Chap. XX, 
EUIXS—THE FORT. 
405 
venient for the transport of the products of the rich districts of 
Cassange, Pungo Andongo, Ambaca, Cambambe, Golungo Alto, 
Cazengo, Mucliima, and Galiimbo; hi a word, the whole of Angola 
and independent tribes adjacent to this kingdom. 
The Portuguese merchants generally look to foreign enter¬ 
prise; and to thek own Government, for the means by which 
this amelioration might be effected; but, as I always stated to 
them when conversing on the subject, foreign capitahsts would 
never run the risk, unless they saw the Angolese doing something 
for themselves, and the laws so altered that the subjects of other 
nations should enjoy the same privileges in the country with 
themselves. The Government of Portugal has indeed shown a 
wise and liberal policy by its permission for the alienation of 
the crown lands in Angola; but the law giving it effect is so 
fenced round with limitations, and so deluged with verbiage, 
that to plain people it seems anytliing but a straightforward 
licence to foreigners to become hond fide landholders and culti¬ 
vators of the soil. At present the tolls paid on the different lines 
of road for ferries and bridges, are equal to the interest of large 
sums of money, though but a small amount has been expended in 
making available roads. 
There are two chm^ches and a hospital in ruins at Massangano ; 
and the remains of two convents are pointed out, one of which is 
said to have been an estabhshment of black Benedictines, which, 
if successful, considering the materials the bretlu^en had to work 
on, must have been a laborious undertaking. There is neither 
priest nor schoolmaster m the town, but I was pleased to observe 
a number of cliildren taught by one of the inhabitants. The 
cultivated lands attached to aU these conventual estabhshments 
in Angola, are now rented by the Government of Loanda, and 
thither the bishop lately removed all the gold and silver vessels 
belonging to them. 
The fort of Massangano is small, but in good repair: it contains 
some very ancient guns, wliich were loaded from the breech, and 
must have been formidable weapons in their time. The natives 
of this country entertam a remarkable dread of gveat guns, and 
this tends much to the permanence of the Portuguese authority. 
They dread a cannon greatly, though the carriage be so rotten 
