370 
THE EASTERN COAST* 
resolved to search in the more remote country of 
the Mongas for other gold mines, which he hoped 
might prove more productive. The Mongas op- 
posed a still more formidable resistance. A great 
battle was fought, in which, though the sorceress 
on whom they placed their main reliance was 
early slain, they long maintained the field. At 
length they were defeated, and had recourse, like 
their neighbours, to irregular and protracted war- 
fare. Barreto at length fought his way to the 
mines, but found their appearance equally unsa- 
tisfactory as those of Manica. Reports, how- 
ever, reached him, that the silver mines of Chi- 
cova would prove a much more productive source 
of wealth j and of these he immediately set out 
in search. He appeared at one time on the eve 
of discovering them ; an Indian havitig under- 
taken, on the promise of a magnificent reward, 
to lead him to the spot. This personage then 
contrived to collect a quantity of silver, which 
he secretly buried at a certain depth in the earth. 
Pretending fear of his countrymen, he led them, 
at dead of night, to the spot, where, by digging, 
they soon came to the silver there deposited. 
Barreto's joy was unbounded ; he appeared to 
himself to have reached the summit of wealth and 
fame, and immediately delivered to the Indian 
the promised reward. That personage, in the 
course of the night, found it convenient to disap. 
