Chat. XIX. TRADERS— A GRAVE. 359 



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 w r e 

 slaughtered had been a valuable addition to our resources, for we 

 found it in so great repute for girdles all through Londa, 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 winch 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. Pains and fever, as 

 usual, helped to impede our progress until we were put on the 

 path, which leads from Cassange and Bilie to Matiamvo, by a 

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

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

 traders from Bilie, who confirmed the information we had 

 already got of this path leading straight to Cassange, through 

 which they had come on their way from Bilie to Cabango. They 

 kindly presented my men with some tobacco, and marvelled 

 greatly when they found that I had never been able to teach 

 myself to smoke. On parting with them we came to a trader's 

 grave. This was marked by a huge cone of sticks placed hi the 

 form of the roof of a hut, with a palisade aroimd it. At an 

 opening on the western side an ugly idol was placed: several 

 strings of beads and bits of cloth were hung around. We learned 

 that he had been a half-caste, who had died on his way back 

 from j\Iatiamvo. 



As we were now alone, and sure of being on the way to the 

 abodes of civilisation, we went on briskly. 



On the 30th we came to a sudden descent from the high land, 

 indented by deep, narrow valleys, over which we had lately been 

 travelling. It is generally so steep, that it can only be descended 

 at particular points, and even there I was obliged to dismount, 



