Chap. XIX. 
DISTEICT OF AMBACA. 
381 
to give up observations by nigbt altogether. The inside of the 
only covering I now had was not much better^ but under the 
blanket, one is not so liable to the chill which the dew produces. 
It would have afforded me pleasure to have cultivated a more 
intimate acquaintance with the inhabitants of this part of the 
country, but the vertigo produced by frequent fevers made it as 
much as I could do to stick on the ox and crawl along in misery. 
In crossing the Lombe, my ox Sinbad, in the indulgence of his 
propensity to strike out a new path for himself, plunged overhead 
into a deep hole, and so soused me, that I was obhged to move 
on to dry my clothing, without calling on the Europeans who 
live on the bank. This I regretted, for aU the Portuguese were 
very kind, and hke the Boers placed in similar circumstances, 
feel it a sHght to be passed without a word of salutation. But 
we went on to a spot where orange-trees had been planted by 
the natives themselves, and where abundance of that refreshing 
fruit was exposed for sale. 
On entering the district of Ambaca, we found the landscape 
erdivened by the appearance of lofty mountains in the distance, 
the grass comparatively short, and the whole country at tliis time 
looking gay and verdant. On our left we saw certain rocks of 
the same nature with those of Pungo Andongo, and which closely 
resemble the Stonehenge group on Salisbury Plain, only the 
stone pillars here are of gigantic size. Tliis region is all wonder¬ 
fully fertile, famed for raising cattle, and aU kinds of agricultural 
produce, at a cheap rate. The soil contains sufficient ferruginous 
matter, to impart a red tinge to nearly the whole of it. It is 
supplied with a great number of httle flowing streams which 
unite in the Lucalla. This river drains Ambaca, then falls into 
the Coanza to the south-west at Massangano. We crossed the 
Lucalla by means of a large canoe kept there by a man who farms 
the ferry from the government, and charges about a penny per 
head. A few miles beyond the Lucalla, we came to the village 
of Ambaca, an important place in former times, but now a mere 
paltry village, beautifully situated on a httle elevation in a plain 
surrounded on all hands by lofty mountains. It has a gaol, and 
a good house for the Commandant, but neither fort nor church, 
though the ruins of a place of worship are still standing. 
We were most kindly received by the Commandant of Ambaca, 
