174 THROUGH ANGOLA 



became enthusiastic converts to the faith. At this 

 period the King would have ordered the death of 

 any of his subjects who refused baptism, but his 

 ardour for Christianity rapidly cooled when he 

 found objection taken to the number of his wives. 

 This prohibition by the Church was a much more 

 serious matter than what he had looked upon 

 merely as a change of gods and sacrifices, and 

 the King at once reverted to pagan:'' .,-. 



The elder of the King's two sc , called Don 

 Alfonso, accepted the marital saTi^ce, became a 

 devout Catholic, and endeavoured to spread the 

 faith : while his younger brother took advantage 



/ o o 



of this to embitter the King against the heir, with 

 the hope of gaining the throne for himself. lie 

 persuaded the King that Alfonso, through the 

 magic of the Christians, flew nightly to the King's 

 harem and away with one or other of his favourite 

 wives, and although Alfonso was able to disprove 



<- -L 



this absurd story, even to the superstitious Congo 

 King, the latter never quite forgave his son, who 

 he still believed was making use of the magic of 

 the white priests to destroy his authority. 



On the King's death in 1509, Alfonso advanced 

 with only thirty-six Christians to claim his throne, 

 and is supposed, through the intervention of St. 

 James, who appeared in a cloud accompanued by 

 a numerous cavalcade of angels, to have gained 

 a great victory over his brother's immense pagan 

 army. This victory, and others which he obtained 

 later probably by the help of the Portuguese 

 the priests ascribed to divine intervention, and 

 thus obtained a firmer hold than ever on the 



