THE PORTUGUESE AND THEIR FOLLOWERS. 25 
too hasty and peremptory a manner, to enforce. 
Appalled by the host of wives that surrounded every 
African prince or chief, who fulfilled for him every pur¬ 
pose of state and domestic service, and whom it had 
been his constant study and pride to multiply, the mis¬ 
sionaries made a call on their converts to select one, and 
to make a sweeping dismissal of all the others. This 
was considered an unwarrantable inroad on one of the 
most venerated institutions of the realm of Congo. To 
the aged monarch the privation appeared so intolerable 
that he thereupon renounced his Christian profession, 
and plunged again into the abyss of pagan superstition. 
Happily, Alphonso, the youthful heir-apparent, saw 
nothing so dreadful in the sacrifice ; he cheerfully sub¬ 
mitted to it, and, braving his father’s displeasure, re¬ 
mained attached to the Portuguese. The old king- 
dying soon after, the zealous convert became entitled to 
reign ; but his brother, Panso Aquitimo, supported by 
the nobles and almost the whole nation, raised the 
standard of rebellion in support of polygamy and pagan¬ 
ism. A civil war ensued, in which the prince had little 
more than a handful of Portuguese to oppose to the 
innumerable host of his rebel countrymen ; however, in 
consequence, as his adherents believed, of the appear¬ 
ance in the clouds, at one time of St. James, and at- 
another of the Virgin Mary, he always came off victorious. 
Doubtless the better arms and discipline of the Por¬ 
tuguese rendered them superior in the field to the 
tumultuary host of their rude assailants. 
Alphonso being thus firmly seated on his throne, the 
missionaries for a time secured a safe and comfortable 
establishment in Congo. Being reinforced by succes¬ 
sive bodies of their brethren, they spread over the 
neighbouring countries, Sundi, Pango, Concobella, 
Maopongo, many tracts of which were rich and populous, 
though the state of society was often extremely rude. 
Everywhere their career was nearly similar. The people 
gave them the most cordial reception, flocked in crowds 
to witness and to share in the pomp of their ceremonies, 
accepted with thankfulness their sacred gifts, and re- 
