348 THE SAXE OF IVORY. 



whole, it may be said that its agricultural and pastoral 

 riches are lying waste. Both the Portuguese and their 

 descendants turn their attention almost exclusively to 

 trade in wax and ivory, and though the country would 

 yield any amount of corn and dairy produce, the native 

 Portuguese live chiefly on manioc, and the Europeans 

 purchase their flour, bread, butter, and cheese from the 

 Americans. 



As the traders of Cassange were the first white men we 

 had come to, we sold the tusks belonging to Sekeletu, 

 which had been brought to test the difference of prices in 

 the Makololo and white men's country. The result was 

 highly satisfactory to my companions, as the Portuguese 

 give much larger prices for ivory than traders from the 

 Cape can possibly give, who labour under the disadvan- 

 tage of considerable overland expenses and ruinous restric- 

 tions. Two muskets, three small barrels of gunpowder, and 

 English calico and baize sufficient to clothe my whole 

 party, with large bunches of beads, all for one tusk, 

 were quite delightful for those who had been accustomed 

 to give two tusks for one gmn. With another tusk we 

 procured calico, which here is the chief currency, to pay 

 our way down to the coast. The remaining two were sold 

 for money to purchase a horse for Sekeletu at Loanda. 



The superiority of this new market was quite astounding 

 to the Makololo, and they began to abuse the traders 

 by whom they had, while in their own country, been visited, 

 and, as they now declared, " cheated." They had no idea 

 of the value of time and carriage, and it was somewhat 

 difficult for me to convince them, that the reason of the 

 difference of prices lay entirely in what they themselves 

 had done in coming here, and that, if the Portuguese 

 should carry goods to their country, they would by no 

 means be so liberal in their prices. They imagined that, 

 if the Cassange traders came to Linyanti, they would 

 continue to vend their goods at Cassange prices. I 

 believe I gave them at last a clear idea of the manner in 

 which prices were regulated by the expences incurred ; and 

 when we went to Loanda, and saw goods delivered at a 

 still cheaper rate, they concluded that it would be better 

 for them to come to that city, than to turn homewards at 

 Cassange. 



It was interesting for me to observe the effects of the 

 restrictive policy, pursued by the Cape government towards 



