TRAVELLING BY HAMMOCK. 881 



It boasts of the only iron pier in Angola. Ambriz is an open roadstead, and 

 vessels have to anchor at a considerable distance from the beach ; they are, 

 however, always safe, such things as storms or heavy seas being unknown. 



The "tipoia," or hammock, is the universal travelling apparatus in 

 Angola, and is of two forms, the simple hammock strung to a palm pole, 

 which is strong and light, or the same with a light -painted water- proof cover, 

 and curtains, very comfortable to travel in, and always used by the Portuguese 

 to the interior of Loanda, where the country is more open, and better paths 

 or roads exist, but they would quickly be torn to pieces north, and on the 

 road to Bembe, from the dense bush, and, in the wet season, the high grass ; 

 consequently only the plain hammock and pole are generally employed, the 

 traveller shading himself from the sun by a movable cover held in position 

 by two cords, or by using a white umbrella. When travelling long distances 

 six or eight bearers are necessary ; the two hammock- carriers generally run 

 at a trot for about two hours at a stretch, when another couple take their 

 places. The motion is disagreeable at first, from the strong up and down 

 jerking experienced, but one soon becomes used to it, and falls asleep whilst 

 going at full trot. The pole is carried on the shoulder, and rests on a small 

 cushion generally made of fine grass-cloth stuffed with wild cotton, the silky 

 fibre in the seed-pod of the Mafumcira, or cotton-wood tree (Eriodendron 

 anfractuosum), or " isca," a brown, woolly-like down covering the stems of 

 palm-trees. Each bearer carries a forked stick on which to rest the pole 

 when changing shoulders, and also to ease the load by sticking the end of it 

 under the pole behind their backs and stretching out their arm on it. 



Quiballa is a large town, containing several hundred huts, most pictur- 

 esquely situated on a low, flat-topped hill, surrounded on all sides by other 

 higher hills, and separated from them by a deep ravine filled with magnificent 

 forest vegetation, and in the bottom of which a shallow stream of the clearest 

 water runs swiftly over its fantastic rocky bed — all little waterfalls and 

 shady transparent pools. A great change takes place in vegetation from the 

 coast to Quiballa ; and several species of birds abundant on the coast disap- 

 pear about here, especially the common crow (Corvus scapulatus), the bril- 

 liantly-coloured starlings (Lamprocolius), and the several rollers. 



Leaving Quiballa, after you ascend the hill called Tuco, a magnificent 

 view is obtained. As far as the eye can reach is seen a succession of forest- 

 covered mountains brightly lit in the cloudless sun to the distant horizon, 

 shaded off into a haze of lovely blue. After this hill is passed, the country 

 continues comparatively level for some miles, and is very beautiful, being 

 covered with dense vegetation, in which are seen abundance of dark feathery 

 palms, relieved by the bright green patches of the banana groves, planted 

 round the little towns. The soil is very fertile, and many ground-nut and 

 mandioca plantations are seen everywhere. Ngungungo is a large and pictur- 

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