THE BLACK AND THE WHITE 75 



clad in clean calico, some even affecting tailor- 

 made coats and trousers. The more prosperous 

 among them speak Portuguese, lift their hats to 

 each other, and display in many ways a compre- 

 hension of the broad principles of general propriety 

 of demeanour which augurs well for a time when 

 more attention will be lavished upon their training 

 and instruction. The women also in many cases 

 display much greater gravity and dignity than 

 those who are found farther afield. Their clothing 

 and ornaments, moreover, show at times very con- 

 siderable taste, the former chosen from harmonious 

 if somewhat violent colours, and scrupulously clean 

 at all times ; the latter, often of silver and gold, 

 are the work of local native goldsmiths of consider- 

 able skill, who doubtless owe their superior train- 

 ing to the earlier religious (probably Jesuitical) 

 Zambezian Missions. 



I am, and have always been, most favourably 

 impressed with the evident superiority of the 

 Zambezia Company's officials, and with the admir- 

 able and painstaking manner in which, so far as an 

 outsider can form an opinion, their important duties 

 are carried out. Those with whom in the past it 

 has been my privilege to come into contact have, 

 moreover, invariably possessed that indispensable 

 qualification for eifective administration, a sound 

 working knowledge of the native languages. In 

 this respect alone they are greatly in advance of 

 the personnel of other administrative companies 

 of the Mozambique Province, where the capacity 

 of individuals for acquiring native forms of speech 

 appears to be extremely and regrettably weak. 



