480 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
near the large village of Cassequera. After crossing a 
little brook which ran on the other side of the village, 
I came upon some enormous clearances covered with 
grasses, which excited my attention on account of their 
huge size and mature growth at a period of the year 
when the plants of this family are only just beginning 
to develop. 
'My young negro Pepeca had so violent and sudden 
an attack of fever that he sank down powerless. I 
called a halt, and sent off a messenger to the village of 
Cassequera to hire a man for the purpose of carrying 
the poor fellow on his shoulders. At noon I passed 
near the residence of the captain of the Quingue, the 
first village in the Caquingue country. I took up my 
quarters in the house of Joao Albino, a half-caste of 
Benguella, the son of the old Portuguese trader Luiz 
Albino, who was killed by a buffalo in the wilds of 
the Zambesi. Joao Albino resides in the compound of 
Camenlia, son of the captain of the Quingue. Camenha 
himself was absent, having gone to take the command 
of the forces of the native king of Caquingue, in a war 
then waging with certain chiefs of the Cubango. 
The weather improved and my fever entirely left me, 
but I had not got rid of my rheumatism, which gave 
lively evidence of its presence. 
It is worthy of note that night came on without rain, 
and was followed by a cloudless morning. 
I paid a visit to the old captain of the Quingue, 
taking with me, by way of offering, a piece of linen 
cloth. He made me a present of an ox, which I ordered 
at once to be slaughtered, as we had eaten no other 
flesh than that of swine for a long time past. The 
captain was very old and infirm. He conversed with 
me at great length about my journey and its motives, 
and could not comprehend what I intended to do. 
When I was about to leave him he said, “ I know 
now who you are ; you are a chief of the white king, 
and he has sent, you to visit these parts, and study the 
roads ; for the white king knows that many things are 
done here that are not good, and he wants to put a stop 
