GOOD CATTLE AND A BAD MULE 141 



dust of the roads were becoming a discomfort. 

 Though I had reduced all equipment to bare 

 necessity, and carried a couple of rifles and heavy 

 haversack to lighten the other loads, it was with 

 difficulty we reached even the first water at 

 Gondombes, a cattle ranch 6 miles from Catengue. 

 The Mondombe carriers were lazy and unwilling, 

 and no encouragement or promises of beer could 

 make them march cheerfully, or prevent one 

 from deserting and leaving us to divide and carry 

 on his load. 



Though the ranch was near a stream, this, 

 like all others in this coastward country, is dry 

 for most months of the year, and water for 

 irrigation and stock was drawn by hand pulley 

 and bucket from a well. It was a well-equipped 

 farm with likely stock, raised by crossing Angolan 

 cows and European bulls ; the nearest market 

 was Benguella, where the stock was sent alive or as 

 meat and hides. 



Though convinced of a bright future for 

 Angola, from its climate and geographical position, 

 little had been seen to convince me of any hope 

 of immediate prosperity ; pegging of claims, wild 

 speculation in land, and indiscriminate cutting of 

 timber for rapid profit, were painfully evident 

 everywhere ; but sober development, such as that 

 at Gondombes, seemed to be the exception. 



Senhor Duarthe, the manager of the farm, not 

 only gave me excellent information about the 

 game of the River Coporollo, a day's march to the 

 south, but arranged for his friend Senhor Mendez, 

 who was driving past there on his way to Quil- 



