408 



INDUSTEIAL EMPLOYMENTS. 



Chap. XX. 



Double-handled Angola hoe. 



in lawful commerce. We saw the female population occupied, as 

 usual, in the spinning of cotton and cultivation of their lands. 

 Their only instrument for culture is a double-handled hoe, which 

 is worked with a sort of dragging motion. Many of the men 

 were employed in weaving. The latter appear to be less indus- 

 trious than the former, for they require a month to finish a single 

 web. There is, however, not much inducement to industry, for, 

 notwithstanding the time consumed in its manufacture, each web 

 is sold for only two shillings. 



On retm-ning to Golungo Alto, I found several of my men laid 

 up with fever. One of the reasons for my leaving them there 

 was, that they might recover from the fatigue of the journey from 

 Loanda, which had much more effect upon their feet than hun- 

 dreds of miles had on our way westwards. They had always been 

 accustomed to moisture in their own well-watered land, and we 

 certainly had a superabundance of that in Loanda. The roads, 

 however, from Loanda to Golungo Alto were both hard and dry, 

 and they suffered severely in consequence ; yet they were com- 

 posing songs to be sung when they should reach home. The 

 Argonauts were nothing to them ; and they remarked very im- 

 pressively to me, " It was well you came with Makololo, for no 

 tribe could have done what we have accomplished in coming to 

 the white man's country : we are the true ancients who can tell 

 wonderful things*" Two of them now had fever in the continued 

 form, and became jaundiced, the whites or conjunctival membrane 



