418 
OFFICIAL DELINQUENTS. 
Chap. XXL 
natives, and this season is denominated carneirado,” as if by tlie 
disease they were slaughtered hke sheep. The season of these 
changes, which is the most favourable for Europeans, is the most 
unhealthy for the native population; and this is by no means 
a climate, in which either natives or Europeans can indulge in 
irregularities with impunity. 
Owing to the weakness of the men who had been sick, we were 
able to march but short distances. Tlmee hours and a half 
brought us to the banks of the Caloi, a small stream which flov>^s 
into the Senza. This is one of the parts of the country reputed 
to yield petroleum, but the geological formation, being mica 
schist dipping towards the eastward, did not promise much for 
our finding it. Our hospitable friend Mr. Mellot accompanied us 
to another httle river, called the Quango, where I saw two fine 
boys, the sons of the sub-commandant, Mr. Feltao, who, though 
only from six to eight years old, were subject to fever. We then 
passed on in the bright surdight, the whole country lookmg so 
fresh and green after the rains, and everytliing so cheermg, one 
could not but wonder to find it so feverish. 
We found on reaching Ambaca that the gallant old soldier 
Laurence Jose Marquis, had, since our passing Icollo i Bengo, 
been promoted, on account of his stern integrity, to the govern¬ 
ment of this important district. The office of commandant is 
much coveted by the officers of the line who come to Angola, not 
so much for the salary as for the perquisites, which, when managed 
skilfully, in the course of a fevf years make one rich. An idea 
may be formed of the conduct of some of these officials from the 
following extract from the Boletim of Loanda of the 28th of 
October, 1854. 
The acting governor-general of the province of Angola and 
its dependencies determines as follows. 
Having instituted an investigation (Syndecancia) against the 
commandant of the fort of —■—, a captain of the army of Por¬ 
tugal in commisssion in this province, -—, on account of nume¬ 
rous complaints, which have come before this Government, of 
violences and extortions practised by the said commandant, and 
those complaints appearing by the result of the investigation to 
be well founded, it will be convenient to exonerate the captain 
referred to, from the command of the fort of —to which he 
