COMMERCE OF ANGOLA. 167 



is also levied on gardens near the coast, and on weavers and smiths. The 

 population is large, between 500,000 and 600,000 souls being under the sway 

 of the Portuguese; and of this large number, the majority are free-born. In 

 those districts to the statistics of which I had access, the slaves did not form 

 5 per cent, of the entire population, and a very large proportion was dependent 

 on agriculture alone. There are very few whites comparatively ; and, from 

 the polite way in which persons of colour are addressed and admitted to the 

 tables of the more affluent, it might be inferred that there is as little prejudice 

 against colour as in any country in the world. Nothing struck me as more 

 remarkable than the change produced on convicts by their residence in this 

 colony. No sooner do they arrive than they are enlisted into the 1st regiment 

 of the line, and perform similar duties to our Foot Guards in London. The 

 11,000 inhabitants of Loanda go comfortably to bed every night, although 

 they know that the citadels and all the arms of Loanda are in the hands of 

 convicts, many of whom have been transported for life. The officers are not 

 supposed to have been guilty of any offence against the laws of their country, 

 and probably they may have considerable influence with the men ; but their 

 testimony even is, that the men perform their duty well, and are excellent 

 soldiers. Some ascribe the remarkable change to the utter hopelessness of 

 escape, the certainty of detection and punishment of any crime, and the fear 

 of being sent to the deadly district of St. Jose de Encoge (something like our 

 Norfolk Island, but not so bad) ; but, however accounted for, the beneficial 

 change in the men is unquestionable. 



" Another pleasing feature in the population is the ability of many to 

 read and write. It is considered a disgrace in Ambaca for a free man of 

 either colour to be unable to write. This general diffusion of education is 

 the result of the teaching of the Jesuit missionaries, who were expelled the 

 country by the Marquis of Pombal. If the results of their teaching have 

 been so permanent, without anything like a proper supply of books, we may 

 be allowed to indulge the hope that the labours of Protestants of all denomina- 

 tions, who endeavour to leave God's word behind them, will be not less 

 abiding. 



" The commerce of Angola has been remarkably neglected by the English ; 

 for, though the city of Loanda contains a population of 11,000 souls, clothed 

 chiefly in the produce of English looms, and though, in many parts of the 

 interior, cheap Glasgow and Manchester goods constitute the circulating 

 medium, there is not a single English house established at the capital. For 

 this anomaly various reasons are assigned : the most cogent of these appears 

 to be, that those who first attempted to develope a trade, unfortunately 

 accepted bills on Rio Janeiro in part payment of their cargoes, at a time 

 when the increased numbers and vigilance of our cruisers, caused the bank- 

 ruptcy of many houses both in Rio and Loanda. Heavy losses were sustained, 



