SENNA AND SURROUNDINGS. 287 



While Dr. Livingstone was there a party of Kisaka's people 

 were ravaging the fine country on the opposite shore. They 

 came down with the prisoners they had captured, and forthwith 

 the half-castes of Senna went over to buy slaves. Encouraged 

 by this, Kisaka's people came over into Senna fully armed and 

 beating their drums, and were received into the house of a native 

 Portuguese. They had the village at their mercy, yet could 

 have been driven oif by half a dozen policemen. The com- 

 mandant could only look on with bitter sorrow. He had soldiers, 

 it is true, but it was notorious that the native militia of both 

 Senna and Kilimane never think of standing to fight, but in- 

 variably run away and leave their officers to be killed. 



The miserable state of this neglected post beggars description ; 

 the officers were none of them paid by the home government 

 and are forced to engage in trade. The common soldiers had 

 now and then received a little calico. It is lamentable that the 

 door to one of the finest regions of the world should have fallen 

 into the hands of a people who have done nothing more than 

 hold it against the rest of the world for centuries. If instead 

 of military establishments there had been civil ones, and emi- 

 grants with their wives and plows and seeds, rather than mili- 

 tary convicts with bugles and kettle-drums, eastern Africa might 

 be to-day the rival of any spot on earth in all that makes a 

 pleasant home on earth. 



The country around Senna was more interesting than the 

 village ; nature was uncontaminated and afforded a pleasing re- 

 lief for the thoughts. In the village the most gratifying sight 

 of all was the negroes of Senhor Isidore building boats after the 

 European model. These negroes had been instructed in their 

 work by a European master, and had acquired such skill that 

 they could go into the forest and get out the timber, lay the 

 keel, fit in the ribs, and finish up very neat boats which would 

 bring from £20 to £100 apiece. This little show of life was 

 refreshing, in the midst of so much misery and ruin ; for cer- 

 tainly slavery and immorality had done their work in Senna. 

 The European name was almost despised. The native wives of 

 the white men were little better than slaves, and their children 

 received none of the honorable regard which is granted them in 

 Angola. Dr. Livingstone saw a son of the former governor of 



