I THE PONGO 5 



their hunting : Idolatries ; and divers other 

 observations." 



"This province (Calongo) toward the east bordereth upon 

 Bongo, and toward the north upon Mayombe, which is nineteen 

 leagues from Longo along the coast. 



* This province of Mayombe is all woods and groves, so over- 

 growne that a man may travaile twentie days in the shadow 

 without any sunne or heat. Here is no kind of corne nor 

 graine, so that the people liveth onely upon plantanes and 

 roots of sundrie sorta, very good ; and nuts ; nor any kinde of 

 tame cattell, nor hens. 



"But they have great store of elephants' flesh, which they 

 greatly esteeme, and many kinds of wild beasts ; and great 

 store of fish. Here is a great sandy bay, two leagues to the 

 northward of Cape Negro, 1 which is the port of Mayombe. 

 Sometimes the Portugals lade logwood in this bay. Here is 

 a great river, called Banna : in the winter it hath no barre, 

 because the generall winds cause a great sea. But when tho 

 sunne hath his south declination, then a boat may goe in ; for 

 then it is smooth because of the raine. This river is very great, 

 and hath many ilands and people dwelling in them. The 

 woods are so covered with baboones, monkies, apes and parrots, 

 that it will feare any man to travaile in them alone. Here are 

 also two kinds of monsters, which are common in these woods, 

 and very dangerous. 



" The greatest of these two monsters is called Pongo in their 

 language, and the lesser is called Engeco. This Pongo is in 

 all proportion like a man ; but that he is more like a giant 

 in stature than a man ; for he is very tall, and hath a man's 

 face, hollow-eyed, with long haire upon his browes. His 

 face and eares are without haire, and his hands also. Hia 

 bodie is full of haire, but not very thicke ; and it is of a dunnish 

 colour. 



* * He differeth not from a man but in his legs ; for they have 



1 Purchas' note. Cape Negro is in 16 degrees south of the 

 lino. 



