1867.] DESCRIPTIVE RESUME. 265 



letter from the Governor of Mosambique. It is remarkable 

 that this journey, which was less by a thousand miles than 

 from sea to sea and back again, should have for ever 

 quenched all white Portuguese aspirations for an overland 

 route. 



The different Casembes visited by the Portuguese seem 

 to have varied much in character and otherwise. Pereira, 

 the first visitor, said (I quote from memory) that Casembe 

 had 20,000 trained soldiers, watered his streets daily, and 

 sacrificed twenty human victims every day. I could hear 

 nothing of human sacrifices now, and it is questionable 

 if the present Casembe could bring a thousand stragglers 

 into the field. When he usurped power five years ago, his 

 country was densely peopled ; but he was so severe in his 

 punishments — cropping the ears, lopping off the hands, and 

 other mutilations, selling the children for very slight 

 offences, that his subjects gradually dispersed themselves in 

 the neighbouring countries beyond his power. This is the 

 common mode by which tyranny is cured in parts like these r 

 where fugitives are never returned. The present Casembe 

 is very poor. When he had people who killed elephant* 

 he was too stingy to share the profits of the sale of the 

 ivory with his subordinates. The elephant hunters have 

 either left him or neglect hunting, so he has now no tusks 

 to sell to the Arab traders who come from Tanganyika. 

 Major Monteiro, the third Portuguese who visited Casembe,. 

 appears to have been badly treated by this man's prede- 

 cessor, and no other of his nation has ventured so far since. 

 They do not lose much by remaining away, for a little ivory 

 and slaves are all that Casembe ever can have to selL 

 About a month to the west of this the people of Katanga 

 smelt copper-ore (malachite) into large bars shaped like the 

 capital letter I. They may be met with of from 50 lbs. to 

 100 lbs. weight all over the country, and the inhabitants 

 draw the copper into wire for armlets and leglets. Gold is 





