432 CASSANGE VILLAGE. Chap. XXII. 



species of lark are seen. They are black, with yellow shoulders. 

 Another black bird, with a long tail {Centropm Senegalensis), floats 

 awkwardly, with its tail in a perpendicular position, over the long 

 grass. It always chooses the highest points, and is caught on 

 them with bird-lime, the long black tail-feathers being higlily 

 esteemed by the natives for plumes. We saw here also the 

 " Lehututu " (Tragopan Leadbeaterii), a large bird strongly resem- 

 bling a turkey ; it is black on the ground, but when it flies, the 

 outer half of the wings are white. It kills serpents, strildng 

 them dexterously behind the head. It derives its native name 

 from the noise it makes, and it is found as far as Kolobeng. 

 Another species like it, is called the Abyssinian hornbill. 



Before we reached Cassange, we were overtaken by the Com- 

 mandant, Senlior Carvalho, who was returning, with a detachment 

 of fifty men and a field-piece, from an unsuccessful search after 

 some rebels. The rebels had fled, and all he could do was to 

 burn then huts. He kindly invited me to take up my residence 

 with him, but, not wishing to pass by the gentleman, (Captain 

 Neves) who had so kindly received me on my first arrival in the 

 Portuguese possessions, I declined. Senhor Rego had been super- 

 seded in Ins command, because the Governor Amaral, who had 

 come into office since my departure from Loanda, had determined 

 that the law which requires the office of commandant to be ex- 

 clusively occupied by mili tary officers of the line, should once more 

 come into operation. I was again most kindly welcomed by my 

 friend Captain Neves, whom I found labouring under a violent 

 inflammation and abscess of the hand. There is nothing in the 

 situation of this village to indicate unhealthiness, except perhaps 

 the rank luxuriance of the vegetation. Nearly all the Portu- 

 guese inhabitants suffer from enlargement of the spleen, the 

 effects of frequent intermittents, and have generally a sickly 

 appearance. Thinking that this affection of the hand, was simply 

 an effort of nature to get rid of malarious matter from the system, 

 I recommended the use of quinine. He himself applied the leaf 

 of a plant called cathory, famed among the natives as an excellent 

 remedy for ulcers. The cathory-leaves, when boiled, exude a 

 gummy juice, which effectually shuts out the external air. Each 

 remedy of course claimed the merit of the cure. 



Many of the children are cut off by fever. A fine boy of 



