45 O PLANTS AND TREES FROM ANGOLA. 



As I had been desirous of introducing some of the 

 fruit-trees of Angola, both for my own sake and that of 

 the inhabitants, we had carried a pot containing a little 

 plantation of orange, cashew trees, custard-apple trees 

 (anona), and a rig-tree, with coffee, aracas (Araga pomifera), 

 and papaws (Carica papaya). Fearing that, if we took 

 them further south at present, they might be killed by 

 the cold, we planted them out in an enclosure of one of 

 Shinte's principal men, and, at his request, promised to 

 give Shinte a share when grown. They know the value 

 of fruits, but at present have none except wild ones. A 

 wild fruit we frequently met with in I/mda is eatable, 

 and when boiled yields a large quantity of oil. which is 

 much used in anointing both head and body. He eagerly 

 accepted some of the seeds of the palm-oil tree {Elais 

 Guineensis), when told that this would produce oil in much 

 greater quantity than their native tree, which is not a palm. 

 There are very few palm-trees in this country, but near 

 Bango we saw a few of a peculiar palm, the ends of the 

 leaf-stalks of which remain attached to the trunk, giving 

 it a triangular shape. It is pleasant to observe that all 

 the tribes in Central Africa are fond of agriculture. My 

 men had collected quantities of seeds in Angola, and now 

 distributed them amongst their friends. Some even 

 carried onions, garlic, and bird's-eye pepper, growing in 

 pannikins. The courts of the Balonda, planted with 

 tobacco, sugar-cane, and plants used as relishes, led me 

 to the belief, that care would be taken of my little nursery. 



The thermometer early in the mornings ranged from 

 42 to 5 2 , at noon 94 to 96 , and in the evening about 

 70 . It was placed in the shade of my tent, which was 

 pitched under the thickest tree we could find. The sensa- 

 tion of cold, after the heat of the day, was very keen. 

 The Balonda at this season never leave their fires till nine 

 or ten in the morning. As the cold was so great here, 

 it was probably frosty at I^inyanti ; I therefore feared 

 to expose my young trees there" The latitude of Shinte's 

 town is 12 2>7' 35" S., longitude 22 47' E. 



We remained with Shinte till the 6th of July, he being 

 luiwilling to allow us to depart before hearing in a formal 

 manner, in the presence of his greatest councillor Chebende, 

 a message from I«imboa, the brother of Masiko. When 

 Masiko fled from the Makololo country, in consequence 

 of a dislike of being in a state of subjection to Sebituane, 



