CONGO. 



here deemed capital offences, of which the two first are 

 " punished by decollation, and the last by burning alive. 

 The punishments of lesser offences are the bastinado, 

 hanging, fines, and imprisonment. 



The religion of Congo was, and still is, in many parts 

 of the country, a compound of the most degrading ido- 

 latry and superstition, joined with a complication of 

 absurd and detestable rites, which have been invented 

 bj their gangas or priests, for the purpose of keeping 

 the people in a state of the most abject subjection to 

 their spiritual tyranny. There is acknowledged, in- 

 deed, one supreme being, called Nzambiamponga, be- 

 lieved to be all-powerful, and to whom is ascribed the 

 creation of the country ; but it is understood that the 

 care and government of all sublunary things has been 

 committed by him to a great variety of subordinate 

 deities, who severally preside over their particular de- 

 partments in nature. In conformity with such views, 

 is the prodigious multiplication that is observed here of 

 deities, idols, and altars, as also of gangas or priests, 

 and of religious ceremonies. The forms under which 

 those inferior deities are represented, vary with the in- 

 clination of the worshippers, and consist sometimes in 

 resemblances of different living creatures, sometimes in 

 representations of trees or plants of various kinds, and 

 they sometimes assume the aspect of statues and images, 

 often carved or painted with very considerable skill. The 

 worship that is paid to these imaginary deities is ex- 

 pressed in genuflexions, fumigations, and such other un- 

 availing services, with which the priests- have influence 

 and authority enough to join the making of offerings, 

 nominally too in honour of the gods, but really and 

 substantially calculated to benefit, nay even to enrich, 

 those sacred persons themselves. Owing to this influ- 

 ence of the priesthood, not only have the endeavours of 

 the kings of Congo for extirpating idolatry from their 

 dominions been hitherto unsuccessful, but so much are 

 both the most barbarous and the most refined classes of 

 the people of this country, in all their transactions, un- 

 der the impression of religious regards, that if a house is 

 to be built or occupied, if the harvest is to be cut down, 

 or any thing else, even of the most trifling nature, is to 

 be undertaken, the favour of some deity or deities must 

 ever be gained, through the instrumentality of their 

 servants the gangas. Except in the case of the stated 

 festivals of the new moons, it is the privilege, besides, 

 of this body, to ascertain and fix the seasons generally 

 of all religious observances, as well as the particular 

 rites, sacrifices, and offerings, with which they are re- 

 spectively to be accompanied ; and, indeed, such is the 

 opinion entertained of the highest dignity belonging to 

 this order, that to the chalome, or chalombe, the person 

 invested with it, the degree of reverence that is paid is 

 such as borders on that which is thought due even to 

 the gods themselves. The form of Christianity that 

 was introduced into this country by the Portu<mese 

 preachers, after a footing had been obtained in & it by 

 that people, was, of course, that of the church of Rome. 

 Even under that form, however, so much has it in later 

 times been neglected, that little really now remains 

 here of that religion except the bare name of Chris- 

 tian. 



Concerning dying persons, the idea that is enter- 

 tuned among the Congoese is, that thev are just passing 

 from a wretched life into a state of tranquillity and liap- 

 jwness. Hence it is conceived that the best service 

 that can be done to persons in such circumstances, is 

 to accelerate their deliverance ; a notion whkh, anions 



VOL. VII. TART I. ° 



129 



the vulgar, leads sometimes to the barbarous practice Congo 

 of stopping their breath, or beating upon their breasts '"T"'" 

 with violence, that they may the sooner enter into a 

 state of felicity. In the inferior ranks of life, those 

 who mourn for persons deceased shave their whole 

 heads, and anoint themselves with oil, upon which they 

 rub a quantity of earth, dust, and dried leaves, which 

 give them a shocking appearance. Those of better con- 

 dition shave only the upper part of their heads, which 

 they bind with a list of cloth* linen, or leather, and con- 

 fine themselves to the house for eight whole days. To 

 shed tears on such an occasion is considered as a great 

 crime, and is liable to punishment even if the culprit 

 should be the king. Upon the death of the monarch, 

 persons kept in pay for the purpose, go to all the pub- 

 lic places in the cities to acquaint the people of the 

 fact, by the mournful sound of their ivory comets. 

 Before the introduction of Christianity into the country, 

 the funeral obsequies of such a personage were celebra- 

 ted by various kinds of sacrifices and superstitious ce- 

 remonies, accompanied with music, howling, dancing, 

 and feasting. These were continued for a week, and 

 were resumed yearly on the anniversary of the king's 

 demise. It was customary also to bury alive a certain 

 number, not exceeding twelve, of the favourite concu- 

 bines of the prince, or of the young ladies belonging to 

 his court. In some of these respects an advantageous 

 change has taken place in consequence of that event, 

 though the effect has not been so complete as to put an 

 end to the drunken revels which had been customary 

 on such occasions. 



The manner of interment for the princes and nobles, 

 is to deposit the dead body in wainscotted vaults, hung 

 with black; two of the old domestics of the parties de- 

 ceased being destined alternately to guard the entrance, 

 and to give them the benefit of their prayers. Other 

 prayers are in like manner to be offered up on the anni- 

 versary of the decease, and on All-souls-day, at which 

 times the graves are opened, and the hangings exchan- 

 ged for new ones. 



Amongst the Giagas, the most barbarous people of 

 this kingdom, it is the custom to dance in a frantic man- 

 ner about the graves of persons deceased, and to bring 

 them food, drink, and other conveniences. The dan- 

 ces that are performed at the funerals of their great 

 men last for eight days without intermission, upon 

 which occasion there is always sacrificed a number of 

 human victims. 



The traffic of the Congoese with the Europeans con- Traffic, 

 sisted, for a long period, chiefly in slaves, of whom to 

 the amount of 15 or 1 6,000 annually used to be carried 

 off the country. In return, there were brought into 

 it various products of Brasil, consisting of grains, 

 fruits, plants, and the like, as also several articles of 

 European manufacture, calculated to supply the neces- 

 sities, to please the taste, or gratify the luxurious incli- 

 nations of the natives and unenlightened inhabitants. 

 Among these are enumerated Turkey carpets, English 

 cloth and the like, copper and brass vessels, ornaments 

 and trinkets of various kinds, tobacco and spirituous 

 liquors, light stuffs for clothing, and a great variety of 

 tools and utensils. 



The imperfect state of improvement in this country, St^.te of tfc» 

 is manifest alike in its general aspect, in the character arts » &e - 

 of its manufactures, and in the nature of the accom- 

 modations to be obtained in it. The roads here are 

 bad, and infested with banditti, and a variety of per- 

 nicious animals. Nothing almost in any of the dc- 



