DECADENCE OP PORTUGUESE POWER. 
407 
power in this quarter. It is a small square building, with 
a thatched apartmont for tho residence of tho troops ; and, 
though there are but few guns, they are in a much bottor 
state than those of an) - fort in tho interior of Angola 
'iiio eauso of tho decadonco of tho Portuguese power in 
this region is simply this : — In fbrmer times, considerable 
quantities of grain, as wheat, millet, and maize, woro ex. 
ported ; also coffee, sugar, oil, and indigo, besides gold-dust 
and ivory. Tho cultivation of grain was canned on by 
means of slaves, of whom tho Portuguese possessed a largo 
number. Tho gold-dust was procurod by washing at various 
points on tho north, south, and wost of Teto. A merchant 
took all his slaves with him to tho washings, carrying as 
much calico and other goods as ho could muster. On 
arriving at tho washing-placo, ho made a present to tho 
chief of tho valuo of about a pound sterling. Tho slaves 
woro then divided into parties, each headed by a confiden- 
tial sorvant, who not only had tho supervision of his squad 
while tho washing went on, but bought dust from tho inhabit- 
ants and rnado a wcokly return to his master. When several 
masters united at ono spot, it was called a “ Bara j” and 
they thon oroctcd a temporary church, in which a priest 
from ono of tho missions performed mass. Both chiefs 
and people were favorable to theso visits, becauso tho 
traders purchased grain for tho sustonanco of tho slaves 
with tho goods they had brought. Thoy continued at this 
labor until tho wholo of tho goods were expended ; and by 
this means about ono hundred and thirty pounds of gold 
woro annually produced. Probably more than this was 
actually obtained, but, as it was an articlo easily secreted, 
this alone was submitted to the authorities for taxation. At 
present tho wholo amount of gold obtained annually by 
tho Portuguese is from eight to ten pounds only. When 
tho slavo-trado began, it seemed to many of the merchants 
a more speedy modo of becoming rich to sell off the slaves 
than to pursuo tho slow modo of gold-washing and agricul- 
ture, and thoy oontinuod to export them until thoy had 
