THE GOVERNMENT OF ANGOLA. 885 



Loanda is abundantly supplied with fish of many kinds. A small shark 

 is often caught, which is much esteemed by the natives, and is dried in the 

 sun ; also the pungo, which attains to as much as a hundred pounds weight. 

 The pungo produces a loud and extraordinary noise, by pressing its snout 

 against the side of a ship. The sound is like a deep tremolo note on a har- 

 monium, and is quite as loud, but as if played under water. This low, sus- 

 tained note has a very strange effect when first heard so unexpectedly in the 

 still water. 



The vegetation about Loanda is scanty, but a milky-juiced, thin-stemmed 

 euphorbia, called cazoneira, and the cashew-tree, grow very abundantly on 

 the cliffs, and inland ; and sparingly in the sandy, arid soil, mandioca and 

 beans. Oxen thrive, but very little attention is given to rearing them, 

 Loanda being supplied from the interior with cattle" for the beef consumed by 

 the population. The police of Loanda are all blacks, but officered by Portu- 

 guese. The city is lighted by oil lamps. The military band plays twice a 

 week. 



The province of Angola is divided by the Portuguese into, four govern- 

 ments — Ambriz, Loanda, Benguela, and Mossamedes. These are again 

 divided into districts, each ruled by a military " chefe," or chief subordinate 

 to the governors of each division, and those in their turn to the Grovernor- 

 General of the province at Loanda. Of the wretched character of the govern- 

 ment Mr. Monteiro speaks in strong terms. " In the fifteen years," he says, 

 " that I have principally lived in, and travelled over a great part of Angola, 

 and passed in intimate intercourse with the natives and Portuguese, I have 

 had abundant opportunities of witnessing the miserable state to which that 

 fine country has been reduced by the wretched and corrupt system of govern- 

 ment. This state is not unknown to Portugal, and she has several times sent 

 good and honest men as governors to Loanda to try to put a stop to the 

 excesses committed by their subordinates, but they have been obliged to 

 return in despair, as without good and well-paid officials it was no use either 

 to change, or to make an example of one or two, where all were equally bad 

 or guilty. There is, of course, but little chance of any change until Portugal 

 sees that it is to her own advantage that this immensely rich possession should 

 be governed by enlightened and well-paid officials. Let her send to Angola 

 independent and intelligent men, and let them report faithfully on the causes 

 that have depopulated vast districts, that have destroyed all industry, and 

 that continually provoke the wars and wide dissatisfaction among tribes natu- 

 rally so peaceable and submissive, and amenable to a great extent to instruc- 

 tion and advancement." 



Porto Domingos, on the River Lucala, a tributary of the Quanza, is one 

 of the most lovely places in Africa. The vegetation of palm-trees, baobabs, 

 cotton-wood trees, and creepers of various kinds, is most luxuriant. The rock 



