MANIOC THE CHIEF PRODUCT. 277 



and appointed places of public sepulture in every district 

 in the country. The people persist, however, in spite of 

 the most stringent enforcement of the law, to follow their 

 ancient custom. 



The country between the Coariza and Pungo Andongo is 

 covered with low trees, bushes, and fine pasturage. In the 

 latter we were pleased to see our old acquaintances, the 

 gaudy gladiolus, Amaryllis toxicaria, hymanthus, and other 

 bulbs, in as flourishing a condition as at the Cape. 



It is surprising that so little has been done in the way 

 of agriculture in Angola. Eaising wheat by means of ir- 

 rigation has never been tried; no plough is ever used; and 

 the only instrument is the native hoe, in the hands of 

 slaves. The chief object of agriculture is the manioc, 

 which does not contain nutriment sufficient to give proper 

 stamina to the people. The half-caste Portuguese have 

 not so much energy as their fathers. They subsist chiefly 

 on the manioc; and, as that can be eaten either raw, 

 roasted, or boiled, as it comes from the ground, or fer- 

 mented in water, and then roasted or dried after fermenta- 

 tion, and baked or pounded into fine meal, or rasped into 

 meal and cooked as farina, or made into confectionary 

 with butter and sugar, it does not so soon pall upon the 

 palate as one might imagine when told that it constitutes 

 their principal food. The leaves boiled make an excellent 

 vegetable for the table ; and, when eaten by goats, their 

 milk is much increased. The wood is a good fuel, and 

 yields a large quantity of potash. If planted in a dry 

 *oil, it takes two years to come to perfection, requiring 

 •luring that time one weeding only. It bears drought 

 well, and never shrivels up like other plants when de- 

 prived of rain. When planted in low, alluvial soils, and 

 either well supplied with rain or annually flooded, twelve, 

 or even ten, months are sufficient to bring it to maturity 

 The root rasped while raw, placed upon a cloth, and rubbed 

 with the hands while water is poured upon it, parts with 

 its starchy glutinous matter, and this, when it settles at 



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