494 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
a certain number of loads, for which they are expected 
to account on their return. These loads are called 
banzos, and the Pombeiro and carriers eno;ao;ed in such 
separate ventures board themselves from the very outset 
of the journey. Saving in this instance, the trader is 
bound to keep his men and their Pombeiros in food in 
the manner above described. The Pombeiros never 
undertake a venture for any determinate time, and their 
chains are the same for the shorter as for the longer 
period. They are employed, in fact, by the job, for it is 
well known that in Africa the negroes make no account 
of time. 
The customs of the Bihenos are pret'ty nearly the 
same as those of the inhabitants of Caquingue, and 
contact with the whites has produced no change for the 
better among the natives. They have no idea of any 
religious faith, they adore neither sun nor moon, they 
set up no idols, but live on, quite satisfied with their 
sorceries and divinations. Nevertheless, a notion is 
prevalent among them as to the immortality of the 
soul, or rather as to its existence in a kind of pur¬ 
gatory until such time as the survivors are enabled to 
fulfil certain precepts or perform certain acts of ven¬ 
geance on behalf of the dead. Their form of govern¬ 
ment is an absolute monarchy, and has a good deal of 
feudalism about it. Every one is, for the most part, 
a judge in his own cause, and when 1 speak of the 
mucanos I will describe how justice is done in this part 
of the world. 
The most striking incidents amono; the Bihenos are 
those connected with their sovereigns or Sovas, and 
more especially with regard to the proclamation and 
death of the latter. Before, however, describing these 
two great events it is necessary to say a few words 
about the court. The Sova is surrounded by a certain 
number of subjects who are styled Macotas, and are 
assimilated by some to Ministers among ourselves, but 
this is really not the case. The Macotas form, it is 
true, a sort of council to which the Sova always submits 
his resolutions, but of whose opinion he makes but little 
