ROCKS OF PUNGO ANBONGO. 393 



of this useful mineral, though I am not aware of any one 

 having actually seen a seam of coal tilted up to the surface 

 in Angola, as we have at Tete. The gigantic pillars of 

 Pungo Andongo have been formed by a current of the 

 sea corning from the S.S.B., for, seen from the top, they 

 appear arranged in that direction, and must have with- 

 stood the surges of the ocean at a period of our world's 

 history, when the relations of land and sea were totally 

 different from what they are now, and long before " the 

 morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God 

 shouted for joy, to see the abodes prepared which man 

 was soon to fill." The embedded pieces in the conglo- 

 merate are of gneiss, clay shale, mica and sandstone 

 schists, trap, and porphyry, most of which are large enough 

 to give the whole the appearance of being the only remain- 

 ing vestiges of vast primaeval banks of shingle. Several 

 little streams run amongst these rocks, and in the central 

 part of the pillars stands the village, completely environed 

 by well-nigh inaccessible rocks. The pathways into the 

 village might be defended by a small body of troops 

 against an army ; and this place was long the stronghold 

 of the tribe called Jinga, the original possessors of the 

 country. 



We were shown a foot-print carved on one of these rocks. 

 It is spoken of as that of a famous queen, who reigned over 

 all this region. In looking at these rude attempts at 

 commemoration, one feels the value of letters. In the 

 history of Angola, we find that the famous Queen Donna 

 Anna de Souza came from the vicinity, as Ambassa- 

 dress from her brother Gola Bandy, king of the Jinga, 

 to Loanda, in 1621, to sue for peace, and astonished the 

 governor by the readiness of her answers. The governor 

 proposed, as a condition of peace, the payment by the 

 Jinga of an annual tribute. " People talk of tribute 

 after they have conquered, and not before it : we come 

 to talk of peace, not of subjection," was the ready answer. 

 The governor was as much nonplussed as our Cape gover- 

 nors often are, when they tell the Caffres " to put it all 

 down in writing, and they will then be able to answer 

 them." She remained some time in Loanda, gained 

 all she sought, and, after being taught by the missionaries, 

 was baptized, and returned to her own country with 

 honour. She succeeded to the kingdom on the death 

 of her brother, whom it was supposed she poisoned, but 



