238 
SALE OP IVORY". 
vious to the Portuguese expedition of 1850 to punish th* 
Bangala. 
This valley, as I have before remarked, is all fertile in 
the extreme. My men could never cease admiring its 
capability for raising tncir corn (. Holcus sorghum ) and 
despising tho comparatively-limited cultivation of the in- 
habitants. The Portuguese informed me that no manure 
is ever needed, but that the more the ground is tilled the 
bettor it yields. Virgin soil does not give such a heavy 
crop as an old garden ; and, judging from tho size cf the 
maize and manioc in tho latter, 1 can readily believe the 
statement. Cattle do well, too. Viewing the valley as a 
whole, it may be said that its agricultural and pastoral 
riches are lying waste. Both the Portuguese and theii 
descendants turn their attention almost exclusively to 
trade in wax and ivory; and, though tho country would 
yield any amount of corn and dairy-produce, the native 
Portuguese live chiefly on manioc, and the Europeans 
purchase their flour, bread, butter, tnd cheese from tho 
Americans. 
As tho traders of Cassange were tho first whito men we 
had come to, wo sold tho tusks belonging to Sekelotu, which 
had been brought to tost the difference of prices in tho Ma- 
kololo and white men’s country. The result was highly 
satisfactory to my companions, as the Portuguese give 
much larger prices for ivory than traders from tho Cape 
can possibly givo, who labor under the disadvantage of con- 
siderable overland expenses and ruinous restrictions. Two 
muskets, throe small barrels of gunpowder, and English 
calico and baize sufficient to clothe my wholo party, with 
large bunches of boads, all for one tusk, were quito delight- 
ful for those who had boon accustomod to givo two tusks 
for one gun. With another tusk wo procured calico, which 
bere is tho chief currency, to pay our way down to the 
coast Tho remaining two were sold for money to purchase 
a horse for Sekelotu at Loanda. 
The superiority of this now market was quite astound- 
