218 THROUGH ANGOLA 



ever, are wise enough to dress in native costumes. 

 Only great Chiefs may use the royal cap made of 

 woven fibre, and the royal wand of office ; which 

 is not only the King's mark of kingship at all 

 ceremonials, but is sent by messenger with im- 

 portant messages. 



The Kings of the Portuguese Congo still retain 

 the title of King, and the principal noblemen are 

 still Marquesses and Counts, though these titles, 

 granted by the Portuguese three hundred years 

 ago, are not of much importance to-day. 



The Portuguese in Angola have a settled policy 

 of destroying native power and authority, and 

 have done away with all except purely nominal 

 native rulers. This policy of disuniting native 

 tribes, and dividing them up into small sections 

 under very minor Chiefs, has apparently resulted 

 in a decrease of native risings. Such small native 

 risings as have occurred in Angola have, in con- 

 sequence of this policy, been readily suppressed. 



The native form of government is patriarchal 

 and communal : the small Chief or Sova rules 

 over a group of villages, or one village, which 

 may even consist of his family and relations 

 alone ; the village land is usually held in common. 



Most Angolan natives smoke, and the tobacco 

 plant is found near many of their villages. The 

 tobacco is smoked in pipes, some of which are 

 large and wonderfully carved. In the north of 

 Angola snuff -taking is as prevalent as smoking, 

 the snuff being sniffed up from the palm of the 

 hand with deep breaths ; for the nose of the 

 negro seems to be as insensitive to vast amounts 



