274 
PUNGO ANDONGO 
S.S.E. ; for, seen from the top, they appear arranged in that 
direction, and must have withstood the surges of the ocean 
at a period of our world’s history when tho relations of 
land and sea were totally different from what they aro now, 
and long before “tho morning stars sang together, and all 
the sons of God shouted for joy to see the abodes prepared 
which man was soon to fill.” Tho embedded pioces ir 
the conglomerate aro of gneiss, clay shale, mica and sand- 
stone schists, trap, and porphyry, most of which aro larg< 
enough to give tho whole tho appearance of being tin 
only remaining vostigos of vast primeval banks of shin 
gle. Several little streams run among thcso rocks, and 
in tho central part of tho pillars stands tho village, com- 
pletely environed by wellnigh-inaceessible rooks. The 
pathways into the villago might be dofended by a small 
body of troops against an army; and this place was long 
tho stronghold of tho tribe called Jinga, tho original pos- 
sessors of tho country. 
In former times tho Portuguese imagined that this place 
was particularly unhealthy, and banishment to tho black 
rocks of Pungo Andongo was thought by their judges to 
bo a much severer sentenco than transportation to any 
part of the coast ; but this district is now well known to 
bo the most healthy part of Angola. Tho water is remark- 
ably pure, the soil is light, and the country open and undu- 
lating, with a general slope down toward the river Coanza, 
a few miles distant. That river is the southern boundary 
of the Portuguese, and beyond, to the S. and S.W., we see 
tho high mountains of tho Libollo. On tho S.E. wo have 
also a mountainous country, inhabited by tho Kimbonda or 
Ambonda, who are said by Colonel Pi res to bo a very brave 
and independent people, but hospitable and fair in their 
dealings. Thoy aro rich in cattlo, and their country pro- 
duces much bccs’-wax, which is carefully collected and 
brought to tho Portuguese, w'th whom thoy havo always 
been on good terms. 
Tho Ako, (Hako,) a branch of this family, inhabit the 
