94 
The Slave Depot , 
Each house has a well-kept pottage plot, in¬ 
ferior, however, to those up stream. 
The tenure of ground here, as at Boma, is by 
yearly rent to the two “kings,” Nengongo and 
Nenzalo, each of whom claims a half. Like the 
chiefs of Porto Novo, the despot of Dahome, 
the rulers of many Nigerian tribes, and even the 
Fernandian “ Bube,” these potentates may not look 
at the sea nor at the river. Their power is, there¬ 
fore, deputed to “ linguisters ” or interpreters, 
linguistele ya Nchinu, “ linguist to the king,” being 
the official titles of these worthies, who massacre 
the Portuguese language, and who are empowered 
to receive “ comey ” (customs) and rent. The re¬ 
venue is composed of three principal items ; an 
ounce ($16) per head of negro embarked at Porto 
da Lenha ; four per cent, on all goods sold, and, 
lastly, a hundred hard dollars monthly ground- 
rent—^192 a year. The linguist becomes more 
powerful than the chief, who is wholly in his power, 
and always receives the best presents. Nengongo’s 
fattore is old Shimbah, an ignoble aspect with a 
“ kink in his leg ;” Mashel or Machela, a corruption 
of the Portuguese Maciel, died about two months 
ago : we shall see him disembarked for burial at 
Boma. 
It is evident that the slavers were wrong not to 
keep hulks like those of the Bonny River; health 
would have gained, and the procedure might have 
