TRADERS. . 225 



2§th. — We spent Sunday on the banks of tlio Quilo or 

 Kweelo, here a stream of about ten yards wide. It runs 

 in a deep glen, the sides of which are almost five hundred 

 yards of slope, and rocky, the rocks being hardened cal- 

 careous tufa lying on clay shale and sandstone below, with 

 a capping of ferruginous conglomerate. The scenery would 

 have been very pleasing, but fever took away much of the 

 joy of life, and severe daily intermittents rendered me very 

 weak and always glad to recline. 



In continuing our W.JS\W. course, we met many parties 

 of native traders, each carrying some pieces of cloth and 

 salt, with a few beads to barter for bees'-wax. They are 

 all armed with Portuguese guns, and have cartridges with 

 iron balls. When we meet, we usually stand a few minutes. 

 They present a little salt, and we give a bit of ox-hide, or 

 some other trifle, and then part with mutual good wishes. 

 The hide of the oxen we slaughtered had been a valuable 

 addition to our resources, for we found it in so great repute 

 for girdles all through Loanda that we cut up every skin 

 into strips about two inches broad, and sold them for meal 

 and manioc as we went along. As we came nearer Angola 

 we found them of less value, as the people there possess 

 cattle themselves. 



The village on the Kweelo, at which we spent Sunday, 

 was that of a civil, lively old man, called Sakandala, who 

 offered no objections to our progress. We found we should 

 soon enter on the territory of the Bashinje, (Chinge of the 

 Portuguese,) who are mixed with another tribe, named 

 Bangala, which have been at war with the Babindele or 

 Portuguese. Eains and fever, as usual, helped to impede 

 our progress until we were put on the path which leads 

 from Cassange and Bihe to Matiamvo by a head-man 

 named Kamboela. This was a well-beaten footpath, and 

 soon after entering upon it we met a party of half-caste 

 traders from Bihe, who confirmed the information we had 

 already got of this path leading straight to Cassange, 

 through which they had come on their way from Bihe to 



