles W.S. \V. 

 foi'iu Cuneo, on the left bank of the Stura, has a population of 6950, 

 including the whole commune. The town is defended by a strong 

 fortress which commands the valley of the Stura and road to France 

 by the Col-d'Argentiere. The fort was taken by the French and 

 Spaniards in 1744, and destroyed on their retreat from Cuneo. It has 

 been since rebuilt. Dronero, 10 miles W.N.W from Cuneo, on the 

 Maira, which is here crossed by a handsome bridge, has a college, and 

 a population of 7716. Foieano, on the left bank of the Stura, 15 

 miles N.N.E. from Cuneo, 37 S. by E. by railway from Turin, is a well- 

 built town, with a royal college, a handsome cathedral, silk factories, 

 paper-mills, and tanneries. The town, which is inclosed by old walls, 

 stands on a hill, the summit of which u surmounted by an old 

 castle. The streets are rather gloomy, the houses being built over 

 arcades, which form the footways. It is the seat of a bishop, and 

 has 16,041 inhabitants, who trade in corn, hemp, and cattle. Limone, 

 at the foot of the Col-di-Tende, and near the source of the Ver- 

 megnana, has 3500 inhabitants, who arc employed as guides, and in 

 keeping in renair the terraced roads over the neighbouring mountains. 

 Peverayvo : population, 6080. 



The Province of Alba, before described, occupies the north-eastern 

 part of the division, and contains 77 com'uni. [ALBA.] 



The Province of Mondavi lies east of that of Cuneo, south of Alba, 



and contains 71 comuni. The chief town, Monduri, stands on the 



, :i feeder of the Tanaro, 5U i:iilc'3 S.S.E. from Turin, and h;n 



15,921 inhabitants. It is defended l>y walls and a strong castle, 



2 N 



