362 THE SUB-COMMANDANT'S ESTATE. 



and at an open space named Cambondo, about eight miles 

 from Golungo Alto, found numbers of carpenters con- 

 verting these lofty trees into planks, in exactly the same 

 manner as was followed by the illustrious Robinson 

 Crusoe. A tree of three, or four feet in diameter, and 

 forty or fifty feet up to the nearest branches, was felled. 

 It was then cut into lengths of a few feet, and split into 

 thick junks, which again were reduced to planks an inch 

 thick by persevering labour with the axe. The object 

 of the carpenters was to make little chests, and they drive 

 a constant trade in them at Cambondo. When finished 

 with hinges, lock, and key, all of their own manufacture, 

 one costs only a shilling and eightpence. My men were 

 so delighted with them that they carried several of them 

 on their heads all the way to Linyanti. 



At Trombeta, we were pleased to observe a great deal 

 of taste displayed by the Sub-Commandant, in the laying 

 out of his ground, and adornment of his house with flowers. 

 This trifling incident was the more pleasing, as it was the 

 first attempt at neatness I had seen since leaving the 

 establishment of Mozinkwa in L,onda. Rows of trees 

 had been planted along each side of the road, with pine- 

 apples and flowers between. This arrangement I had 

 an opportunity of seeing in several other districts of this 

 country, for there is no difficulty in raising any plant 

 or tree, if it is only kept from being choked by weeds. 



This gentleman has now a fine estate, which but a few 

 years ago was a forest, and cost him. only £16. He had 

 planted about 900 coffee-trees upon it, and as these begin 

 to yield in three years from being planted, and in six 

 attain their maximum, I have no doubt that ere now 

 his £16 yields him sixty- fold. All sorts of fruit-trees 

 and grape-vines yield their fruit twice in each year, with- 

 out any labour or irrigation being bestowed on them. 

 All grains and vegetables if only sown do t*he same, and 

 if advantage is taken of the mists of winter, even three 

 crops of pulse may be raised. Cotton was now standing 

 in the po3.s in his fields, and he did not seem to care about 

 it. I understood him to say that this last plant flourishes, 

 but the wet of one of the two rainy seasons with which this 

 country is favoured, sometimes proves troublesome to 

 the grower. I am not aware whether wheat has ever 

 been tried, but I saw both fi^s and grapes bearing well. 

 The great complaint of all cultivators is tne want of a good 



