358 
CONVICT SOTiDIEBS. 
merce has very much exceeded that on slaves. The int-en 
tions of the homo Portuguese Government, however good, 
cannot bo fully carried out under the pi'cscnt system 
The pay of the officers is so very small that they aro nearly 
all obliged to engage in trade ; and, owing to the lucrative 
nature of the slave-trade, the tomptation to engage in it is 
so powerful that the philanthropic statesmen of Lisbon 
need hardly expect to have their humane and enlightened 
views carried out. Tho law, for instance, lately promul- 
gated for the abolition of tho carrier-system (earregadores) 
is but one of several equally humane enactments against 
this mode of compulsory labor, but thoro is very little pro- 
bability of the benevolent intentions of tho logislaturo 
being carried into effect. 
Loanda is regarded somewhat as a penal settlement, and 
those who leave their native land for this country do so 
with the hope of getting rich in a few years and then re- 
turning home. They have thus no motive for sooking tho 
permanent wolfaro of tho country. Tho Portuguese law 
preventing tho subjocts of any other nation from holding 
landed property unless they become naturalized, tho country 
has neither tho advantage of native nor foreign enterprise, 
and remains vory much in tho samo state as our allies found 
it in 1575. Nearly all the European soldiers sent out aro 
convicts, and, contrary' to what might bo expected from 
men in their position, bohavo remarkably well. A few 
riots havo occurred, but nothing at all so serious as have 
taken place in our own penal settlements. It is a remark- 
able fact that the wholo of tho arms of Loanda aro ovorj 
night in tho hands of thoso who havo boon convicts 
Various reasons for this mild behavior aro assigned by 
the officers, but none of thoso, when viewod in connection 
with our own experience in Australia, appear to bo valid 
Religion sooms to havo no connection with tho chango. 
Porhaps the climato may havo some influence in subduing 
their turbulent disposition, for the inhabitants generally 
are a timid race : thoy are not half so bravo as our Caffros 
