Chap. XIX. 
THE TAMPAN-™CABINDA. 
883 
of a pin’s head to that of a pea, and is common in all the native 
huts in tliis country. It sucks the blood until quite fuU, and is 
then of a dark-blue colour, and its skin so tough and yielding, that 
it is impossible to bm’st it by any amount of squeezing with the 
fingers. I had felt the effects of its bite in former years, and 
eschewed all native huts ever after, but as I was here again 
assailed in a Em’opean house, I shall detail the effects of the bite. 
These are, a tingling sensation of mingled pain and itching, 
which commences ascending the limb until the poison imbibed 
reaches the abdomen, where it soon causes violent vomiting and 
purging. Where these effects do not foUow, as we found after¬ 
wards at Tete, fever sets in; and I was assured by intelligent 
Portuguese there, that death has sometimes been the result of 
tills fever. The anxiety my friends at Tete manifested to keep 
my men out of the reach of the tampans of the village, made it 
evident that they had seen cause to dread this insignificant insect. 
The only inconvenience I afterwards suffered from this bite, was 
the continuance of the tingling sensation in the point bitten, for 
about a week. 
May Vlth.—Ks, we were about to start this morning, the Com¬ 
mandant, Senhor Arsenio, provided bread and meat most bounti¬ 
fully for my use on the way to the next station, and sent two 
militia soldiers as guides, instead of our Cassange corporal, who 
left us here. About mid-day we asked for shelter from the sun 
in the house of Senhor MeUot, at Zangii, and though I was unable 
to sit and engage in conversation, I found on rising from his 
couch that he had at once proceeded to cook a fowl for my use; 
and at parting he gave me a glass of wine, which prevented the 
violent fit of shivering I expected that afternoon. The universal 
hospitahty of the Portuguese was most gratifying, as it was quite 
unexpected. And even now, as I copy my journal, I remember 
it all with a glow of gratitude. 
We spent Sunday, the 14th of May, at Cabinda, which is one of 
the stations of the sub-commandants, who are placed at different 
points in each district of Angola, as assistants of the head-com¬ 
mandant, or chefe. It is situated in a beautiful glen, and sur¬ 
rounded by plantations of bananas and manioc. The country 
was gradually becoming more picturesque, the farther we pro¬ 
ceeded west. The ranges of lofty blue mountains of LiboUo, 
