lacerda's visit to cazembe. 375 



attention, however, was chiefly attracted to the N., or 

 Londa ; and the principal articles of trade were ivory 

 and slaves. Private enterprise was always restrained, for, 

 the colonies of the Portuguese being strictly military, and 

 the pay of the commandants being very small, the officers 

 have always been obliged to engage in trade ; and had they 

 not employed their power to draw the trade to themselves 

 by preventing private traders from making bargains be- 

 yond the villages, and only at regulated prices, they would 

 have had no trade, as they themselves were obliged to 

 remain always at their posts. 



Several expeditions went to the north as far as to Ca- 

 zembe, and Dr. Lacerda, himself commandant of Tete, 

 went to that chief's residence. Unfortunately, he was cut 

 off while there, and his papers, taken possession of by a 

 Jesuit who accompanied him, were lost to the world. This 

 Jesuit probably intended to act fairly and have them pub- 

 lished; but soon after his return he was called away by 

 death himself, and the papers were lost sight of. Dr. La- 

 cerda had a strong desire to open up communication with 

 Angola, which would have been of importance then, as 

 affording a speedier mode of communication with Portugal 

 than by the way of the Cape; but since the opening of the 

 overland passage to India a quicker transit is effected from 

 Eastern Africa to Lisbon by way of the Red Sea. Besides 

 Lacerda, Cazembe was visited by Pereira, who gave a 

 glowing account of that chief's power, which none of my 

 inquiries have confirmed. The people of Matiamvo stated 

 to me that Cazembe was a vassal of their chief; and, from 

 all the native visitors whom I have seen, he appears to be 

 exactly like Shinte and Katema, only a little more power- 

 fid. The term " Emperor," which has been applied to him, 

 seems totally inappropriate. The statement of Pereira 

 that twenty negroes were slaughtered in a day was not 

 confirmed by any one else, though numbers may have been 

 killed on some particular occasion during the time of his 

 visit, for we find throughout all the country north of 20°, 



