THE KINGDOM OF THE CONGO 173 



which were only rediscovered a few years ago, after 

 they had been hidden in the forest for centuries. 



On his second expedition Diego Cao not only 

 sent ambassadors to the Congo capital, but pro- 

 ceeding south, along the coast of Angola, discovered 

 the bay which he called Santa Maria, and the 

 cape which he called Negro; here he placed two 

 more pillars, one at each place, dying shortly 

 after. 



The Congo King sent a number of his young 

 nobles with presents to Portugal, with the request 

 that priests might be sent to teach his people 

 the Christian religion, and merchants to establish 

 a trade between his country and Portugal. * The 

 first Catholic mission from Portugal arrived in the 

 Congo in 1490, founded the Portuguese settlement 

 of San Salvador in the native capital, and built 

 there a church. The reigning King of the Congo 

 accepted the protectorate of the Portuguese, was 

 baptized with all his court, and given the title of 

 King Joao, after the reigning Portuguese monarch. 

 It is said that, at the first reception of the Portu- 

 guese mission, the King sat upon an ivory throne, 

 wearing a hat of palm fibre and a coat of beautiful 

 antelope skin ; while from his shoulder there hung 

 down an antelope tail. The army of the king, in 

 three lines and with many drummers, made such 

 shouting as had never been heard before. The 

 King and his court, dazzled by the splendour of 

 the Roman ritual, the gifts of holy medallions, 

 crucifixes, and sacred pictures, and the delightful 

 method of baptism, which consisted in the eating 

 of salt, a rare and much-sought-after commodity, 



