FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. 493 



treatment of the slaves witnessed by my men certainly did not 

 raise slaveholders in their estimation. Their usual exclamation 

 was " Ga ba na pelu" (They have no heart) ; and they added, 

 with reference to the slaves, "Why do they let them ?" as if they 

 thought that the slaves had the natural right to rid the world of 

 such heartless creatures, and ought to do it. The uneasiness of 

 the trader was continually showing itself, and, upon the whole, he 

 had reason to be on the alert both day and night. The carriers 

 perpetually stole the goods intrusted to their care, and he could 

 not openly accuse them, lest they should plunder him of all, and 

 leave him quite in the lurch. He could only hope to manage them 

 after getting all the remaining goods safely into a house in Ca- 

 bango ; he might then deduct something from their pay for what 

 they had purloined on the way. 



Cabango (lat. 9° 31/ S., long. 20° 31' or 32' E.) is the dwelling- 

 place of Muanzanza, one of Matiamvo's subordinate chiefs. His 

 village consists of about two hundred huts and ten or twelve 

 square houses, constructed of poles with grass interwoven. The 

 latter are occupied by half-caste Portuguese from Ambaca, agents 

 for the Cassange traders. The cold in the mornings was now 

 severe to the feelings, the thermometer ranging from 58° to 60°, 

 though, when protected, sometimes standing as high as 64° at six 

 A.M. When the sun is well up, the thermometer in the shade 

 rises to 80°, and in the evenings it is about 78°. 



A person having died in this village, we could transact no 

 business with the chief until the funeral obsequies were finished. 

 These occupy about four days, during which there is a constant 

 succession of dancing, wailing, and feasting. Guns are fired by 

 day, and drums beaten by night, and all the relatives, dressed in 

 fantastic caps, keep up the ceremonies with spirit proportionate 

 to the amount of beer and beef expended. When there is a large 

 expenditure, the remark is often made afterward, "■ What a fine 

 funeral that was!" A figure, consisting chiefly of feathers and 

 beads, is paraded on these occasions, and seems to be regarded as 

 an idol. 



Having met with an accident to one of my eyes by a blow 

 from a branch in passing through a forest, I remained some days 

 here, endeavoring, though with much pain, to draw a sketch of 

 the country thus far, to be sent back to Mr. Gabriel at Loanda. 



