DECADENCE OF PORTUGUESE POWER. 675 



to Tete, and here they enjoy much better health, though, from the 

 abundance of spirits distilled from various plants, wild fruits, and 

 grain, in which pernicious beverage they largely indulge, besides 

 partaking chiefly of unwholesome native food, better health could 

 scarcely have been expected. The natives here understand the 

 method of distillation by means of gun-barrels, and a succession 

 of earthen pots filled with water to keep them cool. The general 

 report of the fever here is that, while at Kilimane the fever is con- 

 tinuous, at Tete a man recovers in about three days. The mild- 

 est remedies only are used at first, and, if that period be passed, 

 then the more severe. 



The fort of Tete has been the salvation of the Portuguese 

 power in this quarter. It is a small square building, with a 

 thatched apartment for the residence of the troops ; and, though 

 there are but few guns, they are in a much better state than those 

 of any fort in the interior of Angola. The cause of the decadence 

 of the Portuguese power in this region is simply this : In former 

 times, considerable quantities of grain, as wheat, millet, and 

 maize, were exported ; also coffee, sugar, oil, and indigo, besides 

 gold-dust and ivory. The cultivation of grain was carried on 

 by means of slaves, of whom the Portuguese possessed a large 

 number. The gold-dust was procured by washing at various 

 points on the north, south, and west of Tete. A merchant took 

 all his slaves with him to the washings, carrying as much calico 

 and other goods as he could muster. On arriving at the wash- 

 ing-place, he made a present to the chief of the value of about a 

 pound sterling. The slaves were then divided into parties, each 

 headed by a confidential servant, who not only had the super- 

 vision of his squad while the washing went on, but bought dust 

 from the inhabitants, and made a weekly return to his master. 

 When several masters united at one spot, it was called a "Bara," 

 and they then erected a temporary church, in which a priest from 

 one of the missions performed mass. Both chiefs and people 

 were favorable to these visits, because the traders purchased 

 grain for the sustenance of the slaves with the goods they had 

 brought. They continued at this labor until the whole of the 

 goods were expended, and by this means about 130 lbs. of gold 

 were annually produced. Probably more than this was actually 

 obtained, but, as it was an article easily secreted, this alone was 



