44 EARLY EAST AFRICA 



the manner of life of the European inhabitants, 

 who, loaded with debt, lived in a fool's paradise, 

 their days passed in indolence, immorality, and 

 extravagance. His remarks regarding the ignorance 

 and malpractices of the Dominican priests are also 

 very pointed. Precisely the same views are, more- 

 over, expressed by Manoel Gomes Loureiro, who 

 shortly afterwards wrote on the same subject. 



In 1836, having flourished hke an evil weed for 

 nearly two hundred years, the traffic in slaves was 

 formally aboUshed ; but in order to avoid the general 

 ruin which would have succeeded had the decree 

 enacting this salutary measure been suddenly put 

 into force, its introduction was gradual, and thus 

 the full effect of the reform did not become 

 generally felt for many years thereafter. This 

 decree was followed by another in 1858, which 

 finally abolished the legal status of slavery, and 

 shortly afterwards another was introduced creating 

 primary schools in various districts bordering on the 

 Zambezi. 



From 1865 to 1875 war again broke out, and the 

 Bongas inflicted disaster after disaster upon the 

 enfeebled Portuguese forces. These, unhappily, 

 owing to a succession of misfortunes, were unable 

 to assert themselves, and a welcome peace was 

 proclaimed in the latter year, which, however, was 

 not destined to be a lasting one, for, but little later, 

 further fighting took place, which was not brought 

 to an end until, in 1887, the Bonga power was 

 finally broken by Governor Simoes and Colonel 

 Paiva de Andrada. 



Let us now finally glance at the condition of 



