THE KING OP CONGO. 
279 
mo a visit. Ho was on a tour of visitation in the different 
interior districts for the purpose of baptizing and marrying 
He had lately been on a visit to Lisbon in company with 
the Prince of Congo, and had been invested with an ordei 
of honor by tho King of Portugal as an acknowledgment 
of his services. He had all the appearance of a true negro, 
tint commanded tho respect of tho people ; and Colonel P , 
who had known him fo 'thirty years, pronounced him to bo a 
good man. There aro only three or four priests in Loanda, 
all men of color, but educated for the office About tho 
time of my journey in Angola, an offer was made to any 
young mon of ability who might wish to dovoto themselves 
to the service of tho Church to afford them the requisite 
education at tho University of Coimbra in Portugal. 1 
was infotmed, on what seemed good authority, that tho 
Prince of Congo is professedly a Christian, and that there 
are no fewer than twelve churches in that kingdom, the 
fruits of tho mission established in formor times at San 
Salvador, tho capital. Thcso churches aro kept in partial 
fepair by tho people, who also keep up tho ceremonies of 
the Church, pronouncing some gibberish over the dead in 
imitation of tho Latin prayers which they had formerly 
heurd. Many of them can read and write. Whon a king 
Congo dies, the body is wrapped up in a great many 
folds of cloth until a priest can come from Loanda to con. 
secrato his successor. Tho King of Congo still retains tho 
fitlo of Lord of Angola, which ho had when tho Jinga, tho 
° v iginal possessors of tho soil, owed him allogianco ; and, 
when ho writes to tho Governor of Angola, ho places his 
°wn name first, as if addressing his vassal. The Jinga 
paid him ti’ibuto annually in cowries, which wero found f n 
tho island that shelters Loanda Harbor, and, on refusing to 
Continuo payment, tho King of Congo gavo ovor tho island 
fo the Portuguese, and thus their dominion commenced in 
this quarter. 
There is not much knowledge of the Christian religion 
m either Congo or Angola ; yet it is looked upon with a 
