34 THROUGH ANGOLA 



upon by the Commandants of their districts. 

 Thus some of the settlers in Angola are convicts 

 or of convict descent a case of Botany Bay once 

 again. 



There is now at Loanda a High Commissioner 

 for the economic development of the colony, as 

 well as a Governor-General. In 1920, however, 

 the latter alone was there, receiving me 

 courteously ; and when he realized that my visit 

 to Angola was made solely to hunt and photo- 

 graph wild animals, promised to grant my permit 

 for arms as soon as possible. There have been so 

 many prospectors and company promoters coming 

 out to Angola lately, and so much litigation 

 and quarrelling over concessions for oil, timber, 

 precious stones, and railways, that the Governor 

 was naturally cautious in promising anything 

 till he was sure of my plans. 



Loanda has a theatre, several bars, billiard- 

 rooms, restaurants, and a band-stand ; and every- 

 body who is anybody collects at the Central 

 Hotel at least twice a day for cocktails. It was 

 here that I met Mr. Virgilio Monteiro, the official 

 dispatcher to the Loanda Customs, a man to whose 

 energy and kindness I owe much. The British 



O / 



Consul, Mr. Bringes, who was busy at the time 

 and unable to help me himself, did the next best 

 thing, by handing me over to Virgilio Monteiro. 



In the intervals between helping him to get 

 my guns and kit through the Customs. I explored 

 the native quarters and markets of the town in 

 search of servants. In the markets were a number 

 of sellers, mostly women of Lofnuh;. while the 



