BETWEEN ANGOLA AND THE ZAMBESI. 
471 
showers of rain ; and a S.W. wind that was blowing 
was searching and cold. In the evening an envoy 
arrived at my camp from the native chief of the Sambo, 
whose township was described to me as being situated 
at a distance of some nine or ten miles in a N.W. 
direction. The object of his message was to get some¬ 
thing out of me in the way of a present, and to inform 
me that if I would pass by the chief’s place he would 
give me an ox in return. I thanked him for the kind 
intention, and promised to let him have a trifle on the 
following day, for I was apprehensive, if I sent him off 
empty-handed, he would induce my carriers to abandon 
me ; a matter that it would have been very easy to 
do, as they had already shown a disposition to mutiny, 
which it had required all Verissimo’s eloquence to over¬ 
come. 
A chief of the name of Capugo, who held sway over 
the neighbouring hamlet, paid me the compliment of 
sending me by three of his wives (all very ugly women) 
a present in the shape of a fowl and three pumpkins. 
In return I sent him about three yards of striped cloth 
and gave a few beads to the women. At nightfall we 
had other female visitors, offering flour, maize, and 
manioc for sale. All these women indulged in the 
most extravagant head-dresses, the hair being interlaced 
with white coral and made to shine with a lavish expen¬ 
diture of castor-oil, which seemed to be a favourite 
article of the toilet. The men furnished me by the chief 
of the Dumbo were the most insubordinate rascals I ever 
came across; they were always either quarrelling with 
one another or with the Benguella porters, so that the 
only quiet spot in the camp, at night-time, was that 
occupied by the six negresses, my gentle virgin carriers. 
A very rough night it was—rain and wind contending 
for the mastery. At daybreak the chief Capugo came 
to thank me for the cloth I had given him, and as if to 
make up for the insignificance of his former gift, had 
brought with him a handsome pig and a good fat hen. 
The envoy of the great chief came shortly after to 
receive the present I had promised him; and as I 
