COUNTRY OF THE RALONDA. 435 
structure. I regretted much having no instru- 
ments to measure the elevations of these parts ; 
but, after ascending again to Tala Mungongo, 
we appeared to descend again all the way to 
Ambaca, where we met primitive and secondary 
rocks— the latter containing metals. 
u This country, as compared with that to 
the South, is well peopled. We came to vil- 
lages every few miles, and often passed as 
many as ten in a day. Some were extremely 
neat, others were so buried in a wilderness of 
weeds, that, though sitting on the ox in the 
middle of the village, we could see only the 
tops of the houses. There is no lack of food ; 
manioc, or the tapioca plant, is the staff of life, 
and requires but little labour for its cultivation. 
The seasons seemed to allow of planting or 
reaping all the year round. The Balonda were 
all extremely kind ; and, indeed, had they been 
otherwise, we should have starved; for there 
is no game, and all the goods which I had 
brought from the Cape were expended before 
we started, excepting a few beads. 
u When we came near to the Portuguese 
possessions, the tribes altered very much for 
the worse ; and the Chiboqui so annoyed us by 
heavy fines, levied on the most frivolous pre- 
tences, that we changed our course from North 
West, to North. This did not relieve us long ? 
2 f 2 
