444 
LONG DETENTION. 
Chap. XXII. 
saucily at these articles, for he had just received a barrel con¬ 
taining 18 lbs. of powder, 24 yards of cahco, and two bottles of 
brandy, from Senhor Pascoal the Poinbeiro. Other presents were 
added the next day, but we gave nothing more; and the Pombeiros 
informed me that it was necessary to give largely, because they 
are accompanied by slaves and carriers who are no great friends 
to their masters; and if they did not secure the friendship of these 
petty chiefs, many slaves and their loads might be stolen while 
passing through the forests. It is thus a sort of black-mail that 
these insignificant chiefs levy; and the native traders, in paying, 
do so simply as a bribe to keep them honest. This chief was a 
man of no power; but in our former ignorance of tins, he plagued 
us a whole day in passing. 
Finding the progress of Senhor Pascoal and the other Pom¬ 
beiros excessively slow, I resolved to forego his company to 
Cabango, after I had delivered to him some letters to be sent 
back to Cassange. I went forward with the intention of finisliing 
my writing, and leaving a packet for him at some village. We 
ascended the eastern acclivity that bounds the Cassange valley, 
which has rather a gradual ascent up from the Quango, and we 
found that the last ascent, though apparently not quite so high 
as that at Tala Mungongo, is actually much liigher. The top is 
about 5000 feet above the level of the sea, and the bottom 3500 
feet; water boiling on the heights at 202°, the thermometer in 
the air showing 96°; and at the bottom at 205°, the air being 
75°. We had now gained the summit of the western subtending 
ridge, and began to descend towards the centre of the country, 
hoping soon to get out of the Cliiboque territory, which, when we 
ascended from the Cassange valley, we had entered, but on the 
19th of April the intermittent, which had begun on the 16th of 
March, was changed into an extremely severe attack of rheumatic 
fever. This was brought on by being obhged to sleep on an ex¬ 
tensive plain covered vdth water. The rain pointed down inces¬ 
santly, but we formed our beds by dragging up the earth into 
oblong mounds, somewhat hke graves in a country chiu’chyard, 
and then placing grass upon them. The rain contmuing to deluge 
us, we were unable to leave for two days, but as soon as it became 
fair we continued our march. The heavy dew upon the high 
grass was so cold, as to cause sliivering, and I was forced to lie by 
