26S PKESENTS FOR SEKELETU. Chap. XX. 



to establisL a trade about 1845, and accepted bills on Rio de 

 Janeiro in payment for their goods, but in consequence of 

 the increased activity of our cruisers most of the mercantile 

 houses of that city failed, and the English merchants lost all. 



Loanda is regarded somewhat in the light of a penal settle- 

 ment, to which Europeans resort with the hope of getting 

 rich in a few years, and then returning home. They have 

 thus no motive for seeking the permanent welfare of the 

 country, while the law which forbids the subjects of any other 

 nation from holding landed property excludes all foreign 

 enterprise ; hence the country remains very much in the same 

 state as our allies found it in 1575. Most of the European 

 soldiers sent out are convicts, who on the whole behave 

 very well, and it is a remarkable fact that the whole of the 

 arms of Loanda are every night in the hands of convicts. 

 Various unsatisfactory reasons are assigned by the officers for 

 this mild behaviour. Perhaps the climate may have some 

 influence in subduing their turbulent disposition ; for it cer- 

 tainly appears to have its influence on the natives, who are 

 all a timid race, and even on animals, bulls being much 

 tamer than with us and being commonly used for riding. If 

 we must have convict settlements, attention to the climate 

 might be of advantage in the selection. 



The objects which I had in view in opening up the country 

 so commended themselves to the government and merchants 

 of Loanda, that, at the instance of his Excellency the Bishop, 

 the Board of Public Works granted a handsome present to 

 Sekeletu, consisting of a colonel's uniform and a horse for the 

 chief, and suits of clothing for all the men who acompanied me. 

 The merchants also made a present of handsome specimens of 

 all their articles of trade, and two donkeys, for the purpose of 

 introducing the breed into his country, as tsetse cannot kill 

 this beast of burden. These presents were accompanied by 

 letters from the bishop and merchants; and I was kindly 

 favoured with letters of recommendation to the Portuguese 

 authorities in Eastern Africa. I took with me a good stock 

 of cotton-cloth, and fresh supplies of ammunition and beads. 

 As my companions were unable to carry mine as well as their 

 own goods, the bishop furnished me with twenty carriers, and 

 *ent forward orders to all the commandants of the districts 



