530 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
circle, were some twenty men, armed with assegais and 
shields, who, during our conference, remained as motion¬ 
less and silent as statues. Shortly after my arrival, 
G-arubella came in and our conference began. I com¬ 
menced by saying that I had been compelled to leave 
upon the road the rich presents I had brought for him, 
but that, even as it was, I had been able to save a few 
trifles, and among them a uniform and hat, which I then 
presented him. The former was one of those richly 
bedizened liveries that all Lisbon has seen worn by the 
lacqueys seated in the ante-chambers of the Marquis de 
Penafiel, and which were sold when that wealthy noble¬ 
man changed his luxurious Lisbon residence for the 
O 
more restless life of the capital of France. Lobossi was 
delighted both with the uniform and hat, and thanked 
me very warmly for the gift. We then, after some con¬ 
versation upon indifferent subjects, began to talk of 
business. 
Three languages are spoken in the Baroze country— 
the Ganguella, the Luina and the Sesuto ; the last-men¬ 
tioned being a dialect left behind them by the Macololos, 
who modified the customs of the conquered people to 
the extent of introducing their own tongue, which still 
remains the official language and the one affected by the 
Court. It was this idiom that was spoken by Lobossi 
and Gambella, and wherein Verissimo and Caiumbuca 
served me as interpreters. I at once informed the 
monarch that I came as the envoy of the King of 
Portugal (the Mueneputo, for by that name His Most 
Faithful Majesty is known among all the peoples of 
South Africa, and which is formed of two words, Muene, 
meaning King, and Puto, the name given to Portugal in 
Africa). I said that my chief aim was to facilitate com¬ 
merce between the two countries, and that, as Lui was 
in the centre of Africa, and already in communication 
with Benguella, I desired to open the road to the Zumbo, 
which would afford a much nearer market, where it 
would be easy for himself and his subjects to furnish 
themselves with those European products of which they 
stood most in need. He complained warmly of the 
