BETWEEN ANGOLA AND THE ZAMBESI. 
489 
the history of Bihe that the country is of recent origin, 
and that almost from its very commencement intimate 
relations existed between the Portuguese and Bihenos, 
through the intervention of the Governor-General of 
Angola—on behalf of the Sova Cangombi, the grand¬ 
father of the reigning sovereign Quillemo, and grandson 
of the founder of the Biheno monarchy. 
The Bihenos are little given to agriculture or to 
any kind of manual labour. All the work is done by 
women, who alone cultivate the earth. The men are 
fond of travelling, their roaming disposition being pro¬ 
bably due to their origin, as their forefathers came from 
distant parts ; and they have no hesitation in penetrating 
into the most remote regions to carry on their trade in 
ivory and slaves. Availing themselves of this dispo¬ 
sition, certain adventurous spirits, such as Silva Porto, 
Guilherme, Pernambucano, Ladislao, Magiar and other 
traders, began to direct and guide the Bihenos in their 
excursions, and by so doing bestowed a great service 
upon the world at large, for by opening new markets to 
trade they opened new fields for civilisation. But it 
was not their trade alone which little by little increased 
the commercial activity of Benguella ; encouraged by 
example, and gradually losing their fear of the white 
men, the natives of remoter districts appeared with 
their wares and did business directly with the commercial 
houses of Benguella. 
The trading excursions into the interior of the 
country, initiated by the whites, were soon imitated by 
their black brethren, and at first a few, and afterwards 
many, obtaining a certain credit in the Benguella 
markets, proceeded to the Bihe to organise expeditions, 
which started thence for the interior in search of wax 
and ivory. I became acquainted with many negroes 
who turned over a capital of a thousand to twelve 
hundred pounds sterling, and some even more ; one of 
them indeed, by name Chaquingudne, originally a slave 
of Silva Porto, during my sojourn at the Bihe arrived 
from the interior, where he had traded on his own 
account to the extent of 14 contos of reis, or about 
