128 



CONGO. 



Congo. 



?opu]a* 

 t;on. 



Converts 

 : o Christi- 

 stnity. 



happiness of whose monarch and people the rest of 

 mankind were created to contribute, and to whose 

 treasury the sea and rivers constantly bring their riches, 

 whilst other princes and nations must condescend to 

 dig through rocks and mountains in quest of the gold 

 and silver which constitute their wealth, and as such 

 are so generally and so supremely held in esteem amongst 

 them. In conformity with these opinions, they imagine 

 that the nations which come to traffic with them are 

 forced vipon that servile employment, from the badness 

 and the poverty of their several countries, not incited 

 to it by their luxury or avarice. For themselves, they 

 consider it to be not a little to their honour, that they 

 can with ease and contentment withstand the solicita- 

 tions of the most pinching distress, rather than dis- 

 grace the nobleness of their blood by any kind of in- 

 dustry, which, however laudable and beneficial such 

 industry may be, they are still disposed to regard as a 

 lesser degree of slavery. They are not, however, equal- 

 ly fastidious in respect to begging or stealing, being 

 indeed the most shameless and importunate beggars in 

 the world, and such determined and outrageous rob- 

 bers, that the only circumstance on account of which 

 they deem any abstraction of property to be unlawful 

 or scandalous, is its being committed in a private man- 

 ner, and without the knowledge of the person wrong- 

 ed. It is esteemed a piece of bravery and gallantry to 

 wrench any thing from another by violence ; and this 

 description of impudent rapacity is so common, not 

 merely among the vulgar, but also among the great, 

 that they make no scruple in their travels from place 

 to place, to seize not only upon all the provisions they 

 meet with in the towns and villages, but on whatever 

 else comes in their way. In consequence of these vio- 

 lences, the poor people are eager, when apprehensive of 

 such danger, to conceal, in the best manner they can, 

 their few valuables, and esteem themselves happy if 

 not compelled by a severe bastonading to discover them 

 to their oppressors. 



The population of Congo has been represented by 

 some authors, who wrote either from mere conjecture, 

 or from uncertain information, to be but inconsider- 

 able. The missionaries we know, however, and the 

 Portuguese who first visited this country, found it for 

 the most part covered with towns and villages, which 

 even swarmed with inhabitants. The metropolis, it is 

 said, contained above 50,000 souls. The other cities 

 were also filled with people. The provinces, if not 

 equally populous, were yet far from being in this re- 

 spect strikingly defective. The province of Bamba is 

 even at present said to be able to raise to the amount 

 of 200,000 fighting men ; and its former population is 

 -said to have been double of what it now contains. The 

 army of the King of Congo in 1665, is stated to have 

 consisted of 900,000 fighting men, who were attended 

 by an infinite number of women, children, and slaves. 



The number of converts to Christianity, which a small 

 number of Capuchin friars made among the more civi- 

 lized of the people of this country, is affirmed to have 

 amounted to 6()0,000. These accounts of the numbers 

 of the Congoese will appear the more credible, when 

 we consider the extreme fecundity of their women, 

 the hardiness with which they bring up their children, 

 and the stoutness and healthiness of their men. Con- 

 sistent with these accounts is the statement we have re- 

 ceived as to the numbers of slaves sold annually out of 

 the country, which in ordinary years seldom fall short 

 ef 15/0'. or 16,000. 



The government of Congo is monarchical, and as des- 



potic as any in Asia or Africa. The property of all Congo, 

 the lands within their dominions is vested in the king, ■"""■ ^M 

 who parcels them out to individuals on condition of a <3ovflrn - 

 certain tribute, and of the performance of particular mmt " 

 services. Any failure in these respects, or any other 

 neglect, is attended with ejection and deprivation; and 

 the rigour and cruel extortion with which any demands 

 that can be preferred on those grounds are too often 

 enforced, are, as they might well be expected to be, 

 the frequent occasions of revolt or of open rebellion. 

 Even the princes of the blood are subject to the same 

 laws in respect to property as others. Hence it is, that 

 no person whatever, within the limits of this state, can 

 bequeath a foot of land to his heirs ; but when the first 

 owners under the crown die, the lands wlrich they held 

 return to it again, whether they were in their own pos- 

 session or in that of tenants, and it depends entirely on 

 the prince whether then they shall be continued in the 

 same, or disposed into other hands. The crown of this 

 state is partly hereditary and partly elective. No can- 

 didate for it accordingly can be chosen, unless he be of 

 the royal blood ; and since the introduction of Chris- 

 tianity, it is in like manner necessary that he should 

 be a Christian of the church of Rome. The whole 

 process of the coronation of the prince, and his mode of 

 living after his advancement to the throne, are attended 

 with various circumstances of splendour and magnifi- 

 cence. It is but seldom that he goes abroad, and when 

 he does so, he is attended by a numerous guard of An- 

 seki and others of neighbouring nations, who are the 

 most in his confidence, musicians, knights of the 

 Holy Cross, an order which was instituted by the first 

 Christian king of this country, and a number of offi- 

 cers richly accoutred. The respect which the Congoese 

 pay to their sovereign, approaches even to idolatry. 

 The palace in which he lodges is commodious, grand, 

 and spacious ; his court numerous and brilliant ; and 

 he has his seraglio, which is plentifully provided with 

 concubines, who there indulge themselves in the most 

 licentious gratifications, but are subject to be detained 

 in it for the rest of their lives, and are placed under 

 the controul of the single lawful wife, which, as to 

 other Christians in this region, is alone allowed, even to 

 the prince. The royal revenue consists chiefly in the tri- Revenue, 

 bute that is obtained from several vassal princes, in 

 free-will offerings, which are made in acknowledge- 

 ment for the lands held under the sovereign, in the 

 property of all the zimbis, or that description of shells 

 which constitute the current coin of this and the neigh- 

 bouring states ; in mines of silver and gold, which, 

 however, as serving comparatively little purpose here, 

 are much neglected ; and in the sums arising from the 

 renewal of fiefs and investitures, from fines and confis- 

 cations. The prince has, moreover, a discretionary 

 power of levying taxes on his subjects at pleasure. The Military 

 standing forces of the Congoese monarchy are far from ™ [cc ' 

 being numerous. They are at the same time neither 

 well disciplined nor well clothed, nor well armed. 

 Their mode of fighting is tumultuous and ferocious, 

 and they give no quarter. Those that are taken alive 

 being hurried to the sea-side, or to some inland mar- 

 ket, are there sold for slaves to the Europeans. There Law?. 

 are no written laws among the Congoese, but where 

 favour or bribery do not interpose, custom and tradi- 

 tion serve them instead both of code and commentaries. 

 Everv province has a chief iustice for civil and crimi- Admill! - . 

 nal affairs, from whom an appeal lies to the king. ■ licCt 

 Under him there are also inferior officers in every town 

 and community. Treason, murder, and sorcery, are 

 1 



