BETWEEN ANGOLA AND THE ZAMBESI. 
483 
iron-mines, winch are abundant in the country. In 
order to extract the ore, they dig circular holes or shafts 
of about 10 to 13 feet in diameter, but not more 
than 6 or 7 feet deep ; this arises niost probably from 
their want of means to raise the ore to a greater 
elevation. I examined several of these shafts in the 
neighbourhood of the Cubango, and found them all of 
a similar character. As soon as they have extracted 
sufficient ore for the work of the year, they begin sepa¬ 
rating the iron. This is done in holes of no great 
CAQUINGUE BLACKSMITHS. 
depth, the ore being mixed with charcoal, and the tem¬ 
perature being raised by means of primitive bellows, 
consisting of two wooden cylinders, about a foot in 
diameter, hollowed out to a depth of 4 inches and 
covered with two tanned goat-skins, to which are fixed 
two handles, 20 inches long and half an inch thick. 
By a rapid movement of these handles, a current of air 
is produced which plays upon the charcoal through two 
hollow wooden tubes attached to the cylinders, and 
lurnished with clay muzzles. By incessant labour, kept 
up night and day, the whole of the metal becomes trans- 
2 i 2 
